DSN news. The great final Feliz navidad. No. 2 Newsletter of the German School Nairobi December 2011

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1 DSN news No. 2 Newsletter of the German School Nairobi December 2011 Editorial The Christmas Concert at the Benedictine Monastery in Tigoni is definitely the highlight of the school calendar each year. Just the drive to the monastery and the festive spirit in the abbey not only brings about a feeling of Christmas, but also one of peace and reflection after so many turbulent school weeks. This academic year, though, has not been turbulent just for the students. We teachers, too, have had our work cut out for us in addition to our teaching. We worked on implementing certain measures, which arose as a result of the School Inspection last year. Despite having had a successful inspection, there were some areas which were identified as weaknesses of the school by the inspectors. These need to be addressed now. In conjunction with parents and students, we have set ourselves goals, which we must achieve over the next few years. The 4 areas we worked on are, Discipline, Teaching and Learning, Language Competence in German, and Interculturality. These are indeed important steps on the way to school improvement. We are now facing another new challenge: in 2014, a Regional Abitur examination must be carried out in all German Schools Abroad. This means that the students who are currently in Class 10 will do the same examinations as students in Cairo, Alexandria, Jerusalem, and Bethlehem. The respective teachers are therefore required to produce a curriculum for the Upper Secondary by February The subjects concerned are German, English, Mathematics, History, Biology, Chemistry and Physics. This has obviously increased our workload tremendously. Under the auspices of school development, the Siemens Foundation gave us a very special Christmas present. To help promote Science Education in the school, we received a lot of equipment for experiments. A workshop was hosted by the foundation at the school. In addition, we are planning on establishing a Competence Centre for the promotion of Science Education in local schools at the German School Nairobi. Both the School Board and the Management are of the opinion, that this is a very interesting project. In a few years, our scholarship students will also be able to take advantage of this centre. Talking of scholarships, the Test Team, under the leadership of Ms Von Dessauer has chosen 6 new children, whom we will welcome to the school on the 9th of January As in the last Christmas Song at the Tigoni Concert, I wish you all Feliz navidad y un prospero año y felicidad Franz Baur, Acting Headmaster The great final Feliz navidad

2 DSN news 2 Kindergarten What is life like in the new Kindergarten? 2 months have already passed since the opening of the new Kindergarten. Teachers and children alike are feeling at home in the new rooms, and are enjoying the bigger and brighter space. The new children and teachers have settled down well, and it is especially nice to be able to have our youngest children (24 of them split into 2 Play-Groups) with us in the main Kindergarten. The afternoon programme continues to grow, and activities such as Yoga, Cooking and Swimming have become particularly popular. The only thing missing now is our garden with all the playground equipment. However, the grass and plants are growing beautifully, and after the Christmas holidays, we hope this will be in place, too! Primaryschool St. Martin The traditional St. Martin s festival was celebrated by the children of the Kindergarten and the Primary School on Friday Numerous children, parents and teachers first assembled in the hall, where the Class 4 pupils enacted the story of St. Martin under the guidance of Mrs Kruse. This year, the children were supported by Mr Semjank with their music and songs. The children had made their own lanterns, and as darkness fell, the lanterns lit up the evening sky. A St. Martin s parade, led by a knight on a horse, made its way over the school court, to the end of the sports field, where a blazing bonfire was set up. The children sang the traditional St. Martin s songs, accompanied by guitar music. Each child was given a delicious gingerbread man, while the other guest feasted on sausages and mulled wine. We thus had yet another successful St. Martin s celebration, appropriately lit up by the lanterns and the fire. Many thanks to all those who helped once again to make the event a highlight of the school year. Class 4 performing the St. Martin play

