DECEMBER 2018 - Tallinn European School

DECEMBER 2018

Greetings from Miss Auli
Dear pupils, teachers and parents,

2018 has been a year of celebration for Estonia as well as the neighbouring countries. We also
celebrated the 5th year anniversary for TES and the Estonian Presidency of the European
Schools (for six months). Over 30 official delegations have visited our school between April and
December. All of these developments have made Tallinn European School more known within the
framework of the European Schools as well as in the Estonian educational system.

I would like to highlight three of our most significant accomplishments since September.
Firstly, TES has grown significantly – from around 200 pupils to around 300, from around 60 staff
members to more than 80 – and moved to a new school building twice as big as our first.
Secondly, we successfully opened the French language section in Nursery and lower-Primary. The
section will expand up to Primary 4 in 2019.
Lastly, TES has been audited in October. The result was that the inspectors of the European
Schools will make the proposal to the Board of Governors of the European Schools to renew the
Tallinn European School accreditation till 2021.

These accomplishments have required a big effort and commitment as well as the willingness to
take the extra step or additional task on our respective shoulders. The TES community has shown
once again that we can make a difference through our daily commitment and values: respect,
harmony and creativity.

Our everyday life runs smoothly. I am very pleased with the study results of our pupils, the good
implementation of the KiVa Programme and the integrated curriculum in Primary classes. I am
also happy to see new teachers settle in well and to feel that the new building is becoming more
and more suitable for our needs.

The highlights of this semester were doubtless the Christmas concerts. All four concerts were
unique in spirit and execution. It was wonderful to see so many of you in the audience.

Dear TES community, it is also time to say a huge thank you and goodbye to Foundation Innove ─
the establishing organisation and the keeper of Tallinn European School since the beginning.
From 1st January 2019, Foundation Euroopa Kool will be the school keeper. It is a new
foundation, established by the Republic of Estonia on 27th November 2018. The purpose of
Foundation Euroopa Kool is to run and strategically develop TES in accordance of the Convention

defining the Statute of the European Schools and with the objectives of the education policies in
the Republic of Estonia.

Tallinn European School will have more opportunities and means to be the heart of international
education and the home of innovative learning, keeping good relationships with Innove and
becoming an important partner in the field of international education for all educational institutions
in Estonia.

Dear friends, the holiday season is upon us. I would like to share a quote from Harian Miller with
you:

“I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month!”

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Auli Udde, TES Director

New foundation: information regarding the schooling contracts
and invoices
Due to the change of foundation on 1st of January 2019, your schooling contract(s) will be
transferred in its/their entirety, with no changes, to Foundation Euroopa Kool. Please make sure

to read carefully the following information regarding the transfer of the schooling
contracts.

From the 1st of January 2019 the invoices regarding the tuition fee will be sent out from the new
accounting system and the reference number on the tuition fee invoices will change. December
invoices for Extracurricular activities and Aftercare will still be issued by Foundation Innove and
will have to be paid as usual.

From the 1st of February 2019 all invoices will be sent out from the new accounting system
and each invoice will have a different reference number.

For further information regarding the transfer from Innove to the new foundation, please feel free
to contact Auli Udde (director@est.edu.ee) or Katre Mehine (katre.mehine@hm.ee), member of
the Management Board of Foundation Euroopa Kool appointed by the Estonian Ministry of
Education and Research.

Christmas is all around TES
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, isn't it? But before Rocking Around Christmas Tree, we
had four beautiful concerts last week at TES. The P1-P2 and the P3-P5 concerts took place on
Tuesday the 11th, while on Wednesday the 12th we had the Nursery and Secondary concerts. We
even had a very special guest during the Nursery concert when Santa Claus visited us!

A big thank you to all the pupils, teachers, musicians and staff members who have made these
concerts so great and to all of you for joining us and sharing these precious moments!

School Calendar 2019/2020
The calendar for the next school year has been defined. The school year will start on Monday 2
September and end on Friday 19 June. Download the School Calendar 2019/2020 and see the
detail of every terms and school breaks.

