Honors, Applause, and Emotional Goodbyes

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On the last Monday of the school year, the entire elementary school gathered for a morning circle to bring the school year to a close in a special way. First, students were honored for their outstanding achievements in both Federal Youth Games. To loud applause, they received certificates for their special achievements and posed for a photo with their teacher, Nikki Johnson.

 

An important and reliable support person

A particularly emotional moment was saying goodbye to our junior assistant, Cameron Carr, from Scotland. Cameron supported our school throughout the entire school year with exceptional dedication. He assisted with English and physical education classes, supported the children in their daily school life, and served as a calm and reliable source of support, especially for students facing social or emotional challenges.

 

Bringing Scotland Closer to Home

During International Project Week, he also captivated the children with a project about his native Scotland, introducing them to the language and culture in an authentic and lively way. His dedication, helpfulness, and warm personality have enriched our school community, and we will miss him very much.

We also said goodbye to a few children who will be leaving our school because they are moving away. Together, we looked back on the wonderful time we spent together and wished them all the best for the future.

The joint morning circle was a wonderful way to wrap up the school year and demonstrated once again how important community, mutual respect, and celebrating successes together are for our elementary school.

(Lorraine Herrmann)

 

The following received certificates for the Federal Youth Games (cover photo):

Back row: Anton, Henri, Oskar, Karl, Noam, Ruben, Leon, Mick
; Front row: Nikki Johnson, Florian, Philipp, Nors, Mariella, Philine

 

Julia Daube and Lori Herrmann said goodbye to: Leon and Oliver

Children and teachers said goodbye to Cameron Carr from Scotland.

 

The Joy of Math: Bilingual Elementary School Made Great Kangaroo Leaps

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Shortly before the start of summer vacation, the Steinmühle Bilingual Elementary School honored the winners of the Kangaroo Competition. In this math competition, elementary school students—mostly in grades 3 and 4—take part at their own schools and tackle exciting, logical, and often humorous math problems. It is a multiple-choice competition that emphasizes logical thinking and creative problem-solving with numbers.

This requires brain teasers, spatial reasoning, and clever estimates.

The goal is to make math fun. The competition aims to show that math is more than just arithmetic and can be enjoyable even outside of traditional classroom settings.

Yimo (right) won first place in Class 3.

From left to right: Florian took first place in Class 4. Third-place prizes in Class 4 went to Emanuel, Letitia, Yucheng, and Marta.

(Heinm)

Congratulations on passing the DELF exam

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Registration for the DELF, a European-recognized French language certificate, was particularly popular this year, especially at the beginner level (A1), and 15 eighth-grade students passed their first DELF exam at the A1 level with very high scores.

We are pleased to announce that Armin Barikbin, Paul Buchta, Benedikt Busch, Johannes Figiel, Charlotte Hanefeld, Lotte Hoffmann, Nike Hütte, Anna Köller, Mika-Sophie Körner, Anna Otto, Thomas Pfotenhauer, Annamirl Pierenkemper, Madeleine Prohaska, Margarete Rothmann, and Ida Schmenk.

There were also successful results among the older students. Helene Steidl from 10th grade achieved the A2 level, while Sophie Böhm, Maria Schul, and Luna Körner reached the B1 level. With a few practice sessions in class and some individual practice at home, the students rose to the challenge.

The oral exam took place on a Friday afternoon in Giessen, and the written exam took place at the Steinmühle on a Saturday morning. We are delighted by this extracurricular involvement and extend our warmest congratulations to everyone.

Congratulations!

 

In the photo (front row, from left): Johannes Figiel, Anna Otto, Annamirl Pierenkemper, Margarete Rothmann, Charlotte Hanefeld, Mika-Sophie Körner.

Back row, from left: Armin Barikbin, Thomas Pfotenhauer, Paul Buchta, Benedikt Busch, teacher Kristina Sokoli, Sophie Böhm, Luna Körner, Maria Schules.

Absent: Helene Steidl, Lotte Hoffmann, Anna Köller, Nike Hütte, Ida Schmenk.

(Kristina Sokoli)

 

Great Rowers at “Youth Trains”: A Podium Spot for Every Participant

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A young team—and already so ambitious: The athletes from the Steinmühlen rowing team brought home three medals from the state rowing championship “Youth Trains for the Olympics” in Kassel.

“The outcome was effectively decided on Saturday, when all the teams had qualified for the finals,” says head coach Martin Strohmenger (“Stromi”), raving about the young athletes. The result was all the more impressive given that everyone managed to perform at their very best—despite coming from different performance levels.

