Steinmühle’s Project-Based Learning Inspires at Film Festival

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Stone Mill lessons are causing a sensation—even as far away as Recklinghausen. Project teacher Ines Vielhaben explained some of her work at the 10th Church Film Festival.

During the four-day event, the short film “Diego from Guatemala,” part of the “199 Little Heroes” project, was screened in the short film category. During the post-screening discussion, Ines Vielhaben, the project teacher at Steinmühle, presented what the students in the current 6th-grade class at Steinmühle had developed as part of the “Children from All Over the World” project—inspired by this very film. Ines Vielhaben accepted the invitation to attend the event in Recklinghausen to explain the teaching approaches there.

Thematically, the project-based learning focused on exploring children’s rights. This provided the students with opportunities to write articles about an aspect of their partner children’s lives. The film footage provided the students with an excellent foundation for empathizing with the local conditions and everyday situations of the children through its evocative imagery. Since the documentaries feature only children aged 9–12 talking about their lives, their hopes, and their futures, they speak directly to the sixth-grade students. The students followed the “little heroes” on their journey from waking up to arriving at school.

The project-based lesson, with its on-site explanations, served as a model and example for the audience. Ines Vielhaben received a great deal of enthusiastic feedback on her “very engaging and informative report from the field,” as the moderator put it.

By the way, the wall newspapers featuring the 15 little heroes that the sixth graders got to know through the short films will be on display for interested parents in the Steinmühle Forum during the summer concert.

As part of the event, the Cineworld festival cinema in Recklinghausen screened the following short films for the education sector: “Ich habe noch Auferstehung” by Jan-Gerrit Seiler (left) and “Nicht mal im Traum” by Astrid Menzel (second from the right). Michael Kleinschmidt (right) served as the moderator and thanked Ines Vielhaben (second from the left) for the insights she shared.

Climbing on “real” rock at Scharfenstein near Kassel

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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.

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

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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.

At “Bands on Stage,” the Steinmühle celebrated 20 years of the Stonemill House Band

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The students have graduated—but the band is still here. And has been for 20 years. Frank Wemme, educational director at Steinmühle, is the man behind the StoneMill House Band. Naturally, the educator and passionate musician didn’t miss the chance to host the evening himself at the Steinmühle music group’s anniversary concert—featuring many musical guests.

“Whenever something went really well, they graduated from high school,” he announced to the audience in the packed hall. To outsiders, it all seemed like a smooth transition over the years. That alone is worth celebrating. And a concert, of course.

The program kicked off with a performance by the 5th and 6th-grade band. Their singers demonstrated just how powerful even young performers’ voices can be. The following performance by Katharina Filin, accompanied by Olaf Roth, inevitably brought to mind the British rock and pop singer Bonnie Tyler. It was an impressive performance.

Talea and Fynn Konnertz surprised the audience with “Talk”—not a conversation, but an original composition by the guitarist and the singer, whose voice really shone in this piece. The duo also performed “Slow dancing in a burning room” and “Apologize,” accompanied by host Frank Wemme on drums and keyboardist Dirk Konnertz. In his “day job,” Dirk is the executive director of the Steinmühle School Association. But he’s also a musician at heart.

A little high, a little low: The Marburg Music School’s saxophone ensemble, conducted by Jörg Eichberger, provided one of the evening’s highlights with their performance of Queen’s ballad “Bohemian Rhapsody,” delivering a detailed rendition of the three parts of this legendary piece.

Following the *Rent* project—the distinctive follow-up to Talea Funk’s widely staged *Hamilton* project—the audience was left with goosebumps: Music teacher and concert tenor Daniel Sans, accompanied by his wife Marie on piano, Fynn and Dirk Konnertz on guitar and keyboard, Bodam Lee on violin, and Frank Wemme on drums, sang “You Raise Me Up” to the audience.

Following this impressive performance by the sextet and a rhythmic set by the jazz ensemble, the curtain rose on the birthday celebrants. Although the StoneMill House Band—currently consisting of 15 members—hasn’t actually been around for the entire two decades, the members were happy to be celebrated and performed their latest songs. Being part of this school band is truly not a matter of age, as their drummer, a seventh grader, impressively demonstrated.

Dressed in white, the upper-level choir, directed by Daniel Sans, bid the audience farewell after a varied evening of music. But not without first performing Pink Floyd’s “The Wall.” In true style—at a school. Because that’s exactly where the lyrics belong.

Increase Your Frustration Tolerance Through Bouldering

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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.

 

130 singers brought the Forum to life

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On Friday, the Forum was the setting for what may have been the Steinmühle’s largest cultural project to date. At the very least, there have probably never been so many participants filling the space with song and music. And it wasn’t just any music. It was Mozart’s Requiem, the composer’s final work and, at the same time, one of his most beloved.

After more than six months of rehearsals, 130 singers from the Klangforum, along with 23 orchestra members and five soloists, gathered. They were all preparing for their joint performances on the following two days in Bad Homburg and Marburg. For over two hours, participants of all ages rehearsed under the highly professional guidance of choir director Daniel Sans, who is also a concert tenor and music teacher at the Steinmühle.

 

“An Unforgettable Event”

After the weekend, he himself was full of praise: “Being able to share this brilliant music with students, parents, and teachers from Steinmühle in our wonderful forum was a truly memorable experience.” Sans reported that the two concerts on the following days were completely sold out. “It was an unforgettable event to have delighted over 1,000 people with Mozart’s music.”

The Klangforum, led by Daniel Sans, is made up largely of teachers, students, and parents who love to sing. The members meet every Friday evening to sing at the Forum and are still open to new participants. Unlike the choir director, these participants do not need to be professionals. What matters is enjoying singing together in a group of mixed ages and having the courage to perhaps refine one’s own voice a little more.

