25 Aug Newsletter 25.8.12

Dear reader,

The introductory course has shown that we have a wonderful group of students who are incredibly diverse and each has something good to offer to after-school life and the community. We experienced this particularly at the Intro Gala Party this weekend, where the theme was colour and the students showed their most colourful side, both at the banquet and at the competitions and entertainment that followed, where EVERYONE was on stage during the evening.

Diversity enriches us and demands openness and inclusiveness. And just as we have seen at the recent Olympic Games, the RE Olympic Games on Saturday were also an entertaining success. All contact groups competed in good sportsmanship against each other in disciplines that challenged cooperation, speed, strength and courage.

Sunday was full of activities at the beach in Rønbjerg, including surfing. SUB-boards, kayaking, and sailing in Matcher37. The weather shone with the students and finally there was time to just relax and have fun. In the evening, all students were guided to get on the school network and learning systems.

On Monday morning, the students had access to their own timetable on the computer and the subject-level classes were started. In the profile subjects, students challenged themselves and enjoyed the good weather.
On Tuesday morning we had a joint run, where we had to measure the school's total running time and average running time on the morning run of about 2 km. And after a good warm-up the students ran the route to the best of their ability, even the slightly injured ones joined in and showed their willingness to participate. We will repeat this event several times during the year and see if we improve overall over the year.

On Wednesday, the Adventure team went on an expedition to Uhrehøje Plantage, where they rode mountain bikes, ran, and enjoyed nature. Others were at Vilsted Lake and had a tough challenge in the headwind. Thursday we started Spanish for beginners, and there are well over 50 interested in this class! Thursday morning we broke off classes an hour before lunch and gathered along the main street to watch the Denmark Round road race come through. It was a RE crowd-pleaser with noise, whistles and cheers on a par with the Tour de France.

In the coming week there's a lot going on in both academic and profile subjects. Students will be involved in the process of shaping the 2nd profile period and many suggestions have already been made. There will also be Love House Evening where the contact groups invite their love groups to visit and host them for a fun evening.

In this extended weekend all the students are home to recharge their batteries and hand in after-school stories, as well as take personal items to their rooms and apartments. When they return on Sunday evening between 6-9pm, they must sign the weekend list for the next weekend. Next weekend there is a town festival in Ranum with various activities including football. Students can join in if they want. The following weekend there is Friends Weekendand students can invite 1-2 friends to visit and experience after-school life. Register at contact/register-your-friends-weekend-d-7-9-sep

We are very pleased to be off to a good start and that the students are generally thriving. A few have had problems with homesickness, but this has been resolved with a phone call and possible visit to the school. Please continue to send parcels and letters, it's a great feeling to hear from the pupils and confirms that they are both happy here and missed at home!

Best regards and have a great weekend. We look forward to seeing everyone back on Sunday!

Olav Storm
supervisor

NB. Tomorrow, Sunday, there will be a tour of the school from 2 to 4 pm.
And if you want to or know someone who wants to come, you can sign up at contact/order-tour