Savremena International School students had their first outdoor public lesson – the Danube and the Sava rivers cruise.

It was cheerful and noisy at the Danube quay across the Great War Island. Savremena International School students were eagerly waiting with their teachers to get on board and start a two-hour adventure.

Belgrade through the centuries

The students could see Belgrade from a different perspective, especially after the interesting stories of their teachers about Belgrade, the Danube and the Sava, as well as many historical personalities who sailed these rivers. We passed the Horse Island, the River Navy facilities, the Great War Island, the Nebojša Tower, Kalemegdan and the Museum of Contemporary Art.

We learned how Belgrade was evolving through the centuries, why the Horse Island has that name, which birds live at the Great War Island and what is the correct name to call the tower – Nebojša Tower or Nebojša’s Tower.

We were enjoying the view of the Old Town and the New Belgrade bank when the geography teacher, Ivan Matejić, started a knowledge quiz. Questions related to the Sava and the Danube flows were popping out; some answers we knew, and some we pretended to have forgotten.

History teacher and I3 class teacher Sanja Bogdanović was asking questions about World War I history of Belgrade and the participants exhibited competitive spirit and great knowledge.

Finally, the important thing is that everybody spent a wonderful day on the river!

The first sports games at Ada

Enthusiasm, cheering energy and laughter – this is how the Savremena students’ sport day at Ada began.

What did Savremena International School students and teachers do at Ada?

Wearing sports outfits with the Savremena International School emblem, the students and the teachers headed for the sports fields. Everything had already been prepared there: equipment and marked court. The fun could begin. Running in pairs and on one leg; the race of boys carrying girls; ‘’regular’’ running – a lot of fun and cheering, with the great desire of everyone to participate, but even more – to win.

Students vs. Teachers

The second segment of the competition included the game of tug of war. Teams of students competed first and a more challenging competition was prepared for the winner. On one side there were the students, and on the other side – the teachers. The uncertainty lasted for a while, but despite the great effort of the ‘’favoured’’ teachers, the students won. It is obvious that in this discipline, the teachers need to practice some more, if they want a rematch. The goal has been reached; the most important thing is that the barriers between the students and the teachers have been removed, with a lot of laughter and adrenaline-filled fun.

And the winner is …

The third part included team sports. Volleyball, basketball, football… and in the end – the announcement of the winners.

To everybody’s surprise, the Ajzas team won a convincing victory, led by the Serbian Language and Literature teacher Mirjana Vasić Adžić. The winners returned home with medals and the trophy, and with the impression that this is a truly different first school year.

Savremena treasure quest at Kalemegdan

Cruising the Danube and the Sava rivers and the sport day at Ada were only the introductory warm-up for the wildest adventure organised for the Classroom without Walls campaign. It was the quest for the hidden treasure at Kalemegdan – a game of adventure and creation designed to rouse the students both mentally and physically.

Geography teacher Ivan Matejić made a special map of Kalemegdan for this occasion, where key places for finding the hidden treasure were marked, and the Serbian and English language teachers, Mirjana Vasić Adžić and Tamara Koranjić, made verse riddles whose solutions led students from one point on the map to another – and, finally, to the hidden treasure.

When the students arrived at Kalemegdan, the teachers were already at their positions. One, two, three and the adventure begins! Ten teams, ten marks on the map, ten riddles and one winning team. The winning team will be decided by the spatial skill, the speed of thinking, the general knowledge, as well as physical fitness.

Who dares make a mistake?

“Not just a Briar, but a Rose besides, Where Holy Mother of God abides“ was one of the riddles that needed to be solved. ‘’What is it? Is that the church of St. Petka? Oh, no…’’ someone is shouting. ‘’It is Ružica Church … Come on, quickly, hurry up.’’ And another teacher was waiting for them by the church with a new riddle, but before it, the correct answers to three questions from general knowledge are required.

Assistance of the passers-by counted, and when that did not help, there was a humorous task. The teachers were quite inventive so no wonder Savremena International School students were a public attraction. Some danced the tango, some – “Užičko kolo”; some played Ring O’Roses, and some did push-ups.

Fortune favours the resourceful

However, it is fair to say that some were more fortunate than others. One of the most difficult tasks was to state the formula for the acetic acid. One team “managed” to encounter a passer-by – a tourist from England – who was a chemistry teacher. Communication was not an issue, since many Savremena International School students attend English-mediated lessons.

You can imagine how the professional guide, who happened to be at Kalemegdan, felt when a bunch students started asking him general knowledge questions, or when they asked him to help them solve a verse riddle. Of course, he did not want to refuse a group of excited secondary school kids, even though he was busy with tourists from China. Students were so devoted to their tasks that they managed to involve the Chinese in solving them, too.

It doesn’t matter who the winner is when the reward is for all

There is always only one winner. In our case it was a team… and the reward was sweet. The principal Svetlana Belić Malinić was waiting at the finish line and greeting the students. They were exhausted, but satisfied and cheerful as well. When they all gathered together, they collectively went for an ice cream, with the conclusion that it was the best day spent outdoors and a fantastic start of the school year. And that was the point. Everybody at Savremena International School can happily say that the best school year has begun.

Classroom without walls

Under the slogan “Classroom without walls”, the first school week helped the teachers to connect with the students in a different way. The grounds for a good student-teacher relationship have been laid; we are certain that it will yield good results and effective cooperation crowned with success and knowledge.