19 Dec Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all of us at Ranum Efterskole College
“It’s hard to believe that the school year is already halfway through.” – a phrase we have heard many times in the corridors over the past week. Time really flies, and this week is no exception. The students have completed their TEBO course with a major assignment, cooked outdoors, enjoyed time in their contact groups, attended church and celebrated each other, Christmas and diversity at this year's big Christmas ball.
Happy reading!
A fresh look at cultural trips
This year, we are covering cultural trips in a new and exciting way. We have invited 10 journalism students from both the Danish School of Media and Journalism and the University of Southern Denmark to join us on 10 different trips. All of the journalists applied to participate and went through a selection process. Their primary task is to document the students' encounters with local culture and everyday life. We hope that this will encourage greater reflection among the students and provide a clearer picture of the development that such trips entail – both for the young people who travel abroad and for the people they meet along the way. The result will be a compilation video and accompanying images that will reflect the many experiences and perspectives that a efterskoleår at Ranum can provide.
This week, the journalism students visited Ranum, where we held a two-day course focusing on Ranum's values, editing tools, design manuals and media platforms. Here, they also met the various tour guides and agreed on what is most important to focus on in the documentation.
Pheasants on the menu
In the mild winter weather, the hunting licence team spent an afternoon skinning pheasants and cooking them in a pan. The team has a strong sense of camaraderie, and no one is afraid to get stuck in. It is no secret that the hunting licence exam is demanding, but with their enthusiasm and commitment, we have no doubt that they are well prepared for the hunting licence exam in the spring.
At the same time, it is a pleasure to hear the students“ reflections on ”farm to table" and how to obtain food directly from nature in the most sustainable and respectful way.
Christmas Ball
Christmas is a time for celebrations, and no December is complete without a Christmas ball. The evening began festively with speeches and musical performances, followed by the presentation of the food. A delicious classic Christmas buffet with rye bread, liver pâté, fish fillet and everything you could dream of. At 7 p.m., the dessert table was opened, and with full stomachs, the students flew onto the dance floor. Later in the evening, we stood side by side and watched the beautiful fireworks show at the sports field.
Feel the atmosphere of a fantastic evening in the video below.
Focus on dreams for the future: OSO and TEBO completed
For the past several weeks, TEBO (bridge building) has been a big part of the students“ everyday lives. This week, however, they had the opportunity to complete their projects and take the ”exam“ for the associated assignment, which we call OSO. The group in the photo came out of the ”exam" smiling and shouting: “We passed – now it's time for the Christmas holidays!” A relief that has clearly been long awaited.
At the same time, it is clear that the students have gained a thorough insight into the many educational opportunities available. The group in the photo have all written essays about their dream of studying medicine.
Christmas bingo during contact group time
The last contact group session of the year was spent playing Christmas bingo in the Guldhornssalen hall. There was a great atmosphere, lots of laughter and Christmas cheer as everyone competed for fantastic prizes. It was a lovely way to end the year before everyone went on their well-deserved Christmas holidays.
Church visits in the run-up to Christmas
The last item on this year's school schedule was a visit to Ranum Church as a pleasant prelude to Christmas. The visit gave both Danish and international students the opportunity to experience part of Denmark's cultural heritage and gain insight into Christmas traditions. The church had made every effort to accommodate everyone, and the message of community was clearly expressed – both in the sermon and in the hymns, which were sung in Danish, English, German and Spanish. It was a pleasant 45 minutes, and now everyone is ready to go on Christmas holiday.
Merry Christmas from all of us to all of you
We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year – with the hope that the new year will bring even more adventures and good times. We hope that the greetings in this video will reach all corners of the world.
Headmaster's column
Dear reader,
The Efterskole year and 2025 are drawing to a close, and Christmas is just around the corner. Students and staff have concluded the first half of the year with a splendid Christmas ball and festive fireworks. It has been an eventful efterskoleår, which, despite increasing unrest in the world, has offered more trips, cultural encounters and visits from partner schools than ever before.
It is more important than ever to build bridges between different worlds and people so that we are not solely governed by the limited algorithms of social media. We insist that students experience the world with their own eyes and dare to look beyond the screen – in face-to-face encounters with real, fallible, curious and insecure teenagers.
We have a fantastic group of students this year, but we also find that group dynamics can create polarisation, which can be difficult for some. We stand firm on the school's values of community and responsibility for creating a good school. Although it can be difficult to take a firm stance, it is also a pleasure when many say that it gives them a sense of security in the educational environment.
It's Christmas time – a time for charity, reflection and cosy moments with the family. We look forward to seeing the students back on Saturday, 3 January after 6 p.m. and hope that many will use the Ranum bus, which again offers an early bird discount until 15 January.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
It happens:
Calendar
Christmas Ball – 18 December 2025
Christmas closing – 19 December 2025
Ski and Prague trip – 3 January 2026 – 11 January 2026
Vaccinations – 15 January 2026
Casino weekend – 17 January 2026 – 18 January 2026
Concert – 21 January 2026
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