F.E.Sillanpää Upper Secondary School in Hämeenkyrö!

Welcome to read about life in F.E.Sillanpää Upper Secondary School!

Sunday 22 December 2013

A Christmassy Day



It is finally Christmas holiday. High school students celebrated this holiday and Christmas itself on Friday 20th of December. The student body had again arranged some things for students to do. We had an opportunity to dress in some costumes, of course in that kind of costumes which are related to Christmas. Then we had a bingo and the prizes were a Christmas ham, which was the first prize, two movie tickets and some chocolate Santa Clauses. All the high school students were playing bingo excitedly and hoping to win. But we can´t all win, but these students got some luck with them or was it even skill. Peetu Levänen won the ham, Annika Kaasalainen the movie tickets and Eetu Ihalainen won the big chocolate Santa Claus. Oh, and by the way the little chocolate Santa Claus was given to our teacher Asko Mielonen. So I assume that the winners were really happy of their prizes and we can move to the other prizes.

I mean the best costume prizes. There weren’t so much people who wore a costume so the competition was not tough, but still someone did and the prizes were given to two persons. The prizes were movie tickets again and the winners of this competition were Johanna Mäntylä and Eemil Linna, who were both wearing Santa Claus costumes. After the competition it was time for a movie.

We were in our school’s auditorium, so I don´t mean watching a movie from a small television. No, we have this big screen in our auditorium so it was like watching a movie in a real movie theater.
The movie was also a little bit Christmassy because it was Tim Burton´s movie Nightmare before Christmas. It was an animation, but I don´t think it mattered, because it was still a good movie and Tim Burton´s animated movies aren´t always that kind of kids´ movies, so it is a good movie for adults, too. I don´t think that all the students liked the movie, because you either like Tim Burton´s movies or you don´t, that’s my opinion. I certainly think that the movie split opinions, but the movie was still a great end for this day. The Christmassy day was a great idea and finished this year’s schoolwork perfectly and gave a nice start for this holiday. Now the high school students can finally forget work and school stuff and just relax and recharge their batteries. So, Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year for all !

Written by Miranda 1B    

Thursday 5 December 2013

Graduation Day in December


                                                         First year students performing.




Second year students serving.




The graduates of the day.



Saturday 2 November 2013

Trick or Treat



Trick or treat! 
It is the time of the year when it doesn`t matter if you look like a zombie in the morning or your make up is a little bit messed up. It is also the time of the year when pumpkin lanters are shining in the dark and when you can say Trick or Treat. 

Yes, it´s Halloween. Halloween has also come to our school here in Hämeenkyrö. Senior high school students celebrated Halloween wearing Halloween costumes and playing basketball and kinball on Friday 1st of November, 2013.
 


 
We had Halloween and a sports day at the same time. The games, as I said before, were basketball and kinball. Our senior high school students had dressed in really amazing and scary costumes. It was so nice to see that so many wore some costume. Even some teachers were wearing costumes, which was really amazing, too. So thumbs up to all who had some costume. Those who weren´t wearing any can always invest in the next time we have this kind of day. 



We played the games in our gym hall, where we also had some Halloween music. Every grade had  a colour code:  the first graders were wearing green, the second graders red and the third graders blue. And I have to say the second graders looked really bloody. 





There was also some juice for us. The juices were the same colour as our colour codes. So the first graders had green juice, the second graders red juice and the third graders blue juice. That was a very funny detail.

 
Kinball was a funny game although it was a new game to me. It´s really hard to explain but I can try. There was this huge ball (it was really light) that we had to hit in the air and then somebody screamed some grade’s name or colour and the grade whose name was called had to catch the ball. The ball could not touch the floor, the ceiling or the walls. It sounds a little bit silly, like I said it´s really hard to explain. The second graders won that game. 






Then we moved to the next game, which was basketball. Well, I suppose everyone knows this game.  The second graders were really good at this game, too, but I think that the third graders and first graders tried their best and gave the hardest resistance they could.

The last game was the teachers’ and the third graders’ game. So the teachers were playing against the third graders. I had no idea what game they were going to play. There were six carpets on the floor. Three carpets opposite to the other three carpets. One person on each carpet. Behind the carpets were standing two persons. Then there was one blue ball. Now comes the funny part. Those persons who were sitting on the ground had to wear eye patches, so they didn´t see anything, they were like blind. The two persons behind them tried to give advice to the ”blind persons”. Now the blind persons rolled the ball to the opposite side and then the persons who saw the ball gave advice to the ”blind persons” who tried to protect their own side. If the ball passed your own side the other team got a point. It looked really funny and I think that those who were playing the game had fun, too. 







