On December 6, 2024, there was great excitement at the German Embassy School in Addis Ababa: St. Nicholas himself paid a visit to the children of the kindergarten and elementary school. The visit from St. Nicholas is a cherished tradition that is celebrated with great joy at the German Embassy School every year. The students had eagerly prepared for the special day in advance. Songs were rehearsed, poems memorized, and some children even prepared drawings and small gifts for St. Nicholas. Of course, St. Nicholas also had a sack full of surprises with him! Each child received a small Santa’s bag filled with a variety of treats. The joy was great, and the children’s beaming faces made the day a special experience for everyone.

On November 22, a gallery walk took place for all primary school children. The children were able to view the results presented on posters on selected topics relating to the Middle Ages. The two fourth-grade classes spent several weeks working on a project about the Middle Ages. The subject lessons also deal with periods of time. The pupils not only learn historical content, but also various methods for acquiring knowledge.

The pedagogical day at the DBSAA began with a motivating welcome and interesting introduction by teachers Sherin Galal and Philip Brandt, who also coordinated the entire course of the day. The event provided a valuable opportunity to strengthen cooperation within the teaching staff, to explore pedagogical topics in greater depth and to develop innovative approaches for everyday school life. A particular highlight of the day was the team-building activities led by our social pedagogue Andrea Filler, during which the teachers’ teamwork and problem-solving skills were put to the test. The pedagogical day was concluded with a reflection round in which the participants shared their impressions. A day like this not only promotes pedagogical work, but also strengthens the sense of community within the teaching staff – an essential factor for successful school development.

The German Embassy School in Addis Ababa recently carried out a hearing test for its students to raise awareness of the importance of healthy hearing skills and to identify potential hearing problems at an early stage. Experienced ENT specialist Dr. Uta Fröschl examined children from all grades throughout the morning. The examination included simple, child-friendly exercises that were carried out in a quiet room. Special equipment was used to test whether the children can perceive sounds of different frequencies and volumes. The hearing test offer at the DBSAA was accepted by numerous children and is an important step towards providing appropriate support for children with identified hearing problems.