Information to parents
Relocation of the International School of Helsingborg to Skolstaden in 2010.
Proposition
The proposed relocation of ISH to Skolstaden, supported by the Skol- och Fritidsförvaltningen management team is hereby presented.
The ISH leader team, in December 2008, produced a description of the current ISH facilities, intended to serve as a basis for the relocation project group, consisting of representatives from Skolstaden, SFF, Kärnfastigheter/ real-estate company, White Architects, and Landscape- Syd AB.
Fundamental Skolstaden ISH objectives include to:
• Strengthen and clarify Skolstaden as the school uniting the advantages of the small school within a bigger campus, to secure high quality and thus successfully meet the competition from private schools.
• Ensure security for the children as well as meet the high demands of the accredited IBO concept, implying rigorous criteria and extensive quality follow-up, the new locations will be adjusted and redecorated accordingly.
• Manifest clear home areas where students, teachers and leaders work in close pedagogic collaboration.
• Bring about a speedy implementation of laptops and wireless systems to meet modern pedagogic financed through synergy effects through the Skolstaden concept.
• Meet the demands of a high quality international school requested by politicians, international companies, students and parents in Helsingborg.
• Ensure the possibility of growth within ISH.
• Further improve the marketing of the school.
The relocation proposition includes the following:
Fritids, PYP and MYP 1-4
Fritids, PYP and MYP 1-4 will be relocated to the school building currently called Petri, situated next to the elementary school Slottsvångsskolan, where ISH once started in 1995. The Petri building is located within a secluded area apart from the rest of Skolstaden.
The rooms are spacious and the area in total is bigger than the present facilities at Maria Park, and include the following (See pictures: Programhandling_Petri_indoors 090515) showing the main interior facilities. Some changes can be made according to results of further discussions and wishes within the ISH organization:
• Lower ground floor/Picture 00:
The Preschool, Fritids and lower PYP. The PE hall is not included in the picture, but accessible through an indoor corridor.
• Ground floor/Picture 01:
Main entrance and PYP. Welfare team, staff rooms, library, lunch room etc.
• First floor/Picture 02:
MYP 1-4. Student lockers, Arts and Music departments, science labs, computer lab etc.
Outdoor activities: The school yard will be divided into different play areas to suit the different year groups, a wall/fence will be erected around the premises to secure the area, and the architect has presented drawings including leveling of the ground to achieve a welcoming play area with a slide, swings etc, a barbeque area, a net-covered football pitch with artificial grass surface on the roof of the PE hall etc. Meeting spots for the older children will be located between the main building and the PE hall.
Across Bergaliden, a street where the traffic is limited to 30km/h, is Slottshagen Park and Kärnan, with possibilities for further outdoor class activities. (See picture: Garden pdf: The text is in Swedish on this pdf drawing)
A docking area for parents with younger children will be created outside the main entrance on Östra Vallgatan. Additionally there will be access to more parking spaces a few minutes away.
Adjustments and timeframe: Necessary changes to the interior and exterior environment at ISH Petri building will be started during the summer of 2009 and partly also include the School year 2009/2010. Major adjustments will thereafter be carried out during the summer of the move, 2010.
Adjustments imply forming the outdoor areas to suit the needs of the younger children, and include highly focused attention to safety aspects. Interior redecorations include a multifunction area holding the school lunch room, a café and a recess area.
MYP 5 and the Diploma Programme
MYP 5 and the Diploma Programme will be located some 350 meters away from the Petri building within the Skolstaden area in a detached part of the Nicolai building ( See picture: MYP5&DP. pdf).
The lab facilities will be located in the Science center in the K-house. The science center wing of the building is connected to the ISH domain through a corridor housing the lunch room, school café, and the library.
A career center hosting the career officers will be located opposite the library on the ground floor and be up and running from August 2009. In addition, the lunch room and the café will become integrated and be open to students all school day to serve as a recess area.
The K-house, already today equipped with outstanding lab facilities, will, in August 2010, become a highly specialized Science house for all sciences, and be called the Lab house/Labbhuset.
Adjustments and timeframe
The new Skolstaden campus park area is well under way, and gives the school site a car free area. The park will among other things offer recreational areas, bicycle paths, and an outdoor theatre. It will be completed before the ISH move.
ISH Skolstaden
The above described interior as well as exterior proposition is aimed at securing a high quality platform for continued development within the International School of Helsingborg, Skolstaden.
Detailed planning will now continue together with representatives for the parties concerned and safety representatives to ensure the best possible result. Consequence and risk analyses will be carried out. Information to trade unions according to MBL § 19 will be held 26 May 2009.
Below you will find the plans that was attatched to the email from BvW. To enlarge - just click on them.
That’s it then!
ReplyDeleteHow could any sensible parent resist moving their child out of their current structured, more formal, and dare I say, stricter learning and teaching environment into the liberal, kids rule Swedish Education nightmare known as Skolstaden? As for the absolutely nonsensical language used throughout the proposal… Synergy effects… Manifest clear home areas where students, teachers and leaders work in close pedagogic collaboration. If it was not so serious it would be laughable.
Just one tiny detail, but if we lose Grades10, 11 and 12, why move off Maria Park at all? Notice the scribbled afterthoughts about where 10, 11 and 12 go? As I’ve said all along, this move is only about Skolstaden needing the Diploma Programme to be part of its own very poor academic Gymnasium. All the decent schools in Helsingborg became private, and they are the ones our grade 9 children choose if they don’t stay on at ISH to do the Diploma.
So my response to Björn (not that he has asked for our views in case that passed you by).
You don’t fool me, and my children deserve better, so I’m off.