So this was F.E.Sillanpää Senior High School`s Halloween. I hope you all have a happy Halloween and that we are all coming to school next Monday not looking so zombie as we looked on this Friday. 

Written by Miranda 1B

Monday 7 October 2013

The first exam week finally over

The first exam week ended on last Wednesday, 2nd October. The senior high school students had their last exam on that day. This exam week was the first for senior high school´s first graders. Did everything go well? In my class people were happy if they passed the exams and I think all passed them. Of course it was a happy surprise if you got a better grade than you could even imagine. If your test did not go so well, you can always raise your exam grade. So don´t worry!

The teachers returned the exams quite fast, which was a good thing. I think students wouldn´t be able to wait any longer. Everyone wanted to know how the exam went. Nervous students waited behind teachers' doors and came out holding their own exams 
in their hands. They looked happy or sad. 

 I think this exam week in high schools is a really good thing for students and also for teachers. All the exams come in the same week and you don´t have to do your homework in that week. So all you have to do is to focus on the exams and read. You have a lesson before the exam where you will revise all the learned things and maybe some teachers give some advice for the exam. Those lessons are very important and they prepare you for the exam. 

I think the important thing you must remember is that it isn't enough if you just read in last night before the exam. You have to prepare for the exam during the entire course. Do homework after lessons and listen in the lessons. If you do all that you don´t have to read so much. Plan your studying. It helps too. Then you have time to read for every exam.

Or what do I know? This was my first exam week and I have been in high school less than half a year. So I am not the best person to give advice. All students do things in their own way. So do it in your own way and try your best. If this exam week didn´t go so well, you can show your skills in the next one. Good luck for studying !

Written by Miranda 1B

Monday 9 September 2013

The welcoming party for the first graders = Nahkiaiset



Last Friday our senior high school´s first graders had their welcoming party, nahkiaiset. It was an event where the girls had to dress like boys and the boys had to dress like girls. I was one of those who had to dress like boys. The topic was Pokemon. 



We had a big list of things that we had to bring with us. For example we had to find a stone which weighed 3,01 kg. There were also some string (105,28cm), a chocolate bar (for the second graders, of course), a vegetable, a Pokemon ball, a Pokemon, a mug and a swimming ring in the list. And all that we had to carry in a cardboard box. It was not easy! 

When we came to school there were some instructions we had to follow. For example we had to crawl the stairs and follow the tapes on the floor. Every time we saw a second grader we had to worship him or her. 




In the morning we went to the gym, where we gave the chocolate bar and the vegetable to the second graders and then we got name badges. We had to practice a very embarrassing dance and after that we had normal school lessons. At the lunch we had to eat on the floor. 



It was a pretty hard day for the  first graders, but it was also one of the funniest days I have had in high school. The final ordeal was in the gym. We had to perform the dance which we had practiced and sing a song to the second graders. 





There were also more different kinds of tasks. For example we had to drink something very disgusting, a drink that the second graders had made for us “with love”. We also had to do tricks pairwise. It doesn’t sound difficult now, but try to think of it like this: our feet were bound and we were wearing our swimming rings. It made the tricks a little bit more difficult. 



There was also a competition of the ugliest "nahka" (first grader) award. After that embarrassing day I hope we are now officially senior high school students.  Right?  



Written by Miranda 1B

Thursday 5 September 2013

New school year with new exchange students

So summer holiday is now over and another, new school year has started in our high school. This also means that our last year's world travelers Elli, Laura and myself have returned home from America and Australia, and a couple of new exchange students have arrived from different parts of the world to make the atmosphere of FES a little more international and exciting. This year we are lucky enough to enjoy the company of three foreign exchange students, and I was lucky enough to spend one English lesson by interviewing them. Say hello to Afia Lubis from Indonesia, Kanako Yamaguchi from Japan and Ugo Meresse from France!


Afia, Ugo and Kanako


So, first of all, how did you end up coming to Finland?
Ugo: Well, I didn't choose Finland as my first option because I've stayed here (near Jyväskylä) already for a month last year and I would have liked to visit a totally new country. I wanted to go to New Zealand the most, but I have nothing to complain about, I really like Finland as well!

