N e w s l e t t e r No. 7 Academic Year 2009/2010 Nairobi, 30th of June 2010

Dear Parents and Students,Only a few days to go before the long holidays! “Finally”, I am sure, is the word not only the students, but also some parents and teachers are thinking of! The last phase of the year has not been easy, as usual. Nonetheless, through the several extra-curricular activities, such as Practical Training, Spring Concert, Ritter Rost, Career’s Evening and the public viewing of the World Cup Football matches, it has indeed been enriching!Through our newsletters over the year, you have been kept informed about all the goings-on at the school, and you have thus had a good insight into the variety of activities and commitment of our school family.A part of the end of year is also a time to say goodbye to Kenya and to the German School Nairobi.17 students will be leaving our school. I wish them all a very quick and successful settling down in their new environment, and also wish that they will look upon their times at the German School Nairobi and in Kenya with fondness. Please do keep in touch with us.As is typical in a School Abroad, there will also be changes in the teaching staff and in the administration department.

The following members will be leaving us:Ms. Elke Schmidt-Okoth at the school since 1999Ms. Barbara Schlie at the school since 2000Mr. Ulrich Helmstetter at the school since 2004Ms. Bettina Lammerding at the school since 2008Ms. Claudia Theilen at the school since 2008

They have all worked convincingly and with commitment in the school. I would like to give them my heartfelt thanks, and wish them all the best, all the success and all the joy in their future endeavours, wherever these might be.

Looking Back

Kangaroo Mathematics Competition 2010 (18.3.)M

ore than 800,000 students from 8500 German Schools participated in the Kangaroo Mathematics Competition on the 18th of March 2010. This competition takes place concurrently in 46 countries

Deutsche Schule NairobiGerman School Nairobi

P.O. Box 97800621 Nairobi, Kenya

Telefon:(+254-20) 7120 192(+254-20) 7120 371(+254-20) 7121 400mobile telephone:0733-4456850721-258417

Fax:(+254-20) 7120 236

e-mail: info@germanschool.co.ke

Internet : www.dsnairobi.de

Hallo Guido mit Familie, vielen Dank für Deine lieben Zeilen aus Übersee. Es freut uns, dass es Euch allen soweit gut geht. Mit einem bayrisch grantelnden Vater ist es manchmal nicht so einfach, ich kann mitfühlen, mein Vater (Wandinger) ist auch nicht anders.

world-wide in similar ways. The test is in the form of a multiple choice test, which has been set by an international organization, “Kangaroos without Borders”. Each Class receives exercises relevant to their age, which are to be completed in 75 minutes.In the German School Nairobi 98 students from Classes 3 – 11 participated in this competition. The first position went to Tiva Joslyn (Cl. 6), while second position was jointly shared by Miriam Stegen (Cl. 6) and Otto Weber (Cl. 4). In joint third position were Silas Stegen (Cl. 3), and Tabita Stegen (Cl. 8). We congratulate the mathematically talented Stegen Family and we are delighted for Otto, but above all our

congratulations go to the winner, Tiva Joslyn. Well done to all the winners, and thank you very much to all the participants!

Chihuahuas from hell, and Breakfast in the sky (18. – 20.3.)

“Love for children, love for books and the idea of allowing children to be creative without force” – these are the three guiding principles of the project “Buchkinder Leipzig”. The main aim of this project is to let children create their own books, and include them in all aspects of book production – from ideas about layout to printing and binding. Thanks to a workshop at the Goethe Institut, our librarian Susan

Semjank familiarized herself with this project. The project was then taken up by Class 2 with the assistance of their class teacher Matthias Hasse shortly before Christmas. As the Foreign Language German students of Class 6 saw the excellent productions of their younger peers, they, with their teacher Karin Häggmark made a spontaneous decision – we want to do this too! The following weeks were spent thinking, writing, drawing, printing (a huge thanks to Christina Niehaus who helped her artistically less talented colleague KH by patiently showing her the finer details of Lino printing) and binding. Fantastic books and wonderful stories were produced as a result. Among these were the devilish dogs in “Chihuahuas from Hell” (Michelle Otieno), the unusual friendship between the Hamster Rufus and a cat in “Friends Forever” (Jaime Diaz), the angry animal gangs in “The adventures of the Deer” (Luke Mbithi), and an excursion to God in “Breakfast in the Sky” (Imani Arunga).The young authors read out their books to the rest of the group at the end of the project. Reading out aloud, according to the initiators of the project in Leipzig, is an essential part of the project, as “the attention this brings the authors strengthens their feelings of self-worth”.Imani Aruga and Tiva Joslyn went to the reading lesson in the Kindergarten. There they were praised by an unusual, attentive, and enthusiastic audience, and a huge round of applause.“I was really nervous”, said Imani after the reading session, “but it felt really good!”(K. Häggmark)

Abitur Celebration (21.5.)

