We had a wonderful International Day filled with bright colours, culture and community spirit. Students proudly participated in a costume and flag parade, representing countries from around the world. The event featured a variety of performances by our talented students, showcasing music, dance, and traditions from different cultures. Families generously prepared and shared delicious international foods, giving everyone the opportunity to experience flavors from around the gl

At Birralee, we like to think we’re always one step ahead, so this year we celebrated Football Shirt Friday on a Thursday! With International Day taking place tomorrow, we moved the event forward by 24 hours. That did mean a few fewer children and staff wearing their football shirts than in previous years, but it was still a fun day. Most importantly, donations are still welcome, even if you didn’t wear a football shirt, you can still support this great cause!

09:15 – Cissi Klein speech by Year 7 students at Museumsparken 09:15 – Poems, speeches, and School Choir performance on the playground 09:40 – Birralee students line up to join the parade 11:00–13:00 – Festivities on the playground organised by the Parents’ Committee (food and games) We hope that as many students as possible will join us for the procession through Trondheim. Parents and families are warmly invited to enjoy our traditional programme of speeches, poems, and son

Year 9 students at Birralee International School have delivered an impressive performance in this year’s UngeAbel competition. UngeAbel is a national mathematics competition for lower secondary students in Norway, designed to promote problem-solving, logical thinking and collaboration. The competition challenges students with creative and demanding tasks that go beyond the standard curriculum, encouraging teamwork and deeper mathematical understanding. Competing against more

We are looking forward to the upcoming ski days! Being out in nature in Norway is a wonderful experience, whether you are an experienced skier or a beginner. Ski day is about learning, pushing your comfort zone, and trying new things, as well as enjoying time together and sharing a joint experience with classmates. Remember: we’re skiing, not hiking - that would defeat the whole point of ski day! Make sure to dress for gliding in the snow, not just walking in the woods. We h

What if something as simple as reading for a few extra minutes each day could have a lasting impact on your child’s development? At our Parents' Committee meeting yesterday, parents were invited to reflect on a powerful message first shared with students during assembly: literacy is not just another school subject. It plays a crucial role in how the brain grows and develops. Mr Woolley, our IMYC Coordinator and literacy enthusiast, highlighted how small daily habits can lead

Our students showed off their culinary skills in this year’s Birralee MasterChef Competition! This year’s theme in the Birralee MasterChef Competition was “A Healthy Lunch Box.” Many students participated. Well done to everyone who auditioned for MasterChef! The judges had an extremely difficult job and were very impressed with the high standard of dishes, with so many healthy lunch box items on offer. A big congratulations to the five groups who made it through to the final,

Dear Birralee Families, As we approach the holidays, I would like to take this opportunity to reflect on the last few weeks, which have been particularly bustling in all our year groups. Our school has been alive with creativity, courage and collaboration these last days. Year 1 has demonstrated excellent fine motor skills while making festive crafts and artwork, as well as baking and decorating pepperkaker this week. Year 2 finished their work on the IPC Unit Chocolate and

School plays are a vital part of learning, giving students the opportunity to develop confidence, creativity, and teamwork. They encourage public speaking, deepen understanding of literature, and allow students to explore history and culture in a hands-on, engaging way. This year, Year 4 and 5 joined forces to perform the play Shakespeare Rocks

Each December, our students take part in an invigorating outdoor swim in the fjord—embracing one of Norway’s most powerful classrooms: nature itself. Cold-water swimming helps students understand how the body reacts to sudden cold and how to remain calm under pressure. It also builds resilience, self-awareness, and mental strength. An important learning objective is water safety. Many drowning incidents occur not because people plan to swim in a nice warm pool, but because th

We were grateful to be asked to welcome His Majesty King Harald V of Norway for the opening of the new Dementia Centre in Trondheim. This new national centre will focus on studying how Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related diseases develop in the brain. The centre is located at the Kavli Institute, which is still led by Nobel Prize winners May-Britt and Edvard Moser. Our Year 5 students welcomed the King as he entered the building One of our Year 4 students was given the hon

We organized a ‘Dark Day’ as part of our ongoing work as a Green School. By reducing electricity for the day, we raised awareness about energy use and the things we often take for granted. The day was organized by the students in our Green Team and is part of our broader plan as a green school. We have attached this plan, showing how our green school activities link to our curriculum. Y8 student-led escape room - The Year 8 Green Team representatives planned an escape room

Today we celebrate Universal Children’s Day, established by the United Nations to promote children’s rights, well-being, and protection around the world. Universal Children’s Day is a reminder that every child has the right to education, safety, and a voice in the world. It encourages us to reflect on the challenges children face and to work towards a future where every child can grow up healthy, happy, and empowered. To mark the occasion, we’ve collected some old school phot

We had the pleasure of celebrating Friskoledagen (Independent School Day) together with the other independent schools in Trondheim. The event was a wonderful opportunity to highlight the importance of educational diversity and the freedom of choice for families when it comes to schooling. Marking this day reminds us how valuable it is that parents can choose the learning environment that best meets their children’s needs. We extend our sincere thanks to our Mayor, Kent Ranum

At Birralee, we see Halloween as more than a festive occasion that provides access to what feels like unlimited candy. It is a wonderful opportunity for creative learning. In fact, we have been celebrating Halloween with our students every year since the start of our school in 1973 , making it a long-standing tradition in our school. Today, our students have engaged in Halloween-inspired activities that encourage curiosity, collaboration, and critical thinking across a range

Next Wednesday, November 5, our school will take part in Friskoledagen — The National Celebration of Independent Schools in Norway . This day is a wonderful opportunity to highlight the value of diversity, freedom, and choice in education. Friskoledagen reminds us that the right to choose a school for one’s child is a human right, and that independent schools play an important role in offering families meaningful alternatives within the Norwegian education system. In Trondhei

During our Harvest Assembly last week, our students came together to collect food items, which were donated to The Salvation Army. This...

As part of the Brainwave unit, Year 5 have been learning about metacognition. In pairs, they selected one area of metacognition, such as...

Last year we introduced the concept of Friends Groups at Birralee What are Friends Groups? Friends Groups are groups of students (4-5...

We had the pleasure of welcoming a special guest to Birralee today: Mrs Lucie Katrine Eidem, Trondheim’s City Council Leader for Youth...