“Building self-confidence and accepting your own limits”

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“Only you know what career is right for you.” – The “Mutmacher” team conveyed this encouraging and confident message to the 11th-grade class. The Mutmacher are members of a startup focused on modern career guidance, based in Karlsruhe and active in schools across various German states. Following their debut last year, the young people returned to Steinmühle for the second time to help the students—who are only slightly younger than they are—develop career prospects.

The overwhelming number of options for what to do after graduating from high school is offset by a rather sobering reality: One in three students drops out of college, and 150,000 apprenticeships were terminated early in 2019 alone. To ensure that the supposed dream job doesn’t turn out to be a nightmare, the motivational speakers recommended exploring one’s own criteria for a dream job: What will be important to me in my future career? A lot of money? Social recognition? Plenty of free time? A fulfilling job? Regular working hours? Working in a team or alone? The team of speakers advised the students to first gain clarity on these and other points. Together with their own strengths—which were assessed in a workbook and discussed in pairs—each student had the opportunity to develop a rough idea of where their journey might lead after graduating from high school.

Annerose Glöckner, the Steinmühlen liaison at the Federal Employment Agency, described the Mutmacher event as “very helpful and practical.” “There is a path for everyone—even for those who don’t have a specific career in mind.”

The Mutmacher crew pointed out how important it is to develop self-confidence in order to be able to pursue the chosen path with determination: “At school, self-confidence is usually linked to grades. If you do well, you’re self-confident—and vice versa. However, the currency of the future is gaining self-confidence regardless of grades.” But self-confidence also means standing by your own limits. “That’s not so easy in a world where it’s a breeze to put on a mask.”

The morning event with the “Mutmacher” (Encouragers), who can be found on Instagram at @meinmutigerweg, was organized by Dr. Claudia Röder, who is in charge of career guidance at Steinmühle.

Our Trip to Schuby: Petting Starfish and Jogging by the Sea

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After about an 8-hour drive, the 6th-grade class finally arrived in Schubystrand. Very cozy cabins were waiting for us at the camp. In the evening, we were treated to a delicious meal. We often walked to Damp, a small town with a harbor and an ice cream shop right by the sea—it was very beautiful.

We went on three big field trips. The first field trip was to Multimar (a marine museum) in Tönning. There were two workshops there: a research lab and a whale house. We really enjoyed the research lab; there, we petted starfish and fed and observed barnacles under a microscope. At the end, there was a little scavenger hunt. We didn’t enjoy the whale house quite as much because we had to give a presentation on whales.

Our second field trip took us to a swimming pool. It was really cool at the pool! There were some totally awesome slides: a tube slide that was a lot of fun even without a tube. Half of the 6th-grade class slid down the tube slide together—without tubes, of course. There was also a steep “Speed-Hot Slide,” but you were only allowed to go down it alone because it was so steep.

 

Workshops in the Viking Village

On our last field trip, we went to Haithabu, which is an old Viking village and Viking museum. There were various workshops to choose from. The activities included archery, Viking games, and runes. We really loved that the workshop leader showed us the replica Viking huts and told us a lot about Viking life inside them. We were fascinated!

Several times a week, we had the chance to go to the beach and swim in the ocean, fly kites, or collect seashells. It was absolutely wonderful when we went jogging with Mr. Bepperling in the morning as the sun was just rising over the ocean—that was an amazing experience!

One morning, we went on a hike to the cliffs. At the cliffs, we found many beautiful stones and identified them right there using the books we’d brought along—including a sea urchin fossil, a zebra stone, several chicken gods, and even more beautiful stones and shells.

All in all, we’d say that the class trip was really wonderful and full of exciting experiences for all of us!

By Mira, Lotta, and Ella (6a)

Extremely well-attended and perfectly organized: After a two-year hiatus, the Fall Festival drew a crowd once again

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Finally, an autumn festival again! With more guests than before the pandemic, Steinmühle School and Boarding School celebrated their traditional event last Saturday. Thanks to the excellent organization by Frank Wemme, the head of the lower secondary school, everything ran smoothly and according to plan for the students at their booths and during their performances in the classrooms. Visitors were thrilled by all the activities. Alumni were amazed at how much “their Steinmühle” has changed for the better over the past few years.

The Steinmühle has expanded to include several new buildings, giving it a uniform and modern look. The grounds have become more spacious, which meant that the large number of visitors was spread out across the site. There had been some concern beforehand about the weather for the Fall Festival, but those concerns proved unfounded. The autumn sun shone brightly from the sky—as if it knew just how important this festival is to the Steinmühle community.

