SHROVETIDE - „Fašiangy“ (Michael Ďurišin, Slovakia)

For several years already, there has been at our school one day off from learning and the day is when the students are getting their half year school reports and it’s called „FAŠIANGY“ or just „Carnival“. For all the Slovaks who také themselves as christians it is the period from Epiphany until the midnight before the Ash Wednesday and those days have always been connected with balls, parties, lot of food, fun, traditions and so on. Especialy in villages. The carnival at our business academy is for every class from 1st graders to 3rd graders (teachers too). The first thing we should think of is to find out a theme to dress up for example as sheppards, gangsters, wedding hosts, cowboys and cowgirls, farmers etc. They have to decorate their class and prepare a short funny skit and perform it for the teachers and school mates in the gym (as it is the biggest room we have in our premises). At the end of the day Mrs. Keményová (who runs and also set the base of this day) reports the winners for the best theme, the best decoration and the best dressed teacher.  Winners get some candies and a feeling that they are the best J. Everybody usually has a good time and after that students go to the pub or restaurant to have a pizza or something. It’s a good idea to carry out the day this way because students don’t think about grades and reports, just they have a good time.

Part 2 - Lucia Tiščenkovová, Slovakia

The day of „creatures“ at school...

On the 2th of February we always have a day of creatures at the school. Everybody looks forward to this day because they do not study. This day, students and teachers are wearing strange costumes and they classroom is being decorated according the theme they have chosen to work out. This year there were doctor´s, hippies, devils and angels, and a wedding ceremony and rappers.  When they finish the decoration thing, everybody comes to the gym where every class introduces their own mask and play a gag. Then the music is turned on loudly and the students and teachers in masks are dancing and singing just to have a fun, waiting for “the awards” on running the theme. When the whole fun is finished we go back to the classes and the class teacher gives the students their school reports. The school day is over then and some students go home or some students go to sit somewhere to the club or restaurant for a nice chat. We love this day ´cause it makes us happy.