“Jugend Forscht” Training Trip for Winners of the State Advisor Awards

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Under the motto “Jugend Forscht Offers More,” the award-winning mentors from the individual federal states gathered for an interesting professional development trip from November 15 to 17, 2019.
Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf, a teacher at Steinmühlen School, was awarded the Mentor Prize for Hesse at the state-level “Jugend forscht” competition in Kassel. A varied program awaited her in Paderborn, to which the “Jugend forscht” ambassadors from the federal states were also invited. In addition to exciting program activities, there was also ample time and opportunity for collegial exchange in a relaxed atmosphere.
It was particularly interesting to see how differently individual schools organize their participation in the “Jugend forscht” competition, depending in part on the specific conditions and opportunities in each federal state.
The new contacts made, as well as the many stimulating conversations and ideas, will certainly be valuable for the further development of the “Jugend Forscht” projects at Steinmühle.

(Photo: Award-winning mentors with the ambassadors from the federal states and the organizers “on the moon” at the Heinz Nixdorf Museum)

Boys’ Basketball World Cup II: Team Wins JtfO District Championship in a Highly Dramatic Final

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The Steinmühlen team, coached for the first time by a 12th-grade student (Jonas Neirich), took the field with eight boys from grades 9–11. Hannes Bergmann, Pablo Mediavilla, Luka Hartmann, Anton Scheider, Fabian Seidel, Eren Pektas, Leo Tschentke, and Xaver Teres Loytved fought together for the win.

After the Elisabethschule withdrew its team at the last minute, Steinmühle only had to face the Martin-Luther-Schule (MLS) and the Philippinum.

In their first game against the MLS, the Steinmühlen team quickly took the lead and extended it to 10 points in the first half. Although the team had never played together in this lineup before, they dominated the second half as well and ultimately won the game by a wide margin, 38–18.

It was now clear that the second game against Philippinum would be the championship game for the district title. Given their individual strength, the Steinmühlen team went into the match as slight favorites. In the first half, however, they failed to live up to that role. On the one hand, the opponent was probably slightly underestimated; on the other hand, it became apparent that the team wasn’t yet playing as a unit and therefore hadn’t developed any automatic plays. As a result, Steinmühle trailed 7–20 at the end of the first half, seemingly in a hopeless position.

 

Jonas Neirich motivated at the decisive moment

Now Coach Jonas Neirich was especially called upon. With a motivational speech, he managed to lift the players’ spirits. Thanks to tactical adjustments, the players took a completely different approach to the game in the second half. They slowly closed the gap, point by point. With every basket scored, their shooting accuracy returned, allowing Anton Schneider to sink three crucial three-pointers. In the final minute, the team even managed to take a 22–21 lead.

In the remaining seconds, however, the game came to a dramatic climax. With 10 seconds left, Philippinum took a 23–22 lead. That left only a few seconds to turn the game around. In the very last play, Hannes Bergmann took a chance, drove to the basket, and scored the much-celebrated 24–23 victory. With this win, the players secured their spot in the regional finals in December—a result they were certainly happy about, but one they certainly deserved.

 

Where and How Do You Communicate? A Workshop with a Certificate on the Use of the English Language

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Twenty-five 13th-grade students at Steinmühle completed a special English workshop with a certificate from the University of Central Florida in Orlando, FL, United States. Under the title “English Communication in Academia and Beyond,” they spent three days exploring aspects of English communication in academic settings and future (professional) life under the experienced guidance of Dr. Steffen Guenzel. The university professor from Florida helped the participants—all of whom already have a good command of English—develop an understanding of academic writing and the difference between simple and professional communication through scholarly analysis, strategies, and exercises. He demonstrated what “good writing” in English looks like and explained how everyday communication, academic communication, and professional writing differ from one another and what sets them apart.

The workshop was a collaborative project between Martin Luther School (MLS) and Steinmühle. The presenter had previously held a workshop with the same content at MLS. Participation was limited to 25 students, and the costs were shared by MLS and Steinmühle. At both schools, the students each pay an equal share of the cost. Our photo shows the Steinmühle workshop participants together with Principal Björn Gemmer and Professor Guenzel, who provided helpful guidance to the interested students.

 

Even Better Than Expected: Proud of Our Cambridge Certificates

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As 11th graders, they had earned this achievement; now that their certificates had arrived, they posed for the photographer as 12th graders: Once again this year, a large group of students at Steinmühle earned the globally recognized Cambridge Certificate, which attests to a high level of knowledge and proficiency in the English language.