Since good food and drinks are naturally part of a successful and convivial celebration, this aspect was in the capable hands of the boarding school. From coffee and cake to grilled meats and the wine bar, there was a delicious and comprehensive selection of food and drink available. This was complemented by the popular Aroma ice cream truck on the grounds, which—as in previous years—drew long lines of people. The proceeds from the sales are regularly donated.

Shortly after the opening remarks by Principal Bernd Holly, who welcomed the guests alongside Boarding School Director Anke Muszynski and Nils Schwandt, the stage program got underway. The 6th-grade choir entertained the audience with musical theater songs, followed by the musical theater elective class. Next, the 5th-grade band, the StoneMill House Band, and the Jazz Ensemble took the stage. Starting at 8:00 p.m., DJ Veit kept the party going in the tent.

More than three dozen booths and activities were spread across the grounds and in some classrooms, and it’s very difficult to single out any particular ones here. Once again, the “Chemikum mobil” with its elective research class in front of the Bremerhaus was a crowd-pleaser. The experiment with the “exploding” colorful balls just never loses its appeal! The “Chicken Run” on the sports field at the Hessenhaus was a big hit. The goal here was to raise funds for Tanzania, organized and carried out by the elementary school and its team of teachers. Neighboring activities also focused on movement, speed, and agility. The Steinmühle Riding Club also invited visitors to go pony riding.

One of the longest lines on the grounds was for the “Ghost Train Reloaded” run by Class 7b at the Hessenhaus. The chance to get a real scare—this idea clearly appealed to many guests, both young and old.

While other activities offered games, fun, and brain teasers, there were also booths that are closely tied to the Steinmühle School. The Friends of the School Association, chaired by Jasmine Weidenbach, provided information about its important work and invited Fall Festival guests who are not yet members to join. Membership is open at any time, by the way! An information booth for prospective students in the new 1st and 5th grades was set up right at the entrance, under the first awning. Principal Björn Gemmer and his team were on hand to answer questions and had organized tours of the Centrum 5&6 building.

In the main building, visitors were able to learn about the vital topic of “CPR.” There, anesthesiologist Markus Spies answered questions, provided instructions on the resuscitation process, and let guests try their hand at it themselves using a mannequin. “It’s so easy to help—anyone can do it,” he emphasized, reinforcing the campaign’s goal of preventing sudden cardiac death.

With this in mind, the “Students Save Lives” campaign (www.schuelerrettenleben.de) was launched by the Professional Association of German Anesthesiologists (Berufsverband Deutscher Anästhesisten e.V.). For several years now, the school has offered an annual summer course on this topic—under professional guidance. Eighth-grade students are taught CPR. The Steinmühle School is thus playing a pioneering role in Marburg in this area.

Fall Festival 2022

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The Fall Festival: for the students of Steinmühle, a well-known and beloved celebration that has been held for decades. On this one day of the year, all former students of Steinmühle School and Boarding School are invited to reminisce and share what they’ve been up to since leaving. “Those were such wonderful times at the boarding school,” you hear people say from all corners.

On the last Saturday in September, the time had finally come: the Fall Festival was able to take place in its usual format. There hadn’t been such a large reunion of former Steinmühle students since 2019.

For weeks beforehand, the boarding school students had been preparing for this big event. Everything was planned down to the last detail, because there was still a lot to do behind the scenes. The students did a fantastic job organizing everything. They selected recipes, scheduled baking times, and supported one another. Working independently and with great enthusiasm, the students immersed themselves in their baking, resulting in the most amazing and delicious variety of cakes. Their goal was not simply to bake the same recipes over and over, but to offer as many different flavors as possible and to let their creativity run wild.

And so it came to pass that Bremerhaus, Stammhaus, Mühle, Hessenhaus, Westfalenhaus, and Biohaus baked nearly a hundred cakes.

Several students also volunteered to help set up. With their handyman skills, they worked diligently to build the huts. At the fall festival itself, the boarding school students had their own tasks: they sold cake, grilled food, and cleared away dishes. All boarding school students carried out these duties until 6 p.m. to ensure that all guests had a wonderful day. From 6:00 p.m. onward, however, everyone became a guest and celebrated the fall festival together. Former and current boarding school students met and exchanged stories about boarding school life then and now.

On Sunday afternoon, a few of us met up again in the dining hall at “SchniPoSa” and talked about what a great festival it had been. We’re already looking forward to the Fall Festival in 2023.

