RANTAKYLAN YLAASTE
 

Rantakylan ylaaste is senior a comprehensive school in Mikkeli rural district (Mikkelin mlk). There are 540 students (13-16 years) and 40 teachers in our school. Headmaster is mrs. Seija Manninen. Most of our pupils live in countryside circumstances and are transported daily to the school. Some students live in the village Rantakyl? close to Mikkeli, where school is located. Mikkeli is a small town with 35 000 inhabitants about 230 km to Northwest from Helsinki, the capital of Finland.

In school one of our strengths are environmental issues. In the Province of Mikkeli we live in close relationship with nature, in fact in the middle of Finland’s heritage landscape. Province of Mikkeli is located in the area of the Finnish Lake District with several nature parks and nature conversation areas, which are our pride and focus of concern.

Another strength of ours isinformation technology. Our school is a part of local data network and we also gain access to INTERNET. Computer literacy is an essential skill for our students. We are taking part in recently started DINE PM - project (Distance Independent Education in Province of Mikkeli). This is a unique pilot project in Finland financed by EU Social Fund and Ministry of Education in Finland. The aim of this project is to support education in rural district and sparsely populated areas by utilising modern information technology.

We also have good tools and equipment for wood, metal and textile handicraft and our students gain good possibilities of learning by doing. These skills have traditionally been important to the people living in countryside.

School chorus,’ Kastanja’, includes 30 pupils who are talent in singing and playing. Kastanja-chorus has recorded several times and gained success in international school chorus contests.

Our international contacts are scarce so far; however, at present we are running international GLOBE-project. (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment). This project (see: http://www.globe.gov), together with the supporting Comenius-program, may be a good opportunity to get international contacts with the schools those are interested in environmental issues. In Comenius-program we are working together with the Spanish, Italian and English partnership schools.

Our school year starts around 15th of August and ends in the end of May or first week in June. School year consists of 180 school days. During the school term there are several shorter holiday periods. A normal day consists of six lessons, each lasting 45 min, and a lunch time. Free school lunch is served for all the pupils every day.
 
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