Welcoming Program
Hortiatis - Greece
20-24/1/2025

Saturday 18/1/2025

The first group came from Turkey ealy on Saturday morning. The Greek families escorted by two teachers welcome the Turkish erasmus team.

In the evening of the same day the second group arrived from Czech Republic. After the families picked up the Czechish students teachers had a coffee break admiring the beautiful view of the city of Thessaloniki.

Sunday 19/1/2025

On Sunday morning the Polish Erasmus team arrived. Both Greek and Polish students felt familiar as the mobility to Poland has already been occured earlier in September. Later on, Greek, Czech and Polish teachers enjoyed a visit to the Venizeou metro station, to the Moudiano Agora and a walk around the city centre.

Last but not least, the French team arrival took place on Sunday evening. Meanwhile, all students enjoyed their enening.

Monday 20/1/2025

The day began with the customary prayer ritual.

Hosting Program

Welcoming Ceremony

On Monday morning, all participants of the Erasmus program, both teachers and students, gathered in the school's event hall to attend the welcome ceremony. The program included six students and two teachers from Poland, six students and two teachers from France, four students and two teachers from Turkey, and five students and two teachers from the Czech Republic. Additionally, 21 Greek students, who hosted the visiting students from the partner schools, along with the involved teachers of GEL Hortiatis, took part in the event.

The school principal, Mr. Dimitrios Papadopoulos opened the ceremony with a welcome speech, followed by the program coordinator Mrs Dimitra Ntomprou.

A short artistic and traditional performance by the school’s music ensemble followed.

After the performance, gifts were offered to the guests.

The next two hours were dedicated to student presentations. Initially, they introduced their schools and their regions, followed by presentations related to the theme of the mobility. The Polish, French, Turkish, and Greek students focused on solar energy and how it is utilized in their respective countries.

1. GREECE SOLAR ENERGY.pdf

2. POLAND SOLAR ENERGY.pdf

4. TURKEY.pdf

3. FrenchSolarPresentation.pdf

This was followed by an icebreaking game for students. The game was called bingo for people. By asking each other questions to learn facts about one another, the students had to complete a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line and shout "BINGO."

At the same time, the teachers were all gathered in the library, to do an ice-breaking activity, where they were asked by our colleague, Paroussi Chrysoula, to answer questions about themselves and their aspirations concerning the Erasmus project. They were thus given the opportunity to get to know each other, compare different educational systems, and share concerns or aspirations.

Later on, teachers had a tour guide around the school and they had the chance to watch a Greek traditional dance lesson by the PE teacher Ms Styliani Lalagka.

Afterward, the teachers enjoyed a coffee break, while the students on the other hand played a game of knowledge on the topic of Europe and the values of the European Union. giving them the opportunity to acknowledge Europe’s vast variety of cultures and ethnicities, and the fact that, when in acceptance they can all come together to form an alliance that promotes peace and free trade.

This was followed of main workshop' s activities. Students were separated in two groups. The first one consisted of Polish, Frence, Turkish and Greek students working on solar energy. More specifically, they worked in groups as part of the "Utilizing the Power of Our Sun" workshop, which lasted a total of 10 teaching hours, under the guidance of the Chemistry teacher Maria Mangana and the Physics teacher Efstratios Tsakiris.

The workshop aimed to help students gain a deep understanding of the importance of utilizing solar energy and energy conservation in everyday life to reduce the Carbon Footprint and promote a more sustainable society. Additionally, it aimed to enhance their creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving abilities, teamwork skills, digital competencies, and environmental awareness.

Initially, students attended a one-hour scientific presentation on solar energy emission from the Sun and key technologies for its utilization.

They were then divided into groups of 4 to 6 students and assigned the research project: "Calculation of the School’s Energy Consumption and Improvement Proposals", guided by a detailed worksheet. Each group recorded the electricity consumption of a specific wing of the school. The data collected by all groups was compiled and entered a digital spreadsheet, allowing students to calculate the school's daily and annual electricity consumption. Following this, they proposed ways to save energy and calculated the potential percentage of daily and annual electricity savings.

