TA Family

TA FAMILY Celebrating 10 Years of partnership with our German Friends at MercedezTBenz USA Written by: Brooke Peterson

Tuscaloosa Academy celebrates a ten year partnership with Mercedes-Benz and German expatriate families living in West Alabama. Each year, students ranging from age 3 to 18 join our school community, immersed in the daily life of TA academics, sports, and community life. Roughly fifteen percent of our student body is composed of international families who come to Alabama from a myriad of towns throughout Germany, or from expat experiences in South Africa or China or other nations. In many ways, their lives as students here at TA look no different from those of their American friends. However, their experience is quite distinct because many of these students are learning in their second, or third language!

In order to be prepared for their return to the German education system, they also receive daily lessons in their mother-tongue from our German native teachers, Mrs. Karen Kneer and Mrs. Alina Hutson. Karen has been an integral part of educating German students in Tuscaloosa since the early days of MBUSI, running the former German supplemental program once a week in the late 1990s. French teacher Mr. Ryan Meyer von Bremen keeps pace with the French lessons in Baden-Wurtemberg, and Mrs. Sarah Riches runs a robust English support program. However, this special academic support is just one important aspect of this partnership.

Even more important than the academic experience is the cultural exchange that takes place through friendships that last long beyond their time at TA. Shared cultural events, sports, and the arts are key elements of this rich partnership. Pictured here is the school-wide celebration of the first day of school through the German sugar cone or Schultüte tradition. Typically a tradition with just the first grade, this year in honor of this important anniversary, we extended the tradition to the entire school. We will continue our celebration throughout the fall semester and we invite the greater TA and Tuscaloosa community to join us with many special German heritage events. Be on the lookout for Oktober Fest at the October 8 home football game, the International Tent at Punkin’ Knight, the annual Lantern Festival in November, and a celebratory Christmas Market before the winter holidays! Spotlight on New German Families Family Ostermann - From Germany to South Africa to Tuscaloosa

Pauline Ostermann, grade 6, describes her school in South Africa, as she reflects on the cultural differences than TA. Stirling School in East London, South Africa has 2000 students in it, and the students are required to wear uniforms four days a week. While her learning was mainly in English, the second and third languages taught and spoken there were Afrikaans and Xhosa. She describes the mixing of these cultures in her school each day as very interesting. The school has a strong emphasis on tradition, and rugby is the most important sport. South Africa itself is a country rich in tradition, geographical and cultural diversity, and remarkable wildlife. She is enjoying her time at Tuscaloosa Academy so far!

Family Hieber - From Germany to Tuscaloosa

Elena Hieber started grade 10 at TA this year. She explains the differences between her school in Germany and her experience at TA, in her own words:

So far I have had a great experience at TA. However, it’s a big change to what I’m used to. I am used to going to a public school which was a lot larger than TA. Additionally, I am not used to being in school till 3:15 everyday. Nevertheless, I like the teachers at TA, and I admire that all of them decorate their rooms all differently the way they want to. It makes the atmosphere comfortable and welcoming. Moreover, teachers want to help students if they struggle and they like to chat with every student. The school spirit at TA is great and it’s always fun to support our sports teams. I have the great opportunity to play in the volleyball team. There are a lot of tournaments, trainings and game days which I really enjoy. I made it to the team and all of the members gave me a warm welcome. A great opportunity for me at TA is that I get to work with a MacBook. I love it! In my opinion, it’s an amazing advantage to improve my computer skills and it helps me study as well as being organized.

Spotlight on an Alumnae, Lena Klink From Germany to Tuscaloosa to Beijing to Hamilton College in New York

Lena attended Tuscaloosa Academy from 2016 until December of 2018, from the start of grade 8 through the middle of grade 10. A German native who has now studied in three continents, Lena now finds herself drawn to the global experience. After leaving Tuscaloosa Academy, the Klink family relocated to Beijing, China, where Lena enrolled in an International Baccalaureate diploma program. Currently, she attends Hamilton College, a small liberal arts college in upstate New York.

Lena reflects on her years at Tuscaloosa Academy as a foundational time in her life where she became fascinated with the often minor but sometimes massive differences between cultures. While not her first time living abroad, this was her first experience studying as a student immersed in the school community. Lena reflects back on her high school journey, saying “To see the differences and more importantly similarities in cultures was fascinating to me. This was only amplified when I moved to Beijing and attended an international school where the student body was a melting pot of nationalities, backgrounds, and perspectives.”

The decision to return to The United States in order to major in International Relations with a potential double major or minor in economics or history was the natural result of Lena’s studies in Tuscaloosa and Beijing. She shares that “I chose Hamilton because I wanted the true liberal arts experience: a focus on undergraduate education, engaging with professors in small classes with a focus on learning rather than getting lost in enormous lecture halls listening to teacher assistants, and a smaller, tight-knit community. Furthermore, its beautiful campus and upstate NY location and prestige played somewhat of a role in my decision.”

A stack of sugar cones ready to be handed out on the first day of school.

Above Left: Pauline Osterman and a friend at Stirling School in East London, South Africa. Above Right: Elena Hieber visiting the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

Kindergarten students at the Lantern Festival. Lena Klink on campus at Hamilton College.