Summer School
Summer School
As at the end of every story, the bell always rings, and our summer school has slowly come to an end. What was exceptional this year? Since Spain had one of the strictest quarantines in Europe, planning activities that previously seemed totally out of reach eventually became a reality, and we had to adhere to many regulations. A face mask became our daily equipment, which we could only take off during sports activities. Of course, during the summer school, the measures changed – mandatory wearing of masks on the streets was introduced, and therefore distances no longer mattered. Can you imagine how difficult it is for children to comply with such regulations? Armed with patience, we managed it all! And for whom was this summer school intended? For children and teenagers aged 10-16. All activities took place in Spanish – or Catalan, which was a big change for me personally compared to my previous work, where my primary language was English. Thrown into the deep end after almost three months of quarantine, I had to learn how to swim with new languages. Since they have their own dialect in Menorca, it is clear that it is not very natural for them to use Spanish for communication, but rather their own dialect, or Catalan. It was like learning three languages at once 😀 I must say, quite a challenge.
Most activities took place on the premises of the campsite called Biniparatx – specifically Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. On Mondays and Thursdays, a bus picked us up in Sant Lluís, and on Tuesdays, we traveled there by bicycle. We had a football, basketball, and volleyball court available. Every week, we rotated in groups and changed sports activities. In addition, we had various challenges, games, manual activities, and a knowledge quiz prepared for the children. For manual activities, or what we could also call a creative hands club, we mainly used recyclable material – for example, we made a picnic basket from cardboard with the children; or also created their own book from cardboard. In addition, the children made their own dream catcher, face mask, or anti-stress ball and others. Each of these days, we also had a swimming pool available, where we always spent one hour a day. Moreover, with each of these activities, the children learned how to work in a team.
Every Wednesday, we stayed in Sant Lluís, where we used the premises of a nearby park, where we played various ball games or created a mandala from material found in nature. During these days, we also tried various types of sports, with the help of a professional. Whether it was classic football, badminton, basketball, athletics, or circus tricks – it also included how to maintain balance.
On Fridays, we spent time at the beach, where we played games with the children in the sea, or for two days we even went kayaking and the children could discover places they would not otherwise reach. We always started in Sant Lluís, and then walked to the individual beach.
Activities always took place from 09:00-14:00. Approximately 60 children attended the summer school, and each group had a maximum of 20 children. In each group, there were 3 responsible persons whose task was to ensure the dynamics of the activities and the group itself.