duhovka news 10/2011 · 2014. 5. 9. · our photostory we‘ve taken a look at how things were in...

DUHOVKANEWS 10/2011

Opening word 3

Interviews with Miroslava Kurkováand Henning Schlegel 4 - 6

What‘s doing at Duhovka? 7 - 8

Photostory 9 - 10

Noises in the media 11

Sorry, what exactly is Montessori? 12

The Duhovka Garden Party 13

Creative workshop 14

Cookery corner 15Your comments, tips and questions are always

welcome. Please send them to the email address:[email protected]

CONTENTS

i

Dear Friends of Duhovka,

We‘re very pleased to bring you our first issue of the new school year - a year which is especially notable as September 2011 marked the twentieth anniversary of the founding of our elementary and high schools. So we would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all those involved in this success, which few have achieved in the field of private education!

In this issue we have two interviews: with Miroslava Kurková, the founder of Gymnázium Na Dlouhém lánu a Pod Vyšehradem (which is now the Duhovka 8-year Gymnasium), and with Henning Schlegel, the current principal of the school. The life of the school has always been very rich and varied, and with our photostory we‘ve taken a look at how things were in former days. In this issue we also have photos brimming with exuberance and life from the twentieth annual “Garden Party“ of Škola Hrou, which took place in June this year.

Meanwhile, this September saw the third birthday of the Duhovka preschool. Even though the weather brought a fall feel to the celebrations, our little ones were undeterred and joyfully hunted for the traces of the four elements with their parents.

In this issue we would also like to invite you to some interesting events taking place at various locations as well as at Duhovka. One example is the series of educational evenings for parents about the Montessori teaching approach, which are to be held at Duhovka - Škola Hrou from fall through spring.

We wish you a very pleasant fall with Duhovka, and look forward to seeing you soon,

The Duhovka Team

OpENiNg wOrd

gymnázium Na dlouhém lánu a pod Vyšehradem, which is now the duhovka gymnasium, celebrates its twentieth anniversary this year. what does this mean for you personally and for the school?I only came to Gymnázium Pod Vyšehradem a Na Dlouhém lánu three years ago. Out of that time, I‘ve been school principal for two and a half years, so I‘m afraid I can‘t offer any “colorful tales from the pioneer days“. Instead, allow me to give you a straightforward answer to the question you asked: “What does the Duhovka Gymnasium mean for you personally, Principal Schlegel?“ My answer: At one particular coaching session, a coach told me that at my point in life, with four years to go before retirement, I had a choice of two options: either coast peacefully into retirement, or use that time for one more achievement. I made my choice. Maybe the teachers at our school don‘t know it, but I‘m very fond of almost every one of them (and my relations with all of them are polite and fair, I hope). That‘s why I don‘t want to “simply disappear“ from the school one fine or not so fine day. I want to leave our teaching staff a school with good prospects for the future, and offering them working conditions which I‘ve been planning during my less busy moments.

How do you rate your experience with this year‘s high school leaving examinations, the Czech “maturita“? How do you think things will develop in the future? The so-called “new maturita“ will get a chapter all of its own in my memoirs, it‘s been an incredible administrative headache! Let me give you one of the most glaring examples as an illustration. Twice we had to print out and then copy about 400 pages of worksheets, so that two students could sit their examinations, each time for just one subject. And then we had to print and copy around 450 more pages of worksheets for another two students. That‘s 1,250 pages to print, copy and stick into folders, a whole day‘s work for an admin assistant. And this was all so that four (!) students could sit their leaving exams in one subject. Meanwhile I should mention that every student has to sit exams in at least four subjects. If the Ministry of Education had to cover the real additional costs of schools associated with the “new maturita“, then you can bet it wouldn‘t be held again in the school year 2011/2012. As regards the results of our school: 31 full-time students and 22 distance-learning students applied to take the leaving exams within the spring deadline for registration. Of these,19 full-time and 7 distance-learning students were permitted to sit the exams, and out of this group 3 failed the “state maturita“ exam and 7 failed the “school maturita“ exam. These failure statistics are particularly interesting because it’s supposedly a well-known fact that “everyone passes“ the school maturita examinations, especially at private high schools. And that‘s also why we‘re supposed to need the super-expensive state maturita exams, to separate the wheat from the chaff. I don‘t know the results of the fall examinations yet. In my opinion, the future of the “new maturita“ will involve its complete and consistent digitization, so that nothing will have to be printed, copied and bound in folders.

