Primary school “Dragan Manchov”, Plovdiv
Project Description:
Students’ age – 7-14 years
Number of students – 543
Number of teachers – 45
The school is located in one building, with 4 floors:
Classrooms – 20
Corridors – 6
Lobbies – 3
Canteen – 1
Sports halls –1
Computer rooms – 2
Topic of the Project
“I love my school”
From the world of fairy tales to the knowledge and riches of Mother Earth. School is the place where every person goes through some of the most important stages of their formation and development. It is where they build the strongest foundations for their life. With this idea in mind, we will renovate the interior and classrooms for our students in the style and spirit of these phases of their personal development. This will be made possible thanks to the “I Love My School” project. The first graders will immerse themselves in the world of fairy tales with the images of their favorite characters, and in their classrooms, smiling letters and numbers will welcome them. Having passed through these wonderful encounters with excitement, the slightly older second, third, and fourth graders will delve even deeper into the vast waters of knowledge and strive for unseen heights and horizons. Their new rooms and corridors will become a fertile environment for their growing thirst for knowledge. And the eldest ones: fifth graders, sixth graders, and seventh graders will learn even more to appreciate the riches and blessings of Mother Earth, with whom they have been nurtured since early childhood. They already know – she gives us life, and we must protect her. In our school, Primary School “Dragan Manov” in the city of Plovdiv, we are gradually transitioning from the world of fairy tales to the realm of knowledge and the wealth of our Earth. This comprehensive transformation is thanks to the “I Love My School” project. Through photo wallpapers in the classrooms, corridors, and foyers, we create a colorful fairyland where children learn, play, interact, and curiously explore the world around them.
The school before the project
Inspiration of the project:
The school is our second home. It’s no secret that an important part of shaping every child’s personality begins with their first school experiences and continues until they complete their education. It is in school where the little ones start accumulating knowledge and impressions about the world in which they live and develop. It’s where they begin forming some of their first and longest-lasting friendships and social contacts, and where they build themselves as individuals, gaining invaluable life experience. School is an essential companion and helper for children in these crucial processes that later shape them into fully-fledged, educated citizens with their own dreams and aspirations. Thanks to the “I Love My School” project, which will primarily replace and refresh the interior of the “Dragan Manchov” Elementary School, we want all our students to feel even more deeply the care and love we, the teachers, have for them. We want to create an even greater sense of comfort for them because the school is their second home, their impregnable fortress of knowledge. That’s why their favorite fairytale characters, smiling letters and numbers, their peers striving for enlightenment and seeking new horizons will adorn the walls. We are convinced that all of this will boost the motivation of our children and encourage them to seize the treasures of knowledge with both hands.
Project Description
First floor – “Fairytale”
Welcome to the world of fairytales! The path of every child begins at school. The first school, the first knowledge – in the first-grade classroom. With what excitement the little first-grader enters it, with what eagerness they want to hear and see the characters from their familiar fairy tales! Thanks to the “I Love My School” project, the walls of the classrooms for the youngest students will be adorned with wallpapers featuring smiling letters and numbers. The rooms will be renovated and will impress the children with images of their favorite fairy tale characters. Sensory aids are crucial for the reception and understanding of new knowledge. They will be greeted by Puss in Boots and Pippi. Immense joy will flow not only from the teacher’s words but also from the images of the prince and Cinderella; they will be caressed by the fairies and Snow White. As they contemplate the images on the walls, the young student will admire the power of the little brother who saved the golden apple from the dragon. They will seek new heights of wisdom revealed by the drawing of the Little Match Girl, they will measure themselves against Geppetto’s kindness, who carved the wonderful Pinocchio. Perhaps they will want to touch even the Ugly Duckling by Andersen, and maybe even add the missing leg to his brave tin soldier. They will forever approach their dreams and the philosophy of the Little Match Girl with childlike wonder. Or perhaps their young eyes will want to see the mischief of Yan Bibiyan again and again. The project, with its colorful beginning, is expected to enrich children’s minds, to enliven students’ daily lives with the magic of strokes and forms. From there, children’s consciousness will embark on the path to aesthetics, perfection, and morality.
Second floor – “Knowledge“
There are few things in this world that cannot be taken from us. One of them is knowledge. This treasure, locked inside us, has shaped and predetermined the fate of people for centuries. Knowledge is a powerful light that is about to illuminate the path of the 3rd and 4th-grade students. And the “I Love My School” project will provide them with the most favorable atmosphere and environment for accumulating this invaluable treasure. Goethe once said, “A person sees as much as they know.” We can agree with this statement because people’s horizons are determined by the depth of their knowledge. The more they know, the more a person understands the world and changes it. It’s no coincidence that in Bulgaria, we have a holiday dedicated to enlightenment and culture – May 24th. As a nation, we have quickly realized that an educated person is less susceptible to manipulation. However, we cannot help but wonder whether the abundance of knowledge has made us better over the years. Are we better than before? Why do so few people succeed in today’s world when knowledge is highly regarded? Perhaps the responsibility that comes with its significance is not for everyone, or acquired knowledge is not always applied properly. Therefore, true knowledge is that which can be applied and used for the benefit of humanity. It is a fact, though, that people often forget and underestimate the achievements of humanity in the field of science. And the path traveled from the Dark Ages to today is not small.
Fourth floor – “Mother Earth”
Let’s protect our planet Earth
Everyone has their place on Earth. Humanity is just a small particle in the infinite universe. It is a spiritual being, a natural creation endowed with reason, which uniquely possesses the privilege to create, build, and co-create. We, as humans, eagerly uncover the secrets of the world around us and explore our planet, which is an amazing and beautiful place to live. And the Earth? It never stops changing, every moment! Priceless, life-giving, inexplicably magical is nature! It bestows upon us its endless riches and asks so little in return. Only that we protect it. This is the message that the students of the high school want to convey through their renovated classrooms as part of the “I Love My School” project. Sun, air, and water… We breathe and exist thanks to this source of life. We should be happy because we are blessed with a true delight for all the senses. How wonderful it is to open your eyes and gaze upon the boundless sea stretching out before you! What bliss it is to run amidst fragrant wildflowers, to hear the song of the birds sound pure and bright, to breathe in the crystal-clear air, and to feel that life courses through your veins! But rivers run dry, sometimes overflowing, restless volcanoes spread lava, and through the depleted ozone layer, the scorching sun caresses us with fiery rays. Mother Nature will continue to watch over us silently. We are a part of her… Let us exist by the laws of the planet Earth! A truly blessed corner of the world! Let us love it, protect it, and preserve it for our children!
Children and Flowers
Creating special corners with flower “cleaners” and herbs in the classroom in the school. The aim is to enrich the air with oxygen and healing aromas. For our children to be healthy and have a quick mind, it is necessary to have clean air in the classroom, saturated with oxygen and fresh fragrances.
Plant a tree – restore the balance in nature
Trees play an important role in preserving life on earth. The more trees and forests there are – the smaller the percentage of global warming, because they extract carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and reduce the greenhouse effect. Their roots significantly reduce the risk of flooding by improving the absorption of rainwater.
For every child in our kindergarten – we plant a tree!
