Newsletter 07.02.2026

Today’s newsletter is being sent one day later than usual. The reason for this is the inspection visit by Claudia Häberlein (KMK) and Andrea Schramm (ZfA), who visited GISA from Sunday to Friday. During their stay, they reviewed extensive documentation, conducted numerous interviews and discussions, and carried out more than 30 classroom observations.

The feedback and results of this inspection are extremely valuable for our ongoing school development. Already on Friday, the teaching staff began working with these findings in a joint workshop focused on further improving teaching and learning at GISA.

Successful Extracurricular Try-Out Week

Our extracurricular try-out week was a great success! It was wonderful to see so many enthusiastic children exploring a wide range of activities with curiosity and excitement.

Throughout the week, students participated in sports, creative arts, music, coding, theatre, handicrafts, and much more. The atmosphere was vibrant, the teachers were inspiring, and the children truly enjoyed discovering new interests.

To officially launch the activities for this semester, we kindly ask families to submit the completed registration forms to Sara Debackere by next week. If you need a new form, Sara has additional copies available.

New this semester: we will regularly feature an “Extracurricular Activity of the Week” to give insights into the activities and showcase the children’s progress.

Launch of the Dutch Playgroup at GISA

This week marked the successful start of the Dutch playgroup at GISA. Every Wednesday morning, toddlers will play, sing, and enjoy activities together while naturally developing their Dutch language skills.

The first session focused on getting to know one another. Meeting new friends can be challenging at first, but all children did wonderfully. We are delighted about this new partnership and look forward to growing it throughout the school year.

Gerald Asamoah Football Academy – Season Kick-Off

We are excited to announce that the Gerald Asamoah Football Academy has officially started in Accra. Children from Kindergarten as well as the U8, U10, and U14 age groups have the opportunity to develop football skills, build friendships, and grow through sport.

The season runs from February to June, and registration is still open. Football connects people and builds bridges — feel free to spread the word!

Important Dates & Reminders

• School Photographer: Monday, 9 February – class and group photos as well as impressions of school life (primarily for the yearbook)
• Carnival: Friday, 13 February – costumes welcome 🎭
• Ghana Day – Celebrating Three Nations Together: Thursday, 26 February from 4:00 pm
• GISA Cup 2026: Saturday, 28 February, from 8:00 am until late
  Nine teams from different nations have already registered; a few spots are still available
  Registration: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• GISA Cup Kids 2026: Monday, 2 March – children’s tournament for students aged 10–14
  A day full of fairness, fun, and team spirit

Staff News

We warmly welcome our new interns Helena Gleißner and Frieda Osei to GISA.

At the same time, we would like to sincerely thank Florian Haselbach and Anna Hofmann for their commitment, creative ideas, and excellent lessons. We truly appreciated having you with us!

Reminder from Our Caterer – North Ridge Café

Please note that if North Ridge Café is not informed in advance that your child will not be eating a school meal (due to illness, travel, or other reasons), the meal will still be charged.

Thank you for notifying them in good time and for your cooperation.

Protestant Community in Accra

• Church Service: Sunday, 8 February 2026 at 10:30 am
  with Rev. Benjamin Asare
  Location: Ridge Church (next to the Kempinski Hotel), 1st floor, barrier-free
  All denominations are warmly welcome. No registration required.

From mid-March, German Armed Forces Chaplain Rüdiger Scholz will visit the congregation for several weeks. The first service with him will take place on 15 March 2026 — please mark your calendars.

For further questions, please contact:
Doris Bloniarz (Community Coordinator) – 0544 336 181 (WhatsApp)

Nursery and Kindergarten

This week in the Nursery and Kindergarten, everything revolved around the theme of animals 🐘🦒. Using a Safari sensory box, the children explored their senses in a playful way and discovered new and exciting materials ✋✨.

During the movement game “Act like a … (animal)”, the children learned animal names in English through movement, sounds, and lots of fun 🐒🎶.
Creativity was encouraged while making fun snakes from toilet paper rolls and finger paints 🐍🎨.

The theme of water was also revisited and explored in more depth 🌊🐬. During circle time, the children talked about water and land animals, learning where they live and what they need 🐠🐢🦁. This helped to reinforce the topic in a playful and age-appropriate way.

Creative activities included making pufferfish, aquariums, and other water-themed artworks 🎨🐡🐠, supporting both imagination and fine motor skills.

During learning time, the focus was on water play and transporting water 💦🪣. The children also engaged with a der–die–das picture puzzle, explored rhythm and percussion 🥁🎶, and further developed their language awareness — a lovely preparation for our rehearsals with Addis for the upcoming school celebration 🎉.

A special highlight this week was a kind gift from Jonah’s family 🌱💚. We received papaya trees, which we will now care for together. This gives the children the opportunity to take responsibility and experience nature in a hands-on way 🌳✨.

On Friday, the children were excited to enjoy Toy Day 🧸😄 — a real highlight for many! The English Club also took place, where the children practised English prepositions and took part in a numbers game, learning to count in a playful and engaging way 🔢✨.

