Spring Celebration and Activities - Making Martenitsa

The first of March in Bulgaria is a special day. People make or buy matenitsi some days before that day and give their family and friends as a small gift.

The classical "martenitsa" is made out of red and white weaved threads. Sometimes it ends are made into tassels from the same yarn. Usually the tassels are decorated with blue beads, small golden coins or colorful threads.

 Bulgarians believe that they will be healthy during the whole year if they wear "martenitsa" in March.

People wear martenitsa for a certain period of time. Usually the end of the period is connected with the first signs of the coming spring - blossomed trees, meeting of the first spring birds like storks, swallows or cranes. Then people remove their martenitsa and tie them to a blossomed fruit tree. 

Students from "Pencho Slaveikov" school made a lot of martenitsa this year and offered them at the school bazaar. With the money they intend to buy more things for school and improve the environment.

Some more about volunteering

http://www.kent.gov.uk/community_and_living/volunteering/what_is_volunteering.aspx
http://helpguide.org/life/volunteer_opportunities_benefits_volunteering.htm
http://answers.yourdictionary.com/history/society/why-is-volunteering-important.html
http://kidshealth.org/teen/school_jobs/jobs/volunteering.html

Can posters change our life?

 Loesje is simultaneously a worldwide collective of people who want to make the world a more
positive, creative place and a girl from the Netherlands. Local Loesje groups write and spread
posters all over the world, signed by the girl Loesje, with texts about everything that happens in
society. Loesje texts are mostly positive and funny, and at the same time critical, aiming to
stimulate the viewers to see things from new perspectives, and take action in their own lives.
During our Workshop the participants take part in a creative group process of making short texts
(one-liners) by a special creative text writing method that Loesje has developed. No previous
experience is needed and all participants can include topics they would like the group to write
about. It is a fun and inspiring activity!

 http://www.loesje.org/

Let's make posters about volunteering!

Честита баба Марта!

Guide to Iasi

http://www.bestis.ro/summer11/survival.pdf

ACES Project Meeting in Sofia,09-12.01.2012

 From 09 till 12 January 2012 students and teachers from  ”Alecu Russo” Schoo,l Iasi, Romania participated in an ACES project meeting  and joint project activities on the topic ‘Talents and abilities in the service of communities” at "Pencho Slaveikov " School  in Sofia.
The aim of the meeting was to participate together in project activities, to learn more about each other, to show the products , to evaluate the project results and to discuss about the new activities, included in the project.
    For three days ACES partners were together and worked with students from grades 6,7,8 and 9. They talked about and compared their education systems, talked about volunteering and reasons for participating in voluntary activities. They also participated in workshops and made objects for the next bazaar, because they want to raise more money for children in need. Some primary students and their music teacher  played the piano some famous Bulgarian songs and dances. In the computer room all the participants looked at the project blog and  listened to the three songs, which were chosen to be learned by the ACES students from the partner countries, They had a meeting at the local municipality. At school they also watched a film about children in need in Bulgaria and discussed about the project results and the next steps and activities in the project.
In the late afternoon the ACES students and teachers visited some churches in the center of Sofia and enjoyed the nice winter weather.