2014
Edition
Published by The Oystercatcher June 2014 Editors and texts: Anna Ă…sund, Amalie Ausland, Pietro Poggiali, Madeline Delelienne, Thea SĂŚterdal and Emalie Dam Photo credits: Amalie Ausland, Emalie Dam, Ingrid Bringe, Jasmine Tan
Layout, editing and design: Jasmine Tan
Dearest First Years, Congratulations and welcome to our crazy, fantastic and colourful family at RCN! You will soon come to love the little “Flekke bubble” we all call home! Before that happens, you are probably a little confused about what comes next or want to get to know the college a little better. We know; we (your Second Years) went through the same thing a year ago. For many of us, it was weird to answer questions about the school from friends and family when we had never been there ourselves. That is why we made this booklet: “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Flekke”. So now you can see what the school is like from the perspective of a student. We hope that this booklet will serve as a guide for you to understand the school better and to prepare for what’s ahead. We know that it might be hard to leave your family and friends and live in a foreign place, but we promise that you will be taken care of. Us Second Years will always be there for you and help you with all you need.
So don’t worry, you will soon be settled in this strange new country of snow and fiskekake. Now, all you need to do is relax, celebrate and enjoy your summer and as much sunshine as possible before you come here. We cannot wait to meet you and welcome you to your new home away from home. Yours sincerely, ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Flekke’ Team
Don’t panic!
It might seem a bit overwhelming right now, with W4 confusing you (“What are all those documents for?!”), VISA, choosing subjects and a whole lot of other things. Don’t worry – it’s going to work out just fine!
Just look at these guys! Nothing to worry about at all
VISA This is probably the only thing that can cause you actual problems. Apply for a VISA as soon as possible. If you don’t understand anything, ask someone – Your National Committee, your Second Year or anyone else who might know what’s going on.
Good to know for Nordics: You don’t need a VISA to move to Norway.
College Documents There’s a lot of documents on W4 to confuse you. Keep track of the most important things, and you’ll be fine. Make sure to bring Deposit Money (around ~2100 Norwegian Kroners) and of course your passport and travelling documents. Subjects Check through what subjects there are and think about what might be interesting, then don’t think about it until August. Once you’re here, there will be plenty of time to decide on subjects so there’s no need to worry about it yet. EACs EACs are Extra-Academic Commitments. They change from year to year, so really there’s no point in deciding on them yet. Again, there will be plenty of time to decide once you arrive at the school. Weather It rains a whole lot here, so bring a rain coat! It’s also fairly cold during the winter, so warm sweaters are nice. We do also have a fair bit of sun, and even if you don’t have that much warm clothes our second years left a lot (!!) and there will be plenty of opportunities to get some warm clothes and jackets, don’t worry.
By Amalie AUSLAND When you arrive, it may be late at night and quite confusing, but luckily you will be embraced by the four people you will share a room with for the year ahead – Your roommates, or Roomies as we say. They are the same sex as you and are a mixture of Second Years and First Years. It may be a big change for most of you but don’t worry, after a while you will soon become a family! Every room has their own bathroom and you will have your own bed, desk, chair and cupboard. You will also live in a House with 40 other people, with whom you share a living room (we call it Dayroom). There are 5 Houses – Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Iceland – and you will have a House Mentor that takes care of the wellbeing of everyone in your House. You will also have Advisors that will guide you in different aspects of college life.
Student Village, with the 4 different residential houses.
Room Dinners!
Emalie Dam One of the most special feature of RCN is its beautiful location in remote Western Norway. Because of the rural location of the school, the mountains surrounding it and the strong sense of community present, RCN is often referred to as the ‘Flekke Bubble’. Despite this, there are plenty of opportunities to meet the local Norwegians and enjoy the beautiful nature around! Here are some of the nearby surroundings, which will make you a bit more familiar with the options both on and off campus.
ON CAMPUS
Haugland Centre: A rehabilitation center with Norwegians from all over the county. The students have permission to use the pool, gym and TSK (training facility) at certain times and there are many opportunities for students to interact with the patients. Heggness: An old farmhouse a good hike away from the college. Students usually go there during the weekends and stay overnight with a teacher or the trained Heggness leaders (students). Lavvo: A lavvo is a traditional Sami housing (the Samis are the indigenous population of Norway). There is a wooden replica of this particular building one to two hours hike away from the school. You can go there alone; just ask for the key in the outdoor department. Jarstadheia and other hiking paths: Jarstadheia is the mountain right behind the college. It is something you ought to do at least once in your two years! On the top, there is a beautiful view over Dale (the nearest town) and the surrounding mountains. Other paths are marked around the college with various lengths, steepness and locations. These are easily accessible and well-marked.
