PROIECTE ȘI PARTENERIATE INTERNAȚIONALE

eTwinning Project

“NextGen Voices United Multicultural”

        “NextGen Voices United Multicultural” is the name of the digital magazine created by students from Greece, Turkey, Slovakia, Italy, France, Spain, and Romania through a collaborative project carried out on the eTwinning platform. Our high school is represented by students from 9th grade B, 10th grade B, 11th grade A, and 11th grade B. Through interactive workshops, collaborative writing, teamwork, intercultural exchange, and media literacy activities exploring topics that interest them while developing key life and learning skills, the students created a multicultural digital magazine featuring articles, interviews, reviews, creative content, and multimedia projects.

The proposed objectives were to develop students’ digital, media, and communication skills, as well as social skills and critical thinking; to encourage creativity, collaboration, civic engagement, and teamwork; strengthening English communication skills, promoting intercultural understanding and cooperation, and responsible online behaviour, as well as giving students a voice through authentic publications. At the same time, it also aimed to develop the following competencies: digital skills, media design and layout, creative writing and editing, research and fact-checking, teamwork in international groups, communication in English, cultural awareness and empathy, and critical and reflective thinking.

The magazine is organized into ten thematic sections, namely: Our Countries – Our Cultures (current cultural elements, traditions, landmarks), What’s Happening at School (school news and events), Student/Teacher Stories (students’ or teachers’ experiences and achievements), Your Voice (students’ opinions on school, society, social media, etc.), Creative Corner (creativity and expression), Trends and Lifestyle (student trends and interests, reviews), Science and Environment (science and environmental awareness), Math in Action (math, data collection and presentation), Gastronomy – Food and Culture (culinary traditions and nutrition), Fun Zone (interactive and entertaining content). Each section is coordinated by a teacher and created by an international team of students.

Another important point to note is the project’s alignment with the annual eTwinning theme, “Life Skills,” as the project supports the five key competencies of the 2025/2026 eTwinning theme, as outlined in the project description (https://school-education.ec.europa.eu/en/etwinning/projects/nextgen-voices-united/twinspace/pages/introduction), namely: literacy skills, mathematics, science, digital literacy, citizenship.

This project, carried out on the eTwinning platform, is a follow-up activity that has allowed us to build upon the knowledge, skills, and competencies developed and/or acquired during the courses undertaken by teachers from our institution as part of the Erasmus+ Accreditation Project, number RO01-KA120 -SCH-000044014, for the period 2021–2027, of learning outcomes and examples of good practice.

The use of audiovisual platforms to facilitate searching and creating media content on various topics, the use of online platforms for communication and sharing, communication with project partners, teamwork, and the creation of logos and web posters allowed for the application of the knowledge and skills acquired in the courses “Web Solution for the Classroom” and “Stop Cyberbullying!”, while those from “Climate Change and Sustainable Development Goals: Small Acts Create Huge Impact - Take Action: Go Green!” facilitated the exploration of environmental topics for the creation of media content. The examples of best practices learned during the study visit “Benchmarking the Finnish & Estonian Education System” facilitated the integration of students from vulnerable groups into project activities, ensuring every student’s access to high-quality education, the integration of technology into teaching practices, and the design of activities that contribute to the development of critical thinking.

Empathy Week 2026

 Empathy Week (https://www.empathy-week.com/; https://www.empathy-week.com/about) as we mention in the article in issue 14 of our magazine, is a global program supported by Reboot Education (https://education.rebootthefuture.org/), a global learning platform based in the UK, launched in 2020 as a way to develop empathy skills among young people worldwide, with the goal of building the “Generation of Empathy.” This year, the event, themed “My Culture, Your Culture, Our Culture,” took place from 9^th to 14^th March and offered students and teachers an opportunity to celebrate and explore the lives and cultures of our communities and those around the world.

“Create and Dance: What Makes You, You?” was the title of the video watched by 5^th graders, through which they learned about the Royal Ballet, choreographer Crystal Pite, and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Dancers and choreographers from the Royal Opera House spoke to them about what it means to create a dance and to dance, about telling stories not only with words but also with their bodies. Crystal Pite created a dance together with a group of children from the Royal Ballet to explore the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The story told by the dance is that no matter who you are or what you look like, everyone has rights and must be treated equally. The students watched several clips of children who translated an article of the UN Convention (Articles 8, 12, 13, 29, and 31) into dance and movement. To explore Article 8 of the UN Convention – namely, the Right to an Identity – the dancers taught the children to create a short solo that explores their hobbies, personality traits, and hopes for the future. Through dance and movement, they joyfully expressed their hobbies, character traits, and hopes for the future, demonstrating imagination, creativity, and inspiration.

BSO Projects

“Languages: The Sound of Culture” is the name of the collaborative project carried out by the students of 9th B graders together with Doaba Public School, Kot Santokh Rai, Gurdaspur, Punjab, India. Through this project, students were exposed to the richness of global oral traditions and linguistic diversity in India, Romania, Japan, Spain, and the U.S.A, with the aim of understanding the deep connection between languages and culture across international borders and promoting identity, humanity, and respect for global cultural heritage. The first proposed activity involved creating a “When and Where” poster about the origins of the various languages studied, showing how cultures are intertwined through words with different phonetics but the same meaning. Identifying and understanding common idiomatic expressions, proverbs, or sayings in other languages through short videos, and retelling folk tales from all the countries included in the project were the next topics. The students found that, regardless of the language in which they are told, the stories convey the same values, emotions, and feelings, reflecting our shared human experiences. The final activity took place online and consisted of participants taking turns reciting a few tongue twisters in the five languages studied. Developing the ability to understand the cultural nuances and social norms associated with the various languages studied, and to compare the themes and cultural elements of folk tales from India, Romania, Japan, Spain, and the U.S., and fostering a sense of global citizenship by recognizing distinct human values – including unity, teamwork, and curiosity – through the folk tales of the above mentioned countries are some of the objectives pursued throughout the project.