You can also have access to the school calendar anytime on the school website.

Goodbye and thank you Ivika and Jens!
Two of our beloved teachers are leaving TES for new adventures: Ivika, Nursery Aftercare
teacher, and Jens, German Language teacher. They will both be missed a lot as they are great
teachers and colleagues.

                                       A WORD FROM IVIKA

                                       Dear TES community,

                                       Although my time with you has been short, it has been full
                                       of new friends, new challenges and learning. It has been
                                       great to be part of our incredible team. I will miss you all.

                                       Ivika

A WORD FROM JENS

Dear TES community,

I knew from the start in 2013 that my time at TES will not
last forever and that someday I might be called back to
Luxembourg. Then this "someday" came so suddenly in the
form of a letter sent by the Ministry of Education. I would
have liked to keep my classes until the end of the school
year, but knowing the administrative procedures there is no
way of negotiating.

The positive side: I actually could stay longer than originally
planned and I had the chance to work in our beautiful new
building! There is a saying that one should leave when it's
most beautiful. So I guess it is time to say good-bye! Thank
you, my colleagues and parents, for supporting me during
difficult times. Thank you, my pupils, for your daily good mood, confidence and optimism.

All the best

Jens Getreu

News from the KiVa Programme
We can proudly say that the word ‘KIVA’ has found its way to each of our students’ vocabulary.
They have learned to associate it with fun activities in the Ethics lessons, exciting assemblies and

yellow vests in the playground, but also with their teachers’ dedication to noticing and reacting to
any behaviour indicating bullying.

During the second term, we have concentrated on two topics in the assemblies and in our
everyday school life: ‘Including Everyone’ and ‘Celebrating Differences’. In November, all primary
classes participated in the KiVa Poster Challenge by creating posters in KiVa themes of
Friendship, Kindness, Working Together and Including Everyone. An exhibition was set up for the
whole school to see. In December, we enjoyed a fun ‘Different Socks Day’ to show our
individuality and celebrate differences.

Along the way, our KiVa team has also tackled a few bullying cases. We are proud of our students
for finding the courage to go to their teachers or the KiVa team members when they’ve started to
feel unhappy, uncomfortable or excluded. We have also had bystanders – classmates who had
witnessed hurtful behaviour – turning to us for help. Please keep encouraging your children to do
just that because it’s our most important goal to make sure that every student feels happy, safe
and confident at school.

TES KiVa Team

Aftercare: some changes from January
Please note that from Monday 7 January:

• The penalty of 10€ is replaced by the 4€ daily fee if a child stays in Aftercare after 16:00 in
Nursery and P1-2, and after 15:05 (14:10 on Wednesdays) in P3-4. Children from P3-4 who do
not have any Extracurricular activity shall have left the school within 30 minutes after their last
lessons. If a child has not been picked up before 18:00, the 10€ penalty applies.
• After any Extracurricular activity, children should to be picked up within 20 minutes,
otherwise they will be registered in Aftercare.
• Parents must notify the teacher in charge as soon as they arrive either in the Aftercare room
or in the playground, to mark the pick-up time. Please note that as soon as the parent has arrived,
the teacher is no longer responsible for the child.

Get more news from our community in TES Parent Council
Newsletter!
Since October our Parent Council is editing a newsletter to share more news from our community
and the council’s numerous activities in English and in French. You can read the past issues on
our website and subscribe here.

A Word from the Student council
Dear all,

As the President of the Student council, I would
like to list all the things that we as the Student
council have done and achieved.

In the very beginning of the year, we had a
president election. Candidates were running their
campaigns and the students voted. We have organised the individuality day, parts of the
Christmas concert and with the help of parents the fall carnival. Also we have discussed many of
the issues that were happening in school, and most of them were solved. This year, for the first
time, we have also participated to the CoSEEA programme. It is an organisation made out of
students that unites Accredited European Schools and their student councils. Finally we have
organised a movie night for secondary students, where we have watched Home Alone.

Student council wishes a merry Christmas and happy new year!