What’s remarkable is that as many as seven of the participants actually exceeded the goal. The aim was to be certified at the B2 language level. However, these seven students were actually certified at the C1 level—the proficiency level of educated native speakers! “That’s extraordinary for eleventh graders,” says Principal Björn Gemmer, pictured here with subject teacher Nicole Hohm (left). Unfortunately, Moses Walther was unable to attend the photo session. Gemmer: “He had the best result—very close to ‘perfect.’”

“Youth Training for the Olympics”: Young Steinmühlen Soccer Players Unfortunate to Miss Qualification for the District Tournament

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It was the expected hard-fought match between two evenly matched teams in Competition Class III (born 2006 through 2008) at “Youth Trains for the Olympics,” and in the end, the Martin Luther School came out on top thanks to a better goal differential. The team, coached by Dirk Konnertz and Paul Wolf, played a great tournament. The only downside: In their 1-0 win in the first game against the Emil-von-Behring School, they missed too many scoring opportunities. In the second game, Steinmühle managed to hold on to a 1–0 lead for a long time against the eventual champion, but in the second half of the match, the Martin Luther School was the stronger team and earned a well-deserved tie by equalizing two minutes before the end. As a result, goal differential became the deciding factor in the final two matches, and after the Martin-Luther School’s 10-0 victory over the Emil-von-Behring School, our team faced an almost impossible task. The Steinmühlen players’ spirit was impressive; they believed in themselves until the very last second and secured a decisive 5–0 victory over the Elisabeth School. The Martin Luther School was congratulated in good sportsmanship; not a single player let their heads hang low, and everyone is already looking forward to next year’s competition. This tournament actually deserved two winners.

In Competition Class II (born 2004 through 2006), the team led by Michael Neirich and Jakob Reinhard had not expected much even before the tournament began. It was very encouraging, however, that the team entered the tournament with great focus and courage, earning draws against the favorites, Gymnasium Philippinum (0–0) and the Emil-von-Behring-Schule (1–1). In the subsequent matches against the champion, Elisabethschule, and the runner-up, Martin-Luther-Schule, the Steinmühlen players ultimately stood no chance and lost both matches 0–4. In the end, they finished in 4th place out of five teams.

Successfully passed the Entrepreneur’s License exam

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During the 2018–19 school year, five E-Phase students at Steinmühle took advantage of the new opportunity to earn their Entrepreneur’s License. They have now received their certificates. Aline and Chantal Harder, Fynn Konnertz, Jonas Neirich, and Moses Walther rose to the challenge—pictured here with their teacher Erno Menzel and Principal Bernd Holly.

The Entrepreneur’s License is based on a program offered by the e-learning provider bit media in collaboration with the student learning platform LONA Education. The exam is administered by the Academy for Business and Logistics.

Knowledge was acquired in the following areas and successfully demonstrated through three corresponding exams:

  • Basic Economics
  • Basic Economics
  • Basic Business Management / The Business Plan
  • The students received the Entrepreneur’s Skills Certificate (ESC) Module C.

The Entrepreneur’s License is taught in several modules, each of which concludes with a certification exam. It is an internationally recognized business certification.

Recognition for Extracurricular Involvement

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Traditionally, on the last day of school before report cards are handed out, Steinmühle honors the extracurricular efforts of students from various grade levels. Principal Björn Gemmer handed out certificates and candy to children and teenagers who have been active in sports, cultural activities, and competitions in the natural sciences, mathematics, or music. Awards were also given to students whose efforts benefit the school community through work in the school garden or in organizing events. However, these are just a few examples. The awards ceremony is also an opportunity to recognize those who volunteer in their personal lives, for example, through social service. In order to present these awards, the school administration always relies on recommendations regarding who is making a commitment in which area. This is especially true for initiatives that take place outside the school community.

The Steinmetz duo rowed their way to second place in the state finals

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Encouraging results for Steinmühle at the “Youth Trains for the Olympics” rowing competition: Anton and Justus Steinmetz placed second in the lightweight double sculls at the state finals, finishing ahead of six other boats. The women’s coxed four, competing together for the first time, immediately secured 5th place out of 15. It wasn’t until the semifinals that the team—consisting of Anna Rheinhardt as coxswain, Rebecca Zenker at the stroke, Anna Dinges, Julia Fischer, and Alicia Spitzhüttl—was defeated. Julia Fischer and Rebecca Zenker finished third in the double sculls in a close race.

