C.S.Lewis Bilingual High School Official Brochure - English Version

C. S. lewis bilingual high school bilingvรกlne gymnรกzium c.s.lewisa

WELCOME TO bilgym!

C. S. Lewis Bilingual High School (Bilgym) wants to be a place which shapes people with a strong character and an excellent education; people who will be ready to make Slovakia and the rest of the world a better place.

The story of our high school started 12 years ago. All of us: teachers, students, parents, the supervisory board, alumni and friends have been writing our story together.

We are doing our best to build an exceptional high school standing on three pillars:

ACADEMIC

VALUES

INTERNATIONAL

Our alumni value the teaching methods supporting critical thinking. We do not just provide the information but we also teach how to doubt, analyze, and ask questions. We aim to be a place for educated and motivated teachers.

This is done through training, personal coaching and supervision.

We aim to discover the truth about ourselves and the world. We are learning one from another by means of tutoring, community service and discussion. Christianity is understood and offered and we want to enable our students to become better versions of themselves.

Our students are being prepared for their further education in the international environment. This is done by means of intensive language training, and by interacting with our teachers, lecturers and tutors who are from the USA, Mexico, India, Spain, Great Britain and Germany.

We focus on social inclusion We believe that “a man is not an island“: (Thomas Merton) for to be a man means to live in relation to others and building bridges is better than building walls. Our school wants to be a place of inclusion, in which diversity is welcome.

Our aim is to provide opportunities to study here and also to those who cannot afford it. The students who are curious (for a good question is half of the answer) and willing to work on themselves are invited to apply for a social scholarship.

Thanks to an elevator and ramp access, C. S. Lewis Bilingual High School will become the first barrier-free school of its kind in Slovakia.

There is a high school dormitory nearby (Vranovská 2, Petržalka).

4 Who are we?

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6 Educating 7

12 Forming 13 character

18 Mentoring 19

24 Where are 25 we heading?

26 Our 27 Alumni

10 Building 11 a community

14 15

Getting inspired

16 Supporting the 17 joys of exercise

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Students activities

22 The Eagle 23 and Child

28 Life 29 in school

Introducing ourselves School Management and School Board

Dušan Jaura

Marián Czére

Daniel Bútora

Daniel Laco

Principal

Academic Director

C. S. Lewis Schools Association Manager

School Board Chairman

“There are schools that look like a narrow corridor in which stressed-out, timid mice are running, yearning to take a bite of cheese, and at the end there is a delicious treat waiting for them. In our school we prefer growing plants. We create the environment in which the plants can put down deep and strong roots and stand the heat of the midday sun.”

“I want to be a part of a school where a young person led by good teachers can develop his/her talents, abilities and skills in compliance with Goethe’s quote: The way you see people is the way you treat them and the way you treat them is what they become.”

“Our students will be successful most of the time. But if this means that they will have a new car in their garage every two years, their lives would be very poor and empty. That’s the reason why we are creating an environment where the students can discover that they don’t live with their own lives as their only concern. In this way they will be successful if they can ask themselves how they can enrich other people’s lives – and thus make the country better.”

“I am happy that our children and their peers could attend an “open school” which prepares them well for the life “outside”.

The willingness not to stay strictly within the borders of the subjects but to perceive the personality of each student requires enthusiastic and dedicated teachers. It is rewarding to see alumni who are concerned with making things better.”

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Department Heads

Hanka Šándorová

Ondrej Szekély

Alica Žuravová

Dušan Jurčo

School psychologist and mentoring coordinator

Sciences Department

Department of Languages

Department of Humanities

“Our aim is to create a school full of trust and respect – thanks to mentoring as well.”

“Once I had a crystal clear idea of how a school should shape and form a personality.

Then I found Bilgym and I was amazed to discover that there is a place which aspires to the same things as my idea.”

„Do the best you can until you know better.

Then when you know better, do better.“

“With Bilgym it is time to think about the world and oneself: who are we, what are we like and what do we do.”

