Evaluation

It was a great project! We learnt about your life and got to know the other schools. We hope that we will exchange ideas next year too. Have great holidays! :)
Cheers,
Daria, Ola and Kuba

evaluation

Thanks for working on this project with us:) The project has been really educational and, of course, we enjoyed ourselves a lot. We hope we'll be able to carry out a similar project next school year and we'll get to know each other even more! Maybe one day we could start a student exchange, who knows?:):) I especially liked the videos you posted - well done. We'll try it next time too!
Have a great time during holidays!
Enjoy the sunshine and freedom!
Greetings from Poland
Jo

High School

In Szamotuły we have three secondary schools.Some students go to schools in Poznań (it is a city not far from Szamotuły) but I will tell you briefly about our school.The education lasts three years.In high school lessons start at seven forty and finish at 4 pm. There are usually six or seven lessons.There are five classes with leading subjects as follows: A -mathematics, physics and astronomy, B-biology, chemistry, C-biology, geography, D-Polish literature, history, civics, F- English, geography.

After each lesson there is a break. We also have many extra activities for example: volleyball, basketball, arts, drama classes.

Studies
In Poland to go to university we must pass the matura exam (the school leaving exam). Studies last four or five years. You can study daily or not:

- classes are held daily from Monday to Friday evening - every day

- there are also evening studies or weekend classes for students who work during the week (extramural studies).

Jacek:)

We are from Szamotuły, but we are going to describe Poznań because it is bigger and more interesting than Szamotuły. This city is on the Warta river in the west-central Poland. It is one of the oldest cities in Poland. There are a lot of historic buildings and sights in Poznań. They are mostly concentrated around the Old Market Square and other parts of the city centre. Perhaps the most important cultural event in Pozań is the annual Malta theater festival, which takes place at many city venues usually in late June and early July. It is famous for modern experimental off – theatre performances, often taking place in squares. It also includes cinema, visual, music and dancing events. Poznań hosted the 2009 European Young Adults Meeting of the ecumenical Christian Taize Community. The city centre has many clubs, pubs and coffee houses, mainly in the area of the Old Market Square.

("Bursztynowy słowik")

When visiting Poland you can't miss the most exciting music festivals: "Sopot Festival" and " Krajowy Festiwal Piosenki Polskiej w Opolu". Krajowy Festiwal Piosenki Polskiej w Opolu is organised every year in June. During the festiwal people can find out about the most important music achievements of the year ("Super Jedynki"). It's also possible to listen to the most amazing songs ("Premiery") and you can laugh with the most popular cabarets. The second most important festival is "the Sopot Festival" that takes place in "Opera Leśna" in Sopot. Since 1992 it has been one of the best-known festivals because of foreign singers invited to take part in it. "Bursztynowy słowik" is the best prize at this festival.

Malbork
Malbork is a gothic castle. Its volume is 250 000 m³. Teutonic Knights were building it from 1274 to 1457. Malbork was the capital of Teutonic Knights from 1309 to 1457. It was written down to the UNESCO list in December 1997. There wiil be a special performance in the castle called „With cross and sword”. It will be from 15 April 2010 to 15 September 2010. Today in Malbork there is a museum with a set of amber and thematic exhibitions showing life in former centuries. UFO is hiding in vaults of the castle - some people say that. The woman was bricked at one time in the tower called the „Maślankowa” tower.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malbork

The Międzyrzecz Fortification Region
It is a fortified military defence line in Western Poland, between the Odra river and Warta river. It was built between 1934-1938. It was the most technologically advanced fortification system of Nazi Germany, and remains one of the largest and the most interesting systems of this type in the world today. It is also the largest European underground bats refuge, giving shelter to about 32,000 bats of 12 species in the wintertime. In other seasons tourists can tour bunkers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hs4ueaxXrsk

As for nature in Poland, we have 23 national parks, above a thousand reserves and over 120 landscape parks. The national park called Wielkopolski National Park is nearest of Szamotuły - our small town :). I think you should find out somethin' special about this place.

