----- Original Message ----- From: laurie ornstein - laurenmadeline@xxxxxxxxx Subject: ORT El Hoashallah School meets German teen delegation Hi All, I'd like to share with you the wonderful morning we all had at ORT El Hoashallah School. This Negev Bedouin school hosted a German teen delegation and their teachers and spent a few hours getting to know each other. And all of this was in English! Teachers Adham Zoabi and Amira Bsul, from El Hoashallah School, prepared an engaging program. Adham chose excellent activities he learned in a summer program, "Creating a Culture of Peace in the English Language Classroom". These led to meaningful dialogue between the 2 groups who soon realized, that although they came from very different cultures, they all shared similar dreams and had a lot in common. All had dreams of becoming doctors, musicians, lawyers, athletes and more. Both German and Bedouin pupils had climbed mountains, knew people who spoke at least 5 languages, had been to a parade, etc. Amira prepared a power point presentation focusing on the unrecognized villages, an understandably sensitive issue. Pupils from the 10th, 11th and 12th grades spoke about the situation and also the process of becoming recognized villages. El Hoashallah School is in a village now part of Abu Basma Regional Council of recognized Bedouin villages. A paved road from the highway leads to the new school buildings hooked up to the electric grid. These have replaced the old caravans. However, residents still live in tin homes and get electricity from generators only. This will change soon as building plans are approved. The pupils and teachers all had a chance to speak with each other in small groups, ask questions and exchange emails. Although the Bedouin pupils do not have Internet connections at home, the school has an updated computer room, a window to the world! Hopefully, a delegation of El Hoashallah pupils will have a similar opportunity to travel to Germany and meet their newly-made friends there. It was a very heart-warming time spent together. Laurie ----------------------------------------------- ** Etni homepage - http://www.etni.org or - http://www.etni.org.il ** ** for help - ask@xxxxxxxx ** ** to post to this list - etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ** -----------------------------------------------