Afia: I chose USA at first, but then people from my exchange program said it'd be better option for me if I chose a Scandinavian country, so I chose Finland. It's different and it's far from Indonesia.

Kanako: I wanted to see the Northern lights and go far from Japan!



You haven't been here for a long time yet, but what have been the first impressions and differences between Finland and your country you have noticed so far?
AfiaThere's so much less people in Finland than in Indonesia! It feels like empty in here since in my city in Indonesia, there's 2 million people and traffic jams every day. School system is different as well, of course.

KanakoFinland has a lot of forests and lakes and people have bigger houses than in Japan. Sauna is also something different, as well as many people's outlooks with blond hair and blue eyes.

Ugo: The school system is very different in a good way. I think life in general is not that different because Finland and France are both in Europe and not that far away from each other.



What do you think about FES?
Ugo: Everything is so new and better here when compared to my school in France. Like, we have holes in walls at my school. Also, it's good when you can choose by yourself what you want to study. We can't do that in France.

Kanako: Our school is todella hyvä! Studying in English and Finnish is hard for me, though.

Afia: People are so nice and friendly here. The Finnish school system is also great because school starts so late, I mean, at 8:30!

So late, you say? Wait, just to make sure, are you serious?! 

Afia: Yeah, I am serious! In Indonesia, it starts at 6:30.

Ugo: It's the same with my school in France!

Wow.



What has been the best thing so far?
Ugo: Starting school because you make friends there.

Afia: Going to sauna. It was sooo hot, but I liked it!

Kanako: Salmiakki... Haha no, just kidding!



How about the weirdest thing?
Ugo: I think it's strange when people are just staring at me, probably wanting to come to talk to me but then they just don't. Also, when I get these Facebook friend requests but then those people don't ever start a conversation with me. Well, maybe it's just a part of Finnish culture or something. I'm used to it now and actually it doesn't happen so often anymore after a couple of weeks when I've gotten to know people better.

Afia: Definitely salmiakki, it's the weirdest of all!

Kanako: Yeah, I agree with Afia!



What are you looking for the most?
Ugo: Playing ice hockey, going ice swimming and skiing, partying, and seeing my friends in Jyväskylä, of course.

Afia: I'm waiting for the winter because it'll be snowing! I haven't ever seen snow before, and I'm so excited about it. I also want to try ice swimming.

Kanako: I want to see the Northern lights and go skiing. I'd also like to try DOG SKIING?!?!?



What did you know about Finland before coming here?
Kanako: I knew that sauna comes from Finland, that people are shy and drink a lot of coffee in here and that there are lots of forests and lakes in Finland. I also knew the Moomins, of course!

Afia: Everyone knows that Finland has the best education system in the world! I also knew you have snow during winter in here and that people can be cold at first but be super nice when you get to know them better.

Ugo: Yeah, in France we are studying the Finnish and Scandinavian education systems! Anyway, I have to say I didn't know many things about Finland before my fist visit. I knew Helsinki is the capital city, I knew ice hockey is popular and that you eat a lot of potatoes here. My dad has traveled around Scandinavia and also been in Finland, so he has told me some stuff about it, mostly about things that are somehow linked to my life. Also, Finnish girls are quite famous in France, haha!



Can you say anything in Finnish yet?
Afia: I'm not sure whether you can write this to the interview because our teacher would probably kill us but.. Perkele! I mostly know some random words like jakso, and oh, tomaatti on punainen.

Ugo: I know some Finnish already, obviously because I was here last year. My favourites are makkara and Mäkkäri, 'banaani on keltainen' and 'olen banaani'.

KanakoWell, what can I say... Huomenta, kiitos, totta kai, vai niin, sanakirja, kirjoittaa, hyvä...

The list goes on and on. Kanako knows, to be honest, surprisingly much Finnish, and when I ask how she knows so much already she says that she learns it all the time, a special thanks to her dictionary. All three say it's not tiring to listen to Finnish, even though it's a hard language and if people are speaking only in Finnish, they don't have any idea what's going on most of the time. They all are studying Finnish here in FES and their goal is to be able to talk in Finnish by the end of their year. And it seems that they are decided to get there!





This was the first introduce of our amazing exchange trio. I'm sure you'll hear about them many times in the future and get to know all three very well. We have such a great school year ahead of us. Stay tuned.