Family Journal: Easter Picnic

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Ollie, Jerina, Nadia, Ocean, originally uploaded by bill kralovec.

Yesterday we attended the International School of Belgrade’s Easter Family Picnic. It was held on the grounds of the high school and the weather was perfect! The PTA had organized an Easter Egg hunt, games for kids, egg-drop contest, Bonnet Parade, etc. We enjoyed the day! My favorite part was the picnic, just hanging out under the trees of our lovely campus. It was a bit hectic with the preparations, but after we got there and my job was done, we had fun.

One of the things in our society in recent years is the decline of community events like this. In the 1970’s and 80’s, there seemed to be more opportunities to interact with the community. I remember growing up and playing in summer basketball leagues, participating in the Kiddie Parade, etc. These things have given way to personal family enjoyment, like video games, solo family vacations, etc. I was re-energized by the sense of community yesterday.

Owen Shoots
Owen Shoots

In the afternoon we came back home and enjoyed a nice afternoon in the back yard. This week we bought Owen a basketball hoop and he is shooting all the time. We had our first game of “burro” (Spanish version of H-O-R-S-E). Owen seems enthused for basketball and Serbia is the perfect country for it. They are fanatics here and take it to a higher level than the USA. (more posts later)

Last night we hooked up the speakers in the house that have been packed away since we arrived. We all listened to music and drank champagne.

My Angels
My Angels

Oliver Featured In Web Banner

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The International (USA-Canada) Joint Commission  for Great Lakes Water Quality is using a photo of my son Oliver. They found the photo on my flickr.com account and asked me permission to use it. The photo you can see above is from last summer on our annual trip to Lake Superior. We stopped after a day of hiking in the Porkies, just west of Ontonogan, Michigan. Oliver and friends Brandel and Lauren were throwing rocks into the water and running from the waves. The photo will be representing the beaches aspect of Commission’s mission.

The Great Lakes Regional Office does valuable work preserving and improving the water quality of the Great Lakes. It is great that perhaps Oliver’s joy will inspire politicians, scientists, and citizens to prioritize a preservation of this beautiful area.

I have travelled all over the world and seen many places, and one of my favorite, is still the south shore of the “big lake they call Gitchigummee.”

The communication that the internet has made possible never ceases to amaze me…

High School Classroom Observations: Monday April 8, 2009 First Period

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From time to time I take my camera along when I sit in on classes. Monday morning when I went around the school, I saw dedicated teachers inspiring young people. Below is a description of what I observed. The visits were unannounced. This is the heart of what we do – teaching and learning!

Two freshmen are practicing a scene from Shakespeare’s “All’s Well That Ends Well.” (above) Mrs. Van Drunen in getting the students ready for our Shakespeare Festival next month. Mrs. V advised the girls no to wander away from the stage unconciously and put their back to the audience.

The seniors are preparing for the IB Final Exams. In biology they were looking at a question that asked them to interpret a graph showing the effects of a peptide on the surface of human skin, against several types of bacteria. In physics, Mr. Slough suggested to use the terms in the question as clues to the formula to use. 

 

Work = Energy = Force x Distance
Work = Energy = Force x Distance

The tenth grade Design & Technology students were working on their “multimedia” poems. I sat with Monty and watched his anti-war poem that he posted to youtube.com. He spent 4 hours editing scenes of war and nuclear explosions put to David Bowie’s version of Imagine. I realized how powerful video is with this generation of young people. Monty’s poem on Youtube.com had 212 views and 2 people had rated it. This is so different than writing a poem on a piece of paper and reading it to a class. You can view all of the D & T student blogs at Mrs. Nikolic’s website. 

Juniors Anja and Voja were showing me their graphic organizers. Mrs. Slough uses these effectively to teach the students to organize their thoughts and aid the writing process. Voja said that a thesis is an answer. Luka and Katharina recommended that I read the book the class just completed, “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe. The students were analyzing the impact of colonialism in Africa. 

 

Graphic Organizers Aid Students In Organizing Their Thinking
Graphic Organizers Aid Students In Organizing Their Thinking

 

In the language department, the Russian Ab Initio students were studying the accusative case in their grammar workbooks. The English B students were writing an essay using criteria from Oxford’s Advanced English Certificate program. Mr. Van Drunen in the ninth grade Humanities course, was lecturing on the 3 branches of US government. When he a map of the original 13 colonies of the US, one of the students Alex, said, “Why are they all on the east coast?” Pictures say much more than words and I saw teachers using different strategies to increase student understanding. 

 

The Humanities Classroom Appeals to Teens
The Humanities Classroom Appeals to Teens

And finally, the sophmores were playing volleyball in the physical education class. There is lots going on at ISB every period. 

 

Nikola sets for Lajos
Nikola sets for Lajos

Usce Mall Opens in Belgrade

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With great fanfare, a new shopping mall opened in New Belgrade last week. It is called the Usce (oosh-chay) Mall and it is the largest in the Balkans. Usce means confluence, and it refers to the confluence, or meeting of the Sava and Danube (Dunav is Serbian) Rivers. The mall is on the northern New Belgrade side of the city, near the confluence.

