Erasmus+ youth exchange project "Around to mindfulness"

Visit of students and teachers in Niedzica, Poland from 10.03.2024 to 18.03.2024. 

From 22 to 30 October, members of the RAVSG SP participated in the Erasmus+ programme"Get inspired" in Bialy Dunajec, Poland, which is located near the Tatra Mountains. During the programme, representatives of our school introduced Latvian culture to Lithuanian and Polish young people. The aim of the programme was to inspire young people, potential creators of new businesses, to learn how to improve their communication and management skills, time management and creativity. The highlight of the trip was undoubtedly the excursion to the Tatra National Park, whose hidden gem was the Morskie Oko Lake, an example of an unspoilt ecosystem and naturally stunning beauty.

Erasmus+ youth exchange programme "Around to mindfulness"!

From 10.03.2024 to 18.03.2024 a large group of 10 students (grades 10-12) and 2 teachers (Sandra Lapiņa and Agija Celma) went to Niedzica, Poland to take part in an Erasmus+ project.

Representatives from Spain and Poland also took part in the project and had the opportunity to meet, make friends and bond during the event. The participants took part in various activities aimed at raising awareness, learning about empathy, friendship and self-acceptance, as well as increasing self-confidence.

Participants also hiked in the Tatra Mountains, visited cities such as Zakopane and Krakow.

The National Friendship Evenings were an opportunity to get to know the cultures of other project participants and to learn more about their own culture.

Erasmus+ Project “Life Values”: Visit of ĀVĢ Students and Teachers to Varna, Bulgaria, from May 6 to May 14

May 6

At 9:30 AM, ten students from ĀVĢ – Katrīna Liene Smilga, Juris Gavars, Ance Celma, Līva Egle, Viestards Briedis, Anna Vilšķērste, Alens Pilmanis, Sintija Trule, Līva Skrupska, and Vendija Kokare – together with teachers Jeļena Strumpe and Ņina Firsova, began their journey to Varna, Bulgaria, as part of the Erasmus+ project. Since there were no direct flights from Latvia to Varna, they had to transfer to Istanbul, Turkey. The group took the opportunity to explore Istanbul, visiting the famous Sultan Ahmed Mosque and Hagia Sophia.

May 7

The group woke at 3:30 AM, caught their flight, and arrived in Varna at 8:40 AM, where they met their host families. Later, they explored Varna, enjoying kebabs (“duner”), meeting football fans, and visiting the beautiful “Sea Garden” park. Despite the long day, they walked over 12 kilometers.

May 8

The day began with a trip to Provadia, about an hour from Varna, to visit the Ovech Fortress. They admired the fortress's natural defenses and returned to Varna to visit the zoo and an amusement park. The day ended with a fun time at a billiards bar.

May 9

The first “official” Erasmus+ day began with a warm welcome at school, including the sounds of the Bulgarian “gaida” and traditional bread “pitka”. Students participated in creative workshops, learned Bulgarian phrases, and collaborated on posters. In the evening, they attended traditional Bulgarian dances “horo” and a music concert.

May 10

The group traveled to Asparukhovo village to learn about Bulgarian traditions. There, they practiced dances and songs, later performing them for others. After a city tour and free time, they attended a lively party for all project participants.

May 11

Students presented their group projects (posters) and watched videos of trips to other countries. In the evening, they said goodbye to the German participants, celebrated with national dances, and enjoyed their last moments together as a large group.

May 12

The group visited the picturesque city of Balchik on the Black Sea, explored its local market, and toured the botanical garden and the “Quiet Nest Palace,” a summer residence built for Romania’s Queen Marie. They ended the day with breathtaking views of the Kaliakra Cape and its 70-meter-high cliffs.

May 13

On their last full day, they enjoyed a surprise lunch organized by their Bulgarian hosts. They joined locals in traditional dances, swam in the Black Sea, and bought souvenirs, cherishing their final moments in Bulgaria.

May 14

Early Sunday morning, the group began their return journey to Latvia. After emotional goodbyes at Varna Airport, they traveled through Istanbul, where they spent six hours exploring the airport's entertainment options. The trip ended with happy but tired participants returning to their homes in Latvia.

Visit of Students and Teachers to Tampere, Finland, as Part of the Erasmus+ Project “Social Integration” (February 5–10)

Āgenskalns State Gymnasium students had the opportunity to participate in the Erasmus+ program, building friendships with peers from Italy, Poland, Spain, and Norway. Teachers Inga Harmsone and Agnese Kramēna-Juzova accompanied five 11th-grade students - Elizabete Ozola, Beatrise Lūse, Ulrika Saulīte, Kristiāns Pinkovskis un Ralfs Kramēns on this enriching journey.

