Month: November 2025

236. The school’s birthday was a lively and energetic day. The week of celebrations started on 18 November during third period with a quiz prepared by Igor Kalakauskas. Each class had the opportunity to participate and test their knowledge of the school.

On 20 November, during the second half of the lesson, we watched a film made by students from Years 8 and 9 . The videos were random questions for teachers to answer, and the students wished the school and teachers all the best – success, new achievements, victories and curious students. It was a heartfelt moment shared by students from different grades. After the third lesson, there was a dance break which, as always, put everyone in a positive mood.

On 21 November, concerts of the “Brassical” ensemble took place. Three concerts were held at the school, each one unique, and each student enjoyed the performance. The concerts added to the festivities of the day, bringing the school family together and providing unforgettable emotions for all. We sang, danced and laughed together. On the same day, three musical quizzes took place on the first floor during the third to fifth periods – sometimes we guessed the song immediately , sometimes we sang the melody with the whole group to remember the name of the song. The school was decorated for the birthday: several photo walls were installed, our “Wishing Tree” came to life, with wishes appearing on its branches – good, funny, short and very heartfelt. It was a pleasure to see how everyone found a way to leave a little wish for the school and to share what our school values. Congratulations TTRK!

On 18 November, TTRK hosted a quiz dedicated to the school’s birthday, which is celebrated this Friday, although it is actually on 24 November. The questions for the quiz were prepared by Igor Kalakauskas, History and Social Studies teacher.

Similar quizzes dedicated to the school’s anniversary have been organised at the school for more than a decade. But the number of participants – 516 – is a record. The record can be explained by the fact that this year the quiz decided to use a different format: in the third lesson, almost all the students and even one teacher – Lyubov Syrtlanova – answered the questions (she scored 20 out of 18 points).

This year, students had the opportunity to answer in both Russian and Estonian. Admittedly, three classes dropped out of the competition, but six students in class 10 C managed to answer all the questions correctly, which is a phenomenal result in itself – one can only admire such an immersion in school life and its history. Prizes will be awarded to the most successful participants shortly. Thank you to everyone for taking part!

Men’s Day was held at our school on 19 November. The PE and Maths departments prepared an exciting series of activities for the students. The students did chin-ups, pressed a lever while lying down, threw balls in a basketball hoop, took part in a quiz with Kahoot and showed good mental arithmetic skills.

Thanks to Oleg Zaharov, Viktoria Podgornõh and Jelena Korju for organising and running the sports and knowledge-based activities, and to all the students who found the opportunity and the desire to take part in the event.

On 20 November, a recognition ceremony was held in the school hall. The best results were marked with mementos and a well-deserved round of applause.

Yevgenia Zovmer

How to distinguish truth from falsehood in the never-ending news feed? Who creates and publishes fake news and why? These questions, more topical than ever, were the central theme of a field trip to the Museum of Freedom, conducted on 20 November by history teacher Igor Kalakauskas for three eighth-grade students from our school.

For the students, this was in many ways their first exposure to the complex world of information warfare and manipulation. For it is not until the next year, in ninth grade, that they will begin to explore in depth the events of the 20th century, which have been largely shaped by today’s media and propaganda tools. This excursion was an important preliminary step, allowing them to take a look behind the scenes of history and to understand the mechanisms that influence our consciousness today.In the framework of the educational project “Strategies of misinformation through the generations”, Nikolai Ostašov, the museum’s guide, offered the eighth-graders not just a lecture, but a lively and active dialogue. Together with the guide, the children observed how technologies – from radio and television to the internet and social media – have changed the way propaganda and disinformation are spread over the last hundred years.

Of particular interest was the discussion on how the same fake news could be understood differently by our grandmothers, grandfathers and today’s teenagers. Students reflected on the ethical side of manipulation and the importance of maintaining critical thinking in order to appreciate and defend fragile concepts such as national sovereignty and democratic freedoms.

An important part of the visit was a practical lesson: guests were not just given permission, but offered the chance to use their smartphones! Guided by a museum educator, they learned a simple but very effective strategy for analysing information. In the future, this practical tool could help to check the credibility of sources, recognise the tricks of fake news creators and identify deepfakes – highly realistic videos created using artificial intelligence.

