eTwinning “Let's Become Friends” – Part 6

 

In April, learners from all partner schools came together to celebrate the spirit of friendship through a unique and creative project: the creation of an Anthology on friendship. They were asked to write poems but they were also given the option of contributing with mottos, songs or thoughts on the subject. This collaborative work reflected the voices, ideas, and artistic expression of students across all the participating countries.

To be guided in the process, our learners received an information sheet with a variety of poem categories –and examples- to choose from: acrostics, cinquains, senses-based poems, black poetry and alphabet poems. Working in groups, they selected the type of poem that inspired them most, then wrote their own verses celebrating the themes of friendship, including eTwinning friendship, and friends.

Younger learners  illustrated the poems written by the older ones, bringing them to life with drawings, colours and symbols that expressed their creativity and emotions.

One class wrote a song on friendship in their mother tongue with the help of the music teacher and sang it for their foreign friends.

This activity helped learners to:

·         explore the beauty of poetry as a way of expressing friendship,

·         work collaboratively in groups, sharing ideas and talents,

·         create an interplay between writing and visual art,

·         and contribute to a collective product that represents the spirit of our eTwinning project.

The final anthology stands as a colourful mosaic of poems and illustrations, a true celebration of friendship that connects all our schools and reminds us that creativity has no borders.

Browse it below:

 In March, as part of our European eTwinning project “Let’s Become Friends,” students worked together in transnational teams on a creative and collaborative activity. Using Canva, each team designed original logos that would represent the spirit of our project.

The process was both fun and meaningful: students not only experimented with shapes, colors, and design elements, but also searched for inspiring quotes and created catchy slogans that highlight the value of friendship, unity, and cooperation across countries.

Altogether, the teams produced five unique logos, each reflecting the creativity and teamwork of our international community. To make the experience even more engaging, an online vote followed, allowing all participants to choose the best logo that will serve as the visual identity of our project.

This activity encouraged students to:

·         express their creativity through digital tools,

·         practice collaboration in international groups,

·         reflect on the meaning of friendship in a global context,

·         and make collective decisions through democratic participation.

The winning logo now proudly represents our project, reminding us that true friendship has no borders!

eTwinning “Let's Become Friends” – Part 4

 

In February we dedicated a special activity to the celebration of Safer Internet Day as part of our European eTwinning project “Let’s Become Friends.” This day reminds us how important it is to use the internet responsibly, carefully, and respectfully, so that we can all enjoy its benefits without any risks.

It is important for young learners to realise that the online world entails risks which require awareness and protective measures just like the real world. For this reason, continuous and well-structured education about both the nature of these risks and the strategies to address them becomes imperative because only through such awareness can we minimise exposure to the most fundamental online threats and promote a safer, more responsible digital culture.

To mark this occasion, students from all the participating countries worked collaboratively on a shared Jamboard. There, they exchanged ideas and wrote down rules regarding safe internet use.

Subsequently, they all took part in an online vote in order to choose the top ten of these and to create the “Decalogue of Safe Internet Use”, which sums up in a simple and clear way the most important practices for protection and responsible digital behaviour.

Through this activity our students:

·         learned to collaborate creatively with peers from different countries,

·         developed critical thinking about internet use,

·         realised the importance of kindness, respect and caution in the digital world.

The Decalogue will serve as a guide for all of us – both young and old – so that we can enjoy our journeys in the online world wisely and safely. 

eTwinning “Let’s become friends” – Part 3

 

One of the most beautiful ways to build friendships across countries is by getting to know each other’s cities, traditions and way of life. When students share the places they love, the history that surrounds them, the way of entertainment, the cultural events and the flavours that make their hometown unique, they provide a pathway into their culture and create bonds of understanding and respect.

In the month of January, within the framework of our eTwinning project “Let’s Become Friends”, our students had the chance to become little ambassadors of their city. By presenting Thessaloniki to their peers from the participating countries not only did they showcase the beauty of their hometown but also strengthened the ties of friendship that connect us all.

The learners worked in the computer lab and carefully selected the most beautiful places, photos and interesting information in order to create a presentation that highlights everything a visitor should see, admire and taste in our city.

All of this work has been brought together in an interactive map and in the video below, where you can discover Thessaloniki through the eyes of our young tour guides. We hope you will enjoy it and feel inspired to get to know our wonderful city better!

Through this project we discovered that every city has its own story to tell—and by listening to these stories, we come closer together as friends and as part of a wider European family!

Thessaloniki Video από Theofani Iatropoulou

eTwinning “Let’s become friends” – Part 2

 

The month of December marks the holiday season, which became even more magical this year through our eTwinning project! Students from all partner schools joined hands and hearts in a series of joyful Christmas activities that celebrated both creativity and friendship.