Day 1:

Students gave presentations about their schools and countries, followed by group activities and bonding games. They explored Tampere’s industrial landscape and enjoyed a traditional Finnish sauna, ending the day with local snacks and learning about Finnish traditions.

Day 2:

The students participated in an art workshop and toured Tampere’s landmarks, completing activities at each site. In the afternoon, they had free time and enjoyed a cozy café evening.

Day 3:

The group visited Sofia Digital and Tampere University, where they learned about theater student life and toured the campus. They also visited the observation tower, tasted the best donut in the city, and ended the day with a nature walk.

Day 4:

The day started with a discussion on active citizenship, followed by a Finnish tradition where 12th graders paraded in costumes and threw candies. The group also observed ballroom dance rehearsals. The day ended with a farewell dinner and reflections on the experience.

Day 5:

The group departed for home, marking the end of a memorable, educational, and adventure-filled week.

From September 25 to 30, a group of five students and two teachers - Ilze Kruglauža and Mārtiņš Driksna went to the Spanish city of Valladolid, where they participated in an international project “Social integration”. Participants of the event where students from many European countries - Latvia, Spain, Norway, Finland, Italy and Poland.

The main theme of this meeting was empathy, so during the week we made posters and presentations, and even watched a play about empathy, which was made by Spanish students.

We got to know Spanish culture. Tried traditional dishes, visited various spots and went to the beautiful, historical city of Segovia.

During the project, we gained a lot of new impressions, emotions and many new friends.

This was a very valuable and unique experience! Soon we will meet in Norway!

Elīza Zeltiņa, 11.1

Erasmus+ projects international meeting in Agenskalna State gymnasium.

Last week, participants of the Erasmus+ project “Social integrations - civic awareness”  from Norway, Finland, Italy, Spain and Poland visited our school. All week we spent together working in different workshops, going on excursions to Kuldīga and the Saeima building, and participating in the seminar “Migration and integration”. Students and Teachers also had the opportunity to get to know the Latvian culture and strengthen friendships between countries. This was an unforgettable and impressive week! We can’t wait for our next meeting in September in the sunny Valladodid in Spain.

At the end of March, a group of 5 students  and 2 foreign language teachers - Ilze Kruglauza and Jelena Strumpe - travelled to the sunny Italian city of Florence to take part in an international project event attended by students from Norway, Finland, Spain, Italy and Poland. Our students share their impressions:

The first day we went to school in the morning. Early in the day, we played an introduction game in bingo. Overall, we were around 50 students from 6 countries, making it a bit difficult to remember the names of students. Then came the introduction presentations each country had prepared. Geographical facts, interesting facts, facts from history and national dishes were told there. After hearing several presentations, lunch followed, at which each country had prepared some national food. Day one was very interesting, we learned a lot of new things about other countries and tasted their national dishes.

Amanda Trezune, 10.3

Second  day in  Florence. The weather was warm and sunny, so after a short briefing and lecture on 'No hate Speech', our group went to the schoolyard. All participants were divided into 2 groups and pages with a description of the situation were given out . After 10 minutes of getting to know each other and talking a little about each group's actions, they came together and started playing the roles of given stories. The task was interesting and allowed us not only to get to know the participants in Erasmus better, but to imagine the roles of the story. After school activities, we went to 'Baboli garden'. After a short minute walk and the ice cream we ate, we ended up in the wonderful park, which saw spectacular sculptures of Greek gods and breathtaking views of the city, which could be viewed from a platform at the top of the cliff.

Alens Pilmanis, 10.1

We took a look at downtown Florence on Wednesday morning and had breakfast at a beautiful cafe. Later, we had a chance to visit the famous Uffizi Gallery. The gallery featured many paintings and sculptures by distinguished artists. After visiting the gallery, we had a delicious lunch at the sushi restaurant. After lunch we continued to see Florence and went for fun to the selfie museum, where each room was set up to take interesting pictures there. Later, we went to San Lorenzo Central market, which was rich in all sorts of dishes. After that, we all went back home, ate the delicious Italian-style dinner and prepared ourselves for the next day. It was raining for most of the day, but the weather didn't stop us from seeing and enjoying the beautiful Florence.

Nikola Kukle, 10.3

Day four started at school, where there was an opportunity to participate in a “fake news” seminar where we learned a lot of new things. We had the opportunity during the day to analyse and discuss the progress made during the project. We compared different points of view and expressed our thoughts. After school, we went to see the famous Pisa Tower, where we had a good time and enjoyed the sunny day. We spent time with all the students on the project in the second half of the day, bowling and participating in various other joint activities. At the end of the day came the farewell time of having to say goodbye to her new friends. The last night in common with the family was special as we spent time together eating the traditional Italian meal. Later it was time to stock up and have a good rest before the long road home.

