The bilingual Kopaliński High School is the only high school in our region that offers an English medium education. This means that some subjects (e.g. maths, history, biology and geography) are taught in both Polish and English. In this way, English is present in most lessons taught at our school.
Lessons in the language of Shakespeare number 10 hours per week in year one, and nine hours per week in years 2 and 3. These include lessons on the culture of English-speaking countries, in addition to lessons with native speakers, during which the focus is primarily on pronunciation.
What do we offer?
Our programme of study provides a wide range of opportunities. Three years of study at our school ensures our pupils a thorough preparation for the Matura school leaving exams, both in compulsory and in optional subjects.
Pupils from our school have successfully taken the so-called bilingual Matura exam in English, which is at a level comparable to the CAE exam. This has allowed our graduates to successfully apply both to foreign universities – which is very popular amongst our pupils – as well as the best Polish universities. Preparation for the so-called bilingual Matura exam includes material in each subject taught in both languages. Pupils from Kopaliński High School can also sit English language national exams in biology, history, geography, maths and other subjects. Their high grades in these exams also help in their application to university.
Our school prepares pupils for all Cambridge English language exams. To facilitate this, we cooperate with The British Council, which also helps to reduce the cost of the exams. Our pupils are present in every exam session, successfully sitting the FCE, CAE and CPE exams.
However, English is not the only foreign language available at our high school. In both compulsory and optional classes, our pupils can choose from languages such as German, Spanish, Italian, Russian and French. They also obtain certificates in these languages confirming their language abilities.
Excellent additional contact with the ‘living language’ is obtained on international exchange programmes. Before our pupils travel to their hosts, they exchange correspondence with them and get to know the families with whom they will be spending a week. During their stay they communicate only in English. After they return home, they usually stay in touch with their new friends, for example via social media. Our school also participates in various international projects (Enter Your Future, PenFriends) and we actively encourage our pupils to take part. We also organise lessons with foreigners so that our pupils can get to know a variety of different cultures. Our guests from abroad are always extremely impressed by the language abilities of Kopaliński pupils.
What about extra-curricular activities? Pupils cannot live on studying alone, which is why we try to organise many additional attractions that provide opportunities for integration, fun, art appreciation etc. Annual school trips, regular visits to the theatre, cinema and concerts, sailing camps, class campfires – these are just some of the activities organised by the school. Our teachers are always open to pupils’ suggestions, which means that new initiatives and projects are constantly added to scheduled school events.
An important part of the work of our school is our charitable activity, which is used to help those most in need. One event that has become a tradition is the ‘Kopal’s got Talent’ concert, during which pupils present their abilities on stage. The money raised at the concert is then donated to care homes. Every December, we also participate in the ‘Noble Box’ campaign, preparing Christmas parcels with essential products for selected families in need. In addition to these large-scale events, pupils also do their bit to help to make the world a better place by organising other fund-raising activities and programmes with the support of their teachers e.g. for the local animal shelter.
What next?
Our graduates go on to become students at the best universities both at home and abroad. On return visits to our school, they often emphasise the professional preparation that Kopaliński gave them, not only for their further studies, but also for their careers. Many of them take up paid employment upon finishing high school, and put the skills and language abilities they have learnt at our school to good use.
We would like to welcome everyone who is interested in studying at our high school to come and visit us. We guarantee a high level education, many attractions and unforgettable experiences, and a unique atmosphere that makes hard work so much easier. Join the Kopal team!
Why Kopaliński?
A school where everyone knows each other… A school often visited by its graduates… A school where the best teachers have been working for years… A school of olympiad winners… A school that fosters empathy and tolerance… – this is how students describe the Kopaliński Bilingual Schools. Back in September 2003, when classes were first starting in our historic building on Legionów street, no other school in either Bielsko-Biała or the surrounding towns offered bilingual education.