At the same time, the Czechs and Greeks formed the second group. Their main theme was the water management. The students were also separated in two mixed teams. The one was working on the website of the program, an activity that started during the mobility t to Olomuc in the Czech Republic and it would be completed at the end of the program. The second team's activity has to do about water efficiency. In this workshop, students were guided by the Philologist Chrysoula Dritsari. The aim of the workshop was to help students gain a deep understanding of the importance of saving water in everyday life and promote a more sustainable society. More specifically, they had to study water management in the school building, schedule a proposal, calculate the costs, and share their outcomes and raise public awareness. Additionally, students improved their critical thinking, and their creativity developed abilities and skills of problem-solving and collaboration as well as digital competencies, and environmental awareness.

At the end of the school day, the students had lunch with their host families, while the teachers dined at a tavern in Ηortiatis.

After lunch, all students along with their teachers had a meeting point at the centre of the village Hortiati in order to be guided around the sights of the region. Starting from the monument of Holocaust the group moved to the Gkouramanis's bakery and to Ntampoudis's house two buildings where the holocaust of 1944 was occurred.

This was followed of the visit to the old church of Saint George and the Byzantine Chapel of Transfiguration of Saver. Students and teachers admire the inner remain old decoration of the chapel and the fact that it has been built almost 1.ooo years earlier.

It is worth to mention that two students of GEL Hortiati read historical information at each sight. By the end of the tour, they referred to the Roman Aqueduct at the entrance of the village of Hortiatis which stands there almost 2.ooo years and it was the main way of Thessaloniki water supply for many centuries.

Afterthat, all members had a free time. Some students stayed out until late evening.

Tuesday 21/1/2025

On Tuesday, the erasmus group visited the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in order to get educated about the solar panels and Greece's progress on that as well. The students visited the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), where they were informed by Professor Eufrosini Giama about the department’s research areas. These included topics such as building energy efficiency, process design for solar energy utilization, the importance of automation and the new materials for energy conservation both at the building level and within smart cities as well as the European Union’s goals for reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

A discussion followed with the students on the topic of environmental ethics, along with a guided tour of the Energy Process Design Laboratory. During the tour, they were introduced to a building’s underfloor heating system and conducted thermal loss measurements of the university building using a thermal camera.

Later on, a touring was made around Rotonda and the Arch of Galerius as we were on our way to the White Tower. There, the students and the teachers had enough time to look around the tiny museum that was revealed in each floor of the tower and appreciate the beauty of Thessaloniki's Byzantine era. Moreover, they had the chance to adore the view on the top of this incredible greek building.

After this wonderful experience everyone was given free time to enjoy the rest of the day by buying souvenirs and hangout at the center of Greece's second biggest city.

Wednesday 22/1/2025

On January 22, our school, within the framework of hosting schools of the Erasmus program, carried out various activities in Ano Poli and at the Efthimiou Center.

Starting the day in a very good mood, the journey began with the first stop at the Vlatades Monastery in Ano Poli. It is a monastery from the Byzantine period, the only one that has survived to this day. Two students from our school gave brief but necessary information about the monastery, and all had the opportunity to admire the landscapes that are in the surrounding area. Unfortunately, the weather was cloudy, and the day in Thessaloniki was quite cold, so, the view was not clear enough to admire the natural beauty. However, the monastery was quite impressive.

What the team enjoyed the most was walking through the streets of Ano Poli in combination with the castles that dominate its exterior. It truly felt like they had been transported to another era!

Students and teachers then walked to the Trigonion Tower, which was built towards the end of the 15th century to protect the city during the winter period.

After a short break, members of the group bought the necessary supplies for the students and teachers who were accompanying and, after a short snack, all continued the activities.

Afterwards, all took the bus to the Europe Direct center, the European Information Center located in the easten region of Thessaloniki. There, students and teachers had the opportunity to be informed by the employees of Europe Direct about environmental protection, a topic that interested us all.