This was an unforgettable and valuable experience! We look forward to seeing our new friends in Latvia as early as May!

Ance Celma, Līva Egle 10.6

October 15, 2021 - State Language day,

what we're going to celebrate every autumn on this day. The Latvian Language Agency encouraged involvement in the “ The Latvian for me is ...” campaign, where everyone is invited to express their thoughts, continuing the claim “ The Latvian for me is …”. Our grammar school youths have also been involved in this project and here is the most interesting reflection offer of 15 pupils.

Congratulations to all students and employees of the grammar school in anticipation of the State Language day and invites to familiarise ourselves with the opinion of our young people!

Teachers of the Latvian Language and Art methodological Commission

The Latvian language for me is …

Latvian is home to me.

That's my safety and my sense of home. But at the same time, it's like an untrustworthy friend. I can take pride and honour in this language, but sometimes I can't fully explain myself in it either. Latvian is home to me, both in that sense I feel safe in it and in that I sometimes want to change it or get away from it. 

Līva Indāne

 Latvian is important to me. That's my native language, which I speak in my native country. Speaking each letter and expressing every grammatical structure, every time I am proud that we are in Latvia speaking our own language.

Latvian helps me speak and write, but it's not just me. This language has flowed through wars, slipped around many people's homes and wrapped itself in the hearts of Latvians so tightly that we still speak it today. It has been guarded all this time, it needs to continue to be guarded for a long time, because the Latvian language binds us all together.

Anna Emilija Kariņa

Latvian is my mother tongue and I am proud that this beautiful language is my mother tongue. It is also the mother tongue of my relatives. Latvian is like a family, where all words are friendly. Everyone fits well together and makes beautiful sentences. 

Alberts Čupriks

Latvian is everything for me. It's an integral part of life for me. It's been watching me over my shoulder from childhood, helping me make friends and putting my voice out to the world. Latvian is a link for me to the past and my ancestors. It gives me a path to the future, to my being and to my soul. Latvian has given me the opportunity to live life talking and expressing myself.

Māra Semjonova

Latvian is not my mother tongue for me, so I believe it is another struggle in my life. With each passing day, my knowledge bag is getting heavier, but I understand better and better that the Latvian language is not easy. To win the struggle for language knowledge, you have to overcome many difficulties and the unknown. The unknown is always scary, so often because of these fears, people want to stop trying to learn something new and glowing. My former teachers, who always supported and believed in me, helped me overcome my fears. “You have to get used to that language, then and only then will it be obedient in your hands,” I remember the words every time it's difficult. I think learning any language is not easy, but in fighting the unknown everyone will be very helped by good and understanding teachers.

Evelīna Brokoere

The Latvian language for me is the books my mum has read as a child, dad's encouragement after failure, a long conversation with friends and the friendly greeting of the opponent. Latvian is home to me. My mother tongue, as an invisible but close link, will always unite me with my roots and all Latvian speakers, both in Latvia and far beyond its borders.

Patrīcija Krieviņa

Latvian is the basis for my national self-confidence and identity. Although there are thousands of languages in the world and several hundred million people speak in some of them, I think the ability to communicate in Latvian is unique because of the small number of language users. Although the current Latvian language is a new language, it has been influenced from ancient Baltic and Somugrian tribal languages, thus preserving valuable language traditions.

I believe that Latvian represents ancient and proven customs in the culture of human communication, such as extensive vocabulary of deminutives, pronouns and pronouns. Latvian forms the direct link between me and my ancestors. Language evolves over time, but the core remains the same. My ancestors used a language that has changed stylistically, but at its root is no different from the language I use these days.

Edurads Sīlis 

Latvian is home to me. It's a sound I know I'm with mine and mine when I hear it. I've seen a lot of beautiful places when I'm travelling, so beautiful that my eyes shine. But hearts too? Not really. Without my Latvian, I couldn't love any other place in this vast world. My language gives me a sense of belonging: here at home, I am loved, understood and welcome. Where Latvian is spoken, my home is and always will be there.

Mona Upeniece

Latvian is my central form of expression. Without it, there would be nothing in my life: no conversations, no communication, no correspondence. I am aware that language is the centre of everything I have to protect and nurture, because it is only through gentleness that I think it is possible to retain the mother tongue for future times and people.

Konrads Reznikovs

My family has lived in and fallen in love with Latvia for several generations. The first words I heard, the first words I said and the first books I read were Latvian. Of all the places where I was able to be born and grow up, I was born here in Latvia and for that I am very grateful to destiny and my family.

I speak one of the most beautiful languages in the world. It's a gift from my parents to me. My feelings for language are the same as for my parents - and that's love.

