This is the first year that an institution from Serbia has participated in this competition. We are very happy to welcome Elementary school Vera Blagojević!

As part of this joint project, three teachers participated: Mirjana Mihok, Snežana Cvetinović, and
Dragana Vesić, with their classes I3, II3, and III3.

Dear all,
Since I wasn’t sure whether the story referred to the written tale or to the steps of the implementation process related to observing, researching, and photographing clouds, I am submitting both.

With my students, I analyzed different types of clouds and how they are formed through a PowerPoint presentation, as well as through an experiment conducted in the classroom that demonstrated cloud formation. After that, the students worked in groups, gluing cotton onto blue paper that represented the sky, in order to recreate some of the cloud layers (stratus, cumulus, and cirrus clouds).

Finally, we created a story in which one of the characters was a cloud, and the students illustrated the story.

On the first day of school, a boy named Kumi could hardly hide his excitement. He could not wait to reach the schoolyard and see his friends again. As he happily walked along the path, he looked up at the sky and saw a cloud shape that amazed him — it looked like a sleeping child.
“How can someone sleep on such a beautiful day?” he wondered with a smile.

However, that cloud was no ordinary cloud. It was Kumi’s secret friend.
During recess, when Kumi stepped out into the schoolyard, the sun was blazing hot, and soon he was sweating. Just at that moment, his cloud-friend gently floated over and shielded the sun’s rays, creating a cool shade just for Kumi.

From that day on, the cloud was always there for him.
Whenever Kumi wished to make mud pies, a soft drizzle would start falling from the sky, as if by magic, and he would craft the most wonderful mud treats in the entire schoolyard.
When the class learned about rainbows, Kumi’s cloud would team up with the sun, and a magnificent, colorful arc would soon appear on the horizon.

Kumi’s curiosity about clouds grew day by day.
Every evening, he would read stories and scientific articles about different types of clouds, jotting down interesting facts and sketching their shapes in his notebook.
He especially loved cumulus clouds – white, fluffy clouds that looked like cotton balls and, in his eyes, had the most beautiful shapes.

Years passed, but Kumi’s love for clouds never faded.
He became a famous painter whose cloud-themed artworks adorned galleries all around the world.
His paintings of cumulus clouds were full of tenderness, imagination, and dreams — as if each painting captured a piece of his childhood, a time when he had a secret friend floating high above, always ready to brighten his day.

And even though he had grown up, every time Kumi looked up at the sky, he knew — his faithful Cumulus was still watching over him.

Article written by: Mirjana Mihok