Life at Boarding School

The Most Traditional Competition: Boarding School at the BoulderCup

Contests & Awards, Life at Boarding School, News, Sports & Health

Once again this year, Steinmühle Boarding School sent a small group to compete in the DIV Schools’ BoulderCup. Christian Schäfer, a member of the teaching staff, provides a glimpse into how the competition unfolded:

This year, we met at the Lietz School in Bieberstein near Fulda for the BoulderCup. Bouldering is rope-free climbing at jumping height and a recreational form of climbing. The competition took place for the 16th consecutive year and is by far the most traditional and regularly held competition among the schools of the DIV (Die Internate Vereinigung e.V.). A total of 38 students, 7 alumni, and 6 teachers competed for a top finish.

In good seats

Although we had no chance of winning the overall trophy, we were still determined to secure as many individual victories as possible. And in the end, we didn’t do too badly at all. In addition to doing something meaningful as part of a community of many enthusiastic climbers, we had a lot of fun, met or reconnected with like-minded people, and took home many new climbing experiences.

We even have a few podium finishes to report: Johannes Tetzner took second place in the U13 boys’ division, Kris Gorges placed third in the highly competitive U16 girls’ division, and Christian Schäfer took first place in the Educators/Alumni category. Unfortunately, due to the strong competition, Velten and Jacques were unable to secure a spot in the top three. Landheim Ammersee once again won the overall trophy this year.

Here’s how it went

We set off on Saturday morning after breakfast and arrived in Bieberstein at noon after a peaceful drive. Since we were the first to arrive, we were able to pick the best spots to sleep in the gym and also got the best mats to sleep on. After lunch at 1:00 p.m. in the dining hall of the castle—an impressive building—the competition began at 2:00 p.m. following a few opening remarks by Mr. Lange, a teacher and climbing coach at Bieberstein, and a warm welcome from the boarding school director, Mr. Meister. Until 6:00 p.m., everyone bouldered to the best of their ability, trying to secure the win. After dinner, there were tiebreakers in the U13 girls’ and male educators’ categories. After that, the evening was free for everyone to enjoy as they wished; people could continue climbing—which many did—and later, the “Schopp,” Bieberstein’s student tavern, opened. Tired but in good spirits, the evening drew to a close late. It wasn’t until half past midnight that things finally began to quiet down in the gym, where everyone was sleeping.

Breakfast was served at nine on Sunday. On the way home, we stopped briefly to take a look at the rock face and thought wistfully about the “lost” day >Rock Climbing<. Unfortunately, it had snowed on Saturday morning and again overnight into Sunday, so our original plan to go rock climbing at the Steinwand near Poppenhausen couldn’t be carried out because the rock was wet. The drive home flew by, and we were back at the Steinmühle just in time for SchniPoSa.

It’s all about exchange and interaction with others

Beyond the actual bouldering, however, the competition is primarily about fostering exchange among students from different boarding schools—allowing them to learn about the differences, advantages, and disadvantages of their own schools, as well as other ways of life, meet new people, and interact with them. For educators as well, the gathering is invaluable for gaining insight into their own professional lives and receiving an outside perspective on their own approaches, and it offers many benefits. As a result, many strong friendships and connections have been formed across Germany in recent years.

We’ll keep training hard and compete next year to once again vie for the overall trophy in bouldering. Next year, Landheim Ammersee will host the competition.

17. May 2019

Climbing on “real” rock at Scharfenstein near Kassel

Life at Boarding School, News

After practicing indoors up until now, the climbers among the boarding school students were out on “real” rock for the first time, reports Christian Schäfer from the teaching staff:

The weather was fantastic, and the few clouds that drifted by left us alone. The rock was solid and dry, and the routes were beautiful. For our first attempts at rock climbing, we chose some easier routes.

First, we got an initial orientation on what the natural rock face actually looks like, especially in terms of the routes. Climbing outdoors is much more challenging because the routes aren’t marked by colored holds like they are in the gym. You have to feel your way along them yourself. There are also many other (distracting) factors that take some getting used to: birds, trees, wind, rocks that slip away—and the stance when belaying is neither level nor always ideal. The sun shines right in your eyes. But the routes can also be much higher: the longest one this time was 25 meters long. Compared to the 14 meters in the gym, that’s definitely no small feat.