“Nature’s Architect: Diversity of Flora in India, Australia, Romania, and China” is the name of the collaborative project carried out by students in classes 5^th A, 5^th B, and 6^th A graders together with students from St. Augustine’s Day School in Barrackpore, Kolkata, India. As part of the activities, the participating students researched, gathered, analysed, and selected information from various sources regarding the vegetation in India, Romania, China, and Australia, and created posters to highlight the role that plants play in the environment. Using collage, they created maps of the countries studied, marking the areas and types of characteristic vegetation. The activity marking the conclusion of this collaborative project consisted of an online meeting during which students from the partner schools took turns presenting information about the diversity of the landscape, the origin, native plants, the weather and climate of their country, national plants, flowers, unique and endangered species, and the use of flora in cultural, medicinal, and ecological contexts. They also discussed plant conservation methods used in their respective countries and several aspects of sustainable development in both Romania and India. For the online discussion, the students created the following PowerPoint presentations: “National, Unique, and Endangered Plants,” “Nature’s Architect: Romania,” and “The Uses of Romania’s Flora.” The activities in this project helped the students understand global biodiversity and the importance of plant conservation.

“Eco-Heroes of the World” is the name of the collaborative project carried out by students in grades 3^rd B and 4^th graders together with students from Indraprastha International School in Dwarka, New Delhi, India. The activities were designed to highlight individuals from India (Shyam Sunder Paliwal), the United Kingdom (Daniel Swampy), and Sweden (Greta Thunberg) who have made significant contributions to environmental protection or sustainability. Under the guidance of elementary school teachers Alexandra Purcaru and Mihaela Juncă, the students gathered information about the three eco-heroes, analysed, selected, and summarized it, and created biographical posters which they presented during the online meeting. The role-playing game and poems presented by the students from India, the “Who Knows Wins” quiz, and the dialogue with the partners made the activity a hit with our students.

Through the collaborative project “Eco-Heroes of the World,” the children learned that everyone can help protect the environment, regardless of age. Following the example of Shyam Sunder Paliwal, they understood the importance of planting trees and caring for nature as a shared community responsibility. By studying Greta Thunberg’s story, the children realized that their voices can make a difference when they advocate for a cause that matters to the planet, even if they are “small.” Daniel Swampy’s story helped them understand the role of local leaders in protecting forests and community traditions. The activity fostered the children’s civic spirit, respect for nature, and desire to become little “environmental heroes.”

“Cultural Canvas: Celebrating Traditions Through Art” is the name of the collaborative project carried out by students from grades 3^rd B and 4^th graders together with students from Indraprastha International School in Dwarka, New Delhi, India. Under the guidance of elementary school teachers Alexandra Purcaru and Mihaela Juncă, the students explored and appreciated the traditional arts and crafts of India and Romania, observed the key characteristics of traditional art forms in both countries, created small artworks inspired by the traditions of the countries studied, and explained their cultural significance. During the online meeting, students from both schools presented small exhibitions of artworks they had created. Through these activities, the students gained knowledge about cultural diversity and the role of art in preserving heritage, and they understood the importance of preserving traditional arts and crafts in India and Romania.

International Read Aloud Day was celebrated together with volunteers from the Super Tineri Association (ASIRYS) in Târgu Frumos, Salma Hussein and Aya Hossam. “The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was the title of the book from which our guests read several excerpts in English to students in 2^nd, 5^th A, 5^th B and 6^th A graders. The activity concluded with a brief discussion between the readers and the listeners.

“Guardians of the Wild: A Global Biodiversity” is the name of the collaborative project carried out by the 3^rd B graders, together with their peers from The Knowledge Habitat School in Pune, India. Students from both schools created short presentations and discussed endangered species, biodiversity and its importance, as well as organizations dedicated to nature conservation, biodiversity, and environmental protection. Interactive elements included “guess the animal” activities, mini-posters, and simple comparisons between countries, highlighting the biodiversity in both nations.

“Spin the Wheel: Climate Challenge” is the name of the collaborative project carried out by the 6^th A graders together with students from The Knowledge Habitat School in Pune, India. The project consisted of an interactive research and oral presentation activity in which the students explored climate-related topics, such as the impact of climate change in their country, sustainability practices followed at home or at school, and environmental or renewable energy initiatives in India and Romania. Throughout this meeting, the focus was on interaction and the exchange of ideas, rather than on formal presentations. The online activity concluded with the creation of an International Climate Pledge Wall using digital tools.

       Activities that emphasized the importance of environmental education and mentioned the need for good practices, responsible use of resources, conservation and protection of the environment were also carried out within the partnerships established through the BSO Platform. In the framework of the Green Week Program, the carried out an online activity together with their partners from Bahcesehir College in Zonguldak, Turkey, presenting objects made of recyclable and reusable materials, drawings and web posters on the theme “How Can I Help?

        As part of Global Education Week (16th – 24th November 2024), with the theme “Connected People for an Inclusive Planet”, the 4th A graders carried out an online activity entitled “How Can We Help Our Planet?” together with their partners from Satyug Darshan Vidyalaya, Faridabad, India, presenting drawings and objects created from recyclable and reusable materials.

