European Talent Point

About us

 

Mission statement

 

Csokonai Vitéz Mihály Grammar School was founded in 1948 in Debrecen. Besides the 4-year educational form we started five-year bilingual classes. We take pride in being acknowledged as an Eco School, an Accredited Distinguished Talent Point, European Talent Point and a Mentoring School.

 

We wish to convey the basic human, European and national values. Our aim is to provide our students with knowledge of both their immediate and wider environment, to help them learn about the past, the natural and cultural assets of Debrecen, Hungary and Europe.  We also focus on developing a sense of patriotism and openness towards different cultures.

 

 Our school is strongly committed to developing a student-centered learning environment enabling our students to develop their personal and academic potential. We put emphasis on following and assisting the work of talented students and also on catching-up programmes.

 We strive to use the most efficient teaching and learning methods tailoring them to the needs of different student groups. Setting a positive example, giving positive feedback, differentiating in the classroom, diversity, planned and systematic work, efficient and diverse use of classroom technology - are our basic principles.

 

Classes and groups are the basic organisational units in teaching. Groups are formed by breaking up classes into smaller units to facilitate efficient learning (Hungarian Grammar, Mathematics, IT, bilingual classes), furthermore students are arranged into groups on the basis of their language skills (English). In other cases groups are organized on the basis of  sharing common interests (extra-curricular classes, special afternoon classes preparing students for the final exams).

 

We also put emphasis on teaching learning techniques: our students can acquire different learning techniques - individually or in a group- with the help of the school psychologist.

 

Systematic and consistent work, authenticity, self-and situational knowledge from the teachers’ side are crucial to enable our students to meet 21st century challenges. In summary they should have the abilities:

-to get to know themselves and their environment,

-to acquire values for living a purposeful and meaningful life,

-to learn adaptability and tolerance,

-to acquire 21st century key competences,

-to be a sovereign and morally mature individual.

 

Our programmes for improving talents

 

1. We follow and assist the work of talented students in Italian-Hungarian bilingual classes

It is a differentiating programme connected to the Italian language and culture to improve communication, performing and self expression skills. Every year about 140 students can take part in this programme.

The elements of the programme are: improving communication skills, delivering cultural knowledge and improving lecturer skills .Forms of activities: out of classroom individual and group work, performing at school and city events, field trips.

Programmes during the past three years: performing at school galas, open days, advent shows in town, at meetings of bilingual schools and career-orientation programmes; organizing school excursions every year to Venice, Padova, Trieste and Verona.

Project: taking part in the project “La guerra degli altri” (“Other people’s war”) together with two Italian and a Transylvanian secondary schools. The students who take part in this project got to know the Italian and Hungarian First World War Memorial Sites in March and April 2015, - the Hungarian students visited these sites in Italy and the Italian group did it during their visit in Hungary.

Exchange programme: recommended by the AFS we have exchanges with the I.I.S.S. Giudici Saetta e Livatino secondary school in the town of Ravanusa. 27 students and 3 teachers took part in this programme, we hosted the Italian students in April 2016 and the Hungarian group travelled to Ravanusa in September.

Results in academic competitions: in the past 3 years 9 students could get to the third, decisive round  in the academic competition for secondary grammar schools and took the 3-24 places,  in the past 3 school years 55 students could be placed in the Festival d’italiano, which is a national language festival.

Results in the final and entrance examination: in the past 3 years 81 students

have passed the final exam in Italian language, 74 students passed the advanced language exam and 10 students got permission into the university of Debrecen to study Italian.

Based on our results and on the needs emerged our school got the chance of launching a Hungarian - German bilingual education from the school year 2018/2019.

2. Understanding local history and self-knowledge  -  in Hungary and abroad

 Students are encouraged to participate in talent spotting historical, literary and art competitions.

The programmes called “without borders” offered various forms of activities connected to a topic. Our project in 2015 was: “City school students in the footsteps of our cultural heritage and natural treasure”. In 2017 we realized another project: “The history witnesses - in the footsteps of our poets and public figures who formed our national consciousness”. Both projects were based on common trips, contests, common literary and musical performances and on the students’ independent research work. The projects of the Rákóczi association provide support to celebrate our national holidays together with transborder secondary schools. A strong partnership and cooperation with the Apáczai Csere János Secondary School from Kolozsvár have emerged. A facebook - group and a blog, created by the students and teachers from Debrecen, give the opportunity for providing connection and for organizing common programmes.

3 Visual education with the help of classroom and out-of-classroom activities

A program that supports teaching of modern art and the history of art as well as  improvement of creativity and performing skills. Venues: the school gallery, art competitions, school museum.

The aim of the school gallery is to make exhibitions and openings a part of the school’s cultural life in a complex way, with programs of performing poetry, music and dance with the exclusive participation of our students and teachers. This way the gallery provides an opportunity for our talented students to perform and, on the other hand, it brings art and visual art closer to the students. The exhibitions have become a source of experience for the education of visual art; the afternoon classes of art and media have become a part of the art curriculum.