Our students were the first to pass bilingual matura exams, which opened the way for them to enrol at Cambridge and King’s College London, as well as in Edinburgh, Brussels or Vienna… These are only some of the places where the first graduates of our budding institution would end up attending. Fifteen years went by, and much has happened in the meantime. Class after class graduated from our primary and secondary schools with consistently excellent results, sending the former classmates off towards flourishing careers. Our students won olympiads and competitions at both national and international levels, successfully pursued scholarships abroad, obtained Cambridge certificates proving their fluency in English, took part in youth exchange programs at schools in Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Great Britain, France, Norway, Italy, and Greece – and yet nothing was lost of that unique atmosphere that marked the beginning of Kopaliński. What makes Kopaliński special? Not only is it a school that prepares its students for winning competitions and studying at the best universities, but it is, first and foremost, a place which many of our students call their second home. We don’t just teach, we raise – we participate in charity events, promote a healthy lifestyle, engage in voluntary service and encourage students’ self-governance. Times are changing, but Kopaliński remains a school where sympathy and kindness prevail, imparted onto generation after generation of students who choose to come here.
The school principal
The sun – the sole source of light and warmth – was worshipped by tribes and peoples from all over the world. The Babylonians praised Shamash, the Egyptians – Ra and Horus, and the Aztecs – Huitzilopochtli. Our logo portrays the Greek solar deity, Helios. As it did in the past, the sun still symbolises infinity, new beginnings, vitality, youth, truth, enlightenment, justice, wisdom, intelligence, free will, happiness, success, and hope.
These are the qualities which all young people should strive to introduce into their own lives. The motto – “Vive Moribus Praeteritis, Loquere Verbis Praesentibus,” live by the habits of the past, speak with the words of the present – is inscribed into our logo, written around the image of Helios, for it points towards one of the main educational goals that we have set for ourselves – to cultivate both tradition and an openness to the world.
Władysław Kopaliński, or rather Jan Stefczyk, was born in 1907. He is the author of Dictionary of Symbols, Dictionary of Words and Phrases of Foreign Origin, Dictionary of Myths of and Cultural Traditions, Lexicon of Love Themes and many other valuable works. He enjoyed surrounding himself with an aura of mystery, and that is perhaps why he used a pseudonym. The Kopaliński surname that served this purpose belonged to a teacher who had instilled in him a love for literature.
He was an exceptional lexicographer, encyclopedist, publicist, publisher, and also wrote a number of studies devoted to classical and contemporary literature. As far as Polish intellectual life is concerned, our patron was an institution in his own right, a polymath humanist; a journalist, essayist, columnist, and translator of English literature. He held the positions of chairman and editor-in-chief in the Czytelnik publishing cooperative in the years 1949-1954 and hosted his own radio show for 19 years. His interests were numerous: cats and perfumes can be counted among the more unusual ones, but it was his passion for symbols that he was most famous for. He admired classical music. In his own view, Dictionary of Myths and Cultural Traditions was his greatest work, but all of his works are remarkable, written in an extraordinary way that betrays a profound involvement in the subject matter. His dictionaries draw the reader in with an accessibly composed introduction, and though one might be surprised by the selection of entries, by their arrangement or even their definition, one nonetheless surrenders to the overwhelming passion of the author’s hunt for symbols, and is thus invited into his fascinating world. It’s not easy, however, to speak of Kopaliński’s private life – he kept to himself. It is said that his work would take him all day, leaving only the evenings with enough time to spare for meeting with his friends. He worked alone, without a team of linguists to help him in his research; he didn’t even use a typewriter – not to mention a computer – and he stored his archive inside shoeboxes…
As part of student exchange programs, annual trips abroad have become a tradition at Kopaliński. The unflagging popularity of those visits is unsurprising, given that the students who have tried it once are more than happy to revisit the places they’ve already seen.
Where have we been? Where do we go? Thanks to cooperation with our partner schools we have already been to Spain, Great Britain, Germany, France, Norway, Italy, and Greece. We cooperate on a permanent basis with RSG Tromp Meesters high school in the Dutch city of Steenwijk. This allows us to participate in a festival of European youth, where our students can work together with the hosts along with students from Italy, Estonia, Spain, Romania, Sweden, and Slovakia. It is a time when they can all collaborate in international groups, discuss social or economic issues, integrate and just have fun. In English, of course.