        During the Școala Altfel week, the 4th A and B graders made Christmas cards that they sent to those from Millennium Kids High Schools, Kano, Kano state, Northern Nigeria, an activity within the Cultural Exchange partnership.

        The collaborative partnership established with Indraprastha International School, Delhi Dwarka, India, and realised together with the 3rd grade students, started with an exchange of letters of introduction, providing information and details about school, family, leisure activities, hobbies. Through the letters received from their peers in India, our students learnt new things about the subjects they study, how they spend their free time, hobbies, etc. This was followed by an online meeting where each partner introduced their country, highlighting a unique feature of their country. At the end of the meeting, each student met their pen-pal.
 

        The students of 4th A and B grades continued their collaboration with their partners from Satyug Darshan Vidyalaya, Faridabad, India, celebrating together the International Day of Reading Together through the online meeting. Pupils from both schools took turns reading extracts from Oscar Wilde’s “The Happy Prince”. Our pupils read passages from the story “The Purse with Copper Two” by Ion Creangă to their Indian colleagues. The activity ended with a short exchange of questions about school, preferences, hobbies, hobbies, leisure activities.

        Cultural Dress Day: A Global Celebration of Heritage Through Attire was the theme of the partnership between the students of 4th A and 5th A and Viraj International School, Boisar - Tarapur Rd, India. It celebrates cultural diversity through traditional dress, providing a unique opportunity to explore and appreciate global cultural history, understand the historical and cultural significance of traditional dress and its role in expressing personal and community identity. The students were divided into four groups and each group was assigned a country: Romania, India, Ghana and China. They were asked to study the traditional dress of the assigned country and to produce a material containing the following information: the name of the traditional dress, its components, the colours used and their significance, and the occasions on which the traditional dress is worn. After the time set for this study, each group shared their information in the form of a PowerPoint presentation. The activity ended with a parade of traditional outfits made from reusable materials. Participants in this collaborative experience gained a deeper appreciation of cultural heritage and a better intercultural understanding.

        Students from Viraj International School, Boisar - Tarapur Rd, India collaborated with students from the 9th B grade in the Global Green: Mapping Natural Vegetation Across Continents partnership which involved researching and exploring the various types of natural vegetation found in India, USA, Australia and Romania. For this, students were divided into four groups and assigned to one of these countries. Each group researched the different types of natural vegetation found in that country, including forests, grasslands and deserts, produced a PowerPoint presentation with all the information they found and based on this created a detailed map highlighting the regions where those types of vegetation are found. In turn, each group presented their material containing the information found and the map produced. The end of the project was marked by an online meeting, during which pupils from both schools introduced themselves, discussed the activities they had participated in, the knowledge they had gained, the challenges they had faced, what the project meant to them. Participation in the partnership activities provided them with the opportunity to develop their skills in creating geographical maps to visually and accurately represent vegetation distribution and characteristics, to appreciate the global diversity of natural vegetation and to recognise the importance of conserving different types of vegetation and their ecosystems. The dialogue between the teachers involved highlighted that this collaboration provided them with the opportunity to explore new ways of engaging pupils in the learning process and to provide them with relevant and impactful educational experiences.

       Cultural Exchange is the name of the partnership established between the 8th A graders and their colleagues from Analy High School, Sebastopol, California, USA. Its activity involved the making of presentations by all participants, providing information and details about school, family, free time activities, and hobbies. Watching the material received from the partners in the USA gave our students the opportunity to learn new things about their partners and their way of life. The second activity consisted in the exchange of small parcels containing items representative of both the school’s life and the culture of each partner. The 8th A graders sent an issue of the school magazine, the school timetable, trinkets, small handicrafts, postcards with pictures representative of our country. Their partners also sent them the school magazine and timetable, leaflets with information about their activities, small parcels with different kinds of snacks. By studying and analysing each article they received, reading the short descriptions that accompanied them, our pupils had the opportunity to learn new things about their education system, their subjects of study and school curriculum, the activities they organise and carry out, their eating habits, hobbies and interests.

       Premier College (Fittace Makarantar Ilmi), Kano, Northwest Nigeria is the second partner of the 8th A grade students, the theme of the partnership is The Beauty of Culture. Through this cultural exchange our students learnt about the Durbar riding festival celebrated in northern Nigerian cities such as Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Bauchi, Bida, Ilorin and Zazzau, traditional food, traditional marriage in the Husa culture. In turn, they sent their partners PowerPoint presentations about Romania, the traditional Romanian cuisine, the national costume, how Christmas is celebrated.

       The collaborative partnership between “Bogdan Voda” Theoretical Highschool, Hălăucești and Șehit Ersan Yenici Anadolu Lisesi Babaeski, Turkey, Sister School Project was resumed at the beginning of the current school year in order to continue developing mutual friendship, promoting a better understanding of the economy, culture, history, environment, traditions and customs of the two educational establishments and countries involved. We recall some of the underlying principles of this partnership, namely: recognizing and respecting the educational needs of the partner schools, open communication, collaboration based on trust and mutual respect. The first activity, Act Green!, carried out with fellow students and teachers in Turkey took place in the framework of the Green Week Program, consisted in the creation of web posters and was addressed to 9th and 10th grade students. They learned about the irresponsible exploitation of natural resources and the impact on the environment and created web posters suggesting different actions that everyone can take to use resources efficiently and responsibly and protect the environment. The exchange of the web posters between the two schools allowed our students to see similarities and differences between the way they work and the way their peers work.