OFF CAMPUS Flekke: The closest village (3 km) with around 200 people. There is a small grocery store where you can buy the most necessary things, but nothing more. The trip there is beautiful and many students enjoy it by walking, running or cycling there.
Dale: It takes around 20 minutes by bus to reach Dale. There are a bit more shopping opportunities: Two grocery stores, a café, a bank, doctor’s office and even bookstore. A free school bus goes there every Monday and Friday, where students can come along and buy what they can’t find in Flekke. Førde: Førde has 10,000 citizens. It is one hour by bus from the college and there are many more opportunities for shopping. There are no school busses to Førde, but students can go by public (albeit expensive) transport. Most of the school’s host families live in Førde.
By Amalie AUSLAND
THURSDAY SATURDAY 07:00-08:55 Breakfast 11:00 Brunch 08:00-09:10 Math 12:00 Study 15:00 Walk to Flekke 09:10-09:35 Cookie Break 09:35-10:45 Global Politics 17:30 Dinner 20:00 Lifeguarding Duty 10:55-12:05 Visual Arts 21:00 Watch a movie 12:05-12:50 Lunch Break 23:00 Hang out in the Dayroom 12:50-14:00 English before going to bed 14:00 End of Class 14:10-16:00 Leirskule Activity 17:30-18:00 Student Shop Duty 17:30-19:00 Dinner 19:00-19:45 Do Homework 19:45 Connect Time (with Advisor) 23:00 Sleep
ACADEMICS By Madeline Delelienne and Pietro Poggiali
THE IB PROGRAMME RCN is a IB school, which means we study to get the International Baccalaureate Diploma after 2 years. This programme is internationally recognized for encouraging respect, intercultural understanding, openmindedness, critical thinking and allowing a good preparation in all fields of human knowledge. It requires the students to choose 6 subjects (three at Higher Level and three at Standard Level), each from a different group, as follows: GROUP 1 (LANGUAGE A): English: Literature or English Language and Literature Scandinavian Literature: Spanish, Norwegian, Danish or Swedish Self-taught Language: You can study Literature in your Mother Language, and the course lasts only one year (you take your IB exams at the end of your first year) GROUP 2 (LANGUAGE ACQUISITION) English B: To improve your level of English Ab Initio (For complete beginners): Chinese (Mandarin), Norwegian (Nynorsk) or Spanish
GROUP 3 (INDIVIDUALS AND SOCIETY) History Philosophy Economics Geography (Development Studies) Global Politics Environmental Systems and Societies (also part of Group 4)
GROUP 4 (SCIENCES) Biology Physics Chemistry Environmental Systems and Societies (also part of group 3) GROUP 5 (MATHEMATICS) Math Standard or Higher Level Math Studies: Focused on real-life application of Math, like Statistics GROUP 6 (ARTS) Visual Arts Theatre or another subject from Group 1,2,3 or 4
NORWEGIAN COMMUNICATION (NON-IB) A three-month course of basic Norwegian, compulsory for everyone but Nordics (who already understand Norwegian) and Norwegian ab initio students. THEORY OF KNOWLEDE (TOK) A course that only commences the second half of the first year. TOK is aimed at reflecting on how we create knowledge, how we establish truth and how to be a critical thinker.
EXTRAACADEMIC COMMITMENTS EACs EACs are afternoon or weekend activities. You sign up for 2-4 and then you stick with them for a couple of months. There are all kinds of activities to choose from – Creative, Service and Active, and apart from having to sign up for at least one Active EAC you are free to pick whichever you’d like the most. If you can imagine one that isn’t there yet, you are also free to create your own. Leirskule Leirskule (in Norwegian “Camp School”) is a week of outdoor life and activities in nature that Norwegian schoolchildren are supposed to do. One of the places in Norway that offers such a service is our school, and the leaders of the activities (rock climbing, kayaking, archery, etc.) are the students (us!). So in the second part of your first year you’ll start doing this service once a week. It’s a great occasion to engage with kids, enjoy the nature and become an expert in a new activity.
