The concept at a glance
Give me five! 5 reasons that make us stand out of the German school system.
| 5 Resons | Values | Parents |
| 5 Reasons |
| Values |
| Parents |
5 Reasons
Give me five! 5 reasons that make us stand out of the German school system.
1 1. Bilingual education, lessons taught in German & English
English is the most important common language worldwide and it is vital for the communication with people from other countries. Due to the continuing merge of Europe, more and more professions rely on a sound grasp of foreign languages, and traditional teaching of those languages is only of limited use at this point. Immersion is by far the most successful method for foreign language learning, as science has proven. Children hear and use the English language every day, even without formally learning the vocabulary or grammar. Speaking English is not mandatory for the children in the beginning; they learn the foreign language from listening alone. At first, the intention of the statements becomes clearer to them, then they begin to actually understand what is being said and in the end, they start speaking English. To ensure that all children understand the learning content, regardless of their initial knowledge of the English language, the teacher has to create a very vivid way of instruction. To achieve this, visual media like images, symbols, sock puppets, etc. are used. Clear subjects with little abstract content that use different images and other visual media are best suited for bilingual education. Sternenschule Duisburg has therefore decided to offer a selection of subjects in both the English and the German language (see the exemplary timetable under “School”).
Our teaching staff is fluent in both English and German. Depending on the content of a given lesson, the language used by the teacher varies. Our students are encouraged to communicate and answer in their preferred language. Every one of them learns the foreign language in their own pace and uses it in to their chosen extent. Hence, immersion is a teaching method that neither overexerts, nor demands too little from each individual student.
You would like to receive more information on our bilingual lessons, or on immersion as a teaching method? Feel free to visit us at Sternenschule Düsseldorf, or get in touch to make an appointment with a member of our teaching staff.
More information on the subject can be found at Verein FMKS.
2 Music & Creativity
Creativity in thoughts, ideas, musical and artistic ways of expression are what make our life colourful and diverse. Sternenschule Duisburg presents every child with the opportunity to get to know, nurture and practise the individual methods of creative expression of their own choice and liking. The empowering experience of creating art or music with their own hands is only the beginning: we encourage the children’s imagination, endurance, creative problem-solving skills and out-of-the-box thinking. All of these are valuable assets in many life areas, as well as in many professional careers in their future.
3 Physical education every day
Education needs exercise, and frolicking around makes you smart! Children have always known that, and have longed for time and room for play and exercise at school. A comprehensive scientific study on accordance of motoric and intellectual development in primary education showed that our students are quite right: only an education based on sufficient exercise leads to consistent development of physical, cognitive, social and emotional skills. Therefore, Sternenschule Duisburg has implemented daily physical activities into our curriculum and as a part of our rhythmised daily routine.
4 Full-time concept
Being a full-time school is a matter of course for family-friendly Sternenschule Duisburg. Our school is open every day from 7:45h-16.50h, and our students experience the whole day together: during their lessons, their meals and during the afternoon programme. Children, parents and teachers therefore do not just regard Sternenschule Duisburg as an educational space, but as a living environment. Our students learn to live within a community, to share, to stand up for themselves and to prove themselves. Our teachers and qualified instructors create a varied programme for the afternoons and also the holidays. Sternenschule Duisburg provides sufficient room and high-quality equipment, as well as collaborations with sports facilities. You can find out more about our full-time concept here.
5 Individual tuition
Every child is an individual. Due to the stable, positive environment, our teachers are able to observe their students closely and to assist them in an optimal manner. Children possess a natural longing for accomplishment and are in fact quite keen on testing their own boundaries. In accordance to our motto, “Supporting and challenging”, every single child at Sternenschule Duisburg will meet new challenges time and again, tailored to their individual prowess. Every study group will be supported by teaching staff, so that an individual tuition of every child is secured. Our students benefit from the time they gain from our full-time programme and we as teachers are able to work with individual students in a much more intense and targeted way. Our concept does not end at the classroom door – the teaching staff at Sternenschule Duisburg accompanies the children along with the other educational professionals throughout the whole school day. This way, it is much easier for the students to learn to trust in their own abilities and to respect the strengths and weaknesses in others.
Values
With our help, every child can reach for the stars. We help develop potentials.
Individual learning approache
Our educators design their lessons and the content of their teaching as diverse as possible, to cater to the possibilities and qualifications of the children. It is our wish for the students to not only “keep up”, but to independently and autonomously learn and to rejoice in doing so. We want for our students to be able to fully develop their opportunities, interests and talents. All children possess joy of learning and curiosity, and it is our declared educational goal to nurture, challenge and develop these traits in every child individually.
Transparency & rooted reality
Another feature of the educational concept Sternenschule Duisburg represents is transparency. Offering our students understandable and helpful feedback on their learning process is of great importance to us. Close observation and a healthy teacher-student relationship enable us to recognize learning difficulties or mental blocks early on, and to offer the appropriate assistance immediately, which is achieved by close co-operation with the parents.
There is no isolated learning that is restricted to a single subject at a time at Sternenschule Duisburg. We present our teachings within a context of meaning, which helps developing joined-up thinking. In addition, we provide our students with ample opportunities to learn from experience and from real-life situations. Providing the possibility of practical approaches to theoretical teachings is of great importance to us, and we focus on relation to reality in our educational content. Our goal is to not just pass on knowledge, but to teach our students understanding.
Learning competence
“Learning to learn” is not just part of the ‘Early Childhood Education and Care Agreement’ of the German federal states [Bildungsvereinbarung der Länder], but it is the foundation for a life-long passion for something new, for development and the search for knowledge we would like to inspire within our students. We accompany the children on their way to learn taking the responsibility for their education in their own hands. The students of Sternenschule Duisburg are well aware of their capabilities, learning experiences and strategies to acquire and secure new knowledge. Self-directed learning and independence are of great significance in our everyday school life.
Parents
We are not just a school, we welcome the whole family. Parents are an important pillar of our school community and help supporting Sternenschule Duisburg in many different ways.
Community
Nobody knows your child as well as you do. We would like to accompany you and your child throughout its school years, and we want your child to feel comfortable while being able to explore its own potential. It is for this reason that we value a constant dialogue and a well-established contact to you as parents very highly.
Communication
Your child’s current stage of prowess is monitored by our educational staff at all times and on a regular basis, we discuss your child’s development with you in great detail. In addition to these fixed appointments, our doors are always open for you. Consultation hours are possible at any time; feel free to contact us for an appointment. If there is any change observed in your child that we deem worthy of discussion, we will always contact you and invite you over for a talk.
Development in cooperation
Your ideas and wishes are taken seriously by our staff and we would like for them to be heard. The parents’ committees of the several forms and of the school itself as well as the school’s AGUS (working group, ‘Arbeitsgemeinschaft’) comprise the voice of the parents. Their energetic support helps our school develop and realize new ideas.
Förderverein
The Friend’s Association of Sternenschule Duisburg and the school itself are inseparable partners! By collecting and distributing sponsorship funds, donations and membership fees, the Friend’s Association contributes to financing our school. Members of the Friend’s Association are people interested in education as well as parents of current students. People interested in education may give donations on a one-time basis or even contribute regularly. The focal points of the Association are:
- Coverage of 20% of the school’s costs which are not funded by the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia
- Acquisition of teaching materials
- Implementing projects within the school that serve the purpose of gaining additional funding
- Organizing school trips and excursions
- Supporting the school’s public relations work true to the school’s concept
You can find additional information on the Friend’s Association in its statutes. The board informs about activities on a regular basis.
