Ιδού ιδού και οι Ξένες Γλώσσες!

Με μεγάλη μας χαρά σας παρουσιάζουμε την ιστορία μας μέσα από τις λέξεις της Ξένου Σουλτάνας (ΠΕ70) και τις γλυκιές πινελιές της Μπαντή Νταλίας (ΠΕ06) που μετέφρασε το κείμενο στην αγγλική γλώσσα για όλα όσα έρχονται με βλέμμα στην Ευρώπη!

History of the 4th Special Primary School of Thessaloniki

The 4th Special Primary School of Thessaloniki is located at the western end of Eastern Thessaloniki and shares premises with four other schools. This school complex hosts the 64th General Primary School, the 30th General High School, the 95th General Kindergarten and the 10th Special Kindergarten. All these schools coexist and share the same building facilities and a common yard.

There are currently 28 students in our school with this number rising to 35 in previous years. Students are aged from 07 to 15 years and have multiple disabilities, mainly cognitive impairment, autism and neurodevelopmental disorders.

The teaching staff of the school consists of the following groups of specialties:

• • six (6) special education teachers, for the six grades (1st-6thPrimary) of the school respectively,

• • Physical Education, Foreign Language (English), Drama and Music instructors specialised in disability

• • special educational staff consisting of Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy specialists, school nurses, Social Workers and Psychologists

• • special support staff which includes one to two specialists who assist students with any routine needs concerning nutrition and personal hygiene.

School facilities consist of five classrooms, a kitchen and two toilets (one for teachers and one for students) all situated on the ground floor of the building complex. The area of one of the classrooms is larger and is used to house two classrooms. It is also occasionally used as the school event hall. In the context of inclusive education and the development of an integration culture. For the additional school needs, five more rooms were provided by the co-located schools:

• • on the second floor, a room for the psychologist and the social worker with two sub-sections, an interview office and the 'Self-Regulatory' room

• • on the first floor, a multipurpose room called 'Polytechnic'

• • on the ground floor, outside the building and in the courtyard, two rooms, a gym and a physiotherapy room

• • in the backyard and behind the closed large gym of the school complex, a small room to house the speech therapist sessions.

The 4th Special Primary School of Thessaloniki has always been considered a pioneer school because it introduced the 'Self-regulation' psychologist room, as a place of 'observation, self-definition and free expression' of students.

Our school has also introduced the 'Polytechnic' room, a multi-activity space in which all students divided into small groups participate in activities pertaining to various art forms, namely visual arts, constructions, handicrafts, body movement, carpentry workshop, etc. The 'Polytechnic' therefore, functions as a vestibule for the preparation of our elder students for their study in the next level of special education, the Special Vocational Education and Training Laboratories (EEEEK).

Furthermore, throughout the academic year, the project of 'Educational Kitchen' is running with a richly equipped, home-like kitchen, in order for students to be trained in autonomy, self-preservation and life development skills.

The school regularly participates in various school activity programs (health education, environmental education and cultural issues) organised by the Directorate of Primary Education of Eastern Thessaloniki. It collaborates with the Department of Special Education of the University of Macedonia, the Psychology Department of Aristotle University and other Greek University institutions. It also collaborates with Thessaloniki museums, namely Lazariston Monastery Museum, the Photography Museum, the State Museum of Contemporary Art and more. Works of its teachers have been presented in Pan-Hellenic conferences as well as in teacher training seminars within the framework of training actions and activities organised by the Primary Education Directorate of Eastern Thessaloniki. In 2016 our school won the 3rd Pan-Hellenic team group award in Visual Arts with the theme 'An Apple a Day Sends the Doctor Away'.

Coexistence Programs

Coexistence programs are jointly carried out with the 64th Primary School , the 30th High School, the 95th General Kindergarten and the 10th Special Kindergarten. These programs are implemented by a joint group of special teachers and special educational staff team members. Within the framework of these programs, joint celebrations as well as animation and entertainment activities of the school human potential are held.

Collaboration with the Parents' Association

Parent groups coordinated by a psychologist and a social worker are held once every fifteen days. In the framework of cooperation with the parents' association, Christmas and Easter bazaars, theatrical performances as well as annual balls have been held at school, further assisting the strengthening of relations between parents, teachers and students.

Teaching Practice Collaboration with University Students

Groups of MA and Bachelor students from the Departments of Psychology and Education intern at our school on a regular basis, participating in all educational programs as well as outings, educational trips, celebrations and extroversion activities.

Groups of volunteer students from Thessaloniki Aristotle University participated in the integration program called 'Neighborhood', which coordinated by the specialties of a psychologist and a social worker, aimed at the smooth transition and inclusion of students to society.