21 Jun Newsletter 21.6.13

Dear reader!

Ranum Efterskole has been busy with rehearsals in all rooms and we are almost at the end.
Highest team average is currently at English 10th grade with 11.2 in oral and 11 in written. And it's great to hear that most students are doing really well, and it's one of the benefits of level-shared teaching that competition is close across all teams. Perhaps the biggest win is a good grade at the lower academic levels and most have moved on positively!

In between samples a number of activities have been offered every morning and afternoon. Students have surfed, sailed, wakeboarded, gone on an Icelandic horse ride, to the zoo and fishing trip, and played volleyball in a big tournament. In the evening, students wrote memory books and some students made a large year memorial plaque with all the students' names on it.
The community has also been highlighted by the memorial jersey finally being finished and the new college jacket model is clearly a hit!

Visits by friendship school pupils: Several of the students who were in California in January have been visited this week by their American buddies and they have been involved in many activities, and even in some rehearsals. They had a great trip to Copenhagen last weekend and this weekend most of them are home for the weekend with their Danish host student. The American guest students have created a very positive atmosphere in the schools and it is great to be able to speak English 24/7 right up to an oral exam! Unfortunately, they have to return to LA on Tuesday.

Pedagogical we have had a great week with lots of fun and socializing. The students have been good at showing consideration for each other and we have only had one really unfortunate incident where a birthday was celebrated with alcohol and then the "party" continues at home until the end of school. On Thursday evening Ib had to pull aside the pupils who had not chosen a kitchen job on their own initiative, but now there is a neat and tidy plan so that we will also have nice food in the last week.

This past weekend together with 4 former students I was on Bornholm for the Folkemødet to talk about Ranum Efterskole's international work and focus on world citizenship.The 4 students made a very nice presentation all by themselves and got a very positive response. I participated in a panel with the philosopher Peter Kemp, the new dancer Ali Sufi, the director of the high school Carsten Kolby Kristensen. It was a broad debate, which first of all underlined a strong hope and constructive image that young people are super good at world citizenship, as long as they get the opportunity to express it freely! and another point was that world citizenship is also played out locally in encounters with different social groups, for example in ethnic ghettos. The weather was great until the evening, when our tent was totally blown over and the rain forced us on the last ferry back to Ranum during the night.

This weekend there are more than 200 students and lots of fun. Saturday will include RE factor and on Sunday there is of course the St. Hans bonfire in the south garden. The students make witches, speeches and provide a good dinner.

In the coming week the oral exams end on Tuesday. During Tuesday, lancers will be rehearsed and in the afternoon an American football will be played, as well as a water war on the lawn. The weather will largely determine the final days activities, but one thing is for sure, rain or shine, the students will get together and have fun until Saturday morning.

Last year's fearsome heroes!

There are several highlights during the week: Wednesday is a football match between students and teachers (teachers have won 7 out of 8 years). In the evening there is a contact group home visit by the contact group teacher or a joint social outing. Thursday there is a main cleaning in all rooms and areas, which ends with a nice walk together if finished. On Friday we have a big gala party until the early morning. Saturday around 9-11 parents arrive for graduation, where students are handed their certificates, school statements and then there is a last hug and hug. We've had a fantastic year of afterschool with very few bumps in the road and we're certainly not looking forward to saying goodbye.
Most students meet already on Tuesday or Wednesday at the Nibefestivalen, where the Friends of Ranum Efterskole have a big common tent in the middle of the Ranum Efterskole Camp, drop by if you are on the small fat.

Best regards and have a great weekend!

Olav Storm Johannsen
Principal

We handed out more than 100 Globus balls at the annual meeting to raise awareness about World Citizenship and young people. Although popular, they can't compete with free draught beer at the General Assembly - unfortunately.

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