Cordially invited to the traditional concert, which will take place on Sunday, 10th May, 2015 at 6.00 p.m. in Gallus Hall in Cankarjev Dom (Ljubljana). More than 430 singers and instrumentalists from primary school to gymnasium and alumni will present what they have been creating throughout the school year. The concert is dedicated to the centennial commemoration of the beginning of WWI and the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII, that is the reason why it bears the title » I am here to love, not hate. « In the first part the musical works on war and peace by Močnik, Lebič, Mendelsson and Schnittke will be performed. In the second, the joy of music making will be presented and finally concluded with works by Karl Jenkins and all performers on the stage.
Tickets are available in St. Stanislav’s Institution (call ++386 31 708 313), or on the concert day, an hour before the beginning of the concert in the first foyer in Cankarjev dom.
Lily Schweiger Kotar
Four teachers of English at St. Stanislav’s Institution, The Diocesan Classical Gymnasium – Alenka Battelino, Eva Pišljar Suhadolc, Valerija Lah Peternel and Lily Schweiger Kotar – attended a CLIL course (Content and Language integrated learning) for secondary teachers from 20th-25th April 2015, which took place in International Project Center, Exeter in England, as a part of KA1 learning mobility of individuals . The group was joined by another History teacher from Jerez, Spain. The purpose of attending such a course was to acquire knowledge and specific know-how from good practice in the UK and with an enthusiastic and understanding teacher, develop our own competences and increase the relevance of our teaching. Last but not least we wanted to increase knowledge of social, linguistic and cultural matters as well.
During the entire week we tried to grasp the implications for the CLIL classroom, which include critical and creative thinking, code-switching, collaborative and active learning as well as including the so-called lower order thinking skills (LOTS) and higher order thinking skills (HOTS).
Taking part in the course meant constantly implementing CLIL elements in our everyday work as well, which resulted in a practical demonstration of skills acquired by the teachers involved. One group of teachers presented a science task including features of CLIL, the other group presented in a similar way female British writers set in different historical, social and geographical context. The acquired skills and language teaching methodology were implemented to regular schoolwork at home, informing first other teachers of English at school, the headmaster and the School Development Team. One of the most beneficial aspects of CLIL’s approach is teaching language and content at the same time as you have to pay attention to language as well as content. /Lily Schweiger Kotar/
On the initiative of student members of the DCG socio-political club, president of the Republic of Slovenia Borut Pahor, president of the New Slovene Testament, Peter Sušnik and the General Secretary of the League of Association of Veterans for Values of National Liberation War in Slovenia Mitja Klavora joined for a panel discussion on reconciliation regarding WWII divisions. President Pahor moderated this “unprecedented event”, as he labelled it, which took place on 14th April, 2105 in St. Stanislav’s Institution, Ljubljana. The title of the meeting were the suggestive Antigone’s words: »I am here to love, not hate«.
The discussion on the views of the recent Slovene history was marked by different, even opposing, standpoints, but also by the intention of dialogue continuation. Regardless this fact, the meeting was as Pahor said »something good«. The discussion was concluded with the appeal for a certain amount of tolerance. Some people are bothered by one thing, some by another, nevertheless, he is convinced that »we share more things in common«.
Students who participated were mostly critical of the fact that they did not have enough opportunities to join in with questions, which still remain unanswered. Student Lucija believes that »there was a lot of talking, but not much was said. I had the impression that Mr Sušnik and Mr Klavora were not actually talking to each other. « Student Vid is still waiting for an answer to his question, which proves to be a crucial one: « Who are we trying to reconcile with? Until we do not answer this question (each and all of us), all further discussion is futile. If there is nobody to reconcile with, there is no need for reconciliation. «
Lily Schweiger Kotar
The students of the DCG from the French Drama Club participated for the second time in the observation of the International Francophonie Days in Celje, Slovenia. On World Theatre Day, March 27th , 88 students from 13 different Slovene high schools gathered to stage a contemporary performance in French, namely the L’Européenne by David Lescot. Directed and assisted by two young French artists, Slovene students set up this project, which is unique also in a broader European context, and demonstrated some amazing teamwork. The students of DCG worked under the mentorship of Daša Obrč.
President Pahor and two other guests, Tit Turnšek and Peter Sušnik, will meet students of The Diocesan Classical Gymnasium on Tuesday, April 14th at 2.30 p.m. in the Matija Tomc Hall (St. Stanislav’s Institution). The panel discussion in the remembrance year will be conducted under the title »I am here to love, not hate« (Antigone by Sophocles).
In January 2014, Alojzij Šuštar Primary School started a two-year project named Outdoor Learning. Our partners in the project are primary school Borge skole (Fredrikstad, Norway) and Slovenian Catholic Girl Guides and Boy Scouts Association.
The main goal of the project is to improve our methods in outdoor learning, to learn new approaches and techniques from the partners, to adapt and use them in working with our pupils. We are hosting teachers and pupils from Borge skole in April and we will visit them in May. Besides showing each other the improvements we have made since last year, we will spend quality time together and share new ideas and knowledge we have gained.
The project coordinator at our end is Ela Rupert.
Janko Orač, 14th Station of the Cross: Jesus is laid in the tomb, acrylic on canvas, 100×70 cm, 2009
He is laid in a tomb. The sign of a cross appears from the stone tomb, from his anointed body, It enters into the bosom of life. As a sign of birth, as a sign of death, as a sign of suffering. Suffering. As a sign of joy. And a sign of Love. So inconceivable. Endless. Incomprehensible. Eternal love. Will you, the Spirit of God, eradicate the evil rooted in our flesh?
(14th Station of the Cross, Dane Zajc)
The suffering and pain of today’s world are also filled with the joy of resurrection. May the celebration of Easter be a source of abundant hope that love is stronger than hatred, forgiveness better than revenge and life more powerful than death. We wish you a happy Easter!
As a part of their European Tour, St. Stephen’s Global Touring Ensemble from Austin (Texas, USA) performed in Cankarjev dom (Ljubljana, Slovenia) together with the String Orchestra on 12th March 2015. A variety of eclectic music from classical music, blues, jazz, sophistic music to southern American melodies was be performed under the conductor and soloist John Moon. The String Orchestra, which consists of students of the Diocesan Classical gymnasium, played the Concerto op. 6, nr. 8 by A. Corelli under the baton of Damijan Močnik.
The American group is to present concerts in the cities of Salzburg, Ljubljana, Trieste and Venice. In St. Stanislav’s Institution we looked forward to the experience of performing together with the young American musicians and sharing common enthusiasm for music.
From 24th – 26th March, 2015 the students of the DCG took part in the innovation camp together with other students from different Slovene high schools as well as the students from Oslo, Norway who shared share their abundant experience in entrepreneurship. The event took place under the sponsorship of Microsoft and in cooperation with the Slovene Institution for Promotion of Entrepreneurship among the Young, which functions under in the realm of the international organisation JA-YE.
Ther innovation camp is a a part of the Erasmus+ project, this time led under the mentorship of Mirjam Lindič .
Lecturers at the smposium after delivering the final statement
After an international conference in November 2014, we have edited and published the conference proceedings. The publication bares the same name as the conference itself The Mission of Catholic Schools – An answer to the Challenges of Today and Tomorrow.
Due to Slovenian legislation we cannot make the PDF available in the first six months after publication. If you would be interrested in a printed copy, you can contact us at [email protected].
