First Day of School for 5th Graders: An Important Day for Girls, Boys, and Their Families

The doors to the Steinmühle Forum were wide open on this beautiful summer day—and that was a good thing, because it allowed all the parents, grandparents, siblings, and relatives of our fifth-graders to watch the entire orientation program. It really is a special day when high school begins at Steinmühle!

14 Languages in the International High School Program

We are starting the 2024/25 school year with four classes in Grade 5. In addition to 5a, 5b, and 5c, Class 5i is the lowest grade level in our International High School Program. And indeed, there were quite a few familiar faces in this class—students who, after attending the Steinmühle Bilingual Elementary School, are continuing their educational journey in the International High School Program. The girls and boys attending this program speak 14 different languages at home!

A Glimpse into the World of Music

Today, however, on the first day of school, all 5th-grade students were introduced to a different language: the language of music! The current sixth-graders once again performed excerpts from their anniversary musical—which they had staged in June to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Steinmühle School & Boarding School—and presented their choral singing. The music department—led by Ulrike Wilmsmeyer, Anna Prokop, Frank Wemme, and Daniel Sans—had pulled out all the stops to give the audience a taste of vocal and instrumental performances right from the start. With popular songs from music history, starting with the 1950s, the sixth graders immediately captivated the entire audience. Catchy tunes like “Rock Around the Clock,” “Dancing Queen,” “They Don’t Care About Us,” and “Waka Waka” simultaneously took the audience on a journey back in time to Steinmühle’s past and brought to mind many a school milestone.

Trust, Patience, and Fun

“Have faith, be patient, and have fun together”—this was the advice the teachers gave the students as they left. Principal Björn Gemmer concluded by suggesting that everyone stop by to see Jasmine Weidenbach on their way out. The chairwoman of the Steinmühle Marburg Friends Association had a welcome surprise in store for everyone.

Photos are part of it

The students in the new 5th-grade classes then gathered at the legendary climbing spider in the schoolyard to pose for the photographer—first by class with their parents, and then as a whole class on their own.

The photos below show, in the following order, the classes with their homeroom teachers: Stephan Steinebach (5i), Dirk Lange (5c), Jonathan Gröb (5b), and Rieke Schüssler (5a). The other photos provide a glimpse of the first-day-of-school celebration, which was organized primarily by students in the 6th-grade classes.