The summer is here and it’s time to go outside and enjoy the sunshine – or catch some little monsters. As Pokémon Go has become an overnight hit since its release less than two weeks ago, it may be good for kids and parents to get some background information. The game is fascinating and fun – but the first warnings on sites such as Common Sense and Medienratgeber ‘Schaut Hin!’ have already popped up, some for good reason.

Some advice on dealing the the Pokémon Go! phenomenon by NMS teacher and head of IT Annemieke Akkermans is below.

Dear Nelson-Mandela-Community,

After 10 years at Nelson Mandela School, I will begin another posting from the 31^st of August 2016 as school principal of the Paula-Fürst-Schule in Berlin-Charlottenburg.

The annual Bundeswettbewerb Fremdsprachen (national competition for foreign languages) now in its 25th year yet again was an exciting and entertaining three-day event in Hanover. This national competition has been successfully promoting children, who are avid students and users of foreign languages, since its inception in 1979. Meanwhile, it can boast an impressive number of over 15,000 young participants.

Dear Graduate Class 2016,

The Nelson Mandela School is home to the highly mobile; yet a few of you have been students here from when there was still a preschool.

Your parents are those who were part of the schools’ naming process, back bones of the parent council, long standing members of the school conference and founders of the Friends of Nelson Mandela, our Förderverein.

This was a generation of parents who participated in shaping the profile of this organized, disorganized, chaotic, crazy, flexible and yet cherished school in which the attributes “international” and “diverse” are not mere labels but an identification, a way of life.

Graduates: Your success here today is in no small measure due to their support.

The P23 Aula was filled with the uplifting sound of music last Monday at the NMS Summer Concert, organised by Thomas Langlotz. The Bands from Grades 5, 6, 7 and 8 and the Choirs of the Mendelssohn-Bartholdy-Music-School showed off their musical prowess to the delight of the capacity crowd of families and friends.

On Friday July 8th 2016 we had the last assembly of the year. The teachers said a special good-bye to the year 6 students with a song. Good Luck, future 7th graders!!

More pictures below.

Theatre WPU 9&10, 17:30, Aula, P30. Illustration by Mia-René Butter, 9a.

On Thursday the 16th of June 2016 we hosted a talent show for the first time in years and enjoyed 18 wonderful performances by the NMS community. After months of preparation and running auditions the work payed off and we had a great turnout. Our judges (Isabel Zander Zeidam 10D, Safiye Rafehi 10D, Isabelle Klopman 9C and Finn Killing 8A), had a very hard time agreeing on the first four places which were held by: 4. Paloma from 9th grade, 3. Jonas and from 7th grade, 2. Melanie, Charlotte, Peppi from 6th grade and the winner of our show 1. Luke who amazed the audience with his improvised guitar piece. We thank everyone who came and supported our talent show and we congratulate all of our candidates. We hope you had just as much fun as we did!

Xx Talent Show Committee (Vera Gramann, Safiye Rafiki, Alex Galita, Johara Meyer)
(Bild: Talent Show-Moderatoren Johara und Alex)

The Fashion Revolution Day that was held in our school on April 26 2016 (two days after the official memorial day), was – again – a great success. Not only presented the Leistungskurs Kunst Q2 their upcycled fashion designs but all of the secondary classes had the chance to actively upcycle clothes, learn about fashion consumption, the environmental and social impact of the fashion production, swap their clothes, etc. Wilfried Pletzinger, fashion designer, supported the students in designing and manufacturing their unique outfits. We would like to thank the NMS Friends for making this fashion designing experience a professional one!

The newly founded NMS SWAP CLUB will open every TUESDAY from 1 to 2pm in P30. Bring clothes that you got tired of wearing and select a „new“ second hand outfit. Be the change that you wish to see in the world.

Fashion Revolution Day pictures below!

Hella Bill, an NMS IB graduate of this year and Higher Level Visual Art student, is the German winner of the art competition by the International Foundation for Arts and Culture Japan. She will be in Tokyo from June 29 to July 6 to present her artwork and to receive an award. Florentine Baumann, Head of the NMS Art Department, will accompany her. We are incredibly proud of her!

“My name is Hella Bill and I am a recent graduate from the Nelson Mandela International School in Berlin in which I did the IB Arts Diploma Program.

On May 31st 2016, a group of NMS students had the privilege of accompanying Mr. Goode and Mr. Nitschke to the NPR studio in Berlin.

The National Public Radio is held by the legal nonprofit, NPR Media Berlin GmbH and maintains the characteristics of a public radio station in the US. NPR is an internationally known producer and distributer of noncommercial news and entertainment. The program began serving the Berlin community on April 1st 2006. It can be accessed on 104,1 FM life in Berlin.

Dear Parents,

The Choir would like to thank you for attending our “End Of The Year Concert.” Your presence along with our Faculty, Staff and Management really boost the morale of the students. Your congratulatory e-mails in spite of the heat were overwhelming. Thank you for your support. We look forward to next years concert in another location.

Sincerely,
The Nelson Mandela School Choir

Lots of pictures of the Choir and the Musical Ensemble below!