Primary School

Class 1/2

In Mathematics, the children worked on their first combinatorics tasks. Using two caps, two jackets, and two different pairs of trousers, they explored how many different combinations were possible and tested these systematically. We then asked follow-up questions such as: What happens when more items of clothing are added? In this way, the children developed an initial understanding of how quickly the number of possibilities increases.

In German as a Mother Tongue, the story The Hare with the Red Nose was the focus. First, the children became familiar with the story and practised expressive reading aloud. They then created their own versions of the story. Many imaginative and humorous texts emerged, such as “The Whale with the Blue Scarf”, “The Cat with the Green Paw”, or “The Snake with the Red Cheek”.

In Science, the children explored the topic of hearing. They learned about the structure of the ear and the three main parts — the outer ear, middle ear, and inner ear — as well as their functions. Hands-on learning was especially motivating: the children created their own ear models using modelling clay and creatively applied their knowledge.

Class 3/4

In English, students explored myths and legends through creative writing. Working in pairs and small groups, they identified and listed the key features of myths and legends. Using these ideas, they then planned and wrote their own original stories.

The stories were particularly engaging, full of imagination, creative characters, and surprising twists.

This week, our Class 3 and 4 students also dived into the world of chemical reactions. It was a week filled with hands-on learning and exciting discoveries.

From reversible to irreversible

Our young scientists explored different ways in which matter can change. They investigated the difference between reversible changes, such as melting ice that can freeze again, and irreversible changes, such as baking a cake or chemical reactions where it is not possible to return to the original materials.

The balloon experiment

The highlight of the week was seeing chemistry in action. By mixing simple household ingredients to produce carbon dioxide (CO₂), the students were able to observe all three states of matter – solid, liquid, and gas – working together.

The most exciting moment was watching the invisible gas expand and inflate a balloon right before their eyes. This was a fantastic way to demonstrate that even though we cannot see a gas, it still takes up space.

Try this at home

As this experiment uses safe, everyday kitchen ingredients, we encourage parents to let their children lead a small experiment at home. It is a wonderful opportunity for them to explain and demonstrate what they have learned.

You will need:

• a small plastic bottle
• vinegar (liquid)
• baking soda (solid)
• a balloon

Tip for parents:

Ask your child to explain what happens to the states of matter as the balloon begins to grow.

Creative Project “Weaving” – Looking Ahead to Ghana Day

Ghana Day is already casting its colourful shadows, and the weaving project is becoming increasingly creative. While some children diligently wove bracelets, others bravely explored new paths — or rather, new shapes. Using an improvised round weaving frame, wonderful circular woven pieces were created this week: colourful rainbows to hang up, practical coasters, and even small dreamcatchers.

The enthusiasm remains strong. The children experiment, inspire one another, and support each other with great joy and curiosity. In this way, not only does a colourful art project grow, but also a strong sense of community.

Intensive German as a Foreign Language (DaF) Class

This week, the intensive DaF class worked on the topics of leisure activities, hobbies, and adjectives. The motivated learners from both primary and secondary levels deepened their grammatical knowledge of singular and plural pronouns as well as the corresponding verb endings.

The primary-level learners worked on a hobby bingo game and applied individual learning using an app.
The secondary-level learners practised asking and answering questions about leisure activities in partner rotations and created a small class statistic about hobbies.

As part of team-building activities, the learners focused on building trust within their groups and completed paired exercises. Afterwards, they reflected on the activities and highlighted the benefits of teamwork.

Over the course of the week, the DaF group also completed a vocabulary test and a learning objective assessment covering the weekly topics and grammatical content.

Music – All Classes

In Music, all classes continued working on the theme of the planets. Last week, student conductors guided their classmates through their own interpretations of Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn using hand and body signals. This week, the pupils became composers themselves and, in small groups, developed their own planets, which they worked on musically and then performed for one another.

Secondary School

Class 5

This week, Class 5 immersed themselves in the world of fables in their German lessons. Building on this, they explored the moral messages of fables in Ethics class. In French, the students practised conversations with their classmates and then wrote the dialogues down in French.

In Mathematics, the students observed different ways in which angles are formed, for example by looking at structures such as scaffolding. They are now able to discuss relationships between angles and determine certain angle measures without measuring them directly.

As part of Poetry Week, Class 5 focused on Haiku poems in English. The students explored what a syllable is, as well as the origin and structure of a Haiku. Working in pairs, they created their own Haikus based on randomly selected themes. It was great to see strong teamwork throughout the process. Next week, Class 7/8 will also write Haikus at a more advanced level and provide feedback to Class 5. In return, Class 5 will give feedback as well, strengthening peer learning and constructive feedback skills.

In History lessons, Classes 5 and 6 travelled back to Ancient Egypt. They learned about the River Nile as the lifeline of Egypt and gathered many interesting facts about life and culture in Ancient Egypt.