Presentations were made from videos with similar content, but the most beautiful part was at the end of the presentations when the pupils had to be divided into groups and play a game, answering various questions, which were different for each team.

It was indeed an effort and, at the same time, a wonderful experience for all of us!

Learning and playing were combined in such a way that the result was enjoyable!

Afterward, the team walked to the beautiful square in front of the New Town Hall of Thessaloniki, which is an attraction for the city.

All rested and discussed at the PAMAK University since they had lunch there and had the opportunity to take a short tour of the university facilities.

Then, all together took the metro and got off at the Venizelos station, where they admired unique archaeological finds that were discovered during the metro’s construction.

Some of the group continued their walk and enjoyed a bit of sunshine!

They visited beautiful places in the city, gained knowledge, and reflected on environmental issues. Lots of photos and lots of smiles!!

Thursday 23/1/2025

During the first hour of the school program, the solar energy groups attended a lecture by a scientist specializing in the field. The water management groups were scheduled to attend a lecture on water management in our municipality. However, due to illness, the expert was unable to come. Instead, the students watched three videos—two on water management in urban areas and one on an applied water management program in Australia.

Afterwards, all students worked on their projects. Today, the solar project groups observed a demonstration experiment showcasing the operation of a mini photovoltaic panel powering a small fan, where they analyzed the optimal panel orientation and ideal angles for solar radiation absorption. They also compared solar energy production to wind energy from wind turbines.

In the next stage of the research project, students used a digital simulation tool to calculate the required power of photovoltaic panels needed to be installed on the school’s roof to meet its energy needs. They considered both current operating conditions and a scenario after implementing energy-saving interventions. Additionally, using a digital simulation tool, students calculated both the school's Carbon Footprint and their individual Carbon Footprint, then proposed ways to reduce it.

At 11:30, students and teachers boarded the bus in order to go to NOESIS Science Dissemination Center and Technology Museum participate in the educational program with the imaginative title “Gone with the Wind”.

After visiting the facilities, the students were divided in small groups and each one of them had a certain role to carry out concerning the construction of a plant using wind energy. The students had to make decisions according to how the plant construction would affect their daily lives, works, health and families. It was really interesting to see young people to position themselves with arguments that can really affect their future daily lives, showing that they not only have knowledge of the subject, but they are also concerned about what is going to happen to our planet in the future, if certain policies will be carried out.

It was a really productive day and everyone was very pleased to be a part of a multinational team, making decisions for the best of our planet, even only “in paper”.

Τhe spots for the educational program were limited, only 28 people were allowed to attend. The remaining students explored the premises of NOESIS and traveled to space through virtual reality. Everyone was satisfied and excited about the activities they participated in. The day continued with a visit to the shopping mall "Mediterranean Cosmos" for lunch and shopping.

Friday 24/1/2025

The first three hours were dedicated to workshops and experiential activities. As mentioned, students were divided into coloured groups, and had been working on the topics assigned to them.

On one hand, the 5 groups which studying solar energy documented their research findings on presentation boards. Following this, they were tasked with constructing a solar oven using simple everyday materials with the help of a detailed worksheet and a sundial clock.

On the other hand, one of the two groups of water management create a presentation and a teaser related to water efficiency while the other group worked on the website of the project.

While erasmus teams were working on their activity, an alternative lesson was occured as part of the Religious Education unit on the Holy Liturgy for 1st-year high school students. The students of A3 class visited the Church of St. George in Hortiatis to participate in an exemplary Divine Eucharist. They were accompanied by the eight guest teachers from Turkey, Poland, France, and the Czech Republic. During the Divine Liturgy, the theology teacher, Argyri Mpouka, made short interventions to explain the events and their theological meaning. Maria Vaitsopoulou, Antigoni Tsatsani , Anna Varlami, and Eleanna Ntinou read the explanatory texts in English, which they had previously translated. Additionally, students received a copy of the Liturgy text along with a translation, while the New Testament readings (Epistle and Gospel) were read in Ancient Greek, Modern Greek, and English. The visiting teachers followed the Divine Eucharist with interest and respect throughout its duration. It is also worth mentioning that the students’ participation and conduct were exemplary. They remained quiet and demonstrated the appropriate seriousness required by the sacred setting. After the Divine Liturgy was completed, students and teachers were treated handmade pies by the church women before returning to school, filled with wonderful experiences.

