2. Our high school is one of national prestige as one of the oldest in the city being founded in 1863. Since October 3, 1895 - by Decree no. 3773 was established as Real High School in Braila to bear the name “Nicolae Balcescu“.

3. Our school wasn’t from the first as it is. 1863-1867 First, it was a theorethical school, of the second degree(as highschool now), founded at the will of the municipal members, based on the funds of the Braila Municipality. It had only 2 theorethical classes, in which Italian, Greek, French, Maths, Contability, Romanian, History, Natural history and Geography were studied. Theorethical Gymnasium (1880-1888) After 1876, the „current of theorethical studies” enlarges and so the school goes under the government task; it includes the theorethical gymnasium, removing the classical one, a grade by another grade. In 1886, there was introduced an exam of admission. Also, there were introduced foreign languages studies and exams. In 1885, the foundation stone of the building is mounted, and in 1886, the building is done.

4. Between 1954-55, it was named Medium School of Boys, Nr. 2. It remains so until 23 september 1959, when the school becomes Medium School „Nicolae Balcescu”. In 65, the education passed from 11 to 12 years, and rebecomes „Nicolae Balcescu” Highschool. This lasts until 1966, when by order from the ministery, it is named College. The college after 1990: Once with the come of the revolution in 1989, there were made drastical changes in the organisation of the highschool, on democratic and humanist bases. The main profile remained the traditional one: Math- Physics, transformed in Math- Informatics. In the year 1993 the high-school was named “Nicolae Balcescu” Next year, the college will celebrate 150 years from the beginning

5. Mihail Sebastian (class of 1926) novelist Dumitru Panaitescu Perpessicius (class 1910), critic and literary historian Ana Aslan (class of 1915), endocrinologist

6. Our national college, with currently over 912 students and almost 61 teachers, is organized in: 6 or 7 highschool classes per year (it receives one more class every 4 years): 5 classes real profile: 2 classes of mathematics-informatics 1 class of mathematics-informatics with intensive english 1 class of mathematics-informatics with intensive informatics 1 class with the profile of natural sciences 1 class with philology profile 1 class with social sciences profile (one class every 4 years) 7 classes on gymnasium 2 classes 5 th grade 2 classes 6 th grade 2 classes 7 th grade 1 class 8 th grade (in the last 3 years the number of gymnasium classes has doubled)

7. Our highschool has two buildings : an old one and a new one. It has a number of thirty-one classrooms and nine laboratories : english Physics (2) Chemistry Biology Informatics (4) Geography

8. There are two main buildings, A and B. By entering building A one can find at the ground floor the teachers room and the offices of the two headmasters and their secretary. Building A also houses several classes and the laboratories of physics, chemestry and biology and an amphitheatre. The other building is bigger than the first one, with two storeys and an attic. It includes four informatics laboratory, a library and 18 classrooms.

9. The “Nicolae Balcescu” National College covers for all the needs the students have, in order to provide high- standard education.

10. Comenius I.A.M. Creative E.Q.U.E.P.

11. Comenius ‘’ Every Body Fits In’’ 2009-2011 Countries participating : Spain, Bulgaria, French, Lithuania, Poland and Romania. Objectives: Motivate pupils learning other languages and living with foreign families Improve the teaching practice, by exchanging experience with the other teachers.

12. This is a project I also took part and I really enjoyed the change of experiences with the Danish students. Objectives: -To establish different channels to communicate between school managers, teachers and students -To perform lessons with intercultural working group

13. Our high school have many sports team: - basketball team(only boys); - volleyball team(only girls); - football team(only boys); - handball team(boys and girls); - rugby team(only boys); - ping pong team(boys and girls); - chess team(boys and girls); These teams won always first place at county competitions, and at regional competitions we won only second and third place.

15. Sabin Lazar 10 th grade F Ana-Maria Milea 11 th grade C Ciprian Baluta 11 th grade D Madalina Lica 10 th grade C Alexandru Milcu 9 th grade A Maria Fratila 9 th grade A Cezar Barbu 9 th grade A Alexandra Moise 10 th grade C