- Maya Angelou

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We lead our students to take responsibility for themselves, to distinguish and assess other people’s values, and develop their own social and emotional intelligence.

What is unique about our curriculum?

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Our education is integral. We devote ourselves to self-awareness and reflection.

Responsibility, honesty, problem solving, the ability to communicate, and the willingness to change and improve oneself help us to increase the students’ motivation to work on themselves and to have excellent successes at both school as well as in their private lives.

What will you STUDY? Language and communication

Man and values

Slovak language and literature English language Spanish / German language

Religion/Ethics

Man and nature

Mathematics Information Technology

Physics Chemistry Biology

Man and society History Geography Civics

Mathematics and working with information

Art and culture Art and culture

Health and exercise Physical and sports education

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STUDY

OUR TEACHERS

In the Freshman year the students get intensive language training.

Relationships with teachers have an influence on us for the whole of our lives. They have an impact on the idea of whether we will change the world one day. Our teachers teach differently, they are really interested in the students. They love to teach. They will not accept excuses. But they are compassionate.

They will inspire you to push your own boundaries, through meaningful questions, communication and critical thinking. They are also mentors.

In the Senior year the students choose three subjects according to their personal preferences, two of them are taught in their second language.

The Super Senior students take the Maturita exam at C1 level. They opt for subjects which they will study in depth. They dedicate up to seven lessons a week to two subjects, one of them is taught in the second language. The students also have an opportunity to take the State exam at C1 level.

The students are divided into groups of a maximum of 16 students.

GLOBAL STUDIES Our high school offers its students lessons in global studies. The aim of this subject is to get young people to ask questions and look for the answers to the problems of the world. We lead our students towards cross-cultural communication, global issue awareness and case studies.

The students hold discussions and find various connections and relationships between certain issues, and thus they learn to understand them.

The aim is that the students learn that the world can be perceived from different perspectives of both our close and distant neighbors. There is a sense in provoking the students to think how and why global issues are an inseparable part of our world.

The subject deals with the following topics: education, poverty, human rights, migration, conflict, political regimes, environmental problems, civilization and global diseases, etc.

ENGLISH PROGRAMME Besides Global studies there are the following subjects in the Freshman year: Course Book (development of all language skills) Grammar Speaking Public Speaking Literature and Writing (An introduction to literature, creative writing and taking the first steps towards academic writing) Learning Skills

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BUilding a Community An element of our school also consists of non-formal education, which involves school trips and excursions through which we try to get an understanding of ourselves, our peers, our contexts and history.

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WHERE WILL YOU TRAVEL? Teambuilding

Community Service Building

Our students in the Freshman year leave for their very first teambuilding before their school duties even start. Thus the students have the opportunity to strengthen their relationships, get to know each other, carry out different tasks requiring courage, intelligence, logical thinking and creativity.

Our school is not just about gaining knowledge and academic skills. Our students are also required to experience manual work as well and thus improve the environment we live in. A oneweek CSB is a tradition for our Juniors.

whether it is history, science or the arts. The field trips are connected to workshops, lectures and discussions. Our students have visited Terezín (Theresienstadt concentration camp), Lidice and Auschwitz (concentration camp), as well as Budapest, Scotland and Swiss CERN.

Language Building

Field Trips

Monastic Project

At the end of the Sophomore year the students leave for a one-week stay with their English language lecturers and other foreign partners of our school. The aim is to strengthen the school community and the language skills of the students in a non-formal environment.

Our Seniors go on field trips and excursions to places of certain value, such as museums, galleries, historical places and scientific centers. Places of their interest are connected to topics covered at school. The aim is to further grasp the significance of their studies,

In the final Super Senior year the students leave for a Monastic project. The aim is to ‘liberate’ the students from their everyday routines, to reflect on their high school lives, to think about their future and to perceive the spiritual aspect of life.

