08 Oct Newsletter 7 October 2011

Dear reader!
After a fantastic summery weekend, where the Thai students arrived on Saturday, and where more than 300 old students took us back to the previous years, it was a slightly raw and windy week. Our Thai guests got their winter clothes out and experienced that the weather changes a lot in Denmark. During the week, it has been well and truly charged up for the many profile subject expeditions. In the joint assembly, we have focused on how foreigners experience our Danish culture in relation to our guest students, and we have talked about being ambassadors for each other, the school and our country when we travel out into the world. Themes that are absolutely crucial to reflect on in order to lift the profile subject trips from the camp school level. The divers have left for Turkey, where they are completing their Padi-OW programme. And on Saturday, Ranum International Classes are travelling to Yale University College in Wales. The sailors will fly to Nice and sail from Toulon in France. The Adventure team is travelling with the Riding Girls to the Czech Republic. The Thai guest students are travelling with Gastronomy to Copenhagen. And finally, the Imagination teams in Media, Design, Dance and Music are travelling to Berlin.

There have been many exciting preparations for next week: The dancers put on a really great performance, where time, moment and movement flowed together into a smooth performance experience, as the dancers one by one rose from the hall and became part of the collective performance. Adventure was on the last preparation trip and was hardened by both rain and strong winds. The sailing team capsized a large ice floe to test if it was sink-proof, as specified by the Danish Maritime Authority. Fortunately, the boat did not sink even though it was filled with water and 4 very lively students. The big racing boat, Matcher 37, also took to the water and unfortunately it was quite fouled, so that explains why we didn't get first over the line on the last races of the autumn 😉
The Thai students have been working on English language, Danish culture and preparing for their visit to Copenhagen. The RIC classes have made a nice presentation of the afterschool life and themselves to their host families in Wales.

In teaching links have been drawn between the profile objectives and the academic teaching, particularly in the field of science. Likewise, we have planned to start up after the autumn holidays and even though it is now two weeks, the interaction and input from the trips will fill both the academic and personal backpack very well.
Pedagogically, it was a week where for the first time we had to seriously focus on the nuisance that second-hand smoking causes in the community and the importance of lost trust. But after some good conversations and a personal agreement with 3 students, we look forward to a good co-operation. It is quite well charged up on the social side for the upcoming trips, and it is fantastic to feel the mutual helpfulness that has characterised the preparations between both students and students and teachers. It is super nice and affirming for everyone! Monday evening was girls' night in Kærhuset and there was a lot of fun and a common agreement to make room for each other and put their own needs aside for others, as well as support each other across the board. It is a good starting point for dialogue in any later conflicts.

The election for the 2nd profile period is finalised and the results are overwhelming. The students want to go out into the world and far away! We take it as a challenge and find room for about 75 students on the Nepal expedition in 3 smaller travel groups, about 30 to India and about 20 to Ghana, and about 45 to Miami, USA. The Nordic region with both alpine and cross-country skiing will be about 55 students and the European team seems to be only about 6 students, which will probably be the biggest challenge logistically and resource-wise. We are delighted with the great enthusiasm and as Anders Dahl, who is a guest teacher on the India expedition, told us, it is no problem to wash an elephant, you just have to start from one end and keep going... to the other! In the coming week, the tickets for flights and trains are booked and thus the biggest challenge is in place. Unfortunately, this also means that rebooking is not possible / very difficult / expensive. We have all set ourselves big goals and challenges - and it will be a fantastically exciting period until week 2 and 3 in January. The theme is World Citizen and Globalisation, and it has to be said that we are aiming for it in earnest!
More information on vaccinations and profile trips will be available in week 43, and there's plenty of time to catch up!

In the coming week as written, all students and virtually all staff on the profile trips are in full swing. At home, Ib is responsible for communication and dissemination of travel impressions, together with Rasmus in IT. We are also using the two weeks to install district heating in the Seminary House, as well as doing a number of minor refurbishment projects. Jette and Karen will be in the office, so it will also be open until about 3pm each day. During the autumn holidays the school is closed and the office only responds to urgent issues.

Follow us here on News page and find information about the profile trips the following week at Travel - Travel info.

Have a great week and weekend everyone!

Yours sincerely
Olav Storm
supervisor

NB. The Parents' Council and the Student Party Committee have sent a registration form for the student party (outside the school) home with the students. The party will be held on 11.11.2011 and parent volunteers are still needed.