The Steinmühle Boarding School, led by Anke Muszynski, has planned a themed weekend for each quarter of this school year to foster the development of the boarding school community and all its members. The program includes topics such as “sustainability,” “physical health,” and “the world of media.” The kickoff weekend focused on the topic of “mental health.” The workshops and extracurricular groups provided ample opportunity for discussion, self-reflection, and mutual understanding among both students and educators.
Getting to know each other in a different way
Talking about it, staying in touch, asking for help. Things that should go without saying, but that we all too often forget or deliberately avoid in our daily lives. Isn’t it embarrassing to bare my soul? What will others think? And I’m supposed to confront my weaknesses? Great! And I didn’t even know I had any strengths—and if so, how many? These questions were deliberately and very sensitively raised in small groups over the weekend.
At the end of the themed weekend, educator Luisa Völker summed up the particularly wonderful outcome of these group sessions: “It was impressive to see how, within a very short time, many students experienced a shift in perspective. They realized that there isn’t just ‘my world,’ but that people have had very different experiences and, as a result, the world can look very different to them.”
After all, everyone has their own cross to bear
At the beginning, there was some initial unease in many places. Concerns about what exactly lay ahead, how much to reveal about oneself—and feelings of embarrassment in front of the others. However, the activities were so well designed that these uncertainties quickly faded. The students learned to consciously observe their surroundings and were soon ready to actively participate in the discussions.
Accepting themselves, getting involved, and not giving up: For many students, this weekend was the first time they truly realized this. “It was great to see how the individual students began not only to become more aware of themselves, but also to become more aware of others,” educator Michel Hermens reports enthusiastically.
It was about happiness, resources, and self-worth
Staying active, trying new or creative things, and learning to relax consciously—these were the skills consciously practiced during this themed weekend, for example, in the origami class. Getting to know oneself and, above all, learning to appreciate one’s own strengths and needs. To consciously recognize and appreciate people and friendship as resources once again. To feel part of a supportive community while simultaneously becoming aware of one’s own individual greatness. That’s what this weekend helped bring about. For example, during the workshop on “Social Media and Mental Health,” our student Lydia suddenly realized: “It’s not that important to me to present myself on social media—I have my friends right here!”
This weekend was profound and memorable
Even after the themed weekend is over, conversations about what we experienced continue into the evenings. The workshops continue to have an impact; new perspectives have opened up, and best of all: we’re starting to talk about something that is deeply important to all of us—our collective well-being. This themed weekend has shown us how to become aware of this again, to reflect on ourselves, and to actively and positively influence the well-being of the boarding school community. I am never alone, and especially at boarding school, I am part of a community that can support me.
So what now? Back to business 
Mainly on weekends, students also have the opportunity—with organizational support from teachers—to try new things in a safe environment and create their own activities. A great example is one student’s idea to repurpose old T-shirts. 
