The plan to found an "Active School" in Penzberg met with a great response. At the first information evening, around 50 visitors came together - the initiators were "very confident" that they could start school in September.
Penzberg - A team of parents, educators and teachers has been planning to found an active school in Penzberg for a long time, but they still lack people. An information evening should help. There the visitors were quite interested.
First, Yvonne Schmerbeck, vice chair of the sponsoring association, presented the concept of the active school. "The focus is on the child," she explained, and it determines the timing and pace of the learning path itself. The children can choose what they want to do - whether playing football, reading or doing handicrafts. "They become independent and self-thinking people in their development." They are supported by learning assistants, who act more passively and do not give the child any direction. That is the main difference to the Montessori school: "We go one step further in the non-directive." This means that if a child does not learn math for a week, it does not have to be done later. Rather, it really determines its learning path itself from start to finish. Trust on the part of parents and learning support in the child is therefore essential.
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There are also no grades in the active school. Grades are "not objective" and "they stigmatize", criticize Schmerbeck. As a grade alternative, there is a learning diary in which the child records his process, a portfolio and a self-assessment. Some visitors to the information evening were also critical of grades and an authoritarian education system. One listener found that there are “enough” alternative offers such as the active school.
The team also received support from the city: Mayor Elke Zehetner and managing director Roman Reis "were very supportive," said Yvonne Schmerbeck. Reis, for example, introduced a building to them, namely the former Montessori school building at the “old train station”. In addition, Tomas Schindhelm, headmaster of the Montessori, was present at the information evening and offered to "provide advice."
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A group with 25 first to third graders is currently planned for the active school. As soon as the elementary school has started, planning for a secondary school up to middle school and subsequent secondary school begins. In order for the primary school to start in September, the application must be submitted to the government by the end of March. The team is already “in active email traffic,” said Schmerbeck. Registrations for children should ideally be received by February 26th. "You don't sign a contract with it yet" and can jump off at any time.
According to parent spokeswoman Juliane Malik, there were already some interested parties after the information evening. “At first we didn't know how many would come.” In the end, the boardroom in the town hall was almost full with around 50 visitors. After the evening, Malik was "very confident" that the active school could be founded. Of course, there can never be enough support: the team is still looking for interested parents, educators, educators and teachers to start up.
If interested
or questions you can contact juliane.aktiveschule@gmx.de. More information and registration can also be found on erle-erlebnis-machen.de
