On May 23, around 700 visitors of two large festivals, for students with special needs and their peers from Slovenia and abroad, attended the seminar in KC Semič. For many years the organizer of both festivals has been Milka Šobar – Nataše Elementary School from Črnomelj.

The international festival of videos, S-Factor 2019, joined 16 elementary schools with a special needs program from Slovenia and abroad. Short music videos featuring pupils with special needs and their peers from kindergartens and elementary schools are a unique way to promote inclusion and to demonstrate the ability and creativity of children with special needs. This year’s videos were seen by more than 30,000 people online and videos from the past seasons have over 80,000 views. You are invited to watch them again, HERE’s the link.

We have invited schools, kindergartens, organizations, and other institutions from ​​Bela Krajina to participate in the Play with me festival, which aims to socialize through play, sports and creativity. 170 children with special needs from different parts of Slovenia and abroad, more than 350 of their peers from Bela Krajina kindergartens and elementary schools, over 100 teachers, educators and volunteers, mentors and other visitors to the festival, were socializing and breaking stereotypes about disabilities in 20 workshops.

Now, we present the visitors impressions gathered by pupils of the 6th and 7th grade as well as a short video from the closing event.

Impressions S-Factor 2019

Video final event

On the link below, you may find your photo if you joined the foto-workshop.

http://url.sio.si/RHQ

On May 23, 2019, more than 700 participants from different parts of Slovenia and abroad gathered in Semič at a final event of the International Video Festival S-Factor 2019, which is for the third time, organized by the Milka Šobar – Nataša Elementary School, Črnomelj. This year, the festival joined 11 Slovenian and 5 foreign schools.

In the morning, pupils with special needs, pupils of regular elementary schools and kindergartens, pensioners and volunteers of all generations have socialized in the 20 creative and sports workshops of the “Play with me” festival.

At the final event of the S-Factor festival, we announced the best videos and awarded special prizes. The winner is Tretja OŠ Slovenj Gradec with the video SONCE ZA VSE – SUN FOR ALL. Special prizes for the most inclusive, the sunniest and most educated video was also awarded. We thank the host, Robert Erjavec, for the unforgettable and heart-warming running of the event.

Sincerely thank you to all the participants, visitors, followers, volunteers, sponsors and donors, who once again proved that you have that S-Factor!

In the preparation and implementation of the festival Play with me, we thank: Sožitje Bela krajina, KUD Božo Račič, Krajinski park Kolpa, Center za krepitev zdravja, Zdravstveni dom Črnomelj, Vrtec Metlika, Osnovna šola Metlika, Varstveno delovni center Črnomelj, enoti Črnomelj in Vinica, Društvo upokojencev Črnomelj, Osnovna šola Loka, Podružnična šola Adlešiči, Osnovna šola Stari trg ob Kolpi, Prostovoljno gasilsko društvo Črnomelj, Klub Belokranjskih študentov, KUD Notarima, TIC Črnomelj, TIC Semič in Kulturni center Semič.

The final event was financially and materially supported by: Marinko Filipović Montagearbeiten, Rotary klub Semič – Bela krajina, A-Sprint Storitve, Prevozi In Trgovina, d.o.o., Kograd gradbeništvo d.o.o., Pangra gradbeništvo in storitve d.o.o., Medic sistemi d.o.o., Kambič laboratorijska oprema d.o.o., Zales proizvodnja in trgovina z lesom in lesnimi izdelki d.o.o. Zapudje, Agm Starešinič d.o.o., Avto Bukovec avtokleparstvo in avtoličarstvo d.o.o., Bar Odeon Cafe, Montaže in ostale storitve Peter Videtič s. p., Colibri servis in trgovina Joh Bojan s.p., Toki proizvodnja in servis d.o.o., Slaščičarna »Metro 2«, Rustemi Ačim, Alfa bar, Boris Šunjerga s.p., Kmetijska Zadruga Metlika Z.O.O., Društvo vinogradnikov Metlika, Janez Stopar, Skupina Don Don, Bar pri Pavliču, Občina Semič, Občina Črnomelj, Klas bar, Monika Mravinec, s.p., Commex Service Group Storitve In Trgovina d.o.o., Veterani Rokometnega kluba Črnomelj.

The “Play with me” and “S-Factor” festival are a part of the activities of the Centre for professional assistance and support for children and youth with special needs and their families, co-financed by the Republic of Slovenia and the European Union and the European Social Fund.

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On Wednesday, May 15th, 2019, our school was visited by Project RISE partners from Italy. After a welcome by the school´s representatives, they took a short tour of the school, tried out a mobile interactive communicator – MIKI and Play attention training system. After that our students prepared a short but wonderful cultural programme. Socializing with our partners continued in the afternoon at RIC Novo mesto, where in groups, we all evaluated the work in the project. Then we all watched a play Dobra vila (The Good Fairy) which was followed by the awarding of the best stories to students who took part in the project and wrote on the fight against discrimination. The prize for the most beautiful story was earned by our student Žana Makovec for the drawing showing the prevention of racial discrimination and encourages friendship. We thank all partners in the RISE project and we hope that we will continue to participate successfully in the future.

On Tuesday, April 23^rd 2019, some pupils of the Milka Šobar-Nataše Elementary School gathered at 8.00 to take a bus to Terme Čatež. There they were warmly received by the staff, which accompanied them to their rooms and to a great lunch. The gloomy weather and rain did not stop the children during the first afternoon ride on the slides. How wonderful!
Besides swimming, on the last day they also went to the long-awaited shopping area where they could buy souvenirs. Shopping has made them very tired, so it was necessary to refresh with delicious ice cream. The students and teachers completed their stay at Terme Čatež with a party on the last evening. 
Full of beautiful impressions and memories they returned to Bela krajina.

Students of Milke Šobar Elementary School have attended a week-long international project Ready to help, together with their teachers. The project took place in Poronin Poland, from 11th till 18th April 2019. In various workshops, we learned many new ways to help people in case of an accident, first aid and at the same time, the children made friends with their peers from Poland and Lithuania. We hope that in the future we will cooperate in similar projects.