Secondary School no 13

Secondary School no 13 is a public comprehensive school with over 60 years of tradition and experience. It provides educational services for 26 classes  – 760 students aged 14-19.

Students undertake their education in classes that align with their interests and plans for further education and career. The school offers instruction in subjects such as the sciences, humanities, and foreign languages. Sports activities also play a significant role. Each class profile includes combinations of subjects taught at an advanced level to cater to the educational preferences and expectations of the students

Class profiles:

  • Biology/Chemisty/Maths
  • Maths/Geography/English
  • Maths/Chemistry/English
  • Maths/Physics/English
  • History/Polish/English
  • Civics/Germany or Italian language/English

Our students, apart from studying, can develop their passions and interests by participating in:

  • School Magazine
  • School Choir
  • School Theater
  • Sport
  • Charity events
  • Trips and Workshops

Our school has extensive experience in coordinating and implementing international projects (Comenius, Erasmus, Power, projects funded by Norwegian funds) as well as international exchanges. We promote and implement innovative teaching methods, the use of ICT, and the development of language skills, including linguistic diversity (the school offers instruction in 6 foreign languages).

Due to the school’s extensive experience in implementing international projects, our staff is aware of the benefits that arise from various project activities. They understand the mechanisms of school management, recognize the pedagogical and educational challenges that arise with changing social conditions, and see the need for the continuous development of the school. The opportunity to collaborate with partners from different educational systems and cultures allows them to gain a clearer perspective on the needs of our institution and inspires further growth.

Our school:

  • Enables acquiring reliable knowledge to all the students who are ready to make an effort and work hard and systematically
  • Leads integrated educational actions in which both all the employees of the school and students’ parents cooperate
  • Constantly cooperates with various institutions which are able to help in the educational and didactic process
  • Teaches creativity
  • Focuses on learning foreign languages
  • Caters for shaping a patriotic attitude
  • Implements ideals, hierarchy of values and healthy lifestyle rules, shapes a correct attitude to life, other people and oneself

EUROPEAN PROGRAMMES – participation since 2004

Participation in previous European projects reinforced our conviction that teachers’ mobilities as well as European cooperation have a considerable influence on gaining new experience. The latter – if used properly – improves performance of educational institutions. A teacher who seeks inspiration, who builds up their self-esteem by developing in a variety of fields, profoundly affects their students and the students’ motivation. This can be achieved due to participation in international mobilities.

ERASMUS+ ACCREDITED SCHOOL 2023-2027

Staff at XIII High School in Krakow recognize the value of international cooperation with partners from diverse cultures and educational systems. Such collaboration allows for a clearer understanding of our institution’s needs and inspires development. To ensure effective collaboration, fluent communication in English is essential. Teachers who have participated in previous projects have pointed out that language barriers were the main hindrance to fully engaging in international activities or discouraged them from participating. Therefore, continuous and systematic improvement of English language skills is necessary. The goal is to enhance the language competencies of school staff through their participation in foreign language courses and other planned mobility programs. Learning within an international group will break down barriers, boost confidence, and motivate communication in English.

Every year, the school sees an increase in the number of students with special educational needs. There are also many students for whom disabilities or health issues pose learning barriers. The school provides psychological and pedagogical support to students through additional classes or personalized learning paths. However, it is essential to sensitize the entire school community to the concept of inclusion and to adopt effective working methods. The aim is to deepen knowledge about inclusive education and apply its principles in educational activities, integration within class teams, and cooperation with parents.

The nature of teachers’ and administrative staff’s work, involving intensive interaction with others, demands communication skills, assertiveness, experience in building proper relationships, teamwork, including conflict resolution abilities. Therefore, enhancing interpersonal skills, social intelligence, unconventional thinking, intercultural competence, and creativity is essential. For the management team, developing leadership skills is crucial for effective school management. The goal is to elevate the interpersonal and professional competencies of teachers (including the „teacher-student relationship”), administrative staff, and management through participation in foreign training. The most crucial aspect is applying acquired skills in practice, their impact on the quality of relationships with others, and the ability to support students’ social competence development. Enhancing interpersonal skills is a soft skill, not easily measured, but acquiring knowledge and recognizing various mechanisms will provide a solid foundation for developing these competencies.