iNTErViEw

Duhovka Group News 4

wHO iSHENNiNg

SCHlEgEl?

dr. phil. Henning Schlegel,School principal of

the duhovka gymnasium

After graduating from high school in East Germany, Henning Schlegel completed his university

education at the Faculty of Arts of Charles University in Prague in the fields of Czech language

and History. He then worked for five years as an academic

assistant at the Faculty of Arts of the University of Leipzig, where he taught Czech literature and a subject entitled “The Society

and Culture of Czechoslovakia“. During this time he also wrote a dissertation on a literary theme,

and successfully defended it “summa cum laude“. He is

especially proud of this fact, as during those five years only three candidates at the whole

faculty apart from him achieved this distinction. In 1983 he then relocated to Prague for family

reasons. Since that time, he has been an honest taxpayer of first the Czechoslovak and later the Czech state, holding

positions on the staff of the East German Cultural Center, Charles

University, the Czech Academy of Sciences, the Banking Academy

and two academic high schools. He is married with a grown-up

daughter, who brings him much happiness. He has an eighteen-month-old granddaughter, who

perhaps will bring him even greater happiness still.


what do you think will be the greatest benefits for graduates of a Montessori high school?Most of our students will go on to make a living and find their happiness either in knowledge production fields or in the provision of services where the human dimension is irreplaceable. (For example, teachers cannot be replaced by robots, so our profession will not disappear).

what will the graduates of our duhovka gymnasium take with them into lives where they will be confronted with these types of challenges?Eight years of undisrupted, and, on the contrary, supported individual development should lead our students to understand their own talents and strengths to such an extent that they will be able to make the right decisions about their lives after graduation. (And that doesn‘t necessarily mean university studies). Eight years of working collaboratively with their peers in project-based classes, while also working on independent activities and having conventional teaching, should cultivate their ability to take on a variety of different roles in their future professional teams. The influence of eight years of the creative techniques of the Montessori method should enable our students to deal effectively with the difficulties which they will inevitably encounter in life, critically analyze them, and consider them in the context of their entire being. In most cases they‘ll find - as the modern Czech classic Jan Werich says - that since their “life doesn‘t depend on it, it‘s not worth the bull...“ Eight years of high school education at the Duhovka Gymnasium should awaken and/or strengthen in our students the desire for lifelong learning. And last but not least: Eight years of English classes and seven years of a second chosen foreign language at our school should bring our students to a level of linguistic competence where they can continue with higher education or in professional careers wherever in the world they want to go.

it takes a lot of effort and work to be a Montessori teacher. How are your teaching staff coping with the change?Personally speaking, I would say surprisingly well. Becoming a Montessori teacher means a huge amount of EXTRA work. For one thing, our former, standard academic high school curriculum lasted only six years! But that‘s not all. In this transformation, it‘s precisely our best and most experienced teachers that have had to give up so much of the material which they have prepared for students over the years. I believe, though, that our teaching staff have not only understood and accepted, but are now in complete agreement with the prospect of Czech-English bilingual high school education involving elements of Montessori pedagogy. Besides, the school either has this prospect or none at all.

what kind of student were you?Excellent, mostly straight “A“s. In one school year I didn‘t have a single day‘s absence. And in fact, in another school year they wrote that I had one day‘s absence, but it wasn‘t true - I was in school! (I was helping out in the principal‘s office). On my high school leaving certificate I only had one grade “B“, from biology, I think. That‘s why - unlike Chancellor Merkel - I didn‘t get the Lessing Medal. I still feel sorry about that today.

