DEUTSCHE SAMSTAGSSCHULE

November 2019 is the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall: parents who witnessed the event speak about their memories in class. A trip to the exhibition 'Love Letter across the Berlin Wall' provides further insights. We also take a closer look at the youngest class in our school and how German is taught here.

In the light of Brexit looming, families reflect on what citizenship means to them. We also meet our current A-level class. And Felicitas Ader tells us how Herbert the parrot helps her in class.

In this issue, we introduce the new members in our team and meet some new families at Saturday School. We also say goodbye to the Class of 2015 - you were fabulous! We also hear about the 'Native Scientists' workshop which some of our older students attended.

The World Cup is on and families are coming together at the Drayton Park pub to see Germany play. In this issue, we also introduce other German Saturday Schools around the UK as well as our umbrella organisation, the VDSS. And Pauline Meyer reports on the IB programme she completed at our partner school St Mary Magdalene Academy.

In this issue we report on the new Judith Kerr School, an Anglo-German primary school in North Dulwich. Our teacher Christine Pleines is recognised for her outstanding work at the German Teacher Awards 2013. And we call for more volunteers - it's not that hard and a good way to make friends!

From a theatre workshop, to Olympic work-outs, to wine tasting, this issue reports on the latest school (and after school) activities at Saturday School.

In this issue, our parents reflect on what Remembrance Sunday means to them. We also explore the tradition of the St Martin lantern walk. And there's all the latest news about the school.

Read about the role of music in our school, where to go for German musical inspiration and the fun to be had during the Carnival period. There is also a moody piece on Brexit, and we address life's big questions in our parent questionnaire.

We speak to parents who grew up with more than one language themselves and are now supporting their own children's multi-lingualism. The VDSS teachers' workshop takes place at the Goethe Institute. And Florian Fischer asks if there is something specifically German about enjoying board games.

A teachers' workshop for Islington and Hackney in which Christine Müller shares her experiences of teaching at Saturday School and Charlotte Schulze gives practical instructions in the use of LÜK boxes and new games which – thanks to a ZfA donation ­- have just been introduced in Hackney. We also report on our 'Day of Professions' and on the Carnival which was celebrated - with great professionalism - at both locations.

We explore Carnival, talk to our teachers about what got them started and where teaching at Saturday School has taken them, and introduce our new LÜK learning system.

In our first issue, we review the beginnings of our German Saturday School, report on the logo and naming competition for this newsletter, and reflect on the value of multilingualism.

The results of our full school survey are out: around 300 students and 30 teachers and assistants tell us what they think. The children in Martina Geccelli's class present the picture book they have written and illustrated. And there is a special interview with our baker Gerd Kusche.

Our former student Fenja Akinde-Hummel recounts her gap year in Germany. Martina Schmid tells us how working at the Saturday School got her into teaching. We report on a new initiative: three teachers in Islington invite parents to join them in the classroom. And we gather responses to the new series Deutschland 83.

The 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the British Museum's Germany exhibition are discussed in this issue. We also talk to parents who were in Berlin in 1989 and who have just shared their memories with some of the older classes. The Saturday School choir perform an anniversary concert in the oldest German church in London. And teachers report on 'Austria Day'.

This issue includes Helene Schulze's report from the career fair at the German Embassy. We also take a closer look at the changes in GCSE- and A-level German exams and how we prepare for them at Saturday School. And Frauke Ehmke shares her thoughts on the use of art in language teaching.

We report on our lantern walks, invite former students to share their memories of Saturday School, and meet our parents' choir, the Islington Meistersingers. And we reveal what our German classes for adults are really like... will they prepare you for that special Nikolaus encounter?