Class 6

Class 6 had another eventful week. In German, the students worked intensively on fables. They were introduced to their first fable, The Lion and the Mouse, and used picture prompts to develop their own story ideas. These ideas were organised and refined, and different versions of the fable were compared, with a closer look at language and style.

In English, Class 6 completed writing their much-awaited poems. It was impressive to see how well they remembered and applied the key elements of good poetry. The poems were then performed, followed by peer-feedback ratings from 1 to 5. The students also learned that poetry is not only about writing, but also about performance. The finished poems were displayed so that other students could read and enjoy them during their free time.

Mathematics lessons were equally varied. During a station-based activity, the students explored different geometric solids, including cylinders, various pyramids, cones, and spheres. They built three-dimensional shapes from nets, examined their properties such as edges, vertices, and faces, and then worked with cuboid nets and the calculation of rectangular areas.

In Biology, the students investigated the question: How does a flower become a fruit? By carrying out detailed flower dissections and working with binocular microscopes, they explored the internal structure of a flower, focusing on the ovary and ovules. This hands-on work helped them clearly understand the difference between pollination and fertilisation.

Artistically, the students continued working in the outdoor art studio. Linking to their work in Mathematics, they further explored geometric shapes and used tangrams to create animals — an exciting combination of art, logical thinking, and creativity. Overall, it was a varied and inspiring week full of new impressions and insights.

DaF Class 5/6

To fully immerse themselves in the topic “Healthy and Unhealthy”, the students in the DaF Class 5/6 created a large body poster. Philip bravely volunteered as a model, allowing his body outline to be traced onto large paper.

During a brainstorming session, the students eagerly collected vocabulary such as names of body parts and common illnesses. These were written on small notes and added to the poster. Afterwards, the students researched symptoms, possible treatments, and helpful advice for different illnesses, before proudly presenting their findings to the class.

On Thursday, the students checked their own learning progress at various learning stations. In pairs, they then prepared short dialogues representing a visit to the doctor. Equipped with solid background knowledge and a good sense of humour, the scenes were performed creatively and often hilariously — laughter was definitely encouraged.

Class 7/8

In Mathematics, Class 7/8 worked intensively on the topic of circles. They calculated circumference and area, explored composite shapes, and jointly derived and applied the formula for the surface area of a cylinder.

In Biology, an exciting voice message from “Captain Redbeard” introduced the topic of Vitamin C, reporting that many of his sailors were suffering from scurvy. The students carried out experiments to detect Vitamin C, discussed its importance for the human body, and traced the journey of food through the digestive system by researching its different stages and functions.

In Social Studies, the students explored the topic of second-hand clothing. They investigated how used clothing reaches Germany and what happens to it afterwards. A particularly engaging discussion focused on whether the export of second-hand clothes to Ghana is sustainable or whether an import ban would be more appropriate. Different perspectives were discussed critically.

In Ethics, the focus was on “I-messages”. Through small role-plays, the students practised expressing their own feelings and needs respectfully and addressing conflicts in a fair way.

In History, the students took on the role of real historians, analysing different historical sources related to Groß Friedrichsburg in Princess Town, a Brandenburg (German) fort built in the 17th century.

Chemistry lessons were also hands-on. Using everyday materials, the students explored how a fire extinguisher works and learned about the conditions under which fire occurs and how it can be extinguished.

In Geography, the students worked on a mystery task. The guiding question was why Alfonso, a hotel receptionist in Mallorca, was protesting against his own guests. Step by step, the students uncovered connections and identified causes such as mass tourism, rising living costs, water scarcity, and environmental pollution. This made the impact of tourism on local communities very clear.

The DaF students in Class 7/8 used the learning poster as a starting point for a completely different project: preparing a podcast for children and young people. In short, improvised dialogues, they discussed topics such as nutrition, physical activity, and digital media, presenting their research in an accessible and engaging way.

It quickly became clear that whether through posters, role-plays, or podcasts, learning about health can be both educational and great fun.

Dates & Outlook

🎭 Friday, 13 February 2026
School Carnival

🏖️ Monday, 16 February – Friday, 20 February 2026
Sports Break

📚 Monday, 23 February 2026
First day of school after the Sports Break

60th Anniversary – Event Framework

🇬🇭🇩🇪🇨🇭 Thursday, 26 February 2026
Ghana Day – Celebrating Three Nations Together

🏆 Saturday, 28 February 2026
GISA Cup

🏆 Monday, 2 March 2026
GISA Cup – Kids Edition

🇬🇭 Friday, 6 March 2026
Independence Day (Ghana)
Ghana’s National Holiday

⚽ Monday, 30 March 2026, 7:45 pm
Germany 🇩🇪 vs Ghana 🇬🇭
International Friendly Match
Location: Stuttgart

🏖️ Monday, 30 March – Friday, 10 April 2026
Easter Break

🎒 Monday, 30 March – Thursday, 2 April 2026
Holiday Camp

📚 Monday, 13 April 2026
First day of school after the Easter Break