Steinmühle Boarding School: A Gentle Start in a New Environment

“We’re both named Nils. But…you’ll figure it out.” With a wink, boarding school director Nils Schwandt welcomes a new boarding student on Sunday afternoon. The teenager grins mischievously, now knowing that Nils Schwandt and his colleague Nils Zeller are the house directors of the main dormitory. He’ll be moving into his room there shortly. It will be his home for the school year, which begins the next day. The other new arrivals are doing the same: getting their bearings in their new living and learning environment. They come from Munich, Jena, but also from South Korea and China. The Steinmühle boarding school currently has 79 children and teenagers and is thus continuing to expand. Exactly one year ago, the Biohaus on the Steinmühle campus was inaugurated as an additional residence for boarding students.

Additional Housing: The Bremerhaus

Recently, the Bremerhaus has also become housing for boarding school students. The group of unaccompanied minor refugees in this building was disbanded at the end of the school year; three of the refugees continue to live in the boarding school and are now preparing for their Abitur exams. “An example of successful integration,” says Francine Olschewski. The dorm director—like “Nils & Nils”—is a long-standing member of the teaching staff. “Some staff members are new to the faculty,” she says, adding, “We’ve restructured.”

A New Chapter in Life

Boarding school director Anke Muszynski fulfills the final individual requests of the new arrivals. Something is still missing here; something else needs to be taken care of there. For this dedicated and energetic educator, who dashes back and forth attentively, “service” is more than just a word.

In a few words, without any long-winded speeches, Anke Muszynski introduces the teaching staff to the new students and their parents. Some students are accompanied by their grandparents as well. It’s quite a big step for these young people to send their loved ones home alone shortly afterward. The atmosphere in the dining hall, with coffee, cake, and fruit, is relaxed and not at all wistful. Parents strike up conversations with other parents at the round tables. A new chapter in life is beginning—for everyone! So everyone is a little excited, “including us,” says Francine Olschewski. But she also knows: “Later, that is, tonight, everything will be just as usual.”

Getting to Know Each Other

The next morning is “business as usual.” That’s when classes begin, with students heading to the renovated main building or the newly constructed atrium. The upcoming weekend will be all about the so-called “ house trips.” The individual residential groups will go on outings to get to know each other better.

The main campus, for example—the group centered around “Nils & Nils”—is heading to Cologne. As part of this trip, they’ll also visit Phantasialand. But there won’t be any boredom later on at the Steinmühlen campus either. A wide variety of sports activities and the natural surroundings offer entertainment and learning in a comfortable atmosphere.