Ross Tensta Gymnasium dates back 700 years since the history of Tensta starts in the Old town of Stockholm. Tensta can trace the school back to an old village school that was situated right next to the Cathedral in the Old town. 1880 the school moved to Norra Bantorget and was renamed Norra Latinskolan (The North Latin School). The school finally ended up in a new state of the art building in Tensta 1984/85. In the fall of 2005 Tensta Gymnasium celebrated its 20th anniversary at their present location. Today, Ross Tensta Gymnasium is a multicultural school; the majority of the students enrolled are first or second generation immigrants. The student body at Ross Tensta Gymnasium represents around 50 cultures and languages. Ross Tensta Gymnasium has been affiliated with Ross School, Long Island, USA, since the fall of 2003. 

 

 

Ross Tensta Gymnasium has for the last 8 years worked hard to implement a new pedagogical concept. The concept originates from Ross School.

The main focus is on integrating all subjects with history as its core. The teachers work together in interdisciplinary teams and are responsible for a common group of students. Other essential parts of the concept are ICT, Wellness and Performing Arts.

The overall guideline is to prepare the students for a lifelong learning and a world characterized of change and development.

 

 

“At ROSS TENSTA GYMNASIUM we prepare students for a future in a global context characterized by change and development.  To this end we work with a combined curriculum with Cultural History and modern techniques in interdisciplinary teaching as a prerequisite for lifelong learning. The work at ROSS TENSTA GYMNASIUM is made obvious in the consideration, mindfulness and respect for the similarities and differences of all human beings.“

 

The mission of Ross Tensta Gymnasium is to educate the whole child for the whole world. The world is changing and Tensta is committed to educating children for the 21st century. We are devoted to an integrated curriculum with history at the core. We want to instill a passion for life long learning; we want the students to be engaged with their own education and with the global situation. Through formal education and through travel and experiential learning, our students are introduced to different points of view and perspectives that vary according to cultural, religious, economic, social and political differences. We have incorporated wellness as an essential part in the learning process, which includes nutritious meals and increased physical activity. We have also made efforts to integrate concepts of wellness in the curriculum. We teach students about the different religious traditions in the world, and stress the importance of recognizing the spiritual aspects associated with the unity of humanity. 

Consideration – to care about others and show understanding for others

Language – to listen and think of how we express ourselves

Mindfulness – to treat others the way you want to be treated yourself

Responsibility – to take responsibility for your actions

Respect – to be there for each other

These core values relate directly to the mission, and facilitate communication between people from all different walks of life. Our students internalize these Core Values, and thus can approach unfamiliar people and situations with open minds, ready and curious to learn from others. 

We have infused the curriculum and the school culture with these core values by posting them all over the building, and by leading discussions about the deeper meanings of each of these potent words. For instance, the word “respect” is often understood by new students to mean fear and intimidation, and power; our teachers work very hard to introduce a deeper and more productive understanding of this word and concept, so that students can feel and demonstrate respect for themselves and others.  Another core value, “mindfulness,” is integral to the curriculum as it relates to learning about the larger community.  Students are engaged with service projects that increase their awareness of problems and situations throughout the world.  This awareness is manifest in many different contexts.  For instance, our students have participated in the Honorary Ambassadors program at the United Nations in New York (2010); there they are tasked with problem solving and dispute resolution, and utilize the core values from the school very effectively to respond to these difficult challenges. 

 

 

Administrative reorganization was a central goal of the early stages of adopting the Ross Concept.  The leaders of the school were thoroughly trained in the Ross model, as were the team leaders.  These team leaders are responsible for ensuring the adoption of the Ross model, and report the progress of their team teachers to the administrative hierarchy.

 

The educational administration group (team leaders and school administration) leads the educational development work according to the intentions of the school administration formulated in the Job description for team leaders and in the Aim/Assignments for the teacher teams. Every teacher team has a budget for purchases; this allows team leaders to plan for curricular materials and fieldtrips to improve and enhance the learning process.  Our vision is to create a future focused school. Furthermore, we want to help pupils achieve social competence making them prepared for a changing global society. 

Ross Tensta Gymnasium is a school in constant development in co-operation with the Ross School using Howard Gardner’s theories. Our activities emphasize a holistic approach to learning, including history, Swedish literature, social science, natural science, math, health and wellness, and the visual arts.  History is the core of the interrelation of subjects and courses according to a plan and the programme goals determine the content of the planning of the integrated courses. Enduring Understandings and Essential Questions that guide the Ross concept are written to help the students in their studies.

Wherever possible, teacher teams make connections with trade, industry, higher educational institutions and community groups, to help integrate the students in the larger world.  

We also incorporate our alumnae in efforts to expose our current students to jobs, educational opportunities and other experiences in order to inspire and inform them The school is newly renovated and beautiful with a special architecture and decorated with different kinds of art. The seven teacher teams and their groups of pupils are responsible for their own team space. In the centre of the school there is a large well-equipped library with computers for advanced information and media communication.

 

 

All students in the school have access to their own computers for school work. 

On the internet, students, teachers and administrators can access all information needed; Enduring Understandings and Essential Questions that guide the Ross concept, along with the National Criteria for educational standards are listed. Furthermore, assignments and rubrics for all the projects and all the assignments are stored and accessible through the Fronter System. 

This approach increased communication between teachers and students, and in so doing, greatly improved student performance. There is also less discussion about grades; the expectations are made clear at the onset.

Teachers use Fronter to hand out homework, give feedback on homework and    grade homework. The teachers’ use software called urkund, which is used to make sure student work, is not plagiarized. The Music teachers use different composition programs. Many of our teachers use Moviemaker to create animated movies and sounds.

The computer is also used to illustrate and explain scientific phenomena in   chemistry and physics. Students use movies and digital pictures (cell phone pictures are used in lab reports) to show that the necessary knowledge is acquired. Foreign language practice is facilitated by special programs; focus is on grammar, literature, and pronunciation. Smart boards are frequently used in the classroom.

We have also involved digital media as a means to experiment and test several expressions in art and isms. The students can get the feel for fauvism or cubism by processing pictures into these or other art forms. This means that they more easy get in touch with the ism without having to go into several of years of training to express themselves in these art forms.

 

 ART

 

Teachers at Ross Tensta Gymnaisum use art and artifacts to enrich their teaching experience; this approach provides visual cues and motivation to the students. Teachers are encouraged to use art as a direct link to the history curriculum, in order to help students better understand the coherence and integrated nature of the curriculum.

We also use local galleries and museums frequently; this gives students a better appreciation of their city and the rich art world offered in Stockholm. The students’ art is often displayed and presented throughout the school. There are many places in the school that display art work in glass cases; in these cases we display professional and student work. There is also a gallery that is often used for student presentation of art work and the outside community is sometimes invited in for exhibitions.

 

 

 

The Community Center in the building adjoining Ross Tensta Gymnasium is active until 8 PM every weekday with students getting homework help and taking an assortment of enrichment classes, such as dance, music, filmmaking, and visual arts.