 

Steinmühle fielded a team of 12 plus 2 active players

Twelve athletes, along with two reserve rowers and support staff, arrived at the training center over the weekend. The rowers battled it out in the scorching heat with everything on the line. Given the highly competitive field, it was unlikely that every participant would end up on the podium. “A wonderful team is coming together,” said coach Martin Strohmenger, full of praise for the young athletes as their success became apparent. At the same time, he acknowledged the support of the many parents who had traveled with them.

 

Back to the Lahn with three bronze medals in tow

Third place (bronze medal) in Competition Class 3 in the coxed quadruple sculls (ages 13–14) was won by: Lotta Funk, Freya Dorndorf, Lara Khatib, Emma Schütt, and coxswain Hanni Fuchs.

Also finishing in third place—and thus earning a bronze medal—in the same age group in the boys’ gig quadruple sculls were: Ole Brutzer, Julian Lange, Jakob Heck, Ricardo Tapia, and coxswain Mika Nordwald.

Julian Steinkamp and Vincent Pfarr also took third place—and thus another bronze medal—in Competition Class 2 in the double sculls (ages 15–17).

Johannes Figiel and Lara Burk were there as substitutes and volunteers. Their tremendous effort, as well as the strong commitment shown by Michael Neirich as the school rowing coordinator and Maurits Juhre (FSJ rowing volunteer), cannot be praised highly enough.

 

“We’re on the right track”

“Our fresh start has become evident,” the coach said with satisfaction, noting that some participants had decided at the last minute to take part despite the challenges, in order to capitalize on the momentum.

 

Despite all that, some top rowers were missing

“During the previous week of training at our base in Mannheim, 33 students had given it a try, but in the end, some didn’t have the guts to compete in Kassel,” says “Stromi,” describing this minor setback. He’s certain: “Among those who stayed home, one or two still had potential; some capable rowers stayed home as well.” They plan to rethink the organizational aspects of this in the future. Martin Strohmenger is pleased, however, that the Steinmühlen rowers’ appearance at “Youth Trains for the Olympics”—after a long absence—has already been such a success. “You performed exceptionally well. A movement is beginning here. Thank you very much to everyone.”

(Angela Heinemann)

 

 

A Successful Tournament Day for the Steinmühle Elementary School Students

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At this year’s soccer tournament for Marburg’s elementary schools, our students showed great dedication, team spirit, and a lot of enthusiasm for the game.

With exciting matches, great fighting spirit, and many wonderful soccer moments, our girls’ and boys’ teams from the Steinmühle Bilingual Elementary School represented the school superbly. Things got particularly exciting during the decisive placement matches: Both the girls and the boys showed nerves of steel and were able to win their matches in penalty shootouts.

 

Girls Take an Outstanding 3rd Place

Our girls’ team achieved an outstanding 3rd place and was delighted to earn a spot on the podium. The boys finished in 9th place after a hard-fought tournament.

 

The children stood out for their teamwork and sportsmanship

Even more important than the rankings, however, were the team spirit, sportsmanship, and enthusiasm that all the children showed on the field. We are very proud of our students’ achievements and are delighted with a successful tournament day filled with many wonderful experiences and shared successes.

Congratulations to both teams!

(Max Theermann)

 

Marie Grosse, a student at Steinmühlen School, won the First Marburg School Slam

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This time, it was the stage instead of the classroom: On Wednesday evening, June 10, the first Marburg School Slam took place at the Steinmühle. Thirteen students from three Marburg high schools took the stage with texts they had written themselves—and faced the traditional slam judging process: The audience decided who would advance to the finals based on their applause.

The premiere was the result of a collaboration between the Elisabethschule (Ute Trautwein), the Gymnasium Philippinum (Christian Steiner), and the Steinmühle (Kristina Sokoli and Björn Wagner), which had initially held a writing workshop at each school. The texts created during those workshops then made their way onto the stage.

 

Bestselling author Leah Weigand explained how poetry slam works

The evening was hosted by Marburg-based spoken word artist and bestselling author Leah Weigand, who began by explaining to the audience how a poetry slam actually works: only original texts, a maximum of 6 minutes, no props—and an audience of about 130 people, who ultimately become the jury by “clapping” for the winner.

