PRESENTATION OF PITÄJÄNMÄKI COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL

Pitäjänmäki is a suburb of western Helsinki, the capital of Finland. It is seven kilometres from the city centre and easily reachable by public transport.

Our school provides general education and has worked in Pitäjänmäki since 1923. We became a comprehensive school when the elementary and secondary schools were united in 1993.
 

There are two school buildings next to each other. The building called “the A-house” was built in 1954 and the B-house in 1991. We also have a library and a youth centre including a motor repair shop in the same block. Close by we have a sports ground, which serves as an ice skating rink in winter.

As a local school our basic task is to inspire every student to achieve the best possible learning results. We also help students to grow up and prepare them to meet the challenges of life. Here at Pitäjänmäki Comprehensive School we have managed to achieve the core targets in our basic education: the teaching provided by our committed full-time teachers, together with successful careers counselling, has given students an excellent basis for embarking on further education. We have had very few drop-outs.

Since autumn 2008, we have had approximately 400 students, 35 teachers, five school assistants and about 15 persons working as service staff. There are nine classes of general education and three classes providing special education. In addition, we provide supplementary (10th grade) and preliminary (immigrant) teaching.

The curriculum introduced in 2005 sets out the educational targets of our school. We emphasize a good general education and artistic expression in various forms. At the end of term students from different grades are responsible for a programme of school festivals. Usually, a theme of current interest is selected as the storyline and the programme is built around this. The latest shows have been Finland’s 90th Independence Day presented by the 7th grade, the theme being the 100th anniversary of the birth of Mika Waltari (the internationally renowned Finnish author, whose works include The Egyptian, Sinuhe) and the Christmas festival presented by grades 1-6. The performance usually blends together pictures, words, music, dance and pantomime. In 2010, we shall be starting a class focusing on dance. Students in this class will have two extra lessons of dancing a week.

The school’s mission is based on our belief that WORKING TOGETHER PROMOTES LEARNING AND CIVILIZATION.

Hilkka Jurvajoki
Head of Pitäjänmäki Comprehensive School

Address:
Viinenkuja 6
PL 3215, 00099 HELSINGIN KAUPUNKI
Finland
www.pitpk.edu.hel.fi