Our school ”Hoerup Centralskole”- Denmark
Our school is big. It is spread over 3 buildings. One part is for the 0-3rd classes and here the youngest kids are. Then there is a building where we are. That is called the Middle Group from level 4 - 6. And the last building is for 7th- 9th level and it’s called Secondary School. There are about 600 students in our school.
We have a library. It is a big room where we have a lot of books. There we can borrow books every week as we want to. We have also a dentist. If we have our toothache or something else, we can go there. We can buy sandwiches every day if we haven't food brought from home. It costs 20 Danish crowns - 2 Euro 60 Cents - for a sandwich. We have 3 computer rooms, where we can work with exercises. We can check our mailbox too. All classes have their own class room. In every class room there are 2 computers, which we can use in the lessons if it is necessary. When we have subjects like art, science, music, woodwork, swimming and sport we are in other rooms. For example do we have 2 big sport halls, a biology room, a geography room, 2 music rooms etc. There is a big staff room and some offices too. Our principal is Karen Marie Hougaard.
Our school yard The school yard is huge. The school yard is in three parts. One yard for the youngest kids, one for us in the middle group and one for the eldest students. There are some hills and we have also a little forest. We have a lawn and a maze and three totem poles. The biggest thing is the giraffe swing. We have a swing and a sandpit too. In the school yard we play football as well as other ball games. But if you like sitting for a talk there are some benches you can use for that.
Rules – outside You are not go allowed going on the wrong side of the hill. No bullying. No handy switched on in school. Everyone is invited to take part in the play. Stay outside in the break. We are not allowed to go the other parts of the school yard. Only leave the school grounds with permission.
Rules – inside We are not allowed to chew gum in the classroom. You have to turn in homework on time. No running in the corridor. No talk in the class while teachers are talking. Attend all classes. Have a positive attitude.
Breaks and games In the breaks we play football. Sometimes we play hide-and-seek. But in winter when it´s snow we build snow men and igloos. We are also playing and fighting in the snow. In spring and summer the girls are skipping and the boys are throwing and catching ball. We also play a Danish ball game called”round ball” all together. When it`s raining we are allowed to stay inside the school and play games. We have a lot of games ex. Ludo and Scrabble in our classroom. We are also talking and drawing. When we are inside we have to stay silent! We are not allowed to run around and disturb others!
Subjects Danish: In Danish we read 15-20 minutes in each lesson. Then we do some different things on the blackboard and some writing exercises. We also have individual exercises. Sometimes we write essays. We also talk about literature. Religion:
In religion we learn about stories from the Bible and Churches. We visit our Church 4 times this year to sing and learn Christian songs. We are also talking about human beings and behavior. At the moment we are talking about when Christianity came to Denmark and about Church buildings. When we do learn about the Middle Age we also have to read and talk about church and Christianity at that time.
History: In history we listen to old histories from Denmark. We hear about old Kings, about Wars and about society in the old days and now. In a few weeks we will have something about the Middle Ages. We are going to work in groups with the other students from the 5th level.
Photos from our exhibition of the Middle Ages – April 2010
Mathematics: In mathematics we do sums, minus problems, multiplication-problems and division-problems. We also have to learn geometry, algebra, problems with per cent, learn about fractions, learn how to use a system of co-ordinates and work with probability and chance. Most of the time we do problems in our mathematic books and we write in our exercise books. Sometimes we do mathematics on our computers and sometimes we work on practical problems in the classroom or outside school. Music: In music we sing a lot of Danish songs. They can be describing the four seasons, human life or be children`s songs. We also sing songs in other languages and we sing hymns. Another activity is listening to different kinds of music (classical music, modern popular music, music from different countries). Folk dancing is also an activity. What the pupils like best is playing on different instruments (drums, bas-guitar, keyboard, bongo drums, conga drums, tambourine etc.). The whole class makes a band and plays some popular music. English: In English we read in our mutual English book or in other different English books. We often have to answer questions to the stories, sometimes we say the answers and sometimes we have to write them down. In some lessons we do pair work. That means talking together in English. We get some help from the teacher what we have to say. In English there are grammar-rules and we also practice them by saying them or writing them.
Sometimes we do drama. We have tried to make a play about Robin Hood and about Little Red Riding Hood too.
Timetable 5 b
Jobs in our class In our class we have different kinds of jobs. One student has the job to be a substitute for the student, who isn't at school that day. Some students have jobs as biker guards others have to clean the tables, washbasin and computers. Some of the students have to sweep the corridor and the floor in the class room. Some of the other students have to tidy up the box, and clean the cupboard and make it nice. Everyone in the class has a job to do.
Birthday in school When we are celebrating student’s birthday in the school, we bring healthy things as melon, apple, bananas and may be nuts to the friends in the class. We don't bring cake, because we have a healthy school and cake is unhealthy as well as sweets. But we can bring popcorn because it is corn. When three or four students have had birthday we play a little game in the class together. It could be Town sleeping or Fruit salad.
We have a flag in the class room and the student, who has birthday get it on the table. Sometimes we are singing a birthday song as, Happy Birthday�.
Morning-assembly On Mondays and Fridays pupils from nursery class to 6th class meet in the morning in our assembly hall. We sing a hymn, the headmaster prays the Lord`s Prayer and we sing a children`s song. Sometimes the headmaster gives us a piece of information. There may also be some entertainment. One of our school choirs sing or a class shows a sing a song and play on instruments.
Spring concert Every year in the month of May the music teachers arrange a spring concert. Our two school choirs
sing songs and some of the classes play something from the music lessons. The spring concert takes place in the gymnasium and there are many people in the audience (parents, grandparents, sisters and brothers).
Sports day Every school year the pupils from 2nd to 7th class join a sports day on the last Tuesday in the school year. The classes compete in different ball games that are round ball, M-ball, handball and basketball. It is a great school day for the pupils.
Pupils with special needs. Some pupils are not able to learn as fast as others. Then they can get help from a teacher in a place called the resource centre. Here the pupils get help in different ways, also help from special computers, in small groups with only one teacher, and only three or four pupils at a time. It is only in Danish and maths you can get special help. Here you see some of the working students with special needs. They enjoy their small group and their own place for learning.
Video course In level 5 all classes get a video course, where we are taught in using a camera and making small films. It is very funny, and we are allowed to write our own script. We are divided in smaller groups and we have to work together. After finishing the movie, we show it to the others. The teacher tells us, what is good and what we can do better next time.
Our peace wall In the year 2000 all students at our school made a picture in ceramics which symbolised peace in the world. All sheets of ceramics were put together at a wall – wall of peace 2000! The wall is placed in front of the school. It is very beautiful in green and blue colours like the water around us!