Wielkopolski National Park was estabilished on 16th April 1957. It's located about 15 km from Poznań. The area of park amounts 7620 ha and includes 4550 ha of forests. Some parts of the Park's area are under special protection in the strict reserves. The Park protects forests growin' on the ground moraines, and the hills of the head moraine.

The Park is one of the biggest tourist atractions in the vicinity of Poznań. This part of Great Polish Lake District is known for its noteworthy landscapes which include pictureque lakes, as well as the Warta River. The most valuable parts of the Park (from the ecological point of the view) are protected as 18 strict reserves, including 10 forests and 8 water and swamp reserves. The Park's Museum of National Science is located in Puszczykowo.

Those who favor the photography of wild animals could, with a bit of luck, enrich their collections with pictures of stag, roe deer, wild boar, badger, fox, marten, or hare. The rich world of birds is represented by over 200 species, which may be either indigenous or migratory. Among those rarer are the European roller, kingfisher, black woodpecker and buzzard. About 35 species of fish, including bream, tench, pike and eel, live in the lakes. The impressive fauna includes above 3000 species of insects.


sources

The most popular musicians in Poland

There have been a lot of good musicians in Poland.

Fryderyk Chopin - (1 March 1810- 17 October 1849) was a Polish composer and pianist. He was one of the greatest masters of Romantic music. He was born in a village called Żelazowa Wola. Chopin was the first to write ballades and scherzi as individual pieces. He also took the example of Bach's preludes and fugues, transforming the genre into his own Préludes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef-4Bv5Ng0w

Czesław Niemen- (real name Czesław Juliusz Wydrzycki) was born on the 16th February 1939. He was one of the most important and original Polish singers and rock balladeers of the last quarter-century. Niemen was born in Stare Wasiliczki. His song ,,Dziwny jest ten świat" (Strange Is This World) is the most important Polish protest song of that era.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzACDJCfQvs

Andrzej Piaseczny-

was born on the 6th January 1971. He represented Poland in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2001. The song received 2 points from Sweden, 3 points from Slovenia, 5 points from Germany and 1 point from Denmark.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHLAsI1bdz8

Dorota Rabczewska- (Doda) was born on the 15th February 1984. She was born in Ciechanów in Poland. She is a Polish singer with one of the largest number of awards in Poland. She has an older brother Rafał. In 2006 she lent her voice to the dubbing for Asterix and the Vikings (as Abba). On March 5, 2005, Rabczewska married a Polish goalkeeper Radosław Majdan but now she is in a relationship with Adam Darski ( he is a singer in Bohemonth).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it71O2KupEE

Czytelnik ( IT revision )

Szamotuły

Szamotuły is situated in the Poznań Upland, in the immediate vicinity of the Poznań county. The town, inhabited by 18,700 people, is 35 km to the south-west of Poznań. For thousands of years the Szamotuły commune teritories have been characterized by unusually favourable conditions for settlement, which is surely due to its convenient location on the river Sama and in the Warta estuary.
The history of the town was strongly connected with two famous families of the Wielkopolska Upland: the Nałęcz and the Górka families. The remains of the house of the Górka family are: a 16-th century castle and a tower and a dungeon of Halszka-now the seat of the Górka Museum and Castle.
THINGS WORTH SEEING
*The Museum-Castle of Górka, tower and dungeon of Halszka
*Post-collegiate church
*The Baroque post-Franciscan complex with a Parish Church of the Holly Cross
*The palace and park complex in Gałowo near Szamotuły

WHAT MAKES SZAMOTUłY COUNTY SO ATTRACTIVE?
Favourable geographical location:
*transportation routes
*easy access to Poznań
*spectacular views and tourist attractions
*ecological purity
Successful investment ventures:
*the Hochland Company
*the Amica Company

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS AND FACILITIES
*Two swimming-pools
*Three lower secondary schools
*Tennis courts
*Restaurants
*The Wacław Sports Hall
*Football pitch
*Parks
*The Nałęcz Sports Hall

Famous inventors in Poland

Hi :) I'm writing about famous inventors in Poland.