Since the routes and belay intervals aren’t standardized, and the distances between belay points are much greater when lead climbing than in the gym, our lead climbing ambitions were a bit cautious at first. After leading, however, everyone agreed that climbing outdoors is much better than in the gym—and not nearly as difficult as expected, but actually more relaxed.

Abseiling is always a highlight

Another topic covered for one of the participants was setting up, adjusting, and taking down the top rope. Top rope climbing involves climbing with a rope that’s routed from above. Outdoors, however, the rope must first be led up the wall via lead climbing and then properly anchored and set up at the top for top-roping. We practiced this. After taking down the setup, we moved on to rappelling, which is always a highlight in its own right.

Overall, we didn’t climb many routes, but we did successfully take our first steps outdoors. Those who weren’t climbing (at the time) explored the area around the rock on their own and climbed the side peaks from the back via the trails.

Everyone was very happy with the day. Those who took the lead were able to gain valuable experience and will approach their next runs with renewed confidence. On the way home, we stopped at a Chinese restaurant and picked up dinner to take home. We then ate it together back at the house.

8. May 2019

I’ve rarely worked up such a sweat and had so much fun at the same time

Life at Boarding School, News, Sports & Health

Since October, eleven girls at the Steinmühle have been enjoying Jumping Fitness. Together with their instructor, Francine Olschewski, they meet once a week for this workout, which lets them really burn off some energy. “It’s the perfect balance to school.”

Endurance and Interval Training

Jumping Fitness is a form of endurance and interval training. This intense workout provides a strong workout for the cardiovascular system. To prevent overexertion, the instructor can incorporate short, gentler exercise segments. This automatically turns the Jumping Fitness class into an interval training session.

This sport therefore improves both endurance and strength. It is a full-body workout that trains and strengthens the deep muscles. It primarily targets the core muscles, but also very small muscles, such as those in the feet. In principle, all muscle groups are engaged, since the change in gravity during trampoline jumping causes every cell in the body to build up counterpressure against the resulting weight acting on the cells.

You’ll especially notice the workout for the major muscle groups in your legs and glutes, as well as your rectus abdominis and back muscles. Constantly balancing your body on the moving jump surface also trains and improves your posture and sense of balance.

Effective Calorie Burning

The Jumping Fitness workout engages over 400 muscles—far more than comparable endurance sports. According to Francine Olschewski, Jumping Fitness is significantly more effective than jogging and is gentle on the joints at the same time. In addition, the dynamic exercises improve endurance and help prevent back problems.

Perfect for Relieving Stress

According to the instructor, Jumping Fitness makes you happy because this workout triggers the release of happiness hormones. No wonder—Jumping Fitness fosters a great sense of community and offers an exhilarating workout set to energetic music.

Jumping Fitness is generally suitable for everyone, regardless of fitness level, age, or weight. The important thing is to pay attention to your own individual ability and accept your limits. Francine Olschewski: “Everyone sets their own intensity level, so they can work out and have fun in a group Jumping Fitness class.” The jumps are easy to learn and guarantee a quick sense of accomplishment, even for beginners.

Experienced Trainer

Coach Francine Olschewski, who has been working as an assistant at Hessenhaus since April 2018, completed her training as a Jumping instructor at the Fit For All studio in Rodgau in 2016 and regularly led several classes there each week. Even after moving to Marburg, her passion for the sport remained undiminished. What’s more, she was able to spark an interest in and enjoyment of jumping among the students at the Steinmühle boarding school.

We are still in contact with the former “Fit For All” gym in Rodgau. The trampolines for the Steinmühle boarding school were rented from there. This made it possible to offer Jumping Fitness as an extracurricular activity at Steinmühle.

By the way, on boarding school weekends, there are extra Jumping Fitness classes. The instructor is happy to report that every now and then, some boys show up, too. With loud music playing, the teens can really burn off all their energy and let off some steam.

24. April 2019

Increase Your Frustration Tolerance Through Bouldering

Life at Boarding School, News, Sports & Health

The Steinmühle Boarding School’s Climbing Club meets every week at the Marburg climbing gym. They start in the bouldering area. Bouldering is rope-free climbing at a height from which you can jump down. It requires coordination, dexterity, strength, and endurance, but also a great deal of perseverance and repetition. Only then can the routes ultimately be conquered. A high tolerance for frustration is essential, as is the ability to work together with others—through interaction and communication—to tackle the often difficult crux of a route and finally overcome it. Applying these skills to school and everyday life is a key educational focus here.