3 DSN news 3 Karibu New faces at GSN My name is Caroline Forster. My family and I moved from Switzerland to Nairobi last summer. Before our arrival, I was working at the Hochschule der Künste in Berne as a lecturer and chemist. Since August 2011, I have taken over the teaching of Swiss Studies for all students from Class 7 upwards. I am also continuing to teach my students in Switzerland. The lectures take place in Berne via e-learning from Nairobi. I feel very much at home at the German School Nairobi, and I really enjoy bringing as many facets as possible about Switzerland a little closer to my Swiss students. My name is Stefanie Thomas, and since the 1st of November, I have taken on the duty of the Public Relations Manager at the German School Nairobi. For the last seven years, I worked as Human Resources Manager for the Neumann Kaffee Group in Hamburg. During this time I worked closely with several of its affiliated companies abroad, many of them in East Africa. I thus developed both business and personal relationships, which have finally brought me to Nairobi. I am delighted that I was able to start working at the German School Nairobi directly after my arrival here, and I am looking forward to my new task. I am always available to talk to anyone who would like to discuss any PR- related matters at the school. The little things. That s what we re perfect in. Small things can be great. When you fl y SWISS Business, you ll enjoy delicious Swiss cuisine, a modern entertainment system and a fully fl at bed. SWISS fl ies nonstop from Nairobi to Zurich, Switzerland, with excellent connections to 7 destinations in Germany and over 70 cities in 38 countries world-wide. For more information contact SWISS in Nairobi on or , your preferred travel agent or visit swiss.com Award winning: SWISS Business with fully flat bed

4 DSN news 4 Extra-curricular activities In addition to the list of extra-curricular activities published in the Newsletter of September 2011, the Music department would like to announce two more musical activities. Firstly our own well-known Rock Band, with V.Beck, A. Stier, J. Wangalachi and L. Vihuto, (who incidentally have re-equipped the Band Room during the summer holidays at their own cost) will practise on Thursdays from p.m. Secondly, we will be offering a String band activity on Wednesdays from p.m. This will be led by Ms A. Baldus, who has already set up a similar string ensemble in Tanzania. She intends to do the same here. Dr. J. Comes will support her efforts with the double bass. Ms Baldus will also offer violin lessons. J. Semjank The Auto Club A students project with a big goal! Jan Semjank and Rudolf Czikl have been hosting an Auto Club activity since the beginning of the academic year 2010 / 2011 at the school. The car is on old Toyota FJ40, which has recently been christened Lucy. Participants of this club are 11 students from Classes 9 11, who have been working on Lucy every Friday afternoon for the past 1 ½ years. The big goal of the club for the year 2012 is to participate in the annual off-road motor sport competition, the Rhino Charge. The event is organised by Rhino Arch foundation, and all proceeds of the competition go towards improving the ecosystem of the Aberdare National Park. Since August this year, the group is officially registered as a Rhino Charge participant, and in June 2012, Lucy will be at the start line with the number 15, under the group name, Benchwarmers. We have achieved a lot, but with barely 6 months remaining to the Rhino Charge, both the Benchwarmers and Lucy have their work cut for them. Not only the car and the members must be brought into top shape, we must also raise enough money for the competition, complete all repairs on the car, and come up with a uniform for the team. What that now means for us: to raise enough curiosity and fans for this project, inform them appropriately, convince them of our passion, and thereby find support and sponsorships! For more information on how you can assist in this project, please look at our website: under Benchwarmers - the Garage on Facebook, or read the flyer that has been enclosed with this newsletter. Natalie Beck, class 10

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6 DSN news 6 Art Department Art outside the school boundaries! 4 girls from Class 11, Sofia, Maria, Olivia and Eliana, along with the Art Teacher Ms Moßmann had the opportunity to show off their artistic abilities outside the school. During 2 Saturdays in October, they redecorated the offices of Phoenix- Safaris in Village Market. New, attractive art work adorns the walls now, and we are sure it will help to promote the thrills of a safari! Student s Council (SV) Dear Students, The Christmas holidays are nearly there, and we have a few more things to report. Some Students Council representatives participated in the Pedagogical Day that took place on the 28th of October, and we must say it was very interesting and informative for us. Further details of this will be given out during the meeting of Class Representatives, which we hope to hold before the Christmas holidays. We would also like to ask for your help in the various working groups. As we are also being raised to be democratic, it is important that we learn such concepts as early as possible, and that we work together with the rest of the school on the new rules and structures the school will have. If you are interested in this, please approach one of us, so can give you more detailed information. We also hope to make a Students Council Suggestion Box available to all students, through which you can forward your wishes and information to us. We wish you all a Merry Christmas and Prosperous New Year. Regards, SV