Jan Józef Ignacy Łukasiewicz (1822-1882) was a
Polish-Armenian pharmacistand petroleum industry
pioneer. He built the first oil refinery in the world.
He’s famous for the inventionof the modern street
lamp in Europe.Thanks to his inventions he became
a wealthy man and one of the most prominent
philanthropists.

Kazimierz Prószczyński (1875-1945)was a Polish
invector active in the field of cinema.He patented his
first film camera called Pleograph. Later he went on
to improve the cinema projector for the Gaumont
company. He also invented the widely used hond-
held Aeroscope camera. 





Henryk Zygalski (1908- 1978) was a Polish
mathematician  and cryptologist who worked Marian
Rejewski  and Jerzy Różycki.Together they developed
the methods and equipment for breaking the Enigma
coded messages.
After the war he remained in exile in the United Kingdom.
He was prevented by the Official Sectets Act
from speaking of his achievments in cytology.


Stefan Drzewiecki (1844-1938) was a Polish
scientist, journalist, engineer,constuctor and inventor
working in Russia and France. He invented such
useful tools as the kilometric counter for cabs. He
constructed an instrument that drew the precise
routes of ships into a map. He developed the theory
of guiding flights. His work “Theorie generalede
l’helice” was honored by the French Academy of Science.

Ludwik Łazarz Zamenhof (1859-1917) was an
ophthalmologist, philologist and the inventor of
Esperanto, a constructed language designed for
international communication. For two years he
tried to raise funds to publish a booklet decribing
the language. Zamenhof wrote the first
grammar of the Yiddish language. Later he published the Yiddish magazine “Lebn
un visnshaft”. He translated the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament into Esperanto. Zamenhof was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by four British Members of Parliament and
Professor Stanley Lane Poole.

Ola :) + Czytelnik ( IT revision )

School life

We're students the Lower Secondary School of Ks. Piotra Skarga in Szamotuły.

We want to show you our school life.

We usually start school at 7.40 but sometimes we go to school later for example at 9.30.

Ok so now we'll show you our school rules

1.We can have 3 tests a week
2.Our grades depend on these percent range:
0%-39%- 1 (failed)
40%-54%- 2
55%-69%- 3
70%-84%- 4
85%-100%- 5 (very good)

In our school lessons continue from 7.40am to 3pm or 4pm

Every lesson lasts 45 minutes.
We have a lot of breaks. 2 breaks last 15 minutes and the others are 10 minutes long.
We have a school shop in which there are a lot of sweets and drinks.
We have also 2 gyms and a health club.
We have a lot of extra classes, like religious education classes, math classes, biology classes and history classes.

After lessons you can take part in karate classes, Iado lessons and aikido lessons.

We believe in Poland lessons are interesting.

Teachers are nice and they think of fascinating topics for studying.

They check tests fairly and when we have a problem they always try to help.

Good manners are also taught at our school.

Claudia, Agata and Maciej ;]

The most popular actors in Poland

There are a lot of good actors and actresses in Poland. I think the best ones are Julia Kamińska and Filip Bobek because they have won two ''Telecamery Awards 2010'' for the best acting. They acted in ''Brzydula'', a very popular soap opera.

The most famous actresses in another popular Polish TV serial- ''M jak miłość'' are Małgorzata Kożuchowska, Joanna Koroniewska and Katarzyna Cichopek. They are very interesting people and this is why they have got plenty of prizes from their viewers. ''Barwy Szczęścia'' is another soap worth watching. The best actress in ''Barwy Szczęścia'' and my favourite one is Katarzyna Zielińska. Her part is surprising and fantastic!

In Poland we also like some foreign films, especially action ones. The most popular foreign celebrities in Poland are Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and Orlando Bloom. In my opinion, their acting is really astonishing!

Hello,

My name is Ola and I’m 15 years old.I have blond hair and blue eyes. I am about 160 cms tall.