Coach and rowing instructor Martin “Stromi” Strohmenger summed it up: “We now have a total of about ten young people who are very interested in rowing and have indicated that they want to continue rowing in competitions.”

Triathlon: Right in the Top 10 in This New Sport

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The young athletes from Steinmühle secured a top-10 finish at the state triathlon championship (Competition Class III) in Fulda. This achievement is all the more remarkable given that this was the first time a team from Steinmühle competed in this sport as part of “Youth Trains for the Olympics” (JtfO). Physical education teacher Marcel Kalb reports:
What a sensational debut at the state-wide “Youth Trains for the Olympics” school competition in triathlon, where the seven-member team immediately secured a spot in the top 10. In the end, they were just under 30 seconds shy of seventh place out of a total of 16 teams.
From the very start, the team’s motivation, morale, dedication, and fierce competitive spirit were all on point. The team was only defeated by teams that are already well-established in this competition, though this suggests that something truly great could emerge from Steinmühle in the future. In any case, the students are already very enthusiastic and open to participating again.
Many thanks also to the two helpers, Gianna Fain and Mara Mensing from class 9c, who supported the team and the competition with great dedication.
The following students competed: Alisa Padva (8a), Paul Martin (9b), Anton Steinmetz (7c), Paula Auschill (8a), Yasin Yilmaz (9a), Luca Baalbaki (7c), and Justus Steinmetz (7b).

For everyone who wasn’t there: We want you!

Awards for everyone in the junior division of “Jugend forscht”

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This spring, for the first time, a state competition was held in Hesse in the junior division of Jugend Forscht, also known as “Schüler experimentieren.” For Steinmühle, participating was a complete success, as no one returned to school without a prize.

The competition was organized by the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Kassel and was held there as well.
Steinmühle was able to field four teams (one biology project and three chemistry projects) that had won first place in the regional competition. The students from grades 5, 6, and 8 had to arrive early to set up their booths by around 8 a.m. Over the course of two days, they presented their research projects at their booths using scientific posters to a panel of experts and, on the second day, to the general public as well. It quickly became apparent that—compared to the regional competition—the overall standard of the research projects was very high.

A varied program of activities, including a visit to Grimm-Welt on Friday and a drumming workshop on Saturday, was on the agenda for the students. They spent the night at the nearby youth hostel.

Famous TV Host

The awards ceremony finally took place on Saturday afternoon and was hosted in a very entertaining manner by Shary Reeves, whom many recognize from the KiKa show “Wissen macht Ah.”
The program began with a series of thank-you speeches by representatives from the Hessian Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs, the business community, and the University of Kassel. Shary Reeves then announced the rankings in the individual disciplines and presented the special awards.

The result was sensational for Steinmühle. Happily, all of Steinmühle’s participants went home with prizes! This was also true for Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf, our school’s STEM coordinator, who received a mentor award: “When it comes to the supervisor awards, it’s repeatedly emphasized that we’re able to have even very young students work on challenging projects.” There was also an interview in Kassel about the structures at Steinmühle.

 

Many would like to continue

Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf: “It’s great that the students who leave the GuFi Lab in 7th grade often continue—or now want to continue—for example, on Friday afternoons in the ‘Open Lab’ or during the 8th and 9th periods in elective classes.”

Another goal is for the project to extend all the way to the upper grades. While students there often have a very full schedule, it is possible to substitute a subject required for the Abitur with a “Jugend Forscht” project as a “special academic achievement.”

 

The following projects were developed for the “Schüler experimentieren” competition:

Teresa Dinges, Neyla Fritz, Sophia Rogosch
: Herbs, Tea & Co. Against Bacteria: 3rd place in Biology (75€) and a non-cash prize (a multimeter) from CINSaT for an interdisciplinary project.

Mats Egbring & Leonard Berger
Sunscreen for Trees: Special Prize for Energy Efficiency and the Environment (150€)

Marvin Preis, Joel Rucker, Mats Böhmer
, “Phosphate in Food—How Delicious Food Can Become Dangerous”: Special Prize for Environmental Technology from the German Federal Environmental Foundation (150€)

Joshua Wieder, Morten Köhler, Benjamin Schul
How and How Fast Does Milk Really Go Bad?: 2nd Place in Chemistry (100€)

The mentor award for Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf includes participation in a training workshop to be held in November in Paderborn at the Nixdorf company, together with mentors from the other federal states.

 
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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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