The Marienhöhe School Centre of the Seventh-day Adventist Free Church in Darmstadt, Germany started the new school year, after the Hessian summer holidays, with 770 pupils as in the previous year. Of the 55 boarding students, 24 come from abroad. As Headmaster Dr. Christian Noack reported, the new motto is "School for Life".
Of the 770 pupils, 131 are new. 533 attend the Gymnasium, 178 the Realschule and 59 the Grundschule. 75 teachers teach at the school centre, eight of whom have been newly employed. According to Christian Noack, the school psychology service at Marienhöhe was expanded by the child and youth psychotherapist, Professor Dr. Thomas Steininger. 50 percent of the teachers (38) are Seventh-day Adventists.
"All our teachers are either Christians or have a positive attitude towards the Christian faith and lifestyle," emphasized the headmaster. 64 percent of the pupils came from a Christian family, six percent of whom are from an Adventist family; 35 percent had not declared any denomination or religion and one percent belonged to other religions (Sunni, Alevi and Jewish).
The grammar school also enables adults, as college students, to catch up on their entrance qualification for universities of applied sciences, in two years, and general higher education entrance qualification, in three years. Of the 55 inhabitants of the in-house boarding school, 24 come from various countries: 16 of them from China, two each from South Korea and the USA, and one person each from Vietnam, Mexico, Italy, and Hungary. Those who would like to take their Abitur (qualification) at Marienhöhe have generally demonstrated their German language skills at level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
Not only for school, but for life
Headmaster Noack announced today, in the September issue of the church magazine, Adventisten, that the educational institution is entering the new school year under the motto "School for Life". The concept was developed in the 2016/17 meetings and educational conferences. Although Marienhöhe has long been a good school for life in the eyes of parents and pupils, it is important to sharpen this profile in different ways: for example, through increased references to the world of life in specialized lessons.
Often, a school is accused of focusing only on learning for school, class tests, and examinations, not for life. According to Christian Noack, class tests and examinations are also a "school for life". They train students in skills that are needed in the professional life including: how to prepare conscientiously for challenges, how to concentrate or how to remain capable of thinking and acting in a high-pressure situation. This, however, it depends on the content. If the students could see a connection to their real-life environment, the "material" would suddenly become exciting and interesting.
Action-oriented, holistic requirement situations
This also applies to action-oriented, holistic situations that use all the senses. In the project week right before the summer holidays, students of Marienhöhe painted on silk, thought about sensible investments, played basketball or football, went climbing, sewed, knitted, programmed, played theatre, surfed or skated, and wrote literary texts. They also hiked, were in Berlin at the Chancellor's Office or in Rome on St. Peter's Square, shot a devotional video, made music, baked, and then presented all the products and experiences to parents at the summer party, the headmaster shared.
"Portfolio life skills"
Since this school year began, all pupils have received the folder "Portfolio Lebenskompetenz", in which they can compile all documents related to their schooldays at Marienhöhe, such as certificates, internship reports, or self-reflection.
According to Noack, the "school of life" also includes the possibility of "experiencing a life with God. Our campus pastor, Mircea Riesz, together with the local '1year4jesus' group and students organized a total of six school services, so-called 'mittendrin' services, which our students attend voluntarily during the last school year. Each time, 300 to 400 pupils came.
School centre Marienhöhe
The "Seminar Marienhöhe", founded in 1925, has had a state-approved grammar school since 1950. In 1994, the secondary school followed and, in 2010, the primary school. The Marienhöhe School Centre is certified as a "health-promoting school" and school for climate protection. Further information: www.marienhoehe.de