YAY, AUTUMN IS HERE

Just like every year, summer was far too short this time as well. But we made the most of it.
We are slowly wrapping up the third week of school. You know what they say: Thursday is “little Friday.” By the end of the week, things start to calm down a bit and we’re all a little more relaxed. And then—suddenly—we wake up. 😅

Our “little Friday” began with morning exercise. You all know the saying: “A healthy mind in a healthy body.” Balloon activities are not the easiest, but our students took the challenge seriously and it turned out to be great fun.

The next few hours were filled with autumn adventures. Yes, you read that right—we explored autumn, which officially begins on September 22nd. These activities took place as part of the Erasmus+ CLENA project: Including children with special needs in raising awareness of climate change and a sustainable environment.

The teachers made sure that a piece of autumn found its way onto our tables. Our students could smell, taste, and touch autumn. Sensory perception is extremely important for our students, as it awakens different senses. Along the way, we had a lot of fun and learned many new things.

Together with the students, we took a “walk” through the forest, touched and smelled bark, felt the fern and even tickled ourselves with it. Hazel leaves reminded us of hazelnuts, which squirrels love so much. We were all brave enough to touch the spiky chestnut burrs. We also talked about all the different ways chestnuts can be used.

We got to know walnut leaves and fruits, compared the branches of apple and walnut trees, and decided which leaves were bigger and which smaller. The task was not exactly easy, but the students managed it successfully.

From the forest, we went over to the flower bed to admire the beautiful hydrangea blossoms, which at this time of year are changing color and preparing for their “winter sleep.” We also got to know pampas grass. We discovered that it is soft and pleasant to touch, but its leaves are sharp, so you have to be careful handling it.

Our path then took us to the fields, where we admired pumpkins and corn cobs. In our minds we were cooking pumpkin soup and making popcorn. Of course, it won’t stay only in our imagination—cooking and popcorn-making are waiting for us in the coming days. Yet another reason for us to gather together, enjoy each other’s company, and have a great time.

Urška and Katja, teachers