What’s been going on at FSG in 2002/2003? – Second half-term

This web page informs you of events at FSG in the second half-term of the current school year.

For the most recent entry, click here. This will also lead you to our quarterly publication Letter to Parents.

Unless stated otherwise, all links lead to web pages in German.

A group of sixth-form pupils under the tutelage of Frau Pleitner was awarded the second prize in a competition organized by Dortmund’s Unified Parishes. The topic of the competition was »New Heaven, New Earth – What Are We Hoping For?«

Altogether six schools had taken part in the competition. For their entry, the FSG pupils had chosen the overall topic »The Relationship Between Mankind and Animaldom«. To illustrate their topic, the boys and girls drew comics, wrote poems, made a video and designed posters showing principles of animal care.

The basic idea behind the presentation was to show that animals are very much a part of God’s creation, a part that deserves respect. The items shown all expressed the hope that the relationship between human beings and animals may improve.

A team of boys born in 1991 and 1992 won second place in the municipal soccer championship held on February 3.

In the qualifying round, the first game – against »Kaethe Kollwitz Comprehensive« – ended in a 1-1 draw. In the second qualifying game, the team coached by Sports teacher Herr Goder managed to beat »Altluenen Gymnasium« 2-0.

In the semi-finals, FSG beat »Heinrich Bußmann School« 4-0, but in the finals, the FSG boys succumbed to »Altluenen Middle School« by 0-3.

On February 6, a team of older boys born in 1989 and 1990 and coached by FSG caretaker Georg Czubak got to third place, which was quite a feat, considering the little practice the boys had had before the games.

Robin Sida is a pupil of our fifth form. On February 4, Robin came out first in the reading competition organized by the fifth-form German teachers. Ms Vakilzadeh, the proprietress of »Lippe Bookshop«, also contributed to the event.

Read the report by Antje Kater and Madlin Schmidt, both of our fifth form, soon to be published here.

The annual anti-AIDS campaign is part of our sex-education programme. This year, in the first week of February, eighth-form pupils designed their own anti-AIDS poster motifs and presented them in the school foyer. A good number of rather funny or provocative poster ideas came forth of this activity, giving occasion for second thoughts on the subject.

See more of the poster designs here.

»What’s DELF?«

That was a typical question a few years ago. Only very few students had heard about the French proficiency test »Diplôme d’Etudes en Langue Française«, let alone attempted to pass it. By now, all that has changed: Now there is yet another group of 13th-form students who, on February 26, were given their diplomas by Head Teacher Dr Czischke.The ten happy students –

• Linda Elsner
• Janine Damaschke
• Kinga Mazur
• Melanie Schmidt
• Sabrina Hunke
• Christin Klaas
• Alexandra Pizzera
• Leonie Stoklossa
• Britta Gemicioglu und
• David Dweik

– had been prepared by French teacher Ms Thamm, who had also coached them for the important »A 4«-level exam early last year.

Nos félicitations les plus cordiales, chers étudiants!

Dreadlocks, Bob Marley’s reggae plus a sandy beach almost as inviting as in the Caribbean –

– on the morning of Monday, March 17, FSG’s student body began another week of special activities. »The Caribbean« was this year’s overall topic.

Thursday, March 20, ten past eight in the morning. A day of school, as usual. But this is not a day »as usual«: Just a few hours ago, the U.S. have begun their war against Iraq. What is a school do, what can it do? Little beyond what it has been doing in the months and years before: Giving young people a set of values and standards, enabling young people to reason, helping them make practical use of both.

There were several opportunities for putting values and reason to practical use on that Thursday. Between half past nine and half past one, all FSG students who were of age were called upon to donate blood. »Don’t shed blood, donate it«, was the apt motto.

What else? Impressive examples of civic courage in the face of the powerful are still – still – to be found in the USA. One such example is the resignation by an official at the U.S. embassy in Athens, handed in in protest of the Iraq war. This resignation was not a stage act calculated for maximum effect in the media, it was a conclusion drawn by an ordinary – albeit ethically and intellectually well-trained – citizen after making use of his powers of reasoning.

