Report of the Comenius meeting in Romania

Raport for visit in Romania, 29.10-2.11.2012

At week 29 October to 2 November 2012, No. Technical College. 2, Targu-Jiu hosted the first study visit of the multilateral School partnership "The European teenagers between fast food and culinary tradition" (1 August 2012 - 31 July 2014) - project included in the program of Lifelong Learning, sub Comenius ANPCDEFP being approved earlier this year.

The six foreign delegations were represented by 15 teachers: two teachers from Spain, Italy, Poland, and three teachers from Greece, Portugal and Turkey.

For each day of the week were offered interesting activities while enjoyable, especially relevant to the project.

ACTIVITY REPORT FOR   29. X.2012

Monday, 29.10.2012, it started the Programme of the Comenius Week's visit

            Objectives of activities:

• Presenting of The Technical College No.2 , tour school (offices, laboratories, classrooms, workshops, fireplace, dining room, library);

• assistance / observation sequences teaching / practical activities, laboratories and workshops;

• presenting and describing specific culinary partner institutions of the countries involved in the project;

• debate about healthy eating.

The activities started at 9:30 in club students and were conducted according to the following schedule:

September 30 to 10 - discussions, presentation of the program of work10-12 - The   tour of the host school; observation activities

14-19 - Roundtable

 During the first part of day it was presented the host institution regarding tour of the school, laboratories, offices, shops, boarding, dining room and library. Were presented to all the places where our students study, work or spend their leisure time. The teachers from partners’ schools were interested to know how it works lessons in the classroom, participating in some of them.

   In the afternoon, each partner schools presented its own school, country-specific issues, focusing on education systems, the manner of approach to education for a healthy lifestyle and defining elements of culinary tradition. The presentations were interactive and engaged discussions and thematic debates.

  Presentation of the educational system in Romania was made by Mr. Marius Badea deputy inspector general that    has warned that the learning process is defined as a deliberate activity undertaken in pursuit of finality well defined.

The materials used in the course of type roundtable were: PPT presentations, flyers, folders containing brochures, maps, Comenius week work program, sheets, films and photo montages.

ACTIVITY REPORT FOR     30. X 2012

Tuesday, thematic visit   - cultural and culinary heritage of Gorj County

The objectives in planning the visit to the Monastery and at The Housewife Art from Tismana

• Defining culinary tradition by understanding the spiritual relationship between orthodox and specificity gourmet,  the place of orthodox  fasting in worship and community life,  recommendations of Christian church;

• The share of food in the daily menu and healthy cooking methods;

• Identify historical landmarks, myth and legend, the importance of the worship in people's lives;

• Discovering the craft tradition and folklore (Oltenia carpet weaving, embroidery clothes, traditional folklore elements present in the grounds woven costumes, traditional dishes).

During this visit to Tismana, the partners have discussed in English with a representative of the monastery about history and culinary tradition of the place and the place of worship, fasting and recommendations of the Orthodox Church regarding healthy eating.

Hobiţa, Memorial House of Constantin Brancusi

• Discovering of the specific elements of the Romanian traditional house: architectural, structural, reasons (wooden works, seams and fabrics, furniture, rooms intended dominance of wood and clay;

• Identifying of the traditional Romanian kitchen: low table, chairs, pottery, food pantry and conservation methods, used for proper preparation and storage cellar beverage, household annexes, bed, utensils used in field work;

• Knowledge of Brancusi’s creation and identification into his work, of the emblematic transcription of the archaic personality and folkloric motives.

At the Memorial House of Constantin Brancusi visitors could saw specific objects and tools used in traditional Romanian kitchen. Our guests appreciated the simplicity and way of using the space for cooked dishes or food store. They were interested in conservation methods and tools used to work on the fields.

Hunter House in Peştişani was the last stop of the program, an opportunity for our partners because there they were able to taste some traditional recipes and to appreciate hunting.

Thursday 01.11.2012

The activity that took place on 01.11.2012  was the application through TarguJiu - Novaci - Baia de Fier - Horezu - Măldăreşti.

The purpose of the application was to make known for the project's partners  the cultural traditions of the  Carpathian area east of Jiu, to show them to the dairy factory at Novaci (built with EU funds) and to taste traditional cuisine products in Oltenia a place full of history.

At the application was attended by 15 partners from Greece, Turkey, Portugal, Poland, Spain and Italy and team members from Romania.

The departure was made at 9.00 in the Technical College Nr. 2, and the first objective was visited dairy factory of Novaci.

Guests were explained the need to open the factory in a region where dairy farming sheep and goats is an activity with ancient traditions. We visited the factory, the invitations received information about each process technology suffered by milk.

