2023/2024
Start of the 2023/2024 school year (11 September 2023)
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Drive Away from School contest! (20–22 September 2023)
As part of the Walk to School campaign, Zahrádka and Zahrada organized a contest called Drive Away from School. The kids and adults split up into three teams to see how many kilometers they could ride on a MotoMed movement therapy device. The pupils rode according to their abilities, the adults with a preset level of difficulty and a five-minute time limit. And how did we do? Altogether, we “traveled” a remarkable 215.15 km. Parents, assistants, and drivers from the Bezba company joined in the fun as well. Thank you all for your athletic input. We’ll probably repeat the event next year, so let’s practice all year round and hope that we’ll make it far...
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The Elements: Earth (13 October 2023)
We decided to make October’s Friday the thirteenth a happy day, and used it to launch or new project, “The Elements.” All the pupils and adults spent a beautiful morning together on the theme of the element EARTH. We used all our senses – sight, hearing, touch, smell, and even taste. We found ourselves in the woods, where it smelled like pine needles and wood and the birds were singing. We could touch various materials – rustling leaves, rugged pine cones, and smooth chestnuts – and could dig through clay, sand, or lentils. We also started a joint work of art that we will add to throughout the entire project. Anyone who wanted to could meditate, relax, or learn something about planet Earth. The whole event concluded with our favorite activity – tasting something yummy. We all made a moss desert whose sweet taste stayed with us long afterwards. Next time, we’ll explore AIR, which will blow us along our shared journey in search of all the four elements.
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Radlická Primary School for the kids of Zahrádka (24 October 2023)
On 24 October 2023, we were visited by a group of kids from grades 2 to 5 at Radlická Primary School, accompanied by two teachers and a teaching assistant. The kids prepared an art and dance program in advance. The main idea behind the visit was for the kids from Zahrádka to be able to join the activities. Both groups gave it their best, and in the end it was a success. During the morning program, the kids made pretty pictures together with an autumn theme and had a great time dancing. The kids worked together nicely. Thank you, Radlická Primary School, for making an interesting idea come true.
Toy trains (7 November 2023)
Another year has passed, and our colleague Robert again put together a morning model train program for the kids. This time, we could get involved more ourselves, including coming up with original station announcements. The rehabilitation team even put together a fun presentation on the subject of how to travel by train. Thank you for a beautiful event.
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St. Martin’s Route (10 November 2023)
On the day before St. Martin’s Day, we could walk along a marked route in the garden on which we encountered sweet surprises. Instead of snowflakes we had raindrops, but it was worth the effort and we all enjoyed the little adventure.
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The Elements: Air (15 November 2023)
The next instalment in our thematic cycle titled The Elements was on the subject of AIR.
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Autumn workshop: Creating with leaves (28 November 2023)
On 28 November 2023, we held an art workshop titled “Autumn Heads.” We took advantage of the fact that there are still leaves on the trees, and so we set out on a trip to the nearby park. Our teacher, Míša, carefully pressed all the leaves we picked. At the workshop, we chose from the pressed leaves and glued them onto sheets of paper, using our imagination to make all kinds of different faces. We can’t wait for the next workshop.
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St. Nicholas breakfast and angels bringing gifts (5 December 2023)
It’s an annual tradition that on this day we are visited by St. Nicholas with his bag of presents. In the morning, our colleagues Katka and Pavla – acting as his official representatives – offered everyone fragrant fruit punch and “devilish” hot dogs. During the morning hours, a group of angels was on hand to bring joy to all who were there. Not only did the angels carry a basket full of treats for all the good children, but they also sang and recited for us. May the holiday spirit stay with everyone until Christmas, just like the snow that fell on Parukářka Park.
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Gingerbread workshop (12 December 2023)
On 12 December 2023, we again held a joint gingerbread-baking session in the Wagon Room. We kneaded the dough, rolled it out, and cut it into various shapes (snowmen, trees, angels, bells, and many others). Then we baked them all, letting the smell of Christmas waft through the whole school.
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Baking for parents (12 December 2023)
Our aromatic day continued on the afternoon of 12 December 2023 with an event for our pupils’ parents and siblings. It’s flu and cold season, so only three families arrived, but they enjoyed the workshop all the more. With Gábina showing the way, they all assembled traditional Linzer cookies and made wonderful coconut treats. The atmosphere was wonderful – thank you, all!
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Pre-Christmas church get-together (13 December 2023)
After a several-year pause, on 13 December 2023 we again organized a pre-Christmas get-together at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Prague 1, where we got to listen to talks by the directors of the Zahrádka Primary School and the Zahrada Integration Center, plus some words from the church’s minister. Music and song was provided by our friends, who have helped to make these gatherings more festive for many years now. In our thoughts, we focused on the coming celebration of the birth of Christ. Our pupils’ siblings shared the light from their candles, thus spreading the light to all. Everybody also received a small gift... And we were once again witness to the miracle of feathers floating down from somewhere on high... The merry and joyous holidays are upon us!
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Theater performance (20 December 2023)
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The Elements: Fire (30 January 2024)
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Climbing wall (January – June 2024)
The idea of treating some of our pupils to an unusual sporting activity had been brewing for a long time. In collaboration with climbing instructor Filip Švejcar, we are now starting a series of visits to a climbing wall in Prague 4. Check out how our little athletes did.
