First Private High School was founded in 1991. The school has authorization of a public (private US) school where lessons are held in small groups (10-15 students). It helps to ensure an individual approach to every student. The school is professionally equipped with faultless foreign language and computer classrooms with access to Internet (2Mb / s). In the first computer laboratory there are 19 computers, in the second one there are 10 and 6 in the German language classroom. Information Technology classes are held in groups at different levels of advancement. After regular classes our students have a chance to take part in extracurricular classes of interest or scientific ones as well as levelling classes for those who were absent for some time or need a teacher’s help. The lessons are conducted by motivated and experienced teachers who work at both High and Secondary school. Our teachers use the latest methods of teaching including information technology. The school schedule is planned in such a way to make it possible to cover not only basic requirements of Polish Ministry of Education (MENiS) but to explore the lesson subject. In September 2002 60 minute lessons were introduced on the basis of our and leading schools experience. They let us and our students work more efficiently without doubt.
Special attention is paid to foreign language teaching and learning. Our aim is to perfect students’ communicative skills of at least two languages (German and English). Students have 5 to 6 of both English and German language classes per week. Moreover, some subjects are taught in English or German throughout the whole teaching period (3 years). Many students take and pass various exams during the education time, for instance: ZD -Zertifikat Deutsch or FCE – First Certificate in English. German Language Exam Centre (Österreichisches Sprachdiplom Deutsch) has been set up at the school. Third foreign language classes are also offered to the interested or linguistically talented students. They can chose from French, Spanish, Italian or Russian. For the ones interested in improving their Computer Science skills we offer classes of more advanced computer technology. This way our graduates can feel more freely in the modern computer oriented fields of science. Furthermore, our students have a chance to get ECDL – European Current Driving Licence. It is an internationally recognized certificate of knowledge and skills in a field of computer technology . Students in groups with extended programme of Maths and Computer Technology are obliged to take it during the 3 year course of studies. The exam consists of 7 parts testing the following subfields: general use of computer, graphics for presentation, network services, spreadsheet, base of data, editing of texts and system of files.
Linguistic, ecological and sport camps are organized in Poland and abroad during winter and summer holidays, and in the course of school year. Newcomers begin the first year with on integrating camp in Murzasichle near Zakopane in the Tatra Mountains.
The school assures :
- Library
- Swimming pool
- Ice rink
- Additional classes of interest, science and levelling ones
- Cafeteria
- We hold recruitment to High school in April and May.
- We have gone away from traditional ways of teaching !!!
- We give an entirely new meaning to the notion of “school lessons”.
- Our school has 3 interactive boards as the only one in Stettin!!!
- We have replaced a traditional paper register with an electronic one this September!!!
Co-operation with partnership schools
1 Private Secondary school as well as High school in Stettin are the schools building positive atmosphere among young students and teaching them to be open to the world, different cultures and viewpoints. We prepare them to living in modern Europe.
Therefore, education of foreign languages plays an important part in schools’ curriculum. The learning process takes place not only during regular everyday lessons (English and German in which students are grouped according to their level of proficiency) but also by means of co-operation programme with European schools. The students of High and Secondary schools participate in exchanges with peers from different countries. They have already toured almost whole Europe (Germany, Holland, Switzerland, Austria and Lithuania). They also went on an exotic fortnight trip to China and the USA. The co-operation with partnership schools in Europe makes it possible for Polish youth to get to know culture of different countries, practice and improve their linguistic skills, get motivation to further studies and learn to value voluntary service.
Foreign participants of these exchanges realize the same programme. A group of Danes worked 10 days in Stettin’s hospice of St. John Evangelist in 77 Pokoju street, took part in regular classes, did some sightseeing of Stettin and got to know Polish traditions.
The co-operation with the partnership High school in Argenmünde has a special character. First year students of our High school participate in lessons in the German School on every Monday throughout the whole school year. It helps to perfect their communicative skills in German very much. Furthermore, our young learners take part in educational programmes which have been worked out by both German and Polish teachers. The German and Polish students work together actively on realization of interdisciplinary projects (theatrical, ecological and sport ones). One of the outcomes of this co-operation with Secondary school in Argenmünde are scholarships for our students. This year 6 of our students took advantage of this opportunity. The students of our school have been granted scholarship in the prestigious public school in Louisenlound in Germany for 15 years already, where educational programmes are put into life in comfortable conditions and where they can also unreel their own passions like tennis, horse ridding and even pottery.
The rich offer of foreign language classes at 1 Public High and Secondary school is the result of co-operation with our partnership schools in Europe. It prepares young Stettin’s students to going on universities in Germany, Holland, Great Britain and the USA. We make a good start in “adult life” possible wherever they go.
