More than 150 PTPI members from all over the world gathered in Las Vegas during the weekend of September 3-5, 2009 for the Americas Regional Meeting, including Adela. Adela participates in PTPI’s School and Classroom Program with her students in Romania, and was honored for her community service project during the 2009 awards ceremony.
1. Adela, you came all the way from Romania—we are so glad you could be here! Tell us how you came to be involved with PTPI.
I actually found an advertisement on the internet for PTPI’s School & Classroom program, so I applied and here I am! My classroom has now been in the program for two years and I am going on my third. My first year I was matched with Greece, Lithuania and Oklahoma in the United States. Last year I was matched with (U.S. countries) Pennsylvania and Oklahoma. I will get to continue my matches with Pennsylvania and Oklahoma for this coming year. I love my exchanges and my classroom does too. We do all sorts of things such as exchanging photos, letters, coins, and even sweets. We had a sweets-tasting contest where they voted on the best candy. They were surprised about the taste of some of the candies.
I’m curious: Which one won?
Coconut candy!
2. Congratulations on being honored with PTPI’s Community Service Project Award! Paige told me that you developed a fantastic community service project for your class. How did you come up with the idea for the project? What did the project involve?
Mary Eisenhower presents Adela and Laura with PTPI's Community Service Project Award
Thank you so much. I must tell you that the award goes to my school, Cristesti Secondary School. It was an all school project and involved everyone. We organized several projects such as going to a school for children with disabilities. Like the one we went to for this conference, Opportunity Village. We’ve been doing this for two years, every month. We visit with the people and do songs and plays. We love going there. I believe it’s important for our students to see others in a different way. You can’t be the same after these experiences.
Another project we do is for Earth Day each year in April. We organize a community clean up and all work together, even the mayor comes, to plant trees and clean up around the school.
Our third major project is helping to recognize retired teachers in the village. We help give presents around Christmas-time, along with the principal and the mayor, to let the teachers know we care.
3. Who traveled with you to Las Vegas? Will you visit anywhere else in the US while you are here?
My co-teacher, Laura Matyas, traveled with me. We are so excited because after this conference we will travel to Oklahoma to visit our classroom match. We will be there through the 13th of September. We can’t wait to meet them in person! We know we will be very happy afterwards.
4. Have you met any new PTPI friends since you arrived?
We have met so many wonderful people. It feels like a family. They are all very kind; very nice. And I like so much that we are people working together for PTPI all over the world.