This year, 6 Abitur students graduated from the German School Nairobi on the 21st of May, after completing 12 years of schooling. Marlene Zenk emerged the best Abitur student, in addition to

winning the prize from the German Association of Mathematicians for her perfect score of 15 points in Mathematics.Class 11 hosted the very successful celebration, while students from Class 10 beautifully decorated the sports hall in the theme of “beach”. A special guest was present at the ceremony – a Scottish bagpiper, to honour the Scottish graduate, Fiona. Music for the rest of the evening lay in the very capable hands of the school orchestra and the school band.(Photos: C. Papathansiou)

2

Spring Concert (27.5.)

“Can you feel the love tonight” was the theme of the choral and musical Spring Concert that took place on the 27th of May at the German School Nairobi under the direction of the Music Teacher Jan Semjank.The Spring Concert used to be a presentation of the German Community Choir, but has now developed to a fixed annual event, where almost the whole school participates, from the youngest to the eldest!Class 1 thus presented the “turnip song” where they musically demonstrated how the valuable vegetable can be

harvested through combined effort. Manja Buchheit’s and Elka Monk played together as a flute duet.There was a true feeling of being at a concert when Haydn’s “Piano Trio” was played, with Franzi Baur and Lea Niwar on the violin and cello respectively, and Patrick Bourgeix on the piano. Years of practice and discipline have made them extremely successful musicians, and their performance was met with a thunderous applause. The Upper Secondary School orchestra, further strengthened by members from

Class 9 showed vocal harmony.The Children’s choir made of children from Classes 2-4 impressed the audience with their “supercalifragelisticexialigetisch”, accompanied by what can only be called a “lightning storm of photography” from proud parents!Class 2, under the guidance of Matthias Hasse, showed that while it is very difficult to tap in rhythm, memorize words, and clap all at the same, it is still possible, and presented “Kookobara”. The children

3

proved they are not scared of Ragtime Rhythm either – they presented Lassus-Trombe-Ragtime” with sticks, triangles and xylophones.The children’s choir, with “Rock my soul” had the audience tapping their feet, before they gave the adult choir and Kim Haustedt’s solo rendition of “Barbar’ Ann” a standing ovation. Not only the voices and the direction of the music made this evening a success – many thanks also to Barbara Schlie’s lighting and technical team. Lara Holstein and Andre Czikl made very convincing Masters of Ceremony.The second part of the concert was dedicated almost completely to choral music. Obega Owino and Ongeri Mugati displayed their impressive drumming skills. To add to the African aspect of the concert, the upper Secondary Choir accompanied a solo by Dalma Schweiter to present

“Iphradisi”, a traditional Zulu Song. The title, “Thina singu” comes from South Africa.The ten men of the German Community Choir, with the 13 women in the background also displayed their singing talents. They presented a song from an all male group of the 1920’s called the A. Capella Group of Comedian Harmonists. Marie-Claire Kabengele gave the audience something to take away with them with her excellent interpretation of the final song, “Love is a flame.”The evening ended with a presentation from the very up and coming school band.(Text: G. Fogt; Photos: C. Papathanasiou)

Staff-Safari (29.5 – 1.6.)The annual Staff Safari took place from the 29th of May to the 1st of June. All members of the non-teaching staff at the German School Nairobi, as well as of the Boarding House travelled to Mombasa. The highlight of this year’s trip was a trip to the Go-Kart track Mombasa, where the 22 “drivers” of the group raced against each other in 3 teams!

4

Ritter Rost (11.6.) The academic year 2010 / 2011 at the German School Nairobi came to a truly fabulous finish with the children’s musical “Ritter Rost”. The picturesque backdrop, as well as the fantastic costumes designed by Christina Niehaus took the parents to the world of fables. Little actors acted, danced, and sang with enthusiasm in the musical. Jan Semjank was the musical director of the production. The musical, which was presented by children from Classes 2 – 7 tells the story of the Knight Rost (Désirée Kabengele) and his princess (Cleo Niehaus), who discovers that she can do much more than merely prepare sandwiches of greased horseshoes; she is mentally head and shoulders above the knight and most of all is full of courage. The princess thus leaves the knight alone, scared stiff and shivering in his bed, and

gets onto the horse herself (a masterpiece in itself, created with a shopping trolley) to free the world from the fire breathing dragon (Marie Baur). The latter, as part of a competition with the flying vampire (Otto Weber), the werewolf (Ruben Radtke) and the ventriloquist (Lara Culley), has set the circus on fire.