7 DSN news 7 PSC The PSC reports: In September, all classes had elected their Parents Representatives, who had their first meeting of the year as the Parents General Committee (PGC) on They elected their chairman and the deputy as well as the members of the Parents Sub-Committee (PSC), the sub-committee of the PGC. The members of the PSC are in this year: Kindergarten: Susan Semjank (KG1) / Susi Wunsch (KG2) Ja-su@gmx.de susi-wunsch@indu-farm.com Primary School: Woki Muhindi (K2) / Ulrich Emmesberger (K2) woki@muhindi.com ulrich.emmesberger@wartsila.com Lower Secondary: Maurice Wangalachi (K9)/ Mrs. Irene Mwenda (K5) Rizz@jenexis.com mwendaie@gmail.com Upper Secondary: Herbert Mwachiro (K10)/ Barbara Alcamo (K11) Herbert.tawa@gmail.com alcamo.barbara@gmail.com Scholarship Stud.: Antony Mwangi (Sch.) / Ken Wambugu (Sch.) mwangi@sunlandkenya.com kwrutere@yahoo.com Chairman PGC: Ernst Tenambergen (K4) doctor_ten@yahoo.com Dep. Chair PGC: Simone Stier arzt-100@nair.diplo.de The PSC meets monthly. The Dep. Chairperson of the PGC, Simone Stier chairs it. Oliver Stegen as the liaison officer of the Board participates and thus helps to shorten ways of communication. Ernst Tenambergen has brief weekly meetings with the headmaster and joins the session of the Steering Group (SG) for school development. Simone Stier participates in the meetings of the Teachers Conference (TC). We would like to add here, that not only the structure for cooperation, but also the spirit of this sub-committee is democratic. In brief, the PSC has the role of fostering good communication between the parents, the school management, the teachers, the students and the Board. It addresses general problems in due time and constructively, it mediates in the case of individual problems, makes proposals from the parent body, and coordinates with the school with the organization of common events. The PSC is currently involved in the 4 work groups created by the school to improve on what the external inspectors deemed to be weak areas of the school last November. We are also organising a private tuition system, as well as German lessons for the non-german parents. For this year, special activities could be the establishment of a Green Club for Environmental Protection at GSN and an open school party with a tentative date of If you have any questions, do not hesitate to approach anyone of us. We shall also report our activities and ideas by circulating the minutes of our meetings through your class representative to you. At the same time you can read them on the GSN-website. With kind regards, the PSC Difficult situations in life can be faced more easily by relying on one s own strength and accepting support from other people. Strong parents ask for help. Let prevention start early! Gertraud Fogt Contact Person, Substance Abuse Prevention Programme

8 DSN news 8 School Board Dear members, You have elected your board members, and we are really pleased, that we are able to start the new academic year with a full team of eight board members. The 8 members have been assigned to various offices, and have already taken on new tasks. The entire Board, along with the School and Administration Management look forward to working closely with you. With best regards Thomas Iten The new Board Members Thomas Iten Chairperson Ludwig Kirchner Treasury Michael Hörder Deputy Treasury Construction Julia Mielke Deputy Chair Human Resources Anja Wekesa Deputy Human Resources Claudia Heinemann Secretary Marketing Oliver Stegen School Liaison Officer Dep. Secretary Markus Dieling Dep. School Liaison Officer QM Administration Sport Let s go Global! The spectacular Global, a sporting event of the European schools in Nairobi tool place this year too. The Norwegian, Swedish, Dutch, French and of course the German School Nairobi, all battled hard for the much loved rotating trophy. The Dutch school played the hosts this time, and had established several things to facilitate the games. Netball took place on the tennis courts, Dodge ball and Schattenball took place on the sports field, and the participants also had to battle it out in the swimming pool! And how they battled! The Green, Blue, Orange and Yellow teams ran, jumped, swam and threw with all their might. The best part of it all was that at the end, each school had a winner, as the groups were all mixed with children from different schools. We did not need Ron s first-aid box at all, and the Class 3 children also managed to forget about the lost trophy once they were invited to eat ice cream. What a successful day! Class 3 at the Global

