14 Feb Jetlag, joy and sorrow

Dear reader,
This is not the newsletter we had wanted to send out. This past week we have been hit by jet lag, happy stories, and great sadness. The latter is the hardest story to tell, but it would also be strange not to share it, because it will be very important this school year and in the future for all of us.

Let us therefore take it chronologically:

Jetlag and happy stories

Students and staff returned from the many cultural trips this past weekend. The whole school was buzzing with adventurous stories from East to West and North to South, from New Zealand to Nepal, from South Africa to Canada and so on. The students had different jetlag, for some the day was reversed by 12 hours, so morning was evening, and for others it was the other way around. So throughout the week we dropped morning exercise and had a less pressurised schedule.
The students have shared their experiences with each other, they have retold their experiences to each other. Casper and Camilla have already started to put their experiences into words. Together they went on the cultural studies US Roadtrip and in the video below you can hear them tell more about the impressions they got during their trip.

In the near future, more of these videos will appear on our youtube channel and on Facebook, as well as photos from the trips. We look forward to hearing what students think about their experiences and how they have been affected by experiencing new cultures that are in many ways far removed from their own.

Tragic illness led to student's death.

On Sunday we received the sad news that a student had passed away after an operation for a blood clot in the brain. It is the saddest news you can get and it is completely incomprehensible to everyone. We have informed all staff, parents and pupils. We have had professional guidance in facing the grief, and many important conversations have been had, as well as sending many sympathetic thoughts to the pupil's family. This is the first time we have experienced a pupil passing away and there has been great respect from all sides that the focus should be inwards in the community and not outwards in social media. On Monday we held a memorial ceremony for the community and on Thursday we planted a tree for the pupil and on Friday many pupils and staff attend the funeral. This unfortunate and sad experience will become part of the future of all of us and the school.

Thursday to Friday, where students can invite a friend to try after-school life for 24 hours. We promise it will be very different for all students and especially for the guests!

Cultural studies presentation next Sunday.

During the Cultural Studies hours, the focus is on the follow-up of the Cultural Studies trips and preparations for Sunday 24 February, when the Cultural Studies classes invite parents, grandparents and siblings to a Cultural Studies event with dinner from 16-19. Students and teachers will show pictures and films, and talk about the many travel experiences. All Cultural Studies teams will send out a specific invitation to their parent group.
We know that many will be naturally inhibited by the distance to school, but it is also an opportunity for students to practice communicating their experiences before many of them go to their old school, parents' workplace or scout troop to talk about their Cultural Journey and experiences.

Get students out to tell stories at school, in the workplace or in the community.
If you are interested in having a cultural trip, for example to hear about the amazing Coral Restoration project in Costa Riga or Bonaire, please send an email to info@ranumefterskole.dk. We'll be happy to tell you about the world's best classroom on our many cultural tours. Remember that you can also follow and find lots of experiences, films and pictures on the site www.udforskverden.dk

As you can read, it has been a week of many happy and exciting stories; and at the same time perhaps the hardest and saddest week ever at the school. But we have also felt the strength of the afterschool community and together we have become more hardened and resilient.

We conclude this "newsletter" by sharing our loving and condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased student.

On behalf of the students, staff and board
Olav Storm Johannsen
supervisor