As long as it took for the students to walk to the school, the guests teachers accompanied by two teachers of GEL Hortiati, had an opportunity to visit the monastery "Tranfiguration of Savior" which is located higher up to the village. A nun came and open the church of the Monastery and informed them about the monastery. The teachers also visited the area with handmade items crafted by the monastery’s nuns, who treated them to Greek traditional christmas sweets "melomakarona". Unfortunarteley, the weather was too foggy not giving them the chance to admire the view of the city of Thessaloniki.

When each group completed their documentation their research findings they presented their projects to the entire school community in the presence of teachers from the participating schools. The group projects were evaluated by the teachers based on the quality of results and presentation style. The results were announced, and the winning team was awarded.

Soral energy

Team: Kpima

Team: Solar Girls

Team: Sigmas

Team: Sultans

Team: The Red Group

Water management

ΝΑΥΣΙΚΑ.pdf

Team: Water Team

______.mov

The results

The reward were candies

Afterwards, the Award Ceremony took place. The certificates of attendance was given to all participants of all countries in turn.

The Erasmus program was completed with a buffet and a farewell party. All participants enjoyed Greek traditional delicious dishes and sweets handmade by the hosted families. Then the party began with worldwide songs, music and Greek folk dances where everone joined together in a circle.

It is worth mentioning that during the farewell party the Greek student, Aggeliki Lanara, interviewed some guest students in order to write down in the school digital newspaper about their experience.

Shortly before the end of the program, the Turkish students and teachers said good bye to all the participants and left, as they had to be at the airport early in the afternoon for their journey home.

About Friday
written by Stellina
Erasmus Day on Friday was an unforgettable experience filled with learning, creativity, and heartfelt moments. The morning workshop and presentations went smoothly, allowing us to share ideas and collaborate. Building the sundial clock was both fun and challenging, bringing everyone together in a hands-on activity. Followed by feedback session and closing ceremony which were emotional, as we reflected on our journey and the friendships we made. Furthermore the buffet and farewell party at school were the perfect way to end the official program, full of laughter, music, and goodbyes. In the afternoon, only the students from all countries came together to organize a party , making the most of our last moments together in a joyful atmosphere.

Saturday 25/1/2025

Saturday was the farewell day for the other two groups. The French team departed very early in the morning, almost at dawn, while the Czech team left in the afternoon.

French team

Czech team

The Polish group had one more day to enjoy, as their departure was scheduled for Sunday morning.

The welcome week concluded in the best possible way: an exciting visit to the Gerovassiliou Winery on Saturday morning, together with our Polish colleagues. There, Polish teachers had the opportunity to take part in a highly engaging tour, where they learned in detail about the wine production process—from grape harvesting to bottling.

Next, they visited the unique Wine Museum, which impressed them not only with its rare collections of bottles and corkscrews but also with its rich depiction of wine history through the exhibits. Additionally, they admired the exquisite sculptures that adorn the winery’s premises, creating an artistic and cultural atmosphere that enhanced their experience.

The day ended at the winery’s beautiful restaurant, where both Greek and Polish teachers tasted selected wine varieties paired with traditional local delicacies. Through this wine-tasting experience, Polish friends came into contact with an authentic taste of Greece’s rich wine gastronomy.

After this unforgettable experience, the guests bid Greek teachers farewell with the best impressions, expressing their enthusiasm and gratitude for the warm Greek hospitality they had enjoyed.

On Sunday morming, the Polish guests departed for their country, carrying beautiful memories of their warm welcome in Greece thanks to the Erasmus+ program!

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Welcoming Program Hortiatis - Greece 20-24/1/2025