Steinmühlen Soccer Team Wins City Finals of “Youth Trains for the Olympics”

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Great joy for our 6th- and 7th-grade soccer players: With a 3-1 victory over the favored Elisabethschule and a 1-1 draw against the Martin-Luther-Schule, our Competition Class II “Youth Trains for the Olympics” team secured a spot in the district finals on October 12. Coached by Bernd Schweitzer and Dirk Konnertz, the team was wide awake from the start at the city finals at Georg-Gassmann Stadium and played as a cohesive unit. Although no preparation was possible due to the proximity of the summer break and subsequent school trips, the team played well together and didn’t let a 0–1 deficit in the first game faze them. While it was a team effort, special mention must be made of the outstanding performance by Lasse Schweitzer, who scored three of the four goals that secured the tournament victory.

The following athletes were successful: Arthur Böning, Ben Borawski, Felix Bork, Julius Brückmann, Len Hülsbeck, Tiemo Irmisch, Jonah Isenberg, Felix Martens, Jonas Mierisch, Rafael Piller, Fabian Preis, Lasse Schweitzer, Paul Sondergeld, Ben Templer, and Moritz Wagner.

Summer Concert: Another “Full House” at the Forum

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At the start of the summer concert at the Forum, only standing room was left—and even those spots were quickly filled. The event, with its many guests, was yet another example in the series of Steinmühle events of just how popular school events are—and how much the Steinmühle community had longed for them during the pandemic restrictions. As a precaution, many were still happy to wear a face mask!

The 6th-grade choir performed songs by Adel Tawil & Co., with Daniel Sans accompanying them on the piano. Jeannine Walter’s upcoming retirement was also mentioned, even though the official ceremony wasn’t scheduled to take place until three days later at the faculty’s summer party. The students had already performed a serenade with the fitting title “Happy Ending.”

The summer concert was hosted, as always, by Ulrike Wilmsmeyer. The 5th-grade wind ensemble, led by Andreas Jamin, showcased their skills. The upper-level choir, directed by Daniel Sans, impressed the audience with their fabulous vocal performances. Wind Ensemble Class 6 and the concert band, led by Stephan Reissig, demonstrated how one can improve even further by continuing to play a (wind) instrument beyond Class 5.

The many enthusiastic attendees were able to continue enjoying the evening on the Steinmühle grounds after the event had ended. As has been the custom in recent years, the school administration invited everyone to the boathouse to meet the Steinmühle rowing team over grilled food and cold drinks, learn about their latest activities, and marvel at the investments made by the rowing club and the school in the newly renovated boathouse.

Boats christened, achievements celebrated: RuS wrapped up the school year

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The summer festival of the Rudern und Sport Steinmühle club came to a close with everyone—guests, parents, students, and organizers—in high spirits, and with a substantial amount of money raised for the club’s coffers. This casual get-together featuring barbecue and cold drinks at the end of each school year has already become a tradition. It has also become customary for attendees of the summer concert—which previously took place in the Forum—to wrap up the evening at the newly renovated Steinmühle boathouse.

“The celebration was a complete success,” summarized Björn Gemmer, principal of Steinmühlen School and vice president of the RuS club. He, along with the main organizer—rowing instructor and coach Martin “Stromi” Strohmenger—and chairman Dietrich Mägerlein, were delighted with the successful summer celebration and the christening of two boats, which was performed by the deputy chairman of the school association, Gerhard Müller, as well as by Claus Duncker. The boats are now named “Schorsch” and… “Claus”! — If that isn’t a good omen for what’s to come…!

Many other prominent figures from the Marburg area attended the official expansion of the boat fleet. Among those present were First District Deputy Marian Zachow, Marburg Mayor Nadine Bernshausen, City Councilwoman Kirsten Dinnebier, Björn Backes, head of the Sports Department for the University City of Marburg, and Andreas Bartsch, who, as Chairman of the Board of Sparkasse Marburg-Biedenkopf, has always been and remains closely connected to Steinmühle in the context of all construction projects. At the same time, senior staff members from Steinmühle also stopped by, including Thomas Hoffmann (Managing Director of the boarding school) and Anke Muszynski (Head of the boarding school), Dirk Konnertz (Managing Director of the Steinmühle School) and Headmaster Bernd Holly, as well as members of the Buurman family—the boarding school’s shareholders—teachers from Steinmühle, and anyone else we may have inadvertently omitted from this list. On the athletic front, the highlight was the presence of Marc Weber. The elite athlete and new addition to RuS Steinmühle had just recently won a medal at the World Rowing Cup in Lucerne. We’ll be hearing more from him—and from the entire club as well. There are plans here that are no longer just sitting on the back burner.

The Vision of a Health Dictatorship: DS Class 12 Stages “Corpus Delicti”

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Some call this work the “contemporary German George Orwell.” In 2009, author Juli Zeh wrote the novel *Corpus Delicti*. The 12th-grade drama class staged this futuristic novel at the Steinmühle Forum. It depicts a scenario of a totalitarian surveillance state focused on the health of its citizens. The state—“the Method”—has the right to intrude on privacy. Or, to put it another way: it simply takes that right for itself.

