Posted On 2018-02-10 In Projects

Josef Kentenich School 5 years and counting: “This is a great initiative!”

GERMANY, Renate Immler und Maria Fischer •

Many did not believe in it, a few had doubts … and a few were not deterred, not even by the lack of money, empty information events and skepticism wherever one looked.  If you dream about something very hard, then it’s almost there.  And then it happens, and you know: it is right.

Meanwhile, the Josef Kentenich School has existed for five years.  Following the example of the Memhoelzer Conference, a very dynamic school conference held in November 2017.  Along with parents, students, teachers, staff, and members of the school board association, we looked at what we have achieved so far and considered how we would like to shape the future years.

The participants especially praised the pleasant atmosphere and the good, attentive teamwork in the school and brought forth their gratitude that every child is “seen” meaning every child’s uniqueness is appreciated, accepted, and individually promoted.  Several times, the tireless commitment of the teachers and their team spirit was also spoken of approvingly.

Some parents described the amazing progress in their children’s self-development.  A mother proudly reported about her son who was extremely shy and now gives lectures with enthusiasm and joy. He overcame his shyness by first reading aloud while sitting, then standing, and finally by standing on the table.  Participants’ feedback confirmed that the Josef Kentenich School is a place where children and adults feel accepted and at home.

Full of motivation, they got down to work and developed new projects that they wanted to play a part in at the school.  Just some of the ideas included parents wanting to be involved in the classroom, looking for volunteer retiree teachers for team teaching, offering a working group for art, or for parents to meet others from other classes and share information.   In the end, it was agreed, the conference was so well organized and moderated, and brought so much motivation that we want to do it again soon.

What do the staff and teachers appreciate at the JK School?

A retiree who volunteers as a janitor says: “The Josef Kentenich School is my fifth grandchild. I love to come here and feel very comfortable here. Everyone is so nice!”

The secretary: “I will stay here until retirement!!!“

A teacher who was assigned to be an official at the JK school: “I’m more successful here than at my previous school!  The work is stress-free.  Here the resources are used for teaching.  There is only a minimum of conferences, and the secretary helps the teacher with a lot of the organization.  All teaching materials are stored on a central server, where I can get them myself at any time and thus I save a lot of preparation time.”

Another teacher lists what she really likes:

– The effective cooperation, goodwill, team spirit and mutual support on the team.

– The Rector (Harald M. Knes) is always there to listen with an open ear.

– The intense relationship with the children.

– Many students who cannot cope at other schools get a chance here and thrive. Every child is accepted as they are. The small classes make it possible to respond to every single child.

– The committed parents and the good cooperation between teachers and parents

– The prayer with the students in the morning, the connection of the teaching with the faith and Christian values.

– The familiar school atmosphere, every teacher knows the names of all students.

 

 

“A wonderful Project“

A few days ago, Roberto González from Paraguay (a country rich in fantastic Schoenstatt initiatives) and a novice of the Schoenstatt Brothers and himself rich in project experience like prison ministry, visited the Josef Kentenich School.  His enthusiasm was obvious as he literally raved about the atmosphere, the teachers, the furniture, the stage, the materials, the education … “This is a great initiative!”

Would you like to be a part of this wonderful project?

Thanks to the state subsidies, we can now cover the running costs reasonably well, but the school relies on donations for further school equipment.

Currently the school needs donations for the school’s equipment

– High quality teaching materials for free work and homeschooling and specialist teaching

– Stage equipment with a light and audio system

– Laptops for use in the classroom

 

Original: German, 03.12.2017 Translation: Lindsay Burger, Munich, Germany. Edited: Melissa Peña-Janknegt, Elgin, TX USA

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