The first week of the new school year started joyfully with the traditional activity “Classroom without walls”.

This is one of our oldest activities, dating back as long as Primary School Savremena itself. It involves students spending one of the first days of school in nature, engaging in pre-planned, interesting activities. Past experiences have shown that this is one of the best ways to begin a new school year, as it allows students to get better acquainted with the new and reunite with old school friends through play, nature exploration, sports, or museum visits.

Together with their teachers or class teachers, all students from grades I to VIII spent a day on an excursion, and we used this opportunity to address the topic “Shared joy is a double joy” as suggested by the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technological Development guidelines.

The youngest students, first graders, spent their day at Ada Ciganlija. Ada is most beautiful during this time of year, so the little ones made the most of the nice weather to get to know each other through play and fun. In addition to riding the well-known train, they engaged in a cheerful sack race, tug of war, and various ball games.

The older students, from grades II to V, visited the Center for Fisheries and Applied Hydrobiology “Mali Dunav”. There, on 5.5 hectares of pristine nature along the Danube, they could explore the area and learn new things. The public aquarium within the Center, housing numerous fish species from the Danube and its tributaries, especially caught our students’ attention.

Additionally, they visited the zoo, which featured a large number of waterfowl, a turtle area, a typical fisher’s cabin with an exhibition about fishing, fishing ponds, water areas for boating, a climbing ship, a laboratory, and a library – everything needed for a fun-filled day of bonding and enjoyment. And of course, there were knowledgeable and patient guides who answered all of their questions.

Our sixth graders also spent time on the Danube but in a slightly different way. Sailing on a boat along this magical river allowed them to see their city in a new light – from the water. The boat took them past Belgrade landmarks such as Kalemegdan, Nebojša Tower, the confluence of the Danube and Sava rivers, Zemun, Veliko Ratno Ostrvo (Great War Island), and much more. They could hear a lot of interesting facts about the city, and, once again, the experienced guide patiently addressed all of their questions.

Savremena’s oldest students, seventh and eighth graders, spent their day in sports activities on Avala. The points won in volleyball, basketball, soccer, tennis, and badminton competitions were not as important as the sportsmanship and teamwork. With expert guidance, they also took a stroll on this beautiful Belgrade mountain and learned a lot of new things about it.

In addition to fostering friendship and fun, this was an ideal opportunity for our school staff to get to know their students better and pay attention to their interests and talents, which, in line with Savremena’s approach, will be highly beneficial in providing individualised support to each student. Who knows, maybe the highlight of this year’s activity will be the emergence of a future great historian, diver, biologist, or basketball player among our students.