Gimnazjum (Junior High School) No 9 of Rzeszow - former Primary School No 35 - was founded in 1999 as a result of an extensive public school system reform in Poland. The school caters for the first three years of secondary education before students transfer to a liceum (grammar school) or technical or vocational education at about 16 years of age depending on their examination results.
At present there are 22 classes and the number of students exceeds 587. The school's teaching staff has been doing their best to create favorable conditions for their comprehensive development - both intellectual and physical. The school provides 20 fully-equipped specialist classrooms, including Science and IT laboratories with permanent Internet access as well as a library and computerized reading room. It also houses a dentist's surgery and medical examination room. Other facilities include a body-building gym and synthetic grass tennis court.
All 53 members of the teaching staff are fully qualified and several hold additional recognized qualifications.
The students are required to take foreign language classes in English (obligatory), and one of the following: French, German or Spanish.
Gimnazjum No 9 participates in three international educational and research programs, namely THE GLOBE PROGRAM, CoSim and SOCRATES-COMENIUS 1.
The aims and objectives of this international cooperation are as follows:
Working on the above-mentioned projects, our students have an opportunity to participate in international multicultural workshops.
For several years our school has been maintaining student exchange with College de Clemenceau of Tulle (France), I.E.S. Virgen de las Nieves of La Palma (Spain), Zakladna Skola of Kosice (Slovakia), Zakladna Skola of Prague (Czech Republic) and 2nd Primary Korydallos School of Athens (Greece). Owing to this, the exchange students have been able to improve their language skills, learn about the history of other countries and the diversity in their cultures and traditions.
Since its beginnings in 1996, the School European Club has been very active. Every year its members take part in numerous nationwide European awareness competitions. During the ten-month educational period, they arrange meetings called 'national cafes' in order to explore the culture of different European nations and share their findings with other students.
One of our school's major missions has always been promoting physical fitness. Every February we invite our students to a winter sports camp in the Lower Tatra Mountains (Slovakia). During the summer they can go hiking or windsurfing.
The students issue a newsletter called PRYMUSIK (TOP OF THE CLASS). They arrange a number of cultural and sports events, such as Freshman Initiation Day, Saint Andrew's Eve Party, Sports Day etc. Every year they participate in CLEANING THE WORLD campaign and volunteer for many different charities. Attending drama workshops, they are introduced into the realm of the theatre. They are also given opportunities to meet noted writers, artists and musicians.
The school's interiors - with their unconventional decoration - bring friendly, welcoming atmosphere and provide optimum learning environment.