The photos give a glimpse of the rehearsals. Two of the photos show the participants during the subsequent official performance.

 

Steinmühle Boarding School is a sponsor of the Germany Scholarship

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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)

 

“A great week that we’ll never forget”

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Anna Dinges (Class 8a) wrote the following report about her grade’s school ski trip:

On January 18, the 8th-grade class and eleven chaperones gathered early in the morning in the schoolyard at Steinmühle amid freezing temperatures to set off for a week-long school ski trip to Mayrhofen in the Zillertal. What made this year special was that all three homeroom teachers for the grade—Rosie Boebel, Gisela Opper, and Frank Wemme—came along. That hadn’t been the norm before. The mood was lively as the large tour bus pulled out of the schoolyard at 6 a.m.

After a long bus ride, we finally arrived. After taking the yellow gondolas up to the Gschößwandhaus at about 1,800 meters, everyone was thrilled by the fantastic view of the valley from up there. Room assignments went smoothly, since groups had already formed beforehand that wanted to share one of the cozy rooms with four to fifteen beds.

The next day, we finally got started with skiing. While the advanced students were already exploring the large ski area, the beginners had their first experiences on skis in front of the Gschößwandhaus under the patient guidance of several instructors. They quickly overcame their initial difficulties and made rapid progress, so that after just a few days they were able to ski on blue runs and, by the end, even some red runs. Before long, everyone was able to ski down the “Steinmühlenweg”—the trail leading back home from the slopes—which made them all very proud.

Many activities were planned for the evening to wrap up the day together. The program included, for example, a disco by the campfire under the open sky, interesting talks about skiing, snow soccer, nighttime sledding, and room cleanup sessions. Ms. Boebel took care of the sick and injured—fortunately, there weren’t too many of them—and kept everyone in good spirits. That way, even those who didn’t ski didn’t get bored.

After a wonderful week—which flew by far too quickly thanks to all the great activities and the cheerful, friendly teachers—we left the Gschößwandhaus and set off for Steinmühle. It was a fantastic week for all of us, one we won’t forget anytime soon!

Learning Spanish Abroad: Lars Froemel and Julius Hamel Begin Their Exchange Program in Uruguay

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Exchange students Francisco Bayce and Juan Ignacio Cambon from Montevideo have only a few days left at Steinmühle before they return to their home country of Uruguay. Their partner students, Lars Froemel and Julius Hamel, will make a return visit in a few weeks. After all, the best way to learn a language is in the country where it’s spoken. Both students want to improve their Spanish.

The visiting students answer questions in surprisingly good German. In Montevideo, a city of over a million people, they are attending the German school. At the DSM, the German School of Montevideo, they experience school life a little differently than at Steinmühle. With 1,200 students, the enrollment there is almost exactly double.

Otherwise, they see some similarities: Bilingual instruction—Spanish/German or Spanish/English—also helps young people develop their language skills at the DSM in Uruguay. Chaperone Laura Bergues can confirm this. She is their English teacher.

The biggest difference the teenagers noticed was that cell phones play a bigger role in classes back home. “We’re allowed to use them more than we do here,” Francisco reports. He says the internet connections are worse in Germany, but he did notice something else positive: “You definitely have the nicer soccer stadiums,” he says with a laugh.

Francisco and Juan Ignacio noticed something else: “We eat a lot more meat at home.” A few figures make it clear what the dietary situation is like in this South American country: Uruguay has 15 million cows and 13 million sheep for its 3.5 million residents.

 

“Every country has a different concept of politeness.”

Meanwhile, Lars Froemel, a 10th grader, and Julius Hamel, an 11th grader, are looking forward to their upcoming stay in Montevideo. They’re excited to see their two exchange partners again—people they’ve already gotten along with so well. All four boys agree: It was a great fit!

The teenagers from Uruguay would like to say thank you: “Thank you to the Steinmühle and to our host families. We had a great time.”

María Ramos, Lars and Julius’s Spanish teacher, is glad that the Uruguay exchange program is thriving at Steinmühle. “We started it a few years ago and have now expanded the program.” The linguistic nuances of Spanish in Uruguay, as well as in Argentina, are minor variations and by no means a dialect. “The intonation is a bit like that of Italian.”

Otherwise, she and her colleague from Uruguay give the young people tips on how best to behave in everyday situations in Uruguay. “Every country,” she says, “has a different concept of politeness.”

“In our country,” the guests from Uruguay emphasize, “you’re always warmly welcomed and in good hands. It’s the safest country in Latin America.”

Prevention Day Against Drunk Driving

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This issue isn’t just important during Carnival season, but the “fifth season” offers a good opportunity to remind everyone: The limit is zero per mille when driving! As part of the annual prevention program, students in the entire 11th grade were shown just how deadly drinking and driving can be. Senior Police Inspector Tobias Decher from the Regional Traffic Service based in Cölbe introduced the BOB campaign. The idea is that at parties where people still need to drive home afterward, a designated driver who remains sober should be chosen in advance to ensure everyone gets home safely. The alternatives are a taxi or public transportation.

Alcohol Metabolism and Driving Ability

On the day of the prevention program, the class was divided into two groups. Tobias Decher explained the dangers of drunk driving, driving even under the influence of small amounts of alcohol, the process of alcohol metabolism, and driving ability. The students were also able to get an idea of what vehicles involved in accidents can look like through a photo presentation. The presentation also included cases in which, tragically, passengers were killed or seriously injured as a result of drunk driving. The aim is to foster understanding through deterrence.

The prevention event was led by Nicole Hohm and Heike Rabben-Martin. Businesses, clubs, and organizations can support the BOB campaign www.aktion-bob.de.

 
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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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