Zespół Szkół nr 2 Gimnazjum Dwujęzyczne nr 18 w Rybniku E-brochure about Rybnik and Lower Secondary School no 18 in Rybnik This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. There is a school in this building since 15th March 1935. At first, it was a primary school, but during the Second World War the building served as hospital for soldiers. After war, there was a primary and a sec- ondary school only for girls in the building. Since 1963, both boys and girls can attend the secondary school. Our school has existed since 2008. Then, a unit of two schools – Secondary School no 2 and Lower Secondary School no 18 was created. There are about 95 students in the lower secondary school. We learn in bilingual classes, where apart from five lessons of English a week, we have history and IT lessons taught partly in English. Apart from English language, we learn German as well. In the whole Unit of Schools there are about 50 teachers, 22 classes and 700 students. It is possible to learn English, German, French, Italian or Russian. High school classes have specializations, such as maths and physics, biology and chemistry, history and maths, maths and geography. Moreover, students of second year can choose classes of dancing or swimming as their PE lessons. Virtual tour of our school This is our assembly hall. Here we celebrate various This is our gym. Here we play formal and informal occasions. basketball, volleyball or football. This is our garden. Here we can go for a walk during breaks. This is our library. Here we can borrow books, read books, use computers and sometimes spend our free time. This is our geography classroom. This is our information technology classroom. Here we learn about the world Here we learn computer programming. This is physics classroom. This is our maths classroom. Here we conduct experiments. Here we learn to count. My city is situated in the south of Poland in Silesia. Rybnik has a population of about 150.000. Rybnik area with its large coal mines and power plants is an important economic region of Poland, and visible center of music, with a famous Szafrankowie Brothers State School of Music and Philharmonic Orchestra. Rybnik has got 27 districts. This is the crest of Rybnik. It shows a fish - pike - with walnuts water. It is blue with white elements. The city developed as a fishing centre (the word rybnik means fishpond ) in medieval ages. Rybnik was a fishing village lying on an important trade route. Mieszko IV founded a large monastery in 1200 which was later moved to Czarnowąsy. Till 1336 Rybnik was ruled by the Piast. In 16th century the city was ruled by the Habsburg dynasty which did not care about city but only about their own pockets . During this time Rybnik gained right for organizing trade fairs. In that time it was one of the smallest cit- ies in the upper Silesia. Because of Three Silesian Wars (1740-1763) between Austria and Prussia, Rybnik became a part of Prussia. In the nineteenth century, Rybnik reached the next stage of development, becoming the county town. The development of industry and new railway contributed to the increase in the number of inhabitants. After the World War I Rybnik was an important place, one of the main centres for the planned Silesian uprisings. During World War II, like many other cities in Silesia, Rybnik was occupied by the Germans. Rybnik was liberated by Soviet Army in March 1945. The town began to rebuild itself in the 70s of the 20th century when the Power Plant was opened in Rybnik. It is one of the largest in the Upper Silesia Nowadays, it is a modern and efficiently managed city. Green City in Silesia – this is one of the most frequently used description characterizing Rybnik. For neighbouring towns, Rybnik is a natural centre for transportation, administration, economy, culture and education and for the Silesian Voivodeship – the center of Western Sub-Region. The Main Square in Rybnik – It was built in the 13th century. At first there was a pond in this place. The brick buildings appeared in 18th century. In the centre of this market there is situated a statue of St. John Nepumucen. There are also a lot of fantastic shops and cafes. The Court of Law in Rybnik At first it was the Piasts’ castle. In 1788 it was a place for injured soldiers, but then it was rebuilt by Fryderyk Ilngner. Now it fulfills an important function for the local community, because in this building there