Sports & Health

Sports Day: Strong Performances in All Events

Once again this year, the Lower Secondary School Sports Day was on the schedule. While the 10th-grade classes, led by Patric Hahn (Steinmühle Boarding School), held a volleyball tournament, the younger students competed in several events at Georg Gassmann Stadium as part of the Federal Youth Games. School athletic director and organizer Michael Neirich was assisted in running the event by various colleagues from Steinmühle. Students received medals and certificates for their strong performances in the individual disciplines. These achievements also serve as the basis for earning the 2019 German Sports Badge. In addition to the running events (sprint/endurance) of the National Youth Games, this year’s class champions were also determined in the sports games dodgeball (Grade 5), soccer (Grade 6), basketball (Grade 8), and Ultimate Frisbee (Grade 9). Sports Day ended at 1:00 p.m.

15. July 2019

Honey Tasting, Exercise, and More at the Second Health Project Day

News, Sports & Health

Nutrition, exercise, homemade cosmetics, the environment, first aid, and art projects—these and other topics were on the agenda for Steinmühle’s second Health Project Day. Students could choose “their” favorite workshop from a long list and spend an entire morning exploring their favorite topic. Honey tastings, jumping fitness, homemade baked goods, and “homemade” face masks were delightful surprises for visitors as they toured the school buildings and grounds. Among the numerous offerings, other highlights that caught the eye included “Eating Insects,” “Mindfulness for Beginners,” “Self-Defense,” and current topics such as “Fun and Games Without a Smartphone” and “Zero-Waste Food.”

4. July 2019

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

Contests & Awards, News, Rowing, Sports & Health

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.”

27. June 2019

Triathlon: Right in the Top 10 in This New Sport

Contests & Awards, News, Sports & Health

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!

25. June 2019

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

Spring Run: Konrad Was the Fastest

Contests & Awards, News, Sports & Health

Last year, the sun had brought hot temperatures, but at this year’s spring run, the fifth- and sixth-graders had to make do with temperatures around 12 degrees Celsius. This did not detract from the traditional run around the boathouse. At the end of the day, fifth-grader Konrad Rothmann emerged as the fastest participant of the day.

With a tradition dating back more than 10 years, the Spring Run has a firm place on the school’s sports calendar. The goal for students in grades 5 and 6 is to complete the 1,300-meter loop around the boathouse in the shortest time possible.

The race is organized by grade level, with girls and boys running separately. The event concludes with a relay race. In the relay, all 5th-grade classes compete against each other, followed by all 6th-grade classes.

“The help from our colleagues is a vital source of support in organizing the event,” emphasized school sports director Michael Neirich. He also praised the dedication of the students in the 11e sports track: “All of this together ensured that everything ran smoothly.” He also noted the great enthusiasm and willingness of the participating students to compete, even in cool weather, and added: “It’s wonderful that our school has the boathouse grounds, which provide an ideal location for a running event like this.”

The Results

Boathouse Loop (1300m) Girls, Grade 5:

Place: Janne Esaßer (5:31)
Place: Sophia Rogosch (5:32)
Place: Teres Dinges (5:45)

Boathouse Circuit for 5th-Grade Boys:

Place: Konrad Rothmann (4:54—best time!)
Place: Caspar Schul (5:18)
Place: Mats Egbring (5:24)

Girls’ 6th Grade Boathouse Circuit:

Place: Finja Herwig (5:25)
Place: Hanna Schmidt-Dege (5:29)
Place: Emiloa Pick (5:31)

Boathouse Circuit for 6th-Grade Boys:

Place: Max Posingies (4:58)
Place: Leon Schmidt (5:17)
Place: Max Preidel (5:27)

Grade 5 Relay:

5a, 2. 5b, 3. 5c

Grade 6 Relay:

6b, 2. 6a, 3. 6c

13. 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

“A great week that we’ll never forget”

Class Trips, Field Trips, and School Outings, News, Sports & Health

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!

15. March 2019

Prevention Day Against Drunk Driving

News, Sports & Health

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.

14. March 2019