The young circus director (Anna Culley) led us through the programme with particular charm. It was evident that weeks of practice had gone into presenting so much lightness and humour on the stage. Patricia Löhr was in charge of the choreography, and Frauke Felsch assisted in the learning of lines. The list of helpers is very long, ranging from Margit Probst and her creation of masks, to Barbara Schlie and her backstage management. The list of the talented youngsters in the school is even longer, who all received a well-deserved present, a warm appreciation by Inge Berger, and perhaps even more importantly, a thunderous applause

from the audience.The other actors: Bö’s talking hat: Clara Kleffmann, Ice Cream man: Loretta Alcamo, Adorable slob Kaya Schlesinger, The talking lion: Nyal Joslyn, The tea pot: Sabrina Pedrazzini, The vacuum cleaner: Kristin Rudolph.(Text: G. Fogt, Photos: C. Papathanasiou, R. Culley)

Reading Competiton in the Primary School (15.6.)

This year’s Reading Competition took place in the school library on the 15th of June 2010. After a short musical performance by two flute players Jada Ladu and Ruben Felsch, Else Ruchti, Nicole Iten and Else Felsch read short texts from their favourite books. Impressive indeed, considering that they have only been reading in school since the beginning of the academic year.The competition then began, with 3 children each from Classes 2 – 4 reading passages from books of their choice. Stephanie Rudolph, Manja Buchheit und Ella Mink read for Class 2. Class 3 sent Emily Weber-Rahmann, Silas Stegen and Kieran Castelino to represent it, while

Asser Loutfi, Ruben Felsch and Otto Weber read for Class 4. The judges then had the difficult task of choosing a winner in each class. Ella emerged the victor in Class 2, Kieran in Class 3. Otto and Asser in Class 4 took a joint first place, having had exactly the same number of points. In order to be 5

declared the school winner, these children had to read a text from an unknown book, and Asser Loutfi was the overall winner. All the participants read well, and were appropriately applauded by the audience. Well done to them all!A special thanks to Ms. Semjank, who has equipped the library extremely well as usual, and who arranged for the beautiful book prizes for the winners! (Photo: S. Zorba)

Careers Evening (23.6.)

The University and Career’s advisory committee of the German School Nairobi traditionally organises the annual Careers Evening. This was the fourth such evening at the school.14 professionals in various fields were invited to the school. They spoke to small groups of students from Classes 9, 10 and 11 in 30 minute sessions about their education as well as opportunities in their respective fields.We are indeed very grateful to the following experts: the Deputy Ambassador to the German Embassy, Mr. Hasenau, Dr. Englisch, Mr. Knaup, Dr.

Verweyen, Mr. Kaleja, Mrs. Sasse, Mr. Krivanek, Mrs. Iberl, Mrs. Fazal, Mr. Kigada, Mr. Bock, Mr. Bhanderi, Mr. Hauke, Mr. Zeppenfeld, and Mr. Meinzingen (Ex student of German School Nairobi).We hope that many fruitful conversations took place. We also thank the Boarding House and those students and parents who contributed to the delicious buffet.

For the Universities and Career’s Advisory CommitteeLutz Niemann

Presentation Kindergarten (25.6.)On Friday, the 25th June, all parents of the Kindergarten were invited to travel around the world with their children, who presented their last project. The children entered an aeroplane and were taken to three continents by the pilot: they flew to Europe, South America and Asia. Every group worked on one continent and presented songs and dances from various countries. The children, who started the day with an international breakfast, really enjoyed to show the

6

parents their “work”. And the parents acknowledged them with a big applause. We say thank you to all Kindergarten teachers, who have prepared this presentation by caring for even the smallest detail.

Farewell of Claudia Theilen (25.6.)

The local staff said good bye to Claudia Theilen, the administration manager of the school, with a “Nyama Choma” last Friday. Ms. Theilen will leave the school and Kenya and go back to Munich.

Results or our Competence Tests 2009 / 2010

The table below shows the results produced by our students in Classes 6 and 8 in selected subjects compared to schools in Thuringia. We do not have the comparative results from Class 3 yet.2010 German 6 English 6 Maths 6 German 8 English 8 Maths 8Thuringia 65% 62% 58% 61% 63% 48%GermanSchool Nbi

65% 92% 56% 63% 78% 60%

The comparison guidelines based on the syllabi from Thuringia (which are taught in our school) have been developed by the University of Jena, and have successfully been used for some years now in Thuringia. The above results will be discussed in the relevant departments next year, and the findings will be used to further improve teaching in the school.

