THE FIRST ADVENTURE AT SAVREMENA: UNFORGETTABLE DAY AT ADA CIGANLIJA

Sasa Zdravkovic / / Blog, I-IV, Kombinovani, Nacionalni, V-VIII / September 12, 2019

THE FIRST ADVENTURE AT SAVREMENA: UNFORGETTABLE DAY AT ADA CIGANLIJA

The best school year has barely begun, and students at Primary School Savremena already embarked on their first adventure – on Friday, 6 September, they visited Ada Ciganlija with their teachers and experienced a remarkable adventure!

Camaraderie since day one continues outside the school

After the ceremonious reception and the first day of school, everyone knew children were in for an unforgettable school year, and they got to know each other even better in extracurricular activities – they spent time together outside Savremena, and neither students nor teachers could hide their excitement on this day.

Students wearing t-shirts in Savremena colours gathered round in the schoolyard, and the fun started on the school bus, which the students boarded in pairs, singing and bursting with energy:

“I can’t wait to see what games we are going to play and what new things we will learn! The teacher promised us we would have a magical day like in the movies.”

Children enjoyed themselves playing outdoors

Students in Years 1 through 5 tried their hand at many age-appropriate games carefully designed specifically for them. At Ada, they were greeted by rowing and archery coaches, experienced outdoor guides specialising in navigation and survival in the wilderness, and they immediately embarked on adventures that lasted throughout the day.

Little explorers learnt how to use a compass and a map, and after they tried the zip line for the first time, they confirmed their expectations were met:

I felt like I was flying. I’ve never experienced anything like this before!

From explorers to precise archers – students tested and practiced their precision with plastic balls and a target. Wielding a bow and arrow, one first-grader couldn’t resist saying he always admired Robin Hood.

Since our students were in luck and the day was beautiful, they tried their hand at rowing and camping. Each class had a boat of their own, and each student was given an oar, so joining their forces, they propelled the boat to the opposite shore where they took part in a mini workshop and learnt how to set up a tent, start a fire, what a primus and a prussic are, and what the purpose of knots is.

“This was the best day ever! I can’t wait to repeat it! I learned everything about rowing and water. I love nature!”

Outdoor games for development of cognitive and motor skills

Carefully designed games at Ada allowed the children to spend a fun day, but also to learn something new, and they impacted the development of their cognitive and motor skills.

The orienteering game taught them to use a map and a compass, contributing to the development of a permanent sense of orientation in space. Practicing precision with a bow, arrows and a ball wasn’t limited to target practice. Instead, this game impacted the development of focus and attention, and acquiring these skills is not only significant for learning, but the ability to separate relevant from the irrelevant as well which allows children to only learn things that matter.

The students also tried the Perfect Hit – how to take down an obstacle with as few hits as possible. The children particularly enjoyed this game, the aim of which is to help them predict the right way to solve a task. Thinking about one’s movements and planning them helps children to direct their cognitive resources and develop their skills of planning and goal setting.

The children loved the boats, and learning about rowing and camping is an experience they will remember for a long time. Moreover, skills developed this way include visual scanning and recognition, relevant and applicable in everyday life.

Extracurricular activities at Savremena for stimulating children’s creativity

This is just the beginning of a great school adventure!

Savremena is a “green school”, striving to develop environmental awareness in our students. Our primary school students can expect various surprises and new insights through extracurricular activities every week. Extracurricular activities are carefully designed to stimulate children’s creativity and spirit of exploration. Students are strongly encouraged to develop professionally, to expand their area of interest and acquire knowledge in other areas of personality development.