Diploma in visual arts

Besides taking the matriculation examination in the academic subjects, skilled students can also earn a diploma in drama, sports, music and visual arts.  However, it is not a very common thing for our students to do as it requires a lot of work on top of all the studying.  So it was very great news to hear that Emmi Turppa (3B) just earned a diploma in visual arts, and with flying colours.  She got the very best grade for her work of art.  Emmi wrote a story about heroism and illustrated it in the form of a cartoon.  She then had it printed.

     

I wanted to ask Emmi a couple of questions about her project:

1.  When did you decide to start doing this project?                                                                            
-  When I applied to this school, it was clear to me that I would do this because both of my brothers had also earned this diploma.  On the other hand, I don’t honestly know what kind of reason that is for doing something that requires such a huge amount of work.

2.  So it must have been really hard to find time for creative work while studying for all the other subjects.  How long did it take?                                                                                                            
-  I worked four months on it, little by little. I was awfully busy in the autumn as we always got loads of homework in mathematics. Towards the end, I started to feel bored but, after all, it was great to notice my own progress as time went on and I created more and more pages.

3.  You had six topics to choose from.  Why did you want to draw a cartoon on heroism?
-  I have been interested in the Japanese cartoon culture for a long time.  So that task attracted me more than the others, and I was quite lucky to be able to choose a topic that I was already interested in.  This topic also made it possible for me to deal with the Christian Faith which plays a very big role in my own life.

4. Have you drawn cartoons earlier?                                                                                                      
-  No, this was my very first cartoon.  I usually like to concentrate on one picture for a longer time, so I draw and paint separate pictures and convey opinions and feelings without any text.

5. Was it difficult to create the story?  How did you get the idea for it?                                            
   - At first it was difficult as I didn’t know how to approach such a large concept.  I got the idea one day when I was walking my dog as usual, pondering my more or less profound thoughts.  I just started to look at the sky and interpret it in a symbolic way.  At first I looked at it in the same way as you do in the beginning of my book but then I realized something and you can find this final interpretation in the end of my cartoon.  I noticed that this was a good starting point for the cartoon, and these thoughts formed the frame work for the story.  After this basic plot, the rest of the story came quite easily, e.g. bullying which has been a very actual topic for a long time.  (Even though in Zenith’s case it was more about discrimination than about active bullying by calling names etc.)

                                                     The first page of the story.

6. The name of your cartoon is Zeniitti (the Zenith).  What does is it mean?
-  The zenith is the highest point in the sky, directly above you. The term is used in astronomy, so with it I was able to combine science with my art.

7.  Are you going to apply to study visual arts, will you become an artist?   
- No, I’m not.  I don’t think that’s the way to help other people, especially now that Finland is full of talented artists. But I will go on drawing and painting on my own.

8.  To whom would you recommend this kind of project? 
 - To all students who are interested in visual arts, ready to work hard and develop.  When you work for this diploma, you have a great possibility to learn everything, from different visual techniques to drawing the human anatomy in the correct way – whatever you want to learn.

9.  Any other
comments?                                                                                                                                
  -  The aim of my cartoon is to make the readers think about heroism themselves to find out who their own heroes are. My own opinion is very strong but the readers may and are allowed to disagree.

So if you want to have a closer look at Emmi's book, you can find it in the school library.

Matriculation examinations

The past few weeks after the winter holiday have mainly consisted of the matriculation examinations.  The third year students have been busy cramming for their final exams and sitting in them for six hours every second day.  The teachers, on the other hand, have been marking piles of papers.

                              Third year students are getting ready for their exam on 14th March, 2012. 

Most third year students will finish their matriculation exams on Friday, 23rd of March, with mathematics.
A handful of very industrious ones will still take Russian or French exams on 26th March.  After that the third year students are free to go, and we'll meet them again in the graduation ceremony at the beginning of June.

The old dances, the best day ever !

The best thing at senior high school takes place in the second grade. In February the third year students leave school and the second year students become the kings of the school. This is so great that it has to be celebrated by dressing at least like the royal!

On February 17^th all the girls woke up between five and seven, the guys a little later. All the girls were like princesses! The dresses were of all colours and everybody had their hair done beautifully. Guys were handsome in their black suits and it kind of felt as if dressing in fancy clothes made them behave like gentlemen! 

                                 The celebration started with drinking a toast to the new oldest students.

First in the morning we danced to the younger senior high school students and the junior high school. The first year students had decorated the gym so it was easy to get in a good mood. 

