Affogati stood out for particular emphasis to VALUES!

Before starting with the activities related to the challenges, the team focused on the analysis of the ICARE values. The teacher led the students in a process of increasing knowledge and awareness of the significance of the values and their implementation:

Integrity, Commitment, Awareness, Responsibility, Empathy.

Every child expressed their opinion and shared with others their perception of these values. They discussed specific situations that happened at school, related to their behaviour and attitudes to their schoolmates, teachers, and people in general. This helped the students to become aware and to embrace the same values.

The result of the work done in the classroom was posted and a new challenge was created: the secret friend. Knowing that each student has their own preferences; their best friend, the more or less sympathetic friend, a child that they just do not get along with, they decided to create a game that would get rid of any negative or hostile attitudes. 

To play the game, pupils pick a name of another student out of a hat, making sure they don't share who they got with anyone else. Everyone takes a note and then becomes the secret friend of another.

The game of the secret friend has been going on since March resulting in the increase of pupils’ enthusiasm, care of others, responsibility, kindness and empathy, encouraging active participation in all school activities. In addition, the most shy or disadvantaged students have become more likely to get involved in teamwork, as their desire to know the others more and let the others know them better has grown. 

In fact, the work done on values through the game of Secret friend has contributed to the personal growth of the students, who, empowered, are facing all the challenges of Water Explorer with participation and enthusiasm in a spirit of cooperation and exchange with all their schoolmates.