"I’m Jessi, im 21 years old am currently living and studying Visual Communication at UdK (Universität der Künste) in Berlin. I spent all my primary school years since prep (2009) at DSM and when I moved on to high school, carried on with the DSD Programm at DSM where I completed a German language certificate, which I later needed for my university application.
I have many memories from my time at DSM, from hiding from the teacher and secretly cutting our hair under the table in art class to school plays or concerts, events like the Christmas market, the annual Germany vs. Australia soccer games, the 4am visits to the school to watch the 2014 World Cup, the after-school dance club, or choir and piano lessons.
My favourite subject must have been art, but what really sticks with me when reflecting on my primary school years was the community at DSM. I think at DSM I learned what community means. School wasn’t just a place I visited every day, but it was a place where I knew people old and young and learnt by example, what we can organise and do together when we have diverse and supportive communities.
I feel this strong focus on community has carried with me till now. In Berlin, I currently live in a multi-generational house project. It’s a self-governed house, meaning we don’t have a landlord and have to organise the inner workings of our house together. I believe DSM has allowed me to see the value in this strong community-based living and taught me how to deal with conflicts and take responsibility in a group setting.
I am also still in contact with some of my primary school friends, one of whom recently moved to Berlin to start her Bachelor of political science, another who is now studying in France, one in Munich and two who stayed in Melbourne. We all have quite different lives now but through our shared experience at DSM we have a special kind of connection. We can relate about not knowing German celebrities, growing up with a bilingual brain, and never feeling fully German or fully Australian.
If there’s one thing I want people to understand about DSM, it’d be how widely the doors swing open when you grow up multilingually. After two years of doing year 11 and 12 under COVID I had the choice to move to Berlin. I had the choice to stay, I had the choice to take a uni course and had a big advantage in getting a job over here compared to some of my English-only speaking peers.
I am very grateful for my experience at DSM, for my teachers, my peers and my parents for creating such an enriching primary school experience!"
"As our children got older, we were looking for a school offering a bilingual and bicultural program for primary and secondary school students that would not only open up worldwide opportunities for our children in terms of a school leaving certificate but also teach them cultural awareness and intercultural learning. We want our children to reflect on what is taught to them in the German as well as the Victorian curriculum to learn, understand and respect how history influences a country and that countries function in different ways.
As Deutsche Schule Melbourne is following the German curriculum from the state of Thuringia as well as the Victorian Curriculum, our children have the opportunity to compare information they receive from both countries, which helps them to shape their own identity. They learn to understand and respect different cultures in a more profound way, which helps shaping their mindset and become more open to the world.
On top of that their language awareness improves not only in English, but also in German (and French once they are in Grade 5), which will be helpful, if they choose to learn additional languages.
Since starting at Deutsche Schule Melbourne, our children have not only improved academically but also grew socially and emotionally. The positive reinforcement of the teachers helped them to become more resilient and to accept that making mistakes is part of every learning journey. They love going to school and settled in impressively quickly. They feel comfortable asking for help from their peers and teachers.
We look forward to seeing our children benefiting from this bilingual and bicultural program not only as primary students, but also as secondary students as this is the time when students will be more capable to compare and reflect the language and cultural differences in a more profound way due to their age."
'We chose to send our two daughters Matilda Herold (9 years) and Sophia Herold (6 years) to DSM because Marco is German and we were keen that the kids grew up bilingual and could communicate with their family in Germany. We actually speak very little German at home because I am English and I can’t speak German well unfortunately. Therefore we felt it was really important that the girls were immersed in the language at school. We have been so impressed by the way the teachers at DSM have taught our children. I was fairly nervous at first that their education would suffer because the school has a strict German immersion policy and my girls could not speak German when they first started at the school. However, it was actually amazing the way the teachers manage this...' Weiterlesen
Like many others we found out about the German School at one of their Christmas Markets. With one parent coming from Germany, it was and easy choice for us to send our kids to DSM. The chance for them to be immersed in German everyday was such a good opportunity. When our eldest was around three we went to one of their “Open Days” and instantly had a good feeling about the school. We liked the “homey feeling” and the obvious advantage of learning English and German. Now both of our children are attending DSM (Prep and Year 2) and we are very happy with the school. The school has the right size for us and our kids don’t have the impression they are getting lost. Everyone knows each other, the kids and the teachers. Read more
Why did you choose DSM?
Having one parent with a German background, the choice for DSM was an obvious one, as it is of great interest to us that our children learn the German language, get exposed to the culture and preserve their heritage. Being fluent in German both verbally and in writing is also going to provide the children with an opportunity to study and live in Germany should they so choose to, offering options for their later life. Read more.
