GAIS Headliner — November/December 2012
German-American International School The International Middle School at GAIS
PreSchool Section St. Martin’s Day On November 9, 2012, we celebrated our annual lantern parade, celebrating the legend of St. Martin. Every year on November 11, German children celebrate St Martin's Day. In many regions children walk through the streets singing special songs. Sometimes they perform a little play with a very specific piece of the saint’s life. It is the story about how Martin meets a beggar on a cold night and, because he feels sorry for him, cuts his cloak in half to share it with the beggar. Martin used to be a soldier, who then decided to give up his sword and dedicate his life to helping people in need. He later became a very popular bishop.
Drama Unit All preschool classes are in the middle of our drama unit, which is a yearlong unit. Our central idea is: "Dramatic play is a form of expression to make sense of the world. During the unit, we will explore the different components of dramatic performances, different ways of re-enacting stories and how to communicate emotions through dramatic play. One class used the traditional tales of “Goldilocks”, “The three Billy Goats” and “The three Bears”. These are great stories, as they are well known and very appealing to the children. The stories employ repetitive language, which make them especially suitable for German learners. In the group, the children came -up with ideas on how to create plays, which included props, backdrop, different roles to play, as well as different elements needed during the play. They soon realized that they needed an audience and 'sold' tickets to the other classes. They also prepared popcorn, chairs for the audience, etc. The children were very enthusiastic during all stages and eagerly performed to their peers. There will be many opportunities throughout the year to work on the unit and many more stories that will inspire dramatic performances in many different forms. The children will also see a professional marionette theatre, which will visit the school in the spring, while the older children will have the opportunity to visit a theatre performance. The performance will be one of the highlights; going on a yellow school bus will be another. by Heike Schmalstieg (Principal Preschool)
All classes made lanterns, practiced the traditional songs and talked about the story of St. Martin, stressing the fact that it is important to help others and share with others. In order to encourage the children to help each other, the teachers in some groups have started a poster and will write down (with the name and the action) when anyone sees that somebody helping another child, e.g.: helping another child ride a bike, giving another child a push on the swing, school children sharing some brownies with us, helping another child during snack time, etc. Seeing their actions written down on paper and recognized by all can be very motivating and rewarding for the children.
Of course, the most exciting part of St. Martin is the lantern parade itself. We had a few hundred parents and children, who gathered in the schoolyard in the evening to watch a shadow play about St. Martin, which was followed by the lantern parade. by Heike Schmalstieg (Principal Preschool)