danish school down under
By Julie Maegaard, President DSDU
Danish School Down Under (DSDU) was established in 1997 when a group of interested parents (who were already meeting once a month for a family day) took the first small steps towards starting the school by arranging Danish lessons for the children.
In its first year of operation the school had about 20 students ranging in age from 6 to 14. The students were taught together for 2 hours, on the last Sunday of the month between 2pm and 4pm.
From the outset, the Danish School used the facilities of the Swedish Church and it also provided a social opportunity for parents as well as students. Parents tended to stay, have a cuppa in the garden while the lessons were in progress. By the start of 1998 there were 27 students enrolled. A parent meeting was held and it was decided to create 2 classes based on age. The two classes ran consecutively, each for 1.5 hours. By April 1998 this system was up and running successfully.
In October 2000 the school held its first Family Weekend Camp at Camp Iluka. This camp since become a much anticipated annual event, enjoyed by teachers, students and parents alike.
By the end of 2002 it became clear that the school needed one more teacher as parents wanted more class time. In order to cater for this, it was planned to join the two classes together again. Fortunately, prior to the start of the 2003 school year another qualified Danish teacher, joined the school year, so students could continue in two classes based on age and with two hour lessons.
In its first year of operation the school had about 20 students ranging in age from 6 to 14. The students were taught together for 2 hours, on the last Sunday of the month between 2pm and 4pm.
From the outset, the Danish School used the facilities of the Swedish Church and it also provided a social opportunity for parents as well as students. Parents tended to stay, have a cuppa in the garden while the lessons were in progress. By the start of 1998 there were 27 students enrolled. A parent meeting was held and it was decided to create 2 classes based on age. The two classes ran consecutively, each for 1.5 hours. By April 1998 this system was up and running successfully.
In October 2000 the school held its first Family Weekend Camp at Camp Iluka. This camp since become a much anticipated annual event, enjoyed by teachers, students and parents alike.
By the end of 2002 it became clear that the school needed one more teacher as parents wanted more class time. In order to cater for this, it was planned to join the two classes together again. Fortunately, prior to the start of the 2003 school year another qualified Danish teacher, joined the school year, so students could continue in two classes based on age and with two hour lessons.
formalising the school
In January 2004 it was suggested that a formal school committee be established to improve the status and opportunities available, separating the schooling and the administration. This notion was well supported and the first committee was elected.
The next task was to embark on the long road to incorporation. The school obtained an ABN number and applied for income tax exemption. Other issues addressed by the new committee included: Educational content & materials, teachers’ employment conditions, parent involvement, tax exemption, funding, and promotional material. Meetings were held with the Ethnic Schools Association and Foreign Community Languages and sponsorships from DACS and the Danish Club in Melbourne were secured. The school was then formally constituted with the aim of offering children who came from families with a Danish cultural background the possibility of learning something about the various aspects of the Danish language, culture and social traditions. In this sense DSDU was never intended as a formal Danish language school, but rather follows the LOTE guidelines (*Languages Other Than English - used in Australian schools) more loosely to fit in with the particular needs of the small group of children and families it services each year.
A school logo (Red Australia with the white cross symbolizing the Danish connection circled by our name) was also created. The school’s name was officially changed and registered as DANISH SCHOOL DOWN UNDER, MELBOURNE.
By January 2005 we had 37 students enrolled - an increase from the previous year of more than 30%. The school was now so well organised that we had a 12 page newsletter ready for parents before the start of the school year. By March we had a website up and running.
In 2006, student numbers were maintained and the school ran three classes and had three teachers. 2006 was also the year that the Danish Church in Sydney started up a Danish Community School, drawing on the experience and knowledge of The Danish School Down Under Melbourne. In 2007, DSDU had 41 students with most of the new students entering at the younger grade.
In 2010 the DSDU moved from the rooms in the Swedish Church to Richmond Primary School and the school increased the number of school days and length of the lessons. Although the school in Richmond was a proper school, setting the restrictions posed on DSDU from the administration became too difficult to manage. It was recommended from ESAV that the school found a place with a Danish connection to foster the community feel of the school.
The next task was to embark on the long road to incorporation. The school obtained an ABN number and applied for income tax exemption. Other issues addressed by the new committee included: Educational content & materials, teachers’ employment conditions, parent involvement, tax exemption, funding, and promotional material. Meetings were held with the Ethnic Schools Association and Foreign Community Languages and sponsorships from DACS and the Danish Club in Melbourne were secured. The school was then formally constituted with the aim of offering children who came from families with a Danish cultural background the possibility of learning something about the various aspects of the Danish language, culture and social traditions. In this sense DSDU was never intended as a formal Danish language school, but rather follows the LOTE guidelines (*Languages Other Than English - used in Australian schools) more loosely to fit in with the particular needs of the small group of children and families it services each year.