Given the need to integrate modern technology into the school’s operations, staff have expressed the need for continuous development of information and communication technology competencies. This includes using their knowledge to make lessons more engaging, prepare materials, and effectively manage the school. Digital safety, both in data handling and communication processes, is crucial. The goal is to enhance the digital competencies of school staff in utilizing modern communication and information technologies through participation in foreign training and job shadowing.

A long-term need for the school is to introduce interdisciplinary tasks and projects into educational activities, allowing students to connect knowledge from various fields and learn more effectively. Interdisciplinary learning facilitates the understanding of taught content and provides a broader perspective on the subject matter. As demonstrated by experiences from the project carried out between 2019-2022, introducing interdisciplinary teaching increases students’ motivation to learn. The aim is, therefore, to develop interdisciplinary projects that tangibly connect knowledge from different fields. Support in this area will involve job shadowing in collaboration with partners who effectively employ interdisciplinary learning and participation in foreign training related to this issue.

The concept of sustainable development encompasses significant challenges, including environmental protection, which is crucial for individual and societal progress. It is essential to raise awareness of the processes occurring in today’s world and suggest solutions that contribute to improving the quality of life for current and future generations. The school is a place where proper attitudes should be cultivated, and discussions about implementing sustainable development principles into daily life should take place. The goal is to deepen knowledge of sustainable development throughout the entire school community. Achieving this goal will be possible through joint activities between students of XIII High School and students from partner schools during mobilities, as well as through the participation of school staff in job shadowing.

There is a growing need to focus on both local attachment and diversity and multiculturalism, as observed during job shadowing in a project carried out from 2019-2022. This need has been planned for further development in subsequent activities. The aim is to increase students’ awareness of the importance of local patriotism: attachment to the culture and traditions of the region they inhabit, while preparing them to live in a culturally diverse environment. It also involves maintaining awareness of one’s roots and identity while remaining open to other cultures. This can be achieved through the development of social, civic, and intercultural competencies, critical thinking, proficient use of modern media, and the promotion of an active civic attitude. Achieving this goal will involve joint activities between students of XIII High School and students from partner schools during mobilities, as well as the participation of school staff in job shadowing.

PROJECT WEBSITE

FINISHED PROJECTS 

JOURNEY TO THE SOURCES OF MOTIVATION” 2019-2022

The title of the project „Journey to the sources of motivation” includes a metaphorical reference to a journey which can be considered as a route that will allow us to reach the source – the richness and diversity of motivational methods for activating students. The journey symbolises all the actions connected with searching for new solutions in education. This symbolic route is meant to enable us to gain new experience, and to encourage mobility, engagement, and development. The student–teacher relationship is the pillar of education. Teachers’ attitudes and their openness to innovation, as well as constant professional development, are key aspects of educational success.

Goals

  1. Development of students’ motivation for learning by applying new methods and tools acquired through the educational mobilities included in the project.
  2. Improvement of the quality of teaching students with special educational needs by using methods and tools acquired through the educational mobilities included in the project.
  3. Increasing leadership competence of the managerial staff by applying methods used by partnership schools.
  4. Improvement of the knowledge of English among project participants by offering them intensive two-week English language courses abroad as well as other mobilities.
  5. Increasing teachers’ international mobility competence by engaging them in job shadowing, teaching assignment, and language courses. We want our staff to be flexible, open-minded, with high adaptation skills, ready to share their knowledge and experience, tolerant and open to cultural diversity.
  6. Enhancing the quality and attractiveness of teaching by applying innovative methods and tools that some of them are to acquire by participating in job shadowing.

Results

  1. Broadening the knowledge of processes connected with motivating students to learn.
  2. Mastering teaching skills: the teachers are using the methods observed during visits in partner schools.
  3. Improving the quality of teaching students with special educational needs e.g. by increasing the number of remedial classes, organization of integrated educational paths.
  4. Enhancing leadership competence in managerial staff, getting familiarized with different forms and methods of management, openness to changes, readiness to apply new solutions which may streamline school work.
  5. Activating teachers to raise funds aimed at modernizing school labs, to benefit from grants and programs financed by EU.
  6. Increasing teachers’ competence in English.
  7. Broadening the range of English vocabulary to enable job shadowing.
  8. Enhancing teachers’ competence in foreign mobilities.
  9. Integration of workers, improvement of communication between workers and between workers and the head teacher.
  10. Improvement of quality and attractiveness of teaching in the school.
PROJECT WEBSITE

TEACHER AS A LEARNING DESIGNER (2015-2016)

TEACHER AS A LEARNING DESIGNER was the title of the project successfully concluded at the XIII Secondary School during the 2015-2016 academic year. The project was carried out under the European Union’s ERASMUS+ – Mobility of Educational Staff program.

