How We Work
We believe that a calm and safe study environment creates a desire to learn. Each lesson should be motivating so that together we reach our goals.
Being flexible and seeing to each child’s needs is a given for us. Also, that we show each other respect and acknowledge everyone’s differences.
We often work thematically and across curriculum to understand how the subjects are connected. We speak English more than at most other schools and you grow into the language the older you get.
Language in the Centre
A rich language is the foundation of all learning. With Swedish and English in focus, you get the qualifications needed to explore the world.
There is no requirement for students to know English when they start preschool class, but we gradually increase the amount of English throughout the school period. The goal is for the students, when they finish grade 9, to feel as comfortable with English as with Swedish. We are working towards this goal by teaching in both languages. The school also has some native English teachers. The fact that some of the students at the school also have English as their mother tongue increases the school’s international character.
We also encourage everyone to learn several languages and in grade 6 the student chooses a third language, such as French, Spanish or German.
For a few years we have had ongoing Erasmus projects. Through them, students have been given the opportunity to travel to Europe, make connections, expand their language skills and gain an understanding of the world around them. We also have a head teacher whose task it is to develop English skills and international exchanges.
Being Nice to One Another
For us, language is also about how we treat each other – that we use appropriate language in classrooms, corridors and in the schoolyard.
For us, language is also about how we treat each other – that we have fair language in classrooms, corridors and in the schoolyard. Together we create a culture and community where students, teachers and others at the school thrive, feel safe and show great consideration for each other.
Our Results
At our school, every student gets the opportunity to become their best self and learn the most possible based on their abilities.
At VIGS – Växjö International Grundskola – we work a lot in groups. We want students to both become strong individuals and to become part of a strong team. Our students are ambitious, and our grades and report cards have always been at a high level compared to other schools in the county.
The surveys conducted by the Swedish School Inspection show that parents to students at our school are more satisfied than the national average. This applies to most areas surveyed throughout all the years.
Staff and students are also more satisfied than the average in most areas.
Activities
We engage in fun and educational activities which create shared memories.
We are convinced that through authentic, world connections, such as study visits and excursions as well as digital meetings, we create a greater understanding of the world we live in. Some of the excursions we go on are; Kalmar Castle, farms, sewage treatment plants, glassworks, emigrant-hikes, Hanaslöv for downhill skiing, cultural heritage centers and more.
The digital meetings could be anything from a virtual study visit inside the warship Vasa to chatting with young people from other countries about human rights.
By the end of grade 9 each class goes on a school trip together.
Mother Tongue Education
We want students to also develop in their native language.
We offer mother tongue classes in English, German, French, Spanish, Arabic, Somali and Russian. We collaborate with other schools in Växjö, Växjö Montessori School, Thorén Framtid and Kronoberg School. To have a mother tongue class situated at Växjö Internationella Grundskola we need a minimum of five students at the school in a class. Otherwise, they will have to attend mother tongue classes at other schools.
During Breaks
Breaks are important parts of the school day.
We are convinced that a high adult presence even during breaks makes these moments both more fun and calmer. Our smallness also means that all students know all the staff, and that the older students know the younger ones. We think that’s wonderful!
Useful Information on Admentum
In the Admentum app, which you can easily download to your smartphone, there you find all the information you as a student and parent need.
Here you find information about the academic year, holidays, study days and other schedule-breaking activities. Here you will also find contact information for teachers and the school nurse.
As a parent, you have your own login to Admentum where, in addition to practical information, you can follow your child’s development. You can see results on tests and assignments and individual development plans (grades 1-5) and grades (grades 6-9). Your child’s attendance, absence notification and leave applications are also handled via this system.
Having trouble logging in to Admentum? Contact Magnus Lindwall, our school administrator.
Student Health Services
We have special education teachers, a school nurse, school counselor and a school doctor who work both preventive and health-promoting together with other staff. Contact your child’s mentor or principal if you have questions about student health.