Sortland Ungdomsskole

I visited Sortland Ungdomsskole on January 16, 2009. Sortland Ungdomsskole is located in Sortland which is far north inside the artic circle. Thus is was dark when I went to school and dark when I left. The picture above was taken at noon and was as light as it got in this area during the day.

The school has around 400 students from grades 8th-10th. I was supposed to visit on both Thursday and Friday, but when I arrived at the airport on Wednesday evening I found there was no bus to get to the town. I therefore had to find lodging and take a bus and a ferry the following day. I will reschedule and revisit this school in February.

So I had only one day at Sortland Ungdomsskole and I worked with only the 9th grade class. I did was the short stories lecture and the students did an excellent job reading and discussing the short stories. The students here were really interested in the US and asked so many questions that the lectures went into their free time and they were still wanting to talk to me. Their teacher told me it was because I was exotic (something I never thought of myself!!) because I sound like the people they see on TV!

This group was funny in that the boy in the picture below, came running in to show me his T-shirt. He was proud of it, but promised me he didn't wear it knowing I was going to be there. I told him I certainly wasn't offended:

Every Friday the students get off school at 12:30. So as I was leaving the school and walking back to the hotel, a small group of students walked with me talking and chatting the whole way. They were really excited and wanted to know all about America. I am really looking forward to visiting this school again!