ABOUT THE SCHOOL Norðlingaskóli’s new building was mostly taken into operation during the 2011-12 school year. The improvement in facilities was huge, finally bringing all operations under one roof, with the exception of swimming lessons. The current school year will see students, staff and parents continue to take on the ambitious and exciting task of developing the school even further in our long-awaited new and elegant premises. The school has approximately 480 students. During the 2013-2014 school year the following development projects will be in operation: Open-plan education, Outdoor education in Björnslundur, Tablet computers in adolescent education, Starter literacy and Collaboration between the preschool and primary school in Norðlingaholt. These projects all fit well with the school philosophy, which includes an emphasis on individualized education, as well as using practical and creative means to achieve academic objectives, not to mention moving towards an ever more integrated curriculum. For further information on the school and its philosophy, contact the school office on +354-411-7640 or consult the school
Velcome to norðlingaskóli
The school has received many awards, including: Award from the National Association of Disabled, December 2010. President’s award for achievement in education, May 2009. Mental Health Alliance award for entrepreneurship, autumn 2009. Fréttablaðið national newspaper community award, March 2009. “The Battering Ram” award from the Developmental Disabilities Association, December 2009. “The Life-Egg” award from The Alliance of Parents’ Associations and Parents’ Councils of Elementary Schools in Reykjavík, spring 2009. Reykjavík Department of Youth and Education’s Motivation Award, spring 2008.
the primary school in Norðlingaholt, Reykjavík
norðlingaskóli Telephone: +354-411-7640 e-mail: nordlingaskoli@reykjavik.is Website: http://www.nordlingaskoli.is Norðlingaskóli 2013-2014
A BUDDING SCHOOL
THE SCHOOL philosphy The School Philosophy:
The school bases its work
on the belief that each individual should be given the learning conditions necessary for him or her to grow and develop on his or her own premises, graduating as an independent, strong and – most importantly – happy individual.
That
age groups work together, i.e. that mixed-age grouping is used in teaching, as it improves students’ social skills and enables them to pursue their education at their own pace.
That students’ emotional
wellbeing is important and that each student’s work and learning corresponds to his or her needs, capabilities and strengths. We base our work on individualized instruction and many types of collaborative learning. Arts and crafts play a vital role.
That the school is for all
children in the school district, fully inclusive, that no child is expendable and everyone is welcome.
That school staff is dedicated to teamwork, so that the diversity within the staff benefits the students.
That the school maintains a close relationship with its
community, escpecially focusing on school-parent collaboration, utilizing parents’ expert knowledge of their children in tandem with staff’s expert knowledge of education.
That the school models itself on its cultural and natural environment and promotes a feeling of togetherness and community.
OUR WORKING METHODS
PARENT—TEACHER COLLABORATION
Individualization. We emphasize individualized learning
In Norðlingaskóli it is our opinion that working with our students is a task shared between parents and school staff, because parents are experts on their children and our staff are experts in education. Therefore, we expect parents to have a significant say in their children’s education and aim to maintain the best possible cooperation. Some examples include:
Electives – cooperative learning. In conjunction with
Welcoming day. The first day of each school year takes place in our students’ homes. Members of staff visit families and provide any necessary information, discuss the year ahead, answer any questions and formally invite families to attend the opening ceremony. This arrangement has become very popular with families and staff.
Mixed-age grouping of students. Most instruction happens in groups where grades 1 and 2 are mixed, as are grades 3 and 4, 5 through 7 and 8 through 10.
where every student creates a weekly working schedule to follow. These schedules are drawn up in face-to-face meetings with the supervising teacher. The meetings also serve to monitor whether the previous week’s scheduled work has been completed. weekly scheduling, students work on various elective assignments, often collaborating together. The choice of assignments is designed to increase diversity and flexibility, facilitate independent learning and at the same time enhance teachers’ capacity to tend to each student’s needs. This also creates opportunities for peer teaching among students.
Field of interest. One part of each student’s weekly
schedule is their field of interest project. These projects are chosen by students based on their hobbies or interests and described in a study contract made with the teacher. Often the projects utilize students’ strengths, which is one of our points of emphasis.
Workshops. We place a
special emphasis on arts and crafts and up to a third of students’ working weeks will be devoted to workshop projects. These projects integrate arts and crafts with academic subjects such as science, social studies and environmental studies. Workshops often include increased mixing of age groups.
“Parents as students” Day. These take place twice a year. Parents visit the school where their children take on the role of teachers. This provides parents with an insight into their children’s school work as well as an opportunity to learn about some of their recent projects.
Outdoor
education. From the very beginning, Norðlingaskóli has been developing an outdoor curriculum, which mostly has its base in Björnslundur, a nearby grove. There, all school subjects can be taught and learned out in the open. This often involves innovative learning and teaching methods, as an emphasis on diversity and flexibility is one of the cornerstones of our school philosophy.
The Green Flag. We place emphasis on environmental
learning and awareness and our school is a participant in FEEE – The Green Flag is a certificate of our achievement in promoting environmental awareness and policy.
Teamwork. All staff at Norðlingaskóli work in teams. These include teams responsible for certain age groups, teams devoted to certain areas of curriculum development and so on. Teachers’ remuneration is specified in an agreement known as Protocol 5, which places certain team-based demands on teachers in return for higher salaries.
After school center. Klapparholt is an
after school center for students 6-9 years of age. Klapparholt offers a variety of recreational activities after the traditional school day has come to an end. The school emphasizes on intergrating leisure activites and school work. The director of Klapparholt is Tinni Kári Jóhannesson.
Staff. The school principal is Sif Vígþórsdóttir and the vice-
principal is Aðalbjörg Ingadóttir. School staff during the 201314 school year are 89 in total, most of them full time employees.