VISITORS FROM ITALY AT BRIGHT HIGH

Bright Horizons is a cool primary school, but Bright High, our secondary school, is also gaining popularity quickly! Bright Horizons Secondary School has been host to a group of high-school students from Italy. We have asked them to answer a few questions about this experience and they were kind enough to answer our questions and even sent us some photos.

First we asked their teachers to tell us something about their visit to Croatia.

1. Could you tell us a bit more about your school? Where do you come from, how many teachers and pupils have arrived to visit Bright Horizons Secondary School, etc.?

   
   

   Several schools from Umbria participated in the Erasmus Plus project in Zagreb. The project's founding school is Frezzi High School in Foligno, and students from various Umbrian schools participated: Properzio High School in Assisi, Mazzatinti High School in Gubbio, Angeloni High School of Terni, Pieralli High School of Perugia, Plinio il Giovane High School of Cittá di Castello, Gandhi High School of Narni, Campus da Vinci High School of Umbertide, Sansi Leonardi Volta High School of Spoleto. Eleven students from all over Umbria participated in the project, living in Zagreb for a month and participating in the school life of Bright Horizons Secondary School. Three professors accompanied them on the outward journey and two professors came to pick them up for the return to Italy.

   
   

2. What is the main purpose of your visit to Croatia?

   
   

   The reason why Croatia was chosen as the destination for the Erasmus Plus project was because the students wanted a longer-term experience and a school where only English was spoken. Furthermore, the beauty of the Croatian capital drew them to this choice.

   
   

3. How similar or different are your school and Bright Horizons?

   
   

   Compared to Bright Horizons school, Italian schools have different subjects because in Italy each high school has its own core subjects. Italian students don't have specific exam periods, but oral and written tests are taken daily, year-round. In Italy, students are entitled to two 10 minute breaks during the morning. Furthermore, they don't have spaces reserved for them, whereas in this school, students have a classroom all to themselves. School generally ends before lunch, whereas here classes continue after lunch. There are no elective subjects in Italy; all students must take all subjects.

   
   

4. What surprised you about our school, Zagreb and Croatia? Is there anything you didn’t expect?

   
   

   The Bright Horizons school certainly has a different approach than ours, and this amazed us, and we learned a lot by observing how the other teachers and students work. The city is very beautiful, so it was pleasant to stay here.

   
   

5. What will be some of your favourite memories from this visit?

   
   

   We will remember the beautiful city and the wonderful experience we had with our students. It was very interesting to see how other schools work, especially a small school like Bright Horizons.

We would like to thank the teachers for taking time out of their very busy schedules to answer our questions before going back to Italy.

Then we asked their pupils a few questions, too. Let's see what they had to say.

1. When you hear the word Croatia, what are the first things or people that come to your mind?

   
   

   When we hear the word Croatia, the first things that come to mind are the crystal-clear sea of Dalmatia, the wonderful islands and historic cities like Dubrovnik and Split. We also think of unspoilt nature, national parks like Plitvice Lakes, and a culture rich in traditions. Before leaving, Croatia seemed to us mostly a summer destination, but arriving in Zagreb we discovered a completely different dimension, more urban and cultural, which we didn't expect.

2. What did you expect to see and learn by coming to Zagreb?

   
   

   Coming to Zagreb, we expected to learn more about Central European history and discover how our Croatian peers live. We hoped to improve our English by speaking it every day in a real context. We also wanted to understand how a different school system works and compare our daily habits. In some ways our expectations were confirmed, but many things surprised us positively, especially the liveliness of the city and the kindness of the people.

   
   

3. Have you learnt any Croatian words? 

   
   

   Yes, we have learned some Croatian words during this month! The first ones we learned were hvala (thank you), molim (please/you're welcome) and dobar dan (good day). We also learned prijatelj, which means friend, and lijepo, which means beautiful. It is not an easy language for us Italians, especially when it comes to pronunciation and declensions, but we did our best and the locals really appreciated every time we tried to speak their language.

   
   

4. How did you spend your time here? Walk us through a typical day - where did you stay, what did you do, where did you eat, what did you do for fun?

   
   

   A typical day started in the morning with breakfast together, often with local products, and then we headed to school where we followed lessons until early afternoon. In the afternoon we had free time which we often spent exploring Zagreb's neighbourhoods, such as Gornji Grad or the Dolac market. In the evening we had dinner together in small restaurants where we tried typical Croatian dishes such as štrukli and ćevapi. At the weekend we organised trips outside the city or simply strolled through the city's parks.

   
   

5. How does this school differ from your regular school?

   
   

   We noticed a much more informal atmosphere in the relationships between students and teachers, with a more open and direct dialogue. Classes seem more collaborative, with frequent group work and a lot of active participation. The timetables and organisation of subjects are also different compared to back home. In general, we perceived a more practical approach to learning, less based on memorisation and more oriented towards critical thinking.

   
   

6. Did you go on any field trips, visit any museums or go out in the evenings?

   
   

   Yes, during our stay we had the opportunity to visit several interesting places. Among the museums, the one that impressed us the most was the Museum of Broken Relationships, unique in its kind and very moving. We also visited Zagreb Cathedral and walked through the old town. In the evenings we often went out to the Tkalčićeva street area, full of bars and venues, where we socialised with local students and experienced the city's nightlife in an authentic way.

   
   

7. If you had to make a list of five favourite memories from your stay here, what would make the list?

   
   

   If we had to choose five favourite memories, we would say: first, the first night walk through the centre of Zagreb, when we realised how beautiful the city truly was. Second, the visit to Dolac market, where we tasted fresh local produce. Third, the evenings spent with Croatian students who made us feel truly at home. Fourth, the trip outside the city which allowed us to see Croatian nature up close. Fifth, spending Easter and Easter Monday here all together — it was a wonderful and unexpected experience: we all sat around the table, ate, laughed and celebrated as if we were a family, far from home but never alone.

8. Is there anything you’d like to say to your hosts - the pupils from Bright Horizons?

   
   

   We would like to say a huge thank you to all the students of Bright Horizons for the extraordinary welcome they gave us. Thanks to you, this month has been much more than just a school experience: it has become a memory we will carry with us for the rest of our lives. You made everything easier with your kindness, your willingness to help and your desire to share your culture with us. We truly hope to see each other again soon, perhaps in Italy, and to keep alive this friendship born between different cultures but with so much in common

On behalf of everyone in our community, and especially all the Bright High pupils and teachers, thank you very much for your answers. We hope you remember this time in Zagreb as a great experience! Have a safe trip back and see you again some time!