It starts with the definition. What is health? “The Method” defines it as physical, mental, and social well-being. But who decides what that means? Who determines the criteria?

In any case, caution is advised. The eye of the Fourth Estate never sleeps. And that’s what happens to anyone who dares to lead a lifestyle that isn’t “immunologically compatible.” After all, a good person doesn’t smoke or drink. What’s more, those who oppose established methods also endanger the common good. And any means are justified to track them down.

Any means? Yes, absolutely any! Or who would have thought of sensors in the toilet that the government uses to measure stomach acid levels? Just one example of the kind of transparency we have to submit to.

 

A World of Ginger Shots and Smoothies

“With this play, the DS Group has addressed the highly topical issues of fitness optimization, the big data debate, the phenomenon of the surveillance state, and the tension between national security and freedom,” explains Melisande Lauginiger, who co-wrote and co-directed the play with Manuela Schmidt. “The play illustrates where things can lead when people are forced to give up their freedom in a state based on a misguided belief in state-guaranteed security.” The 19 students surrounding the protagonist “Mia Holl” had woven a few jokes and gags into this serious topic to elicit laughter and provide entertainment—even if it meant that the school principals, Björn Gemmer and Bernd Holly, were caught drinking wine or eating cream cake —which, of course, is a no-go in a world of ginger shots and smoothies.

“The play,” says Melisande Lauginiger, “transports us into a health dictatorship where brainwashing, oppression, manipulation, torture, and death not only turn people into puppets but also rob them of their individuality.” – A thought-provoking theatrical performance that received a round of applause and was illustrated with posters by Sarah Mengel (12a), Joelina Merle (12a), Alina Klähn (12a), Yunxi Zhang, and Fabian Diedrich (12c) had illustrated with posters under the guidance of art teacher Ines Vielhaben.

 

A clever “opener”

“We’re the opening act for the DS course”—with these words, a six-member cast from the Theater 5/6 club professionally kicked off the evening. The story revolved around a 5,000-euro loan, a money handoff in the park, “Manfred,” who was supposed to carry out a murder, and a person who did a truly excellent job acting as the eventual victim. The group led by teacher Dagmar Müller has potential—and will likely take the place of the main actors in a few years. We can’t wait to see what they’ll do!

 

Looking for more reading mentors: MENTOR Marburg-Biedenkopf was founded a year ago

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Those who can read have a clear advantage! This often flippant remark—made when someone hasn’t looked closely enough—is absolutely justified in terms of its meaning. If someone can’t grasp a text and doesn’t understand its content, they can’t participate in the conversation and are excluded. With nearly 60 volunteer mentors, the MENTOR association —the Marburg-Biedenkopf Region Reading Tutors—aims to improve the alarming statistic that, by the end of fourth grade, 20 out of 100 children cannot read properly and 30 out of 100 cannot write according to the rules. The association was founded at the district level one year ago at the Steinmühle and recently celebrated its first anniversary there.

A special guest provided entertainment at the event in the Steinmühlenforum: children’s and young adult author Andreas Steinhöfel. By reading excerpts from his works, he not only brought a few smiles to people’s faces but also elicited the occasional laugh. The “MENTOR” initiative is important to him and something he takes very seriously; he supports it as a patron and states: “Those who cannot read have a very hard time navigating life with dignity.”

Working as a mentor is fulfilling. This volunteer position—which requires an extended police background check and participation in a training seminar—demands patience, but it’s very rewarding. At the Steinmühlenforum, four mentors spoke about their work, in which they introduce students—often from educationally disadvantaged and socially vulnerable backgrounds—to the world of letters and words. The district is still urgently seeking 15 to 20 additional reading mentors for this work.

“The situation hasn’t exactly improved during the pandemic,” reported Chairwoman Inge Maisch. She is the point of contact for people who might be interested in taking on the role of a mentor (info@mentor-marburg-biedenkopf.de). She is encouraged by the fact that nearly all of the reading mentors from the previous school year are continuing their work. It’s wonderful to see children develop a love of reading.

It was also a pleasure to listen to those who provided the artistic entertainment for the anniversary celebration. The Steinmühle Jazz Ensemble, led by Frank Wemme, was among them, as was Talea Funk with a contemplative composition.

The administration of Steinmühle Elementary and High School, as well as the school’s management team, consider MENTOR’s mission to be important. After all, reading is the fundamental skill underpinning the entire spectrum of school education. Steinmühle therefore hopes that as many people as possible will come forward and express interest in becoming a reading mentor.

 
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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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