Family Day at the Pécs Community House
On September 21, Saturday, the Pécs 3 and Pécs 1 groups held their back-to-school family day at the Pécs Community House. Both children and adults eagerly awaited this day, which had been scheduled back in June. Following the opening, participants were randomly divided into four groups. Each group received a travel document. First, they chose a group name, and then they began engaging in various activities at different stations to earn signatures.
Four stations awaited the creative participants. At the first station, Edina Nagy, known as Boós Gyuláné, helped team members create felt jewelry. At the second station, everyone could craft their own unique leather bracelet with Gyöngyi Terényi. The third and fourth stations also focused on creativity, as two notable representatives from the creative writing section, Laura Albert and Miléna Szőke Enikő, encouraged the community to write poetry. Our musician team, including Tihamér Szereceán, Noémi Majlát, Ivett Majoros, Antónia Polgár, and Kíra Gálffy, assisted the groups in setting their creations to music and preparing for the presentation.
All four teams successfully obtained the signatures and recognition of the station leaders. After lunch, the family day concluded with the presentation of the performances. It was uplifting to see families escape the weekday grind, and a spirit of creativity took over everyone. After the program, we held our back-to-school parents’ meeting, where we discussed the annual schedule, our goals, and main tasks for the academic year. We spent a meaningful day with the groups and their parents. We could not have realized this successful program without the selfless and exemplary work of our helpers and the university student mentors.
— Andrea Bálint-Orsós, mentor, Pécs 3 group, Luca Borsy, mentor, Pécs 1 group
Life Scenes from Family Day in Gallery
Here’s how we saw it…
“During the family day in Pécs, students and parents had the chance to engage in various creative activities. They formed random groups and moved from station to station. The realization of the program was supported by mentors, volunteers, and university students. At the first station, participants created necklaces using felting techniques. The second location featured leather crafts, where bracelets were made. On the upper floor, teams got a glimpse into the art of songwriting. The muse for the newly formed poets was autumn. Popular themes included stunning landscapes, motifs characteristic of autumn, and the start of school. Some immersed themselves in writing individually, while others worked as a team. Laura Albert and I assisted them with advice or simply by reviewing their poems. However, many also wrote beautiful lyrics independently. I believe we met many talented writers who, with a little practice and more confidence, could gift the world with many beautiful poems. I think there was something unique and noteworthy in everyone’s work. Under the guidance of members from the Csányi Band and the Chamber Orchestra, each team set one poem to music, which the group performed together after lunch. The day ended with a parents’ meeting, which the children also attended.”
— Miléna Szőke Enikő, Pécs 3 group
“I really enjoyed today’s family day. The programs were great, and teamwork was fantastic. Not to mention the atmosphere! Last but not least, I would like to thank the mentors for their good spirits and helpfulness, as well as their attention to the children and adults. I had a wonderful time.”
— Józsefné Kuti, grandparent, Pécs 3 group
“We had a great time at the family day (mother and son). The composition of the groups was decided by a draw, allowing me to meet new people. I found felting the most entertaining. The well-organized day was crowned by the “buffet” available throughout the morning, especially the delicious bean goulash and giant donuts.”
— Hajnalka Mérei, parent, Pécs 3 group
“The family day for the P1 and P3 groups was a wonderful experience for everyone, as participants of all ages found interesting programs. The variety of activities and the craft programs allowed for relaxed conversations among parents, students, and mentors. After enjoying a delicious lunch, we concluded the day with the presentations of the songs created, which we will always remember fondly.”
— Dzsenifer Csernyánszky, university student, Pécs 3 group
“Yesterday’s family day was truly a great day with the Pécs 3 group. At the start of the day, we formed groups with our parents and members from the other group, and we had to collect signatures at each station on our travel document. We learned how to wet felt well to make a necklace. We also let our imaginations run wild when we had to write a poem that could be set to music. Not only did we write it down, but we also sang it and partly learned the lyrics. We could also make a bracelet from leather, which was a really good and interesting task. We could even add leather flowers, although that was a bit more challenging, but I found the task easy. On this day, we gained new knowledge and had great experiences, and we were able to expand our understanding. I really enjoyed this day and hope there will be more like it. Thank you for letting me be there!”
— Réka Benke, Pécs 1 group
“I had a fantastic time on Saturday’s family day. The poetry writing and the performance of the finished poem were a highlight for us, where we presented to the other teams. But even better was when, with the help of Edina néni, we made a beautiful necklace from felt, and with Gyöngyi néni, we crafted a leather bracelet. It wasn’t an easy task, but we managed, just like Mom did! Older team members helped us at the stations. We had a great time!”
— Mira and Violetta Körösi, Pécs 1 group
“I really enjoyed the family day. The mentors prepared various stations for us, which we went through with randomly assigned teammates. We participated at all four stations on our travel document, where we felt, made leather necklaces and bracelets, wrote poetry, and set it to music with young university students and presented it to each other. I was placed in a team with people I didn’t know, but we quickly bonded and completed all the tasks together. We helped each other with the leather crafts and felting tasks, and we wrote our poem together. It was great to get to know the members of the other group and their parents better while creating together— and of course, having a lot of fun! Thank you for letting me be a part of it!”
— Lívia Gyulay, parent, Pécs 1 group
“On Saturday’s family day, everyone—both young and old—arrived excitedly. After a hearty breakfast, we had an orientation where we divided the present Csányi kids and their family members into several groups. During the morning, teams could be creative at four stations: leathercraft, felting, creative writing, and music. The work at the last two stations was significantly interconnected and required some collaboration; the creations from the creative writing station were set to music by the university student mentors at the music station, which the team members learned and presented to each other after lunch. I was fortunate to participate in the creative writing station, and I was particularly pleased with how many honest and beautiful poems were born. I noticed that even those who had never tried poetry writing and had only encountered poetry in literature class really enjoyed the creative process. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this day!”
— Laura Albert, university student, Pécs 1 group
