Steinmühle on the Road

The JazzEnsemble and the StoneMill House Band presented their new program in Wolfshausen

Art, Music & Theater, News, Steinmühle on the Road

Three and a half days to work together to bring to life the music we want to play—for many years now, this has been the foundation of both ensembles’ annual programs, which are then premiered at Bands on Stage: Songs ranging from John Lennon to ’50s rhythm ’n’ blues, ’80s movie pop, jazz-funk, and Real Book standards in 2020. Both ensembles have grown significantly this year thanks to younger musicians—in particular, female vocalists, flutists, a violinist, and a young euphonium player. The more experienced older members are still there as well, ensuring that both the band and the jazz ensemble maintain their vibrant outlook for years to come: How it’s done is passed on playfully, directly from musician to musician, through collaboration among students in grades 6 through 12. What is explained can be experienced immediately through mutual listening and playing. Ideas for just about everything come from the group. And the wonderful retreat on the edge of the Wolfshausen forest is a fantastic and welcoming place for this—once again this year: “Imagine… it’s easy if you try.”

(Frank Wemme)

27. April 2020

Steinmühle Boarding School: Active on the Slopes

Class Trips, Field Trips, and School Outings, News, Sports & Health, Steinmühle on the Road

Spectacular weather awaited us in Randa:

The ski trip to Randa, Switzerland, has long been a staple of the annual schedule at Steinmühle Boarding School. On February 13, ten students set off together with

Nils Schwandt and Freya Penschuck set out from Marburg for the Grächen ski resort. The weather throughout their three-day stay more than made up for the eight-hour trip there, which took place in the rain and under less-than-ideal conditions. “We had what you might call perfect weather in Randa,” the participants reported. Indeed, the cloudless sky and clear visibility treated the students from the Steinmühle boarding school to a view of the distant Matterhorn!

Helping One Another

It quickly became clear that all the passengers had been on a ski vacation before, on their own. You could tell that some were experienced skiers or snowboarders: they turned out to be seasoned and skilled riders. In contrast, others still needed a little extra help or a refresher on their skills. In many cases, everyone quickly helped each other out to navigate the slopes successfully. We also had Freya, a certified snowboard instructor, who had a few helpful tips for everyone.

Working Out During the Day

We slept in old, rustic wooden cabins on the grounds of a former farm in a traditional mountain village at an elevation of about 1,400 meters. We hit the slopes around 9 a.m. The day there was active and full of exercise. Around 4:30 p.m., the group met up to ski down to the valley. So it’s no wonder that everyone was thoroughly tired and exhausted by evening. After cooking and eating together, we chatted a bit or played some games to wind down the day peacefully.

Refreshing all around

Once again this year, none of the participants could escape the ritual that has been a tradition for years: Anyone visiting Randa for the first time must take a quick dip in a water trough. Since it is fed by pure mountain spring water, this turned into a “pleasantly refreshing” splash around. Everyone took the decidedly cool temperatures in stride and saw it as a sign to return to their schoolwork with a clear head once they were back at the Steinmühle boarding school.

13. March 2020

From Accident Prevention to “Bouncy Crowds”: The Advanced Chemistry Class Took a Field Trip to TU Darmstadt

News, Steinmühle on the Road, STEM

At the end of September, the advanced chemistry class of the graduating senior class traveled with their teacher, Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf, to the Technical University in Darmstadt.

The goal of the field trip was to learn about various topics related to “plastics” and “equilibria.” Getting to know a chemistry lab and conducting educational experiments in a university setting were intended to provide insights into a potential future degree program. After a two-hour train ride, the group headed straight to the university, where they first received an introduction to the topic of “plastics” and the experiment they would be conducting. The experiment involved synthesizing polydimethylsiloxane to produce silicones. The group also received detailed instruction on safety and protective equipment before beginning the experiment to prevent potential accidents in the lab.

The first part of the experiment on the production of silicones—synthetic polymers in which silicon atoms are linked to one another via oxygen atoms—took place on the morning of the day we arrived. We also had lunch in the university cafeteria.

This was followed in the afternoon by the second part of the experiment—cross-linking the oligo- or polydimethylsiloxane with boric acid; the results were “bouncy ball-like,” colorful masses. Afterward, the class headed to a nearby youth hostel. The students spent the evening with their teacher, Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf, enjoying a cozy get-together over dinner at a nearby pub.

Insightful Impressions

On the second day of the field trip, the university course covered the topic of “chemical equilibria” and conducted experiments to determine an equilibrium constant using spectrophotometry. In the course of this, the class also learned how to use a “Graphical Analysis app” to analyze and evaluate the results obtained; based on these measured values (the slope of the graph and the y-intercept), the equilibrium constants they were seeking could be calculated. In the afternoon, the advanced chemistry class headed back to Marburg, taking with them valuable insights and new experiences, both in terms of academic knowledge and career orientation.

Earlier this year, students in the advanced chemistry class had the opportunity to get a glimpse into what it’s like to study chemistry at Philipps University of Marburg. The topic of this workshop was plastics. The students in the advanced chemistry class learned about the various synthesis methods and how to use the tools of the trade.

Lena Noelle Joußen and Svenja Winter

28. January 2020

The U.S. exchange program enhances language skills

Languages & International Affairs, News, Steinmühle on the Road

The exchange program with the U.S. is a well-established tradition at Steinmühle. This spring, it was organized by English teacher Eva Stelz, with her colleague Rosie Boebel contributing her many years of experience. Eberhard Wieth accompanied the group on the trip to the U.S. as the second teacher traveling with them.

