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Life at Boarding School, STEM, Talent Development

30. September 2022

Extremely well-attended and perfectly organized: After a two-year hiatus, the Fall Festival drew a crowd once again

Events & Celebrations, Former Students & Alumni, News

Finally, an autumn festival again! With more guests than before the pandemic, Steinmühle School and Boarding School celebrated their traditional event last Saturday. Thanks to the excellent organization by Frank Wemme, the head of the lower secondary school, everything ran smoothly and according to plan for the students at their booths and during their performances in the classrooms. Visitors were thrilled by all the activities. Alumni were amazed at how much “their Steinmühle” has changed for the better over the past few years.

The Steinmühle has expanded to include several new buildings, giving it a uniform and modern look. The grounds have become more spacious, which meant that the large number of visitors was spread out across the site. There had been some concern beforehand about the weather for the Fall Festival, but those concerns proved unfounded. The autumn sun shone brightly from the sky—as if it knew just how important this festival is to the Steinmühle community.

Since good food and drinks are naturally part of a successful and convivial celebration, this aspect was in the capable hands of the boarding school. From coffee and cake to grilled meats and the wine bar, there was a delicious and comprehensive selection of food and drink available. This was complemented by the popular Aroma ice cream truck on the grounds, which—as in previous years—drew long lines of people. The proceeds from the sales are regularly donated.

Shortly after the opening remarks by Principal Bernd Holly, who welcomed the guests alongside Boarding School Director Anke Muszynski and Nils Schwandt, the stage program got underway. The 6th-grade choir entertained the audience with musical theater songs, followed by the musical theater elective class. Next, the 5th-grade band, the StoneMill House Band, and the Jazz Ensemble took the stage. Starting at 8:00 p.m., DJ Veit kept the party going in the tent.

More than three dozen booths and activities were spread across the grounds and in some classrooms, and it’s very difficult to single out any particular ones here. Once again, the “Chemikum mobil” with its elective research class in front of the Bremerhaus was a crowd-pleaser. The experiment with the “exploding” colorful balls just never loses its appeal! The “Chicken Run” on the sports field at the Hessenhaus was a big hit. The goal here was to raise funds for Tanzania, organized and carried out by the elementary school and its team of teachers. Neighboring activities also focused on movement, speed, and agility. The Steinmühle Riding Club also invited visitors to go pony riding.

One of the longest lines on the grounds was for the “Ghost Train Reloaded” run by Class 7b at the Hessenhaus. The chance to get a real scare—this idea clearly appealed to many guests, both young and old.

While other activities offered games, fun, and brain teasers, there were also booths that are closely tied to the Steinmühle School. The Friends of the School Association, chaired by Jasmine Weidenbach, provided information about its important work and invited Fall Festival guests who are not yet members to join. Membership is open at any time, by the way! An information booth for prospective students in the new 1st and 5th grades was set up right at the entrance, under the first awning. Principal Björn Gemmer and his team were on hand to answer questions and had organized tours of the Centrum 5&6 building.

In the main building, visitors were able to learn about the vital topic of “CPR.” There, anesthesiologist Markus Spies answered questions, provided instructions on the resuscitation process, and let guests try their hand at it themselves using a mannequin. “It’s so easy to help—anyone can do it,” he emphasized, reinforcing the campaign’s goal of preventing sudden cardiac death.

With this in mind, the “Students Save Lives” campaign (www.schuelerrettenleben.de) was launched by the Professional Association of German Anesthesiologists (Berufsverband Deutscher Anästhesisten e.V.). For several years now, the school has offered an annual summer course on this topic—under professional guidance. Eighth-grade students are taught CPR. The Steinmühle School is thus playing a pioneering role in Marburg in this area.

30. September 2022

Fall Festival 2022

Events & Celebrations, Former Students & Alumni, Life at Boarding School, News

The Fall Festival: for the students of Steinmühle, a well-known and beloved celebration that has been held for decades. On this one day of the year, all former students of Steinmühle School and Boarding School are invited to reminisce and share what they’ve been up to since leaving. “Those were such wonderful times at the boarding school,” you hear people say from all corners.

On the last Saturday in September, the time had finally come: the Fall Festival was able to take place in its usual format. There hadn’t been such a large reunion of former Steinmühle students since 2019.

For weeks beforehand, the boarding school students had been preparing for this big event. Everything was planned down to the last detail, because there was still a lot to do behind the scenes. The students did a fantastic job organizing everything. They selected recipes, scheduled baking times, and supported one another. Working independently and with great enthusiasm, the students immersed themselves in their baking, resulting in the most amazing and delicious variety of cakes. Their goal was not simply to bake the same recipes over and over, but to offer as many different flavors as possible and to let their creativity run wild.

And so it came to pass that Bremerhaus, Stammhaus, Mühle, Hessenhaus, Westfalenhaus, and Biohaus baked nearly a hundred cakes.

Several students also volunteered to help set up. With their handyman skills, they worked diligently to build the huts. At the fall festival itself, the boarding school students had their own tasks: they sold cake, grilled food, and cleared away dishes. All boarding school students carried out these duties until 6 p.m. to ensure that all guests had a wonderful day. From 6:00 p.m. onward, however, everyone became a guest and celebrated the fall festival together. Former and current boarding school students met and exchanged stories about boarding school life then and now.

On Sunday afternoon, a few of us met up again in the dining hall at “SchniPoSa” and talked about what a great festival it had been. We’re already looking forward to the Fall Festival in 2023.