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Semester report cards (31 January 2024)
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Masopust / Carnival (13 February 2024)
This year’s carnival was a great success. Thanks to the mild winter, we could spend it outside with the kids, even though we somewhat missed having a winter atmosphere with snow drifts. Everybody wore great costumes, and we all frolicked, danced, and competed in games... We’re already looking forward to next year!
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St. Valentine’s workshop (14 February 2024)
On St. Valentine’s Day, we held a “hearty” party, meaning an art workshop where we made hearts. Míša, Linda, Jana, and Ondra organized the event, where we worked with templates and tempera paints to create St. Valentine’s Day cards that the kids took home with them.
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Tasting and group cooking (January–February 2024)
This year’s “Fruits, Vegetables, and Milk for Schools” project includes two pleasant educational activities involving a tasting basket from our suppliers. In January, we received two baskets from the Bohušovice Dairy containing sliced cheese, yogurt, curd cheese, skyr, low-fat milk, and flavored milk. All the participating pupils got to taste these products and then joined the adults in using them to make tasty snacks. In February, we got a tasting basket from the Brázda fruit and vegetable supplier – four different kinds of apples. Thank you.
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Easter workshops (March 2024)
This year we once again organized Easter workshops for kids and adults – three workshops were on three days. Kids could make paper hens and a paper sheep on a stick (to be stuck in flowerpots), plus they could decorate paper Easter eggs and learn how to make Easter switches. Thank you to everyone who helped organize the event.
Blue Café (4 April 2024)
World Autism Awareness Day is officially celebrated on 2 April, and we participated in the campaign two days later. All the pupils and teachers from the autism classroom got blue treats. After enjoying blue cake and blue ice cream, they could sow the seeds of blue flower (flax) in a small pot.
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A trip to India (9 April 2024)
Our nice and organized colleagues put together an interesting morning program for children and adults during which we could visit India and get to know the country with all our senses. The greatest draw was the chance to taste Indian curry, which even pupils who are not big eaters were interested in. We watched images from a busy Indian street, tried out sitting in a rickshaw, smelled a variety of typical Eastern spices, and much more.
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Toy trains with Robert (16 April 2024)
Our colleague Robert again made the time and effort to bring his trains to school and to build a model railway. This time, the event featured a moment of humorous train station poetry, plus hot dogs served from the station buffet.
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Witches’ Night bonfire (30 April 2024)
On Tuesday 30 April 2024, we gathered on the terrace the year’s first sausage roast. A couple of witches joined us, but without their brooms.
Making art for Mothers’ Day (7 May 2024)
On Tuesday 7 May 2024, the Vozová (Wagon) classroom hosted a Mother’s Day workshop where pupils cut out hearts from cookie dough and decorated them with different types of icing and sprinkles. Everyone could taste the dough, the icing, and the sprinkles as they worked. Once the hearts were finished, the pupils could take them home and give them to their moms.
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Field trips (May, June 2024)
With the spring weather, we have started to go on field trips – not just one-day outings, but multi-day trips as well. These trips are important for us, among other things because they help us to learn new social skills, and we always come home with new experiences. Check out our photo gallery to see what interesting things we did.
PICTURES part 1
Theater for Boženka and unveiling a portrait of the president
Ondřej and his class put on a play for Boženka and unveiled a picture of the president. It was a fun and festive occasion.
Enjoy the Street! (21 May 2024)
Despite the uncertain and changeable weather, on 21 May 2024 we enjoyed an afternoon of fun and adventure along with the two preschools on our street. The children mainly enjoyed the carnival rides, the zipline across the pond, and a theatre performance, while the adults appreciated the refreshments, a floral workshop, roasting sausages, and watching a live broadcast hockey match. The turnout was high, and the event stretched on into the evening hours. We would like to thank everyone who helped to make sure the festival went down smoothly.
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Outdoor education 2024
From 31 May – 7 June 2024, we all spent time nature in the village of Střelské Hoštice. Someone of us tried out what it’s like to stand directly under the dripping eaves, while others had fun leaving bare footprints after walking through puddles. We went on day trips, took walks, sang, exercised, painted, roasted marshmallows, and much more... We coped with the rain and the sun, and all came home with powerful memories. The kids were great, and all the adults deserve a big thank you.
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The Elements: Water (20 June 2024)
The Elements project came to a conclusion in the next-to-the-last week of June, and naturally we waited until the warm summer weather to explore the theme of WATER. We had lots of activities on the subject of this element, with everybody enjoying and savoring water in their own way.
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VIDEO
Farewell to the 2023/2024 school year (27 June 2024)
The past ten months passed in a flash, and the summer holidays are on the horizon. The school year was diverse, and we experienced a lot. Most of it was happy, joyful, and sweet, but sometimes things were challenging. Perhaps a sour look crossed our faces, and some things were sad or a little bitter, and maybe there were even some salty tears... We said goodbye to three graduates (and their wonderful parents) who are starting a new stage of their lives at other facilities. It hasn’t been an easy year, but we still believe that 2023/2024 has been a good year at Zahrádka. We wish everyone a wonderful summer break and look forward to seeing you all in good health!
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