Res ource Center

Use of Games / World Cup Football in teaching Foreign Language German (11. – 12.6.)

The 11th and 12th of June saw some 22 Kenyan teachers of German come together to a seminar entitled “Games and World Cup Football in teaching Foreign Language German.” It was indeed a pleasure to see so many teachers from as far south as Mombasa, as far west as Eldoret participate in the workshop. As usual, Karin Häggmark and Franz Baur, the teachers-in-charge of the Resource Centre at the German School Nairobi very ably assisted the event – coordinator Sabine Brachmann (Language Consultant Goethe Institut) to conduct the seminar. The theme of the first day was the use of games in lessons. This proved interesting, as the participants actually played the games themselves, before reflecting upon how useful they would be in teaching, and how best they could be presented to students. It became very obvious that while games are an integral part of teaching at the German School, they are used much less in the Kenyan school due to time constraints and class sizes. The day closed with participants going across to Village Market to see the opening match of the World Cup, followed by our musical, “Ritter Rost”.

7

The next day is best described as exciting, the theme being “World Cup Football”. Once again, as actions speak louder than words, we played a goal scoring game in the parking area in front of the main entrance, much to amusement of curious onlookers who happened to be in school for various reasons.As Ms. Brachmann commented, it was indeed impressive that the entire seminar was conducted in German, despite all participants being Foreign Language German Speakers. A very happy set of teachers made their way home, complete with “goodies” from the Goethe Institut and with books from our

“book box”, courtesy of Mr. Weber. We sincerely appreciate the effort put in by Ms. Brachmann to ensure the success of this event.(S. Shah)

Books for Kenya

Students from more than 60 schools in Kenya learn German as a Foreign Language. There is one more problem that is confronted by all these teachers, namely lack of German resources. Based on the initiative of Dr. Tilo Weber, a lecturer at the German Academy Exchange Service here in Nairobi, the Resource Centre at the German School Nairobi has started a “book box”. If you have books, newspapers, magazines, cassettes, CDs, videos or DVDs that you no longer need, or don’t want to take with you when you next move, please donate them to the “German School Nairobi Book Box”.You can give your donations to the receptionists. The teachers in charge of the Resource Centre, with useful assistance from our librarian Susan Semjank will then look after the distribution of books and other materials.Thanks in advance for your help!

Judges at the German Cultural Festival in Kabarnet

The two teachers-in charge of the German School Resource Centre, as well as the Foreign Langugae German teacher, Bettina Lammerding had the honour of being judges at the 16th German Cultural

Festival on the 22nd of May 2010 at the Kapropita Girls’ High School in Kabarnet. Almost 800 students from 40 schools in Kenya participated in this event which was organised by the Goethe Institut and supported by the German Embassy. Students took part in one of 5 categories: poetry recitation, songs, fairy tales, rap and sketches. Hard work indeed for both the students and the judges. After listening to the Friedrich Vahle’s song “Kawuras-Krebs” Bettina Lammerding spent the night dreaming about the chorus! Karin Haggmark did not fare much better, having heard 40 versions of James Krüss rap song

‘Arche-Noah- ABC”. Franz Baur, who was judging the sketches, had a bit more of variety, thanks to the different interpretations of the set sketch. However, all three teachers were of the unanimous opinion that it was indeed a fascinating experience the interest and joy of several hundred Kenyan students!

Sport news

Globall (9.6.) All good things come in threes after two false starts, things finally fell into place, and 4 schools (French, Dutch, Norwegian and German Schools) met for the annual “Global” competition at the French School. Lions, Cheetahs, Elephants, Buffaloes and Rhinos competed for the prestigious trophy. Competitors played hockey, football and “Brennball”. At the end of the competition, the Elephants, who won all their matches, were the clear winners. From the German School

8

Tim Wilken, Christal Mititi, Baraka Schweiter from Class 3 und Jada Ladu from Class 4 were part of the victorious team. Congratulations! (E. Okoth)

Children from the St. Augustine Learning Centre visit the German School Nairobi

10 children, 5 boys and 5 girls, from the St. Augustine Learning Centre participated in the training for the “Ligi Ndogo” on Saturday the 19th of June 2010. They were accompanied by a teacher, and two German volunteers, Phillip and Pablo. The children from the centre had a great time playing on the sports field of the German School Nairobi with many of our students. Our two football coaches, Ali and Viberty took special care of these children. (F. Baur)

Interkindergarten Soccer Tournament (16.6.)

