FOURTH “ANITA SAVATOVIĆ” CREATIVITY FESTIVAL CONCLUDES UNDER THE COLORS OF THE NORTHERN LIGHTS

Under the shimmering colors of the polar lights and white clouds, the fourth “Anita Savatović” Creative Festival of the Catholic Gymnasium concluded with a physics workshop, giving visitors the opportunity to participate in various experiments—from light refraction to smashing candies frozen with dry ice.

PHOTO: Glas Srpske

Every Thursday in November, the General Gymnasium of the Catholic School Center hosted multidisciplinary workshops in biology, sports, dance, pedagogy, psychology, and physics. This Thursday, after demonstrations involving dry ice, magnets, Beyblade toys, lasers, and other materials, a knowledge quiz was organized for children and other guests.

Physics teacher Andreana Kovačević Ćurić told Glas Srpske that preparations for the workshop “A Glimpse Into the Cosmos Through the Magnetic Field” began back in September.

“The display boards were made by students attending elective classes and the school science club, while the experiments were performed by all who had the will and desire to participate. We managed to prepare as many as 16 experiments, each containing additional demonstration elements so that guests, especially children, could get involved,” said Kovačević Ćurić.

According to her, the biggest challenge was creating the visual effects, especially the clouds, which took three days to build and were arranged in a way that made them appear to float in the air.

“My students really enjoy this approach to work, especially when they connect the theoretical and mathematical parts with practical application and realize that what they have learned is not so intimidating. Usually, when the visual side of physics replaces the ‘scary’ mathematical part, the impressions are much more positive,” the teacher added.

She emphasized that even students who generally struggle with physics often grow to like it through activities like these, and they too begin asking to join the school’s science club.

“When they see the creativity and beauty of this field, the fear they have melts away. They are not constrained by grades or assignments, and for some, these workshops become a motivation to put in more effort when it comes to the regular curriculum,” she said.

Kovačević Ćurić expressed pride in her students, who provided immense support throughout the project and worked tirelessly on creating the displays and conducting the experiments.

“We worked in the evenings, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., not during regular school hours. After 14 hours of preparation yesterday, seeing them here today, still motivated, fills me with enormous pride,” the teacher noted.

For her and the rest of the Catholic Gymnasium staff, this festival holds special significance, she explained, as it commemorates their late colleague and mathematics teacher Anita Savatović, after whom the event was named.

School principal Sanja Hajder told Glas that this event is far more than a simple school celebration—it is a center of pedagogical inspiration.

“It is a place where teachers and students jointly affirm that education is not merely the transfer of knowledge, but a transformative process that shapes creative, innovative, self-aware, and socially responsible individuals,” she said.

Hajder expressed gratitude to everyone who enriched the festival, showing through their participation that true teaching goes beyond the classroom and becomes an inspiration that motivates, strengthens, and encourages every child to discover their own creative path.