We began by exchanging handmade Christmas cards and crafts, filling an online virtual bulletin board with warm wishes and colourful creations. Our young artists explored their imagination with clay and pipe wire, shaping wonderful decorations for the Christmas tree, while older ones created handmade plush snowmen.

We also built a giant Christmas tree puzzle, which reminded us that unity makes us stronger. 

Younger learners captured the festive spirit by designing and decorating Christmas jumpers, each bursting with colour, imaginative skills and holiday cheer.

Moreover, our learners launched their Christmas boats filled with wishes, symbols of hope and togetherness to sail across borders.

Finally our older students created a presentation with holiday customs from their own countries. They shared traditions and festive foods, giving their peers a glimpse into how Christmas /New Year is celebrated around Europe.

You can have a look at the learners’ presentation below:

Christmas traditions in Greece από Theofani Iatropoulou

This month we also had our first online meeting. After our initial introductions, the students used Mentimeter to contribute words associated with Christmas, collectively creating a word cloud that highlighted the season’s most familiar ideas and traditions. Finally they sang carols to each other in English and in their mother tongues in an atmosphere of excitement.

This cultural exchange not only broadened everyone’s understanding but also strengthened the bonds of friendship, showing that even though we come from different places, the joy of the holiday season unites us all!

eTwinning “Let’s become friends” – Part 1

 

We are thrilled to take part in our very first European eTwinning project titled “Let’s Become Friends,” which our school has welcomed with open arms. Our learners and teachers are delighted to have started their collaboration with teachers and students from Italy, which is the coordinating country, Portugal, Turkey, and another school from Greece.

The project has been designed to bring together students from different countries and cultures in order to promote intercultural awareness and the acceptance and appreciation of diversity with a view to highlighting the value of friendship among peoples as an antidote to all forms of violence, as a cornerstone of an inclusive society and as a key pillar for harmonious co-existence and peaceful collaboration among nations.

Over the month of November our learners introduced themselves by creating their avatars, their online personas, in the school computer lab and wrote their presentation texts on a collaborative padlet in order to get to know each other. The teachers followed suit.

This simple activity has been more than just an introduction; it has been the opening of a door to new friendships, the spark that will connect classrooms across borders and the beginning of a dialogue where every voice matters. Through these first exchanges, our students will discover not only who their partners are but also how much they already have in common, This will set the stage for a year of collaboration, creativity, and friendship.

Below you can see a sample of learner presentations.

Board Games

 

Towards the end of the school year a brilliant way of revising the material covered all year round is to ask the learners to work in groups in order to design their own board games and play those designed by their classmates.

They are free to think of the concept of the game, sketch and craft the board destined for it and specify the process through which the winner will be declared as long as they include question cards in the game in order to achieve the target of revision. They are invited to search throughout their books or the photocopied material they worked on during the school year in order to formulate their questions and, depending on the level of difficulty, these can either be open-ended or multiple-choice ones. The focal point can be grammatical, lexical or even general-knowledge regarding issues of interest covered in the book. Furthermore, they have to write out clear and coherent instructions so that the other players can easily realise how the game is played.

Apart from thinking critically in order to come up with solutions regarding the goal of the game and the procedure to be followed, they also improve their communication and collaboration skills and develop their creativity. Therefore they cultivate their 21^st century skills but, what’s more, games undoubtedly enhance their motivation to the maximum.

In the photos you can see some samples created by sixth graders:

Weaving magic together: Learning through fairy tales

 Imagine a classroom buzzing with energy: small groups of learners huddled together, brainstorming enchanted forests, brave heroes, mischievous animals, or wise old grandmothers. In one corner, a dragon is born; in another, a clever child outsmarts a giant. As they craft these stories, the air fills with laughter, debate, and creativity. This is the power of collaborative fairy tale writing.

Fairy tales, with their timeless structure and familiar elements, provide the perfect foundation for learners to explore language and creativity. Once students have been introduced to the building blocks of a fairy tale—characters, settings, problems, and solutions, along with the classic conventions of beginnings (“Once upon a time…”), endings (“…and they lived happily ever after”), the concept of magic or the convention of symbolic numbers such as 3 or 7 which recur in the plots or motifs of some—they are ready to dive into the magical process of creating.

Process

The learners work in groups in order to brainstorm ideas about all the constituent elements of their fairy tale and they write down the first draft. After feedback is given –potentially by peers, depending on the amount of time allocated, and definitely by the teacher- they write the final version, divide the fairy tale in parts by negotiating in their groups, take into consideration the design of the cover and each group member undertakes to write out and illustrate one/two part(s). Finally all sheets are bound together into a “book” which is totally their own creation.

