2022/2023
Start of the 2022/2023 school year (7 September 2022)
On Wednesday 7 September 2022 we all got together in the garden to launch the 2022/2023 school year. Every classroom passed through the ceremonial gate into the new year. And because life is still full of surprises and situations both joyful and difficult, we will ask some mysterious magic to help us through the year. Abracadabra… the entire Zahrádka and Zahrada team wishes you a year of wishes come true.
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Walk to School Week (September 2022)
We held several colorful events as part of this year’s Walk to School Week. For instance, there was “Ride Anything in the Garden,” a safe walk to Vítkov Hill, an event that we called “Parking” (i.e., going to the park), and learning how to read a map of Prague. Check out the photographs to see how much fun we had all week.
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Toy trains (8 November 2022)
“Attention, please. Now arriving on platform one is a local train from Robert Lhota. This train continues on to the Žižkov sightseeing loop.” Many thanks to our colleague Robert for showing us his trains. Now that’s something you don’t get to see every day!
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St. Martin in the morning (11 November 2022)
We always like to celebrate St. Martin’s Day. This year, we got together in the decorated gym, where we made music together, watched a video almost like in a real movie theater, acted out a St. Martin-themed scene, and learned how to make St. Martin’s rolls. Everyone who tasted one will confirm how good they were.
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A visit to Kaňka and then a visit from Kaňka (October and November 2022)
In October 2022, we went on a trip to Tábor – specifically, to the Kaňka Center, which offers educational programs, social services, and leisure-time activities for children, pupils, and young people with disabilities from Tábor and the nearby surroundings. And then, in November 2022 a group of six pupils and four teachers from Kaňka visited us in return. They came from Tábor by train and then by tram, which (as they told us themselves) was a big adventure for them. We welcomed them to our school with refreshments and by singing several songs together. Afterwards, our guests split into two groups and toured most of our school and integration center with great interest. Then we had joint sessions in the music therapy studio and the snoezelen room, followed by lunch. Before they left to catch the tram back, the kids from Kaňka said hi to our two Cameroon goats in the pen in the garden. It was a short but very warm visit and we really look forward to getting together again.
An autumn tale about forest animals (21 November 2022)
We had a great time with the forest animals and even learned something together. Narrating the gripping forest tale were Lenka and Lidka. Due to circumstances, this activity focused on sensory stimulation took place twice.
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Art-making for joy (October and December 2022)
Who doesn’t enjoy making art together on various holiday occasions? The kids and adults from Room III organized a Halloween and a Christmas workshop for the rest of us. At the first one in late October, we made lanterns and carved pumpkins; at the December workshop, we made decorations from cold porcelain. Just making the clay and getting to know its characteristics was fun all on its own. Everyone who came managed to roll out the clay and make decorations, either on their own or with the help of an adult.
St. Nicholas brings gifts (5 December 2022)
When we arrived at school on Monday, we were greeted by two angels who had brought greetings from St. Nicholas, along with a proper Christmas mood.
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A Christmas gingerbread house (9 December 2022)
On Friday 9 December 2022, Mr. Jakub came to present an unconventional performance titled The Christmas Gingerbread House. The story was narrated by a friendly devil who in the end made sure that everything turned out alright. The morning program also included a tasting of gingerbread roof tiles and a sung recipe for the best gingerbread dough in the world.
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Baking Christmas sweets (14 December 2022)
Our colleagues from the auti-team came up with the idea of holding a Christmas-cookie baking workshop for our pupils’ parents. Six families participated in the sweet-smelling afternoon on 14 December 2022. Our teachers showed the moms and kids how to make non-baked Raffaello balls, orange-flavored cookies, honey-cake squares, and chocolate cookies. One perfect addition to the Christmas mood was the strong snowfall outsides, which lent a bit of excitement to the early evening trip home. The boxes of cookies we got to take with us reminded us that all the hard work was worth it.
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Semester report cards (31 January 2023)
We celebrated the end of the first semester in disco fashion. Check out the photographs to see how much fun we had.
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Valentine art-making (14 February 2023)
On St. Valentine’s Day, the school was filled with handmade paper hearts and beautifully decorated gingerbread covered in – what else? – pink icing. Thanks go to Míša and Jana for preparing the event and to all the hard-working participants for spending their time with us. You can never have too much love and smiles.
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Masopust / Carnival (February 2023)
We celebrated Czech carnival – masopust – at school. Children and adults from all classes came to school wearing various fun costumes. The February weather was amenable, and we concluded the day’s program by roasting sausages.
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A colorful, creative Easter week (April 2023)
What all happened at school before Easter? For several days in a row, we held our traditional spring-themed art workshops. We wove Easter whips, baked Judas cakes from leavened dough, made ceramic decorative skewers, and decorated plaster eggs. Thank you all for your help and participation.
Puppet theater (5 April 2023)
Just before the Easter holidays, Mr. Jakub paid us his traditional visit with his traveling puppet theater. The puppets from the fairy tale Animals and Robbers sure looked authentic, and we really enjoyed their story.
Witches’ Night sausage roast (28 April 2023)
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Enjoy the Street! (24 May 2023)
On Wednesday, 24 May 2023, our street – U Zásobní zahrady – was changed beyond recognition as our school, joined by the Integration Center and the two neighboring preschools, organized an afternoon celebration with support from our local town hall. There were movement- and art-related activities, educational activities, and just plain old entertainment, a wheel of fortune, a model railway, an old-fashioned shooting gallery, a train ride, and a chain carousel. Anybody who wanted to could check out our garden, choose from a variety of snacks, and talk with the project planner and coordinator for the Safe Routes to School project. At the end of the day, the kids didn’t want to go home, and we adults left with memories of a wonderful experience of how beautiful it is to safely stroll up and down our street with an ice cream in hand...
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End of the 2022/2023 school year (30 June 2023)
On Friday, 30 June 2023, we celebrated the end of the year by handing out report cards and saying goodbye to all those who won’t be with us at Zahrádka and Zahrada in September. It was a pleasant afternoon, sometimes quite touching but also joyful and relaxed. We wish all our colleagues, our pupils, their siblings, and their parents a beautiful and adventure-filled summer.
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