The Interkindergarten Soccer Tournament takes place every school term. This time the tournament was organized by Montessori Learning Center on 16th June 2010 and attracted eight teams from different schools (Montessori Learning Center, Kabete Junior Academy, International Christian Kindergarten, German School, Little Scholars). The tournament is usually played on a knock out basis with the winning team proceeding to the next level. The German School had two teams. The members of the two were: Timon Tenambergen (Captain), Elias Schlesinger (Assistant Captain), Jascha Buchheit, Njeri Muhindi, Charles Otieno, Johannes Vadera, Kevin Rudolf, Joel Mink, Marina Wanjiku, Max bin Faisal, Hanna Vadera, Elias Weber Rahman, Hilario Ngomane, Joshua Etarukot).German School played from the beginning to the end of the tournament. Our teams displayed a good ball game by dominating all the games. German School won 4:0 against International Christian

Kindergarten to precede to the semi finals. Thanks to Elias Schlesinger who scored three goals and Timon Tenambergen one goal.In the semi finals, German School won against the reigning champion Montessori Learning Center beating them mercilessly 7:0. Here we could see Elias Schlesinger scoring 4 goals, Charles Otieno 1, Timon Tenambergen 2. Thanks to Njeri Muhindi who made a back pass to Timon.In the finals, German School was dominating the game against Christian International Kindergarten and ended in a 0:0 draw. In the extra time our team scored 1:0 through Elias Schlesinger.Throughout the tournament our goal keeper Elias Rahman Weber was not tested by the other teams due to the good defense from

Johannes Vadera, Charles Otieno and Hilario Ngomane. In the mid field was Jascha Buchheit and Njeri Muhindi.(Text: B. Nalisi, Photo: W. Muhindi)

9

Information f rom the School Development Team

“The goal of the school is to promote the individual advancement of the students. The students are encouraged to design their individual learning processes within the structure of pre-determined performance requirements.This process of individual learning requires the student to assume the responsibility of his/ her own learning. Teaching of the highest standards, accompanied by training in different learning methods allows the students to achieve the pre-determined performance requirements. They thereby acquire the necessary knowledge of the subjects, skills and social competences.” (Mission and Vision of the German School Nairobi)Many teachers have taken these goals from our Mission and Vision Statement to heart in the last few years. As a result, teachers have formally planned lessons where students will be enabled to take more responsibility for their learning. To ensure that this development is implemented comprehensively in our classrooms, it was decided in the last Teachers’ Conference to implement a very transparent programme, with very clear objectives. This new programme will be referred to as EVA (eigenverantwortliches Arbeiten), which translates into independent study. The following information will thus be included in the School Programme with reference to EVA:

INDEPENDENT STUDY (EVA)

It is important to us that students have the opportunity to manage their learning process themselves during lesson time, as well as to work through subject relevant topics independently. Additionally students must learn and revise relevant social skills.

To attain this goal, the programme “EVA” will become compulsory from the academic year 2010 / 2011. It will apply to students from Classes 5 – 8. For students of Class 9, EVA will be carried out as part of the preparation for the East African Model United Nations. (see article on EAMUM).

In Classes 5 – 8, at least one topic per subject (except subjects which are only taught for one lesson, e.g. Sports, Art, Music) per year will be worked on independently. The choice of relevant methods of independent work will be dependent on the respective subject teacher.In the Class Conferences at the beginning of the next school year, an approximate monthly plan will be made for each subject to carry out an EVA project. The EVA project should last for a minimum of two weeks, which can be split into 2 one week projects in Classes 5 and 6.The process and results of the EVA projects will be given marks. The subject teacher will make the marking criteria transparent to the students at the beginning of the project.

In order to make cross-curricular work possible, the school management is trying to include a “Team Afternoon” in next year’s calendar. This will clearly make teacher cooperation easier, and allow teachers to work as a stronger and therefore more effective group on the social programme “Lion’s Quest” (for classes 5 – 8), as well as for Method Curriculum. (H. Mink)

From the Parent s’ Sub-Committee (PSC)

Good communication with the other managerial bodies in the school has allowed the SER to contribute to several important decisions undertaken by the school. We especially thank the teachers this year, whose normal burden has been increased with the development process.Looking back at some of the developments in which the SER participated:

- “Social Education” based on the Lion’s Quest Programme will be introduced nextyear as a fixed part of the curriculum in Classes 5 – 8.