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“True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.�

- C. S. Lewis

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FORMimg and shaping CHARACTER VOLUNTEERING Many young people live in a culture of sufficiency and often perceive the world as a place ready to fulfill their expectations and wishes.

In the attempt to shape and form the values of our students we try to show them through various forms that the world doesn‘t revolve around them. Students will actively participate in activities that serve others.

The personality of each student is strengthened by means of tutoring, group work and discussions on values, attitudes and concepts.

Alongside with C. S. Lewis, whose name is carried by our school, we believe that education itself is not sufficient. If education is left alone, man can become only an “intelligent talking beast”.

Our programme for high school students’ character development is unique in Slovakia. It is a pilot programme.

Every year we get invitations to various teachers’ conferences in order to present our concept to deputies of other schools.

We meet with teachers from the Czech Republic and Poland so as to share our knowhow with other schools.

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WICK: Getting Inspired WICK (Weekly Inspirational Club for Kids) is a 30 minute session of ordinary or exceptional life stories from inspirational people; people who have followed their dreams: to make the world better, start a successful business, fight corruption, or bring about a change in the law.

In these 30 minute sessions, our students have the opportunity to listen to the stories of people from various areas and backgrounds: a priest, an actor, a businessman, a human rights activist, a person who has overcome an addiction, a journalist, or a life coach.

WICK is a time for asking questions, finding answers, and discussing stimulating topics. By the means of WICK we are trying to awaken our students’ curiosity and their interest in what is happening around us.

In the last two years we have had the following guests: JOHN SEXTON (New York University) PETER KRIŠTOFOVIČ (investor and coach) DIRK AHLBORNE (Hyperloop CEO) MARIÁN LEŠKO ( journalist) PAVOL SIBYLA ( journalist) ANTON SRHOLEC (priest) MILAN KARVAŠ (scientist) JURAJ VACULÍK (Aeromobil co-founder) LUCIA ŠICKO (Pixel Federation co-founder) MARCEL MARKUŠ (ČSOB) MILAN SEDLIAK (vice-dean of Faculty of physical education and sport, Comenius University)

YOUTUBE CHANNEL (Not only) our students have the opportunity to watch the WICK lectures and discussions on our YouTube channel.

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John Sexton NYU Ex-president

It is not important how old we are and whether we are students or teachers.

We want to be inspired by ordinary as well as extraordinary life stories.

supporting the joy of exercise Jean Jacques Rousseau wrote: “The stronger the body, the more it obeys; the weaker the body, the more it commands.”

We are aware of this truth and that’s why we are trying to give our students the best possible conditions so that they can keep their bodies strong and fit.

We offer a whole range of exercises so that everyone can find one suitable for him/her or take up something new. We play volley ball, basketball, football, floorball, ringo, ultimate Frisbee, badminton, we do athletics, gymnastics; we work out in the gym and with small equipment such as overballs, expanders, skipping ropes and fitballs.

Our aim is to increase the physical condition and develop motor skills. We have two gyms and a multifunctional sports field at our disposal, we also go jogging in a nearby park.

Our students can do sports in their leisure time as well. There is a gym, table tennis tables and sports clubs (volley ball, football, frisbee, floorball) available to them.

Our students are successful in various sports competitions. Every year they take part in competitions in football, volley ball, floorball, badminton, table tennis, cross-country running, aerobics, marathon running and athletics.

Michal Kmotorka and Erika Ježová Physical education teachers and trainers

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mentoring: we guide

The mentor’s role is to help with their student’s integral development.

The mentor guides their students to discover their own potential and find ways to fulfill it.

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A system of mentoring was introduced in the 2012-2013 academic year.

The goal is to make the contact between student and teacher more personal so that they can reflect together on the student’s life. Mentors lead their “tutees” forward on their way to personal integrity and, by way of a relaxed dialogue, they talk not only about school and their academic achievements but also about their personal life questions and their future.

Mentors are people with values and experiences, who themselves have to go through training so that they are able to offer the students appropriate coaching.