        Empathy Week (https://www.empathy-week.com/; https://www.empathy-week.com/about) is a global program supported by Reboot Education (https://education.rebootthefuture.org/), a UK-based global learning platform. The event was launched in 2020 as a way to develop empathy skills among young people around the world, with the goal of building the “Generation of Empathy” – a generation of young people who seek to understand before acting, who have the ability to connect with others, to overcome differences and cultural barriers, and to see the world through the eyes of others. This year’s event, themed “What’s Your Spark?”, took place from 10th to 14th March 2025 and offered students the opportunity to learn about the passions and perspectives of real people, as well as to discover their own.
      “Using Empathy with Kindness – Putting Empathy into Action: School of Kindness” was an online activity designed for elementary school students and supported by 52 Lives (https://www.52-lives.org/), which, through its activities, aims to help children realize that the choices they make every day – no matter how small – have the power to change the world and, at the same time, contribute to improving their physical and mental health. During the event, the organization’s founder shared with the participants the story of a boy named Kaleb who loves soccer, is a Paris Saint-Germain fan, and needs their support. Our students wrote messages of encouragement and support, which they later sent to Kaleb.

        Secondary and highschool students watched short videos about real people who turned their passions into successful careers:
        Darcy Bourne, an international athlete and hockey player from the UK, shared her journey in sports, emphasizing the power of hard work, resilience, and standing up for what you believe in her motto being “Resilience, Love, and Competitiveness”. Darcy is the founder of the charity Raising Her Game, which aims to support young female athletes in reaching their full potential.
        Benjamin Francis Leftwich, a British singer-songwriter, composes music that connects, relaxes, and inspires. In his presentation, he offered insights into how to navigate life and work, demonstrated the power of storytelling through music, and explained how creativity contributes to understanding the world around us. His advice: “Be a good collaborator”.
        Ella Podmore MBE is a materials engineer at McLaren, contributing to the design of some of the fastest cars in the world. For Ella, engineering means, beyond the numbers, innovation, passion, and pushing boundaries. Her motto is “Be a good collaborator”, and the advice she gave to the students is to learn from failures.

       Joshua Nueva told the students how his passion for travel evolved into a global platform that showcases the beauty of Ireland’s nature and landscapes. His advice: “Keep going until you find what you love”.

        By the end of these activities, our students learned what it means to be a good team player, colleague, and listener; they learned about the importance of the choices they make and the importance of not giving up on what they believe in; and were inspired to develop their passions, tell their own stories, find the courage to pursue their dreams and ambitions, and discover the limitless possibilities in science and engineering.
      Empathy Week offered online professional development activities for teachers; the sessions attended by teachers from our high school were: “AI and Empathy: Practical Applications for Any Class” and “Tackling School Avoidance & Anxiety: Emotionally-Based School Avoidance.”
      This professional development session was led by Scott Hayden, Head of Teaching, Learning, and Digital at Basingstoke College of Technology (BCoT), an institution with extensive experience in piloting and implementing AI tools. The speaker provided insights into BCoT’s innovative approach to education, which emphasizes empathy-based leadership, student-centered experiences, and real-world problem-solving skills. He presented practical insights on the effective use of AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Century, goblin.tools, NotebookLM, Quizizz, and Canva to create learning experiences that enhance student learning, promote empathy, emotional intelligence, and digital literacy, and streamline administrative tasks.
      “AI and Empathy - practical applications for any class” - This professional development session was led by Scott Hayden, Head of Teaching, Learning, and Digital at Basingstoke College of Technology (BCoT), an institution with extensive experience in piloting and implementing AI tools. The speaker provided insights into BCoT’s innovative approach to education, which emphasizes empathy-based leadership, student-centered experiences, and real-world problem-solving skills. He presented practical insights on the effective use of AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Century, goblin.tools, NotebookLM, Quizizz, and Canva to create learning experiences that enhance student learning, promote empathy, emotional intelligence, and digital literacy, and streamline administrative tasks.
       No Isolation (https://www.noisolation.com/) hosted the webinar “Emotionally-based School Avoidance”. The discussions during this session, focused on: why students miss school, how we can help them feel emotionally safe, and what steps we can take to help children feel that they don’t want to miss school, will help teachers apply in the classroom the most important things learned from experts in the field about EBSA (Emotion-Based School Avoidance). The speakers were: Sarah Johnson – a school improvement partner dedicated to making a positive impact on children’s lives and passionate about supporting marginalized and disadvantaged students; Emma Gother – a dedicated educational leader with extensive experience in leading special educational needs and disability (SEND) education in secondary schools. She has held various roles in state, independent, alternative, and higher education; Simone Isaacs – AV1 ambassador at No Isolation and a former educator. No Isolation’s mission is to ensure learning and a sense of belonging for every child.
        The webinars held during Empathy Week provided teachers with practical insights on integrating AI tools into the teaching and learning process to improve teaching practices, student outcomes, and reduce student absenteeism.

Melange 2023 Inter School Cultural Fest

       Our students participated for the second time in the Inter School Cultural Fest - Melange 2023 organized by our partners at Seth Anandram Jaipuria School, Vasundhara, and Ghaziabad, India, which took place on 3rd - 4th November, 2023. The numerous and diverse activities within the festival offered participants the opportunity to develop their digital, communication, social, literary, and aesthetic skills.
       Luca Ioan Iuganu and Marian Ștefan Tălmăcel, 8th A graders, participated in the Dezine section (Poster Designing Online), in which they had to create a web poster on the theme of Vintage Realism using the Adobe Express application. The criteria for evaluating the works were the chosen theme, use of tools, creativity, and overall presentation. Our students won first place alongside a school in Texas, United States, with second place going to a school in Macedonia. We would like to remind you that educational institutions from all over the world participated in this event.
       Creating a web poster is a personalized, student-centered activity, with the poster being a product of the student's imagination. Participants had the opportunity to use the knowledge, techniques, and skills they had acquired and developed in various classes in a new and relevant context, deciding not only on the content of the poster, but also on how it would be presented.
 