- „In classes 5 – 8, “independent study” will also be introduced.- The SER and Board members have come to an agreement that couples can be

elected to the Parents’ Council and the board, as long as the representative has 2/3 majority in a secret ballot.

- The regulations governing smoking at the German School Nairobi have been worked on again and will be announced soon.

- 15 Kenyan scholarship students fly out to Germany on the 6th of July as exchange students. 2 students whose parents could not afford the required amount have been assisted by parents and teachers.

- Communication between parents and teachers has been improved through the introduction of one Parents’ Day per semester, fixed consultation times with teachers, as well as a homework / information diary.

10

- All meetings will be henceforth carried out bilingually.- One parent representative of the scholarship students will be co-opted into the SER.- The students have been busy participating in sporting competitions, and the German

School Nairobi is having more and more success, e.g. in Swimming and Football- We look back fondly on 2 very successful events during this academic year – the 40th

Anniversary in October 2009 and the Fashion, Food& Fun in April 2010.

We wish all parents, teachers and other members of the German School Nairobi relaxing holidays. At the same time, please keep the following important dates in mind:

- Parents’ Evenings in September- 23.09.10 – Parents’ Council Meeting - 29.09.10 – Annual General Meeting

Yours

The Parents‘ Sub-Committee (E. Tenambergen)

Board

Kindergarten Project gets go-ahead!Members of the German School Society voted for new buildings for the German School Nairobi Kindergarten with a large majority in the Extra-Ordinary General Meeting on the 25th of May 2010.It had already been established that the Kindergarten buildings need to be either renovated, or need to be rebuilt completely for a variety of reasons. In addition to rebuilding the toilet block and drying out the damp walls, the current demand for places in the Kindergarten exceeds places available. Apart from that, it was felt that the new concept of the kindergarten (bilingual teaching, mixed age groups and integrated Pre-School work) would work better in new buildings. The Kindergarten is of course a very important part of the school development.The project team of the Kindergarten presented several possibilities for the upgrading. These possibilities were discussed at length. It was finally decided that a completely new building will be constructed, with capacity of 104 children. The building work will be carried out on the current Kindergarten grounds, and should be completed at the latest by the academic year 2011/2012.Loans from society members, sponsorship and bank loans were discussed as possible methods of financing the project. Various members have looking into the possibility of getting loans from Germany. The entire project of new construction should cost some 222,000 Euros, out of which the Society will be able to provide 100,000 Euros. A project team will now plan and organise the new construction of the German School Nairobi Kindergarten. Regular updates will be posted on the boards in school, as well as on the school’s website.We would like to thank all members for giving this project the green light, and look forward to a creative and successful construction of the new buildings.(A. Weber)

Looking ahead

Closing Ceremony (2.7.)I warmly welcome all parents and friends of the German School Nairobi to our closing ceremony on Friday 2nd July 2010 at 9.00 a.m. Buses will leave at around 10.45 a.m.

From the School Nurse

The summer holidays and therefore a well-earned trip will soon be upon us. I hope of course that everyone will spend these holidays in full health, and hence my choice of topic: “Travel and children”“The best thing about my holiday was the storm which destroyed the whole tent! We had to move to the main house in the middle of the night.” Or, “the waves were so big, they ruined my sand castle, but then I dug a really deep hole with my Papa.” We often hear such or similar stories after the school holidays. It is not easy to foresee what makes a successful holiday for children. Whether the tent collapses in Aunt Emma’s garden or on a deserted beach in Hawaii - this is all circumstantial for children.Even adults are not all the same. Some parents swear by family hotels – others shudder at the mere thought of washable table cloths and Mickey Mouse mats. With this information I am definitely not 11

attempting to sell the ideal “parent – child” trip – there’s enough of that in the brochures in the travel agencies. You know your child best, and what was so great for the kid next door could be hell on earth for you!

Here are a few tips for the holidays:

“Kids play along.” As long as you are well on top of things, children will enjoy the most varied types of holidays.

If you are planning an active holiday: Make allowance for change. What your children can accomplish changes enormously from year to year. Get to know your children’s limits, as there is nothing more stressful than always “being in the red!”

Allow for compromises: Your child might be less interested in nature than you thought when you chose to camp in the lively campsite at the quiet bay. Camp for one night in the bay, and spend the second night at another camp site.

Allow for surprises: The more clearly defined your plans with which you start the holiday, the more chances there are of things going wrong.