How does it all work? The rules are simple – students who choose to take part in the program go to a partner school for a week. They are looked after by hosting families, with whom they spend the weekends and weekday afternoons, engaging in family life, sightseeing, and often visiting their hosts’ relatives. In the mornings, the students follow the exchange schedule at the school, going to classes and debating at conferences. And the evenings…? That depends on the hosts’ imagination. Bowling alleys, shopping malls, ice rinks… For as long as the exchange lasts, cafés are filled with the sounds of different languages. The same is true of Bielsko when students from abroad come to visit their former guests.
What are the benefits of the exchange programs? Integration, countering biases and stereotypes, getting to know new cultures, perfecting language skills – these are only some of their advantages. But what keeps the exchange programs going is most clearly seen during tearful goodbyes and in enduring relationships that exceed the organisers’ expectations.
„Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?’” – Martin Luther King. Our students get involved in regular charity events that respond to the many needs of local communities and often take the initiative in organising their own events as part of their voluntary service, which has been a big part of our school life for many years.
1) The Noble Gift – a well-known Polish social project made possible by volunteers whose efforts improve the lives of destitute families. Our students can choose to help a given family in ways that meet their particular needs.
2) Kopal’s Got Talent – a cyclical charity concert that takes place in Bielsko Cultural Centre. It is, of course, our talented students, as well as a number of invited guests, who take the stage by storm, performing songs, music, dance, and stand-up – in short, making sure everyone enjoys the show whose ultimate purpose is to lend a helping hand to people in need.
3) A collection for child welfare – students have the opportunity to provide the local child welfare facility with what it needs the most. Each year, we collect school and cleaning supplies, toys, clothes, sweets, and books. Boxes brimming with gifts are then transported to the facility on Lompy street, where they can offer some joy to those for whom happiness is not so readily available as it is for the rest of us.
4) A collection of blankets and food for “Reksio,” the municipal animal shelter in Bielsko-Biała – a St. Nicholas Day gift for the dogs and cats that are looked after at the shelter.
5) Sweet Thursdays – the students brighten up their Thursdays with homemade cakes and pies. Having made them on their own or with a little help from their families, they sell them between lessons, gathering money for various charities. We have aided, among others, a medical mission in Africa, impoverished members of the dissident movement in the People’s Republic of Poland, and children in need of costly medical procedures.
6) Penny Mountain – every year, coins are collected in late November and early December so as to help children living in orphan homes and with foster families. “One penny doesn’t mean much, but the Penny Mountain is the biggest in the world.”
Current information regarding all of our initiatives can be found in the News section on our website.
“Nothing great will ever be achieved without great men, and men are great only if they are determined to be so.” (Gaulle)
The combination of passion, talent, and the hard work of our students and teachers results in the many achievements that speak to the quality of education offered by our schools. These accomplishments are a testament to the atmosphere of kindness, creativity, inspiration, and support, and they show that Kopaliński is a place where new and often difficult challenges can be taken up. Below are listed only some of our achievements, distinctions, titles, and certificates.
We focus on cyclical events that have already been won by dozens of our students, turning successful participation in the events into an element of school tradition. This isn’t to say that we do not appreciate singular triumphs in various disciplines. We proudly announce all of them on our website, congratulating the winners.
Each year, our students’ average scores in both the elementary and extended matura exams are much higher than the average results across the country, in the voivodeship, and in the city. The results in English, other foreign languages, Polish, maths, civics, and physics offer the most favourable comparisons. In 2019, we scored highest in English at the elementary level in the Silesian Voivodeship, and the results of the extended exam were the second best in the region.
Since Kopaliński is a bilingual school, our students can choose to take their matura exams in biology, history, geography, chemistry, maths, and physics in English. In such cases, attaining a good result is enough to guarantee a successful application process at the best of both Polish and foreign universities. Out of the subjects listed above, maths is chosen most often, and the average score is about 85%.
As far as the matura exams in 2019 are concerned, we are also happy to mention one of our alumni, Aleksandra Sulima, who has found herself among the best 67 out of the 247 230 high school graduates, and was thus a finalist in the 6th edition of the national project called “Matura na 100 procent”, organised by the Central Examination Board and the “Zawsze Warto” foundation.