if you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?One thing in the whole world?... If I put aside ending all wars, eliminating all diseases, hunger, evil per se, I could ask the question this way: what would I change in the upbringing and education of young people the world over? I suppose I would initiate a revival of those conventional, bourgeois virtues in the minds, hearts and actions of all of us adults: honesty, humility, discipline, diligence and dependability. Our example cannot but be reflected in our children. Why? Because it will be a long time yet before our species will live in a world of unlimited possibilities.

iNTErViEw

gymnázium Na dlouhém lánu a pod Vyšehradem, which is now the duhovka gymnasium, celebrates its twentieth anniversary this year. what does this mean for you personally and for the school? What does the twentieth anniversary of the school mean for me? I can‘t think of anything in my life which has been more meaningful, valuable and wonderful than those years, except for raising my own daughter. Building up a school, you see, is quite similar to bringing up a child. You look forward to seeing how they grow, how their thoughts develop, and then you just wait and hope that it will turn out well. In the words of Dr. Jiří Šulc, the school‘s poet-in-residence... “as Life‘s arms draw them to it lovingly, it will prove the true values indisputably.“ The most beautiful times are when those children who originally came to us in puberty, and especially in adolescence, all covered in silver rings everywhere, with porcupine quills sticking out of their ears, and multi-colored hair and contemptuous frowns, then depart from us a few years later as socially mature partners who don‘t need to be protected from the world and its thorny inhabitants, and who now sense that education and continued learning will also - at least to some extent - protect them from uncertainty and disillusionment, and will help them to deal even with times of loss.

Can you remember what first inspired you to found your own school? The origin of the idea to found the school is associated with three men. The first of these was Dr. Škrabal, whose son took part in a trip I organized called “Easter in Vysočina - Getting Ready for High School“. He said to me, “Why don‘t you found your own high school?“ The second was my husband, who was apparently rather pleased by the idea that I would be bothering him less with his own business. The third man was Dr. Šubrt, whom I knew from collaborative work with the Psychology Department of Charles University in Prague, and who then continued to work with me the whole time.

what were the most difficult moments? The most difficult times I‘ve experienced are also connected with students. Times when you see how much children have to fight, either with their own parents, who have decided that their children will fulfill all their ambitions, or with a society that doesn‘t understand them. I remember one student who was very gifted, especially artistically. He was in joint custody, sometimes living with his mother in Prague and sometimes with his father outside the city, and he became the leader of a gang that went around spraying graffiti on subway cars. Even though I absolutely disagree with that way of fighting back at life, there‘s something about it which moves me. You see, the first train would always pull out, and on it was written “for my mom“. He didn‘t complete his studies with us in the end, because he moved to his father‘s house outside Prague. And the hardest thing for me was when I realized that our high school didn‘t have anyone to carry on its work, that the years were going by and it was time for some “new blood“. Thankfully, though, someone did at last appear who shared my vision, a young man with charisma and education. He said: “Give me your trust, and I‘ll gladly continue your work.“ So, good luck, Tomáš! And good luck, Duhovka!

wHO iSMirOSlAVAKUrKOVÁ?

Miroslava Kurková,founder of gymnázium

Na dlouhém lánua pod Vyšehradem

“I was born, I got married, had a daughter and

founded a high school.“

Miroslava Kurková and Henning Schlegel interviewed by:

Blanka Godinez,(marketing Duhovka Group),

Lucie Kubečková,(PR Duhovka Group),

Barbora Růžičková,(marketing Duhovka Group)

iNTErViEw



wHAT‘S dOiNg AT dUHOVKA? Bringing you a roundup of past and future eventsat our preschools and schools.

THE 20TH ANNiVErSAry Of THE fOUNdATiON Of ŠKOlA HrOU ANd gyMNÁziUM pOd VyŠEHrAdEM (NOw THE dUHOVKA gyMNASiUM).Škola Hrou and Gymnázium pod Vyšehradem were founded in 1991.

SEpTEMbEr The duhovka preschool celebrated its 3rd birthday.On Thursday 8 September we met up in the Duhovka garden, and along with the children learned all about the four elements: cooling water, the warm embrace of fire, life-giving earth and generous air. The four elements made for four disciplines. A fairytale tree also sprouted up to provide our celebration with a special delicacy: organic turkey sausages :o) And at the end, as twilight set in, we enjoyed a riveting show of fire dancing.

