Peace education Erasmus project 2023-2025
Between 2023 and 2025 three teachers and five students from our school have participated in an international peace education process with three other schools from Oulu, Cesis and Kirkenes. First the teachers were familiarized with the principles of peace education. Next they started putting the principles in practice in a form of peace education related lesson plans and lessons. Some of these activities were completed within schools and others between the schools. The whole project culminated during April 2025 when the teachers and around 20 students met in Inari. A four-day workshop contained e.g. lessons and different types of activities related to peace education and conflict solution, a visit to the Sámi museum Siida and finally a Model Peace Council simulation that was connected to several potential issues between Indigenous Peoples and other stakeholders. Throughout the project, the school community was kept informed about the process and all materials and knowledge was disseminated to them.
Magdaléna Felcmanová, a student of the DP2 group at Lyseonpuisto High School, achieved an impressive bronze medal in the recently concluded Women's U18 Ice Hockey World Championships over the weekend. This continues her medal streak, as she earned a silver medal around her neck last year. We congratulate her on this remarkable achievement!
Photo: IIHF
The 20th anniversary celebration of the IB Diploma Programme at Lyseonpuisto Upper Secondary School
Former principal Hely Kalkkinen
photo: Hanna Korhonen
The 20th anniversary celebration of the IB Diploma Programme at Lyseonpuisto Upper Secondary School took place on 30th August, 2024. This event commemorated the school's long history of offering the International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme. The celebration involved students, teachers, alumni, and other stakeholders, highlighting the achievements and importance of the programme at the school.
In her celebratory speech, the former principal of Lyseonpuisto Upper Secondary School and the initiator of the IB Programme, Hely Kalkkinen, recounted the various phases involved in establishing the IB Diploma Programme at the school. The creation of the IB to Rovaniemi was not a given, as both local and national stakeholders questioned whether there would be enough students and teachers for the programme, and whether there was a need for IB education in the Arctic Circle region.
Thanks to the efforts of Hely Kalkkinen and the former Mayor of Rovaniemi, Matti Pelttari (1984-2003) Lyseonpuisto Upper Secondary School first received a trial permit for the IB Programme, and later, in January 2004, it gained official status as one of the schools in Finland offering IB Diploma education.
The first years were not easy, as there was no prior experience, and teaching was often delivered via distance learning. However, thanks to the perseverance of 13 determined young women, the first IB graduates completed their studies in the spring of 2004. They paved the way for the success we are celebrating today.
Gratitude also goes to the IB organization, which strongly supported the establishment of the IB Programme in Rovaniemi from the very beginning. Thanks also go to Oulu Lyseo Upper Secondary School and its staff, who supported the newly established IB school during its early years for many years.
Tutoring Sessions by IB Students for Pre-DP Students
This spring, as part of their preparation for final exams, our spring candidates organized tutoring sessions for Pre-DP students. This initiative provided the candidates with valuable experience in lesson planning and preparation, summarizing key content and concepts, and offering peer support to younger students. Through this, we established a wonderful tradition that we hope will be utilized even more frequently in the future.
Wonderful success in the World Championships for IB students
Our soon-to-be graduate Czech talent, Dan Syrovy, achieved multiple World Championship medals in the World Skate Slalom Skateboarding competitions held in the USA in October. He secured a bronze medal in the Amateur Hybrid Skate Slalom event and a gold medal in the Amateur Tight Slalom event. In the overall results, he placed third.
Another Czech talent from our school, Magdalena Felcmanova, impressively won a silver medal in the U18 Girls' Ice Hockey World Championships held in January 2024 in Switzerland. She also plays for the women's team, Rovaniemen Kiekko in Finnish championship's league.
PreIB subject selection info's slides
Here you can find slides used in PreIB subject selection info on Thu 14 of December 2023
A Great Finn with a big heart
Photo: Niko Vartiainen, CMI
Last Monday our former president Martti Ahtisaari died at the age of 86. For years he worked for the United Nations to promote peace in Namibia, Northern Ireland, Kosovo and Indonesia. In 2009 Mr. Ahtisaari received the Nobel Peace Prize as an acknowledgment for his persistent work as a peace promoter. In times like this, the world certainly needs more people like him, as the tensions increase in the Middle East and the war continues in Ukraine.
Martti Ahtisaari visited our school in November 2015 when we celebrated the yearly Ahtisaari day (Ahtisaari-päivät). During his visit, president Ahtisaari praised our students for their excellent debating skills. “If you debate so well also later in life, outside school, then I must give you a special applause. I would feel safe sending you to peace negotiations” the experienced peace negotiator said. He also had a link for our school, because his wife Mrs Eeva Ahtisaari worked in our school as a teacher in the 1960s.
