Archive for August, 2009

A good offer for English speaking students at Kolding Realskole

Friday, August 28th, 2009

If you have children attending classes at Kolding Realskole and you would like them to improve or maintain their English standards, we are able to offer them lessons every afternoon at The Cosmo.

College fundWe already have students that join our lessons every day – mostly from 13 pm until 13.45 pm. Here they speak English and are taught in English. The students will be provided with extra teaching material other than what they use at Kolding Realskole, and they might have homework.

Please contact The Head of Department Simon Mosekjaer at 20 52 05 49 for additional information and prices.

 

A Good Offer

Souaad moves, if The Cosmo closes

Thursday, August 27th, 2009

 NB. This article is a direct translation from a Danish article and it is by no means an expression of the school’s or the school board’s position

High priority: Souaad Rochdi and her family moved from Morocco to Denmark, because her husband got a job in Esbjerg. They chose to live in Kolding so that the children could attend the international school – The Cosmo.

In the corridor, where the international Primary and Lower Secondary of The Cosmo are situated and occupy two classrooms at Kolding Realskole the air is thick with such stories in both English and Danish.

The corridors on Kolding Realskole hum with voices of students who are eager to talk about the events of the summer holiday with their friends, before the teachers arrive.

This school year the school starts with 16 students aged 5-16. Souaad Rochdi is one of the parents, who has chosen to place her children at the international school.

 

More homework

 

 

Souaad Rochdi has two children in the age of 12 and 14 years at The Cosmo. It is the fifth school that they attend, as Souaad’s German husband travels a lot in his job. And there is no doubt in their minds that the children should attend an international school in Denmark. Yesterday they started at their second year at The Cosmo.

 

The children have mostly gone to a German school the places, where we have lived. But we have heard from friends in Denmark that the German schools here in the country have too low academic standards, so that the students almost never have any homework for example. Therefore we chose the international school.

Focus on each student

 

 

Souaad is happy for the fact that the Cosmo is so small, because it means more focus on each individual student.

  

As a parent I am happy that the teachers are more in touch with the students’ academic skills. And I am also very satisfied with the level of the teaching, she adds.

 

Worry that the school might close

 

 

The small number of students, makes she worry whether the school will exist long enough for her children to graduate and finished their Lower Secondary education.

 

Just the other day I spoke to my husband about what we would do it the school has to close. He said that we would find a solution. But if it really closes, we would listen to the children’s wishes. If their wish is to go to an international school, we would move to make that wish come through, she says.

International school has challenges getting more students

Thursday, August 27th, 2009

NB. This article is a direct translation from a Danish article and it is by no means an expression of the school’s or the school board’s position

 

 

The international school of Kolding – The Cosmo – still has less than 20 students at the beginning of the second school year. The financial crisis is one of the reasons, says the school.

 

 

 

16 students started last Monday at The Cosmo – the International School of Southern Denmark, which is a department of Kolding Realskole.

 

The school has only managed to get a few students more than last year, which was the first year the school existed.

 

And the school is far from the targets, which its management announced at the beginning of last school year. Back then the headmaster of Kolding Realskole talked about 40 students the first year.

 

During the first school year the school has already used about 400,000 Danish crowns of the three yearly deficit guarantees, which two local companies have given The Cosmo.

 

But the head of department at The Cosmo, Simon Mosekjær, acknowledges that the school’s management was, perhaps, a bit too optimistic when the school opened.

 

0908 cosmo ps1 300x194 International school has challenges getting more studentsA bit too optimistic

The school needs time to grow, and we were perhaps a bit too optimistic. It requires more work than we thought to get students to the school, and our wish is that we get 30-35 students next year. But before the next school year the school board will probably begin to estimate if it is realistic that The Cosmo can continue without deficits after the first three years, where we have deficit guarantees says Simon Mosekjær.

 

He thinks that the financial crisis has a large part of the blame for the fact that it is more difficult than expected to get students for The Cosmo.

 

Companies lack funds

We have to face the fact that a part of the companies which said that they would support the school do not have the financial means to do so.

 

Some of the larger companies have phoned and asked what a student costs on a yearly basis at the school, but even so they have not been willing to use money for it. But we continue, because we have deficit guarantees for at least the first three years, says Simon Mosekjær.

 

It is AH industries and Bjarne Nielsen, who owns Galerie Nielsen and the shipping agency H. Daugaard A/S who each of them supports The Cosmo with a deficit guarantee of one million Danish crowns.

 

It has not been possible to get a comment from the chairman of the school board of Kolding Realskole, Henning Larsen.

 

Facts

The Cosmo – International School of Southern Denmark – is a department of Kolding Realskole. The school collaborates with Business Kolding.

 

All lessons are taught in English, and German and French are taught at all levels.