Compufest 2022 - Inter School Cultural Fest

        Our school participated in the Inter School Cultural Fest - Compufest 2022, hosted by Seth Anandram Jaipuria School, Vasundhara, Ghaziabad, India, held on 11th - 12th November, 2022. Compufest is an IT festival and is celebrated alternately with the Melange cultural festival. The techno-cultural festival welcomed virtual participants from around the world, over 50 schools nationally and internationally, involving 1200 students. The numerous and varied activities aimed to develop the digital, literary, and aesthetic skills of the participants. On the one hand, events such as 24 Hrs Hackathon in association with Rancholabs (IIT Delhi), Cryptic Hunt, Virtual Warriors, A-Maze-D, Third Dimension, IM Bot, Frontend, Codverse, Digidreamers, etc. tested the students' courage in ideation, design thinking, and computing, while on the other hand, Turn Coat, Quizziz, Toontastic, Decoupage, Concord, etc. captured the students' imagination to reveal their oratory and artistic skills.
        Anca Petrila and Eoden Pirlea, 10th A graders, participated in the Posteretti section (International Category), in which they each had to create a poster depicting one of the Sustainable Development Goals. Under the guidance of Ms. Aissa-Ana-Maria Neculăeş, Geography teacher, the two participants created their posters, choosing the goals No Poverty (Eoden Pirlea) and Climate Action (Anca Petrila), respectively. Our students came in third place, alongside a school in Indonesia, with first place going to a school in Macedonia and second place to a school in Abu Dhabi.
        Participating in this event gave students the opportunity to produce a piece of work that is real and will be a measure of their linguistic and digital skills, among others, at that moment in time. The activity combined process and product, brought together linguistic and digital skills, etc., and gave them the opportunity to use the knowledge and techniques acquired in various classes, to gather this knowledge and present it in a personal vision.

BSO Projects

        The activities carried out in collaboration with Shottermill Junior School, Haslemere, Surrey, England involved the 1st A graders and consisted of exchanges of drawings - My Family, Thanksgiving - and greeting cards for Christmas and Easter. At Christmas, carols performed by the participating students were exchanged, recorded, and then sent by email.
        During the first online meeting, the 7th A graders talked with their partners from Progresif Bumi Shalawat Secondary School, Lebo Sidoarjo Southeast Asia, about school, subjects, school uniforms, free time, daily activities, traditional cuisine, national dress, etc. In the second online meeting, each partner presented material on the theme 7 Things About My Country, after which they discussed the two materials they had watched.
        The students from Jain Global School, Rudrapur, Uttarakhand, India were the partners of the 8th graders. At the first online meeting, after the necessary introductions, each partner presented their school, and then they asked each other questions about subjects, timetables, school uniforms, holidays, national days, leisure activities, etc. The next meeting consisted of a question and answer session based on Christmas PowerPoint Presentation, with the students from India wanting to learn as much as possible about how Christmas is celebrated, customs and traditions, traditional clothing, traditional foods, activities, etc. 7 Things About My Country was the theme proposed for the third meeting, when each partner took turns presenting their material containing the seven most important things about their country, followed by questions and answers based on the two presentations.

Sister School Project

        As part of the Sister School Project partnership with Şehit Ersan Yenici Anadolu Lisesi Babaeski, Turkey, 11th A and B graders exchanged letters with their Turkish partners on various topics of interest. One of these was Easter, with the Turkish students interested in learning more about the significance of this holiday, how it is celebrated, customs and traditions, traditional foods, and activities. They also met their pen pals in an online meeting.

Sister School Project

        The second stage of the Romanian-Turkish international educational partnership project, Sister School Project, ran from 1st September 2018 to 1st September 2023, one of the objectives being the exchange of students and teachers for educational visits to share ideas and experiences, providing opportunities to develop skills that improve relations between Romania and Turkey. Our Turkish partners visited us twice, and now it was our turn to participate in such an exchange. Therefore, a group of students and teachers participated in the educational visit to Babaeski, Kırklareli province, between 5th to 10th January 2020.
        The first day was devoted to meeting the students and teachers from the host educational institution. The Turkish students prepared informative materials in the form of PPT presentations about their town, historical sites in Babaeski, their high school, and the places we were going to visit in Istanbul, thus helping to explain and understand the cultural and historical aspects of the cities we were going to visit and the country we were in.
         Romanian teachers had the opportunity to learn about several aspects of the Turkish education system by participating in teaching activities, engaging in dialogue with teachers from the host high school, and exchanging information about the curriculum, teaching resources, course materials and teaching strategies, school policy and school events. At the same time, the principals of the two educational institutions discussed and shared their experiences regarding management development. The students spent time with their friends, experiencing a day at school in Turkey, developing their social and communication skills, and practicing their English language skills.
         The activities aimed at developing friendship with different cultures and enriching the students' experience were varied, one of them being the joint artistic program carried out by Turkish and Romanian students. The artistic moment provided by the Romanian teachers' vocal group was particularly appreciated by the teachers from Turkey. They were impressed by the involvement of their Romanian colleagues in all partnership activities and by the support and encouragement they gave to their students.
         During the mobility period, study visits were made to Edirne and Istanbul. The Health Museum and Selimiye Mosque were visited in Edirne, Hagia Sofia and Topkapı Palace were visited in Istanbul. The trip on the Bosphorus was also an opportunity to admire several historical sites along the shore: the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapı Palace, and Dolmabahce Palace.
        The project activities ended with a farewell party organized by the Turkish students for their partners and friends. This meeting gave all participants the opportunity to develop the ability to communicate effectively and appropriately in different situations using English. The students became more aware of their own culture and more informed about their partners' culture. Intercultural awareness provides them with the knowledge and skills necessary to enable them to establish links with other cultures, to present and represent their own culture to others. The relationship between different cultures enriches not only people but also societies.
 