Gym and Pool The rehabilitation center in Haugland, our neighbour, has a swimming pool and a gym (that we call TSK) that in certain times are open to students. Although it’s not the most well-equipped, TSK is good enough for most students, especially since it’s free of charge for students. Nordic Studies Nordic Studies are weekly sessions during the afternoon organized for the students to learn more about Norwegian and Nordic culture (music, literature, history, etc.). They’ll be happening in the second part of the first year. If you are Nordic or a part of certain Nordic-themed EACs (like Mottak), you might also be asked to take part as an organiser of one the sessions.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Emalie Dam
During the year, there will be some special events which might be good to know about. They either happen on campus or off campus depending on the activity, length etc. Project-Based Learning (PBL) Weeks PBL week is where the teaching happens outside classrooms. We have two PBL Weeks in a year, one in each term. Students can choose whichever activity they want for the first PBL week and the two activities in second year; however, the second PBL in second term is devoted to Model United Nations (MUN) and the First Aid Course – Everyone must undergo these two activities. Global Concerns (GC) GC days are themed days spread out over the two academic years. There are two per year (one per term) and the students plan them themselves in cooperation with the teachers. The topics are in line with the three RCN pillars: Nordic, Humanitarian, Environmental and the last is the choice of the students.
Shows There will be many shows during the school year, some of them to mention are: The Holi show, continental shows (next term is Asian!) and the Parents’ Show. These shows allow the students to share their talents and cultures in a very informal and entertaining way. Ski week One of the greatest events of the year. For a week, all First Years will go off skiing together. Everyone will learn how to ski (if they do not already know) as this is one of the most important parts of Norwegian culture. This is a great way of bonding with your year group and getting to know other people. The place and setting is different every year, but one thing remains the same – The fun and great memories!
YOUR RCN SURVIVAL KIT Here are some recommendations of things to bring to school for you to be well-prepared and have a good time, like these guys here!
For School: Backpack Dictionary for your own language Translation dictionary between your language and English Pens and pencils
Clothing (If unable to bring all of them, it’s alright – You can get some for free in the Clothing Store, left behind by our Second Years): Rubber boots Umbrella Warm winter clothing (eg. mittens, scarves, thick sweaters) Formal clothing or national costume Comfortable everyday clothes and shoes A LOT of socks Underwear Swimming gear Pyjamas Slippers/house shoes Sports gear (eg. running shoes, hiking boots, football shorts) Personal Hygiene Toothbrush and toothpaste Soap and shampoo Deodorant At least 2 towels and a washcloth Razors/shavers and shaving cream Wax
Personal living: Alarm clock Ear plugs Over-the-counter medication (for light illnesses like colds and coughs) Prescription drugs (if you have a medical condition) Moisturizer and lip balm Cap and sunglasses Extra pair of glasses or extra contact lenses Religious texts Sunblock (it gets sunny in around May) Hairdryer (if you need one) Laptop (if you have one) Chargers (for all electronic devices you may have) Batteries Plug adapters
YOUR RCN DICTIONARY
By Madeline Delelienne
A-BUILDING: Big yellow building in the middle, with Humanities, Language, Art and Math classrooms. This is also where the Swedish Classroom is and birthdays will take place sometimes. ADMIN: The building between Kantina (the Cafeteria) and Haugland, where the teachers have their offices. You collect any packages from home here and Barbara sits in the reception. ADVISOR: Your personal member of staff – Generally a teacher who is assigned to look after a group of approximately 10 students from your house. You have your own Advisor Group and meetings every second week. CAS: Creative, Active and Service. Doing different activities for the IB and writing reflections about them. COLLEGE MEETING: Every second Tuesday, meetings will be held in the Auditorium, led by the Rector, Larry. CLOTHING STORE: Store located on the end of Denmark House. Second hand clothes left by the past generations will be given away and on one occasion, sold for charity.
DODGEBALL: Come join us every Saturday after dinner for a great ball game in the gym! Rules will be explained. EAC: Extra Academic Commitment. Different activities taking place after classes, for example SOS Children’s Villages, LEAF (Living Environment and Future) or Friday Ball Games. E BUILDING: The blue building at the end of the blocks, where all the Sciences and English B classes are taught. EE: Extended Essay. A research essay you write for IB. FLEKKESHOP: A small ‘Joker’ store 3 km away from campus where you get foods and other necessities. FLEKKE FASHION: New campus fashion, you will grow to love it! FRIDAY CAFÉ: Café held in the Hoegh (nearly) every Friday. Great opportunity to socialise. GAMMELDANS: Traditional Norwegian folk dance. Possibility to try it out on Thursday evenings. HAUGLAND: Rehabilitation centre next to the school. Many interactions with the centre patients are available. HOST FAMILY: All of you will have the opportunity to apply for a host family. Unfortunately, not everyone will get one, but don’t worry the host family programme is bigger than ever! The host families are regular Norwegian families, who open up their homes to you and live in the area around the college.