The primary objective of the project was to enhance the professional and linguistic competences of the school’s educational staff through international mobility experiences.

As part of the project, in January 2016, a job shadowing training trip took place, involving the school principal and a group of 13 teachers from the 13th Secondary School in Krakow. During this trip, Polish teachers actively participated in classes at our partner school in Sweden and had the opportunity to observe the teaching methods employed by other educational institutions in Sweden.

In October 2015, the XIII Secondary School hosted a study visit by teachers from Sweden. This visit was a crucial component of the project, providing valuable insights into cultural, linguistic, and pedagogical practices and serving as a preparatory phase for Polish teachers.

The collective experiences and enhanced competences of both our school’s management staff and teachers have significantly contributed to the school’s transformation into a modern and progressive organization. The XIII Secondary School now stands as an institution that embraces pedagogical innovations, where teachers engage in mutual learning, share their experiences, and draw inspiration from their European counterparts.

PROJECT WEBSITE

SCHOOL IS A TEACHER OF LIFE (2013-2016)

The primary objective of our completed project was to demonstrate that a school not only can but should serve as a platform for creating an environment conducive to the development of both students and teachers. This environment encourages mobility, fosters independent thinking and action, and promotes collaboration. This collaboration inspires a range of activities, facilitates interaction among participants, encourages the exchange of experiences, and enables the instant validation of existing teaching methods while remaining open to new ideas. In our context, this cooperation was particularly focused on fostering Polish-Norwegian relations.

Our project’s title, a paraphrase of a Latin phrase, „History – the teacher of life,” underscored the notion that the school, as the „teacher of life,” can be identified with every educator responsible for imparting knowledge to students and colleagues. Their efforts contribute to maintaining a high standard of education, one that takes into account not only the students’ needs but also the evolving educational landscape.

To achieve these goals, we embarked on several mini-projects. Two of these were designed for teachers, while the others targeted both students and educators. The work on these projects was conducted within the framework of school classes and during exchange visits between Poland and Norway.

Our primary aim was to broaden knowledge in various domains, including culture, art, ecology, and education, while developing essential skills and qualities. We aimed to instill sensitivity, enhance aesthetic awareness, foster a sense of identity (as seen in our mini-project: „The origin – our and your myths”), and teach environmental stewardship (as demonstrated in our mini-project: „We are learning how to think globally – water as a common treasure”). To accomplish these goals, teachers needed to continually enrich their knowledge, skills, methods, and competencies (as highlighted in our mini-project: „High standard of education – opportunity for young people”). Additionally, they were encouraged to ensure the quality of education through proper self-evaluation (as emphasized in our mini-project: „How good is our school?”).

These mini-projects were instrumental in achieving the core objective of our completed project, emphasizing the value of learning. In essence, we subscribed to the notion of studying „not for school, but for life,” as the Latin saying suggests. We firmly believed that the school is indeed „the teacher of life.”

PROJECT WEBSITE

ONLY AWARE CAN ACT FAIR (2013-2015)

The aim of our completed project was to empower students to grasp the significance of sustainability and gain insights into ethical sourcing and sustainable consumption.

The core idea underpinning our project was centered around sustainability and solidarity, encompassing the following aspects:

  • Showing respect and extending support to farmers and artisans in developing countries who often face social and economic marginalization.
  • Building a cooperative model for the relationship between buyers and sellers.
  • Upholding the responsibility of protecting and respecting the environment by utilizing its resources at sustainable rates that do not exceed the Earth’s capacity for renewal.

Through this project, students successfully organized a comprehensive campaign across five European countries. They connected with individuals from diverse backgrounds, each speaking different languages. Students investigated local practices in food factories and restaurants within their regions, collaborated with local and regional media outlets, engaged in sporting activities through flash mobs, and distributed educational materials to other schools. Leveraging a social platform as a communication tool, we harnessed the Internet’s potential for connecting people and promoting a common social mission.