In terms of content, the young poets didn’t mince words. Their texts revolved around topics such as respect and equality, mental health, the big questions, and the meaning of life—topics that visibly moved the predominantly young audience. A total of nine artists or teams competed in the preliminary round; during a break, guests had the opportunity to read the texts displayed around the room at their leisure and strike up conversations with one another.

 

Elisabethschule, Philippinum, and Steinmühle Are in the Running

The Elisabethschule was represented by Rou AbdAlrahman, the duo Nikas Schmidt and Leonie Schultz, and the trio Maria Traute, Jara Jahn, and Louis Klöck. The Philippinum sent Mara Dumitru and Louise Malévé into the competition. Competing for the Steinmühle were Christabel Okafor, Marie Grosse, Sophia Hach, and the duo Ida Kraft and Lennard Kröger.

After the preliminary rounds, the audience first selected three finalists, who then gave it their all once again with a second piece. In the end, Marie Grosse came out on top, winning the first Marburg SchoolSlam.

 

Project funded by the HBB

The event ran smoothly thanks to the “Sound&Light” technical team at the Steinmühle. The project was funded by the Office of the Hessian Innovation and Advisory Network for Talent Development (HIBB), which is responsible for promoting talent as part of the Hessian Ministry of Culture, Education, and Opportunity.

Judging by the evening’s applause, it was clear that this first School Slam couldn’t possibly be the end: Marburg’s first School Slam showed just how much courage, eloquence, and open-ended questions young people possess—and that Marburg’s schools are happy to come together to build a stage for them.

(Björn Wagner/Kristina Sokoli)

Steinmühle = Sportmühle: Children braved the high temperatures

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Phew, it was hot! But despite the high temperatures, Steinmühle’s Lower Secondary School Sports Day turned out to be a great event—with no injuries or unpleasant incidents. This suggests that parents and physical education teachers did a great job of preparing the students for the challenging conditions! “The kids participated really well and with great enthusiasm,” said school sports coordinator Marcel Kalb happily.

On that day, the students competed in a dodgeball tournament, a soccer tournament for boys and girls, and a 3-on-3 basketball tournament. The program also included an Ultimate Frisbee tournament and a beach volleyball tournament. Earlier, many children had competed in the sprint and running events (50, 75, 100, and 800 meters) to earn their scores toward the Sports Badge.

The photos by Björn Wagner give a sense of the event.

(M. Kalb/A. Heinemann)

New Concept: The Steinmühlen Spring Ergo & Gig Cup Kicked Off for the First Time

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Rowing is part of the curriculum for every 7th-grade class at Steinmühle. Because of this focus on the sport, the four 7th-grade classes once again organized the rowing event at the Steinmühle boathouse during this year’s Lower Secondary School Sports Day.

The Steinmühle rowing team has expanded on the concept of the rowing event from recent years to create a new event called the “Steinmühle Spring Ergo & Gig Cup.” This modified format made its debut at this event.

 

What has changed:

The new format consists of a triathlon featuring the following events, all of which are based exclusively on rowing-specific competition formats:

– Rowing-Ergometer-Challenge over 250m

– Rowing rally “ Monte Carlo ” in gig*)-4s: each mixed gig races over a distance of 500m-
Boat per class at the start.

– 250-meter gig boat sprint: Two mixed gig boats per class compete in the preliminary round using a time-trial elimination format to determine the four semifinalists. Starting with the semifinals, the winning boat is determined through head-to-head competition.

Despite limited time to prepare for the event, some of the students delivered outstanding performances, reported organizer Michael Neirich. The competition day was therefore marked by great athletic dedication, and the beautiful weather further contributed to the positive atmosphere. It was also impressive that the students cheered each other on during all the events—a lovely gesture that demonstrated their sense of camaraderie despite the competitive atmosphere!

A big thank you to all our colleagues who helped organize the event and provided photos!

(M. Neirich/A. Heinemann)

 

Below are the results of the 2026 Steinmühlen Spring Ergo & Gig Cup:

 

Ergometer Results (250 m)

Girl:
1st Place: Dana Schleich 7i
2nd Place: Clara Koch 7c
3rd Place: Lara Burk 7c – Anouk Sedlmayr 7a – Romilda Baralis 7c

Boys:
1st Place: Julian Lange, 7b
2nd Place: Titus Lampert, 7a – Jakob Heck, 7b
3rd Place: Leo Niederhöfer, 7c

 

