The last Thursday evening before summer break is traditionally not only the date of the “teachers’ barbecue.” It is also a time to say goodbye to colleagues who are leaving Steinmühle.
This summer, five teachers are saying goodbye to Steinmühle and beginning their retirement. They are Dr. Dietmar von der Ahe, Rosie Boebel, Wolfgang Reinert, Sigrid Stechmann, and Ulrike Wassum.
At the Steinmühle Forum, Principal Björn Gemmer paid tribute to the achievements of his colleagues and spoke in detail about their individual contributions over the years and decades. In doing so, he highlighted specific incidents that he either remembered particularly well or that were especially characteristic of the retiring staff members’ work.
Afterward, the stage belonged to the faculty associations to which the teachers belonged. Through humorous skits, the members took a close look at the characteristics, habits, and behaviors of the long-serving teachers and reflected on certain past events. Both the school administration and their colleagues managed, through their remarks, to use their words to take some of the wistfulness out of the evening.
Dirk Konnertz, executive director of the school association, used the farewell ceremony to thank Tanja Herfert for her four years of service as director of the Steinmühle youth welfare facility. The facility closed at the end of the school year.
After the many words of praise and reflection, it was only natural that both the honorees and the audience—consisting of the rest of the faculty—began to feel the need for cold drinks and grilled food. As is the case every year, everyone was then able to enjoy the food and refreshments while chatting in front of the Forum. Hardworking hands had set up beer tables and benches there. Sausages, steaks, salads, and the radiant evening sun ensured that the evening came to a pleasant culinary conclusion.
