Grobinas gimnazija, Latvia

Grobiņa gymnasium was founded on April 26, 2006. There are 700 learners and 77 teachers at school. The school provides academic studies in 4 programmes – elementary school education (grades 1 - 6), primary basic education programme (grades 7 -9, students aged 13 -16), general secondary education programme ( grades 10 -12, students aged 16 -19) and mathematics –technical programme (grades 10-12). The students are offered to take part in :subject competitions, to set up
student study business firms, to participate in international projects, to develop their interests and  talents in folk dance groups, choir and ensembles, drama club and debate club, drawing and painting circle to participate in the school newspaper "News Owl". The students have shown very good academic results in mathematics, foreign languages, Latvian, history, biology, geography and folk dance competitions in the republic. Our students have good conversation skills but lack confidence in academic language. The project would be a good motivation to work on improving academic writing skills. The project would help secondary school students acquire formal writing skills. The key persons in charge of running the project will be the project coordinator Indra Kalniņa, teachers of English Santa Līgute,. Vintra Pūķe and the teachers of the mother tongue Kristīne Strīķe, Ināra Ventaskraste and Inese Antāne. Also the editor of the students’ newspaper “Ziņu Pūce” Ilona Toropova. In case one of the key people leave their post, another key person will take his role over. The school has had the school newspaper “Ziņu Pūce” for years. Students are trained how to write articles for the newspaper.