Celebration of Completion of Energy Efficiency Renovation at the DS Washington

Despite her very busy schedule, Dagmar Freitag (SPD), Member of Parliament and the elected Chairwoman of the German-US Parliamentary Friendship Group as well as Speaker of the Discussion Round USA/North America of the German political party SPD, made time for our small celebration to present the completed building project in the name of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  Mr. Matthias Duewell representing  the Board of Directors and Ms. Petra Palenzatis as the Head of School accepted the symbolic golden key in the presence of Minister Holger Mahnicke, Head of the Department of Communications and Culture at the German Information Center of the German Embassy.

Among other speakers, Ms. Freitag emphasized the importance of the extensive renovation of the school building which was by in large financed by Germany and with supplementing funds coming out of the school’s budget.   Special praise went to the team of architects and designers and to Ms. Kerstin Hopkins who coordinated the local partners, as well as to the American construction companies. Joint efforts made it possible that this extensive construction project concluded in a swift and proper manner without extensive delays. 

A big thank you also went to all staff, students, parents and friends of the school who showed patience understanding while the ongoing construction disrupted classroom instruction and created less than optimal working conditions.

The student choir of the DSW under direction of the Head of the Music Department, Mr. Rainer Tack, looked ahead to further modernizing construction projects with a song they wrote: “We continue building” was the happy refrain they chanted sounding throughout the building…