St. Stanislaus Jesuit High School, Gdynia

St. Stanislaus Jesuit High School, Gdynia Zespół Szkół Jezuitów im. św. Stanisława Kostki w Gdyni
Location
Tatrzańska 35, 81-001 Gdynia, Poland
Information
Type	Jesuit, Catholic
Established	1937 (1937)
Director	Stanislaus Twarowski, SJ
Principal	Grzegorz Wojnowski
Gender	Coeducational
Publication	CooLjo
Website	StanGdynia or in English

St. Stanislaus Jesuit High School, Gdynia, Poland, was first opened in 1937, in the Orlowo district. Shut down during World War II and by the Communists soon after that, it opened at its present location in 1994.

History

The first Jesuit school in Gdynia was a high school in the Orłowo area, about six kilometers south of the present location. which began operating in September 1937. Facilities included a large gym, playground, and tennis courts. The all-male high school enrolled 150 students in its first year, rising to 250 in the second year. In 1939 the school was closed by the German occupiers, with several if the staff being executed. Classes resumed in 1945 after the war, with 220 students. But in 1948 Communist authorities required its closing.

With the collapse of Communism in Poland in 1989, efforts to reopen the school began, leading to its opening in 1994 on Tatrzańska Street at the catechetical facility of St. Stanislaus Kostka church. In 1998 it moved to a newly constructed building, and expanded further with the educational reforms of 2001.

Programs

English is the main foreign language taught, though classes are also offered in Spanish and in German. Computer science is an emphasis. Supplementary to the regular curriculum are opportunities to study movies, painting, prose and poetry, science, literature, and ecology. Sporting activities include volleyball, bowling, and especially interscholastic swimming competition at which the school does very well. Outreach programs include collections for the poor and opportunities to work directly with the needy.

"Dancing on the borders" is an annual, interscholastic program that began in 2011 to bring together students from Germany, Lithuania, and Poland for a variety of cultural exchanges while travelling by bus between Berlin and Warsaw, meeting refugees and ethnic minorities and visiting places redolent of the social and cultural history of Germany and Poland. A movie is made to share each year's experiences with a wider audience. Additional intercultural experiences are also arranged with countries like Ukraine.

The school serves as a venue for interscholastic competitions educational workshops, exhibitions, and conferences.