 

There are students from Germany, Vietnam, Spain, Iraq, Greece, England and Morocco at the school. The school has 16 students in the age from 5 to 16, who are divided in two classes – Primary and Lower Secondary. Due to the small number of students and the large spread in ages the school works with individual students’ plans, which are adapted to the age of every single student.

 

The price is between 2,000 and 2,600 Danish crows a month to have a student at The Cosmo.

 

 

This feature is a direct translation of a newspaper arctile from Jydske Vestkysten, Wednesday the 19th of August.

 

 

 

NB. This article is a direct translation from a Danish article and it is by no means an expression of the school’s or the school board’s position

 

 

H1N1 influenza and what to do about it!

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009

Dear parents,

 

If your child should come down with H1N1 influenza formerly known as the swine influenza, there is no reason to panic. H1N1 influenza is only problematic for vulnerable persons, so it is advisable to avoid contact with them, should they be infected.

 

swine flu1 H1N1 influenza and what to do about it!As with normal influenza you should be attentive to the child without panicking. The H1N1 influenza lasts approximately 7 days. Please keep your child at home for at least two days, after he or she is well and on their feet again, as it lessens the risk of contaminating our students, teachers and staff at the school.

 

Normally the school is informed about illnesses in the message book, when the student returns to school, but due to the large publicity about H1N1 would you please inform the class room teacher or Simon Mosekjaer, should you child be ill with H1N1.

 

For further information about H1N1 also called swine influenza visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swine_influenza

A trip to Saint Omer

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009

Dear parents

 

Kolding Realskole / The Cosmo has a twin school in the town of Saint Omer in the North of France. Again this year three teachers and a group of students aged 15-16 years will visit Kolding in week 43. They arrive Sunday October 18 and leave again Friday October 23. During the week different activitites are planned for the students and their hosts. We would like to know, if it is possible for you to house one of the French student?

 

270px st omer cathedrale 032005 A trip to Saint Omer 300px st omer A trip to Saint Omer  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

Pictures from Saint Omer – Notre Dame and the town hall in Saint Omer

 

At the same time there is a possibility for the students of Kolding Realskole / The Cosmo to visit Saint Omer and stay with one of the French families in week 42 – Monday October 12 to Sunday October 18. We make sure the students are on the train here in Kolding and the French teacher, Jean-François Debouscher, will pick them up and take care of accommodations and so on.

 

When the French students and teacher drive to Denmark Sunday October 18, our students will drive with them in the bus. The only thing our students has to pay for is the train ticket and pocket money; the rest is paid for.

 

Please fill out the slip below and return it, so that we can plan the trip to France in week 42 and the visit in week 43 as soon as possible. Furthermore we are planning a trip to Saint Omer in the spring for all the students, who have French. Further information will follow, so soon as we receive the notes from you.

 

Best regards,

 

Fabienne Bramsen and Simon Mosekjær

 

 

Concerning trip to and visit from Saint Omer weeks 42 and 43

 

Student’s name: _______________________

 

We can house a student in week 43: ____   We cannot house a student in week 43: ____

 

I would like to visit Saint Omer in week 42: ____

 

 

“The Mask – from Carpeaux to Picasso”

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009

“The Mask – from Carpeaux to Picasso”  exhibition at Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek 7th of August – 1st of November 2009

Since the beginning of time the mask has been used as a bogey, a caricature, a disguise and a exposure. In the beginning of the 19th century, European artists got their inspiration from ancient Rome, Greece and Egypt and thereby they gave the mask a cultural renaissance as a work of art.

 

 

masken The Mask – from Carpeaux to Picasso Experience a fascinating gallery of masks in 1,300 sculptures, paintings and arts and crafts made by different artists such as Rodin, Gauguin and Picasso.

 

In collaboration with Musée d’Orsay, Paris, and Mathildenhöhe, Darmstadt. Read more www.glyptoteket.dk

 

 

 

English Speaking Union – Rosenborg Castle

Wednesday, August 19th, 2009

 

THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING UNION OF DENMARK

 

 

Creating Global Understanding through English

Patron: H.E. Alexandra Christina, Countess of Frederiksborg

www.esu.org/denmark

INVITATION

 

Wednesday 9 September 2009

 

 

 

Guided tour of Rosenborg Castle

by

Museumsdirektør Niels-Knud Liebgott

 

 

Venue:  Rosenborg Castle,

Øster Voldgade 4A, 1350 København K

 

Time: 2.30-4pm

Meet at Castle ticket office at 2.20pm

Admission is 70 Kr for adults, (45 kr for pensioners)

It may be possible to negotiate a cheaper group rate

 

RSVP: by Friday 4 September to ESU Secretary, Birte Steer Pallesen

on esu.dk @webspeed.dk

We are delighted that Museumsinspektør Niels-Knud Liegott has offered to give ESU Members a guided tour of this beautiful Dutch-style renaissance castle. Rosenborg Slot is a fascinating museum of cultural history which houses some of Denmark’s greatest cultural treasures, not least the Crown Jewels and the Danish Crown Regalia, and tells the history of the Danish kings through 300 years, the late 16th century to 19th century.  After the tour, which will last approx 1½ hours, it might be nice to have a coffee at one of the nearby cafés. PS: the castle is not heated so it would be advisable to bring a jacket.