Rope climbing usually takes place during the second part of the workshop. For the past two weeks, the participants have been practicing how to belay the climber on their own and have already been doing so independently. Everyone belays with great confidence and reliability. Now it’s all about: PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.

Overcoming Fear, Building Trust

Lead climbing is also a new concept. In lead climbing, you must carry the rope—which serves as a safety line in case of a fall—up the wall with you as you climb. This approach differs from top-roping, where the rope is already attached at the top. Both lead climbing and belaying the lead climber are significantly more difficult and demanding than top-roping. Here, too, the process of trial and error—failing and trying again and again—is of central importance, alongside overcoming one’s own fear, trusting others, and taking responsibility for others.

Competition in May

The highlight of May will be the boarding schools’ BoulderCup. The Steinmühle Boarding School’s climbing club will travel to this year’s host, the Lietz Boarding School at Schloss Bieberstein. Our students are already excited and will continue to practice diligently until then.

31. March 2019

Steinmühle Boarding School is a sponsor of the Germany Scholarship

Life at Boarding School, News

Through the Deutschlandstipendium, the Steinmühle Boarding School is providing financial support to 21-year-old teacher-training student Julia Weber. During a visit to the Steinmühle campus, she got a feel for the institution that is making her daily life as a student a little easier financially.

Julia Weber, who lives in Lambrecht near Neustadt an der Weinstraße, is studying English and Protestant theology. Her goal is to become a teacher. Her academic records from the first and second semesters, the recommendation from her English professor Sonja Fielitz, and her volunteer work—which included youth ministry in her church and tutoring at the Association for Education and Integration—provided the ideal qualifications for applying for a scholarship.

Still, Julia hadn’t expected to have many opportunities: It’s rather rare for students of the social sciences or humanities to receive a scholarship. “It’s much more common,” Julia says, “for medical students and scientists to receive them.”

Still, the decision-makers felt that Julia Weber should be among the scholarship recipients. “That’s great,” she says, feeling appreciated. “I never would have thought that,” says the young woman, who lives in Cappel, near the Steinmühle. She’s delighted by this recognition.

Steinmühle Boarding School: Requirements for a quality education and growing up

“It takes a while to see everything here—it’s a huge campus.” As she walks across the Steinmühlen campus, Julia Weber is impressed. Georg Ritter, the boarding school’s director, shows her the dormitories, all the sports facilities, and the school buildings. She can imagine that students will find here everything they need not only for a good education but also for growing up: a learning environment close to nature, qualified educators, dedicated teachers, modern buildings or those currently being modernized, peace and quiet, and opportunities to concentrate—all while still being close to the city. “Really great,” she says appreciatively.

For Julia Weber, the Deutschlandstipendium provides 300 euros a month. It’s a one-year grant. Meanwhile, her younger brother has also set his sights on college. All in all, it’s no easy task for their single mother. Thinking positively and following your own path is always the right thing to do, says Julia. She plans to continue her volunteer work.

Julia Weber during her visit to the Steinmühle with boarding school director Georg Ritter (Photo: Till Buurman)

Scholarship award ceremony with the Vice President of Philipps University of Marburg, Prof. Dr. Evelyn Korn (Photo: Markus Farnung)

19. March 2019

Skiing in Winterberg – there’s more to come

Class Trips, Field Trips, and School Outings, Life at Boarding School, News

Winter sports opportunities are practically right on our doorstep: the Sauerland region is just an hour’s drive away. So, as part of a weekend outing, a group of boarding school students set off on a trip to Winterberg.

We set out early in the morning. A variety of runs of varying difficulty, totaling 50 kilometers in length, awaited the group at the ski resort. There were even beginners among them—people who were on skis for the first time in their lives. They were in the capable hands of experienced ski instructors and enjoyed excellent conditions in the Winterberg area.

A bright blue sky and perfect weather conditions made the outing a truly wonderful day, which came to a close in the evening—exhausted but satisfied—after a smooth trip back to the boarding school.

The weekend in Winterberg was just the beginning: A weekend trip to Austria is planned for March, during which we can further build on the knowledge we’ve recently acquired and refreshed.

6. March 2019

Winter Teepee Camp in the Lüneburg Heath

Class Trips, Field Trips, and School Outings, Life at Boarding School, News

In Kreutzen, in the Lüneburg Heath, many die-hard camping enthusiasts—who aren’t deterred even by winter temperatures—regularly gather at the Oertzewinkel campground. A group from the Steinmühle boarding school joined them and had a great time.

