|
 It has now hardly been two months since the German Language
School Concordia in Kitchener celebrated its graduation. More
than four hundred people filled the Main Hall of the Concordia
Club in order to celebrate the achievements and the reports of
the classes of grades 8 to twelve and the adults.
Greetings by our vice consul Catrin Stibbe, Ruth Renters (Goethe
Institut) Mat Schulze (Waterloo Centre for German Studies) and
supervisor Nigel Lee ( Waterloo Region District School Board)
underlined how important German language schools are in general
and this one in Kitchener in particular.
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| Bitzer Award contestants |
 Before the reports were given out and the valedictorians
addressed the audience a number of special prizes were given
out. The best of class students at all levels received cash
awards. 11 students earned the teachers’ (iron man) award for
attending school every Saturday from grade One to grade 12!
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| Schulleiter Gerhard Griebenow
and the Diploma C1 students |
Frau Stibbe rewarded the many recipients of the German diplomas,
among them six students for the B1 diploma and seven for the C1
diploma. To earn this diploma is an outstanding achievement as
it entitles the bearer to attend university in Germany without
having to take additional language examinations!
Now we are planning for the coming school year.
At a June conference the principals of the German Schools in
Canada agreed on a mission statement that the Concordia School
is committed to. A German Language school will
- provide instruction that is sound in methods and didactics
- attempts to offer levels of graduation
- orients itself on the GER (The Common European Reference
Framework for Languages)
- employs suitable and qualified teachers
- is open to all who want to learn German
- conveys socio-cultural values and knowledge of or about the
German speaking area (of Europe)
 Therefore we offer instruction at all levels from Junior
Kindergarten to Adults. Everybody who is interested can enroll.
We encourage new registrations on the first day of school, on
Sept. 19.
The first day of school is going to be an experience as always,
as we meet new and old friends. On the second day of school all
of our students grade (8) 9 and up will attend the University of
Waterloo. There a photo exhibit "Icons of a border" is being
shown. It attempts to find photographic evidence of the wall in
today’s Berlin, twenty years after reunification. This exhibit
was assembled by the Goethe Institute. It is open to the public
from the beginning of September.
Many of our students had taken part in an essay contest about
this topic, offered by the German Government. Now they will be
able to see with their own eyes how Berlin has developed, and
internalize history.
A planned field trip to see the film "The Alps" at the Omni Max
Theatre of the Ontario Science Centre is another of the exciting
events planned for this year.
All pictures provided by Gerhard
Griebenow
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