Hello from Stonglandet Skole!
After a full week of school, it is safe to say that we have settled in well. We have had a week of teaching learners everything we can about our home country, from the history, languages, cultures and socioeconomic issues to the animals, towns, and food. In terms of food, we had the opportunity to share some South African classics with the grade 6 and 7 learners and even the teachers. Along with the help from the learners we prepared vetkoek and mince, paired with a delectable malva pudding. All the food went down very well with the learners and teachers and even gave us students a little taste of home.
The school day is different from our typical school day back home in South Africa. Firstly, the day does not begin with a staff meeting in the morning as it does for us, it also only begins at 08:30, and hour later than the typical school in South Africa. The day starts with most teachers and staff sharing a coffee in the staff room. At 08:30 the classes begin, and the day is divided into three periods, roughly one and a half hours long. There are two break times during the school day, the first break from 10:00 to 10:30 and then the second break from 12:00 to 12:30. The school also seems to place a big emphasis on physical and outdoor activities, with each class having a physical exercise lesson each week. These lessons take various forms like playing volleyball or sometimes football.
Due to the size of the school most of the classes are mixed, grades one and two are in one class, as well as the grade threes and fours. Grades five, six and seven are also in one class together and then grades eight, nine and ten are also in one class. The school also serves the purpose of a learning center for adult refugees where they are taught Norsk (the language in Norway), and they are taught about Norwegian culture and the country. The average class size is between 10 to 15 learners and most classes will have two teachers, one teacher to teach the bulk of the class, and then another to help support second language learners and learners with learning challenges.
The school is situated on the top of the hill in Stonglandseidat, nestled under a beautiful mountainous landscape, which gives it amazing views. One always feels immersed in nature when outside of the school building. It also has a lovely outdoor play area for the learners to enjoy and most days the playground is filled with learners from the younger grades while the older learners tend to spend most breaks playing football.
We are also very impressed with how the learners in the school are encouraged to play together at break, regardless of their grade or age. It was very interesting to see the learners look out for one another and create an inclusive environment when playing outside.
In terms of infrastructure the school building is quite old although very well equipped, most classrooms are full of resources available to the teachers and learners. The school has a fully stocked library, full of games and books for all to enjoy, they also have a gymnasium equipped with a rock-climbing wall and an indoor swimming pool.
Every classroom is equipped with an interactive smartboard with internet access that allows teachers to easily display content for the learners. The learners themselves are also well equipped, with all of them having their own devices such as iPads and laptops.
We are all very excited to see what else our experience here at Stonglandet Skole has to offer as so far, each day has brought new challenges and adventures!
