July | Ida-Lena Zoglmann
“Aschool year, of course, consists primarily of classes, intensive study, assessments, and exams. Day after day, students work, discuss, practice, and discover new things in the classroom. This is where the foundations are laid, knowledge is imparted, and skills are developed that extend far beyond individual subjects.”
“But for us, school means so much more than just classes. It’s the shared experiences, the encounters, the challenges, and the many little moments in between that shape a school community and bring a school to life. That’s exactly what makes life at Stein so special.”
Veronika Koch | Principal
The 2025–26 school year was a year full of new experiences, exciting school projects, and special encounters. It was also the first school year under the leadership of our principal, Veronika Koch, and our assistant principal, Moritz Schertler. Together with the entire faculty, they guided our school community through a diverse and successful school year—always with the goal of taking a holistic approach to education and supporting our students on their individual journeys.
Every school year begins with new faces, new stories, and a certain sense of excitement. In September, we were pleased to welcome numerous new students to Stein—many from Germany, but also from various countries around the world.
It’s especially during the first few days that you really start to feel what makes our school so special. Strangers become classmates, and a new environment gradually becomes a temporary home. Shared activities, life at the boarding school, and the first few weeks of classes lay the foundation for what our school motto describes: GROWING TOGETHER.
At Stein, learning doesn’t stop at the classroom door. Throughout the school year, numerous field trips, study tours, and projects provided opportunities to experience lessons firsthand.
Among other places, our students visited Salzburg, Altötting, Landshut, a farm, and the Mauthausen Concentration Camp Memorial. There, history was not merely taught—it was brought to life. International exchanges also played an important role: One P-seminar took students to Dublin, where language, culture, and teamwork came together in a special way; the second P-seminar undertook a bicycle trip across the Alps to Lake Attersee in Austria.
To mark the end of the school year, the 10th-grade classes set off for Berlin. Between visits to the Bundestag, memorial sites, and fascinating insights into politics and history, the capital became a place of learning outside the classroom. At the same time, the 12th-grade class explored Barcelona during their study trip—a city that uniquely combines culture, architecture, and the Spanish way of life.
Each of these trips opened up new perspectives and showed that learning is often most lasting when knowledge is linked to one’s own experiences.
Curiosity is the starting point of all education. That is why independent work plays an important role at Schule Schloss Stein.
Throughout the school year, numerous projects, seminar papers, and creative ideas were developed. We are particularly proud of our students’ achievements in the W-seminars. No fewer than three seminar papers in history were nominated for the Max Fürst Youth Prize. Anna Kranzbühler García ultimately received both the Max Fürst Youth Prize and the Spanish Premio Escolar —an extraordinary recognition of her academic work and personal dedication.
The Project and Science Week at the end of the school year also impressively demonstrated just how diverse learning can be. Students in grades 5, 6, 7, 8, and 11 explored a wide variety of topics, developed their own research questions, and worked creatively, experimentally, and scientifically.
In addition, the 9th-grade students gained valuable experience in the working world during their workplace internships and were able to further explore their interests outside of their daily school routine.
Living together is at least as important as learning.
Whether it was Literature and Media Week, the Winter Ball, cultural evenings, sporting events, competitions, or the community weekend at Lake Attersee—the school year offered numerous opportunities to experience a sense of community and grow closer together beyond the classroom.
There was plenty of athletic action as well. Our students demonstrated dedication, team spirit, and sportsmanship in a wide variety of competitions. The focus was not only on success, but above all on the joy of taking on challenges together.
At the boarding school, we cooked, celebrated, studied, laughed, and lived together. It is precisely these everyday moments that define life at Stein and create memories that often last long after our school days are over.
The last few days of school are traditionally all about celebrating the end of the school year together. At the home soccer tournament, students competed to score goals, while the swimming meet focused on sports and fun, before the summer festival—which includes a theater performance—wraps up the school year in a relaxed atmosphere in a few days.
With the graduation ceremony for our high school seniors, an important chapter in their lives in Stein has already come to a close for many of them.
The school year is coming to an end—leaving behind countless memories: of new friendships, special projects, meaningful learning experiences, athletic achievements, and shared adventures.
We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped shape this school year—the teachers, staff, parents, our boarding school teams, and, of course, our students.
We’re already looking forward to seeing many familiar faces again after summer break, welcoming new students into our community, and starting a new chapter of life in Stein together.
Have a great summer vacation!
