Archive

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On 16 November 1945, UNESCO came into being – an organization which coordinates actions enhancing international cooperation in the fields of culture, education and science. The major topic of the UNESCO project which took place in EKOLA and was concluded on 16 November 2011 was the dialogue of cultures and religions. We hosted a group of students from Didzdvaris Gymnasium in Šiauliai (Lithuania), who along with IB students carried out the volunteering-related project in which some volunteers from Turkey, Georgia and Austria also participated.

Before that day the middle school students had made an informative campaign on UNESCO, its mission and heritage, as well as there had been a contest on how much students know about it.

On 16 November, during the first part of the UNESCO meeting, we could see the presentation of UNESCO projects prepared by the middle school students. Next, our guests presented their countries. In the second part, students participated in workshops: “Intercultural Communication”, “Religious symbols in various religions and cultures”, middle school students created a collage promoting the idea of volunteering and participated in the debate on “Palestine in the United Nations?”. High school students collected materials for the UNESCO and United Nations project, while preIB students worked on the problems and nature of volunteering. We finally summed up the whole work in the school homeroom and at the very end everybody could enjoy the Polish cuisine prepared by primary school students. The whole UNESCO feast was successful thanks to the big involvement of parents, students and teachers: Ms Anna Kaszper, the school UNESCO coordinator, and Ms Monika Kłoczko, the Polish-Lithuanian project coordinator.

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THE FIFTEENTH WROCMUN

Traditionally in November, but already for the fifteenth time, students from Poland and a couple of European countries met in Wrocław to hold an international conference on the situation in the Middle East and north Africa within the WrocMUN project, which is a simulation of the actual United Nations session. Our students – Mieszko Mastalerczyk as the delegate of Turkey and Valerie Sydry as the representative of France – worked in commissions which prepared a resolution, common for the 25 countries representatives, calling for help for Egypt and Tunisia. The conference – perfectly organized by High School no 5 students – was not only a lesson of discussion or enhanced students’ sensitivity to the problems of contemporary world, but it also provided a language and communication practice and widened students’ knowledge of the United Nations structure and procedures.

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THE SHAKESPEAREAN TOWER OF BABEL

It is because of the universal and timeless stories recounted in them that William Shakespeare’s dramas inspire the contemporary artists and continually arouse spectators’ interest, thus the Teatr Współczesny performance of The Merchant of Venice directed by Gabriel Gietzky, premiered in spring 2008, and recently watched by preIB and IB students with their Polish A1 teacher, Ms Renata Otolińska, stirred up extremely varied judgments. We watch the performance – modern and very interesting scenography by Dominika Skuza, costumes and electronic sounds accompanying the events on stage – in which the characters speak many languages (various languages translations of Shakespeare’s drama). They belong to incompatible worlds, copy social stereotypes, manipulate feelings, but first and foremost – they talk about money. Regretfully enough, the diverse team of actors (among others Bolesław Abart as Shylock, Jerzy Senator as Antonio, Szymon Czacki as Bassanio) do not seduce the audience or provoke emotions. Nevertheless, The Merchant of Venice in Teatr Współczesny is a play which poses bitter questions about limits of tolerance, roots of evil and cynicism in the contemporary world.

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CONGRATULATIONS TO NATALIA!

On 29 November 2011, in the home room of Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences there took place a ceremony of awarding the most talented and outstanding students of Lower Silesia with the Prime Minister grants in variety of fields. Among the awarded 275 students there was also EKOLA IB2 student, Natalia Olejnik, who in the previous school year achieved the mean grade of 5.8 and distinguished herself with the exemplary attitude and involvement. Natalia received her award from Ms Beata Pawłowicz, the Lower Silesian Schools Superintendent.

 See photos!

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New School Year has begun

Traditionally, on 1^st September 2011 we began the new school year with the Student Orientation Day. We were happy to welcome new preIB and IB students at the school.

We truly hope that the time spent in EKOLA will prove to be most rewarding and valuable and the education here will open new wide horizons for them. 

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Theatre in English

On 8^th September 2011 some IB students went with their class tutor, Mr Michał Sawa, to see the performance of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth sung out in English and Old English at the Song of the Goat Theatre – “the  most exciting and innovative of the new Avant-garde theatre movements in Poland”. 

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Danton’s Case directed by Jan Klata, even though the première took place in March 2008, seems to be continually sold out. Therefore it was with great pleasure and equally great expectations that IB students along with two teachers, Ms Renata Otolińska and Ms Monika Kłoczko, went to see the performance based on Stanisława Przybyszewska’s play on 24^th September 2011, staged within the unusually functional space of the Świebodzki Stage Theatre.

The plot is set in Paris during the stormy days of Jacobinic dictatorship. The story of revolution has been designed within a startling scenography and music, from Chopin to John Lennon, with the splendid creations of Robespierre by Marcin Czarnik and Danton by Wiesław Cichy, which is a theatrical masterpiece.

Jan Klata is a director whose courage, extraordinary imagination and grotesque provocation rouse amazement of young audience, and not only. We are certain after seeing Danton’s Case that the director does not lie when he says in one of the interviews: “Shall anyone come to the theatre to find some pleasant entertainment and relaxation before supper, will certainly not find that with me”.

  Adventurous Integration

            On a beautiful Autumn day preIB students under the supervision of their class tutor, Mr Maciej Herbut, and the English teacher, Mr Paul Preusser, enjoyed their one-day integration trip in Adrenalina Park, Kąty Wrocławskie. This international group, while overcoming obstacles, which surpassed the expectations of the most courageous students, practised cooperation skills and the sense of responsibility for others. The hardest obstacles turned out to be those located on trees; students coped much better with the zip-line, which is the steel cable slide, and with paintball. At the end of the day they all had a bonfire. Lots of emotions, lots of thrills, but above all the shared experience of uneasy tasks undoubtedly facilitated students’ integration.

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As usual in September, IB students had a meeting with the University Advisor, Mr Barton Raven, who this year talked mostly about important changes in application procedures and financial issues involved in studying abroad, mainly in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland.