Julia Daube is the new principal of the Steinmühle Bilingual Elementary School

,

To those around her, it was crystal clear what career Julia Daube would eventually pursue. Even back in high school, her teachers predicted, “You’ll be one of us someday.” It turned out to be a good guess, as became clear shortly thereafter. Julia Daube studied to become an elementary school teacher, specializing in German, math, and art.

Julia Daube calls the eastern part of the Marburg-Biedenkopf district home, and it was there—in Erksdorf and Hatzbach—that she found her job. Every detail showed that preparing girls and boys for life through their early years of schooling is exactly “her thing.”

The mother of two daughters, ages 17 and 9, had felt at home among the students and faculty for years. Then she received a call from Steinmühle.

 

Has already contributed to the curriculum

Thanks to her acquaintance with Principal Björn Gemmer, she had already been in contact with the school on Steinmühlenweg during the founding phase of the Bilingual Elementary School. Julia Daube also helped develop the curriculum for the Bilingual Elementary School. Because Elementary School Principal Janine Küster was on maternity leave, her desk was vacant. Björn Gemmer recognized this as an opportunity for both parties.

 

A Passionate Teacher

“I really thought long and hard when I was asked last summer if I wanted to be Janine’s successor,” recalls Julia Daube. The perception that school leadership involves a lot of administrative work and little time for the classroom is widespread—and as a passionate teacher, she didn’t want to underestimate that. She has not regretted her decision to join Steinmühle: “A friendly team, a great vice principal, lovely children—and open doors all over campus whenever questions arise.”

 

“Educational tasks remain the top priority”

Julia Daube is grateful for this atmosphere of openness and the culture of friendly interaction between teachers and students. Despite the administrative demands, she considers her teaching responsibilities to be her top priority.

Julia Daube’s motto is not to take anything personally—especially not what the students say. “Ever since a child once told me, ‘Your hair looks like a squirrel’s tail,’ I’ve started to let humor get the better of me every now and then.”

In the demanding role of a elementary school teacher in a leadership position, this attitude is likely to be helpful on more than one occasion. Angela Heinemann

Dance, Nostalgia, and Anticipation for Summer Vacation at the Bilingual Elementary School’s Open Stage

, ,

Music, acrobatics, a football rap, English poems, a folk dance from Georgia, and melodious string instruments—these and other program highlights made up the “Open Stage” event at the Bilingual Elementary School on the last day of school before summer break. Despite the quite high temperatures, the girls and boys carried out their impressive and lively program for this annual event, which is always a joyful occasion due to the upcoming vacation but also always quite emotional because of the farewell to the fourth-grade class.

Unfortunately, it was also “Time to Say Goodbye” to elementary school teachers Tobias Leisge and Dr. Sebastian Verbeek, who will be pursuing other career paths after the summer break. Lorraine Herrmann, deputy principal of the Bilingual Elementary School, presided over the farewell ceremony for the elementary school staff.

 

A roller coaster of emotions

Teacher Lisa Smit and her student assistant hosted the “open stage” with great sensitivity, skillfully guiding the audience through the roller coaster of emotions. Among the audience was Janine Küster, the former elementary school principal who had stepped down at the beginning of the year. – A joyful reunion! A photo retrospective brought back memories of days spent together at the Steinmühle Bilingual Elementary School, evoking a touch of nostalgia but also plenty of smiles.

At the end of the ceremony, Class 3 bid farewell to the girls and boys of Class 4—who, after summer break, will not be returning to the elementary school classrooms but will instead mostly be joining Class 5i in the International High School program at Steinmühle—by singing the “Fried Potato Song.”

After a colorful show, performed with great enthusiasm and emotion, the elementary school students and audience were sent off on summer vacation.

Bilingual Elementary School: Heading to the Basketball Tournament with a Pro

, ,

This year, Steinmühle Bilingual Elementary School participated in the elementary school basketball tournament for the first time—and with two teams, no less! So many children wanted to join that we ended up fielding two teams, reported elementary school teacher Tobias Leisge.

 

Professional Patrick Unger as Coach

The teams were coached by Patrick Unger, the former head coach of the Blue Dolphins first-division team at BC Marburg, which was, of course, a special experience for many.

 

Improvement from game to game

First, the tournament director explained the rules—for example, what counts as a traveling violation and that double dribbling results in a whistle. Both teams, which had little or no prior experience, took this to heart as best they could, made great strides over the course of the tournament, and improved with every game.

 

Parents were on the edge of their seats

One of the highlights was the head-to-head matchup between our two teams—an exciting game that ended in a tie.

Many parents were there to cheer on the kids and support them. All in all, it was a really wonderful day filled with fun and physical activity. We’ll definitely be back next year!

 

7i took fourth-graders on a journey through English history

, , ,

“A Short Ride through English History” was the title of the workshop that the fourth-grade class from the Steinmühle Bilingual Elementary School was able to attend at the invitation of Class 7i. It was a four-hour journey through English history, lovingly and energetically prepared by the seventh graders under the guidance of Theresa Großer.

 

A theme at each station

At six stations, the girls and boys learned about English history: The Plague, The Battle of Hastings, Roman Life in Britain, The Industrial Revolution, The Great Fire of London, and The British Empire. Working in small groups, the fourth-graders learned from the seventh-graders at each station what happened back then.

 

At the end, certificates were handed out

The children had a lot of fun learning through the visual descriptions, short texts, and presentations, as well as the short worksheets and fun games. “Everyone had to speak English, which they did exceptionally well,” says Lorraine Herrmann, the assistant principal of the Bilingual Elementary School. “It was a really good example of collaboration across grade levels and certainly an inspiration for the fourth graders in terms of what awaits them in the next Steinmühlen classes.” At the end, all the fourth graders played a game together to test their newly acquired knowledge. The fourth-grade class proudly received their certificates.

 

Personal Expectations for the Tasks

“The idea for the project came about as part of a British History unit, during which the students could choose from a range of topics,” says Theresa Großer, describing the start of the workshop preparations. They developed the content largely on their own, using books and selected online materials. In addition, they conducted occasional independent research, completing the entire project in just three weeks, with two double periods each week. And they wanted to do it really well: The seventh graders repeatedly gave each other feedback so that everyone could further refine their stations.

 

Schedule planned with great dedication

The overall effort was no small feat. The students in class 7i created all the posters, quizzes, and game ideas on their own with great dedication during class and in their free time, full of anticipation and excitement for the workshop. They planned the program for the fourth graders very professionally—complete with station cards and stamps. The idea for a certificate of completion also came from the young organizing team, which designed it themselves.

 

Linguistically proficient

The focus of the day was on English history and the English language. As a result, the seventh-graders conducted the entire workshop in English. None of the participants were deterred by the sometimes difficult terms and topics. “It was an impressive achievement by the elementary school students, who presented themselves excellently and were incredibly engaged, but also by the students in class 7i, who demonstrated real linguistic confidence,” summarized Theresa Großer.

The final feedback session revealed a great deal of enthusiasm and pride—even among the 7i students. This creates the ideal conditions for repeating a workshop like this.

Theresa Großer is the head of the International High School Division at Steinmühle. The workshop for the 4th-grade class was organized by the 7th-grade class (7i).

 

Steinmühle Bilingual Elementary School Celebrates Its 100-Day Celebration

, ,

“I did it,” Oliver says proudly, holding up his “special muffin” for everyone to see. He points to another pastry: “I did this, too.”

The children at the Steinmühle Bilingual Elementary School are overjoyed as they recently celebrated their 100-day milestone. They show their excitement with paper crowns they made themselves, bearing the inscription “100 Days as a Schoolchild.”

 

Reading, Building, Crafting

That morning is a time for learning, but also for celebrating. The group led by homeroom teachers Hannah Achenbach and Tobias Leisge goes through several stations. There’s breakfast—consisting of cereal, pastries, fruit, and milk—100 words to read, and 100 building blocks that require imagination and creativity to assemble. A garland was made from 100 paper rings.

Tobias Leisge and his three-person team—made up of interns and a participation assistant—have music playing. “Dance Monkey” is playing on repeat from the speaker, and the kids love it. The last station, “Outdoor Games,” is kept a bit short. The weather is a bit unpredictable.

This day will still remain a cherished memory for the girls and boys. And when those memories have faded a bit, the children will pick up their memory book, which was created especially for the 100-day celebration.

 

Princesses, wizards, and bunnies celebrate Carnival at the Bilingual Elementary School

, ,

It’s still quiet in the classroom, but out in the hall, the Steinmühle Bilingual Elementary School’s Carnival party is really getting into full swing. Whether they’re dressed as princesses, the Easter Bunny, or magicians—everyone is celebrating together with their teachers, who have also slipped into costumes to mark the occasion.

The students form a circle. “Anyone who has anything red on their clothes, please come to the center,” asks Lori Herrmann, assistant principal of the Bilingual Elementary School. The calls are repeated, naming different colors. And so, everyone gets a turn in the spotlight on this early afternoon.

The Carnival party with you students was great! And we say: See you next time!

Second Place for Our Elementary School Student Aurelia at the 64th Math Olympiad

, , ,

It was an exciting day for Aurelia Wild, a fourth-grader at the Steinmühle Bilingual Elementary School: She had registered for the 64th Math Olympiad, and now the Hesse state round was getting underway. After a welcome address at the Mathematikum in Giessen by its director, Prof. Albrecht Beutelspacher, Aurelia and her fellow contestants were shown to their workstations. For two hours, the children worked on interesting math problems before they had the chance to thoroughly explore the experiments at the Mathematikum. During this time, many dedicated teachers graded the submitted assignments.

 

“Silver” in the state competition

At 2:00 p.m., the awards ceremony finally began. First up were the third-graders, and the excitement kept building—even for Aurelia. Then the certificates of participation were awarded to the fourth-graders—and that’s when it became clear that Aurelia was among the winners. She was overjoyed when she was even called up to receive second place!

 

Parents Thank Teachers for Their Motivation

Aurelia proudly accepted her certificate and prize. She’s already certain: “I’ll be back next year!” The teachers led by Lorraine Herrmann from the administration of the Bilingual Elementary School and Steinmühle Principal Björn Gemmer are also proud. Aurelia’s mother, Lydia, is delighted: “We’d like to thank Steinmühle for encouraging its students to participate in competitions like the Math Olympiad.”

Working with heart, energy, and expertise: Goodbye, dear Janine Küster!

, ,

With deep gratitude and many heartfelt words, Steinmühle bids farewell to a valued colleague: Janine Küster, principal of the Steinmühle Bilingual Elementary School. Her dedication and passion for the school have left a lasting impression—on both the students and the faculty.

In the run-up to the official farewell ceremony, the elementary school children said, “Goodbye, Janine!” The girls and boys lined up to form a guard of honor as their teacher walked down the stairs. Many of them reached out toward her, trying to shake her hand; some managed to give her a hug or take a selfie, and a few had tears rolling down their cheeks. Some mothers comforted their children. Man, was that hard! A few parents also expressed their appreciation in person. And it became clear: a very beloved teacher is leaving.

Janine Küster, born in 1992, took on the demanding role of director at a remarkably young age. After completing her teaching internship, she began working at Steinmühle, with only a stint abroad in the U.S. in between, which further improved her already excellent English skills.

 

Shaped and established a bilingual focus

From the very beginning—the 2019–20 school year—she poured her heart and soul into establishing and developing the Steinmühle Bilingual Elementary School. She taught German, math, and music with great enthusiasm and supported the students not only academically but also personally. Her commitment extended far beyond the classroom: She played a key role in shaping and establishing the school’s bilingual program.

Janine Küster also found happiness in her personal life at Steinmühle. She started a family with Fabian Küster, a member of the school’s IT team. About two and a half years ago, she became the mother of her son Lenny, which marked the beginning of a new chapter in her life.

 

A difficult step

As someone who sets high standards for herself, Janine Küster found it increasingly difficult to balance both roles—principal of an elementary school and mother. It was therefore with a very heavy heart that she decided to step down from her roles as a teacher and principal. Her colleagues, as well as parents, deeply regret her departure and bid her farewell with warm words, affectionate hugs, and the occasional gift.

 

Thanks and Appreciation

At the farewell party held in the elementary school classrooms, Janine Küster thanked everyone who had helped her over the years with advice and support. She shared examples of particularly funny and memorable moments, explained her decision—which she said she made with mixed feelings—and revealed that the Küsters’ family planning isn’t quite finished yet.

Principal Björn Gemmer, Managing Director Dirk Konnertz, and former principal Bernd Holly, among others, expressed their appreciation for her work in brief remarks. They mentioned that the Steinmühle Bilingual Elementary School—which had been established thanks to the initiative of school association chairman Egon Vaupel—had been significantly shaped and influenced by Janine Küster. The group then raised their glasses together to toast the future and proceeded to enjoy the buffet.

 

Looking forward to digging up the time capsule

Steinmühle would like to thank Janine Küster for her tireless work, her energy, and her warm personality. We wish her all the best in her future endeavors—both professionally and personally!

Janine Küster is already looking forward to Steinmühle’s high school graduation ceremony in 7 years. That’s when she plans to dig up the time capsule she once buried on the Steinmühle grounds with “her” children.

 

Words that linger:

“An emotional moment. It was a difficult decision for me. It’s not easy for me to say goodbye” (Janine Küster)

“Working with Hannah (Achenbach) and Lori (Lorraine Herrmann) has been a truly enriching experience for me. We planned, ate, and organized” (Janine Küster)

“Things went pretty well for you today” (A student, speaking to Janine Küster shortly after the bilingual elementary school opened)

“We’ve seen it: She’s energetic, she knows her stuff, and she’s not afraid to take on a challenge. You didn’t just combine the Hessian curriculum and the Cambridge curriculum—you also overcame conflicts and challenges” (Björn Gemmer, principal)

“The Bilingual Elementary School is your brainchild. You have played a crucial role in getting us to where we are today” (Dirk Konnertz, Managing Director)

“You left your heart and tears at school” (Bernd Holly, former principal)

“You’ve accomplished a lot here. You’ll always be a part of us” (Lori Herrmann, former assistant principal of the Bilingual Elementary School) Angela Heinemann

Cross-Generational Engagement: 10th-Grade Girls Lead an Upcycling Club for 4th-Grade Elementary Students

, ,

A great example of intergenerational activities on the Steinmühlen campus is the upcycling club run by three 10th-grade girls for 4th-grade elementary school students. Lisa Maria Schreier, Emilia Berger, and Ziya Qu lead the club as part of their project-based learning. “Our goal is to further promote the children’s environmental awareness in a playful and artistic way from a young age. In this club, we teach the girls and boys that not all trash is the same. We want to inspire the children to turn old items into new, useful things or to create something that brightens up their everyday lives,” says Lisa Maria Schreier.

 

“A New Life” for Materials and Objects

The plan is working out impressively well. The elementary school students are turning old canning jars into beautiful containers for spices and other items. Used clothes that have become too small can be turned into pencil cases—and these are just a few examples of how objects are given a “new life” and materials are often put to new uses.

The club began in the second quarter of the first semester. It is optional and relies on regular participants. Tenth-grade girls and elementary school students meet every Thursday from 2:45 p.m. to 3:25 p.m. in an elementary school classroom. It’s still possible to join later, but only after consulting with the organizers.

 

Selection of the Best Project

The teachers in charge, Dr. Rainer Nietzke and Heike Rabben-Martin, are standing behind the tenth-grade girls. Since they were unable to supervise the elementary school students, Lorraine Herrmann, the assistant principal of the Steinmühle Bilingual Elementary School, is handling that task. She observed: “I’m not really needed here. The tenth-grade girls work with the children like pros.”

To further boost enthusiasm and motivation for the work, at the end of each club meeting, a vote is held to determine which project was the most successful. When the choice falls on one’s own pencil case or the card index box one created, the joy is, of course, especially great.

 

Trunk or Treat: A Spooky and Fun Halloween Eve Celebration in the Steinmühle Schoolyard

, ,

“Trunk or Treat” was the theme on the eve of Halloween in the Steinmühle schoolyard. As an event organized entirely by the elementary school parents, cars were lined up there starting at 5 p.m.—each with its trunk open and filled with lots of surprises. With great attention to detail, the parents of our bilingual elementary school students had decorated their trunks in Halloween style and offered various treats to the children as they came by one after another. But that wasn’t all: Not only the children, but also the moms and dads were in costume, so you often had to take a closer look to see who was hiding behind the mask.

 

A Parent-Led Initiative

For those who were expecting the familiar phrase “Trick or Treat” rather than “Trunk,” here’s a quick explanation of this variation. “For many families, this idea replaces the tradition of children going door-to-door, which is sometimes viewed somewhat critically not only in the U.S. but also here in Germany,” explains Lorraine Herrmann, the deputy director of the Bilingual Elementary School. She expressed great pride in the successful parent-led initiative, which involved crafting, lighting, and decorating—and for which she provided only organizational support. Steinmühle says “Thank you” to all the parents whose dedication made such a wonderful evening possible for our elementary school children!

Click through the photos to get a sense of this fun event:

 

 
12
 
123456

Do you have questions about the school?

School Administration & Management

Björn Gemmer & Dirk Konnertz
Phone: 06421 408-20

schule@steinmuehle.de

Do you have questions about the boarding school?

Boarding School Administration & Management

Anke Muszynski & Dirk Konnertz
Phone: 06421 408-0

internat@steinmuehle.de

Do you have questions about the school?

School Administration & Management

Björn Gemmer & Dirk Konnertz
Phone: 06421 408-20

schule@steinmuehle.de

Do you have questions about the boarding school?

Boarding School Administration & Management

Anke Muszynski & Dirk Konnertz
Phone: 06421 408-0

internat@steinmuehle.de

  • NEWSLETTER
  • PUBLICATIONS
  • WORK AT THE STONE MILL
  • SUMMER CAMPS
  • LEGAL NOTICE
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • CONTACT