Results of the “Monte Carlo” Gig-BootCompetition
1st Place: 7c Hannes Sondergeld, Ole Brutzer, Romilda Baralis, Johanna Schütte, Theodor Weber
2nd Place: 7a Tabea Moses, Anouk Sedlmayr, Finja Porth, Philipp Zschau, Mika Nordwald
3rd Place: 7b Miranda Lammerskötter, Justus Böth, Leo Keil, Yiheng Liang, Noe Becker

 

Result “250m Sprint” Competition Gig Boat
1st Place: 7i Ismail Özmen, Noah Gavrilas, Emmanuel Sarumi, Dana Schleich, Nika Jablonski
2nd Place: 7i Nic Dohmen, Alea Stübner, Aurelia Thielicke, Gianluca Schneider, Ricardo Tapia Gehring
3rd place: 7b Maximilian Bliemel, Philipp Leont, Jakob Heck, Alisa Neufeld, Nora Rettig

 

Results “Fastest Rowing Class” Competition
1st place: 7b
2nd place: 7a
3rd place: 7c
4th place: 7 i

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For clarification:

*) The Gig-Boot (Gig for short) is a fast, sturdy type of rowing boat. It is characterized by its wider and more stable design compared to narrow racing boats and is the standard boat for recreational rowing, training, and touring.

 

 

 

Competitive rowers return to the Lahn with no fewer than four victories

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Head coach Martin Strohmenger was able to report a very solid performance for the Steinmühle School & Boarding School at the Rüdersdorf Spring Regatta this weekend. Janina Conrad (featured photo) alone won three gold medals!

This series once again made the competition on the outskirts of the federal capital a rowing highlight. The team also praised the great course, the excellent catering, and the comfortable accommodations—all topped off by good weather.

 

Max Beck followed suit and also claimed the victory

Coach “Stromi” was particularly pleased with the wonderful conclusion to the regatta on Sunday, courtesy of Steinmühlen rower Max Beck (first photo in the gallery). Although he hadn’t been able to fully demonstrate his potential earlier on, he finally broke through at the end of the event and once again secured a top spot as the fastest rower.

Feeling satisfied and having built a strong network through important conversations on the sidelines of the regatta course, the tireless team headed back west to kick off a new week.

 

Meanwhile, the Steinmühle School & Boarding School and the newly founded association Talentakademie Rudern Steinmühle (TARUS) e.V. are on the verge of launching the plus-RUDERN program, which offers ambitious rowers new opportunities in elite rowing combined with an education of the highest caliber.

(Angela Heinemann)

 

From Poetry to Slam: A Treasure Waiting to Be Uncovered

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Literary talents from Steinmühle met with the well-known author and spoken-word artist Leah Weigand to prepare for the 1st Marburg School Slam. It is a treasure waiting to be unearthed: the ability to transform one’s own thoughts and experiences into artistic words and to inspire others with them. This goal united the 11th-grade students who met with Leah Weigand at Steinmühle on May 8 to write—in a way that was quite different from how they usually have to write in school.

 

“Respect the poet”

In a pleasantly relaxed and highly motivating atmosphere, the participants gained valuable inspiration through various creative writing exercises. The result was a range of texts, both short and long—sometimes funny, sometimes mundane, occasionally philosophical, thought-provoking, and poetically striking—all guided by the event’s theme: “Respect the poet,” and captured on camera by Björn Wagner.

 

How It All Began

It all started at the poetry slam at KFZ last December. Class 11a attended the event, was very impressed by the artists there, and our colleague Björn Wagner—who also performs as a slammer in his free time—put us in touch with Leah Weigand, who hosted the slam at the KFZ, who is also a bestselling author and a sought-after slam poet in her own right.

 

Cross-School Collaboration

The desire to nurture not only scientific but also artistic and literary talents at Steinmühle has long been a priority, and now the opportunity has arisen to bring a professional woman to our school. But that’s not all. When discussing how to finance this project with the Hessian Innovation and Advisory Network for the Promotion of Gifted Students (HIBB), the idea arose to establish a cross-school collaboration.

 

The project’s highlight on June 10

We were able to recruit a teacher from the Elisabethschule and a teacher from the Philippinum, who also offered poetry workshops at their respective schools. The highlight of this project so far is scheduled to take place on June 10 at 7 p.m., when students from all three schools will compete in a literary contest at the Forum der Steinmühle and celebrate the 1st Marburg School Slam, moderated by Leah Weigand.

We’re really looking forward to it and say: Don’t miss it! Mark your calendars.

(Kristina Sokoli)

 

 
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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

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