Unfortunately accidents and minor incidents are often a part of holidays! Put together a small “Travel medical kit” before you depart. This could include:

- Material for wounds: (Band aids, compresses, gauze bandages, disinfection solution such as “Betadine Solution”)

- Ointments for wounds (such as “Arnicare” for handling bruises, “Dilofanec Gel” for cuts, “Burncure” as an antibacterial cream, and “Deep Heat” Cream or Spray for muscular aches or injuries.)

- Diarrhoea tablets: e.g. “Immodium” - Travel tablets for travel sickness (e.g. “Sea legs”)- Eye drops in case of eye infections (“Stilla”)- Anti-allergy creams (“Intamine Cream), as well as anti-allergy syrup / tablets (such as

“Prednisolon tablets, “Piriton syrup”)- Medication for fever, (“Calpol” for babies and small children, or “Paracetamol” tablets.)- Thermometer- nsect repellant - Sun screen

I wish you all very good and relaxing holidays. Stay healthy, and see you again in the next school year.

Ron KirschSchool Nurse

News from the Administration Department (Francesco Cattaneo)

Introduction of the new Administration ManagerOn 1st June I took over the Head of Administration at the German School in Nairobi. Although possessing a legal educational background I feel excited to be active in a lively and diverse environment such as a school. I am looking forward to be working with you. Do not hesitate to knock at my door for any question or suggestion.

12

Other Information

Bus Application FormsThe bus application forms for the next academic year have already been sent to you by e-mail, and are enclosed with this newsletter. Parents, please hand these forms in to the reception at the latest by Friday 2nd July 2010. You will thereby greatly assist us in our planning.First School Day for the academic year 2010 / 2011The first school day of the new academic year 2010 / 2011 is Monday 23rd August 2010.Lessons for Classes 2 – 12 begin at 7.45 a.m. The Kindergarten also starts on this day with the normal schedule. The first school day for Class 1 begins on Thursday the 26th of August 2010 at 9.45.a.m.

Guest Students and Guest FamiliesYou must have heard that the German School Nairobi regularly accepts guest students from Germany into Classes 10 and 11. These students spend either one or two semesters at the German School Nairobi, and are accommodated either at the German School Boarding House, or with host families. This year, we had 3 guest students, who played an major role in the school orchestra and school band!We look equally forward to receiving more such students in the forthcoming academic year, who will contribute positively to our Upper Secondary School. The school has thus produced a flyer for guest students, which explains details of such a stay. If you are travelling to Germany in the holidays, please take a few flyers with you (they are available at the reception), and distribute them to your acquaintances and / or to your child’s school in your home town.Secondly, have you ever thought of accommodating a guest student for one or two semesters? Even if you do not have children in this age group, it could be a positive experience for your children to have older “guest siblings” in the house. At the same time, living with a host family makes it easier for the guest student to settle down in Nairobi.You can get further information on this (pre-requisites, expenses etc) from Bianca Bashir (bianca.bashir@germanschool.co.ke).

Holiday PlanPlease note that there are 2 changes (1st May and 1st June) in the attached holiday plan for the academic year 2010 / 2011.

Kindergarten ProjectAt the last Extra-Ordinary meeting on the 25th of May 2010, many members requested that they be kept regularly updated on the developments at the Kindergarten. We are pleased to inform you that we will be able to provide this information. This will be done through a password protected section of our website www.dsnairobi.de. The password will be sent to you by e-mail. Please use the password confidentially.

Looking for parents to carry out extra-curricular activities (AGs)Parents who may be interested in offering an extra-curricular activity next year should contact Frau Berger (inge.berger@germanschool.co.ke).

Lost propertyLost property is stored in a cupboard at the entrance of the sports hall. As usual, a lot of things still remain in the cupboard, with no-one claiming things as their belongings. We request you, dear parents, to have a look at these items to see if any of them belong to your children on Wednesday 30th June and Thursday 1st July 2010, so our cupboard is not overflowing! Anything remaining in the cupboard after this date will be donated to a charity organization.

Pelikan Fountain pensPelikan fountain pens are now available from the cafeteria. Especially for next year’s children in Classes 2 and 3, we have special fountain pens. The “Griffix” fountain pens cost 1000/= each, the Pelikan pens cost 500/= each.

School books for 2010 / 2011As in this academic year, books will be given out in the first few days of the next year upon demand. The invoice for the books will be sent after the will be in addition to the school fees for the first semester.

13

School documents in EnglishThe School Profile, the School Programme and the School Rules have now been translated into English (we thank Mrs. Shah for her translation work). We would like to especially request the English-Speaking parents to collect a copy of these documents from the reception before the holidays begin.

