Content:
Kindergarten:
Music is in the air – practice time in the moon group
A colleague is currently completing her final practical training in the moon group as part of her training as an elementary teacher. Her chosen project topic: music and musical instruments. As part of this, the children were given a particularly sonorous experience: a musician with a zither and a musician with a viola visited the kindergarten.
The children listened to the unfamiliar sounds with great enthusiasm, were allowed to ask questions and even tried out the instruments themselves. Such hands-on experiences are valuable highlights in everyday kindergarten life – they arouse curiosity, stimulate all the senses and are memorable.
Exercise is fun – indoors and outdoors
Movement is a central part of our everyday kindergarten life. The children are currently enjoying a special winter treat: there is snow in the garden! They are sliding, shovelling and building with great enthusiasm – a welcome opportunity to get some exercise in the fresh air and experience winter with all their senses.
And if it’s too frosty outside, we use the spacious gym in the Stella School or our exercise zone in the kindergarten. There, the children can let off steam to their heart’s content, run around and gain new movement experiences.
Primary School
Learning personal responsibility with the Leader-in-Me concept
Our 4th graders are already well immersed in the Leader In Me concept. Week by week, each child’s logbook is filled with weekly goals, formative biographies, resolutions, etc. to build character strengths. This continuous work strengthens the children’s self-responsibility and supports them in consciously recognizing and developing their personal strengths.
A place on the Wall of Fame – Don Bosco inspires us
St. Don Bosco is currently on our Wall of Fame. We can learn a lot from him, who had such a good hand for young people. His life and work encourage us to accompany children with trust, joy and a clear focus on values.
Secondary School
Review of art and design
We can look back on a very productive half-year in the subject “Art and Design” at Stella-Gymnasium. We have invited artists to the 2. and 3rd grades, portrait drawings combined with color field painting (1st and 2nd grades) and a focus on impressionism in the fall. The winter landscapes in Year 4 and the comics about the trip to Ireland in Year 5A were particularly successful.
There were also great presentations on museum visits, architecture, art in public spaces and famous artists. A late highlight was the pop art drawings by the 1st graders.
After the well-deserved semester break we will take part in the painting competition on the subject of “Discovering the seas”. Visits to the Kunsthistorisches Museum are also planned.
By Prof. Compagni and Prof. Deininger
Here are some highlights from the art lessons
| Artists’ posters in the 2A | Impressionism and landscape painting 4th class |
| Winter landscapes | Reflections of water next to a print by Van Gogh |
| Trip to Ireland by Salomo 5A | Ireland trip comic by Teresita and Gerwin 5A |
| Dürer’s praying hands by Tymur 4A | Dürer’s rhinoceros from Lianne 3A |
| Landscape painting with water reflections 3B | Portrait drawings 1st classes |
| Pop Art Pets 1st classes |
Concert in the ballroom – a musical highlight at the Musikverein
On January 22, 2026, class 5A attended the passwort:klassik “Concert in the Ballroom” at the Vienna Musikverein as part of their music lessons. Even before the Philharmonic Ball, the pupils experienced an interactive concert in the magnificently decorated Great Hall – sitting on the freshly polished parquet floor.
An ensemble from the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra played works from the Strauss dynasty and delighted the audience with waltzes, polkas and gallops. The special atmosphere of the Musikverein and the proximity to the music made this educational excursion an unforgettable experience.
English reading project: 5A reads for the youngest children
As part of the individual service learning project in Year 5, our pupils are actively involved in the school community. Class 5A has implemented a particularly nice project: an English reading project with the first classes.
In English lessons, the fifth-graders first went in search of age-appropriate English literature. They learned how to select suitable books and practiced reading aloud clearly and with emphasis. In this way, they carefully prepared themselves for their role as “reading professionals” for the younger children.
On various occasions, for example during the LiM lesson, the pupils then met up with a first class in the library. They read, listened and laughed about stories together in small groups. The relaxed atmosphere and personal exchanges made these encounters special for everyone involved.
The project has not only strengthened the reading skills of the 5A in English. Above all, it has noticeably promoted interaction between younger and older pupils in the school building. New contacts were made, inhibitions were broken down – and the focus was on the joy of reading together.
Looking back, we can say that this year’s project was a successful example of how learning and social commitment can go hand in hand.
Church tour and lunch for the 5A class
As part of their Russian lessons, Class 5A visited the Russian Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas on 29 January 2026. During an informative tour of the church, the pupils were given fascinating insights into the structure of the church, the significance of the icons and the iconostasis. The warm welcome and the special atmosphere of the church left a lasting impression.
Afterwards, the class went to the Ukrainian restaurant Elvira’s, where they were able to get to know authentic Ukrainian cuisine. A shared lunch provided an opportunity for an exchange of ideas and a cozy get-together.
The excursion was a successful conclusion to the first semester and an enriching experience.
