Something extra

Online charity auction of paintings 7 October 2024

The results of the charity auction are in, and we have great news. All the works were sold and are now on their way to their lucky owners!

Our pupils and clients painted four unique paintings that we submitted to the Everybody Can Be an Artist art contest. An exhibition of all the paintings is being held at Museum Kampa (Konírna exhibition hall, 20 September – 6 October 2024) and will conclude with an online charity auction on 7 October 2024 at 6pm.

If you can think of a place in your home or place of business that would be perfect for hanging a painting, don’t hesitate to participate in the auction at this web address; all you need to do is to register and vote for your chosen painting:

https://livebid.cz/auction/charita_kazdymuzebytumelcem2024

The Elements

The Elements is the result of a collaborative effort on the part of all the school’s pupils. It was made as part of our thematic days organized during the 2023/2024 school year. As the title indicates, the canvas depicts all four elements: earth, air, fire, and water.

https://livebid.cz/auction/charita_kazdymuzebytumelcem2024/detail/87

Pink Dreams

Pink Dreams was painted during sunny weather in the school’s courtyard by girls with Rett Syndrome. The artists used soft sponges and chose pretty colors to match their mood and their beautiful personalities. They had fun and enjoyed each other’s relaxed company while working on the painting.

https://livebid.cz/auction/charita_kazdymuzebytumelcem2024/detail/88

Sibling Layers

This painting was made in stages: each of the sisters used two colors to paint freely, and then the other continued where the first left off. This “dialogue” produced the painting’s four layers.

https://livebid.cz/auction/charita_kazdymuzebytumelcem2024/detail/89

Herb Garden

The painting was created using quite a dynamic technique. They filled with their favorite color and suspended the cups from a string tied to an upside-down table. The paint was thus splattered onto a horizontally laid canvas. A surprising, amazing experience.

https://livebid.cz/auction/charita_kazdymuzebytumelcem2024/detail/90

The full amount collected from each painting’s sale will go to the Zahrádka Primary School and the Zahrada Integration Center so that we can continue to provide services for our pupils and clients.

“Going once… going twice… sold!”

PICTURES

Everybody can be an artist

Two of our pupils – Adriana and Damián – are competing in the “Everybody Can Be an Artist” competition. We’re so proud of you!

https://domov-sulicka.cz/o-nas/clanek/?id=55

POSTER

2023 Prague Teacher of the Year survey

We are glad to announce that a member of our teaching staff has received the 2023 Prague Teacher of the Year award – Tereza Šafránková, who has worked in our autism classroom for more than seventeen years. We would like to thank her for the patience, flexibility, and skill with which she heads her team. The awards ceremony took place in the Brožík Hall at Prague’s Old Town Hall on 15 June 2023 in the presence of the city’s councilor for education, the head of the education department, and other town hall representatives. Besides Terezka, awards were presented to another nineteen teachers from other schools and school facilities funded by the City of Prague.

PICTURES

Afternoon tasting for parents, 24 April 2023

Eight mothers took advantage of our invitation to participate in an Afternoon Tasting for Parents. Participants could choose to relax with reflex therapy and basal stimulation, try out our music therapy studio, test a harmonizing bed, or take a lesson in healthy exercise. As part of the program, we also opened the Full Moon Café, where parents could enjoy a coffee and something sweet while sharing their experiences. Thanks go to Lenka, Lidka, and Bára for looking after the parents, and to the participating mothers for having taken the time to visit us.

PICTURES

Faculty school of Charles University’s Faculty of Education (September 2021)

The Zahrádka Primary School’s long-standing collaboration with the Faculty of Education at Charles University was reconfirmed by the dean’s approval for the school to continue using the title “Faculty School.” After discussions with instructors from the department of special education, we put together a program for students of the departments bachelor’s and master’s degree programs. Let us hope that the epidemic situation will remain favorable, so that we can fulfil our plan. Over the years, we have found that these student visits are generally the first time that they gain first-hand experience teaching children with multiple handicaps or autism spectrum disorder. Future special education teachers are given the opportunity to look behind the curtain at how our school functions. They familiarize themselves with various forms and methods of work, learn specific processes involved in teaching kids with multiple handicaps (with mental handicaps predominating), see how our school is interconnected with the Zahrada Integration Center as a provider of social services, try out their own educational ideas, and test their own patience and creativity.