OCTObEr invitation to Strings for Kids.

This year once again the Duhovka Group has decided to support the children‘s musical festival “Strings for Kids“, which over the weekend of 21 - 23 October 2011 offers music-lovers both small and big a chance to attend wonderful concerts and creative and musical workshops. The festival runs for the whole weekend at Prague‘s “Minor“ theater.

A postcard from Expat Expo.On Saturday 8 October the Duhovka Group gave a presentation at Expat Expo, held at the Výstaviště Exhibition Grounds in Prague‘s Holešovice district. Duhovka laid on a program for children and parents alike, and a competition with enticing prizes.

The matriculation ceremony for new duhovka gymnasium studentsThe matriculation ceremony for new Duhovka Gymnasium students will be held on the grounds of the Břevnovský klášter monastery on 31 October, starting from 5.30 p.m.

Halloween at Škola Hrou.We‘ll be celebrating on 31 October from 5 p.m.


wHAT‘S dOiNg AT dUHOVKA? Bringing you a roundup of past and future eventsat our preschools and schools.

NOVEMbEr Halloween at the preschools.Our celebrations will be on 1 November, starting 4 p.m.

Movie matineeWe warmly invite all children, parents, teachers and friends of Duhovka to the Oko cinema for a movie matinee on 27 November, starting at 4 p.m. More details will be given in an invitation sent by email.

Seminars for parents.Duhovka has prepared a series of four educational evenings where parents interested in the school can learn more about the Montessori method both in theoretical and practical terms. Our Montessori experts and teachers will show you how we work with various different materials in all the five areas of Montessori, and how we develop the individual abilities and knowledge of children ranging from 2 ½ through to 19 years old. The first seminar was held on 12 September, and following seminars are planned for the same time on 14 November 2011, 20 February 2012 and 2 April 2012. Interpreting from English and babysitting for children (from 2 ½ years) will be provided!

“where next after 5th grade?“For parents of fifth graders we have organized an information meeting at Duhovka - Škola Hrou entitled “Where next after 5th grade?“ on Tuesday 1 November, starting at 6 p.m.

An Open day will be held at duhovka - Škola Hrou.An Open Day will be held at Duhovka - Škola Hrou on Tuesday 15 November from 9 a.m. through 5 p.m. Please let any interested friends or acquaintances know!

dECEMbErOpen days at duhovka gymnázium. Open Days will also be held at our high schools in Prague 4 and 6. If you are interested, please come to have a look around on Tuesday 6 December (Prague 6) and Wednesday 7 December (Prague 4). You will be able to sit in on classes from 9 a.m. till noon. A meeting with the school‘s administration will be held at 5 - 7 p.m.

JANUAry 2012A date for your diary: 11 January 2012!This is the date of the opening of the “Duhovka Literature and Arts Festival“. At Písecká brána gate we will hold a joint opening for an exhibition of works from all the Duhovka schools. The exhibition will run until the end of January 2012.

Celebrating 20 years of the duhovka gymnasium


Our first 6th graders

Biology class

Graduation

End of the school year

Sports match

New loft space at Vratislavova Str.

Chess club

Exhibition in the fortress 2005

Training on the Vltava

Xchange trip - Sweden

Exhibition in the fortress 2005

Austrian Alps 1st year at Vratislavova street 1991/1992

First graduation, 1995

Our first Montessori 6th graders

Matriculation of 6th graders at“Na Dlouhém lánu“ 2005/2006


Celebrating 20 years of the duhovka gymnasium

Creating Mandalas Czech Central Mountains

Grade 7 Christmas workshop Floorball match at „na Dlouhém Lánu“

“Mandala“ exhibition

Creating for the „Little Seed“ exhibition

Graduation ball

„Little Seed“ exhibition an untraditional end to the year

Chládek gardeningstore

Our first 6th graders in an ellipse in Vratislavova street

Ratmírov „Water“ project 2010/2011 29 Motivational story Our current 6th graders 2011/2012

NOiSES iN THE MEdiA

TV Nova‘s breakfast show - Snídaně s Novou At the end of May, TV Nova‘s breakfast show “Snídaně s Novou“ presented the topic of “Montessori education” to its viewers. Tomáš Janeček was a guest on the show, and presented the Duhovka education project.

