Christianshavns
Gymnasium
A school in the
city
Christianshavns Gymnasium is an
upper secondary school situated at the centre of Copenhagen and in
one of the most attractive parts of the city: Christianshavn.
Christianshavn is a unique
neighborhood brimming with atmosphere and tradition. The
neighborhood attracts a mixture of people, from bohemians to
business people. Old buildings are changed into new and posh condos
or offices, and over the last decade, Christianshavn has become one
of the most sought after and trendy places to live.
Christianshavns
Gymnasium
Christianshavns Gymnasium has 650
students and 90 teachers and staff members, who all participate in
creating the learning environment and special atmosphere which are
hallmarks of our school. We are located in one of the most
picturesque neighborhoods in Denmark, at the centre of our capital.
The scale of our school buildings may be small, but we have plenty
of room to learn, explore, grow and understand.
Our visions for the school and
students are ambitious. Our main goals are academic proficiency,
democracy and internationalization. Our students are met with high
demands, but we treat each other and our surroundings with respect.
These things combined create the school spirit which
Christianshavns Gymnasium, or "CG" as we call ourselves, is known
for.
Our students are generally very
active: In the many clubs and committees of the school; student
council, academic competitions, the school musical and various
extracurricular activities: school choir, art, sports and
humanitarian projects. We support these activities because we
believe they contribute to the development of the students'
personal skills and academic competences.
Each school year, Christianshavns
Gymnasium establishes a number of specialized study programmes in
the range of science, civics, languages and the arts.
These are our specialized study
programmes for August 2011:
- Math-Physics-Chemistry
- Biotechnology-Math-Physics
- Biology-Math- Physics
- English-Math-Social science
- English-Media-Social science
- Social science-Math-Design
- Social science-Math-Psychology
- Music-English-Media
- French-English-Social Science
- Spanish-English-Social Science
- German-English-Social science
School vision and
values
The core values of the school are
academic proficiency, democracy and internationalization. Of
course, neither of these terms are clearly defined. We perceive
them as ideals or goals to strive for, and which should constantly
be up for debate and discussed as well as practiced.
Our democratic ideal encompasses
the notion that every person has the right to make decisions about
issues regarding his or her life. We strive for an environment in
which conversation and debate are at the center and where knowledge
is sought out and respected, where arguments are presented and
listened to, but also criticized. This kind of environment
presupposes mutual trust, consideration and tolerance.
Our vision for academic proficiency
encompasses the idea that academic knowledge, competences,
absorption and cooperation are necessary factors for the work with
science, languages and society. Our goal is to prepare our students
for their academic lives after graduating, and to make sure that
they leave Christianshavns Gymnasium as well-rounded
individuals.
We believe that academic
proficiency and democracy are closely related to the process of
formation. Participation raises the academic skills and academic
skills are necessary for a dynamic and qualified democracy. Thus,
the education and development of the individual student is closely
connected to the education and development of his or her peers.
Being educated is also being aware of others as well as being aware
of other subjects, cultures and teaching traditions.
The upper secondary school
system in Denmark
There are four different upper
secondary education programmes in Denmark: STX, HHX, HTX and HF,
aimed at young people who are interested in knowledge,
concentration, seeing things in perspective and abstraction.
Christianshavns Gymnasium is within the STX-programme.
- STX (The Gymnasium - general academic preparatory studies)
- HHX (The Higher Commercial Examination Programme)
- HTX (The Higher Technical Examination Programme)
- HF (The Higher Preparatory Examination)
The common objective of the
education programmes is to prepare young people for higher
education, and in that connection ensure that they acquire general
education, knowledge and competences by means of the subjects they
study and in the interaction between them. Each education programme
has its specific range of compulsory subjects that are common for
all pupils taking the programme. In STX, HHX and HTX, in addition,
each school offers a number of different specialized studies
packages (normally containing three subjects) and elective subjects
for the pupils to choose between.
All of the education programmes
also contain multi-subject courses, among other things with the
object of strengthening the pupils' preparedness for further study.
This includes the ability to apply knowledge and methods from
several subjects to illustrate interdisciplinary themes and
problems and the ability to compare the subjects' knowledge and
methods. The STX takes three years to complete and admits young
people who have completed nine years of basic school. An exam from
one of the upper secondary education programmes allows the student
to apply for tertiary education.
Internationalisation
The international dimension is a
central part of the school values at Christianshavns Gymnasium.
Each class travels abroad on a study trip at least once during
their three years at the school. We also participate in exchange
programmes with schools in France and Spain as well as choir
exchange with schools in Germany, and our students participate in
the annual OxDox Film Festival in Oxford. Furthermore, our school
is part of the European Study Programme, the UNESCO Baltic Sea
Project, the Transatlantic Slave Trade Project and the World
Heritage Education Project.
The international dimension is
implemented in numerous ways, for instance by inviting guest
teachers, visiting museums and participating in various
international events such as the annual Auschwitz-day. In 2009, our
school represented Denmark in the Pan-European Environmental
Student Conference in Cyprus.
Christianshavns Gymnasium stands
out when it comes to international student competitions. In 2010
our students won "Best Student Film" at OxDox. Also in 2010, one of
our students won the Public Speaking Competition arranged by The
English Speaking Union. In 2009, two of our students finished in
the top 10 percent in the Juvenes Translatores competition arranged
by the EU commission, and another of our students finished in the
top 15 percent in the mathematics competition Georg Mohr. In 2008,
one of our students won bronze at the international Chemistry
Olympics.
These activities and
accomplishments are good examples of how the international
dimension is a natural and well-implemented part of the everyday
life at Christianshavns Gymnasium.