Farewell dear friends, until we meet again

23/08/2016 18:17:22

The long anticipated holidays are coming soon, when children say goodbye to kindergarten, school, their classmates and friends. Therefore, there came the moment when we had to "Say Farewell" to our friends from Sweden as well. We "Said Hello" for the last time in this school year on Tuesday, June 12^th 2012. Together, we had six most playful months, which brought new discoveries, new knowledge and new real friends. For the moment we shall look back and realize how we enriched our knowledge with new cultures and get to know different lifestyles outside our borders. Our Swedish friends generously opened doors to their kindergarten, which is always full of laughter and joy and showed us, that all, the small and the big, such and others, like to sing, play, draw and colour.

We are pleased to be able to present our beautiful Slovenia to our friends from Sweden, but nevertheless we have also learned a great deal of new things ourselves. Now we all know that the bears lumber about forests in Kočevje, most storks fly in Prekmurje, we can take a boat trip at Lake Bled and that "We are Saying Hello" from Radeče. :)

Children from kindergarten Radeče have specially prepared for each video call, as they presented the beauty of our kindergarten area, our town and of course our country. In a funny, entertaining and playful way, they presented our sights to friends from Sweden and had a lot of fun during the process. Later on, we peeked into their lives as well.

During our last video call, we sang two songs together, which we’ve learned on our amazing journey - If you're Happy" and "The More We Get Together". At the end, we just waved farewell, sent kisses and made a promise to see each other next year.

We’ve all become real travellers, therefore we received special passports, which will keep track of all our journeys.  At the end of each successful journey, we’ll get the stamp of each country we visited. The children particularly like the passport, because it has a special space where each child can draw his or her memory of the country which he or she "Said Hello" to. We treasure special memories of the new friends we’ve made and of the Pippi Longstocking.

A successful completion of the project would not have taken place without the help of many, who have stayed in the background in the past news. These are the people who have, without hesitation, sacrificed their time, knowledge and passion, along with their expertise, to help bringing about the common objective. Thanks go to the teacher Metka Novak, assistant teacher Jerneja Novak and to the Head of the Kindergarten Radeče, Anita Slakonja. To express our gratitude, they received "The honorary recognition for mentorship" and a big "Thank you". The Kindergarten Radeče and the kindergarten from Sweden (The International Preschool AB) each received "The certificate of cooperation in the International project "Say Hello to the World" and the honourable title "The Tolerant Kindergarten", which however, it is not just a title, but the obligation for the kindergarten to construct and maintain tolerance, as a way of life. Kindergartens have pledged to raise multicultural awareness, acceptance of all the customs and traditions, and moreover to influence the wider population, which would help to more tolerant environment. The title actually reflects much more than just tolerance, it reflects the awareness of the acceptance of diversity.

It has been a great privilege for us to cooperate with the Kindergarten Radeče and "Say Hello" to Sweden. Throughout the year of our virtual trips to Sweden and back, our team of the project "Say Hello to the World" also learned something significant; we've discovered that children are full of questions and do not know prejudices and stereotypes. The experience was indescribable, but even more so, it was working with children, who have given us the unforgettable experience.

Tags: International project, Say hello to the world, say hello, Sweden, Slovenia, Tolerant kindergarten, kindergarten Radeče, International Preschool, International preschool AB, Gőteborg