Global mission of Hope
In the IBO’s Global Conference in Dublin the Director General Olli-Pekka Heinonen spoke about IBO’s global mission of Hope in his opening speech. During his speech he interviewed students from IB Schools in Armenia, Hong Kong and Ivory Coast. The schools have succeeded in projects that focused on increasing the cycling of waste and women's better access to education in Afghanistan.
Also in Lyseonpuiston lukio we have noticed these global issues in recent years. Our Green Flag group has intensively worked on increasing the cycling of waste and on the other hand decreasing our carbon dioxide footprint. Furthermore in human rights issues our IB graduate Ella Vanhapiha participated in human rights workshops in Denmark last year.
Quite soon Lyseonpuiston lukio’s teachers and students will begin the Erasmus project (A Vision of Peace: Peace Education for the Upper Secondary) together with Oulun Lyseon lukio, Kirkenes videregående skole, Cesu Secondary School, Latvia, Tampere Peace Research Institute Peace and Conflict Research Institute University of Tampere and Peace Education Finland. The first meeting in Riga in November 2023 is going to concentrate on the UNESCO document which was announced in July 2023. How do these knowledge, skills, values, attitudes and behaviors that exist in this document connect to the school subjects which we offer to our students in Lyseonpuiston lukio?
Dear Lyska students!
On Friday 29th September 2023, from 8:30 to 16:00, we are organizing a support protest in Lyska against the cuts on students and in support of the students who have occupied universities all around Finland. However, unlike them, we are not taking over the school, but protesting during the school day. We have invited the media, speakers and performers, but outsiders are not allowed inside Lyska. The performances take place outside the main entrance.
The protest is peaceful and follows the instructions of a safe space (https://www.ykliitto.fi/turvallinen-tila). You can join at any time: you can show your support during recess, or you can participate throughout the school day. The choice is yours!
We share the same demands with other educational institutions protesting:
Housing benefits may not be cut. All students' living conditions must be improved!
No tuition fees for anyone!
Student mental health services must be secured!
Regards students!
Great start for the School year 2023-2024
Our school received important visitors straight from the Finnish Government in the very beginning of our school year. Minister of Climate and the Environment, Kai Mykkänen (Moderate Party) and Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering, Anders Adlercreutz (Swedish People’s Party) took part in a discussion with our students.
The debate disputed current political themes like climate warming and racism. The debate also handled local topics such as Kemijoki Ltd’s plans to construct Pumped Storage Hydropower to Lapland in the future. The students didn’t make it easy for the ministers but rather challenged their arguments courageously.
Does it give you wings or not?
Many students enjoy energy drinks in order to get a better mood in studies or more boost for example for physical exercises. The energy drinks have become as common in our everyday life as coffee or tea. But how much do these drinks' commercial claims actually hold true?
In the traditional Lyska week the IB1 students spent the whole week investigating energy drinks by using the knowledge and skills from science subjects. For example they measured energy drinks' impact on blood pressure and heart rate before and after use. Also energy drinks’ chemical structure was found out. Furthermore students got an answer to how much a person’s physical capacity increases if she or he consumes energy drinks. Results showed that there is a lot worth thinking about.
Benchpressing Festival and the Dances of the Old
Lyseonpuiston lukio celebrated the traditional Benchpressing Festival on Thursday 9th of February and the Dances of the Old the day after. Also our IB students took part both events.
Human Rights Project in Copenhagen
Ella Vanhapiha from IB2 attended a UNESCO: Nordic Camp 2022 which theme was Stand up for Human Rights. The camp was held in Denmark where students from Finland, Norway, Faroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland, Canada and Denmark worked together with the goal of improving human rights in their schools. The students also visited partner schools around Denmark and got to live the Danish life and culture for a couple of days.
Picture: Ella Vanhapiha
FINALLY - IB DIPLOMA CEREMONY
Finally, after three years break we had a possibility to celebrate our IB graduates together. The evening included music, speeches and lots of good discussion with graduates, their friends and relatives. The evening was full of joy, but also sadness as farewells are never easy.
BACK TO SCHOOL 2022 - LYSKA FEST 2.0
Sometimes studying in the IB is hard, so once in a while it is good to relax and enjoy good music. Lyska 2.0 festival was celebrated in the middle of a school day with live music. Sun shined and we all enjoyed one of the last warm summer days.
Photo: Hanna Korhonen