Dear Friends of Stella International School!
We look back on the past year with gratitude. It has brought some milestones with it: the groundbreaking ceremony for the new construction of the future school building for the Stella-
educational campus in the Danube City in Vienna, constantly increasing numbers of students, the expansion of parent education, continuous work on improving quality at school, implementing the Leader in Me-Program and the opening of a new location for kindergarten and elementary school in Seebenstein (Lower Austria). We get to experience how parents and teachers pull together to support the children as best as possible in their development. Recently, a mother told me: “I was at the Open Doors Day and watched the children independently organizing this day. That’s when I knew: This is the school I want for my daughter!”
In December, the classes did many nice projects for Christmas: for example, in the 4th grade there was a project on the good habit of “generosity”: the children put together Christmas gifts for homeless people in Vienna, 11 gifts with 3 pieces of robe each, a Christmas Card and 5 € for a warm drink on December 24. The children also prayed for these people, the message was “respect and appreciation for all people”.
In all classes there were of course nice Nikolo celebrations, but also many other exciting activities such as a visit to the Plantearium, a reading night and much more.
In the secondary school, the well known Viennese actor Michael König came to the Performing Arts classes to rehearse a nativity play with the children in a highly professional manner.
The performance will take place on Saturday, Dec. 24 at 3:30 p.m. in St. Peter’s Church in Vienna I, Am Graben – you are cordially invited!
We also had an intense December in Seebenstein: We were able to experience the first snow in our large garden, a wonderful Open Doors Day with many new visitors and the news that we will be able to start a middle school next fall 2023. Enrollment for the next school year for kindergarten, elementary school and middle school has already started (www.stella-seebenstein.at). Applications for elementary and middle school teachers are also being accepted on an ongoing basis.
A recent highlight was the rehearsal and video recording of a nativity play and Christmas music making. We would like to send you all this little video as a Christmas greeting, which the Stella children have prepared especially for you!
I sincerely wish you and your families a Merry Christmas and all the best in the New Year! To all of you who support us so generously and continuously – be it financially, through your voluntary help, your prayers or with advice and action – I say a big THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart! You are part of a wonderful project for the future.
With warmest regards,
Yours
Heidi Burkhart, Vorsitzende
& and the team of Stella International School