First, the Steinmühle students were in Goshen, where they accompanied their exchange partners to class. “Everyone got a taste of typical high school life,” reports Eva Stelz. In the third week, the group visited Chicago and New York City. Of course, a souvenir photo in front of Central Park was a must. The Americans’ return visit to Steinmühle took place from June 5 to 19. The itinerary included, among other things, a trip to the Rhine.

The trip boosted motivation to use the language

There’s no doubt that the students were able to gain a wide range of experiences through the exchange. Eva Stelz: “Above all, however, they were able to greatly improve their language skills, since they spent every day with their host families and had to speak English there. It was clear that they can now speak much more fluently and that their motivation has generally increased thanks to the wonderful experiences they had in an English-speaking country.”

15. July 2019

Steinmühle’s Project-Based Learning Inspires at Film Festival

Art, Music & Theater, News, Steinmühle on the Road

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.

13. May 2019

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

Languages & International Affairs, News, Steinmühle on the Road

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.”

14. March 2019

Students Visit Court: Here’s How a Trial Works

News, Politics, Business & Responsibility, Steinmühle on the Road

As part of the six-hour “Youth and Law” project, which ran over three weeks, Class 8c—taught by Steinmühlen teacher Dr. Claudia Röder—attended a court hearing at the Marburg Regional Court. The goal was to supplement the theoretical knowledge they had learned about court proceedings with real-life experience. After all, the media often convey certain ideas about what goes on in court. But is that really how it is?

The hearing concerned a juvenile criminal case involving assault. The group of students, whose field trip had been organized by Heike Schneider, a judge at the Regional Court, and Dr. Claudia Röder, was guided by Judge Thomas Rohner.

The students at Steinmühle found the discussion about whether the offense in question constituted minor or serious bodily injury particularly interesting. The parties to the trial also debated whether the male defendant should be sentenced under juvenile or adult criminal law. The arguments for and against were discussed at length, as they have a significant impact on the sentence.

Afterward, the very interested teenagers were given the opportunity to ask the judge and the prosecutor questions. At the end of the visit, Judge Heike Schneider showed the guests from Steinmühle the jury courtroom at the regional court and talked about her work.

7. February 2019

Advanced Art Class Explored Kassel’s Art School Scene

Art, Music & Theater, News, Steinmühle on the Road

Graduates and master’s students from the programs in Fine Arts, Art Education, Art History, Product Design, and Visual Communication at the Kassel Art Academy hosted their graduation exhibition in December. The exhibition took place in the documenta Hall. The artists’ final projects gave the students of the Steinmühlen Art Elective Course, led by Ines Vielhaben, insight into the quality and diversity of contemporary art and design in Kassel. The report from the Steinmühlen Art Elective Course states:

Armed with their cameras, the students first wandered through the exhibition, capturing the unusual, the surprising, and the thought-provoking from various perspectives. The students agreed: Almost everything about these exhibits is amazing! While they had previously been accustomed to traditional art forms such as drawing, painting, sculpture, film, and design at school, the arrangements in this exhibition seemed to blend all these genres together, employing cutting-edge technical methods and repeatedly subjecting art itself to ironic scrutiny. For example, graduates of the film classes painted over canvases and projected animated drawings of a running figure onto them.

The Creepy Face Scanner

One graduate experimented with seemingly mundane materials from the hardware store and the kitchen to create painterly images that emerged more by chance. A work featuring a facial scanner—which was given its own room—was both unsettling and technically impressive. Here, visitors could interactively animate a virtual face—similar to a video game—by changing their own facial expressions and head position. The face scanner’s learning ability was very unsettling for everyone and hinted at cutting-edge programming for artificial intelligence.

The Changing Role of the Viewer

In an installation that included a real swimming pool, above which a projection screen displaying a video was mounted, the boundaries of art became completely blurred. In the videos, the artist staged herself as she explored existential questions about life and its meaning. Through this artistic work, the students realized that, in addition to the use of unusual materials, the role of the viewer in contemporary art had also changed significantly: By being invited to step into the 37-degree water—swimwear and towels were provided—the viewer became a participating subject, intended to experience a sense of “oneness” with the water and with the other swimmers.

Female visitors as part of the performance

“Even though,” the report states, “none of us accepted this invitation, our small group was to become part of a performance-like presentation.” After an hour of exploring the art exhibition on their own, the students pinned their hopes on a guided tour by a professional art educator that would hopefully explain everything. But the guide, Julian, dashed those expectations right at the start of his tour. He literally slipped into the “role of the educator” by donning a costume, thereby making them—and us—part of a performance: he had photos of the exhibition printed on canvas, from which he had sewn together elements of clothing that exuded power. In this way, as the guide for this exhibition, he demonstrated his authority to us; at the same time, however, this attire reflected his ironic approach to the role of the educator, upon whose shoulders rested the burden of interpretive authority and the evaluation of the exhibition’s exhibits.

Discussing Aspects of Art Studies

Apparently, the older visitors who had intended to join our guide were so unsettled by his slightly provocative manner that only our advanced art class continued to listen to his explanations. Even though Julian didn’t explain the exhibits themselves, he was able to share some insightful background information with us about the creation of the masterclass final projects and the concept behind the exhibition. As the “private tour” came to a close, the students found it particularly exciting to ask him about various aspects of studying art and the art scene.

A visit like being thrown in at the deep end

All in all, this first-time visit to a contemporary art exhibition felt to the students as if they had been thrown into cold water—not 37 degrees. However, the discussions with the guide and former Steinmühle student Maren Eidenmüller about studying at the Kassel Art Academy were so interesting for everyone that no one regretted spending the third Sunday of Advent in the documenta hall instead of enjoying cookies and candlelight. The conclusion: These days, everything seems worthy of being called art and possible within the visual arts. It’s just a matter of how you sell it and how you make your case.

16. January 2019