Mentoring on a “one to one“ basis = “mentor – student”.

Every year we get feedback from our students and their parents and they see mentoring as one of the most valuable activities at our school.

“I perceive mentoring as a unique project of our school, which gives our students an opportunity to experience a partner-like approach from adults who are here to listen, understand and to help explore the ways in which students might choose to walk and thus help his/her self-development. The teachers also take a look into the students’ lives and this relationship goes beyond just the times of their meetings.”

Hana Šándorová

In the 2016-2017 academic year, first-year students are enrolled in a system of group mentoring – with their homeroom teacher.

The mentor’s role is focused on students’ integration into the new environment, understanding organisational processes and the values of our school.

In the Sophomore year mentoring takes an individual form. The mentor is like a lamp (the mentor illuminates various ways and possibilities for the student) and a mirror (the mentor together with the student reflect on the student’s decisions and gives him/ her feedback).

From the Junior year mentoring is optional for the students.

The students can have an internal or external mentor.

mentoring coordinator

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Students’ activities Business thinking development

THE BILGYM scholarship fund ….they can make magic, be a tour guide in London, Amsterdam, Buenos Aires, bake student-made cakes, they can surprise you with a birthday party, conduct science show experiments, give you maths, chemistry or English tutoring, teach you programming, create web sites, entertain you by playing the piano at a party or in a cafe…. all this with the goal to raise money for a need-based talent scholarship for two future fellow students.

The Bilgym scholarship fund was set up in 2015 by Bilgym alumni as well as current students.

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Money raised from the “sale” of their knowledge, talent or skills will be donated to The Bilgym scholarship fund. They learn how to sell themselves. They actively address successful portals on the market with the aim of developing their skills in the field of marketing and communication.

www.bilgym.sk/stipendijnyfond # Štipendijný fond Bilgymu @stipendijnyfond

C.S.LEWIS THEATRE COMPANY C.S.Lewis Theatre Company is a group of students from different classes. With the help of Lukáš Jurečka they have prepared a performance of “Check Please” - a comedy by the American writer Jonathan Rand.

Blind dating can be hard; especially when your date happens to be a kleptomaniac, a conspiracy theorist or a schizophrenic. “Check Please” is a great parody of single “losers”. It follows a series of blind dinner dates, introducing various colourful characters. In spite of the despair it seems that there could possibly be light at the end of the tunnel.

HEYOU! Heyou! is an internet magazine founded by Bilgym students. It is Independent. The students choose the subject matter and create its content. What connects them is the world around us; the arts, culture, science and technology.

“In Heyou! we believe that also young people should be given space in order to express themselves and be creative. That’s why we don’t want to stay only behind the gates of Bilgym – we also want to venture out and give space to people outside of Bilgym.”

- Katka Barteková editor-in-chief

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THE EAGLE AND CHILD - Students’ Café Students to students

It was established in 2015, when our school moved to a new building, by a group of students of all grades. They had a dream to create a cosy place with student-home-made treats and healthy beverages.

Today it is a uniquely designed place of recycled old school blackboards, music, heavenly delicious cakes, fresh fruit, lemonade and toasted sandwiches.

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It is a pleasant place to meet friends, work on projects and pursue creative activities.

Our café was named after the Oxford café where C. S. Lewis and J. R. Tolkien discussed their literary work.

The café serves as a place for discussions, exhibitions, piano recitals and even movie screenings in the future.

The Eagle and Child is a space for the development of business thinking and business skills.

The café is managed by students only. They work together with a disabled person. Many students provide their cakes and work for free in order to contribute to The Bilgym scholarship fund.

Je to splnený sen študentov o útulnom mieste s poctivými student-home-made dobrotami.

The Eagle and

Child

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where are we HEADING? Our school is a space for education and strengthening the community spirit.

Our vision is to enrich this common space with different identities.

