Vasa Övningsskola is a school in the city centre. Grades 1-6 are situated in the school’s Alfa building, whereas grades 7-9 are in the school’s Beta building.
Our pupils come from the centre and surrounding neighbourhood of Vaasa. A pupil’s neighbourhood school is decided based on the home address. The neighbouhood school areas are marked on the web pages of Vaasa map services which are maintained by the City of Vaasa (education > neighbouhood school area); the link is provided here: https://kartta.vaasa.fi/IMS/en/Map
In Vasa Övningsskola, grades 1-6 are divided into three work units. Nybörjarna (the Beginners) consists of grades 1-2, Påbyggarna (the Continuers) of grades 3-4 and Uppföljarna (the Followers-up) of grades 5-6. The special education teachers and non-permanent teachers cooperate with all the pupils and teachers. Also the school nurse, the school welfare officer and the school psychologist are a natural part of the school’s daily work.
In the beginners’ classes, we work for good basic skills in the various subjects according to the school curriculum and through varying and versatile pedagogical methods. Our pupils can participate in outdoor teaching and school activities, in reading and writing training supported by digital aids and in physical education focusing on motor activity and motion training. Additionally, subject-integrated teaching in English is offered.
Together with the Faculty of Education, Vasa Övningsskola is responsible for the Finland-Swedish teacher training, as the teacher students do supervised teaching practice at our school. For the endorsement of the pupils as well as the teacher students, we work for both pedagogical and organizational development of the school. Our classes are divided into both straight as well as combined classes.
Basic education
Students are admitted to Vasa Övningsskola according to an agreement with the City of Vaasa. When students are admitted to the basic education, the neighbourhood school is decided on the basis of catchment areas. Admission to Vasa Övningsskola as secondary neighbourhood school takes place on the basis of settled principles of selection. The catchment areas are marked on the web pages of Vaasa map services which are maintained by the City of Vaasa. Contact the school office for enrolment during the school year.
Admission principles for the school year 2024-2025
Enrolment
Enrolment to grade 1 within the Swedish-language basic education is done electronically through the Wilma program at the address https://wilma.vaasa.fi 8.1-21.1.2024. The City of Vaasa homepage provides more information about the enrolment: School registration
Beginning school is both enjoyable and exciting. A booklet containing useful information when a family member is about to begin school is available here: Welcome to school (pdf, in Swedish)
Enrolment of new pupils during the school year is done on this form: Enrolment form
The form can be filled out electronically and printed out to be signed or it can be printed out and filled out by hand.
Vaasa consists of school districts and pupils are assigned to schools based on their official home address. It is possible to apply for a change of school district. Apply using this form (please note that the form is in Swedish): Application to change school district
Preschool
The City of Vaasa is responsible for the preschool.
Follow the information provided in the City of Vaasa homepage: https://www.vaasa.fi/en/living/early-childhood-education-and-schools/preschool-education/
Vasa övningsskola does not arrange any preschool during the school year 2024-2025.
Skolans morgonverksamhet (translation coming soon)
Vid skolan ordnas övervakning utomhus för alla elever i åk 1-6 varje morgon från kl. 8.00 till kl. 8.20 då skolklockan ringer in.
Det finns därtill möjlighet att anmäla sitt barn i åk 1-2 till avgiftsbelagd Morris kl. 7.30-8.00. Morris ordnas huvudsakligen utomhus för anmälda elever i årskurserna 1-2. Avgiften för morgonverksamhet som ordnas av skolan är 40 € per månad och faktureras månadsvis. Avgiften är den samma varje månad oberoende av i vilken utsträckning man deltar. Man anmäler sig skriftligen till kansli.grundskolan@abo.fi. Uppsägning av Morrisplats sker skriftligen till kansli.grundskolan@abo.fi
Verksamheten startar såtillvida att tillräckligt många barn är anmälda.
Language programme
Vasa Övningsskola’s language programme includes the following A-languages:
- Finnish or near-native Finnish from grade 1
- English from grade 4
The B-languages included in the language programme are:
- Finnish from grade 6 (for pupils lacking studies in A-Finnish)
- Optional subjects: French and/or German in grades 8 and 9
CLIL, subject-integrated language education
One class in the school study according to CLIL from grade 1 to 9
Our international teacher students arrange club activities in several languages. The international students spur our pupils’ interest in language studies.
The English Line (Engelska linjen), with bilingual education according to the CLIL method, is part of the basic education at Vasa Övningsskola since 1991. CLIL stands for Content and Language Integrated Learning and is a kind of immersion course where subject and language education are integrated.
The bilingual education increases gradually, starting from grade 1. All subjects, except Swedish and literature as well as Finnish, can be taught according to the principles of CLIL.
Much effort is put on creating situations which favour the pupils’ language acquisition. This, in combination with CLIL and formal language learning, supports the pupils’ language proficiency development in the target language.
The teachers, and the class teachers in particular, serve as multilingual role models for the pupils. Reading and writing training takes place initially in the first language of the school.
School transport
Pupils in grades 1-2 who live in the catchment area of Vasa Övningsskola and whose way to school exceeds the set kilometre limit are entitled to school transport, by hired taxi (grade 1) and by bus (grade 2). The school transport guide and more information about school transports can be found here (in Swedish).
Afternoon Care (Eftis)
Afternoon care for pupils in grades 1-2 at Vasa Övningsskola, i.e. Övis Eftis, is arranged by the parents’ association Föräldraföreningen för fritidsklubben i Vasa centrumområde r.f.
Registration to afternoon care for the school year starts every year in January.
Övis Eftis’s home page is found at https://sites.google.com/view/oviseftis. It includes information about the afternoon care, monthly news letters, contact information etc.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Föräldraföreningen för fritidsklubben i Vasa centrumområde r.f. (parents’ association)
Kyrkoesplanaden 11-13
65100 Vasa
oviseftis@gmail.com
Anna-Karin Berg, director
Phone: 040 5947 004
Jessica Kempe, administration
Phone: 050 5922 809
Sonja Sundqvist, chairman