Odense International Film Festival

Wednesday, August 19th, 2009

Goethe-Institute Dänemark presents in collaboration of Odense International Film Festival:

 

German animation films through 100 years at Odense International Film Festival 2009

 

Film Festival

17/8 – 22/8/2009

Cafébiografen

Brandts Klædefabrik

5000 Odense C

www.filmfestival.dk

Free entrance

 

 

Watch classical silhouette films from the 1950’s, Hitler’s Dream about Mickey Mouse, animation films from the former German Democratic Republic (DDR) and contemporary German art films.

 

The programme is widely ranged, as Odense International Film Festival in collaboration with the Goethe-Institute Dänemark presents a selection of German animation films from the last hundred years.

 

Ulrich Wegenast, who is the leader of the Internationales Trickfilms’ Festival in Stuttgart, has chosen the films and is a member of this year’s jury for the Film Festival’s international competition.

 

The animation films are grouped according to four themes:

 

mickey mouse Odense International Film Festival1) Between State approved art and subculture / underground – Animated films in the former DDR. A treasure of short films and examples of sub cultural /underground films in the former DDR from the 1970’s to the 1990’s.

 

2) Contemporary German animations. These are the best short films from the last 20 years.

 

3) Hitler’s Dream about Mickey Mouse. Hitler and Goebbels wished to create a counterpart to Walt Disney, which should serve propagandist purposes. This programme reflects the highly problematic period in German animation history.

4) Lotte Reiniger – 3 classical sihouette film for children. The world renowned director Lotte Reiniger (1899-1981) devoted all of her life to the special type of animation films. Especially suitable for the youngest of children.

 

 silhouette Odense International Film Festival

 

Photos:

 ”Die Schlacht um Miggershausen” of Georg Woelz (1937)

 ”Einmart” of Lutz Dammbeck (1981).

Tenth International Award Forum

Tuesday, August 18th, 2009

doea Tenth International Award Forum The International Award Forum is less than three months away. All NAAs and all registered delegates have now received the Forum Programme. The Programme is available on the IAA website, but you must sign in to view it.If you have not yet registered, you need to do so on the Forum website as soon as possible. We strongly advise you to book your accommodation when you register. Accommodation is available at The Crowne Plaza, Darling Harbour, sydds.groupres@ihg.com or phone is +61 (2) 9260 3084. You must book your own accommodation.Please contact us at forum@intaward.org if you have any queries.

 

Each NAA is invited to send two delegates, who would normally be your national chairman and your national director or equivalent. If any NAA wishes to send additional delegates they must seek the approval of the secretary general.

89125 sydney opera house2 Tenth International Award Forum Please note that we are using one point of contact for each NAA, as nominated by you on the Intention to Attend form. We will continue to liaise with you on Forum matters through this one point of contact and ask that person to ensure all of your NAA delegates receive the information. Please help us to make this work.

 

First Certificate in English from Cambridge ESOL

Tuesday, August 18th, 2009

 

14 students from the outgoing 9th G – the first outgoing international class from Kolding Realskole – have just received information from the Cambridge University that they have all passed their First Certificate in English.

 

All 14 have passed with either A or B, which converted to the Danish grade scale equals 12 and 10. The teachers of the class congratulate them with the excellent result.

 

The exam in First Certificate consists of five individual tests:

Reading: 1 hour
You will need to be able to understand information in fiction and non-fiction books, journals, newspapers and magazines.

Writing: 1 hour 20 minutes
You will have to show you can produce two different pieces of writing such as a short story, a letter, an article, a report, a review or an essay.

Use of English: 45 minutes
Your use of English will be tested by tasks which show how well you control your grammar and vocabulary.

Listening: 40 minutes
You need to show you can understand the meaning of a range of spoken material, including news programmes, speeches, stories and anecdotes and public announcements.

Speaking: 14 minutes
You will take the Speaking test with another candidate or in a group of three, and you will be tested on your ability to take part in different types of interaction: with the examiner, with the other candidates and by yourself.

Cambridge ESOL are exams in English for speakers of other languages, which means for students, who are not native speakers.

 

Read more about FCE: http://www.cambridgeesol.org/exams/general-english/fce.html