Emil - Thoma - RS Freiburg

Frühjahr 1997

The reform of our internal school traditions and the instigation of a new ARIAL

This is a very beginning !
The article "A small school must not be regarded as a disadvantage but must be considered as a challenge", which i wrote as headteacher in the spring of 1980. It was written to promote the smallest secondary modern school in Freiburg . Ideas arose and action resulted from a scheme I borrowed from education and the school, "The school as a comunity". Contacts were made with the link school from France, the "Lycee Turenne". The circle of friends and patrons of the school was established and a photographic competition, "The way I see my school" was organised and the results were displayed troughout the town. In June 1981 the first "Educational Day" was held and in December in the same year class 7b renovated their classroom on their own. The staff decided on an absolute ban on smoking in the school-building and in the school grounds. At that time (September 1982) this was the first school in Freiburg to make such a decision. Initial contacts with the College Matthias Gruenewald in Guebwiller ( France ) were made in spring 1983 and the first pupil exchange with a comprehensive school in Nottingham took place in June 1984.	In May 1984 the Horticulture Department and the School Management Departmentof Freiburg supported our to "improve the appearance our school playground" and on the 20th July 1985 Emil-Thoma ssecondary modern school and Emil-Thoma primary school together celebrated the 70th anniversary of the opening of the school with a formal ceremony and a combined school party. Thus, the first chronicle of the Emil-Thoma schools was published. Further initiatives were organised and carried out together by teachers, parents and pupils which shaped the pofile of our school during the following years. In October 1994 the local education authority schools inspectorate in Freiburg attended a meeting of headteachers of secondary modern schools and reported at a conference held by the school inspectors from Baden-Württemberg that some schools had presented their ideas for the reform of their internal school traditions. From their suggestions they decided to organise a "stock market of ideas" and to develop a further education programme planned and delivered by school teams. A team of voluntary workers planned the topic, "Realization of the main educational ideas for the curriculum - stimulus for the school praxis" and prepared the conference which took place in the College of Education on 21st January 1995. In May 1984 the Horticulture Department and the School Management Departmentof Freiburg supported our to "improve the appearance our school playground" and on the 20th July 1985 Emil-Thoma ssecondary modern school and Emil-Thoma primary school together celebrated the 70th anniversary of the opening of the school with a formal ceremony and a combined school party. Thus, the first chronicle of the Emil-Thoma schools was published. Further initiatives were organised and carried out together by teachers, parents and pupils which shaped the pofile of our school during the following years. In October 1994 the local education authority schools inspectorate in Freiburg attended a meeting of headteachers of secondary modern schools and reported at a conference held by the school inspectors from Baden-Württemberg that some schools had presented their ideas for the reform of their internal school traditions. From their suggestions they decided to organise a "stock market of ideas" and to develop a further education programme planned and delivered by school teams. A team of voluntary workers planned the topic, "Realization of the main educational ideas for the curriculum - stimulus for the school praxis" and prepared the conference which took place in the College of Education on 21st January 1995.

This is a very beginning !

The article "A small school must not be regarded as a disadvantage but must be considered as a challenge", which i wrote as headteacher in the spring of 1980. It was written to promote the smallest secondary modern school in Freiburg . Ideas arose and action resulted from a scheme I borrowed from education and the school, "The school as a comunity". Contacts were made with the link school from France, the "Lycee Turenne". The circle of friends and patrons of the school was established and a photographic competition, "The way I see my school" was organised and the results were displayed troughout the town. In June 1981 the first "Educational Day" was held and in December in the same year class 7b renovated their classroom on their own. The staff decided on an absolute ban on smoking in the school-building and in the school grounds. At that time (September 1982) this was the first school in Freiburg to make such a decision. Initial contacts with the College Matthias Gruenewald in Guebwiller ( France ) were made in spring 1983 and the first pupil exchange with a comprehensive school in Nottingham took place in June 1984.

In May 1984 the Horticulture Department and the School Management Departmentof Freiburg supported our to "improve the appearance our school playground" and on the 20th July 1985 Emil-Thoma ssecondary modern school and Emil-Thoma primary school together celebrated the 70th anniversary of the opening of the school with a formal ceremony and a combined school party. Thus, the first chronicle of the Emil-Thoma schools was published. Further initiatives were organised and carried out together by teachers, parents and pupils which shaped the pofile of our school during the following years. In October 1994 the local education authority schools inspectorate in Freiburg attended a meeting of headteachers of secondary modern schools and reported at a conference held by the school inspectors from Baden-Württemberg that some schools had presented their ideas for the reform of their internal school traditions. From their suggestions they decided to organise a "stock market of ideas" and to develop a further education programme planned and delivered by school teams. A team of voluntary workers planned the topic, "Realization of the main educational ideas for the curriculum - stimulus for the school praxis" and prepared the conference which took place in the College of Education on 21st January 1995. In May 1984 the Horticulture Department and the School Management Departmentof Freiburg supported our to "improve the appearance our school playground" and on the 20th July 1985 Emil-Thoma ssecondary modern school and Emil-Thoma primary school together celebrated the 70th anniversary of the opening of the school with a formal ceremony and a combined school party. Thus, the first chronicle of the Emil-Thoma schools was published. Further initiatives were organised and carried out together by teachers, parents and pupils which shaped the pofile of our school during the following years. In October 1994 the local education authority schools inspectorate in Freiburg attended a meeting of headteachers of secondary modern schools and reported at a conference held by the school inspectors from Baden-Württemberg that some schools had presented their ideas for the reform of their internal school traditions. From their suggestions they decided to organise a "stock market of ideas" and to develop a further education programme planned and delivered by school teams. A team of voluntary workers planned the topic, "Realization of the main educational ideas for the curriculum - stimulus for the school praxis" and prepared the conference which took place in the College of Education on 21st January 1995.


The conference met with great approval and was so stimulating, that by the 5th October 1995 another "stock market of ideas" followed. On this occasion many on-the-spot activities took place, for example, the welcoming of the participants by a big band from a secondary modern school, a perfomance of Loriots sketches and a teachers'choire, which sang Alemanian songs. Substantial documentation was produced afterwards.	The aim for the next event, a two-day event this time, was more easily determined, "Think together, steer together - a concept for our school". At a meeting in the German-French pupils'house in Breisach on Rhine on the 26th and 27th February 1996 this aim was agreed by all. In the meantime, the different teaching staff have agreed a priority topic and they will meet in teams of three ( a headteacher and two members of staff ) for a three day event in the Academy Donaueschingen.

The conference met with great approval and was so stimulating, that by the 5th October 1995 another "stock market of ideas" followed. On this occasion many on-the-spot activities took place, for example, the welcoming of the participants by a big band from a secondary modern school, a perfomance of Loriots sketches and a teachers'choire, which sang Alemanian songs. Substantial documentation was produced afterwards.

The aim for the next event, a two-day event this time, was more easily determined, "Think together, steer together - a concept for our school". At a meeting in the German-French pupils'house in Breisach on Rhine on the 26th and 27th February 1996 this aim was agreed by all.
In the meantime, the different teaching staff have agreed a priority topic and they will meet in teams of three ( a headteacher and two members of staff ) for a three day event in the Academy Donaueschingen.

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