9 DSN news 9 Football The new school year saw the unveiling of the new German replica trikots for the Senior Boys, Senior Girls and Under-9 years soccer teams, thanks to various sponsors (see related article). For the Senior Boys' team, the season proved to be a mixed bag of fortunes. Unfortunately in the schools league, the boys lost a few matches by very narrow margins. They managed one win in 7 matches. Coach Ali saw this season as a learning process especially because the team, playing in an under 19yrs league, is still very young (6 players are 15yrs or under- Dylan Diaz 15, Betawa Mwachiro 15, Niklas Haggmark 15, Luke Mbithi 14, Alex Blininger 14, Leandro Ngomane 13). With only 2 senior players from Class 12 leaving the school this year, this team can only get stronger during the next season. On a more positive note in the one tournament that the Senior Boys entered, played at ISK on Saturday 24th September, the boys emerged fifth out of a field of 16, having won 5 out of 8 matches. The boys finished the season with three wins U19 Girls Football Team Spiel gegen die Schwedische Schule in three friendly matches. They first beat the school s staff/coaches team on the23rd of November 4:0 and particularly enjoyed the victory over their own coaches. On the 26th of November, the boys defeated both the Goethe Institute (5:1) and the Swedish School (2:1) at the German School s football afternoon. Throughout the season, the two strikers Nico Gelinek and Tarek Suleiman proved to be reliable and successful goal scorers! Even the Girls Team participated in the GSN football afternoon. They first beat the Goethe Institute 2:0, with Natalie Beck scoring twice. Against the much stronger and more experienced Swedish School they lost 3:0 but the girls, above all Anna Stier, showed an impressive fighting spirit. The Girls Team is training seriously for their upcoming season, which starts in January 2012 where they have lots of friendly matches and tournaments lined up. Their Coach Doreen Nabwire is confident that her team will do the new trikots proud. The younger boys (under 9 yrs) also received a new set of trikots and on 22nd October The Under 9, Under 10 and Under 12 teams played in a mini-tournament organized at the German School in which they played very well. The Under 9 team played 3 matches and impressed us in their new trikots (won 2 and drew one). The Under 10 and Under 12 teams won 2 and lost 1 match each. One of the upcoming highlights is the yearly Nairobi Mini World Cup held every year in February which attracts more than 30 teams from all over Nairobi. Karin Häggmark und Viberti Nyakang o Trainer-Staff-Schüler Spiel U9

10 DSN news International Athletic Championship at the Nyayo Stadium Since the beginning of 2011, the school boasts an Athletics Club as an extra-curricular activity which currently comprises of 38 members! Unfortunately it was not possible for us trainers to take all 38 members to the International Athletic Championship, as the rules only allow us to take one athlete per sport per age category. 27 students thus proudly represented the German School Nairobi. At the Nyayo Stadium 16 schools came together on Friday, 25th November All participants went to the start line with a good deal of motivation, and we are pleased to report we posted some great results. In addition to several excellent results and positions, 2 students and one relay team were also awarded the much revered medals. Luke Mbithi has re-earned himself the nickname The Man, after winning the 400m race in 1.01 minutes. He won a bronze medal in the U15 Boys category. Nathanael Hörder, with his excellent time of seconds in the 100m race, won a silver medal. The U15 Girls 4x100 relay team were denied a gold medal thanks to a fall in the last section, but nonetheless still managed to win a silver medal. At the end, all members of the Athletics Club and their parents were invited to a Pool Party at the school. The training team would like to thank all the participants of this club for their sporting spirit. Stay tuned! Ron and Viberti Incidentally... We would like to aplogise to 2 families, whom we unintentionally did not mention in our last newsletter. Thank you very much to the Families Ndolo and Hornetz, who also sponsored football jerseys for our Football Teams. A huge thanks also goes out to the Family Lammers, for their very generous donation of a full football kit (including jerseys, shorts, and football socks) for the second Football Team of the Primary School. Thanks to this support, all our Football Teams are kitted with the new national uniforms.