How was your experience enrolling your children at DSM?
The enrolment process was very smooth, and we were informed timely and thoroughly of the steps ahead and what to expect at what stage. Little presents and notes for the successful enrolment added a nice extra touch. We had the impression the assessments both our children went through pre enrolment were very thorough and came to honest assessments whether the child was ready to start school or not.
What do you as parents like most about DSM?
It is compelling for us that the school is relatively small (around 120 children across the 6 primary school grades) and has small class sizes providing for more individual attention and for a sense of community knowing more or less everyone on the school grounds. The opportunities the bi-lingual skills will set the children up with will be priceless.
What impact does it have on your family to have your children attending DSM?
Having both children attend DSM very much has been very rewarding. The amount of close new friends with similar interests we made through the school community is fantastic and has gone well beyond the core routines of seeing each other at school drop offs or pick-ups. Further it has been fun being part of various events being in the centre of the DSM community.
'After the decision was made to start a new chapter in our life living in Melbourne for the next 3 years our first priority was to find the right school for our kids. At that time Martha was 5 years old, just finished her time in Kindergarten while Milla was 9 years old and at the end of Grade 3 in primary school in Munich. As we have planned to get back to Germany our focus was to look for a German related school to guarantee smooth transitions. After some research we have finally found the DSM in Melbourne. Reiner had the chance to visit the school during a business trip some months before and his immediate feedback was: “The girls will love the school!”...' Read More
'When we came from Germany to Australia at the end of 2020 Antonia had hardly any English knowledge. To guarantee her a smooth transition into the new environment and to make it easy for her to find friends quickly we decided to send her to DSM. From day one Antonia felt at home. The way she was treated by her school mates as well as teachers was absolutely positive – open minded, friendly and courteous. The classes are small, work is done with a high level of team spirit and solidarity. That also applies to the community of the parents. Right from the beginning we felt welcome. So many offers to get help in our new life – it was just overwhelming. Antonia had no issues at all to enter the bilingual program. She found friends quickly and the English support lessons helped her to get access to the new language quickly. After only 4 months she is now able to follow the English lessons and to participate in English conversations. The community of DSM is something we will all miss – DSM is not just a school, if you let it happen it becomes a part of your life.'
'A few months before moving to Melbourne from Cairo – Egypt, we were super excited to have found the school we ever wanted our kids to attend! Neither my wife nor I had any German language background, however, our older daughter, Haya, was already attending a German school in Cairo. Haya did not speak English at that time, so we were lucky to find the DSM which minimised the negative impact of this migration process on the whole family. We believe the DSM has played a critical role in facilitating the much-needed cultural diffusion. The most amazing thing about the DSM community is how welcoming both the faculty and students are to any new students. The level of support we received from the school and its community was fabulous and unmatched. By the second week of school, Haya felt completely at home at the DSM. The curriculum at the DSM encourages independent and team learning experiences, allowing the children to develop skills that will prepare them for further education and crystallise their personalities to suit the new world work environment...' Read more
"We chose DSM for both of our children's education because their bi-lingual program is a reflection of our home life. My husband speaks his native tongue, German to the children and I speak my native tongue, English to the children. However my husband and I both understand, speak and write the other language as well. The same concept as the school has with their one person, one language concept but all staff are bilingual."
"The impact DSM has on our family, is that it helps us foster the children's heritage and culture. It broadens our horizon of the global world where languages and learning different cultures can build bridges with people in the community. This gives us more opportunity to gain and expand knowledge in different fields. It gives us the confidence to bond with people who normally wouldn't be in our circle of friends. The children learn how to expand there mind by analysing, comparing similarities and differences that can be transferred to other areas of life. This also influenced the decision to send both children at the age of 7 and 9 years old, unaccompanied to Germany..." Weiterlesen
"When my daughter was in kindergarten, I read a feature article about Deutsche Schule Melbourne in The Age. We live in North Fitzroy, so I included it in the mix of local offerings we were considering. I had the feeling she’d really take to the language immersion challenge. But we don't speak German or have any German heritage. So I also had a few concerns. Like, how would I help her with her homework? Would she be excluded by other students if she couldn't join in games or conversations? Would we be excluded from the community as a family? My husband and I attended an Open Day and were particularly struck by the teaching staff. They were obviously qualified and experienced but it was also palpable just how much they loved working at the School and believed in what it had to offer. So we decided to take the plunge, confident at least that she'd be supported by a young, energetic and caring team. Here's what we found..." Weiterlesen
'With Chinese, English, and German at home, we were already interested in how to best teach Lisa all before she was even born, talking to multilingual friends which have been through this. When it came to school, we discovered the concept of bilingual schools rather by accident. We attended the open days and found it to be a good concept to further enhance Lisa’s language skills, because it’s hard to do this consistently at home if the other partner doesn’t understand a word. Of course, the prospect of maybe studying in Germany was in the back of Dad’s mind a bit. With the enrolment process being straight forward, Lisa started the Foundation year in January 2021. The entire school community is very close and friendly. Lisa made a lot of new friends - and kids and parents meet socially outside of school quite often. One of the most noticeable improvements, after only 2 terms, is that Lisa started to reply more in German to the grandparents. Looking forward to crafting one more Zuckertüte in 2025 for brother Liam.'
