Wishing you a great 2006!!
I would like to wish all our readers, networks and contacts a happy 2006. May it be as successful as last year. In 2005, European Schoolnet raised its profile even further by launching new portals like eTwinning, Xplora, Insafe and Insight and starting new projects such as CALIBRATE to mention a few.

Building on these successful results, EUN will strive in 2006 to carry on its mission to bring the best of ICT for schools, inform teachers, school leaders about the innovation from which they could benefit and be active.

At the policy level 2006 will also be a landmark, at the end of the year in Brussels all our networks, partners and contact will convene in Brussels to celebrate European Schoolnet's tenth anniversary.
Ulf Lundin, EUN Executive Director

SUCCESSFUL eTWINNING CONFERENCE
IN LINZ
The second European eTwinning Conference took place in the Design Centre in Linz, Austria on 13-15 January 2006. More than 450 teachers gathered for the three-day conference to take stock of the eTwinning action, one year after it was launched in Brussels.

The exhibition area featured a stand for every country displaying their eTwinning achievements over the last year. European Schoolnet - eTwinning's Central Support Service - and the European Commission's stands were central to the exhibition.
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MYINSIGHT SERVICE AVAILABLE ON INSIGHT PORTAL
The myInsight feature of the Insight portal was launched at EMINENT and we invite EUN News readers to discover its new features. myInsight is an integrated part of Insight - EUN's observatory for ICT and Education.

It is a network-building tool for experts in education to help them communicate with each other and contribute to the portal. The Insight team also launched a library of resources, a central element to provide additional documents and enrich the content of the portal..
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GREEN WEEK COMPETITION WEBSITE GOES LIVE
For the fifth time, European Schoolnet will be organising the Green Week Competition for schools. A new portal was launched at the end of January highlighting this year's theme: biodiversity.

As in past years the competition allows young people to learn about environmental issues and express themselves artistically by submitting pictures or short digital videos.
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SPRING DAY IN EUROPE 2006 MEETING IN PRAGUE
The group of 30 pedagogical advisors from all member and candidate EU states and the Spring Day team from the European Schoolnet office met in Prague on 7-8 January 2006 to discuss main issues related to Spring Day 2006.

The meeting took place in the Czech Ministry of Education and participants were welcomed by Zden?k Svoboda, the Spring Day liaison for the Czech Republic..
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ICT CLUSTER MEETING
The European Commission had its third ICT cluster meeting in Brussels on 6 December 2005 to evaluate the first Peer Learning Activity (PLA) held in Oslo, September 2006 and to prepare the next PLA which took place in Finland at the end of January 2006.

European Schoolnet, represented by Roger Blamire and Anja Balanskat, outlined their approach and methodology to advise the European Commission in its peer learning activities.
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ESLN MEETING AT THE EUN OFFICE
A European School Leadership Network (ESLN) project meeting took place in Brussels on 16 December 2005.

Nine project partners discussed the last working conference held in Budapest in 22 - 24 September 2005 and the planning of the next training module on Leadership of Change which will begin in February 2006 and will run until September 2006.

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EUN NEW CONTRACTS 2006
European Schoolnet has been awarded four new projects and service contracts with the European Commission. At the end of December the European Commission signed the contract for CALIBRATE. Before Christmas, DG Press gave EUN a contract to organise the Spring Day 2006 campaign.

DG Environment also contracted EUN to organise the Green Week competition for schools. These two contracts were received early January. Finally, DG Development this week contracted EUN for a schools competition on development, the Millennium Goals and Africa.

LATVIA APPLIES FOR OBSERVER STATUS TO EUROPEAN SCHOOLNET
The Latvian Ministry of Education and Science has formally applied for an observer status to European Schoolnet in December 2005.

The Ministry plans to join as a full member in 2007 following a year as an observer.

The application will be submitted to EUN's Presidium when it convenes in March 2006. Last year, two new members joined European Schoolnet: Romania and Estonia.