Leah Alexandra Venckus

Latvian is one of the 6700 languages of the world. But don't misunderstand! It's not ordinary. The sounds of this language are the ones I uttered first. Maybe not understandable at first, perhaps, but it's the language of my people.

Yes, the language changes. Our language is racing towards the future as a breeze. The old oak acorns don't go along and stay outside. But the most important thing I have to remember all my life: not to let it go to waste

Ralfs Ulmanis

 Latvian is the scent of meadows, steamy July nights, wreath-weaving. Latvian is singing songs and dreaming in a haystack. Latvian is warm milk with honey.

My first word I'd ever said to the world - ‘’ball!” I pointed my finger as I watched the bright full moon and exclaimed, amusedly, “Ball!” “Latvian is the Moon for me.” When I look into what is Latvian for me, I have to say that everything. John Kaiser once said, “Language is a nation. Language is poetry. Language is history. Language is science. Language is human. '' language is a world that embraces me.

There is no language I love on Earth more than native Latvian. A lifetime of sun for Latvian!

Sofija Keiča

Latvian is like a soft toy from childhood to me. For the most part, every day of his life has been spent talking and wondering in it.

I've spoken in the Latvian tongue since I meant I was going to go, that language was my new soft stuff then. It was just gifted. I had to start dressing like that from head to toe, warming up, I could never let the toy go again. Now the toy sits in the box, it's got its clothes and is still being cherished when I cold it, pull it out, shake off the dust, polish it again.

Soft, because a favorite toy, because you can play with it, finds new engagements. It gets to wrap its wounds because sometimes I resent, smear.

Lūcija Anete Liepiņa 

Latvian is my mother tongue. Although I have been told since I was a child that there is no future for Latvian because Latvia is a small country, all I can say is that when I have children, I will teach them with the determination and strength that this language brings.

Latvian is more than shallowness, it is not a river, it is a sea. Each word has its own shelf dedicated and plenty of nephews, or synonyms, that serve as an extension of the gamut of emotions in specific situations.

Katrīna Vozņesenska

Latvian is the expanse of the ocean for me.

In the depths of language, I could always find words to accurately describe my feelings and ideas to express to my interlocutors. This ocean enjoys both literature, music, cinema, and art that people from other parts of the world can't understand. When I hear Latvian abroad, there's a sense of domesticity that warms up because I realise that part of my ocean is next door.

This ocean is endless.

Katrīna Liepiņa

Erasmus + project meeting in Finland, Tampere

February 18, 2020

Last week, from February 9 to 14, seven students and two teachers from Agenskalns State Gymnasium visited the Finnish city of Tampere.

We brought thick sweaters thinking it would be very cold but the weather was similar to that in Latvia, the hospitable families and the atmosphere especially warmed us, being with students from 4 other countries. The theme of the week was “courage to care”, in which we learned about the stereotypes of nations from the point of view of other nationalities, overcame the fear of swimming in the ice hole and learned to defend our opinions in debates. We got to know the local culture - the countless saunas (even in the library and downtown), the character image of the Moomintroll everywhere, the advanced, modern education system and the impressive technologies. The trip to Helsinki was a special day where we enjoyed the city views and unlimited amounts of chocolate at the Fazer factory.

We undeniably gained indescribable, diverse experiences, more confidence to express our views and new friends from Europe.

Thank you to the teachers - Anita Vanaga and Lelde Ozoliņa, as well as Ilze Kruglauža for the opportunity given!

Riga Agenskalns State Gymnasium students - Finnish friends in Latvia

The meeting of the project “Social integration – courage to care” in Riga

07 December 2019

Last week was very significant for our school as the school welcomed exchange students and teachers from five different countries from November 24-29: Italy, Spain, Finland, Norway and the Netherlands. This week was adventurous and interesting.

We led our overseas guests to the airport on Friday to say goodbye with hopes that we would someday leave to visit each other.

More information about the project... Education/projects

Erasmus +, Spain, Valladolid

From October 6th to 11th, we visited the Spanish city of Valladolid, La Merced school. Within the project “Social integration”, Spanish people chose to investigate the question of refugees. During the project, several events happened, for example, Spanish students had made a theatre play about the refugees, together composed a song for those in distress and compiled everything we had learned and understood into one final project - video clip or small writing task. We also visited the nearby city of Salamanca, where we looked at the ancient university, which was founded in the 12th century and which is one of the oldest still functioning universities in Europe, and also visited other mysterious old town places.

Every one of us was welcomed into a Spanish guest family, which introduced us to their culture, gave us to taste several Spain traditional dishes and gave us the opportunity to understand family live in Spain. With our new Spanish friends we experienced exciting moments and got to know them, their everyday lifes and traditions.

Thanks to teachers Ieva Gaile, Līga Gaiķe for watching over us and being along in this trip.

We are very excited to meet our Spanish friends again this November!