Top three Genetically Modified (GM) crops grown in India and Romania

      At the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year, we established contacts with schools registered on British Schools Online through the British Council Schools Partner Finder with a view to carrying out collaborative projects. "Top three Genetically Modified (GM) crops grown in India and Romania" is a project carried out in partnership with Vriksha Global School in India, with the aim of studying the different types of genetically modified crops grown in India and Romania and learning about the process behind these crops, their advantages and disadvantages.
       The participants in this activity were the 9th B graders. They gathered information about the different types of genetically modified crops, the species that contain genes that make them resistant to herbicides, insects, etc., and evaluated and analysed different traits used in the production of genetically modified crops. They determined the top three genetically modified crops and created PowerPoint presentations: The Top Three GM Crops Grown in Romania, The Advantages of Using GM Crops, and The Disadvantages of Using GM Crops. Through a Skype conference, students from both schools presented their work in turn, and at the end they had a discussion about the advantages and disadvantages of genetically modified crops.

Self-Introduction

     Another collaborative project was carried out by the 4th A graders together with their partners from The Mann School in India. It involves monthly meetings via Skype video conferences on different topics. During the first meeting on the topic of Self-Introduction, each participant answered the following questions: What is your name? What is the name of your school? How old are you? What is your school logo? Where is your school located? Which grade are you in? This meeting was followed by others, namely: My Family, My School, My Favourite Dish. During each Skype video session, each participant presented their family members, school, classroom, favourite subject(s), favourite school, extracurricular, and extracurricular activities, and favourite dish, using drawings and collages. These activities gave students the opportunity to learn new things about their partners' families, lifestyles, daily schedules, school activities, favourite and traditional dishes, and what healthy eating means to them. They also gave them the opportunity to develop their English communication skills in real-life situations, to socialize with their partners, and to use new forms of communication and technologies effectively and efficiently.

Traditional Romanian Food and Clothing

 Jamalkhan Kusum Kumari City Corporation Girls' High School Rahmatgonj, Chattogram, Bangladesh was our partner in another collaborative project, the aim of which was to learn about some cultural aspects related to traditional food and clothing in Bangladesh and Romania. Participants in this activity were the 7^th graders and the 9^th A graders. In the PPT presentation entitled Traditional Romanian Food, the seventh-grade students provided details about the foods used in Romanian cuisine, the dishes served at the three main meals of the day, as well as those cooked on different occasions: Christmas, New Year, Easter. The ninth-grade students highlighted several aspects related to the geographical location of our country, climate, flora and fauna, natural fibers used in the manufacture of traditional clothing, and described the Romanian national costume in the PowerPoint presentation entitled Traditional Romanian Clothing. Through a Skype conference, students from both schools presented their work in turn, and at the end they had a discussion about the materials they had viewed.

2018-2019 School Year

eTwinning Project

"Hello, I am Charlie from London!"

      The "Hello, I am Charlie from London!" project, based on the book of the same name by Stephane Husar and Yannick Robert, carried out on the eTwinning platform gave the 3rd A graders the opportunity to create their own books inspired by it, talking about themselves, their families, their cities, and their daily routines, and the tasks they completed gave them the chance to express themselves in real-life situations. The partners were students from Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Serbia, and Ukraine.
     The project activities brought together students and teachers from different cultural backgrounds and education systems, uniting participants who speak different languages and communicate using different codes. After reading the book "Hello, I am Charlie from London!" and discussing the objectives of this project, the students were eager to create their own book, but also to read their partners' books. Each book was presented in Twinspace. Reading their partners' books online and voting for the best book on https://www.tricider.com/ were the most interesting activities for them. In terms of results, this gave students the opportunity to consolidate their knowledge of English and their language skills through a series of activities, to develop their critical thinking, and to be challenged to rethink and reevaluate their own opinions about their personal skills and abilities.
     The "Hello, I am Charlie from London!" project helped students develop self-awareness, feel part of a European community, and make new friends to discover differences and similarities between other children's lifestyles, increasing their motivation to study English. We would like to mention that for the outstanding results gained in this project, we received the Natio.

