Outdoor Reception: A Warm Welcome to the New Boarding School Residents!
How fortunate that the outdoor facilities on the Steinmühle campus are so spacious. And how wonderful that the weather was so perfect on the day the boarding students arrived. As a result, restrictions, social distancing, and hygiene measures did not dampen the welcome afternoon on Sunday before school began. Instead of gathering in the dining hall as usual, the new boarding students and their families took their seats at flower-adorned tables outdoors—well sheltered from the warm sun and treated to a cake buffet set up by the kitchen team, complemented by cold drinks and fruit. Soft music played in the background.
“We’d like to introduce our team,” said boarding school director Anke Muszynski as she welcomed the 23 new students and their families.
Parents—and in some cases grandparents and many siblings—had traveled with the students to get a feel for Steinmühle Boarding School. The system in the residential groups has also been changed: Steinmühle Boarding School now relies on a mixed-age structure, so that students in grades 7 through 13 live under one roof. The residential group in the Steinmühle Biohaus is an exception; there, the very young students live together among themselves.
Steinmühle is an international company
China has long been a common country of origin for students at Steinmühle Boarding School. This is also the case this school year. However, places were also eagerly filled by children and teenagers from the United States, France, Switzerland, and Russia. Many parents from all regions of Germany also chose to send their children to Steinmühle Boarding School. “We know our son is in good hands here,” explained one father.
The students and families who have been familiar with Steinmühle Boarding School for some time greatly appreciate this professional care. When the “long-time” residents began arriving at 3:00 p.m., there was great joy at seeing the staff and fellow residents again, while saying goodbye to their families was more of a routine matter. By 6:00 p.m. at the latest, family members had to begin their journey home.
Only time will tell how the start of the school year will actually go under the current COVID-19 regulations; “But we are confident.” That same evening, the children and teenagers received a briefing on the current COVID-19 safety guidelines for the start of the school year.
The number of new students equals the number of graduates
But there is also news that is entirely positive. After more than 20 students graduated from Steinmühle Boarding School at the end of the school year, 23 children and teenagers have already been admitted for the 2020–21 school year: “We were able to guide our graduates safely through the Abitur despite the pandemic. The fact that we had practically the same number of new admissions speaks volumes about Steinmühle.” Several new employees who have chosen Steinmühle Boarding School as their employer are sending the same positive signal. They are strengthening the educational team in the residential groups.
These encouraging updates are complemented by the news that tablets are now available for every teaching team. This ensures that Steinmühle students in the tablet classes receive the best possible support. At the same time, this measure advances the ongoing process of digitization.
Despite all the challenges, Steinmühle Boarding School is looking forward to the new school year and is confident that together, we will overcome all obstacles!
Steinmühle Boarding School is extremely confident that it can fully meet the challenges posed by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. A role model for the students is the graduating class, which left the boarding school at the end of the school year. They did not allow “Corona” to limit their performance.
