We desire, imagine, dream, plan… We do this in order to one day put our ideas into action… Unfortunately, oftentimes something gets in our way.

We at Primary School Savremena are still having a great time! Regardless of the situation in the country and the world, we’re sticking together. True, instead of going to school, we’re learning online at home. True, instead of hanging out with our classmates in the classroom, the schoolyard or the canteen, we’re communicating via telephone and computer. And true, at first, it was a bit unusual to watch the teachers using the DL Platform. But it has been fun.

INSPIRING SAVREMENA’S STUDENTS

In order not to lose the whispering in the hallways during recess, and in order to feel the school atmosphere even while sitting at home (we hope everyone is at home), we have introduced a new segment entitled “Savremena at Your Home”, in which we will post the feedback received from the students, parents and teachers in this situation… We’re starting with the principal’s fairy tale for a good morning. Read it carefully.

THE PRINCIPAL’S FAIRY TALE FOR A GOOD MORNING

Once upon a time, there lived the evil Corona, who froze the world… She had a wonderful name and an evil power…

This is how the story begins… One thinks of the Sun, a crown and joy, but no – it’s a virus… A virus that separates people… Prevents them from hugging and kissing each other… Such an evil thing!

When we were kids, the elders told us bedtime stories in which good conquers evil. Who will defeat Corona, we still don’t know… But it will be defeated. It’s just a matter of time.
The empty classrooms are sad and achingly silent without the children’s laughter and song… This is what it’s like for us who are doing all that we can to maintain some kind of contact, to provide a flow of information, and fill the sad void so that we can move forward once the world awakens…

And at home… There’s too much spare time… Day one, day two… And it’s already difficult… unbearable…

When on the second day of this sudden holiday the smiling face of the Year 1 teacher appeared on the screen, the joy was such that one could scream, sing or write a poem… Such was the reaction of Primary School Savremena’s students according to their parents… And then, the other smiling faces of the teachers appeared in front of the camera, bringing the atmosphere of the classroom, the school, unity, friendship and the joy of learning to the students’ homes… In altered circumstances, but with even stronger smiles and words…

Other children watched educational programmes and nice stories on the television… they listened to lectures given by teachers they didn’t know. However, our students are LUCKY to be able to watch and listen to their teachers every day; those who they had spent hours, days, weeks and months with, until Corona separated us… This is invaluable!

Every day, at any time, our students can address their teachers in various ways… They can watch each other, listen to each other, exchange tasks, questions or problems… This creates a sense of togetherness in everyone, despite being physically apart. They know that they’re there for each other when times are tough and when it seems that we have questions no one knows the answer to. In moments like these, a well-known smile can wipe out the worries, and support and nice words from someone we trust unreservedly can erase any anxiety and uneasiness.

And the homework is flowing faster than ever before… Even the sleepy-heads are up early to watch the live classes, some of them in their school uniforms🙂 ; the smart students are looking for new projects to do in groups from their homes… We’ve seen an array of students’ paintings, essays, the books they are reading… No, the school is not closed, because a school is not a building; it’s the teachers and students, bound by incredible bonds wherever they are!

Spring is here… It’s calm, as it is before a storm… But, whatever happens tomorrow, what we do today remains… And if everything comes to a halt, we will be bursting with life! As long as we have a thirst for knowledge and love in our hearts…

And Corona will become a story… It will pass, as everything passes… We will remember what we did when times were the hardest… And, as always, beauty will save the world… The beauty of a teacher’s smile… A force that conquers evil and a new fairy tale for a good morning!

Jasmina Franolić, principal of Primary School Savremena
20 March 2020

While we’re waiting for you to share your impressions, let’s remind ourselves how creative our students are. Year 5 students Vanja, Katarina and Lena L. wrote a poem about what they would be like as teachers. Well done!