Besides, the opening programs honor both the artists who accept our invitation and the guests. The gallery functions as an alternative educational  venue and also, it is a link between the grammar school and the city of Debrecen.

Our school gallery was started in November, 2013. There are seven or eight exhibitions in a school year in order to “deliver” quality modern art to our students.

The gallery provides an opportunity for the students to give performances and to experience works of art. A booklet was made about the exhibitions in 2015. The art projects gave an opportunity to discover talented students, improve their skills of self-expression and to learn about each other’s works of art. The classroom decorating competition gave an opportunity for students in the same classes to work and create together as a team and to visually display the historical events of 1956. The school museum has had a growing number of visitors.

4. Renewing traditions -- developing social skills in teaching Hungarian literature

It’s an enriching and differentiating programme. It is aimed at the following fields of competence / culture: effective, independent learning; communication in the mother tongue; consciousness of aesthetics - art; skills of self-expression; digital competence. Methods: cooperative group work, role play, competition, independent work, differentiated group work. The aim of the model is to build traditions into school life, in the everyday life of the students. Besides, another important educational goal is to make a connection between classroom and out-of-classroom activities, to provide an opportunity to spend quality time together in groups, to form social consciousness. The program has been set up to develop bondings among classes of different grades, from 8th grade to 12th grade. The model is characterized by methodological diversity.

As a Mentoring Institute, our programs from September 2014 until November 2016 (demonstration classes, a reading workshop, literary walk, project in literature, winter farewell program, monitoring classroom performance, workshop) improved organizing and cooperative skills between teachers and students, developed communication skills and a feeling of belonging to a community. A working relationship based on a cooperation agreement was established with Debreceni Bolyai János Primary School and Art School. The methodological model has become an essential part of our institute’s program following and assisting the work of talented students.

 

Our plans

 

We realized common projects with Finnish and Italian schools in the framework of Comenius School Cooperation projects.

We shared experience gained from Comenius School Cooperation and from partner-school relationships on web interfaces and community pages.

 

We are planning to extend the scope and cooperation of the talent point in the following directions:

• with primary schools (organizing “open days” for the students and providing career information for them)
• with other secondary schools in Debrecen (constant contact, taking part in various competitions)
• with secondary schools abroad
• with various faculties of the University of Debrecen
• Sharing information with other European Talent Points and Talent Centres about the practice of following and assisting the work of talented students and about other projects in connection with talent (such as programs, sharing plans of strategy / action, the needs of the target groups, good research results on the web, organizing conferences, organizing talent days together, etc.).

-Cooperation with other European Talent Points, including participation in common programmes, facilitating similar projects, being open to host representatives, experts and/or talented young people of different European Talent Points.

       -Learning about and adapting good practices, sharing our practices.

 

 We aim to collect and integrate (in-school, locally and regionally) the initiatives that assist talented students, people and institutions  with  similar initiatives, and possible resources.

 We make continuous effort to cooperate with the participants of talent- mentoring programs.

We use either our own potentials or assistance from other institutions to provide pedagogical or psychological help in mentoring talented young people for those who turn to us.

We take part in controlling the efficiency and productivity of our work and we also strive to get the maximum amount of feedback. We try to avoid being bureaucratic by being as personal as possible.

 

 

Summary

 

  Csokonai Vitéz Mihály Grammar School was founded in 1948 in Debrecen. Besides the 4-year educational form we started five-year bilingual classes. We take pride in being acknowledged as an Eco School, Accredited Distinguished Talent Point, European Talent Point and a Mentoring School.

In order to create and improve a sense of belonging in students we put emphasis on the social occasions and cultural programmes that take place throughout the year, moreover on efficient cooperation with the student- and parent councils.

It is important that our students learn about Debrecen and participate in its cultural events. As an eco-school, we aim to raise awareness in environmental issues both in and out of classrooms.

Teaching foreign languages is a priority: we offer Italian-Hungarian and German-Hungarian bilingual education, moreover special classes in English and German languages. We offer a wide variety of foreign languages: besides English, Italian and German, students can also learn French, Russian, Finnish and Latin languages.

Aesthetic education both in and out of classrooms is of crucial importance.  Our special art classes have a long standing tradition. To discover and develop their talents, students are encouraged to participate in talent spotting competitions, literature and art projects and school programmes. Displaying works of art on a regular basis, Csokonai Visual Workshop Gallery supports and conveys aesthetic values.

We follow and assist the work of talented students both in and out of classrooms: by assisting talents in Italian-Hungarian bilingual classes; participating in projects together with transborder secondary schools to have a better understanding of local history; conveying core values in teaching Hungarian language and literature; teaching visual art. In the past ten years we have successfully completed several projects  and developed a partnership with secondary schools in Finland, Italy and Transylvania.

 

We would like to cooperate with other European Talent Points including both taking part in common projects and assisting the projects of the others. We are open to host representatives, experts and/or talented young people of other Talent Points.