I live with my parents and my brother in Szamotuły in the west of Poland. I have a small family. I'm a student of Piotr Skarga Lower Secondary school. I'm in class 2A. On weekdays I get up at 6.00 and go to school from 7.40am to 3pm. My favourite subjects are Maths and Music. I hate Science.

I love music! My favourite singer is Beyonce. My favourite song is „Empire State Of Mind”. I like singing. I play the piano and the guitar. In my free time I like going to the ciemna with my friends and I enjoy reading books. My favourite film is „Step up”. At the weekends I meet with my friends. In the summer I often go to the seaside.

Please write to me and tell me about you and your life.

I hope to hear from you.

Best wishes

Ola

Hi! ;] My name is Claudia. I'm 15 years old and my birthday is on 15th January. I'm from Poland (Szamotuły). I don't have any brothers or sisters.


I have blonde hair and blue eyes. I usually wear a shirt, a pair of jeans and a pair of trainers.


My favourite songs are: "Hard" and "Where are you now". I like the band called Paramore.


My hobby is music. I can play the cello and the piano. Sometimes I ride a horse.


At home I have a pet-this is a cat. His name is Bazyl. He's 2 years old. He's grey and he has orange eyes. He's very beautiful. He likes playing with me and loves eating meat.


Please write and tell me about you.
I hope to hear from you.


Claudia

Hello

Hello,
my name is Wlodek Kaplon, and I'm 14. I live in Szamotuły(Poland), like my classmates.
I have long hair, green eyes (in the class photo I'm the boy on the left wearing the hat and green glasses). I like playing World Of Warcraft(I'm a Tauren) and listening to Red Hot Chilli Peppers. I sing in the school choir called Alla Breve).
That's all for now:)
Take care

Christmas

In Poland special attention is paid to Christmas. People start to think about it in early November and prepare very carefully.

The two nicest moments are buying a Christmas tree and presents. As Christmas is so special, the gifts we give are special, too. We choose them very carefully, because we want to make our relatives and friends happy. We also send Christmas cards to our family and friends.

Even though artificial Christmas trees become more popular every year, many people buy natural ones. The whole family comes together and chooses the tree. They want to have the most beautiful one, as they say they cannot imagine Christmas without the scent of a fresh tree.

A typical Polish Christmas tree is colourful and trimmed with hand made decorations. A few days before Christmas, Polish housewives start to prepare dishes for the Christmas Eve supper. According to the tradition, there should be twelve dishes on the table. The number of dishes is equal to the number of the Apostles. Among the dishes there are herrings, carp, trout, borsch or mushroom soup, pies and cakes.

Traditionally one place at the table should be set for an unexpected guest. If somebody comes, we have to invite him to the table and share our dinner with him. A little bit of hay is put under the tablecloth. This is the symbol of the fact that Jesus was born in a little stable.

When the table is set and the Christmas tree decorated, we wait for the first star to shine. Then we sit down to have supper. But before we start to eat we share a wafer with our family and wish each other all the best.

After the supper we unpack the gifts which were placed under the Christmas tree. Then we sing Christmas carols. Many people go to church for the midnight mass.

In Poland we spend Christmas day, December 25, with our families and on Boxing Day we visit our relatives or friends. But only if we are invited.

Polish Christmas is most beautiful. It is about peace and forgiveness. This special atmosphere makes us wait for Christmas with some impatience. For most people it is their favourite festival.

Merry Christmas!

Daria

Christmas symbols

Hi!

I will write about Polish Christmas symbols, traditions and customs, because others have written about other things.