Our primary objective was to educate individuals on the development of a more sustainable society by addressing issues related to fair trade, including poverty, social justice, globalization, and ethical consumerism. Furthermore, we sought to enhance intercultural skills, foster tolerance, and raise awareness about different cultures.

PROJECT WEBSITE

TEACHER IN THE KNOWLEDGE SOCIETY (2013-2014)

„Teacher in the Knowledge Society” was the title of a project successfully executed at the XIII Secondary School during the 2013-2014 academic year. This project was an integral part of the „Foreign Mobility of School Educational Staff” system project, funded by European resources from the Human Capital Operational Program.

The primary objective of this project was to enrich the professional and linguistic competences of our educational staff through international mobility experiences.

In February 2014, the management and teachers of XIII Secondary School embarked on a training journey to our partner school in Spain. This training program comprised collaborative workshops for both Polish and Spanish educators, visits to diverse schools, and meetings with educational and local authorities. The experience also encompassed field workshops, during which teachers explored historical sites, museums, nature reserves, and engaged with fascinating individuals. Their active participation in the project and the exchange of insights with the Spanish educational staff served as a source of inspiration for all participants. It encouraged them to embrace new challenges, nurture creativity, and introduce innovative teaching methods to enhance the quality of education in our high school.

TO SEE IS TO KNOW. ALL OUR DESTINATIONS (2011-2013)

The project „TO SEE IS TO KNOW. ALL OUR DESTINATIONS” has successfully achieved its goals and concluded with remarkable results. The project aimed to ignite motivation for mobility, providing opportunities for diverse experiences, knowledge acquisition, and skill development.

The project’s motto, „Seeing is knowing,” underscored the profound importance of personal experiences, discovery, and experiential learning.

At its core, the project revolved around the concept of a journey, encompassing not just physical movement from one place to another but also signifying personal growth, activity, and development.

Through an exploration of various forms of travel, both literal and metaphorical, we successfully nurtured sensitivity to other cultures, encouraged language learning, and developed essential skills for planning, organizing, and documenting trips. Our efforts also aimed to instill an entrepreneurial mindset and conscious consumer behavior, enabling effective time management and the utilization of all available opportunities for personal development.

The project’s exploration of personal roots, as exemplified by „finding the meaning of names and national symbols,” fostered respect for one’s own history and, through the exchange of experiences with others, promoted a deeper appreciation for the histories of other countries.

By embracing the principles of sustainable tourism, we advocated for responsible and conscientious travel practices, both within and outside of Europe.

Our project also delved into the cultures, customs, and challenges faced by inhabitants of the Global South, with a particular focus on Africa. We hope that this exploration has inspired all participants to actively engage in global development efforts.

Through a variety of innovative approaches, we demonstrated that travel can indeed be an educational and enlightening experience, contributing to the advancement of global society.

  • Showing respect and extending support to farmers and artisans in developing countries who often face social and economic marginalization.
  • Building a cooperative model for the relationship between buyers and sellers.
  • Upholding the responsibility of protecting and respecting the environment by utilizing its resources at sustainable rates that do not exceed the Earth’s capacity for renewal.

Through this project, students successfully organized a comprehensive campaign across five European countries. They connected with individuals from diverse backgrounds, each speaking different languages. Students investigated local practices in food factories and restaurants within their regions, collaborated with local and regional media outlets, engaged in sporting activities through flash mobs, and distributed educational materials to other schools. Leveraging a social platform as a communication tool, we harnessed the Internet’s potential for connecting people and promoting a common social mission.

Our primary objective was to educate individuals on the development of a more sustainable society by addressing issues related to fair trade, including poverty, social justice, globalization, and ethical consumerism. Furthermore, we sought to enhance intercultural skills, foster tolerance, and raise awareness about different cultures.

PROJECT WEBSITE

LOTUS – LET’S OPEN THE UNION SCHOOLS (2004-2007)

 

Goals:

  1. Exploring regional and European identity by gaining insights into one’s immediate surroundings within the natural, historical, cultural, and social context, and comparing these experiences with those of European partners.
  2. Fostering positive attitudes by cultivating individuals’ appropriate attitudes towards the world around them.
  3. Cultivating strong mutual relations among students, teachers, and parents through active participation in the project.
  4. Enhancing group work skills while utilizing foreign language knowledge.
PROJECT WEBSITE