views Το 1ο Δημοτικό Σχολείο Πύργου Ηλείας συμμετέχει στην πολυμερή σχολική σύμπραξη του Ευρωπαικού Προγράμματος Comenius, το οποίο διαχειρίζεται ως Εθνική Μονάδα το ΙΚΥ, "Ευρωπαίοι Φίλοι-Παραδοσιακό Παιχνίδι" 2012-2014. Στα πλαίσια των εργασιών του προγράμματος η μασκότ του ελληνικού σχολείου, ο Απόλλωνας, επισκέφθηκε τα σχολεία των συνεργατών, έμεινε στα σπίτια πολλών μθητών και συμμετείχε σε πολλές δράσεις τους. Οι μαθητές ανέβαζαν φωτογραφίες, βίντεο και σχόλια σχετικά με τις περιπέτειες του Απόλλωνα στη χώρα τους στο blog http://www.comeniustoysandgames.com/Mascot+Blogs/Apollo+-+Greece Η ιστορία αυτη βασίστηκε στις αναρτήσεις των μαθητών των εννέα χωρών που συμμετείχαν στο πρόγραμμα. The 1st Primary school of Pyrgos participated in a multilateral Comenius Project, called European Friends:Traditional Toys and Games, 2012-1-GB1-COMO6-18389. The mascot of the Greek school, Apollo, travelled around the nine countries, visited the partners' schools and stayed at pupils' houses. This story is based on the posts that pupils uploaded on the blog of the mascot at http://www.comeniustoysandgames.com/Mascot+Blogs/Apollo+-+Greece

1. European Friends
Traditional Toys and Games
2012-1GB1-COM06-18389 7
Sophia Kouzouli

2. • First of all let me introduce myself as you don’t all know
me.
• I’m Apollo, the school’s mascot for the Comenius
project European Friends - Traditional Toys
and Games.
• I’ve been travelling around Europe since 2012 making
new friends.
• I’ve had a great time as I’ve been doing what I enjoy
most, playing!
• Let’s take things from the start.

3. • My first trip was to… Ciao Ragazzi! Have you
understood where? But Italy, of course! In
Sardinia, in particular.
• How much it resembles Greece!
Sole, mare, spiagge …….. sun, sea and beaches.
• There I visited the Istituto Comprensivo di
Ghilarza.
• I made many new friends. I stayed at Anna’s
house, at Samuele’s at Martina’s, at Gaia’s and
Fracesco’s.

4. • I saw an awesome gothic tower, which used to be a
prison, and an open museum with sculptures made of
stone.
• At the school I had the opportunity to admire their
amazing choir, I helped my friends with a logo
competition and a beautiful mural. I saw a school
performance with the Smurfs. Oh, I laughed so much!
I had a great time. Meraviglioso et fantastic! Just great!
• Ciao bella Sardinia!

10. • Hello, I am Apollo. Nice to meet you all.
Yes, you’re correct, my next stop was England.
• I visited Ward Green Primary School and the
moment I got there Nicole took me in her arms and
we played a computer game. It was cold and rainy
that’s why we stayed in during breaks. However, we
played lots of board games so we had a great time.

11. • Christmas was approaching and there was lots to do and
luckily I was there to help!
• Of course we decorated the Christmas tree and the classroom;
we made Christmas cards and crowns to wear at St. Thomas’
church where all classes sang a Christmas carol.
• Back at the school I had a fabulous time as
I saw two theatrical performances.
A Christmas play and a pantomime of
Snow White.
• Finally, we had a Christmas party with lots of games
and chocolate!

14. • Well… Labas ritas! Good morning in
Lithuanian.
• The kindergarten I visited is called Kaišiadorių
rajono Pravieniškių lopšelis-darželis
"Ąžuoliukas" and there I played all day as the
children were very young.
• We became friends instantly. I had so much fun
with them. They were wonderful!
• I also helped them as my visit coincided with
Drawing Day.

18. • Dobro jutro! Good morning in Slovenian. I couldn’t
pronounce hello...
• The school in Slovenia, Osnovna Šola Pohorskega
Odreda Slovenska Bistrica, was really big, the pupils’
ages ranged from very young to quite old, so I was given
the opportunity to do a variety of things.
• The younger classes sang songs to welcome me and some
children like Nusa, Nina and Neza took me to their
homes.