Food Court of Usce Mall
Food Court of Usce Mall

The mall is the largest in the Balkans and it may be a victim of bad timing.Despite the global recession, there were big crowds. I am not a big shopper, but women are pleased with the quality of the clothing stores. New Belgrade has two large shopping malls (Delta City & Mercator) but this one is more conveniently located, being closer to the river and the older part of the city. The other two malls are always busy so it seems like this will relieve the pressure, but I don’t see how the average Belgrader can afford most of the products. Generally, prices for clothes, electronics, etc. are more expensive than the USA and of lower quality.

You can see the Usce Tower in the left side of the photo. This is the former headquarters of the Communist Central Committee of the ex-Yugoslavia. It was constructed in 1964 and partially destroyed on April 21, 1999 by the NATO bombing. Today it is used as office space.

The View From the Food Court of the Usce Mall
The View From the Food Court of the Usce Mall

Family Journal: Beautiful Springtime Weekend April 4-5, 2009

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Owen Soccer, originally uploaded by bill kralovec.

We had a delightful weekend in Belgrade. I was supposed to leave for the CEESA Principals’ Conference on Sunday, but with Nadia sick, it would have been tough to leave her with the kids. With bright sunshine and temperatures in the mid 70’s, it was nice to be with the kids.

On Saturday morning I took all three kids to Ada Ciganlija. When they are all up, it is the only way I can get a bit of exercise. I rent a bike with a “rickshaw” which is a baby carrier attached to a bike. I put Ocean and Oliver in the carrier and Owen rides with me. We made it the 7 kilometers around the lake with stops at a playground and to skip rocks. In the afternoon, I grilled hamburgers in the yard while the kids played.

Oliver Demolishes Oceans Doll House
Oliver Demolishes Ocean's Doll House

My Two Angels! Family Journal: April 3, 2009

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My Two Angels, originally uploaded by bill kralovec.

Spring has hit Belgrade in a huge way! The week the weather has been absolutely gorgeous, with bright, sunny skies and warm temperatures. There are literally millions of blossoms in the apple and cherry trees in the city, making Belgrade a springtime paradise.

We have several magnolia trees in our yard. My two angels are shown above enjoying the fragrant blossoms. We didn’t know what kind of bushes they were until this week, when they suddenly bloomed. One of the pleasant surprises of moving to a new place. We have three of them in the garden, and along with a fig tree, it makes for a pleasant yard. We really enjoy family times out there. We also have a nice fire place and gazebo that makes it the perfect place for BBQ’s and entertaining. A big thanks to the previous principal, Clint Calzini, for finding this house!

Nadia is feeling better. She was out of school Thursday and Friday with the flu. It was a busy week, with Spirit Days in both the middle school and lower school. I chaperoned a part of the dance last night and had to take the kids so Nadia could rest. It will be a nice Saturday with the family. I leave for Estonia and the CEESA Principals’ Conference tomorrow afternoon, so I’ll make the most of family time today and tomorrow morning. I return Wednesday afternoon.

Classroom Observations: Wednesday April 1, 2009 Period 1

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Occasionally I like to document digitally some of my classroom observations to give the community an idea of the daily teaching and learning in the classrooms.

Wednesday I was in the middle school and they are in the midst of “Spirit Week.” Each day, students are asked to dress up according to a theme and there is a fun activity during the lunch period. It gives a lift to the students enthusiasm and is a rally point in the school calendar. Above, “Vladamir Putin” is surrounded by his “body guards” although I don’t know what kind a protection a banana offers.

Today is the culmination of the week and the students are holding a Locker Decorating competition. It is designed to get the students to clean their lockers and use them more effectively. Many students continue to carry around all their books in their bags instead of storing them in their lockers. There will be a dance tonight that the STUCO students are organizing.

The Grade 8 Design and Technology class was working on calligraphy. Below, David shows his favorite Gothic script, “Fraktur” which was made popular in the early 1500’s by Maximillian, the Holy Roman Emperor.

Grade 8 Studies Calligraphy
Grade 8 Studies Calligraphy

In science, Mrs. Medenica prepared a wonderful presentation on geological time. Her classroom is an “oasis of learning” and she always posts much student work.

The Scientific Method - 6A
The Scientific Method - 6A

The grade 7 Language Arts class was practicing their new vocabulary words, “roster”, “procrastinate”, and “trenchant”. I believe a foundation to a good education is possessing and using a large vocabulary. Words are power!

One thing I noticed is the tendency of the students to socialize in their own ethnic or nationality group. Teachers need to be aware of this and when designing seating charts, or organizing collaborative work, they need to purposely create diverse groups. It is good to have students from different cultures working together.

