Osnovna sola Ivana Groharja

Our school is called Ivan Grohar Primary School. We got our name from a famous Slovenian impressionist painter Ivan Grohar who worked in our town. His paintings are exhibited in the National Gallery in Ljubljana. Our school is one of three schools in Škofja Loka and it is situated in a beautiful surroundings next to Selška Sora river and below a hill Lubnik (1025m). Behind the school, there is a big, mostly grassy playground. We have a new running track (60m) and two courts for football and basketball. We have also built special gymnastic apparatus to gain strength with the help of our local community. Younger children have a lot of equipment on the playground. One of the special things about our school is that lessons take place in four different buildings, due to the size of our school district. Therefore, the lessons for younger pupils (1st-5th grade) are organised at three so-called branch schools in the Selška Valley. The first PŠ Bukovica is a ten-minute car ride away. Iti is also the biggest – 42 pupils. The second is PŠ Bukovščica, the smallest one with 14 pupils at present. The third one PŠ Lenart is situated at the highest point (659m) with 15 pupils at present. It is fascinating to observe the work of the teacher and the pupils where there are first, second and third grade pupils in the same classroom together. We have 613 pupis altogether in all school buildings. The branch schools collaborate with the local environment. The teachers and students make cards for different occasions and holidays – for example for International Women's Day - and deliver them in person. They also organise cultural events. The local people sometimes help creating the lessons with their valuable knowledge of crafts. The branch schools help saving our cultural heritage that is why the craftsmen are happy and honoured to share their knowledge and skills with the students. In this way we cherish precious knowledge and we try to preserve it for later generations. Our school’s vision is POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARD KNOWLEDGE AND VALUES – THIS IS OUR PATH. The teachers are regularly educated in this area and want to be the role models for children that are entrusted to us. Education is a part of our professional growth. We are fully aware that the students can also teach us a lot of new, different and important thingd, because their interests are endless. That is why we are glad to take their knowledge and grow and evolve with them. We know that learning never ends. The students of our school learn English all 9 years of primary school. In the 7th class they can decide and take another foreign language – German or Latin. First graders have lessons outside the classroom once a week with a purpose of different learning and spending more time in nature. The project is called Gozdoljub – Forestlover and is one of a kind in our municipality. The same types of lessons are carried out also in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades. Once a week the students from 6th to 9th grades have Home class meetings, where class teachers get to know their students in a different, less formal way, which helps improving the class and school environment. Some students of our school are also children with special needs. The majority of them have deficits in individual areas of learning and linguistic difficulties, then there are children with long-lasting illnesses and children with emotional and behavioural disturbance. Special needs teachers take care of those students. Our 5th, 7th, and 8th grade students spend one week in nature; at the seaside, skiing or upgrading their knowledge in Science. It is a special experience for all of us because we get to know our students in day-to-day situations and circumstances. We want our students to be good readers. Therefore, our school library is well stocked and there are many activities, which support and promote reading. We strive for our students to be fit and active (the school is involved in a so-called RAP, an extended program, where