TV Nova, 30 May 2011.

blogzine little Modernist(littlemodernist.com)

In June, the Little Modernist blogzine (littlemodernist.com) published an interview with Tomáš Janeček. Here we bring you an excerpt, where Tomáš outlines the philosophy behind Duhovka. (...)

“We want to train our teachers not only in the Montessori method but also in other areas such as constructivist pedagogy, because we‘d like our training to be comprehensive. The philosophy of constructivism is based on the concept that we have direct access only to the constructs of our own minds, not to objective reality as such (we are, so to speak, “imprisoned“ within our own brains). All of us construct our own worlds in our own way. I have no means of discovering how someone else really sees the world, because I can‘t, for example, “borrow“ the eyes of another or think using his or her mind, but always and only with my own. (...) But how is this philosophical approach useful for teachers? The point is that everyone, including children, grasps the world in their own way. Therefore, according to constructivism, teachers can’t directly change children (“pour“ knowledge into them), but they can try to motivate a child to learn, can negotiate. They can observe how each child behaves, how he or she thinks, and then offer new paths and possibilities for learning. Ultimately, the constructivist recognizes that how others see the world depends on their different experiences and diverse ways of thinking. I believe this view leads each of us to have a natural respect for the world of the other, just as we have for our own (and in this context I feel there is a big difference between actually having, living that respect for myself and others and simply telling myself that it‘s “right“ to respect others, while I don‘t really live it, don‘t feel the respect, and want to change the other). I believe that this kind of human setting can be sensed by both adults and children alike, and fosters a greater desire to find common pathways and create something new together. The child feels accepted on a human level just as he or she is. The philosophy of constructivism is compatible with that of coaching - the teacher knows how to ask the “right“ questions to help children arrive at their own solutions, so that they learn, for example, greater independence and to take responsibility for themselves. (...)

We offer you an invitation to the exhibition „Controversies“ at the Rudolfinum Gallery.

If you‘re looking for a suitable activity to engage your child‘s interest, let yourself be inspired by the range on offer at the cultural center KC Zahrada.

Maybe you‘ll also find an article to enjoy at our blogzine, like the piece now online by the two renowned psychologists Dobromila Nevolová and Jana Nováčková, entitled “Life in the Shadow of the Higher Achievers“.

• KC Zahrada is opening some special courses and workshops • “Controversy“ at the Rudolfinum Gallery

• Life in the Shadow of the Higher Achievers...

little Modernistrecommends


HElp ME dO iT MySElf A child needs to be shown how to do a task properly and then given time and space to practice on his own. Accept all attempts made by child as a success. His goal is not to do task as we would- but rather, to find value in each clumsy step along the way.

An example: Pouring Lesson - show a child how to carefully hold a small glass pitcher and pour - he then picks it up with both hands, clanging the sides and possibly spilling contents - and pours - this is his interpretation of lesson - this is great - he accomplished the task, using his current skill level and will eventually refine his movement. As adult ‘pours’ in his presence, he will observe and adjust. Teach by demonstration, not by correcting.

Most times, a child needs support in one small step to continue their task; (example- Sweeping Lesson-children must realize the art of collecting the dirt is the tight seal between dustpan and floor/surface. Adult shows how to create this seal, makes one sweep, turns back over to child to complete). Adults tend to take over or do too much to help, thus robbing the child of their chance to self-correct or develop perseverance and focus.

CHildrEN CONSTrUCT THEir OwN pErSONAliTiES Through interaction with their environment a child naturally constructs their own personality. As they self correct and notice cause and effect relationships, they build mental roadmaps for social, physical and emotional situations. This capacity unfolds when child is free to make choices, observe others, persist at a task and create order in his surroundings. With each success, child realizes own potential.Example: When a child is mad yet wants to continue to play with others, who are now avoiding him, he must decide- is it more important to be mad or play? A natural consequence such as this is much more powerful than had a teacher come to ‘solve’ the issue, telling everyone how to feel or behave. Each child is his or her own best teacher.