is a court. It is situated in the centre of Rybnik. Liberty Square (Plac Wolności ) – Until 2006 Liberty Square served only as bus station, but now there is a place of relaxation. There are benches, small trees, a fountain and only three bus stops. Next to the square there is the theater and a shopping centre called Focus Mall. Because of this fact, Liberty Square was renovated in 2006. Bus stops in Liberty Square, winter 2013 A fountain in Liberty Square by night Here you can see how Liberty Square, the most important square in Rybnik changed: 1956 1910 1963 2007 The Theater in Rybnik (Teatr Ziemi Rybnickiej) – the theater is situated in the downtown of Rybnik . The theater is a part of Rybnik Cultural Center. In front of the theater there are two wide flights of stairs and a small fountain as well as beautiful flowers. The current director of the theater is Adam Świerczyna. The theater building was designed by Jerzy Gottfried, Henryk Buszko and Aleksander Franta. The construction started in 1958 and it ended in 1964. One of the most popular places in Rybnik are shopping centres. Focus Mall is a huge shopping centre with lots of shops, cafes and cinemas situated near the Liberty Square. Plaza is another shopping centre. There are many shops and cafes in it too. Young people often go to “Fantasy Park” where they can chat with friends, go bowling or dance. Rybnik is rich in green areas. There are a lot of parks and forests. The area of urban green places in Rybnik is more than 106 hectares. There are beautiful places to visit and have a rest. Most people search for peace and they can find it in Rybnik. Do you have a lot of free-time? Go out and see an amazing green world!!! Flowers in the Market Square Lawn in front of the Theatre of Rybnik In Rybnik plants are arranged in a very interesting compositions: Basilica of Saint Anthony This church in the city centre. This building was built in 1903 to 1906. It's the biggest temple in Rybnik, as well as in Upper Silesia. Its towers reach 95 meters. It is built in neo-gothic style. This is the most famous temple in Rybnik and its main landmark. Church of Blessed Virgin Mary This church is situated near the Market Square in Rybnik. It was built in 1798 - 1801. Among citizens of Rybnik it is traditionally called „the old church”. Wooden church of Saint Wawrzyniec This wooden church comes from 1717. It was ‘moved’ from one district of Rybnik - Boguszowice to another - Rybnicka Kuźnia in 1975. It was built the shape of the Greek cross and its builders were the Cysters. During Christmas you can see there is a nativity scene with real animals. It is very nice. Rybnik Power Station is a hard coal-fired power station in Rybnik, Poland. The power station was built in the 1970s. It has installed power generation capacity of 1,775 MW. The average annual production of electricity amounts to 9 TWh. The eight generation units of the Rybnik Power Station were commissioned in 1972–1978. In 1989, the Rybnik Power Station was separated from the Southern Power District and a separate state-owned company Elekrownia Rybnik was established. The Rybnik lake was created by the mass of the river Ruda and a barrier in on of the districts of Rybnik, Stodoły. The lake has 450 ha. There are many attractions but this lake mainly serves the Power station. People can spend their free time there using kayaks, boats or water bikes to swim on the lake. In Rybnik there are 31 roundabouts :) There are many concerts and cultural events in Rybnik, e.g. Rybnik Blues Festival, Silesian Jazz Meeting, come- dians competition called RYJEK (snout). The most popular sport in Rybnik is speedway. There is a speedway stadium and during the summer, every two weeks there is a tournament. Bryan Adams in Rybnik Guns n’Roses in Rybnik Authors: Description of school: Paweł Maciończyk and Maciek Gawałek, Paulina Szumska and Bartek Manczyk The history of our school: Piotr Stroka, Bartek Wawrzyczek Facts and curiosities: Klara Szweda and Grażyna Roskosz, Ewelina Łobodziec and Kasia Jurek History of Rybnik: Krzysztof Janik and Maciek Kućmierczyk Things to see: Patrycja Szendzielorz, Sara Bieszke and Grzegorz Kuźnik Churches: Magda Zajda and Ola Tokarz Power Station and Lake: Marcin Wójcik and Paweł Mika Rybnik - Green city: Gabriela Janik, Wiktoria Grzegoszczyk Editors: Beata Kocjan and Anna Drozd Photos: private photos taken by the students; www.wikipedia.pl; www.rybnik.pl .