11 DSN news 11 Prevention of substance abuse Sport It is very important nowadays to offer leisure activities that are also meaningful, i.e. an activity, that is not only fun, but also allows the participant a sense of achievement. Sports can be used as a means against the increasing violence in society, especially with children and teenagers, who have been searching for possibilities through which they can assert themselves, and burn off all that excess energy. Children and teenagers can organize their free time better with sport, and at the same time they will be doing their health a lot of good. In addition, they will be forced to think about fair-play in sport, they will learn about discipline, team spirit, and solidarity. It is also a good way of experiencing successes and failures, victories and defeats, and to learn how to handle them and accept them. Have you ever thought about why it would be a good idea to do sport? To simply destress To forget problems To switch off for a moment To meet people To balance out periods of inactivity To improve the cardiologic and blood circulation systems To improve stamina, strength, speed and co-ordination To carry out a meaningful leisure activity To add some pizzazz to your daily routine To lose a few kilos To improve your figure And to have fun Sport contributes to solidarity in our societies, promotes international understanding, brings about fairness, is an important part of staying healthy, and helps the fight against drugs. He who smokes like a man, dies like a man early and from cancer. (Proverb from my surgery teacher during my nursing training). Stay strong, stay tuned and never back down Ron Kirsch, Athletics Trainer Prevention of substance abuse is no secret at the school, yet many parents do not seem to be aware of how much is being done in this field at the school, and just how many people need to be involved in this difficult task. The bottom line is: parents have entrusted their children to us. It is the obligation of the school to strengthen these children. At the German School Nairobi, we have already established several measures to promote this concept. One such programme is the Lions Quest Programme, which is carried out in Classes 5 8. This includes different topics, ranging from recognising one s own resources, to purposeful strategies, which are practised in the form of role plays for example. In Class 8, we have a Prevention of Substance Abuse seminar, with an expert from Germany. In Class 9, we host a follow-up session. In addition, Mr Rieker, the seminar leader of the abuse prevention week is available to the students via . The theme of prevention is of utmost importance while choosing literature books, especially in the Lower Secondary. Not everything that helps with substance abuse prevention must be thus named: for example we will be using 2 computer games, which have just been installed but still remain a surprise. Last but not least, we organise seminars in the Upper Secondary that help the students in the concept of personality building and strengthening. To help students cope better (with private or school issues), Mrs Schulz-Ngomane is available in the Boat. Students can discuss their problems here, and find help. And Ron Kirsch, our School Nurse, has become confidant number one for many members of the school. The work group Discipline has taken on the task of implementing measures to be taken in case the school rules regarding substance abuse being broken. It is clear here, that such big issues are of concern to us all: parents, teachers and students have been exchanging ideas extensively. It has recently become very obvious, that a smoke-free school is the wish of our students and they are working hard to achieve this goal. We have been working on the concept of substance abuse prevention from last year. We would like to thank Ms Wesner, Ms Rundgren, Mr Ebers und Ron Kirsch for their commitment, time and expertise on the matter. Gertraud Fogt, Contact Person, Substance Abuse Prevention Programme

12 DSN news 12 Is something bothering you, or do have any serious issues? Come to the Boat! In the Boat you will have the chance to swim away from school and speak about what is wrong: trouble at home, or with teachers, or even poor grades in class. Or you may have just argued with a friend, and you simply want to talk about it to someone. All this is possible in the Boat - you can talk to me, or someone else, who I would be able to recommend. And whatever is discussed in the Boat stays in the boat, i.e. it remains confidential. Teachers, you too are welcome to the Boat. If you are stressed about other colleagues, or your students, or even if you have any non-school related issues, you can dump them in the Boat a cup of coffee or herbal tea always helps! And again, everything we discuss stays in the Boat. Dear Parents, you may be concerned about your children, if they do not feel at home in the school, are being harassed in some way, or simply don t seem to be coping Pass by and talk about it in the Boat the next steps to be taken will easily fall into place. Welcome one, welcome all! Psychosocial counselling helpline available from September 2011 in Room 21, on Tuesdays and Thursdays from p.m. Dorothea Schulz-Ngomane Pastor / Religion Teacher