The Sister School Project

      The second stage of this partnership ran from 1st September 2018 to 1st September 2023. This time, on 21st January 2019, a group of twenty students and five teachers arrived in Hălăuceşti. During the first day of the visit, the students and teachers from the two educational institutions introduced themselves and provided details about their schools, localities, and some aspects of their culture.
      Once again, the Turkish partners expressed their desire to learn about some aspects of the Romanian education system. The demonstration lessons they attended were full of excitement, had a strong impact on the participants, and sparked curiosity and sometimes amazement. Participation in these teaching activities was very interesting and useful from an educational and social point of view for everyone involved. The Turkish partners were able to compare their own education system and draw a number of conclusions, one of which was that, although they share a common basis, the two education systems can differ greatly.
      Among the activities designed to enrich the students' experience and raise their awareness of cultural diversity, we mention the presentation by students from Turkey of the Ebru painting technique, which consists of creating a pattern from colours floating on the surface of water. Paper is placed on this surface, absorbing the paints floating on the water and thus transferring the pattern. After learning the technique and with the help of their partners, our students created several paintings of this kind. The joint art program carried out by the students from the two partner high schools demonstrated that young people, regardless of their origin, are talented and share a common interest in dance and music. By bringing together aspects of the two cultures, all students had the opportunity to increase their knowledge of their partner's culture in terms of people's lifestyles, values, attitudes, and beliefs, and how these are manifested or expressed.
     This time, study visits were made to Voroneț Monastery, Suceava Fortress, the Union Museum in Iași, and the Palace of Culture in Iași, where all four museums were visited: the Museum of Moldovan History, the Ethnographic Museum of Moldova, the Ștefan Procopiu Museum of Science and Technology, and the Art Museum. The project activities ended with a surprise farewell party organized at Muncel Camp by the students from Hălăucești for their partners and friends from Turkey.

 BSO Projects

Dressing in the Colours of the World, Schools Online Collaborative Project

     The project was aimed at primary school pupils and was carried out in partnership with Dayanand Anglo-Vedic Public School, Jasola Vihar, New Delhi, India. As part of the project, students identified the national costumes of India, Japan, Turkey, Spain, the Netherlands, and Romania, learned about the various types of fibers used in creating the costumes and their relevance to the climate and soil of the respective country, analysed the relationship between climate and national costume, and evaluated different types of plant and animal fibers available in various countries. They also researched national costumes, gaining new knowledge about style, colour combinations, and the materials used in their manufacture. At the end of the project, a traditional costume parade was organized where students presented the costumes they had made, with the help of their parents, from reusable materials.

Sister School Project

       The Sister School Project is a collaborative partnership between "Bogdan Vodă" Theoretical Highschool, Hălăuceşti and Şehit Ersan Yenici Anadolu Lisesi Babaeski, Turkey, with a view to developing mutual understanding, friendship, and promoting a better understanding of the economy, culture, history, environment, and customs of the two countries and the schools involved. Among the key principles underlying this partnership are: recognition and respect for the educational needs of each school, open communication, collaboration based on trust and mutual respect, and appropriate and realistic expectations. The objectives are to strengthen relationships, understanding, and appreciation between teachers and students, increasing cultural awareness and respect for cultures, developing English communication skills, and developing an international perspective within schools, aim to enable students to become citizens with the ability to function effectively in cultures with different perspectives and belief systems.
      The first stage of this partnership took place between 1st September 2015 and 31st August 2018. On 25th January 2016, a group of twenty-five students and five teachers arrived in Hălăuceşti. On the first day of the visit, the students and teachers from the two educational institutions introduced themselves and provided details about their school, locality, and some aspects of their culture.
Experiencing the teaching-learning process in Romania was another activity included in the schedule of the Turkish partners' visit, which took place between 25th January and 31st January 2016. The Turkish partners, both teachers and students, showed interest in the topics presented, were open-minded, enterprising, and willing to learn more about us and Romania. The questions that followed generated discussions that took place at the end of the activities, opinions were expressed concisely by both sides, bringing the participants in this project closer together and establishing personal relationships both within and outside the partnership.
      This was followed by visits to SC. ROMPAK SRL, Pașcani, the "A. I. Cuza" Palace in Ruginoasa, the Ruginoasa Cultural Centre, which houses a veritable ethnographic museum dedicated to local values and traditions, the "Anastasie Fătu" Botanical Garden in Iași, the "A.I. Cuza" University in Iași, the Metropolitan Cathedral in Iași, the Cathedral of the Holy Virgin Mary, Queen, in Iași, and the Monastery of the Three Hierarchs in Iași. During these study visits, the students had the opportunity to talk to each other, discussing the music they listen to, their passion for art, science, physics, chemistry, their way of life, traditions, and customs.
      The first year of collaboration represented an opportunity for the teachers involved to develop their teaching skills through an exchange of experience, to interact directly with colleagues from the partner school, an extremely interesting opportunity to broaden their professional horizons through direct knowledge of an educational system different from the Romanian one. This experience was also interesting and useful for the students, contributing to the development of their interest in acquiring new knowledge, communication skills in a foreign language, the effective and efficient use of new forms of communication and new technologies, socializing with project partners and transferring knowledge, and the formation and development of cultural and historical awareness.

The Culture Exchange Program Agreement

      The Culture Exchange Program Agreement is a collaborative partnership between Bogdan Vodă High School in Hălăuceşti and Cheery Children's Education Centre in Nairobi, Kenya. Promoting a better understanding of the culture, history, and customs of the partner countries and schools, developing tolerance towards different cultures, English communication skills, teamwork, socializing with project partners, promoting our school, region, and country and our partners, increasing motivation to learn a foreign language are just some of the aspects considered in this collaboration.
       The activities carried out during the partnership gave our students the opportunity to develop their intercultural skills and acquire new knowledge about the culture, way of life, and education system of our partners. The students presented their country, providing details about its geographical position, climate, relief, flora and fauna, their locality, school, lifestyle and daily routine, etc., through drawings, posters, collages, and PowerPoint presentations. They also exchanged letters, greeting cards, etc. There were frequent Skype meetings where both students and teachers had the opportunity to discuss various pre-determined topics.
 