 

Then we went to perform to Kyröskoski primary school where we also danced the cicapo-dance as an extra performance with the sixth grade pupils. 

Some of us were also dancing in the nursing home, health center and kindergartens. 

In the evening, there was the proper prom where our parents and relatives had been invited to. We, the old ones, were dancing eight different dances to the audience (at least those danced who didn’t have a foot in a plaster).  At the end we also danced with our parents and some brave ones asked their teachers to dance, too. 

A lot of time was reserved for photographing and of course there were dozens of people who wanted to capture this memorable day.   

After the official party at school we headed for a restaurant and enjoyed the good food. Then we went to have fun with each other to the place we had booked for us. And what happened there - only the people who were there know … 

None of us will ever forget that day. This is our time. We are the young ones now. And also the old ones but however… So, thanks to all who made this day possible! And thanks to all the second year students, you made this day outstanding!

Written by Maiju Aalto, 2A

The farewell party of the third year students

Out with the old, in with the new

Thursday 16^th of February was the day of the third year students. It was the last day of school for them before the studying break for the matriculation exams and leaving our high school behind. They had made a lot of work before the day. They had planned and practiced, laughed and filmed a lot and it was worth it.

Right in the morning all of the other students went to the gym. Soon the third year students arrived. They had dressed up like in the army, and were marching and singing, just like they do in the army. The gym had been decorated with a camp, a “Happy Place” and “The Bad Place”. Their show’s main point was, as always, to make fun of the teachers, and make the students look like a winner. So they did. 

The teachers had to play a short play, dance and use their own skills to beat the students. But, as you can guess, they didn’t succeed. The students were the winners and all of our teachers had to go to The Bad Place.

 

Of course, always when something ends, you have to even try to make people cry. So the third year students sang to us about their high school time. If somebody didn’t cry after the song, at least the video made them cry. On the video were baby pictures of the students. They were cute, as babies always are, and you could hear “awwwwww” -sounds from the audience. 

The third year students remembered the teachers, but they didn’t forget us, the first year students, either. They had messed up the hallway and we had to clean it up. Luckily it was only ripped newspapers and toilet paper. 

We saw an interesting and funny video, of course, made by the third year students. They had played and filmed a play, where they were playing the teachers. It made all of us laugh, because they were just like the teachers. They had also filmed ordinary school days and each-others in the school.  

At 12.00 started the thing everybody had been waiting for. A decorated truck came to the yard and the loading began. The third year students came out one by one and jumped on the truck. They were also throwing candy at us “little ones”. When everybody was on the truck, they left, still throwing candy. They went to other schools like elementary and vocational school to throw candy and show their outfits.

The old ones are gone, and now the second year students are taking their place and power. We first year students are waiting for the fall and new students to come so we won’t be the youngest anymore.

Written by Eeva Linnainmaa 1B

It’s Valentine’s day!!

The 14th February is the day of all the valentines!

In our school Valentine’s day was celebrated by hugging all the friends and also by giving some candy or chocolate to the other students. And of course all people had to be very friendly to the other students.  Some photos of hugging people, taken by our own photographer  students  the day before, were shown on the screens throughout the day.

The mood was relaxed and nice. It was cool to have something special to the routine school day. Every day should be Valentine’s day, so let’s be a friend to all people!

Written by Maiju Aalto, 2A

The last school day for the third year students!!!

Friday 27th of January was a very special day for the third year students: it was the last actual school day for them! Now they have preliminary exams, meetings and of course the coming matriculation examinations ahead. But, about the last day: students has this “Business- look” and I’m sure they were quite excited. So I went to their lessons to ask how they were feeling! And here are the results of five people:

Here are the questions I asked them
1.    How are you feeling now? What are the main feelings?
2.    Are you already nervous about the coming matriculation examinations or can you still just take it easy?
3.    What are you waiting for the most right now?
4.    Have you enjoyed the three years here, does it feel good to finish now? Or would you have wanted to do something differently?

I started my interview with…
Jerina Kivistö:
1.    – It’s lovely I will not have to wake up so early to school!!
2.    – I’m more nervous about the subjects I want to do well in the final exams… And of course you feel
          nervous on the spot.
3.    – I’m waiting for the school leaving party to succeed well, I really hope it will!
4.    – I’m feeling great, I’m already quite bored with this studying…  And it’s great to have variation in your
          life!
       