13 DSN news 13 *8.950 KES per person, sharing per night Mar a Siria With the most spectacular view into the Masai M ara this eco-friendly luxury tented camp offers a wide range of activities including game drives, guided game walks, mountain-biking, cultural visits and - feeling as zebras and antelopes are present in and around the camp. The 14 generously placed units are tastefully furnished, equipped with an en-suite bathroom with flush toilet and safari hot water shower. Mara Siria is for sure one of the hidden treasures of the Masai Mara Kiangazi House Kiangazi House, situated in the acre Oserian Wildlife Sanctuary, offers a panoramic view of the Rift Valley and Mau Escarpment as well as easy access to Hell s gate National Park and Lake Naivasha. The house is built in the old traditional style of lo cal stone and timber with ind ividually hand-crafted furn iture and provides luxury accommodation in a tranquil setting. * KES per person, sharing p er night * KES p er person, sharing per night Rhino River Camp Rhino River Camp is one of Kenya s newest eco-friendly lu xury lodges at the edge of Meru National Park in the Central Highlands. Built on 80 acres of private land the camp comprises of eight spacious cottages, a swimming pool, a restaurant area and receives most of its energy through solar and hydro power. Explore the wildlife through game viewing Meru National P ark, bush hiking and walking tours on the many nature trails or relax on your veranda with a therapeutic eutic massage. Sunbird Lodge Sunbird Lodge, an eco-friendly luxury lodge is located in the Great Rift Valley set on private land on the shore of beautiful Lake Elementaita and overlooking the plains of Soysambu Conservancy. Only 90 minutes away from Nairobi yo u can enjoy the African sunset and relax in one of the 14 spacious en-suite cottages with a large private verandah offering own restaurant. Go for a game drive to the nearby Nakuru National Park or arrange for a wal king safari. *6.300 KES per perso n, sharing per night Phoenix Safa ari is wi ishes Yo u a M err ry Ch hri istmas and a Ha ap pp py Ne ew Ye ea r! For more details please contact P.0. Box 1141 Villag e Market, Nairobi - Kenya, Mobile: or , Phonefax ( +254) , Wireless info@phoenix-safaris.de, Website: enix-safaris.de *supplement s applicable d uring festive season

14 DSN news 14 Resource Centre Testing for the future 2 important tests were carried out at the Resource Centre of the German School Nairobi in November 2011: TestAS (Test for Academic Studies), and TestDaF, (Test for German as a Foreign Language). Both tests have been developed and evaluated by the not for profit organisation TestDaF Institut in Hagen ( This institute works in close co-operation with German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), and the Goethe Institutes world-wide. TestAS is a central, standardised aptitude test for foreign students. TestAS gives prospective students information about their individual ranking compared to other university applicants. It involves a short language test, a sort of intelligence test, and a more detailed test in a subject of the student s choice (Computer Science, Mathematics / Natural Science, Economics or Engineering). On the contrary, TestDaF is purely a language test, which is a required examination for foreign students for all institutions of higher education in Germany. 37 students, including the entire Class 11 of the German School Nairobi took the TestAS examination on the 12th of November. The most popular module was the Computer Science module (17), followed by the Natural Sciences module (11), and 9 students chose either the Economic or Engineering modules. Dr. Georg Verweyen, the director of the Test centre in Nairobi, and a German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) lecturer at the Kenyatta University had the following to say about the tests: I believe, these tests are really good indicators of the student s ability to continue his / her higher education in Germany. Of course the average mark achieved in the Abitur examination is the best indicator of a student s academic ability, but for those students who do not have an Abitur qualification (e.g. Kenyan university applicants), then the results of the TestAS, in my opinion, give a better indication than an interview or a university admissions test. Dr. Verweyen also expressed his regret at the fact that due to the federal education system in Germany, too few higher education schools are insisting on this test. The TestDaf was done by eight Kenyan students on the 22nd of November, all of whom have been awarded scholarships by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). By doing this examination, they hope to improve their chances of getting admission into a German University. After the completion of both tests, Dr. Verweyen thanked the Resource Centre for organising the two events. He highly praised the technological equipment of the centre, which made these tests possible in the first place. He also added, I am always struck by how green and peaceful, how quiet it is here on the school compound. The participants of the TestAS were also very appreciative of the food and drinks provided by students of Class 12. Karin Häggmark News from the nurse MOVEMBER Mo is short for moustache hence the words moustache and November form the word MOvember. On the 1st of November, Viberti and I came completely clean shaven to school! Perhaps this is something very normal for many of our male colleagues, but for us it was a rather unusual feeling to feel a draught on the chin! The background for this action was Movember. The programme originated in Australia, and its aim is raise awareness on men s health problems. We raised money for the fight against 2 important health problems: prostate cancer and depression. With their unshaven facial hair, men around the world aim to make people aware of these illnesses. Movember itself has coined health programmes, and works closely with national programmes to fight against prostate cancer and depression. They focus on explaining what the illness entails, help affected families and help with the recovery. Here at the school, we distributed flyers which explained our actions and called for donations. We also had the campaign, Check your balls, Gents! Our male students and teachers were thus made more aware of the risks of prostate and testicular cancer. A total of around 100 was raised, which was donated to the German Cancer Foundation in the name of the German School Nairobi. We thank all the sponsors. Ron Kirsch, School Nurse

