Dear friends of Stella School!
We started the school year with great joy – in Vienna at the new location on the Donauplatte with over 400 children and young people, where a dream has become reality, and in Seebenstein and Salzburg with many new families. I want to express my sincere thanks to all those who have actively helped and lent a hand – parents, teachers, pupils, friends, and acquaintances have organized relocations, hauled furniture, set up, and decorated, without this help, we would not have been able to start in September.
The contributions from the locations show how much life there is in the schools and kindergartens. There is joy, a strong sense of community, and the drive to join forces to tackle the many educational, economic or organizational challenges. A big and heartfelt thank you to everyone who is helping us!
Student registrations for the next school year have started at all locations, and there are already long waiting lists in some cases. On October 24, there will be an official opening ceremony at the Bildungscampus in Vienna, to which you are cordially invited (registration link). We would also like to invite you to this year’s series of seminars on the “7 Ways to Effectiveness”, which we offer for parents (registration link), to introduce parents to the basic principles of the personal development programs that we use in schools. The involvement of parents is an important concern for us.
I now wish you all a good start to the new school year and look forward to many enriching personal encounters at the various events!
Sincerely yours
Heidi Burkhart the team of Stella International School
Contents
- Stella Salzburg
- Stella Seebenstein
- Stella Vienna Kindergarten
- Stella Vienna Elementary School
- Stella Vienna Secondary School
Stella Salzburg
You can find the current Salzburg Newsletter here.
Stella Seebenstein
Campus: English days in August
The English days for our secondary school children in the summer were a complete success. The children were enthusiastic, and the teachers also enjoyed the positive response to their offer. For those who started at the secondary school in September, any fear of English lessons disappeared. My special thanks go to our native speaker Lara Weinlich for organising these four days. Sandra Thompson and Lisa Zitterbayer also made a significant contribution to the success of the course. The children were taught in groups according to their ability. In the first two lessons, they mainly repeated and deepened grammar and vocabulary on specific topics. After having a snack together, the children then had fun consolidating what they had learned. This included a puzzle rally through Seebenstein, a skills course in the school garden, preparing a typical English breakfast, and rehearsing a short play. See link
Campus: School opening service
On Mother Teresa’s Memorial Day, we celebrated the school opening service with our school chaplain, Dr. Thomas Kenner. There was just enough room for all the children in the pews. The Holy Mass was organised by our Stella praise team. The children danced along enthusiastically to the song of Thanksgiving, “Du gibst mir Rückenwind.”.
Innovations on campus
Chapel
Margret Zitterbayer, who decorated our chancel during the vacations, has given us great pleasure. The Blessed Mother was given a wreath of stars, and rays of light emanated from her hands.
The candlelight reflects the gold leaf on the wall, and the beauty of it brings a sense of wonder and calm to our morning prayers.
There is also a prayer box by the Good Shepherd where children, parents, and teachers can place all their intentions. These petitions are included in the rosary (Mon, Wed, and Fri) and at the monthly Mass.
Entrance area
Since September, a golden pinboard with the saints of the day can be seen as you enter the school. Pupils are also made aware of special feast days this week.
Another new feature is our cell phone locker. This good habit has quickly become established among the children. This means that cell phones are not an issue throughout the school day and friendships can grow in real life.
Multi-purpose room
As our children’s stars are happily growing in number, the space on the small table gradually became too small. That’s why they now adorn a wall in the multi-purpose room. At the start of school, every child looked for their star !
We would like to thank our dear Robert Beisteiner for painting the wall.
Kindergarten: New kindergarten year begins
We are delighted to welcome 5 new children to our group! The settling-in period for our new friends was short. After just a few days, they felt quite at home and were with us at Stella Kindergarten until lunchtime.
Kindergarten: Birthdays
There have already been several birthdays in our first month of kindergarten. The children make their crowns in the morning and take a photo with them for each birthday. In the circle, the teacher then tells the other children what the birthday child in the photo has experienced.
At snack time, the children are then given a homemade cake from home!
English in kindergarten
Sandra Thompson comes to our group every week. She is our native speaker in the house. With half of the group, we then go into the movement room and learn animal names, colours, and numbers in a playful way in the English language!
Kindergarten: Dental health education with Kroko
Finally this month, our dear Kroko came to our group with his lovely colleague Sonja. Sonja talked to us about how brushing teeth works! The little hand puppet Kai had no idea. At the end of the lesson, we were also allowed to have a “tooth brushing party” with Sonja!
Elementary school: An exciting start to the new school year!
We were all really looking forward to the first day of school in the new school year. This year, we welcomed ten first-graders and six second-graders to MSTK 1. MSTK 2 is starting the new school year with ten third-graders and ten fourth-graders. We are looking forward to a wonderful, successful year together!