The tour became not just a history lesson, but a real training in digital literacy and media hygiene. One would like to believe that the knowledge and skills acquired will become a trusted shield for our students in today’s information landscape, helping them to be not just consumers of information, but literate and responsible evaluators of it.

On 12 November, the 4th floor celebrated St. Martin’s Day. Mardipäev is a holiday in the Estonian national calendar. The children and teachers were able to experience the authentic, fun and lively atmosphere of Mardtmas. Folk dancing, singing, puzzles, sweets, smiles and humour are the keywords of today’s event. Thank you to the lovely Beardies (2.b and 2.a) for cheering us up and introducing us to the traditions of the festive day, and a big thank you to the “hosts” (1.a, 1.c, 2.a) for their warm welcome and very active participation!

Mart throws in a seedcorn,
in front of the stove an eggcorn,
in the back corner a dovecorn,
in the four corners a maidencorn,
on the floor a boycorn.

Children are looking forward to Kadri Day and the Kadri Run!

On Wednesday, 12 November, our 11th grade students visited the Tallinn Mines Harbour Fortress together with teacher Tiit Terik as part of a lesson on national defence. Almost 300 students of national defence studies were given an overview of the various opportunities for service in the navy.

“So that young people can see with their own eyes, touch with their own hands and hear with their own ears, we invite them to visit us. In this way, personal connections are made and knowledge is gained, which can be used as a basis for making a well-considered decision about the future,” said Lieutenant Aleksander Espenberg.

Students boarded minesweepers and patrol boats, tried on coastguard equipment, learned about the activities of the Tucson service and combat service, and got an insight into military service.

“The most exciting thing was the visit to the ship – I saw the armament and even the grill on board, and learned that conscripts can also become cooks,” he said. Mia Kertu Zujev from Tallinn 21st School shared her impressions.

The Navy organises open days twice a year, mainly in spring and autumn.

Yevgenia Zovmer

On November 15, the dance ensemble Neposedõ participated in the celebration of the 8th birthday of the Estonian Dance Education Association, which brought together the dance education community from all over Estonia. During the day there was a dance education conference and a gala performance, where over 200 dancers from 20 dance schools and studios took to the stage.

Our dancers were part of the production “Well done, well done – whether alone, in pairs or in a group”, written and directed by Yuri Näel. The gala production is a collaborative project with CPPM postgraduate students focusing on the process of young people creating together.

During October and November, our dancers worked with choreographers Edward Skaines (Australia) and Juuli Hyttinen (Finland) and our partners Polly Dance Theatre – exploring, researching and creating together. The result of this collaboration was presented on stage in a gala performance.

The production was performed by our dancers Milana Nikolaeva, Anna Lõssenko, Sofia Troitskaya, Elina Kuznets, Kristina Kitter, Inesa Kriščiunaite, Katrina Kitter, Amelia Baranova, Sofia Pokatilova and Darja Konovalova.

Neposedõ is proud to have been part of this inspiring event and thanks its dancers for their energy, talent and openness to new experiences!

Liina Baranova

Today, 14 November, our school held its third game of the school year, “What? Where? When?”. Four teams took part in the competition, demonstrating their excellent knowledge and ability to work as a team.

According to the results of the game, the first place was shared by two teams – “Plemjanniki Druzya” (mixed team 9th-12th grade) and “Sandermeni” (11th grade), with 13 points each. Only one point was missing for the team of “Vegetables” (8th grade), who finished with 12 points. The team “Thinker” (7th grade) scored 7 points and also performed well.

Thank you to all participants and we look forward to seeing you at the next game!

Yevgenia Zovmer

On 4 November, 8A and 8B students visited the Health Museum as part of the KIK programme. The aim of the lesson was to learn about the micro-world around us: single-celled fungi and bacteria.

After a brief discussion about the similarities and differences between yeast and lactic acid bacteria, the children were asked to do an experiment to see what conditions are needed for yeast to multiply rapidly. This experiment clearly demonstrated how the fermentation process takes place and why the yeast dough rises and smells peculiar.

The following tasks were related to the microscope. The students made their own preparation of bacteria living in yoghurt and observed it under the microscope. Even under high magnification, the bacteria looked like tiny droplets. The yeast preparation was easier because its cells are bigger than the bacteria. The lesson was in Estonian, but the eighth-graders actively participated in the conversation, answering questions from the museum staff and completing workbooks.

Olga Kalakauskene. Photo.