„Da wir aus einem multinationalen Hintergrund kommen, wussten wir immer, dass unsere Kinder mehrsprachig aufwachsen und gleichzeitig Deutsch, Polnisch und Englisch lernen werden. Mit großer Vorfreude haben wir Matilda für das Vorschuljahr 2013 angemeldet, gefolgt von ihrer Schwester im Jahr 2016. Unser vorrangiges Ziel war es, das zu Hause erlernte und gesprochene Deutsch unserer Kinder zu festigen, indem wir sie dabei unterstützen fließend Deutsch lesen und schreiben zu lernen. Den Mädchen das Rüstzeug für das spätere Leben und Lernen in Deutschland zu geben, war ebenfalls ein wichtiger Gesichtspunkt bei der Wahl der Schule. Die Deutsche Schule Melbourne ermöglicht es unseren Mädchen, ein multikulturelles und mehrsprachiges Leben zu führen, sich mühelos zwischen den Sprachen und Kulturen zu bewegen und ihre besondere Verbindung zu Deutschland und Australien zu verstehen und schätzen zu lernen...“ Weiterlesen
"Unsere Tochter Marley ist in ihrem vierten Schuljahr an der Deutschen Schule Melbourne. Wir könnten nicht glücklicher darüber sein, wie gut sie sich an das Leben an einer bilingualen Schule gewöhnt hat. Es ist immer eine schwierige Entscheidung, die richtige Schule für die eigenen Kinder zu suchen. In Melbourne scheint diese Entscheidung jedoch aufgrund der vielen ausgezeichneten Schulen noch schwieriger zu sein. Während unserer Suche nach der richtigen Schule für unsere Kinder sprachen wir mit vielen Eltern über eigene Erfahrungen, und das führte uns zur Deutschen Schule Melbourne. Wir waren der Meinung, dass Bilingualität ein großes Geschenk für das Leben unserer Kinderen ist: die Möglichkeit, mit Familie und Freunden in Europe zu kommunizieren, sowie der Vorteil für ihre emotionale Entwicklung. Wir glauben wirklich, dass die Generation von morgen sich völlig neuen Herausforderungen und Komplexitäten in der Arbeit und im Leben stellen müssen..." Weiterlesen
„Wir haben die Deutsche Schule Melbourne 2009 bei einer Spendenaktion im Rahmen des Oktoberfestes kennengelernt, noch bevor wir uns überhaupt mit Kindern beschäftigt haben. Mit einem starken deutschen Hintergrund in unserer Familie waren wir begeistert, dass es eine Schule gab, die wir für unsere Kinder in Betracht ziehen konnten, die ihnen die deutsche Sprache und die kulturellen Aspekte einer bilingualen Schule näherbringen würde. Wir besuchten den Tag der offenen Tür, sahen die Vorteile einer bilingualen Schulbildung und meldeten unseren Sohn an. Er kam 2018 als Schüler in der Vorschulklasse an die Schule. Unsere Tochter wird auch bald dazukommen. Die Vielfalt, die die Schule in Bezug auf Australier mit deutscher Abstammung, in Australien arbeitende Deutsche und Australier ohne Verbindung zur deutschen Sprache bringt, war ein attraktives Angebot für unsere Familie und eines, das uns an die Schule zog. Zac hat eine starke Verbindung zur Schule und genießt die bilinguale Schulbildung, die er erhält, insbesondere die Möglichkeit, sich mit seinem Opa zu unterhalten...“ Weiterlesen
In untenstehendem Interview fragen wir Kat G. nach ihrer Erfahrung mit der Deutschen Schule Melbourne - als Familie ohne deutschsprachigen Hintergrund:
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