2021/2022

Start of the 2021/2022 school year, or Welcome to the Festival (15 September 2021)

On Wednesday, 15 September 2021, we got together in the garden to launch the 2021/2022 school year. We are looking forward to all the things we’ll be doing together over the next ten months. This year, we are envisioning our ride through the school year in the spirit of a multigenre culture festival. What’s that mean? One class formed a band, another is practicing a dance performance, and others are writing their own book, shooting a documentary, doing street art, or making art based on Trnka’s The Garden. It’s going to be a really diverse festival. And as one might expect, it will be full of surprises.

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Autumn-ing (November 2021)

Not even Covid can keep us from enjoying a nice autumn morning together. We made a still-life out of pumpkin leaves and took pictures with the kids. And because this is the season when the fish ponds are emptied, our kids also made sure to go fishing. Everyone had a big catch, too – a (plush) zander. The weather even began to play along before lunch. The sun came out and we had great fun all morning long.

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St. Nicholas surprise (6 December 2021)

On the morning of Monday, 6 December 2021, we were visited by St. Nicholas. He came early, when it was still dark, meaning that none of us saw him this year. But he left everybody his greetings and a vitamin-filled surprise. And our colleagues Katka and Pavla provided for a festive atmosphere and something nice to eat. Thank you!

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Semester report cards – quiet and unassuming (31 January 2022)

The atmosphere at school at the end of January – i.e., during report-card time – reflected the state of the coronavirus in the country as a whole. Absences, quarantines, isolation... again and again. And so students were presented their report cards one at a time, depending on when they were at school. No traditional events or ceremonies. It was all very quiet and subdued. We look forward to making up for it in June, when the end-of-year report cards can be presented with a nice, big celebration for all. Even our garden gnome is beginning to feel a bit abandoned!

A week with animals (February 2022)

We love animals, especially domestic ones. And so we spent a week in February visiting them. On Monday, we learned about cows; ours was called Valentýnka. We tried out milking and learned that it isn’t at all easy. On Tuesday, we fed and stroked the Cameroon goats we have in an enclosure in our garden. Wednesday was chicken day: The chickens were only in a picture, but the eggs were real. Thursday was dedicated to pigs, Friday to sheep – unfortunately only paper ones. Throughout the week we sang, recited nursery rhymes, and looked at pictures. We all liked it very much and are looking forward to our next event.

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Carneval (1 March 2022)

Where we celebrated last year’s carneval online, this year, on 1 March, it could be held “live” on our outdoor terrace. After getting an official “stamp of approval,” the morning program could begin. The day was tailor-made for various fun activities. The masked revelers danced and feasted, and there was a fierce fight with a bear (sorry: hippo), which fortunately ended in a draw. And at the end, we buried a bass. Thank you all who participated in our carneval fun.

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Easter art-making (4–8 April 2022)

In order to properly enjoy the pre-Easter atmosphere, we spent all week getting together to make art. On Monday we baked and decorated gingerbread, on Tuesday we wove Easter whips and the autism class made a blue bunny chain. On Wednesday we painted and glued chickens. On Thursday we made ceramic decorations and baked Judas cakes, and on Friday we painted decorative glasses. The whole week was great fun, we all enjoyed making art, and above all we enjoyed being together.

Witches’ Night (29 April 2022)

The end of April is traditionally when we hold our first spring sausage roast. We’re glad that witches exist only in stories and that our interesting morning get-together was a joyful occasion.

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Integration Upside-Down 2022 (April – June 2022)

As part of the Integration Upside-Down project, we were visited by second-graders from the Červený Vrch primary school. A lot of them came – 26 pupils, their teacher, and a teaching assistant. Over the course of three get-togethers from April to June 2022, they learned what a school for kids with disabilities looks like, how we learn, what we enjoy doing, what teaching aids we have, and so on. Among other things, they familiarized themselves with elements of basal stimulation, music therapy, and canine therapy. The get-togethers were organized in such a way that the pupils could experience most of the activities first-hand and also make friends. Led by their teacher, the pupils from Červený Vrch presented a short music performance and made art expressing what they liked most from their visit.

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Garden party (June 2022)

This year’s garden party featured carnival attractions. We had a merry-go-round, a train, and an old Czech shooting gallery. Singer Tereza provided entertainment. Check out our photographs to see how much everyone enjoyed the cozy afternoon atmosphere, each in their own way.

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Full Moon Cafés (2022)

During the school year, we enjoyed several Full Moon Cafés organized for us by a team from the autism classroom. Whenever the weather was good, we met on the outdoor terrace. It’s nice to meet the other children and adults while having a good snack.

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The end of our multigenre festival – report cards (30 June 2022)

We celebrated the end of the school year in grand fashion. Our ride through the school year was fun and interesting, with many shared experiences across the classrooms but also many different ones. One group focused on Trnka’s Garden, another made a photographic book of experiences, another sang and danced. We even got to see a fashion show. As part of our multigenre program, we also said goodbye to our graduates. We’re all looking forward to the summer holidays and hope that they will be healthy, joyful, and filled with adventure.

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