2018
Report from Argentina
Colegio Padre Ramón De La Quintana - Catamarca
After our participation in the 11th Youth Forum Pierre De Coubertin in Estonia, we devoted the first days after our return, to share our experience with the rest of Our School. Most students felt really interested and commented on their wish to be part of a future Forum.
Together with the Commitee Pierre De Coubertin Argentina and Mr Daniel de la Cueva, we worked on and planned different activities that would be carried out during 2018, the year of the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires.
The first activity included a research made by students of 5th year (16-17 years old). This work was about Pierre De Coubertin, The Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games, Ancient and Modern Olympic Games, among others.
To celebrate the Olympic Day we started with the preparation way ahead to guarantee that many students could take part of such an important event. The objective was to create conscience of how big the Olympic Movement is and its impact in every day life and not only in the lives of those who do sports. We needed to enlight our students by establishing the the Olympic movement implies a philosophy of life.
4th Year
15-16 year-old students
Prepared posters about the Olympic Movement.
3rd year
14-15 year-old students
Were in charge of the decorations for the Olympic Day presentation. They had to investigate about symbols and in groups they made some work of Art.
All their work was displayed in the Olympic Day celebration
The Olympic Day
On the 23rd June, we gathered together at school to celebrate THE OLYMPIC DAY.
Students of 4th year displayed their posters along the halls, 3rd year students prepared the yard, 5th year students were in charge of hanging the curtain and all the work they had been carrying out for some weeks. It included quatations from Pierre De Coubertin, some photos, Our School Olympic Flag and so on.
The History of the Olympic Movement
During the celebration, which was conducted by students, we listened to some history of the Olympic Movement in charge of our guest Mr Daniel de la Cueva, President of the Pierre De Coubertin Commitee Argentina.
Judo Exhibition
There was a judo exhibition presented by students and teachers from the YUKAY Institute, our special guests. During the exhibition, Mr De La Cueva explained briefly to the audience what was going on. He described what the athletes were doing and some specific rules of judo. This institution is very prestigious in our city. In fact, one the former participants in the 10th Youth Forum Pierre de Coubertin Tomas Diaz Bollada belongs to this institution.
The Audience is Listening
I spoke to the whole school about our experience in the last Youth Forum and encouraged them enthusistically to get ready for the next one in Macon, France. hoping to be invited.
Choreography Presentation
Students from 3rd, 4th and 5th year presented a choreography which combined music, dancing and gymnastics, prepared by the PE teacher Belen Ahumada.
Gymnastics Presentation
A short gymnastics presentation was in charge of two girls from 2nd year: Bianca Akike and Martina Marchetti
Get Together
After the celebration all the organizers got together with Our Head teachers who supported us to make this activity take place successfully.
A Truly Exciting Atmosphere in Catamarca
With the incoming Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018, there was a truly exciting atmosphere in our city. Catamarca was chosen to be one of the cities in Argentina to carry the Olympic Torch around the main streets. It was lit in our school and was carried by many important and remarkable people in our province. They included sportspeople, singers, teachers, etc.
The Importance of the Olympic Games
There were some lectures during the previous days where all the guests were informed about the history of this symbol and the importance of the Olympic Games for our country.
An Unforgettable and Special Experience
When the Youth Olympic Games started the whole country felt thrilled by such a transcendental event in the history of Argentina, an unforgettable and special experience we went through. Even though the Olympic Games had finished, the sport activities at school continued. The PE Department organised some competitions among our own students and some Catholic Schools in our city: Championships of handball and volleyball.
Classroom Presentation
In my classes (English), we were dealing with sports as a unit of study. Therefore, my 2nd year students divided into groups and prepared a Powerpoint Presentation about a sport they liked the most and they should present it for the rest of the their classmates
Backstage Webinar
Most people watched the Youth Olympic Games and The FIFA World Cup, so our school prepared for these two important sport events worldwide. This meant that our children knew pretty a lot about the participating countries, including Capital cities, language, religion, flags and some customs. After the end of the Youth Olympic Games, teachers were encouraged to participate in this Webinar.
With this webinar, we lernt how the Games had been organised and the backstage of such an event. As a matter of fact, it was a truly successful work on behalf of those who prepared everything. Due to the fact that we live rather far from Buenos Aires, it was Mr Daniel de la Cueva who represented us there.
With this short and concise report we hope to have informed you well. As a school, we enjoyed all the things we lived throughout the year and expect to have achieved all those goals planned and accomplished the mission we have year after year. Personally, I strongly believe that as teachers we have to function as a means to an end, inspiring our students to strengthen themselves and awaken in them the strong urge to improve and evolve. My special thanks to the Head Master and all those teachers who helped me carry out all these activities: PE teachers Belen Ahumada and Agustin Vega and our Head Mistress Lic. Sonia Sarmiento who is always there as a supportive person to me. Last but not least, to Mr Daniel de la Cueva, who helps us all the time and with whom, I find myself very supported. And finally, the real protagonists: Our students, who I say THANKS in capital letters.