The Alvaiázere Centre School is
located in the quiet “vila” of Alvaiázere, in the hilly interior
center of Portugal. It is a school that includes students from
pre-school to 12th grade, the last year of Portuguese secondary
education. Its location in a rural municipality could be a
constraint to the development of its Educational Project. However, on
the contrary, it represents an added value in achieving its goals.
The
beauty of Alvaiázere and its mountain and gentle hills contrast with
the lack of cultural offer, sports and artistic performances or
exhibitions. Nevertheless, the Centre School ends up opening doors to
the full development of its students.
In
addition to developing its objectives in terms of teaching and
enabling the conclusion of Secondary Education, currently with two
study courses – Science and Technology and Humanities - this school
offers real opportunities for the full development of students, the
fulfillment of their status and roles, having revealed a good deal of
responsible, proactive, and happy young people. For the pursuit of
these purposes, the Alvaiázere Centre School has a number of
pedagogical structures that ensure the quality of its educational
service.
In
addition to the educational offer, there are a lot of activities
that allow students to open their horizons and
contribute largely to their physical, psychological and social
wellbeing.
Every
Wednesday afternoon several Clubs are open to the students, such as
Arts, Theater, History, Meditation, Music, Sports and the European
Club.
The
Theatre Club works with groups of students from the 5th
to the 12th
grade and has become an icon of our school due to the positive image
it disseminates in the broader community; parents have come to
appreciate not only the performative abilities and talent of their
young “actors” but also the self-confidence, self-esteem that
comes with it, without impairing the academic work of the students.
The Theatre Club participates in all school events
and is often invited present their plays in the nearby towns and to
participate in School Theatre Meetings on national level, which
includes the Atlantic Islands of Madeira and Azores.
School
Sports is a national project that involves all schools in the
country. It is part of a national strategy to promote good health,
healthy eating habits, a good integration of all students in the
school community. In a small place like Alvaiázere, the practice of
sport has the utmost importance for our students, who can take up
swimming, futsal, football, athletics, which also allows them to
participate in competitions at regional and national level.
The
School Library also provides many moments of learning, training and
leisure because, not only, it promotes sessions about a wide variety
of topics for students but also provides curriculum enrichment
activities, which helps students to consolidate their learning. It’s
also a great contribution to further the students’ knowledge in
terms of reading, technologies of communication, and also in terms of
educational games and teaching resources. It promotes a Reading Week
that culminates with a Literary Evening in which the school presents
to the community a great deal of work done by the students with the
support of teachers and the school library throughout the school
year.
To
this end, our school also offers a Student and Family Support Office,
the Parents’ School, a Mediation Club and The Psychology and
Guidance Services, supervised by two psychologists, who do preventive
action and intervene in conflict management. It supports students in
terms of study strategies and learning methods and with psychological
problems (anxiety, hyperactivity and depression, behavior and
discipline issues). It also offers advice and guidance to all
students in reference to their studies and professional future. The
school Psychology and Guidance Service also works in partnership with
the Municipal Council and the “Alvaiázere Projeto+”, which
culminates in a study trip to a National Professions Fair,
“Futurália”, whose purpose is to show the different
possibilities in terms of higher education, professional
qualifications and job opportunities.
The
Alvaiázere Centre School also promotes the implementation of the
National Strategy for Education and Citizenship and the Education for
Health and Sexuality Project that goes beyond simple sex education.
It is developed throughout the school year in partnership with the
Health Center, the Police and other Institutions. It promotes various
types of actions to help in the prevention of addictive behaviors,
smoking habits, HIV infection, the flu virus, dating violence,
discrimination and verbal abuse, Cyberbullying and road safety. Its
action is also extended to oral and mental health, with the projects
“Sobe” (oral hygiene) and “Mais Contigo” (suicide
prevention).
The
action of the School is also noticeable by the participation in
several National Competitions, such as: the National Reading Contest,
the “Olympics” of the different subjets, the Youth Parliament,
the Eco-Schools project, the Participatory Budget, the Cartoons
Contest, the National Education Council Contest, the Philosophical
Tale, among many others.
The
different annual events, not only national but also international ,
are being celebrated in order to train active, participative,
socially responsible and culturally aware young people: The
International Food Day, The International Day of the Declaration of
Human Rights, International Philosophy Day, the International Month
of School Libraries, the School Day of Non-Violence and Peace, the
Holocaust, the 25th
of April – celebration of the Carnations Revolution that
re-established Democracy in Portugal, after a half-century
dictatorship. Weekly, the several activities are disseminated on the
internet School Page and in the Wall Newspaper and also in the Local
Newspaper. Other activities like “Halloween”, “St Martin’s
Day” (eating roast chestnuts, a seasonal fruit), the Christmas
Season, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Food
Week, the Day of the Sun, St. Valentine’s Day, are published in a
large panel, conceived monthly, which raises cultural awareness of
current themes and consolidates the formative component of school.
The
Town Hall, in collaboration with the Centre School also promotes
sessions for the students about Entrepreneurship. The students are
motivated to create their own business projects, which are presented,
discussed and voted in a final session. The best ones are given the
opportunity to participate in challenges at a higher level. The
Education Week, also promoted by the Town Hall, involves all students
of our municipality, from pre-school to the 12th
form, including the Professional School with a large, varied and
appealing cultural program.
Our
school is also a solidarity school that encourages volunteering at
several levels: food donations
during the Christmas season to offer
to families and students in need; visits and entertaining actions at
the local Nursing Home, garbage collection and disposal in different
Eco points, essential to the promotion of the students’ ecological
awareness to achieve Sustainable Development and the Reduction of
the Ecological Footprint.
Throughout
the school year, trying to provide happiness and a favorable learning
environment to all students, the school organizes several study
visits and study trips not only to the villages and institutions of
the municipality but also to other places of historic or cultural
interest in our country and even abroad. These less formal learning
opportunities make knowledge happen with a different flavor, through
interaction with different social and cultural environments,
promoting self-confidence, tolerance and understanding of
differences, as well as cultural literacy and awareness.
In
order to increase academic success rates, it is also important to
mention the existence of support classes to help students overcome
their learning difficulties, an action that also extends to
behavioral issues. Early school dropout has been eliminated in our
Centre School for several years now.
The
students of disadvantaged social backgrounds benefit from financial
support according to the Social Security income groups. Some students
don’t pay for their meals in the school canteen or pay half the
price. In addition, some can have brunch or an afternoon snack for
free. The financial support also covers stationery and some books.
The Town Hall also contributes with financial support for transport
and school materials.
“School Day” and “Day of the Diploma” are
a special moment in our school; all teachers and students participate
like in a giant class, covering all school subjects, learning
together, sharing abilities and having fun at school. This special
day culminates in a ceremony at the Culture House with the
Certificates Award, in which the merit of students, from all levels
of education is highlighted.
The
academic year ends with a Closing Party in which the proximity of all
school staff, the collaborative spirit and the performing ability of
the students come together in an inspiring way.
The
Alvaiázere Centre School is, in fact, a different School, lacking in
material and technological resources and yet its human resources are
there to promote and maximize the wellbeing of the students as well
as their full development in terms of knowledge, skills, abilities
and positive values.
Agrupamento
de Escolas de Alvaiázere