15 DSN news 15 Miscellaneous Graduation Celebration at the St. Augustine School As part of the 40th anniversary celebration s of the school, students, teachers, staff members and parents participated in a sponsored run, and raised a very impressive sum of 17,000. This money was subsequently donated to a fairly new school, the St. Augustine School in Ruiru, to help them with the construction of some new school buildings. 18 pupils of Class 8 of this school celebrated their graduation from Primary School on the 2nd of November. Judy Nyambura, the Headmistress of the school invited some representatives of the German School Nairobi to this event. We witnessed an impressive ceremony! Students of the lower classes Student The Guests of Honour from the German School Nairobi, (a team consisting of Christine Buchheit, Claudia Heinemann, Stefanie Thomas and a photographer Marion Masuch) were received with pomp and ceremony. The hall of the school had been festively decorated, and the graduates sat proudly in the first row, dressed in their graduation gowns. The rest of the pupils, as well as parents waited impatiently for the start of the ceremony. The ceremony started somewhat later than expected, as we waited for the arrival of the local Pastor. In the form of prayer, the Pastor encouraged the students to be mentally prepared for their forthcoming examinations, wished them courage and confidence, praised them for their achievements so far, and appealed to them to prepare well for their examinations. In Kenya, the graduation ceremony for Class 8 pupils takes place before the actual examinations. We, too, hope that all the pupils will indeed fulfill these expectations, and pass the examination. Judy Nyambura with some Graduates Graduates In her speech, Judy Nyambura emphasised the importance of this qualification for the future lives of the graduates, and declared them to be the pioneers of the school. In particular she thanked the representatives of the German School Nairobi for their generous support of St. Augustine School. At the end, on behalf of the German School Nairobi, we also wished the candidates every success in their examinations, and gave a small gift to each of them. Marion photographed the prize giving ceremony. Each graduate will receive a copy of his / her picture before Christmas, so that they can all remember this day for a long time to come. We began our journey back home after several more musical and dance performances. We were very impressed with the positive and highly motivated ambiance at the school, and remain convinced that the money we raised really serves a good cause, and has been used wisely. We will endeavour to continue being in close contact with the St. Augustine School. Stefanie Thomas, PR-Manager

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17 DSN news 17 Scholarship Students candidates were invited to the Test Day, chosen from the large number of applicants we had in response to our annual advertisement in the newspaper. These 9 and 10 year olds were promptly available at the school with their parents on the 19th of November. While the children showcased their abilities through the various tests on this sunny morning, the parents were given information about our school and the school system. As this is an academic scholarship, the six best applicants were chosen. We will be able to welcome the new students in the middle of January. And when they, after successfully completing their intensive German course, complete their first year as Class 5 students at the German School Nairobi, our second scholarship student will be completing her Abitur qualification with us! Regine von Dessauer A surprise concert at the German School Nairobi On the 18th of November 2011, the students of the German School Nairobi were treated to an unexpected concert at the school by Dominik Haas and his group. The Reggae singer was a student at the German School for 5 years, and in fact he had his first concert on the stage of our school. He is currently on a tour in East Africa, and his short detour thrilled not only the students and the teachers of the school, but was a delight for Dominik himself. He presented 3 songs (Jewelry, Africa and Another Day), through which he was able to show the power of his voice, as well as the variety in his songs. His euphoria quickly caught on to the audience, who sang and danced along. Everyone obviously enjoyed this very unusual end to the week. With contributions from Class 7 pupils, edited by G. Fogt Dominik Haas