Read John Kiesling’s letter of resignation to U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell. Since Thursday, March 20, 2003, that letter has played a part as an historical document in FSG lessons. The same is true for the speeches by U.S. Senator Charles C. Byrd.

From Monday, March 24, to Thursday, March 27, our ninth-graders took part in a seminar designed to improve their skills in job interviews. Topics included:

• How do I write a letter of application?
• How do I cope with stress during job tests?
• How do I prepare for, and present myself in, a job interview?

On Thursday, April 10, the students of our 13th form came to school for their last lessons.

What lessons? Well, see for yourself!

From Monday, April 28, onwards, students of our 13th form sat their final exams, which in Germany are traditionally called by their Latin name: »Abitur«.

Every exam day begins with the same ritual. The head teacher or deputy head teacher asks the students if they are physically fit to sit the exam.

A few days before the exam, the exam assignments selected by the school board were sent to the school in a sealed envelope. That envelope is now opened by the head teacher. First, however, one student is asked to confirm that the envelope’s seal is inviolate.

On June 20, FSG »Abitur« graduates celebrated the occasion of being handed over their diplomas in a stylish ceremony at local Hilpert Theatre. The official part of the occasion was followed by a festive dinner in neighbouring »Hanse Hall«.

The graduates had prepared a yearbook which was put on sale that evening as well. Anybody wishing to buy a copy can do so by contacting the school’s secretarial office. The price of the yearbook is EUR 10.00 (plus handling and postal charges).

In May, 17 FSG students passed the nation-wide French proficiency exams DELF (»Diplôme d’Etudes en Langue Française«) and DALF (»Diplôme Approfondi en Langue Française«). We have every reason to be proud of those results because exams were sat and passed at every level offered by the exam board. The group had been prepared by our French teacher, Ms Thamm.

This time, there were also two spectacular »firsts« for our school: For the first time in the history of DELF at FSG, boys and girls in eight grade dared sit the A1 exam which hitherto had been attempted by 11th-graders at the most.

The other »first«: A 13th-grader tried for DALF, the university-level French exam – and succeeded. Max Ebbinghaus was well prepared for this feat in several ways: His long-proven language ability and his exchange year in Québec are the basis for his profound command of French.

New DELF/DALF candidates will start preparing for another set of exams in September.

»Interesting«, »good place to be«, »I’ve already learnt a lot«, »I’ll perhaps ask for a summer internship or even an apprenticeship« – those were some of the reactions by our ninth-graders after their first week of gathering practical job experience with companies in and around Luenen.

As an end-of-schoolyear present to themselves, pupils and teachers of FSG gave themselves a day off from regular lessons on Monday, July 28. Instead, they all convened in beautiful summer weather at Cappenberg Outdoor Swimming Pool for fun & games including rock music by different school bands, mini debating and blues guitar workshops, for swimming contests, and, of course, in order just to relax in the sun.

The day’s programme included an attempt at a record worthy of the Guinness Book: All FSG students had no more than ten minutes to form a text from individual letters held up by students on A-4 sized sheets of paper. If the editors of the Guinness Book of Records accept our video documentation, there will be an entry to commemorate this day.

That is the German word for »summer holidays«. Six weeks without school – and sometimes without much to do instead. Time to read another book or two. But what shall we read? The answer can be found here: Pupils and parents and teachers of FSG recommend books they believe to be worth our while. There are four age groups for which the recommendations are specified:

• 5th to 6th form
• 7th to 8th form
• 9th to 10th form
• 11th form and beyond

If you click on the word »Sommerferien«, you can see which books were recommended.

Our Letters to Parents of the present scholastic year:

• Letter to Parents of November 27, 2002
• Letter to Parents of January 29, 2003
• Letter to Parents of May 28, 2003

Stand: 29.07.2003
Artur Weinhold

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What’s been going on at FSG?