The second stop was near Novaciului at Cave of old women an important tourist attraction for Northern Oltenia.

At Horezu was visited the Paloş Ceramics workshop. The craftsman of  pottery workshop did a

demonstration of  manufacture a product, providing information about the materials used and the stages through which one passes to reach the final product. For the  guests have been presented different ceramics, usefulness and their role in traditional cuisine.

The last part of the application was the visit of Vestiges architectural complex of Măldăreşti where guests were introduced to the traditional lifestyle of the nobles from Northern Oltenia. At Maldar Mansion held  a tasting of  a traditional menu (The Menu of the house's lady).

At 17.00 hours the group left from Măldăreşti the arrival at TirguJiu being at 18.00.

Wednesday, October 31, the third day of the visit began with a practice walk: the seven teams' members, guests and hosts, went to town with map in hand, to see what is offered by the community for young people, in terms of food.

Participants were considered areas near schools. Following this raid we found all that near schools in the city, including the Technical College No. 2, students have few opportunities to eat healthy, to buy fruit, dairy and other healthy foods, because  schools have too many fast food centres nearby.

The second activity performed on this day was the visit of the Central Park and of architectural ensemble "Constantin Brancusi".

Representatives of the seven institutions involved enjoyed themselves by this oasis of tranquillity, right in the heart of the stunning works and Brancusi: from the Table of Silence, alley seats, guests passed under the Gate of the Kiss, continuing its path towards Heroes' Way to Infinite Column.

At noon, the entire team returned to school, where it was waited for a traditional meal prepared by the students involved in the project under the careful guidance of teachers.

The directors of the school, along with two deputy mayors of the city, representatives of foreign schools, with a welcome message.

In the afternoon, the whole team was invited to a workshop on the topic of work was discussing details of the following activities and mobility of students and teachers. Following a brainstorming name was chosen project's blog: "Mum's food or fast food?" Also the Spanish team proposed to choose an appropriate logo design. At the last part of the workshop  we talked about the questionnaires  developed for students on the fast food diet.

ACTIVITY REPORT   02. XI. 2012

Friday - plan of the future activities of the project

  As planned in the original program, the Friday, was dedicated for discussions about development of the project.

  Because Spain wants to achieve student mobility only in families (in return) and they have only a limited number of families to accommodate students from other countries, requested a further visit to Portugal, to enable them to achieve the minimum number of planned mobilities. The proposal was accepted, but it generated a long discussion about recalculation of the visits' dates, so that all participants agree. Also Spain has required a change of the date for visit in their country, following that this visit to take place in September 2013.

After some lengthy discussion, have been set visits at the following dates:

Number of the visit	COUNTRY	Initial date ( application form )	FINAL DATE
1	TURKEY	May- June 2013	15-20 April 2013
2	ITALY	Sep – Oct. 2013	18/23 FEB 2013
3	SPAIN	March- April 2014	30 sep-4 October 2013
4	GREECE	May- 2014	7-14 .04.2014
5	Portugal		8.01.2014

It was also made a draft about students' mobilities, in the event of students exchanges in families. Turkey has offered the possibility to accommodate a larger number of students in  school's hostel.

 The project's coordinator also discussed the problem of project’s site to be launched in November 2012. Site would be managed by the Spanish partner as defined in the application form would contain separate sections for album project (created by Turkish partner) healthy eating guide virtual variant (created by Portuguese partner) respectively Recipes virtual grandmother-in version (made by Polish partner).

Spanish representatives have said only now, that they want to replace the site with the blog (that they created during the meeting of Wednesday), adding that this blog is free and the site requires payment of a domain, that they are not willing to do.

The coordinator of the project tried to explain that there may be technical problems with this change, so that the partners could no longer pay the tasks undertaken in the project, considering that each country would only put their all materials. To clarify this point it was decided that each coordinator to seek opinion of the Agency in his country following the final decision belonging to the project coordinator, who has the duty to oversee the implementation of all final products to fulfil all tasks undertaken and partners.

 The last part planned for this day, about how project activities, have been undertaken to date, has been reviewed briefly, given the very short time left available.

  Discussions were followed in an atmosphere more relaxed for the final working day of the visit in Romania respectively, reflected in ceremony of giving certificates of participation for all present.

  There were done final photos, there were recalled with pleasure moments of the week spent in Romania, and that are made promises and hopes of review with the occasion of the following visits.

Until then, each partner has to perform the activities mentioned in the program, also keeping in touch with the project coordinator, and representatives of other countries.

  Prepared byAncaPeptan