What the students said of their time at the Zahrádka Primary School:

“I learned many new things about children with multiple handicaps…”

“I got a close-up look at the world of children with severe handicaps and learned that working with them can be beautiful.”

“My practical experience gave me insight into the daily work of teachers and their assistants. I realized that such experience is important for my further education and for my future exercise of this profession.”

“The practical experience showed me new directions and also reinforced why I chose to study this field.”

We would like to use this space to thank Lee Květoňová, head of the special education department, and Jaroslava Zemková, under whose auspices the student visits take place. Further thanks go to Pavlína Šumníková and Miroslava Bartoňová, who teach special education at the faculty and regularly visit us with their students.

Educational event for parents (November 2019)

Our pupils’ parents are great! They asked us to hold at least one lecture or workshop for them. Their wish is our command, and so on the afternoon of 21 November 2019 we had a get-together on an interesting and lively topic: Our ergotherapist colleagues from the Integration Center, Lucka and Eva, put together a program for the parents about how to take care of their bodies so they won’t ache and will remain fit for as long as possible. We would like to thank everyone for coming, and we hope that all mothers and grandmothers looking after their family’s little ones learned some interesting tips and advice for their everyday care!

PICTURES

Enjoying the RADOST (JOY) exhibition (November 2019)

The moment we heard that the traditional RADOST art exhibition was being held, we knew that we would participate. After all, we enjoy making things, so why not? The picture is a joint work by kids from Petra, Oldřiška, and Kačka’s classes. Do you like it? We sure hope they like it in Kolín, too.

Participation in the NAUTIS 2019 conference (October 2019)

On 10 and 11 October 2019, the National Institute for Autism held a conference titled “Autism in Practice.” As in previous years, the conference took an in-depth look at subjects related to the question of people with autism spectrum disorders. This year’s conference was special for our school because we were represented among the many speakers!

Two special education teachers from the Zahrádka Primary School, Tereza Šafránková and Marie Řeháková, put together and presented a talk on “Going to Work with My Education” – i.e., about exchanging your school bags for working clothes and overalls…

As the title of the presentation indicated, the talk focused on the specific working activities of an adolescent young man, a pupil at our school. It featured photographs and video clips in which the conference participants could see how he managed to incorporate the things he learned at school into practical working activities (separating the recycling, self-care skills,

gardening, carrying a “burden,” delivering meals).

Another aim of the talk was to provide inspiration for special education teachers – to show them an example of the possibilities of creative thinking, alternative forms of work, and how to make instruction “attractive” so that it will better reflect the pupils’ age, needs, and interests.

2019 APLAUS Awards (April 2019)

This year, the Zahrádka Primary School received its second nomination for the APLAUS Awards (the first time was in 2017). The competition, organized by the National Autism Institute (NAUTIS), recognizes people and organizations who are engaged in educating the public about autism and helping people with autism. There are three categories: individuals, organizations, and people with autism, and this year, the Zahrádka Primary School and Zahrada Integration Center were named the winning organizations of the 2019 APLAUS Awards.

Many thanks go to Mrs. Kubíková and Honzík, who again nominated us. Congratulations to the team from the autism classroom, who work with our kids with autism lovingly and patiently, but also flexibly and creatively.

The awards ceremony took place on 2 April 2019 at its traditional venue in the courtyard of the Parliament of the Czech Republic under the auspices of MP Vít Kaňkovský and with the participation of NAUTIS’s director Magdalena Thorová and its ambassador Mahulena Bočanová.

Controlling a computer with your eyes

On 25 April, Mr. Tomáš Hrdinka from the Spektra association gave a presentation on the new (Swedish) Tobii computer, which is controlled with the eyes: He spent all day explaining the computer and demonstrating it to us, and also patiently answered questions from parents and teachers – not only technical ones but also those related to possible grants for the computer’s purchase and how to apply ...
More Information

Past and future events

In June we had the rare and wonderful chance to get to know Mrs. Lamminen and her daughter Maruška (pictured), who came with their physical therapist all the way from Finland. The meeting between ...
More Information

Meeting of friends and parents of girls with Rett Syndrome

This was our first meeting after a longer break, and so the participants’ level of interest was all the greater. At first we heard a presentation about the Tobii computer, after which we talked ...
More Information