Friday news

Dear Parents, Guardians, Students, Graduates and Friends of Open Gate,

As you can see, time flies and here we are with another Friday newsletter. Nothing lasts forever, not even the cloudy sky. Although it hasn’t really warmed us, the sun showed its face this week. Today, however, we returned to the standard.

In the past two weeks, reports about our school and interviews with Mrs. Kožnarová, the Director of OG, have appeared in the media. If you missed them, you can read about them below.

‘Právo’ interview: https://www.kellnerfoundation.cz/ohlasy/je-kratkozrake-vychovavat-chodici-knihovny iHNED::http://bit.ly/iHNedcz_Koznarova

Monday’s morning assembly by Mr. Šrůta and Kvarta students concerned Human Rights Day, thank you!

On a Monday evening, some of our students visited the National Theater in Prague and others started the advent atmosphere in the dorms. Carol signing will be planned for every Monday evening until the holidays.

The Christmas atmosphere at OG is also supported by many other events. For example, we’ve begun the traditional Christmas poinsettia sale as a part of a charity event, the proceeds of which help children from the hematology department of the Children's Clinic of the Faculty Hospital in Olomouc. On Wednesday our German students went to Dresden to see the local Christmas markets, and Thursday was the day our athletes represented the school in Čelákovice. Lower gymnasium students started with the Christmas treat baking and we experienced our traditional visit from Mikuláš and his team.

There was a big number of trips and excursions this week. Kvarta students visited the Prague Jewish Quarter as well as local museum, and with our representatives present, the city of Brno held a digital media conference within IB Visual Arts. On Wednesday a group of interested students visited the histological laboratory in Prague and after lunch, our Sexta students went to receive their Duke of Edinburgh Award, the ceremony fo which was held at the Czech Museum of Music. Among the important guests at the ceremony were Angus Stewart, representative of the British Ambassador, Tomáš Vokáč, CEO of DofE and last but not least long-term DofE partner, and member of the band The Rebel Pipers, Miroslav Anger Junior. Our students had the opportunity to see the performance of Miroslav Anger, who was already mentioned above, and one of their own classmates, Sara Latif, who played the piano. Last year’s expedition participants brought bronze badge and DofE certificate with international validity from the ceremeny. Congratulations!

Overall the Sexta students were pretty busy. On Wednesday, while they were still at school, a meeting was held in the theater about the selection of courses for the IB Diploma Program, which is waiting for them in the last two years of study. These students also visited the DOX gallery in Prague within their sociological project on Thursday.

http://www.opengate.cz/cs/aktuality/15041/sextani-uz-vi-co-znamena-zoon-politikon

A group of Kvarta students went to Říčany to see the movie ‘Milada’, as a part of history studies.

Again, and for the last time, I’d like to remind you that Monday will be the day of our all-school Science, which is also open for the parents and public after lunch.

https://sites.google.com/view/open-gate-science-fair/home

And to the graduates, I’d also like to remind you about Friday, January the 5th at the traditional place.

One anniversary is for sure worth mentioning. This Wednesday marked 233 years since the introduction of compulsory schooling, thank you, Maria Theresa!

Our Sekunda students got even deeper into history. After approximately 1100 years, a trial over the accused Boleslav I. took place. This time, however, the arguments of the defense convinced the judge that the defendant was innocent. In other words, the murder’s planning and realization cannot be proved.

http://www.opengate.cz/cs/aktuality/15044/nevinen

One thing is for sure; this December week was really full of events, which are undoubtedly documented and we leave a digital track of them for the next generations as well. And we will continue to do so. This Friday no new TED talk, so next time.

Have a good time, enjoy the second Advent weekend and I look forward to the next week as well.

Petr Chára