Slovakia
Slovakia
Monday
This morning began symbolically – with the traditional welcome of bread and salt, which created a pleasant and friendly atmosphere. In the background, folk music performed by our talented students added to the charm. The program continued with presentations about our country and school, during which we showed our guests what makes us unique. Our skilled students also contributed to the entertainment with wonderful performances. After a short refreshment break, we split into two groups. One took part in "ice-breaking activities" – fun games to get to know each other – while the other moved to a workshop where, as part of the "From Waste to Wonder" activity, we created original products from recycled materials. After a delicious lunch, we continued with an adventure called "About and Around Quest – Discover Lokca," which tested both team spirit and quick thinking. Group number 2 performed the best and deservedly earned the title of winner! At the end of the day, we went home tired but happy and full of impresssions.
(Mariana Badárová, Sára Dudášiková, 9.B)
Tuesday
This morning began with a presentation about LEGO robots, featuring our talented students – the very ones who represented our school all the way in distant Houston. Their experiences and stories from the international competition inspired and motivated us all to continue exploring the world of robotics. After the presentation, we divided into three groups and got involved in exciting workshops. One group programmed robots, another created original digital books using the StoryJumper app, and the third finished their creative products from Monday – everyone found something they enjoyed. After a tasty lunch, a bus took us to Klin, where we visited the famous local attraction – Rio de Klin, the Orava version of the world-famous statue of Christ. The weather was cloudy, so the views weren't as nice, but the short walk to the statue still tested our fitness. To end the day, we headed to Edy's Ranch, where we learned many interesting facts about horses and how to take care of them. And the best part? Everyone got the chance to try horse riding! After this wonderful experience, we were welcomed inside with homemade apple strudel and warm tea – a sweet reward after a day full of activitvities was truly a day we'll remember for a long time.
(Milada Naništová, 8.B and Diana Kršková, 8.A)
Wednesday
Today, we dedicated our day to exploring the culture and history of our region – Orava. We split into two groups to discover the many sides of its richness. The first group visited Zuberec, where they learned in the open-air museum how people used to live in Orava – they saw traditional wooden houses, farming tools, and the crafts of our ancestors. Meanwhile, the second group set out to the Brestovská Cave, where they admired the mysterious underground world full of stalactites and breathtaking corners. After these experiences, a delicious lunch awaited us, giving us energy for the next adventure – a visit to our beautiful Orava Castle. Its mysterious chambers and the breathtaking view from the tower were the perfect ending to our trip. Tired but full of impressions, we returned home in the afternoon, where another program with our host families awaited us.
(Liliana Kotúľová and Mária Krivačková, 9.A)
Thursday
The end of the week is fast approaching, but we made the most of today. We had a variety of creative activities that helped us take away not only new knowledge but also wonderful experiences from this week. The morning was dedicated to a robotics workshop, where we programmed robots and learned how technology is changing the world around us. In another workshop, we worked in the StoryJumper program – each group created its own digital book titled "Our Week in Lokca." Today also brought something completely different – a creative workshop aboutblueprint printing (modrotlač). The instructor introduced us to the history of this beautiful traditional technique, and under her guidance, we tried for ourselves how our ancestors once decorated their clothes. In the evening, we moved to the cultural center, where the folklore group Lokčan welcomed us. We taught our partners to sing "Kukulienka" and dance a simple traditional dance. Encouraged by the dancing, we continued with a lively disco, where everyone had a great time.
(Elly Wijnenová 8.A and Karolína Lipničanová 8.B)
Friday
Although today's plans changed because of the weather, the day was still full of new knowledge and interesting activities. In the morning, we all met in the common classroom, from where we moved on to an educational lecture about animal protection and the importance of animals for nature. We learned why every animal is important and how we can take care of their safety and environment. We paid the most attention to three inhabitants of our forests – the brown bear, the grey wolf, and the Eurasian lynx. Afterwards, we took part in a fun activity where we described these animals, wrote down their characteristics, and talked about what they look like and what they eat. It was a great combination of learning and creativity. After the activities, we held a small ceremony to present certificates to the foreign students and teachers who spent a week full of experiences with us. For lunch, we had a delicious goulash, which we had originally planned to eat at Jarovisko, but instead enjoyed right at school – and it tasted fantastic. After lunch, everyone went home, where a family program and some well-deserved rest awaited us after such a full and exciting day.
(Hugo Maslan and Denis Tomčík, 9.B)
Feedback
Slovakia
The whole week was great, even though we had to study during some lessons. The good thing was that we didn't have much to catch up on afterwards.
There were lots of trips and activities. On Tuesday, we had workshops and then visited Rio de Klin. On Wednesday, we went on a full-day trip to the cave and the museum. On Thursday, we had more workshops and in the evening a farewell party, and on Friday we had workshops again. (Mariana Badárová, 9.B)
This year's mobility in Slovakia was really great. The Spanish girl who came was very nice, and we got along really well. The food part was a bit more difficult because she had celiac disease, but she really liked our food and never turned up her nose at anything we served. She enjoyed her stay so much that she even cried when leaving. If I could experience it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing. (Ester Maťugová, 9.B)
Italy
This week was quite challenging, not only because I was hosting two Italians, but also because of the language barrier. For them, it was a big shock due to the temperature difference — they were often late and always in no hurry. However, they really liked bryndzové halušky, which was a surprise, and they also enjoyed korbáčiky (traditional cheese strings). (Pietro, 9.B)