         
After this young lady I took my place next to…
Kari Kuukka:
1.    – On the other hand I’m feeling quite happy, but then again it’s a little sad to leave because FES is so 
          awesome!!!
          And in between this Kari (and the boys next to him) said something quite funny and striking: “Boys are
          leaving the FES but FES isn’t leaving the boys” . Yes, that was quite a nice thing to say, I think.
2.    – I don’t  necessarily feel stress about them, they are just exams among the others! Just take it easy!
           And, even though this interview was quite girl- oriented, I do think almost all the boys had the same
           feelings as Kari had.  And let’s move on to the feelings again…
3.    – It’s been happy three years; very enjoyable time.
4.    – I’m waiting for the school leaving party; it’s the last funny moment together.

So, I think it’s going to be quite wistful for Kari to leave FES.  But now it’s time to move on to…

Elina Stenroth

1.    – I’m not feeling anything special actually…
2.    – Well, the final exams aren’t making me nervous yet; it feels you have just started to have time to
          read…
3.    – I’m waiting for the final exams to be over, or for the graduation ceremony!
4.    – I’m quite happy about the three years here, nothing special I could say.

Well, let’s find out if this next person feels something more special…


Henriikka Koski
1.    – It’s quite awesome, we don’t have actual school anymore!  Now you can just focus on the final exams.
2.    – I’m not exactly feeling nervous but I’m quite terrified if I can make myself to read enough!
3.    – I’m just waiting for the final exams to be over successfully and have the graduation hat in my head.
4.    -  I’m glad about high school being almost over. Now you can go on in your life.

So good luck for Henriikka, I’m sure she and the others will do fine anyway! And now it’s time to interview the last person! And she is….

Emma Vuorenmaa

1.    – Oh, alas! I mean, on the other hand it’s nice not having all those writings and others to be done, but
          then there are those final exams ahead and you won’t see your friends so much.
2.    – Well, I’m a “little” nervous….     Says Emma with that lovely laughter and the twinkle in her eye;)
3.    – I’m very eagerly waiting for the school leaving party! And also the final exams to be over…
4.    – Studies have gone very well and I’m quite happy. It’s quite sad to leave because of the people, but on
          the other hand I also want to be qualified for some profession some day.

So, generally you could say quite many of the third year students just want the matriculation examinations to be over and are waiting for the coming school leaving party. And about the feelings, it may not feel so special yet but I’m sure that will change when the matriculation examinations and others come! But now I had to let them go and enjoy the day with their marvelous outfits on! And for all the third year students: good luck and remember to study hard!

Written by Janette Välimäki 2b

Artists from all over the Earth

On January 16th and 17th we had visitors in our English lessons. Four different kinds of artists around the world came to tell us about their works in arts and their January in Finland.

The artists live as guests at the Arteles Creative Center in Haukijärvi during their stay in Finland. The hostess and owner of Arteles is Inga Mustakallio. Arteles was founded in 2009 and there visitors can enjoy Finnish nature. You can find more information about Arteles in its website www.arteles.org

Tom Hogan, from Australia, is a guitarist and sound artist. He composes and performs, designing for theatre and film, and produces music and radio plays. His compositions concentrate on finding unique sounds and using them in conventional harmonies.  Tom gave us two pieces of improvisation and he tried to talk as fast as he could and that turned into a very fast speaking!  He was really fun! Tom’s website address is www.tomhogan.com.au

Laura Batch, who is from Australia too, is a versatile artist. She makes sculptures, photographs, draws, paints and makes videos. She also paints with a live model, makes still lifes of various materials and explores voices. Laura is studying art at Victorian College of the Arts. Laura's artistic process consists of site searching and studies, by placing herself in an unfamiliar landscape and culture and how she learns and navigates her body and mind around this new context via the use of art. Laura’s website address is www.laurabatch.com

Laura Wright, from Portugal, is a photo artist. She showed us a lot of pictures she had taken. She had also taken many pictures here in Finland. Laura has had many exhibitions in 2009-2011. Laura’s website address is www.lauracarlotta.com

Christopher “Chris” Wille, from America, is an artist who has been inspired by technology, science fiction, warfare and dystopian themes. He showed us some of his work. Christopher’s website address is www.chriswille.com

The artists encouraged us to follow our dreams and not to give up. It was a great visit, and they praised that they had a nice time, too. So, take a brush or a pen or a computer in your hand and start to create something new and exciting! 
 

              Tom, Inga, Chris, Laura W. and Laura B. at F.E.Sillanpää Upper Secondary School


Written by Maiju Aalto, 2A