The rapidly changing society demands the development of new skills such as innovative thinking, creativity, flexibility, the ability to cooperate and communicate, presenting oneself in writing and orally, et cetera. The Lorentz Casimir Lyceum wants to contribute to these competence requirements for the future and has developed a broad package of educational activities to this end. Consequently, since June 2015, the school has joined the Brainport Schools partnership.
The Brainport Schools in the region distinguish themselves by their special attention to the following themes in their education: 21st century skills, innovative learning, collaboration, high tech, entrepreneurship, design and development, ict and media, internationalization, relationship with the environment (Brainport region) and sustainability. As a Brainport School, the Lorentz Casimir Lyceum presents itself with various special educational activities.
Quest is the name we have given to an entirely unique form of education in which students learn to work in projects. Pupils work in groups on different Quest-challenges per grade, The challenges start from a current or relevant theme through which Quest provides a connection to the world outside the school.
During lessons, the emphasis is on inquiry-based and design-based learning (challenge-based learning) in which students develop skills such as collaboration, research, presentation and evaluation/reflection. Skills that are very important for the future. Each challenge challenges students to use a variety of research methods.
The angles to arrive at an investigation are related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In addition, aspects of citizenship and digital literacy are addressed at Quest.
In the lower school, the subjects handicrafts and technology have been merged into the new subject 3Design. In addition to the basic techniques from the aforementioned subjects, we also apply design thinking to develop new products and innovative ideas. In the upper school we have transformed the subject Cultural and Artistic Education into the subject 'design'. We want to achieve that students are less consumptive with culture but work creatively and innovatively on the design of art, cultural and design products.
Our society has long since moved beyond national borders: globalization is a fact of life in today's world. Therefore, it is important that we prepare students to learn, work and live in another country, or to function within an international context at home. The school offers numerous activities to expand students' horizons. These begin as early as the bridge class, with an exchange with a school in Kempen, where students experience a day in the life of our eastern neighbors. With a certain regularity, groups of students go to Bayeux with the history section. We go on day trips with various groups, including language trips to Lille/Brussels, Cologne and Liege.
For a large group of upper school students, in addition to these activities, there are the trips abroad to major European cities such as Berlin, Krakow and Prague. Each trip has a good balance of cultural sights and other ways to relax. Lorentz Casimir Lyceum considers it important that all students be able to participate in the trips. If the cost of the trips is an insurmountable problem, please contact the school to discuss options.
The developments in the Brainport region also bring internationalization easily into the school. As a result, an orientation on world citizenship can no longer be separated from our regular educational program. Where possible, we incorporate activities such as (online) exchanges into our curriculum.
Throughout the school career at Lorentz Casimir Lyceum, students are tested for language and math skills. If a student is not at the desired level, students receive additional support for this.
The Lorentz Casimir Lyceum makes an effort to maintain students' language and math skills. Within the subjects mathematics, economics, physics and the like, arithmetic skills are maintained. Students in havo 4 without math in their curriculum will receive an extra hour of math on the class schedule for one year.
At the Lorentz Casimir Lyceum, we think language skills are important. In all classes, we pay attention to oral and written language skills so that students can express themselves at an appropriate level and get by in school subjects.
For non-native students, there is Language Support in the junior and senior years. These meetings are aimed at acquiring (school) language, both orally and in writing. Students get to work with authentic and current Dutch-language offerings in order to get a better grip on the Dutch language together by increasing their vocabulary and sense of Dutch.
The goal of citizenship education at Lorentz Casimir Lyceum is to guide students to become open, curious and critical citizens who want to make a positive contribution to current social issues now and in the future. We offer students knowledge about the democratic rule of law and a safe place to practice to develop the skills necessary for good citizenship. We do this by providing every student with opportunities to acquire this knowledge and skills, both inside and outside the classroom.
Citizenship finds a place within each subject and in the norms and values we share at our school. In some subjects citizenship comes forward more strongly, for example Quest, ckv, history, geography, biology and social studies. In addition, we organize activities with a clear link to citizenship, such as an excursion to the Lower House and Purple Friday, but also in organizational forms such as sounding board groups and the mini-mentorship.
HavoPro
HavoPro is an elective subject in havo 4. Students take part in a practical program consisting of realistic assignments from the business world. Students also visit further education institutions and work on LOB (Career Orientation and Guidance) assignments to get a better idea of their study options. They work in groups on issues and shadow a company. In the process, students develop skills such as entrepreneurial thinking, presentation, cooperation and (self)reflection. This gives them a good picture of their competences and possibilities for further education and professions. Students can choose a social (pgp-M*) or technical variant (pgp-T**).
pgp-M: Practice-oriented program social
pgp-T: hands-on technology program
In our gymnasium bridge classes, students are introduced to the classical languages and the ideas and culture of the Romans and Greeks. Knowledge of our classical culture provides a keen insight into the here and now and gives students a very broad and solid foundation in their overall development. Translating from Latin and Greek develops their analytical and creative abilities; this strengthens the understanding and learning of other languages and also helps in solving difficult problems in other (including science) subjects. Gymnasium takes you into the mythology, art, architecture, drama, history and philosophy of the Greeks and Romans, teaching students to see the world around them in perspective. In our eyes, the classical languages are alive and well!
GymnasiumPlus
The GymnasiumPlus class is intended for more- and highly gifted children. Offering a challenging curriculum with broadening, deepening and strengthening the social-emotional aspect is the starting point. The class is open to students with an appropriate score on a recognized giftedness test and consists in grade 1 and 2
The GymnasiumPlus class moves through the standard curriculum faster, freeing up time to work on the Big History project curriculum. In addition, students are offered the subjects MathematicsPlus, Programming and Design and Philosophy, as an extension of the gymnasium curriculum. Teachers enrich the curriculum. Excursions add depth to the project education.
Attention is paid to the personal development of this group of students. For example, the mentor has specialized in guiding the gifted and highly gifted. During the mentor lessons, extra attention is paid to, for example, "learning to learn," positive psychology and metacognitive skills.
The profile paper is the conclusion of the secondary school term. It is the master's thesis: a large piece of work in the form of a research or design. This paper is linked to one or more subjects and students work on it in pairs. By working together, students have support from each other during this process. Each duo has its own supervisor who helps and supports students throughout the process.
From the beginning, the student receives a detailed explanation of what the profile paper entails, the criteria it must meet and the deadlines for the various stages. What is new this year is that all students will use GenAI (generative AI) when creating their profile paper. The school offers a comprehensive collection of resources and explanations through our research website and the digital learning environment. All this supports in doing research and making a good profile paper.
One of the biggest advantages of the profile paper is that the topic may be chosen by the student. This allows many students to work on a topic that truly interests them, which makes the process more fun and engaging. As a result, students are often very proud of their final result.
Students complete the profile paper with a report, presentation and a question and answer session with the supervisor.
In short, the profile paper is not only an important conclusion to high school, but also an opportunity for students to show what they can do and where their interests lie. With the right guidance and support, students can look back on this master's thesis with pleasure and pride.