Elementary school: fun collecting and counting
The children from MSTK 1 collected 500 nuts. It was a lot of fun and the counting wasn’t that difficult if you approach it wisely.
Elementary school: As a “new” class in the outdoor pool
In midsummer temperatures, we were able to visit the Seebenstein outdoor pool in the first week of school. The children got to know each other well and had fun together as a new class for the first time.
Elementary school: Kroko visits
On Wednesday, September 25th, we received a visit from Kroko at MSTK 2. It was all about how to brush your teeth properly and why healthy teeth are important. It’s always fun to learn more about these topics with Kroko.
Elementary school: Hiking day to Gleißenfeld
True to the motto “Hiking is the miller’s delight”, we went on foot from our school to Gleißenfeld on 26.9.
from our school to Gleißenfeld on foot.
Our destination was the chapel in the center of the village.
After a morning prayer together, we refreshed ourselves at the playground in the beautiful surroundings at the foot of the Türkensturz.
On the way back along a country lane, we enjoyed nature, good conversation and had lots of fun.
After-school care: Stella Seebenstein
For the first time this year, there is a small contribution from our after-school groups in the newsletter. A total of 19 children are enrolled in our middle school and primary school groups.
After the end of lessons, the after-school children come into the multi-purpose room. Lisa leads lunchtime with grace. Marie-Christine then takes over the free play time and takes the children into the garden. There, the girls and boys have the opportunity to move around. Their favorite games are table soccer, soccer or basketball. Chess also takes place once a week and gets their heads spinning.
Stella Seebenstein Middle School is growing!
This year, around 17 children started in Year 1 at the middle school. The motto is: “Together we are strong”.
Secondary school: training for swimming certificates
The rays of sunshine in the first week of September were once again put to good use. The middle school visited the Seebenstein outdoor pool and practiced various exercises that need to be mastered in order to obtain various swimming certificates.
Middle school: Pilgrimage to Maria Schutz
The children from MS visited the pilgrimage church in Maria Schutz. After the hike and a wonderful mass, everyone enjoyed a delicious doughnut for refreshment. Parents and grandparents were also there.
Stella Vienna Kindergarten
Everything new!
We are delighted to have moved into our new premises. We are delighted with the light-flooded group rooms, which have been lovingly furnished and decorated by our colleagues. Not only are our premises new, we are also pleased to welcome many new families to Stella Kindergarten. That is a special joy.
Our current focus is on ensuring that all children settle in well and feel comfortable in their new groups. As a special highlight, we now also have our own garden and exercise room at the new campus.
Stella Vienna Elementary School
The first classes dealt with emergency services in their science lessons and visited the professional fire station. It was particularly fascinating to see the fire engines up close and ride the turntable ladder.
Stella Vienna Secondary School
Opening mass and school blessing
Acrobatics in PE lessons
The girls in grades 3A and 3B put on a top acrobatic performance (almost Olympic standard) in PE lessons. Incredible figures were performed. After almost giving up on the 10-point pyramid, the girls were determined not to give up – despite the risky close to the end of the lesson. Not on the second, not on the third, but on the final fourth attempt, they made it for the all-important photo. But immediately after the snap, one child after another collapsed and the pyramid became a heap. But don’t worry: never a broken pile, but a laughing one.
3B in the DC Tower
On Friday we went on a trip to the DC Tower. We took the elevator to the top and Ms. Csongrady gave us a tour of the PWC floor. The view was beautiful and we had a lot of fun. (Annamaria Bella)
Visit to the TU hands-on laboratory
On September 16, the 4A (unfortunately somewhat decimated due to the flood situation these days) visited the Technical University with Prof. Moritz and Prof. Wagner. The hands-on lab is organized by retired chemistry teachers. First, we were given safety instructions on how to work properly in the lab. In the first part, we carried out experiments on food chemistry: How can starch be detected? What are leavening agents made of? As an exciting conclusion: What is liquid nitrogen and how does it feel on the hand? And how does it change the properties of an elastic ball?
Mille viae ducunt homines per saecula Romam. – A thousand roads lead people to Rome for centuries.
Class 6a also set off to explore the Eternal City on September 16, 2024, accompanied by their two professors Maria Trachta and Susanne Kiesewetter. The following is an overview of eight unforgettable days full of history, culture and spiritual experiences.
Arrival in Rome – first day
We landed in Rome early in the morning and headed straight into the city. From the airport, we took the train to Stazione Roma San Pietro. Our accommodation with the Pallottine Sisters was waiting for us there, just a few minutes from St. Peter’s Square. After checking in, we took our first walk through Rome. We visited the imposing St. Peter’s Square, strolled along Via della Conciliazione and marveled at Castel Sant’Angelo and the Bridge of Angels. Our route continued to the lively Piazza Navona, which impressed us with its fountains and artists.
