Day #5 in Bratislava - Thursday, March 21, 2019

The MA students met at the C.S. Lewis School to attend some classes in the morning. Mrs. Johnson and Dr. DiNardo started the day touring Narnia, which in the grades 1-8 branch of the C.S. Lewis School (similar to our south and north campuses - same school, different buildings and locations in the city). Below are some pictures from our tour, ending this post with our time together as a group in the evening.

An interesting fact about many of the schools in the Bratislava area... think back to earlier posts wtih the pictures of the large room at the C.S. Lewis School with the ping pong tables. Does the room above look similar to you?  It should... because all of the schools were built and designed in the exact same way. As a country that used to be under communist rule, all of the school buildings were built more or less exactly the same. Last time I was in Slovakia with a CFE group (in 2014), the C.S. Lewis School and Narnia were housed in this same building. Since then the high school has grown so much that it needed to move to its own building. So, when we arrived at the C.S. Lewis School this week and I walked into the "new" building and really thought I had been in the building before (even though I hadn't) - the reason I felt that way because the two buildings (and other schools in the area) have more or less the exact same layout and look.

Coat and backpack rooms for each individual class at Narnia.

The library at Narnia - Walter Hooper was a literary advisor to C.S. Lewis

Europeans love their coffee! Just as the C.S. Lewis School has a fabulous coffee shop, Narnia also has a coffee shop as well (for the parents... parents, how much would you love a small coffee shop at school to chat with friends for a few minutes in the morning when you drop your kids off at school? It is a cool concept, I think). When we arrived at Narnia in the morning the coffee shop was closed (I think whoever was running it that morning had an appointment), but when we left it was all set up and ready to go. As a coffee lover, I really enjoyed this coffee culture.

I love when I walk through the halls at MA's south campus with my two younger kids and see the artwork decorating the walls - colorful, meaningful, and cultural decor.

Each hallway has this design with a saying painted on the wall, and a box for nominations.  Any student can nominate someone in the school (another student, faculty, or staff member) for "Person of the Month".  Then a plaque goes on the wall honoring that person for the month. A cool concept. 

A peek inside a classroom...

The Vice Principal giving our tour pointed out the outdoor field and play area that has been refreshed and maintained by dedicated parents of the Narnia students.

The sign outside one of the shared teachers' office rooms. I'm sure for these younger students that are newly learning English find the reminders about how to ask for the teachers very helpful. 

This is the school's chapel room. Our chapel (at north campus) doubles as an auditorium. This chapel is a large open classroom where the students have Bible lessons.

Library - a view from the inside (above you saw it from outside in the hallway).

Scooter parking for the students!

This kitchen is used for classes - for example, a geography or history lesson could take place while making a certain food from that region and time period.  What a fun way to learn! 

P.E. class!

A dance studio in the school - love this!

And more artwork in the hallways.

Back to the C.S. Lewis School, and back to my favorite on-campus coffee shop.  :)

Global studies class that met that day in the computer lab to complete an online activity on our individual global footprint.  After that activity there was conversation around global warming, our global footprint, etc. It is an important topic and one that I think is imperative and very valuable to cover with students.

Baraka is the name of the residential community within the C.S. Lewis School. This program just started this school year, and it was fabulous to visit their home, get a tour of the area, cook dinner (from scratch... make sure to ask your student details about what they did when they return home), share a meal, and just hang out with good friends.

Common area and dining table at Baraka.

Bedrooms!  Right now since this is the first year these rooms are single rooms, but they have the capacity to be double rooms with a roommate.

Quiet study area.

This study area has a really warm and comfortable feel, including these sliding doors to reduce noise for studying purposes.

Cooking!

Typical schnitzel (what our group made is the chicken variety).Yummy!  Proud of these guys... it was delicious! I bet if you ask your student how to make it when they get home they could do it - fairly easy steps.

Fun and meaningful to eat in community with others.  Plus it was a labor of love... everything was made from scratch and our group helped to prepare it all.  YUM!

Homemade apple pie for dessert.

This is Michael - he was the very first Slovak student to study at MA 14 years ago. He is now married, has a baby, and is in school pursuing a doctorate degree. As a teacher it's fun to see your past students as happy adults, and it was especially wonderful to reconnect with someone that is in your memory for helping to kick off something special - that is, the relationship between MA and the C.S. Lewis School.

Happy 16th Birthday, Elsie!  Hana, Elsie's Slovak sister (she stayed with Elsie's family two fall semesters ago while she went to MA), is a fabulous cook and baker, and she made this delicious cake for Elsie.  I told Hana that I don't think I've ever had such a yummy piece of cake!  :)

Friday morning we will spend at the C.S Lewis School, including having a traditional Slovak folk dance lesson and giving our presentation in their weekly assembly period (called WICK) about Minnesota and Minnehaha.  Stay tuned for more pics to come!