After a smooth drive, our team arrived at our destination around 7 p.m. Most of the approximately 25 tents on site were equipped with tent stoves and were therefore pleasantly “warm” even in sub-zero temperatures. Due to the mild weather, the boarding school group decided not to set up their stove and left it on the trailer. Instead, the Steinmühlen students focused on the barbecue that followed.

There was a lot of talk about the hobby, and when it came to camping and boating, one or two people revealed themselves to be experts. The campfire didn’t end until around 1 a.m.

Girls Showed Courage While Swimming

Saturday kicked off at 10 a.m. with a breakfast of scrambled eggs. The day’s activities included archery, blowgun shooting, slingshot shooting with paintball pellets, woodcarving, chopping wood, cutting deadwood in the forest, and gathering firewood.

The real die-hards—especially the women in the group—actually dared to go swimming. In the evening, we enjoyed pasta Bolognese around the campfire, a cozy get-together, and singing.

Applause for Felix’s singing

After refueling with pancakes, it was already time once again—late Sunday morning—to take everything down and clean up. The group trickled back into the Steinmühle around 4 p.m.

Felix sang for others around “strangers’” campfires on both evenings and received lots of applause. The Steinmühlen group was very well received by the other campers, and everyone is looking forward to seeing us again next year.

20. February 2019

Back to the roots: Former boarding school student Michel Hermens is now the head of the house

Former Students & Alumni, Life at Boarding School, News

You must have felt extremely at home in your school environment to decide that you wanted to work there later on. That was the case for Michel Hermens. From 2004 to 2008, the native Dutchman lived in the Stamm- and Westfalenhaus at the Steinmühle boarding school. He returned to that very place and is now the head of the Mühle.

Born in Eindhoven in 1987, he came to Germany at the age of three and “didn’t understand a word.” A Philips plant in Wetzlar was the reason his parents moved to Central Hesse. They had imagined their son’s school career would go more smoothly. According to Michel, stress at school—and consequently within the family—led them to enroll him at the Steinmühle boarding school.

After 12 years of school, he wanted to break away from the daily school routine and become more active. With his vocational diploma in hand, he planned to pursue an apprenticeship in the hospitality industry. However, the young man’s expectations of this career field did not pan out. He then completed a voluntary social year at an elementary school, working in before- and after-school care and handling administrative tasks. This successful experience subsequently inspired him to study to become an elementary school teacher in his native Netherlands.

That wasn’t the end of it. Michel Hermens found himself drawn back to Marburg. Back to his roots. In 2012, he financed an internship at the Steinmühle boarding school by working at a gas station. “It felt like coming home, walking down Steinmühlenweg again.”

“I see myself in the students themselves”

It went without saying: I’m staying here. Michel Hermens had to admit, however, that quite a bit had changed. Although the boarding school had already housed boys and girls together in the Westfalen- and Hessenhaus during his own school days, the house meetings were still held separately. The resident teacher for the boys in the house was a male staff member, while the girls were supervised by a female staff member.

There were also personnel changes, as was to be expected at the time. Rowing coach Martin “Stromi” Strohmenger was an assistant at the Westfalenhaus back then. Michel Hermens knew the boarding school director from his earlier days as a teacher. Of the rest of the teaching staff, two were still there.

He hit it off with the students right away. “I quickly realized that we had a good connection,” says Michel Hermens, looking back on the early days of his return. “For many students, I became a trusted figure right away.” The man, who initially worked as an assistant at Mühle and Hessenhaus, reflects on his own past today: “I see myself in the students.”

He says that the challenges—even in tricky situations—are what make the job particularly enjoyable and rewarding. He views many of the changes in a positive light. “The social aspect,” says Hermens, “has really developed at Steinmühle Boarding School. The study center also opens up opportunities that didn’t exist before.”

The athletic Dutchman, who once felt the urge to move around, has (once again) found peace at Steinmühle Boarding School. He is able to instill this sense of “inner peace” in his students. Nevertheless, he still travels home regularly to visit his family in Maastricht. And on vacation, he goes to special places with unique landscapes. For Michel Hermens, even on vacation, things don’t have to be ordinary, normal, or run-of-the-mill. One of his favorite places: the Azores.

M. Hermens with his current residential group

A photo from school days

31. January 2019