Unpaid school feesThe School Board and the School Management have decided to give out school reports only to those students who have paid the school fees in full. If you have any queries regarding this matter, please enquire at the reception.

Year Book 2009 / 2010The Year Book for this academic year is complete, and will be on sale from Wednesday 30th June 2010. A huge thank you to Ms. Fogt, Ms. Niehaus, all editors and colleagues who assisted in this publication.

CalendarJulyFr 02.07. 09.00 a.m. Closing ceremony for the whole school

Giving out of reports

A c a d e m i c Y e a r 2010/2011August Wed 18.08. 2.00 p.m. 1. Teachers’ ConferenceThur 19.08. Class Conferences (5-12), Primary School ConferenceFr 20.08. Departmental meetingsMo 23.08. 07.45 a.m. 1. School Day for Classes 2 – 12, Kindergarten, Pre-School

07.45 – 09.20 a.m. Lesson with Class teacher / Greeting of new parents in the Cafeteria

09.40 a.m. Opening Ceremony in the Sports Hall10.30 a.m. Method Training Part 1

Tues 24.08. Method Training Part 2 Thur 26.08. 09.45 a.m. 1. Day for children of Class 1Sun 29.08. 10.30 a.m. Ecumenical School Service

And a final word...

It is not always easy for a small school like ours to fulfill the numerous wishes, intentions and ideas of all members concerned. A huge amount of effort, many discussions, and long meetings on the part of the school management, the teaching staff, the administration, parents and students, and not least the School Board have been necessary. I believe a good school climate, and the resulting success of our children in learning has been totally dependent on this co-operation.

I heartily thank all family members of the school who have helped us in one way or another.

Dear Parents, while you read your child’s report, please keep in mind words from Jules Renard: “It is not about being first, but about being unique in your ways.”

On behalf of everyone at the German School Nairobi, I wish you and your families a peaceful and restful summer break.

Happy holidays, and best regards,

Siegfried SchmerbeckHeadmaster

14

Academic year 2010 / 2011Hol iday p lan

_______________________________________________________________

23.5.2010

First day of school Mo 23.08.2010

Autumn holidays Mo 11.10. to We 20.10.2010

Christmas holidays Mo 13.12.2010 to Fr 07.01.2011

End of the first term Fr 0 4.02.2011

Class trips Mo 07.02. toFr 11.02.2011

Easter holidays Mo 11.04. toFr 29.04.2011

Holiday (1st of May) Mon 02.05.2011

Madaraka-Day Wed 01.06.2011

Last day of school Fr 01.07.2011

180 school days________________________________________________________

Academic year 2011 / 2012

First day of school Mo 22.08.2011

DEUTSCHER SCHULVEREIN NAIROBI GERMAN SCHOOL SOCIETY P.O. Box 44038, 00100 Nairobi, Kenya Tel.: 7120192/ 7120371/ 7121400 Fax: 7120236

e-mail: dsn_Admin@germanschool.co.ke

- Administration -

Enrolment Form for School Bus Transport Services of the German School Society Nairobi

(Please fill in one enrolment form per child)

Family Name: ___________________________ Postal Address: ____________________________________

First Name: _____________________________ Tel. Private: _______________________________________

Fax / Email address: ________________________ Tel. Office: ________________________________________

I hereby enrol my child of class

In the Bus Transport service System of the German School Society.

My physical address (District / Estate / Road / House or compound number) is:

______________________________________________________________________________

My child is to picked from the existing bus stop number and be dropped at stop number (if known)

I would like to propose the following alteration / addition to the existing bus stops:

Note: The introduction of a new bus stop depends on its feasibility and cannot be guaranteed. ___________________________________________________________________________________________

Remarks: ______________________________________________________________________

Date: ________________________ Signature: _______________________________________

To the Administration of the German School Society NairobiAttention: Administration Manager

Mara SiriaLuxury Tented

Bush Camp

THIS YEARS M I G R A T I O N IS ON!WE’LL TAKE YOU THERE!

3 days/2 nights road package @ 25,500/-Kes p. person3 days/2 nights flying package @ 49,950/-Kes p. person

Self-drive from 7,950/-Kes per person sharingconditions apply!

Village Market Office(1st floor, opposite Exhibition Hall) Phone 020 – 71 222 54Telkom Wireless 020 – 24 316 00Mobile 0733 – 26 16 46Mobile 0721 – 65 08 8

www.phoenix-safaris.de Email: info@phoenix-safaris.de;www.mara-siria-camp.com info@mara -siria-camp.org