Hermann-Boddin-Grundschule

“A double school for 3,600 students? That’s enormous!” you might exclaim, standing before the Hermann-Boddin-Grundschule. Indeed, the current building is only half of the original structure. The Hermann-Boddin-Schule, as it was originally known, opened its doors in 1908. This grand Gemeinde school, a double school designed for a staggering 3,600 pupils, cost a hefty 885,000 Marks to construct. It even housed a school museum in its early days. Imagine its mirrored twin standing opposite, where the new gymnasium now resides. Back then, boys and girls attended separate schools. The left building housed the boys, the right, the girls. Look closely, you can still see the inscription on the schoolhouse corner: “1st and 29th Gemeinde School for Boys”. Sadly, the original girls’ wing was destroyed in 1945 during the final throes of World War II. Around the turn of the millennium, the Hermann-Boddin-Schule faced a challenge. The number of non-German speaking children increased. German parents sought to enroll their children elsewhere. The school recognized the need for change. Starting in 2006, a wave of innovation swept through the venerable building. The school embraced new ideas and launched several successful projects. Some of these were supported by the neighborhood management. After all, a thriving school anchors a community. They established reliable half-day operations. This guaranteed care for all students until at least 1:30 pm. After-school programs and clubs provided further enrichment. In 2008, a school station was set up. Social workers supported students with behavioral issues, trained peer mediators, and provided parenting support. The school emphasized collaboration with parents. That same year, they introduced cross-year learning. First and second graders learned together in small groups. The Hermann-Boddin-Schule adopted a clear focus: “Movement and Communication”. Language support became integrated into every lesson. Movement wasn’t about athletic prowess, but about body awareness. This was fostered through activities like gymnastics and expressive dance. In addition to sports classes, students could join football and dodgeball clubs. Music and dance were traditional strengths. The dance club, choir, keyboard club, and “Boddinbeatz” became fixtures at the neighborhood festival. “There’s a fresh wind blowing,” parent representative Ibrahim Celik noted in 2011. “The teachers are more motivated, and the teacher-parent relationship has improved.” In the 2013/14 school year, the Hermann-Boddin-Schule had 329 students. 54% were not German citizens, and for 89%, German was not their native language. The school employed 24 teachers and 17 educators. On December 6, 2010, the school opened its breakfast room. Set up in a former workshop, it offers a healthy breakfast to all children. This initiative, a collaboration with the “BrotZeit” association, addresses the issue of children arriving at school without breakfast. A supermarket chain donates the food. On February 17, 2012, after two years of construction, the Hermann-Boddin-Schule inaugurated its new extension. This ushered in full-day operations, initially for the first two grades. The three-story building contains six classrooms and four divisible group rooms, all larger than those in the old building and internet-equipped. The ground floor houses a kitchen, dining hall, and utility rooms. The dining area can even be transformed into a stage. This construction, funded by the “Economic Stimulus Package II,” cost 2.6 million euros. The new building replaced the former school parking lot and football field. To compensate, the schoolyard was transformed into an adventure playground. From autumn 2012 to spring 2013, new play equipment, including a climbing spider and a slide, were installed. The new multi-functional field accommodates basketball and other ball games. This project, primarily funded by the Social City Program, cost over 400,000 euros. Since 2014, the school has hosted an advice center for Romanian and Bulgarian immigrant parents. Staff from the Amaro Foro association advise on health, education, employment, housing, and finances in German, Romanian, Bulgarian, and Romani. Welcome classes help newly arrived immigrant children learn basic German. Even today, the Hermann-Boddin-Grundschule continues to evolve, adapting to the changing needs of its diverse community.