In the afternoon, we gathered for mass at the Campo Santo to place our trip under God’s blessing. It was celebrated by Dr. Konrad Ackermann, a papal notary and defender of the band at the Rota Romana, who accompanied us again and again in the days that followed. We ended the evening with pizza and pasta.
Ancient treasures – second day
We took the bus to the Capitol in the morning and started our walk through ancient Rome. We visited the Colosseum and the Arch of Constantine, then continued on to Trajan’s Markets and the Imperial Forums. The walk through the cozy Monti district, where we also enjoyed our lunch, offered a little change of pace. In the afternoon, we visited the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill, where we were very impressed by the remains of the ancient world.
Churches and hidden treasures – day three
The day began with a special guided tour of the Chiesa Nova by Father Maximilian Maria Ewers CO, who is in Rome for his doctoral studies. The tomb of St. Philip Neri, the founder of the oratory, was particularly impressive. Father Maximilian told us a lot about the life and work of this great saint, whose devotion and piety still inspire many people today.
We then visited other sights on our own, including the Jesuit church Il Gesù, Piazza del Campidoglio and Santa Maria in Ara Coeli. We continued via the Marcellus Theater and the Jewish quarter to the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin. In the afternoon, our route took us across the Tiber Island to Trastevere, where we visited the magnificent church of Santa Maria in Trastevere. Finally, we waited patiently on the Aventine for the famous “keyhole view”. We ended the evening in a typical Roman pizzeria in the Testaccio district.
Excursion to Tivoli – fourth day
The day began with a mass in Santa Maria Maggiore, celebrated by Father Maximilian in the crypt, right next to the relics of the nativity scene. The mass was celebrated in Latin, which we all found particularly solemn. After mass, we took the train to Tivoli, where we visited the beautiful Villa d’Este and its gardens. After lunch in a cozy restaurant in Tivoli, we had the afternoon free and also had the opportunity to go to confession at our accommodation with the two priests who had accompanied us so far.
Catacombs and St. Peter’s Basilica – day five
This day also started early with a mass, this time in one of the side chapels around the tomb of St. Peter in St. Peter’s Basilica. Despite a public transport strike, we took buses to the catacombs of San Sebastiano. There we learned a lot about early Christianity. We then visited the Basilica of San Sebastiano and walked to the Domine quo vadis church. After a lunch break and refreshments, we began our tour of the Basilica of St. John Lateran and the Baptistery. The moment when the majority of us knelt on the Scala Sancta, the Holy Stairs, to present our petitions was particularly moving. We then visited the Sancta Sanctorum and went to the Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, where we spent some time praying in the Chapel of the Relics.
The Vatican – day six
On this day, the Vatican was the focus of our visit. First we were guided through the Vatican Gardens by Dr. Ackermann, then Sister Angelica awaited us and showed us the highlights of St. Peter’s Basilica. Another highlight of the day was the expert guided tour of the Vatican Grottoes in the afternoon, led by Monsignor Tiziano Ghirelli from the Cathedral Chapter of St. Peter. The Capella Clementina right next to St. Peter’s tomb was particularly moving.
In the evening, we attended an Italian mass in the Parrocchia di Santa Maria della Perseveranza, which is pastorally cared for by the Servi dei poveri order. Our class contributed to the celebration with German songs and “Anima Christi” by Marco Frisina. After the mass, we were warmly welcomed by the parish youth, who had prepared pizza and dolci for us. It was a very fun evening, during which we not only enjoyed the delicious food, but also got to know some Roman customs.
Turbulent journey and a special Holy Mass – day seven
Sunday got off to an exciting start: all the buses were canceled in the morning due to a large bike tour by cyclists in Rome. Despite all the adversities, we managed to get to the Prelature of Opus Dei in time by cab, where we celebrated Holy Mass in the church of Santa Maria della Pace. The mass was celebrated by Professor Dr. Johannes Grohe, directly at the grave of our school saint Josémaria Escriva. After Holy Mass, Professor Grohe showed us the beautiful Marian Chapel, in which a picture of Vienna and the inscription “Stella Maris Orientis” can be seen.
Shopping and journey home
On the last day of our trip, we took the opportunity to do some shopping in the center of Rome. Finally, we made our way to the airport and started our journey home.
This trip to Rome was a unique experience for all of us, which not only brought us closer to Rome and its history, but was also fruitful for our faith. We are grateful for the many impressions we were able to take home with us.
