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Day by day we get more aware of how the Finnish school system works and how the architectural organization of space contributes to the learning process. This building is actually very recent: it was built in 2005! Even the teachers were asked to give their advice.

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Surprise event! A concert for us by the students attending the music course. In Finland music is a compulsory subject for two years, and some of the students go on playing instruments and singing. The repertoire goes from  traditional Finnish songs to modern rock music, and also classical music. Here there is a performance by the choir.

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The choir: among them there is one of the semifinalist of The Voice in Finland.

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The Headmaster and the Vice

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Comparing two different systems of school

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Today we are moving to Salo, but we still have time to visit the northern part of Helsinki: just a promenade in the park. Let’s go!

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The branches of the trees embracing the frozen lake

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Walking under protective hands

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A couple of swans organising their future: a nest

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Finlandia House: an exemple of modern architecture. By Alvar Aalto.
Finlandia-talo

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The theatre

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And now it’s time to leave! Bye bye Helsinki.
Italian people, be careful of reindeer!!

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After a short night..., now we are walking in Helsinki. What a marvelous weather! It’s sunny and warm, just a bit windy. Here we are near Havis Amanda, a nude female statue, a mermaid, sculpted by Ville Vallgren in 1906. It’s a symbol of Helsinki.

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Here is the statue of Johan Ludvig Runeberg, who  wrote the national hymn. We are in the Esplanadi Park. A seagull controls the whole situation...

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It’s time for a cruise! Everyone on board! The ferry is leaving in a few minutes. We are going to visit Suomenlinna, the fortress island, built by the Swedish in 1748 and then besieged by the Russian forces during the Russo-Swedish war.

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The bell of the church is ringing: it’s twelve o’clock!

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On a bridge connecting the islands.

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Discovering the island, between cannons and ramparts. There is also a Russian submarine. This fortress has a lot of history!

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A swing for us!

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And for lunch a creamy salmon soup: delicious!

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A visit to the Hortodox Church with some ancient holy icons.

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Walking round the elegant side of Helsinki

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The Luteran Church and...

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...the museum! With a silent tram. Everything here is quite and calm.

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A special dinner in a local Ravintola! We are learning some useful words! Ravintola means restaurant 😉

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A typical Finnish dessert, with a little Finnish flag! Jummy!

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Hello! We are at Malpensa Airport. Our flight will leave at 7 p.m. We are excited and ready to start this new experience. Too much luggage...we are afraid of cold weather...!

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Over the clouds

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It’s midnight, when we get our red car... Let’s go to Helsinki now!

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Today is our last day and we are attending an English lesson with Kati.

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Dancing people: Saturday night’s fever

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A Finnish Funny Fancy  dancer is entertaining us with his particular style

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Time to start our job shadowing experience .... excited to discover the Finnish school... Armi and Merita are waiting for us.

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Wow! Such an impact! 3 floors structure to pass from earth to air: scientific subjects on the ground floor, foreign languages and communication in the middle, theoretical ones, such as philosophy, religion, psychology and... Finnish on the top!

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Finnish dirty dancing

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Open space library!

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Driving in the car towards Salo in “perfect harmony”🎼

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Today in the teacher’s room an international meeting is taking place: talking, laughing and drinking coffee Polish, Spanish, Finnish and Italian teachers exchanging ideas about different school systems.

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And now attending the lessons... no books, no notebooks, just laptops and Lims.... not allowed to the students to carry loads on their shoulders...

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After the school a trip to Turku, the ancient capital. This is the cathedral.

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And in the classroom the teachers feel good and relaxed...

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Once upon time ... before the Great Fire 🔥 of 1827 that destroyed the entire city except this corner

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Lunch time all together in the school canteen: free and healthy food

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Small botanic garden with goldenfish  taken care by the students

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Ping pong time!

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Coffee time with Merita and Armi: “Life is too short for a bad coffee”

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The lesson starts with a game: Kati divides the students into groups of four, and gives them an interactive quiz on their mobiles to check the knowledge of vocabulary. The competition is great fun!

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An international day, starting with the presentation of our country, by Nicolas, an Italian student from Gallipoli.

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A video by Bruno Bozzetto

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Typical Finnish desserts: we are tasting an Easter cake called Mammi. It’s like a molassis of rye to be served with cream. Delicious!

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And salmon, as usual!

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The teacher moves through the desks and ...gosh! A student caught without his homework!!! Kati doesn’t lose her temper, but firmly reminds them of their responsability, ‘We have a deal!’.

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A sample of English textbook, with some translations in Finnish.

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Then we move to Merita’s class. She teaches Social Studies and the lesson is about the history of current political parties. The political elections are round the corner! It is a very interactive lesson and we are involved too.

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At the end of the project we celebrate together with our colleagues and friends, Army and Merita, in a typical Finnish Ravintola. Now you know what it means...

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Once back in Salo it is difficult to find an open Ravintola, that is to say a Restaurant. Here in Finland almost of them close at 6 p.m. But fortunately Seurahuone is open!

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Here in Finland the school takes care of the well being of both the  students and...the teachers. Look at this video with the teachers’ relaxing room.

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And even a futuristic massage armchair in the teachers’ room!! Big enough!

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Twenty minutes of pure pleasure... to be tried, to believe!

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At the beginning of the first year each student meets a counselor, who is a specialized teacher, in order to organize  his scheduled study plan. During the year they meet constantly to confirm or change it.

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And now some of the spaces where students can study, chat, organize their projects, and meet.

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Last handshake promising a future coohoperation, next time with students.