A poem by Jan Brzechwa was the inspiration for a Saturday treasure hunt in which pupils tried to collect all the days of the week in envelopes.
The week had seven children – let them all gather here!
– Jan Brzechwa, an extract from the poem
The task was far from easy. According to the game's instructions, each of the numbers from 1 to 7 corresponded to one day of the week. The children searched the corridor and the classroom, and the hardest day to find was Sunday, which had cleverly hidden under the chairs and was enjoying a good rest. The treasure hunt helped the children get to know the Polish names of the days of the week, which were the main theme of that Saturday.
It is no coincidence that Sunday chose to rest: the word ‘niedziela’ comes from the expression ‘nie działać’ (‘not to work’), in other words a day free from work. The names of the other days also hold clues – ‘wtorek’ (Tuesday) was once the ‘wtóry’, or second, day, while ‘czwartek’ (Thursday) and ‘piątek’ (Friday) point to the fourth and fifth days of the week. Associations like these help children remember the Polish names, which bear no resemblance to the English ones.
The photos from the day also show bright scratch-art pictures – colourful parrots, among other things, appeared on a black background – as well as pupils reading illustrated texts and writing in their exercise books. There was plenty of movement, joy and fun together, and a little learning along the way.