19. • Also on March 25, which is Mother’s day, the teachers and
pupils had invited all the parents and had organized a
celebration in their honour, there were songs, skits as well as
handmade gifts for all the parents.
• Of course I had a great time with the older children too!
First I went skiing to Planica.
Well, I personally didn’t try as I was a … bit…. scared.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed the views and the snow and felt….
how can I say this…different from all other dolphins….
• I felt really lucky to take in so many new experiences.

20. • I also saw a musical called “Jungle Boy”.
• However, the best of all was visiting Ljubljana, the
capital of Slovenia. We saw the sights and visited a
lovely theatre where a singing contest was going to
take place, one of the contestants was the choir from
my friends’ school. I had such a great time!

27. • Now listen and try to guess: ces chocolats sont
delicieux!!! These chocolates are delicious!!
• Which country am I talking about? Belgium of
course! The home of chocolate!
• In Belgium, at Vrije Basisschool Sint-Anna Baal, not
only did I eat so many chocolates but I also did many
interesting things.
• First I went to the zoo with the first graders. It was
great and I had a fantastic time.

28. I made two good friends, Daan and Karsten, with whom I
did some jobs as to lay the table. Furthermore, I was
particularly well behaved so, when in the zoo they put in
on a donkey for a ride, I didn’t mention to the boys that
we’ve got plenty of donkeys back home and would never
place them in a zoo… Anyway, when we returned, I had a
hot bath and a rest before a surprise awaited me. Lies, Ms.
Sabine’s daughter, invited me to her home for the weekend.
How nice it is to be loved and befriended by all… of course
my presence was absolutely essential as Lies and her team
the Afterburners had a baseball match and I was called to
be their mascot! OF COURSE we won! How could they not
win with me as their mascot!

29. • During my stay in Belgium I stayed with other children
too, with Thor, Kubb and Toby with whom I played a
game from the time of the Vikings! I’m pretty sure Thor
has some Viking blood, how else could you explain how
high he jumped on the trampoline without being afraid!
• Finally, I visited Maithe, where I became best friends with
her cat.
• I was impressed when one afternoon I accompanied
Merels to the gym where she trains in gymnastics with
her team. They were all really good, nearly as good as I
am when I do my tricks and acrobatics in the Aegean
Sea and I amaze people travelling by ship! That’s
probably why we got so close!
• Au revoir Belgique, Vaarwel België !!

33. Proxima parade, next stop Spain!
• Hola! Qyue estas hacienda? Hello, how are you?
• At El Caton, Ronda de Zaragoza, Torrejón de
Velasco I visited the second graders. They were all
really polite and funny.
• They played with me all the time in order to entertain
me.
• The weather... just like Greece buen tiempo.
Thank God for that as, to be honest, I froze in Slovenia!
!

36. • My journeys are about to end….
• Pre last stop, listen now:
• Merhaba nasilsin. Hello, how are you?
• Ben Turkiye’ye geldi.
I’ve arrived in Turkey in Bozüyük Zafer
İlköğretim Okulu!

37. • I made lots of friends there too, especially Meryem
who invited me to her home!
• When I arrived, the children were a bit stressed
because they were expecting to receive their report
cards. Luckily, they all got great grades. They are
good students with good teachers!
Güle güle, Bozüyük!

40. • Last stop …. Bună! Ce mai faci? Foarte bine,
mulțumesc.
• Does it sound familiar? Well, the last country I
visited was Romania!
• Well, in Școala Cu Clasele I-VIII NR. 79
”Academician Nicolae Teodorescu I learned a
lot about the Romanian language and history.
• The school is located in the capital of Romania,
Bucharest, and I had the opportunity to see most
of the historical places there. It was so nice!

42. I am back in Greece now
in the 1st Primary School of Pyrgos.
Γεια σας!!
ΕΛΛΑΔΑ ΠΥΡΓΟΣ

43. Thank you my dear friends for all the
amazing and unforgettable experiences!!!

44. by Niki Bakogianni and Sophia Kouzouli
based on the photos and the comments
uploaded on the blog
http://www.comeniustoysandgames.com/