THE HANd iS THE iNSTrUMENT Of THE SOUl Children must have freedom to choose, move and explore within their environment. It is only through actual experience, observation and use of their senses that they can gather and integrate real information about the world in which they live.As child digs in garden - the teacher is the soil itself; its temperature, consistency, weight, texture, color, smell, etc. In this moment, the hand (and other senses) absorbs this information and imprints it, as fact, on a cellular level. Thus, building a relationship between the child and his world.

Dorothy Paul

In this issue, we‘ve asked Dorothy Paul to introduce some of the basic principles of Montessori pedagogy to us.

When children are given the freedom and time to explore and discover their surroundings, they will self teach and gain understanding of their world.

SOrry, wHAT ExACTly iS MONTESSOri? ?


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TRAMPOLÍNA

BAZÉN MIMOPROVOZ

ZÁZEMÍPRO MUZIKANTY

PÍSKOVÝPOKLAD

KAPELA

LOUČENÍ S 5. TŘÍDOUVÍTÁNÍ PRVŇÁČKŮ

FOU

KA

CÍ

BU

LVY

VÝS

TAVA

VÝT

VARN

ÉHO

ATEL

IERUMAMA

COFFEE

LEPÍCÍKULIČKA

OBČERSTVENÍ

BAR

WC U DRUŽINYWC V SUTERÉNU ŠKOLY

VODNÍ STREFOVAČKA

STOPY ZVÍŘAT HLEDÁNÍ KLÍČE

HÁZENÍ KROUŽKŮ

NATAHOVACÍLANO

HVĚZDA NA HLAVĚ

OCHUTNÁVKABIOPEKÁRNY

ZEMANKA

VOLNÝ VJEZDPRO PÁŤÁKY

OBŘÍSKLÁDAČKA


gArdEN pArTy ŠKOlA HrOU

gArdEN pArTyAt our elementary school Škola Hrou we traditionally celebrate the end of each school year with a Garden Party. This year‘s took place on the last Saturday in June, and was a jubilee celebration - the twentieth time! For the children we had a bouncy giraffe, competitions and a variety of snacks and refreshments. There were fun raffles both for children and for adults, plus the Yo-Yo Band for listening and dancing. At the party we said goodbye to our fifth-graders and welcomed in our new first-graders. A big Thank You! to everyone who came for creating a great atmosphere, and to the teachers for all their help with the preparations and orga-nization.

CrEATiVE wOrKSHOp

Prepare your pebbles and paints - best are acrylics - a brush and some clear varnish (nail varnish is fine).

On your cleaned and dried pebbles paint some pictures of any animals you saw, friends you played with, or the landscape you traveled through.

Once the paints have dried, give the whole pebble a coat of clear varnish.

Now you can use the painted pebbles to decorate a table, a windowsill... or keep them in your pocket wherever you go!

COlOrfUl SOUVENirS Of SUMMEr dAyS Like to hold on to a few holiday memories? All you‘ll need are some pebbles, bits of driftwood, or other natural things you‘ve brought back from vacation, and with our guide you‘re all set to make a mini souvenir.

1

2

3


feeds 4 time: 20 min.

• 1000 g cleaned Hokkaido pumpkin (i.e. without the seeds, but not skinned) • 400 ml milk• 3 tablespoons peanut butter • salt • peanuts to garnish

Cut the pumpkin into cubes, put 400 ml of water into a pan and steam the pumpkin until soft. Don‘t worry about the skin, that will soften during cooking. Add the milk and blend until smooth. Return the pan to the heat, salt the mixture and add the peanut butter. Stir until the peanut butter dissolves, then serve immediately. You can decorate each bowl with toasted peanuts. Tastes great with toast.

Tip: Try a thicker version as a sauce for pasta or meat.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Lenka Požárová, from her book “Anyone for Pumpkin?“,more at www.zapalena-kucharka.cz.

COOKEry COrNEr

NUTTy TrEAT

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duhovka news 10/2011 · 2014. 5. 9. · our photostory we‘ve taken a look at how things were in...

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