Odense International School has a focus on building bonds between classmates. At the start of the school year, the entire school—along with Henriette Hørlücks Skole—have an outing to the amusement park Tivoli in Copenhagen. Every handful of years, this trip is replaced by a week-long trip to the camping grounds of Sletten in Jutland for the entire school. At Sletten we camp out for four days and take part in hiking, outdoor activities, team building and our very own version of the Olympic Games.
Within the first few weeks of the school year, Secondary 7–9 go on an overnight “survival trip” on Funen. Activities include long hikes, setting up and sleeping in tents, and cooking dinner over a campfire. The students get to explore the island of Funen and form bonds with students from the other two OIS Lower Secondary classes.
Beyond the above trips, Secondary 7 traditionally has a week-long trip to Copenhagen in mid-November. The two Year 6 classes from Henriette Hørlücks Skole also participate, which gives students more opportunity to develop cross-cultural connections.
This trip typically includes visiting the Tycho Brahe Planetarium, the Experimentarium, the National Art Museum, the Royal Danish Opera, the Royal Danish Theatre, the Glass Hall Theatre at Tivoli, the Round Tower, the royal residence of Amalienborg, a canal tour, and much more.
The annual ski trip to Espedalen, Norway is the traditional class trip for Secondary 8 and the two Year 7 classes from Henriette Hørlücks Skole. It is also a week-long trip and usually takes place in March. Students set sail from Frederikshavn in Copenhagen on The Pearl of Scandinavia to Oslo. After taking a coach to Espedalen, students have the week to try out their ski legs. One day includes an excursion to Helvete Nature Park to awe at the natural wonders formed at the end of the Ice Age.
From Secondary 8, students participate in multi-day programmes of Model United Nations—with students from Henriette Hørlücks Skole and with students from other schools in the Danish International School Network. In February 2020, OIS hosted the first Model United Nations with international students from across Denmark.
The Danish International School Network Athletic Conference (DISNAC) holds various sporting events for participating international schools across the country throughout the school year. The team sports include volleyball, football, basketball, rugby, cricket, and track & field. The number of DISNAC events increases with the year levels.
Students enjoy these opportunities to meet other international students from across Denmark, cheer on their classmates, and show some talent on the courts, tracks, and pitches.
At Odense International School, we all do our best to welcome new students, both those who join us at the start of the school year in August, and mid-year arrivals. Lower Secondary students are paired with a 'buddy' who helps the new student navigate the first few new days.
Students continue to celebrate birthdays with the class. For parties at home, our policy is that either all of the class’s boys or all of the class’s girls, or the entire class are invited. We want to be a proactively inclusive community. If a home is not spacious enough to house a class party, parents are recommended to work together and find a space and time to share.
There is an annual Secondary party, usually held on a Friday evening in March at the school. Students enjoy snacks, dancing, and maybe also a film.
We encourage two parents from each class to volunteer as class representatives. Once or twice a year the representatives meet with the class teachers and leadership team to discuss how we can work together to support a great atmosphere and social interaction both on and off our campus.
Parents are encouraged to arrange class events and parties or support other wellbeing initiatives at OIS. Parents are always welcome to offer their support on special events, such as when OIS hosts the DISNAC Primary Cross Country and Touch Rugby tournaments.