HOUSE-MENTOR: The person in charge of the House you live in. IB: International Baccalaureate. The course you will be studying for the next 2 years (Hope you knew that! ď Š). JARSTADHEIA: Mountain. Nice 3 hours hike. (TO DO!) KANTINA: Big red building where we eat! The cafeteria. K-BUILDING: The yellow building in front of Kantina, containing K2 – a big classroom for Student Council meetings, gatherings and Norwegian for beginners. LEIRSKULE: Camp School in which the second-years have activities for Norwegian kids staying in campus for a week. LAVVO: Funky wooden cabin 45 minutess away from campus by hiking and kayaking. It is possible to sleep over. MOTTAK: Refugee Centre in Forde. EAC available for visiting. You will get the opportunity to meet them on campus for various events. MUN: Model United Nations. For 3 days you will be in a simulation of the UN. More information will come during the next term. PBL: Project Based Learning. 2 weeks in the year where you will choose an activity to do. Great fun! RCN-ALUMNI: A graduated student from RCN.
SILENT HOUSE: A perfect place for relaxation, meditation and religious activities. Located not far away from the ball rink. SNIKKARBUA: Cosy small house on the way to the Island. Belongs to Haugland but open for us to study and have nice tea times. STUDENT COUNCIL: Meetings on Sunday at 4.30pm. Everybody is welcome to participate and have your concerns will be heard. STUDENT SHOP: Shop run by students during dinner time. Get ready to see Harry Potter’s trolley in real life! STUDENT VILLAGE: Consists of all the five student houses, House Mentor’s houses and UTC. TSK: A gym in Haugland where you can work out at certain hours. TOK: Theory of Knowledge. An IB subject starting in the middle of first year. TEACHER’S HILL: The area behind Student Village where Rector Larry and the teachers live. UTC: Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The red house in the middle of Student Village where you can wash your clothes. W4: The Internet platform where you can check your timetable, the school calendar, housemates and important messages from school. Year: You new peeps will be First Years and we will be your Second Years. Your future First Years are for now Zero Years, while our Second Years will be your Third Years.
THE THINGS I LOVE ABOUT RCN THINGS I LOVE ABOUT RCN. HAVE YOU EVER FALLEN IN LOVE WITH A SCHOOL? ME NEITHER. RCN IS NOT JUST A SCHOOL, IT WILL BE THE PLACE… YOU WILL LAUGH, AND CRY. WHERE YOU WILL SLEEP IN THE AFTERNOON, AND GET CRAZY AT NIGHT. YOU WILL WALK TO FLEKKE, OR HITCHHIKE TO DALE. WHERE YOU WILL RUN FOR DINNER, JUST TO GET FISKEKAKE.
WHERE BIRTHDAYS ARE MAGIC, JUST AS THEY WILL BE SCARY. YOU WILL FALL IN LOVE, WITH THE PERSON YOU NEVER BELIEVED WOULD BE THE ONE. WHERE YOU WILL SAY ‘SEE YOU LATER’, AS YOU KNOW YOU WILL MEET THEM. YOU WILL HAVE BONFIRES ON THE ISLAND, AND GET BITTEN BY MOSQUITOES. WHERE YOU WILL NEVER FEEL ALONE, YET YOU WILL BE LONELY. YOU WILL MAKE HOT CHOCOLATE FOR 2 PEOPLE, AND END UP WITH THE WHOLE SCHOOL. WHERE ALL YOUR PLANS WILL TAKE PLACE, BUT ONLY IF YOU WANT THEM TOO. YOU WILL BE RESPECTED, ONLY FOR THE PERSON YOU ARE. WHERE YOU WILL RUN FOR CLASSES IN THE MORNING, AND WALK SLOWLY BACK IN THE AFTERNOON. YOU WILL GET MAD COOKING WITH OTHERS, BUT YET YOU WILL DO IT EVERY DAY.
WHERE YOU WILL BE STUCK IN A SMALL CORNER, BUT YOU WILL GIVE IT SOME PERSONALITY. YOU WILL SAY HI TO EVERYBODY, BUT NEVER GOODBYE. RCN IS NOT JUST A SCHOOL, IT WILL BE THE PLACE … YOU CALL HOME.
We sincerely hope this little guide made lovingly for you was helpful, and we are eagerly looking forward to your arrival this August. All the best and see you soon!
Published by The Oystercatcher June 2014 Editors and texts: Anna Ă…sund, Amalie Ausland, Pietro Poggiali, Madeline Delelienne, Thea SĂŚterdal and Emalie Dam Photo credits: Amalie Ausland, Emalie Dam, Ingrid Bringe, Jasmine Tan
Layout, editing and design: Jasmine Tan