The results of all the efforts of the Kopaliński community are reflected in the annual ranking published by the journal “Perspektywy”. Our high school has been enjoying a high position in the ranking for years, repeatedly finding itself among the Silesian top 40 and the top 5 in Bielsko-Biała. Out of the 100 of the best schools in the Silesian Voivodeship, we were placed 20th in 2019, 12th in 2016, and 13th in 2014.
The standing in this ranking depends on three factors: a school’s olympiad success rate, the results of matura exams in compulsory subjects, and the results of optional matura exams.
In June 2020, Newsweek published a high school ranking which also considered – apart from olympiads and matura exams – the schools’ language offer and their influence on the students’ success. We were ranked 15th in Silesia and 95th in the country.
Also in 2020, we received the title of “Złota Europejska Szkoła Praworządności RP” from the Białystok-based “Stowarzyszenie Edukacyjno-Oświatowe COPTIOSH” organisation, whose national ranking measuring the results of socio-legal olympiads included us at the 26th position.
Becoming a finalist or winning an olympiad is, of course, a source of prestige and satisfaction, but it can also open the doors to some of the best universities in the country and abroad.
Our students have enjoyed success in olympiads devoted to, among other subjects, philosophy, French, knowledge of Poland and the modern world, history, and entrepreneurship, and have therefore paved their own way to the best universities in the country.
The importance of these internationally recognised English proficiency certificates is well-known. Those who pass the appropriate examination receive a CAE or CPE certificate, and can use it to confirm a native-level fluency in the language of Shakespeare. Armed with such qualifications, our graduates easily enrol at foreign universities and find work all over the world.
The Business English certificate is an equally valuable asset, and it is often pursued by our students. As the name implies, it validates its owner’s ability to make use of English in business environments.
Other language certificates are also highly popular among our students, who have, in recent years, acquired certificates that confirm their fluency in Chinese (HSK), Spanish (DELE), and French (DELF).
Students who go to a school located in our city can be given this award in recognition of their academic achievements, such as titles earned in national contests and olympiads or medals won in competitions devoted to various disciplines.
This year, our first year high school student, Paweł Pecyna, has been rewarded with this scholarship for his exceptional academic performance.
Every year, a representative from our school receives this prestigious distinction which financially rewards the students whose grade average exceeds 5.0, or who can boast some other excellent achievements.
Each year, our students enter both of these competitions and receive prizes and distinctions – fruits of diligent preparations, and the end result of the passion that leads so many of our students to try themselves in these unique competitions.
It is a highly prestigious competition of knowledge about the United States of America organised by the US Embassy in Warsaw. The contenders must pass three difficult stages, and only a select few can obtain the valuable prizes.
Several of our students can count themselves among this elite group of laureates. The benefits they enjoyed included the opportunity to complete an internship in such important institutions as the American Chamber of Commerce.
Aimed at financially supporting students who are gifted in general science or foreign languages, this scholarship is funded by the local authorities every year. In order to receive it, however, students have to get involved in the academic life of their school. They should, for example, organise events popularising the above-mentioned subjects, and be visibly dedicated to the development of their interests and abilities.
At our school, the participants focus mainly on foreign languages, maths, and geography, steadily completing the program’s objectives under the watchful eye of their tutors.
These youth-oriented institutions primarily attract students who are interested in politics, who want to play an active role in society, and who prefer to change the world around them rather than complain about it. We have had members proudly representing our school in both of these assemblies for a number of years.
All rewards granted in this competition are equal. Young authors send their works – poems or prose on any topic – and a jury consisting of noted personalities from the world of culture selects the top 100. We are pleased whenever one of our own has their work appreciated, and it happens more and more often nowadays.
Since several years ago, our high school has had its own shooting team. Though its line-up is quite variable – given high school only lasts three years – our sharpshooters win awards in nearly every competition they go to, either as a team or individually.
Current information regarding all of our achievements can be found in the News section on our website.