18 DSN news Euro Gift Shortly before Christmas, our Chemistry Head of Department, Mr Schick received some great news from Germany. He was able to acquire much needed experiment equipment. Soon after he started working at the German School Nairobi, he had made an application for funds to the Fonds der Chemischen Industrie ( The application was successful, and the school was awarded the sum of 2000 Euros. The only condition is that this money must be used by But this, according to Mr Schick, is not a problem at all, as he urgently needs a lot of equipment for the Chemistry laboratory which was re-done last year. Perhaps at the end of the project week in February we can expect a tour of the Chemistry Rooms? Administration Department Quality Management in the Administration Department We ususally expect the administration department of any business to quietly get on with their work without necessarily being at the forefront. As in all businesses this applies to schools as well. GSN-board member Markus Dieling has taken on this important issue and started a project with some members of the administration department at the beginning of November. Under his guidance ideas are developed in the weekly meetings. We discuss among other things how the current structures and processes meet the requirements of a German School Abroad and where changes can be made for a more effective and customer-friendly administration department. Anja Schatz Provisional Replacement for the Library We sincerely thank Anja Schatz, who has agreed to supervise in the library on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m., until the school finds a more permanent solution. Ms Schatz worked at a university library in Germany, and will definitely bring her expertise to us. Please note that it will not be possible to borrow books on Thursdays and Fridays. The school is still looking for a German Speaking person to take the post of the librarian. Anyone interested in this post should contact the Administration Manager. Calendar January 2012 Mon School reopens after the Christmas Holidays Thu First school day of the new scholarship students Mo Reports Conference Class 12 Tue Giving out reports Class 12 Tue to Fr Middle School Model United Nations Thu Reports Conference Primary School Mon Reports Conference Classes 5-8 Thu Reports Conference Classes 9-11

19 DSN news 19 School Development Fit for the future After the school inspection last year, the German School Nairobi was awarded the seal of an Excellent School Abroad. This award bears the signature of the President of the Federal Republic of Germany, and was handed over to the German School Nairobi by the German Ambassador to Kenya in a festive ceremony on the 27th of May. With participation from all the school bodies, the school has managed to develop concrete measures that need to be implemented over the next few years. The project was concluded on the 30th of November 2011 at the Teachers Conference after 6 months of work. The work conducted in the 4 areas namely Language Competence in German, Teaching and Learning, Discipline and Interculturality, was done in conjunction with teachers, students, parents and board members. The contents of the entire project will be handed over to the Central Agency for Schools Abroad in Cologne. Additionally, our teachers of the Upper Secondary are working on a School Curriculum for Classes 11 and 12. The aim is to replace the previous syllabi with educational standards, and the subject matter with skills. The reason for this is that in 2 years time, our students will be taking a Regional Abitur Examination. Karl-Ludwig Schick, PQM Co-ordinator Christmas Concert at Tigoni on 4th December 2011 And finally..we would like to come back to the Christmas Concert that we mentioned at the beginning of this newsletter. Once again it was a very festive and at the same time a very entertaining event with music of a very high quality. While we thank all the contributors to this concert, we would like to thank in particular the people involved in organizing this programme: the musical director Mr Semjank, the music teachers Ms Sudra, Ms Baldus, Ms Stegen, Ms Njoroge-Regeru, the backstage management, the MCs Lena Stier and Kim Haustedt, Ms Niehaus for designing the programme and the posters as well as Ms Iten and Ms Semjank for the festive decoration of the church. DSN news info@germanschool.co.ke Tel.: (0) , (0) Franz Baur, Acting Headmaster Stefanie Thomas, Editor Christina Niehaus, Layout Shital Shah, English translations