Best regards

Mihhail

Le coin francophone
L’ACTUALITÉ DES CHICS CHOUETTES DE MATERNELLE

Que le temps passe vite ! Les élèves de la classe de maternelle française ont maintenant bien pris
leurs marques et viennent à l’école avec plaisir chaque matin pour jouer selon leurs dires. En
effet, les enfants apprennent en jouant et c’est le principal objectif de notre classe.
Tout au long de cette deuxième période comprise entre les vacances de Toussaint et de Noël, les
élèves ont pris plaisir à participer aux différentes activités proposées sur les thèmes de l’Automne,
du corps et de la santé ainsi que de l’Hiver.

Ils ont eu l’occasion d’aller se promener au parc pour observer les premiers signes de l’Automne
et ramasser quelques trésors. Ils ont aussi eu la chance d’aller visiter le musée de la Santé de
Tallinn.

Ils se sont pleinement investis dans la préparation du spectacle de Noël : apprentissage de la
chanson puis de la danse et fabrication des costumes. Ils ont présenté avec succès leur travail
devant les parents et les autres classes de maternelle lors du concert de Noël. Bravo à eux !

Bonnes fêtes de fin d’année à tous et à l’année prochaine !

Fanny Pollet
Maternelle Section française

L’ACTUALITÉ DES PRIMAIRES

Ce premier semestre fut riche en apprentissages et en découvertes. Les P1 et P2 de la section
française ont appris à prendre soin de leurs dents lors d’un atelier dirigé par l'infirmière de l'école,
elles ont fait un tour dans le quartier de l’école pour apprendre à traverser la route en sécurité,
elles ont découvert les cartes satellites et ont pris beaucoup de plaisir à localiser sur Google Maps
leurs maisons et l’École Européenne de Tallinn, elles ont travaillé en équipe avec les P2 et P5 de
la section anglaise pour réaliser des affiches qui renforcent les valeurs du programme Kiva, et
tous les lundis elles étaient enthousiastes et ravies d’aller lire des histoires à leurs petits
camarades de maternelle. Enfin, le concert de Noël a eu un grand succès grâce aux talents et à la
complicité de tous les enfants.

Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année 2019.

Nadia Fuzier
P1 et P2 Section française

AUTRES INFORMATIONS

• Les inscriptions sont ouvertes pour l’année scolaire 2019/2020 ! La section francophone
accueille les enfants de la maternelle à la primaire 4 (naissance entre 2009 et 2015). N’hésitez
pas à faire circuler l’information autour de vous !
• Samedi 9 Mars, l’école accueillera la Journée de la Langue Française organisée en
partenariat avec l’Institut français d’Estonie dans le cadre du Mois de la Francophonie. Le Lundi
11, nous organisons également notre habituelle fête de la francophonie avec des spectacles dans
la matinée et un repas français servi aux enfants à la cantine. Plus de détails seront communiqués
prochainement, mais vous pouvez dors et déjà noter ces dates dans vos agendas !

TES School Calendar / 3rd Term
IN JANUARY

• Monday 7: Beginning of the 3rd term
• Wednesday 16: Primary 1-4 Parent-Teacher Conference to meet the subject teachers (more
information and the registration sheet will be sent during the first week of the term).
• Monday 21 – Monday 28: S6-S7 Exams. See the schedule
• Wednesday 30: Primary 5-Secondary Parent-Teacher Conference to meet the subject teachers
(more information and the registration sheet will be sent during the first week of the term).

IN FEBRUARY

• Monday 18: Estonian Assembly, in the Assembly hall at 8:15 and 9:00
• Wednesday 20 – Friday 22: Transition Camp for P5-S1 at Jõulumäe Sports and Recreation
Centre, close to Pärnu.
• Saturday 23 – Monday 4 March: Winter Break (pupils come back to school on Tuesday 5
March, the staff has a Development Day on Monday 4 March).

TES Winter Sports Day will also take place in February. The date will be communicated as soon
as determined in January.

           You can find the detailed and updated school calendar on our website.