28. September 2022

Collaborative Project with Steinmühle: SF Blau-Gelb Marburg Receives the 2nd Jürgen-Markus Award for Accessible Participation in Sports

Collaborations & Partnerships, News, Social Engagement, Sports & Health

“People are not disabled—people are made disabled. If we consistently work to internalize this principle and eliminate disabilities, then we will have made significant progress toward inclusion,” said Mayor Dr. Thomas Spies. Jürgen Markus, who faced unexpected challenges after suffering a spinal cord injury, dedicated himself from that point on—until his death in 2010—to ensuring that people with disabilities could lead dignified and self-determined lives. “It is impressive to see the determination, consistency, and sensitivity with which Jürgen Markus worked tirelessly and unwaveringly on behalf of people with disabilities in our city,” said the mayor in his tribute. In this spirit, many people, organizations, and institutions in Marburg remain committed to this cause even today—an effort the city honors every two years with the Jürgen Markus Prize.

“This year, the jury selected two winners from among the nominations,” explained Susanne Holz, curator of the Jürgen-Markus Prize. The first prize, worth 10,000 euros, goes to the Marburg Basketball Club in 2022. “At BC Marburg, inclusion has become an integral part of the club’s culture,” Holz continued, adding, “The team for players with disabilities is a natural part of the club, just as people with disabilities are a natural part of the fan base.” The jury was impressed by the sustainability of inclusion at BC Marburg. This is not yet a given, especially in team sports. Hilde Rektorschek, a member of the BC Marburg board, accepted the 2022 Jürgen-Markus Prize from Spies and Holz.

Second prize was awarded to Sportfreunde Blau-Gelb Marburg, Steinmühle, fib, Kerstin-Heim, and Special Olympics for their project “Gemeinsam.” “It’s impressive that so many partners are working together to make inclusion in sports a reality,” the curator praised. The project is still in its early stages, so the award is intended to encourage the team and, at the same time, motivate other clubs to open their doors to people with disabilities. “Gemeinsam” receives 5,000 euros. The award was accepted by Dr. Anton Schmölz, chairman of Sportfreunde Blau-Gelb Marburg, and Martina Strube from the Kerstin-Heim.

Background

Jürgen Markus championed accessibility in Marburg to enable people with disabilities to lead more self-determined lives. After his death in 2010, there was widespread support for honoring Jürgen Markus in recognition of his tremendous dedication and impressive personality. Across party lines, the city council unanimously decided to establish an award on behalf of the city, which was first presented in 2012. Since then, it has been awarded every two years. The goal of the award is to achieve greater accessibility in order to make it easier for people with disabilities to participate in social life. The award is intended both to honor dedicated efforts and to inspire new ideas.

Jürgen Markus was born in 1957 in Bad Driburg, East Westphalia. In the late 1970s, he moved to Marburg to attend university. In February 1982, he suffered irreparable injuries to his cervical spine in an accident during the Philipps University sports festival, resulting in permanent paraplegia. This new situation presented him with unforeseen challenges in the most basic aspects of his life. His “second life”—as he himself called it—was shaped by the fight for a dignified and self-determined life for people with disabilities. He was active in the Marburg Disability Initiative (KRIM) and in the Association for the Promotion of Inclusion of People with Disabilities (fib), which he significantly shaped as its chairman for many years. In local politics, he served as a representative of Alliance 90/The Greens in the city council from 1998 to 2007, primarily on the Building Committee in the area of urban development. He helped establish the Advisory Board for People with Disabilities in 1997 and, as its vice chair until his death, had a profound influence on the board through his leadership.

The fact that accessibility is promoted and advocated for across party lines in Marburg, and that the Advisory Council for People with Disabilities is involved in decisions affecting people with disabilities, is primarily thanks to Jürgen Markus, who had a gift for winning people over by treating them with respect.

In the final years of his life, he was forced to gradually step back and relinquish his positions as he struggled increasingly with health complications resulting from his injuries. He died in February 2010 at the age of 52.

27. September 2022

Steinmühlen Soccer Team Wins City Finals of “Youth Trains for the Olympics”

Contests & Awards, News, Sports & Health

Great joy for our 6th- and 7th-grade soccer players: With a 3-1 victory over the favored Elisabethschule and a 1-1 draw against the Martin-Luther-Schule, our Competition Class II “Youth Trains for the Olympics” team secured a spot in the district finals on October 12. Coached by Bernd Schweitzer and Dirk Konnertz, the team was wide awake from the start at the city finals at Georg-Gassmann Stadium and played as a cohesive unit. Although no preparation was possible due to the proximity of the summer break and subsequent school trips, the team played well together and didn’t let a 0–1 deficit in the first game faze them. While it was a team effort, special mention must be made of the outstanding performance by Lasse Schweitzer, who scored three of the four goals that secured the tournament victory.

The following athletes were successful: Arthur Böning, Ben Borawski, Felix Bork, Julius Brückmann, Len Hülsbeck, Tiemo Irmisch, Jonah Isenberg, Felix Martens, Jonas Mierisch, Rafael Piller, Fabian Preis, Lasse Schweitzer, Paul Sondergeld, Ben Templer, and Moritz Wagner.

22. September 2022

2022 House Visits—Not as Planned

Life at Boarding School

Summer vacation is over, and the empty rooms at Steinmühle Boarding School are coming back to life. The rooms are being lovingly decorated, personalized, and prepared for the upcoming school year. Everyone had a relaxing summer and is arriving full of excitement and anticipation for the new 2022–23 school year. To ensure that the […]