Christmas tree – symbol of life (green, fresh needles)
Things on the Christmas tree:
- chains - they symbolise the snake from the Bible - devil or strengthened family bonds
-star – Star of Bethlehem
-apples - health and beauty
-nuts - guarantee the prosperity and vital forces,
-honey gingerbread - good luck for the New Year,
-lamps and glass balls were supposed to protect the house from demons
-cherubim (small angels)- these are carers of the house

Presents – we get presents because Jesus got the presents from the Three Kings
Christmas carols - the most well-known of carols are “Silence night, holy night”, “Today in Bethlehem”
Carol singers – the people dressed up as animals (stork, goat, bear) – Mazury – the part of Poland
Carol singers – the people dressed up as Santa Claus, animals… - rest of Poland

Wafer- symbol of conciliating and forgiving, sign of friendship and love

First star of the sky - symbolic reference to the Star of Bethlehem
Christmas play – show of the Jesus born (first Christmas play was created by Franciszek from Asyż)
Santa Claus – bishop of Mira (he lived in 3rd and 4th century AD)

Mistletoe - under mistletoe people in love kiss

The number of Christmas dishes refers to important symbols :
12 Christmas dishes on the table = 12 apostles
7 Christmas dishes = 7 days in week
9 Christmas dishes = 9 of heavenly hosts

Christmas

It's December now so we've got Christmas in Poland. It's a dominant subject in winter. Maybe you would like to find out about the way we celebrate it in our country.

In Poland Christmas is the most popular holiday. Everyone waits for it actually for the whole year. On this night we can be with our families and friends. We live in reconciliation. I think there's no person who dislikes X-mas.

In Poland some people read the Bible. There has never been such a custom in my house. When the first star is in the sky we (me and my family) just start celebrating. We share the wafer. In Poland on the table there should be 12, 9 or 7 dishes during the Christmas supper. In my house there have always been 7 or 9 (it depends on my mother - she cooks). Oh, and we have a Christmas tree of course! But only I can decorate it. I could say it's our house custom! ;) I always make home gingerbread with my mother and sister. There's no X-mas with no gingerbread in my house.

Now the most important thing about Christmas - presents! In Poland it could be anything - from a great modern brand-new computer to ugly drawers. No present can destroy our good mood - it's Christmas! I usually get books because everyone in my family knows that I love them. I often get DVD films too.

Merry Christmas!!!!!! ;*

Christmas in Poland

Christmas is the best moment in the whole year. This is the only moment when the whole family can spend a little time together.

In Poland we celebrate for three days. In every house there are artificial or live Christmas trees, under which on 24th of December there are a lot of gifts. Children wait to unwrap the gifts. Before Christmas, all the children write a letter to Santa Claus.
People decorate their homes with lights. At home everyone waits for Christmas Eve and then we all sit together at the table. All people share the wafer. We make a wish and sing Christmas carols.

In the evening Santa Claus arrives. On the table there should be 12 dishes: fish, dumplings, cabbage with mushrooms, borscht, fish soup. At night we go to church. We enjoy the fact that Jezus was born.

Merry Christmas!!!

Magda

Christmas in Poland

Hi! :)
Christmas is the most popular holiday in Poland. We have a few interesting customs in Poland, e.g. we put some hay under the tablecloth. There is also an empty plate on the table for an unexpected guest.

We want to buy presents for our family. Women clean the house and prepare food, men bring a Christmas tree home and children decorate all the house.

On 24th December in the afternoon we wait for the first star to appear in the sky. Later, the family gathers at the Christmas table and the Christmas dinner begins. We share the holy wafer and wish everyone "Merry Christmas!". Next, we get presents from Santa Claus and we are very happy. At midnight we go to a midnight mass and sing corols.

I like Christmas very much. It is super to celebrate it :)


Ola

Hi!

Christmas is one of the most important family holidays in Poland. We start our preparations for the holiday a few days before it. Everyone buys presents for the family and friends.

At first I and my family tidy our house and decorate it. Father goes to the special shops and buys a Christmas tree. At home I and my brother decorate it. On the table there must be 12 dishes, so there is a lot of work to do for my mother and grandmother.

On 24th December whole the family gathers at the Christmas table. There is an empty plate for an unexpected guest. My brother looks out of the window to find the first star. When there is one in the sky we share the holy wafer. Then we sit at the table and have the dinner. After it we sing carols and get presents. At 12 p.m. we go to church for a midnight mass.

Ania