The best for last:
Student Awards on the Last Day of School
As part of a very successful end-of-year celebration, the school honored students who had achieved outstanding and commendable results over the past few months.
Ms. Fries, together with the school principals, Mr. Gemmer and Mr. Holly, led the audience through an entertaining ceremony. And it was amazing to see all the students who had distinguished themselves over the past few months:
Forty-six students successfully participated in the DELF and Cambridge language certification exams; the school had 14 award winners in math competitions; and, as part of the Bundesjugendspiele, secondary school students earned an exceptionally large number of certificates of honor. Among the notable achievements in sports were the victory of our girls’ basketball team in the Hesse state championship and Isabel Weitzel’s victories in the junior hammer throw championships of the Hesse and Southern German associations.
Three things became clear in a heartening way during the celebration:
1. Isabel Weitzel, Lisa Kemena, and Adrian Hamel are students who excel in very different fields. For example , Isabel Weitzel has not only excelled in hammer throw, but has also demonstrated her talent in drama and achieved great success on both the DELF and Cambridge exams. Lisa Kemena has also demonstrated her talent in mathematics and the natural sciences as a participant in the Inventor Lab in Darmstadt and the preparatory program at the University of Marburg, and she earned the B2 diploma on the DELF exam. Adrian Hamel, the school champion in the E-phase math competition, not only made it onto the podium at the Hessian Judo Championships, but has also been an integral part of our jazz ensemble, the StoneMill Houseband, as a pianist for years.
2. The Steinmühle, as an all-day school, does not interfere with students’ hobbies. An exceptionally large number of students are successful in sports clubs or are dedicated to practicing their musical instruments, which has led them to place highly in music competitions, or they are actively involved in cultural or social initiatives.
3. The celebration showed that the students are very willing to acknowledge the achievements of the “winners.” Every time an award was presented, there was sincere and enthusiastic applause from their classmates. It was also fitting that the event’s musical accompaniment was provided in a compelling manner by Nelly Endres (piano), Arthur Laux (piano), Bodam Lee (violin), and the StoneMill Houseband Jazz Ensemble.