2014-2015 School Year

The Career Project

     The project was based on MOOC (Massive Online Open Courses) modules and was developed by David Winter and Laura Brammar, collaborators at the University of London, with the aim of providing guidance and personal development, allowing high school students to explore their personality traits. The choice of this theme had numerous objectives, such as strengthening self-image and clarifying incentives, abilities, skills, competencies, and values. Nine high schools in Greece and three in the EU were involved in the project.
      The project encouraged an integrated approach to the learning process, giving students the opportunity not only to use the knowledge and techniques learned in different subjects - English grammar, how to write a letter of intent in English, information and communication technology - but also to organize this knowledge in a personal way. They worked in groups, thus promoting the value of collaborative learning, with cooperation involving the participation of all students in completing a task on a specific topic. At the same time, working in groups gave them the opportunity to improve their communication skills, tolerance for others' opinions, democratic decision-making, conflict resolution skills, and acceptance of others. The partners communicated in the Twinspace workspace, discussing the tasks set for each module.
      Collaboration was a necessary condition for achieving the objective of student creativity. The active participation of all partners in each module and in the final task illustrates this aspect. Romanian students actively participated in the Skype conference organized as part of the event held in Athens, with the aim of disseminating the project results to participating teachers and students.
      In terms of the project's results, it gave students the opportunity to consolidate their knowledge of English and their skills in using it through a series of activities. They also benefited from using ICT knowledge and skills, which facilitated effective communication and collaboration in an environment simulating real-life conditions. At the same time, the project helped them develop critical thinking, as they were put in a position to rethink and reevaluate their own opinions about their personal skills and abilities.
     In the same way, teachers cooperated closely, opening up the possibility of collaboration on future projects. Learning with and from others was particularly important in helping participants appreciate the value of a joint effort. The Career Project was a real-life tool that helped participants develop self-awareness and familiarize themselves with modern trends in career guidance. Lifelong learning became a reality through our joint efforts. We would like to mention that this project received the eTwinning Quality Label and the European Quality Label.

A Special Woman in our Community

      As part of the project, the 10th A graders identified and selected a woman who is special in terms of her contribution or status in our country. They researched the role, status, contribution of women in different career fields, and their responsibility in the community. They gave a brief presentation of the woman at various points in history, focusing on the one they considered to have had the most significant impact on life, culture, and education: Sofia Ionescu, the world’s first female neurosurgeon. Important things about her medical work were mentioned, as well as the awards she received at home and abroad in recognition of her successful work.
       Developing English communication skills, digital skills, teamwork skills, socializing with project partners, sharing info and knowledge, interacting and cooperating with students from Taiwan were some of the main goals of the project.

2013-2014 School Year

Sustainable Culture Heritage Development

      Based on the definition of culture and UNESCO, the 9th A graders identified, selected, and presented the main cultural objectives belonging to world cultural heritage and Romanian cultural heritage, the main sources of pollution worldwide, the sources of pollution with the greatest impact on the natural and anthropic environment worldwide, the elements of the natural and anthropic environment included in the phenomenon of sustainable development, the most representative elements of the Romanian environment included in the phenomenon of sustainable development, etc. Our students actively participated in the Skype conference organized by the project initiators and coordinators, with the aim of disseminating the results to participating teachers and students.
      Among the main objectives of the project are practicing and developing English communication skills, digital skills, teamwork skills, socializing with project partners, transmitting information and knowledge, communicating, interacting, and cooperating with students from participating countries, namely Taiwan, the Philippines, South Korea, and Romania.

Meet Me Through My Writing

     The project was carried out in collaboration with students from a school in Croatia and aimed to development of literacy and language skills through writing poems, prose and dramatic texts through which they can meet the individual's interests, fantasies, desires, dreams, attitudes about life and everyday living situation. The students wrote a letter to a pen/e-friend introducing him/herself, talking about his/her likes and dislikes, interests, hobbies, school, about homeland ("Homeland in my eyes" - prose or poetry), and writings on free subjects: family, school, love, hobbies, interests, etc. They also exchanged Christmas cards and wishes. The 8th A graders had the opportunity to learn about new culture, school system, and make new friends.

We Can't Forget Our Past

       The project was carried out in collaboration with students from Bulgaria, Italy, Latvia,  Lithuania and Poland and it aimed to create a cultural-historical consciousness, to help students acquire the concept of time and change, recover and rebuild its past, past civilization in fashion, traditions play in technology, consider the popular traditions, rebuild local identity, get children interested in the historical memory, to encourage pupils to use new technologies efficiently and effectively, to socialize, to develop their commutative skills, to become more confident when using English. The project was only on two particular areas: the game and fashion.
       The activities carried out by the 4th A graders were meant to make the pupils aware of the fact that the game is the basic activity of childhood, to give them the opportunities to play the games of their parents' childhood, to know and to describe the clothing, to compare and contrast children's clothing of today with those of the past: school uniforms, folk costumes worn on special occasions, everyday clothing, and so on.

Culture And Cooking

       This project was about exchanging information about culinary tradition giving the students involved to opportunity to know people and culture from another country. It was carried out by the 8th A graders and it was conducted in collaboration with a school in Poland. Our students prepared short article on the following topics and posted them on eTwinning: Romanian everyday cuisine - popular dishes, drinks and ingredients, Romanian regional cuisine - different tastes in different part of the country, Romanian hospitality - how do we receive guests and how should one behave during a visit, Romanian sweets and cakes, The Lent, Romanian Easter/Christmas cuisine, Romanian customs and traditions at Easter/Christmas, Celebrating Easter/Christmas. The project ended with a presentation about the culinary tradition of the partner country and a traditional meal.

British Council Connecting Classrooms Projects
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