At the start of the 2021/22 academic year, our senior class was asked to contribute to the celebration of our school’s 60th anniversary by painting a mural that reflects what it means to them to be part of our German International School community. Under the direction of their art teacher, Alexandra Cheshire, each 12th grade student was given the opportunity to create their own vision for the mural as part of their art coursework. The winning design was then selected by a panel of judges as the basis for this collaborative art project.  Our seniors have spent the past nine months creating the beautiful wall mural pictured here, which was unveiled this past week during the opening assembly of the school’s “SE- Day” (Schulentwicklungstag) celebration. April Twinn, whose design was chosen for the mural, shared the following remarks about the painting:

„When I think of my school, I think of a patchwork quilt. Various fabric pieces of different shapes and sizes fused together to form one piece of fabric…the beauty of the quilt is the fact that each one of these pieces contributes in its own very special way… It is unusual to find a place in the world where we can speak to people in English and get an equally perfect response in German, French or Spanish. Being able to listen to the experiences of someone who has grown up thousands of miles away from me, and sharing different perspectives, is what makes this place special to me. And somehow every single fabric piece, regardless of its shape or size is still able to find a place on the quilt. And that is how our community has been formed.“

Through their joint creative efforts, our graduating seniors leave behind this wonderful gift for our school community.  The mural, which has been dedicated by the 12th grade class to Susanne Koehler to honor her for her many years of service to the school, will be hung in the cafeteria for all to enjoy.