Tips: a) The learners can also be offered the option of using well-known fairy tale characters in new settings and adventures in order to give them a new dynamic.

b) Although, from my experience, I think it is good for learners to go through all the stages when dealing with their final version, they can be offered the chance to take roles within their group (if the teacher feels that some learners might feel embarrassed with their handwriting, for instance, but are good at drawing etc.) such as those of the  copyist, the illustrator, the cover designer or the editor of each page.

Benefits

·        Consolidating Language Skills
Writing fairy tales naturally reinforces the use of the past simple tense. Learners retell what characters did, what happened, and how the problem was solved. This authentic context transforms grammar from a dry exercise into a living, meaningful tool. Instead of filling out worksheets, students are weaving verbs into vibrant narratives.

·        Building Collaboration
Group storytelling nurtures teamwork. Each learner brings a unique perspective: one might invent an imaginative plot twist, another might focus on an interesting setting, while another one ensures the ending ties everything together. Negotiating storylines, compromising on character choices, and co-creating illustrations all sharpen social and collaborative skills.

·        Unleashing Creativity
Adding illustrations transforms words into books, making the stories tangible. Learners express their creativity not only through language but also through art—drawing magical castles, shadowy forests, or triumphant heroes. The illustrations also help visual learners anchor vocabulary and narrative flow.

·        Beyond Language and Art
The benefits don’t stop at grammar and creativity. Through fairy tale writing, learners practice problem-solving (How should the hero escape?), critical thinking (Does the ending make sense?), and even empathy (How does the villain feel?). When stories are shared and read aloud, the classroom transforms into a storytelling circle, strengthening presentation skills and confidence.

In weaving tales together, learners are not just practising grammar or drawing pictures—they are cultivating imagination, empathy, and team spirit. Writing and illustrating fairy tales becomes an enchanting journey where language, collaboration, and creativity meet. And in the end, both the heroes in the stories and the learners themselves live happily ever after.

Below you can have a look at sample covers of fairy tale books created by 5^th- and 6^th grade students and at a couple of their fairy tales.

Creation by a group of 5^th-grade learners: 

Creation by a group of 6^th-grade learners (written as part of a creative writing project):

Creation by a group of 6^th-grade learners, with well-known characters (written as part of a creative writing project):

Panhellenic Day against School Violence and Bullying

 

On the Panhellenic Day against School Violence and Bullying, which is celebrated on 6^th March, a creative activity can be carried out in the English class of 5^th or 6^th-graders in order to raise awareness against all forms of bullying, be it physical, verbal, relational/social or cyberbullying.

The learners are provided with a variety of anti-bullying slogans written in folded strips of paper and they are asked to pick one each but not show it to their classmates. They have to read it silently and illustrate it in the best way possible trying to convey the essence of the message through their drawing. They are informed in advance that they have to leave some space in order to write their message at a later stage.

The teacher sets a time limit for the illustrations during which he puts up the slogans on the classroom walls. When the time limit is over he/she shuffles the drawings and distributes them randomly among the learners, taking care not to leave any student holding his/her own creation. The learners, having been given a piece of blue-tack, have to walk around the classroom, read the slogans and stick the drawing they are holding under the one they think it illustrates.

A whole-class discussion follows to verify or disprove the learners’ hypotheses and finally the students are given their own pictures again in order to write down their slogan.

At the end all these drawings are put up on a school wall/noticeboard so as to draw attention to the issue in an attempt to sensitise all the learners of the school community.

International Children’s Book Day 2022

 What better way to spark imagination than a day devoted not just to stories, but to reflecting on the magic they awaken within us?

International Children’s Book Day, held every year on April 2nd to mark the birthday of the renowned storyteller Hans Christian Andersen, is a celebration designed to spark off imagination and creativity in young readers. The occasion encourages children to dive into stories, explore new worlds, and experience reading as an exciting, interactive adventure.

First launched in 1966 by the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), the event highlights the powerful charm of books and their ability to inspire a love of reading. Each year, one country is chosen to share a special message with children around the globe, along with a beautifully illustrated poster to mark the celebration.

This year Canada had the honour, represented by the poet Richard van Camp, and his poem “Stories are wings that help you soar every day.” (https://www.ibby.org/awards-activities/activities/international-childrens-book-day/2022-icbd-canada)

His poem was read aloud to fifth graders who reflected on it and, separated in groups, brainstormed relevant ideas trying to think of ways in which books transform our lives.

To add a pinch of suspense the whole process took the form of a competition since each team read the statements they had come up with and took a point only for the ones which were not included in the list of another group. The groups had to tick the common sentences so as to avoid repletion during their presentation.

Finally they made a class poster with their ideas. Together, their ideas formed a tapestry showing just how deeply stories can kindle creativity!

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