Bilgym as a research center

Bilgym as an incubator

Our school endeavors to be conservative, but also progressive, to have roots as well as wings. The possibility to fulfill, what seems at first sight, a paradox is explained by G. K. Chesterton in his work “Orthodoxy“ with the example of a white fence post: Maintaining a white fence post requires constant vigilance and care. If you want to prevent its transformation from white to black, then it needs to be regularly repainted. Our teachers need space for reflection and the possibility to experience and think through current events and subsequently “paint“ their knowledge and methodology in the classroom and in our community. The same applies to our second pillar: Values. There is a perpetual need to explore recent developments, thereby capturing news and trends that may influence and shape our students.

Being aware and being part of the broader international environment is essential for our teachers.

Knowledge needs to be applied and assessed in practice in a safe environment. This is applicable to academic knowledge and even more so to “character development“ where we see ourselves as pioneers, building roads in areas where no one has yet walked.

There is a need for further experimentation in the field of non-formal education, particularly in the implementation of volunteer programs, the assessment of alternative approaches for a future study community, etc.

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Bilgym as a training centre We want to share with others who we are and what we plan to become. Our ambition is to contribute to the multiplication of our ideas and support “islands of positive deviation“ in various parts of the country. We want to inspire individuals and teams of people who similarly share an enthusiasm for and the potential to introduce meaningful and constructive changes in the education system. Our aim is to create space for a “training center“, which would be visited on a temporary basis by potential “agents of change“. In participating in this program, they would gain the opportunity to experience the values, atmosphere and corporate culture of our school and at the same time share their own observations with us.

We are building a school in which everybody will be challenged, everybody will be successful and everybody will be included.

our AlumnI

“Bilgym offered me a precious environment in which discovering new opportunities is a challenge not a barrier.”

Michal Laco Alumnus 2009

“During my studies at Bilgym I learnt that my boundaries are much further than I had thought, and that there is no need to be afraid of challenges. We were treated as equal, the teachers tried to help us to find ourselves and what we could do and study next. We were supported in most of our activities, even if they went beyond the school and it wasn’t our teachers’ obligation.”

Mária Moravská Alumna 2010

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“I see Bilgym as a place of limitless possibilities.

It is more than a school – it is a second home.

I always feel welcome when I return back.”

Patrícia Schmidtová Alumna 2016

“Thank you, Bilgym! For a wonderful 5 years.

For an inspirational environment. For input, tasks, tests, debates, ‘noes and yeses’, teambuilding, WICKs, and all the other nice things that were offered to me. If you are thinking of studying at Bilgym, I can honestly say that it’s worth it.

Taking a step forward with Bilgym really pays off. One day you’ll be thankful.”

Jakub Hodek Alumnus 2015

“One of the most important things that Bilgym offered me was critical thinking. It wasn’t just a simple intake of information, but we were taught to doubt, analyze, and ask questions.”

Jakub Dianiška Alumnus 2009

“When thinking of my high school I feel gratitude and pride. I feel grateful for the opportunity to grow freely as well as participating in the creation of the environment. I am proud that I had the opportunity to know real teachers who honestly care for their students.”

Juraj Šikra Alumnus 2010

“I don’t remember Bilgym as an institution, but as a community of individuals who contributed to the creation of a school. You could meet so many interesting, sophisticated people that you would have to be suffering from a lack of curiosity not to grow and learn from them.”

Denis Kazankov Alumnus 2015

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life in school A school day brings with it a lot of duties and requires concentration. It is nice to have a rest, relax, talk to friends and do sports during the breaks and after school.

There are „relaxation zones“ such as a club and tea rooms, comfortable sofas and four table tennis tables located in the school hall; all being at our student’s disposal. These areas serve our students for their relaxation, free movement and socialization.

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Notes

Photos: Bilgym Archive Graphic Design: Katarína Kolenčíková © Bilgym 2016

Bilingvรกlne gymnรกzium C.S.Lewisa Address: Haanova 28 851 04 Bratislava, Slovakia Telephone: +421 907 115 967

www.bilgym.sk