Serbia Defeats Sweden

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Last night a bunch of us from school went to the national soccer team of Serbia play an exhibition match with Sweden. The game was held in Partizan Stadium, which is close to the school. Serbia is doing well lately in it World Cup Qualifying Group and continued to play top flight soccer with a 2 – 0 victory.
The “White Eagles” got off to a fast start with a goal in the first minute of play by the 6 foot 8 striker, Nikola Zigic. He plays in the Spanish league (Racing Santander) and used his height to head in a crossing pass into the back of the net.

Boys from ISB Enjoy the Game
Boys from ISB Enjoy the Game

Sweden dominated play in the first half but did not get a goal. I had to go home to take care of the kids as Nadia has the flu and needed help. Fortunately, I didn’t miss much of a half and got back in time to see Serbia get back control of play. They scored a second goal in the 82nd minute by Bosko Jankovic, who plays for Serie A team Genoa.
Serbia is currently first in its group in qualifying for the World Cup 2010 in South Africa. They are at the midway point of the games. The top team in this European Group 7 qualifies automatically for the World Cup. In the remaining five games, Serbia will host Austria on June 6, travel to the Faroe Islands on June 10. When I get back from summer holidays, they have a huge game against soccer powerhouse France on September 9 at Red Star Stadium. They then host Romania on October 10, and finish the qualifying round by traveling to Lithuania October 14.
Serbia’s main rival in the group, France, defeated Serbia, but they lost to Austria and tied Romania, to end up 2 points behind Serbia. Lithuania is third, 3 points behind Serbia and Austria is five points behind.

Kosovo-born, CSKA Moscow Player Milos Krasic Heads Towards the Net
Kosovo-born, CSKA Moscow Player Milos Krasic Heads Towards the Net

Serbia features several European professional soccer superstars. The captain of the national team, Nemanja Vidic is considered one of the top defenders in Europe and plays for Manchester United. They have many young stars and this is a team that has a shot, as its toughest games in the second half of the qualifying round are at home. Regardless of the outcome, it will be exciting to follow.

My Impressions of Finland

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Finnish Language, originally uploaded by bill kralovec.

I snapped this photo of a sign during a walk around Helsinki on Saturday morning.

I didn’t realize how far north Finland was. Helsinki is at 60 degrees north latitude which in North America would be Fort Smith, Northwest Territory in Canada. The city is only 400 miles from the arctic circle.

Being that far north must have an effect on the culture. They are the kings of the snow and cold. Finns are known for excellence in ski jumping, cross country skiing, and saunas. I learned that wood fired sauna is much better than an electric one. I am not sure if it has to do with the darkness and cold, but the alcoholism and suicide is a problem there.

The city is beautiful and clean. The country is Scandinavian in the sense that it is a social welfare state. Everyone I talked to appreciated the excellent public transportation, schools, and health care (all basically free). It differs from the rest of Scandinavia in the language as you see above. It is a difficult language to learn. It is more related Estonian and Hungarian than neighbor Sweden. There are only about 5 million Finns in the country and perhaps 6-7 million worldwide.

The trip had special significance to me as the ancestry on my mother’s side is Finnish. There is a significant enclave of Finnish immigrants in the western Upper Peninsula. It was funny to hear the correct pronunciation of last names such as Heikkila, Niemi, etc. I also learned that Wurtanen is the most common last name in the country. In researching my trip, I learned that Finland has the highest percentage of blonds in the world. Many of the young people I saw in the city also had rebellious hair cuts and piercings. The landscape and vegetation reminded me of northern Michigan, plenty of pine and birch trees, as well as rocky outcroppings. I see why the Finns settled this part of Michigan as they must have felt at home.

Downtown at Night
Downtown at Night

I hope to come back to Finland someday and travel in the north of the country.

ISB Wins A Trophy!

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Team Photo With Trophy in Helsinki, originally uploaded by bill kralovec.

Doron and Zoki are holding the third place trophy outside of the International School of Helsinki. The team was celebrating an important victory over the Kiev International School in the consolation match, 50-47. The victory earned the team the third place trophy. There were 8 teams competing so it was quite an accomplishment. It was appropriate the cup was filled with snow, as it represented the team venturing to the frozen north of Finland to compete in the tourney.

Misa Goes for the Rebound
Misa Goes for the Rebound

The Dragons led the entire game against the Cosaks of KIS. ISB used a full court pressure defense to disrupt the opponents. The strategy worked as many fast break layups were scored by Doron and Nikola. Panayot played with an injured foot, and despite the pain, he had his usual outstanding game. A special mention also goes to Mik for his defensive efforts on their best player. Coaches Sands and Kralovec thank the team for their efforts. It was a fitting end to a great season. The boys played close to 20 games! They developed their individual fundamentals of basketball, learned the strategies and finer points of the game, increased their fitness, and interacted with students from all over the world and Serbia.

Things are looking bright for 2009-2010, as the entire team that traveled to Helsinki returns. We will also get some excellent players from the Middle School team that finished in second place in their tourney. We will also be hosting the high school boys’ tourney, so there are many things in our favor. Job well done gentlemen!