A school logo (Red Australia with the white cross symbolizing the Danish connection circled by our name) was also created. The school’s name was officially changed and registered as DANISH SCHOOL DOWN UNDER, MELBOURNE.
By January 2005 we had 37 students enrolled - an increase from the previous year of more than 30%. The school was now so well organised that we had a 12 page newsletter ready for parents before the start of the school year. By March we had a website up and running.
In 2006, student numbers were maintained and the school ran three classes and had three teachers. 2006 was also the year that the Danish Church in Sydney started up a Danish Community School, drawing on the experience and knowledge of The Danish School Down Under Melbourne. In 2007, DSDU had 41 students with most of the new students entering at the younger grade.
In 2010 the DSDU moved from the rooms in the Swedish Church to Richmond Primary School and the school increased the number of school days and length of the lessons. Although the school in Richmond was a proper school, setting the restrictions posed on DSDU from the administration became too difficult to manage. It was recommended from ESAV that the school found a place with a Danish connection to foster the community feel of the school.
DSDU today
DSDU - 2015 Scandinavian Christmas Bazaar, Melbourne
Since 2011 the school has been operating from the premises of Denmark House in Little Bourke Street in the city.
For the school year of 2012 there were 33 pupils enrolled and during 2015 we had 44 pupils enrolled over the different class levels. Most pupils had a connection to Denmark by one or both parents being Danish, some have grandparents from Denmark and a few have no Danish family but have been to Denmark or their parents have been to Denmark and would like to retain some connection with the country.
In general, children come to the school with differing levels of Danish; some speak Danish fluently, and others (by far the majority) have limited or no Danish at all. The pupils are divided by age and language skills.
The prep group is for the very youngest, children have to have started Australian prep to enrol in this class, and they have various levels of Danish skills. There are two middle groups for the year 2’s and up to year 4’s. The division of these two groups are based on language skills. One group is primarily taught in Danish and a basic grasp of the language is a pre-requisite to enrol in this class. The other middle group is taught in English as they have little or very limited Danish skills. The oldest group are for the year 3’s and up with advanced levels in Danish.
As a new initiative in 2012 DSDU started running a conversation class for adults. This class was not included in the ESAV accreditation but interest from the Danish community called for an informal setting for adults with various levels of Danish skills to come and practise. A teacher was hired under the same terms as the other DSDU teachers and the group now meet at Denmark House but go to an off-site cafe due to lack of space at Denmark House.
In 2015 with the adult group and the 4 school classes DSDU have about 55 children and adults involved in activities, formal and informal, aimed at increasing Danish skills and knowledge and understanding of Danish culture. On top of this number parents, partners and grandparents will often also attend and participate in school activities on a regular basis. Not everything is class-based - DSDU also organise and participate in various events throughout the year - these include Fastelavn, an end-of-year Christmas workshop, a circus event as well as excursions to the Immigration Museum and the Zoo.
For the school year of 2012 there were 33 pupils enrolled and during 2015 we had 44 pupils enrolled over the different class levels. Most pupils had a connection to Denmark by one or both parents being Danish, some have grandparents from Denmark and a few have no Danish family but have been to Denmark or their parents have been to Denmark and would like to retain some connection with the country.
In general, children come to the school with differing levels of Danish; some speak Danish fluently, and others (by far the majority) have limited or no Danish at all. The pupils are divided by age and language skills.
The prep group is for the very youngest, children have to have started Australian prep to enrol in this class, and they have various levels of Danish skills. There are two middle groups for the year 2’s and up to year 4’s. The division of these two groups are based on language skills. One group is primarily taught in Danish and a basic grasp of the language is a pre-requisite to enrol in this class. The other middle group is taught in English as they have little or very limited Danish skills. The oldest group are for the year 3’s and up with advanced levels in Danish.
As a new initiative in 2012 DSDU started running a conversation class for adults. This class was not included in the ESAV accreditation but interest from the Danish community called for an informal setting for adults with various levels of Danish skills to come and practise. A teacher was hired under the same terms as the other DSDU teachers and the group now meet at Denmark House but go to an off-site cafe due to lack of space at Denmark House.
In 2015 with the adult group and the 4 school classes DSDU have about 55 children and adults involved in activities, formal and informal, aimed at increasing Danish skills and knowledge and understanding of Danish culture. On top of this number parents, partners and grandparents will often also attend and participate in school activities on a regular basis. Not everything is class-based - DSDU also organise and participate in various events throughout the year - these include Fastelavn, an end-of-year Christmas workshop, a circus event as well as excursions to the Immigration Museum and the Zoo.
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For more information on the Danish School Down Under, please visit their website or Facebook page
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dsdu activities |