by Shadin Kitma
Class interruption and a midday assembly greeted the students and teachers of the German European School Manila (GESM) when they returned for the beginning of the second term on Tuesday, February 4. The reason? Some good ol' patting on the back.
A total of 63 students from both International and German Secondary sections and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP) were formally awarded for academic excellence and upholding of school values earlier this week. Handing out the certificates was headmaster Christoph-Boris Frank, flanked by the section coordinators Valerie Cornelissen (International Secondary), Dr. Christoph Grant (German Secondary) and Santanu Bhowmik (IBDP).
The academic achievement awards were based on the students' end-of-term grades for school year 2019-20, the exact criteria of which is specified below for each section. The so-called "GESM Values Award", meanwhile, was bestowed on any student whose behavior upholds the school values the most as judged by her/his peers -- and in the case with the IBDP candidates, also by his/her teachers. The GESM's core values include integrity, respect, compassion, independence and responsibility.
Present during the awarding were representatives of Lions Club International, who partnered with the school for a donation drive to help victims of the Taal volcano eruption. They formally exchanged recognition and appreciation with the GESM.
Also preceding the awarding was the formal welcome of 11 students from the Saxony International School, in Saxony, Germany, who are in Manila for an exchange program with the GESM.
This program is supervised by Marta Komicz and SIS counterpart Claudia Keller. The students received welcome gifts handed out by Headmaster Frank.
Below is the complete list of awardees:
Academic Achievement Awards
GERMAN SECTION
(students with average grades of X or higher)
1. Brian Jänchen (Grade 6, 6. Klasse)
2. Zoë Parker (Grade 6, 6. Klasse)
3. Hannah Seo (Grade 6, 6. Klasse)
4. Kassandra Schissau (Grade 7, 7. Klasse)
6. Sven Dunder (Grade 8, 8. Klasse)
7. Justin Ith (Grade 8, 8. Klasse)
8. Carolina Maia Hartwig (Grade 8, 8. Klasse)
9. Julien Hoschka (Grade 8, 8. Klasse)
10. Elias Sänger (Grade 8, 8. Klasse)
11. Lukas Stein (Grade 8, 8. Klasse)
12. Leonie Kranz (Grade 9, 9 Klasse)
13. Justin Schneider (Grade 9, 9 Klasse)
14. Justin Almeida (Grade 10, 10. Klasse)
15. Isabella Maia Hartweg (Grade 10, 10. Klasse)
INTERNATIONAL SECTION
("Excellent" for students with average grades of 8.0 or higher; "Outstanding" for students with average grades from 7.0 to 7.9)
Sophie Langley (Grade 6, "Outstanding")
Alex Inkinen Ruiz (Grade 6, "Outstanding")
Trillian Galicia (Grade 7, "Outstanding")
Arnav Kapoor (Grade 7, "Outstanding")
John Bensen Lueck (Grade 7, "Outstanding")
Reeja Subramanian (Grade 7, "Outstanding")
Advika Dalela (Grade 8, "Outstanding")
Seung An Han (Grade 8, "Outstanding")
Ann Cathryn Lagemann (Grade 8, "Outstanding")
Misha Handa (Grade 9, "Excellent")
Particia Rivera (Grade 9, "Outstanding")
Mariana Ochoa de Zabelgui Apraiz (Grade 10, "Excellent")
Andre Espiña (Grade 10, "Excellent")
Steven Walden (Grade 10, "Outstanding")
IBDP
("Excellent" for the top 3 students; "Outstanding" for students with Sem 1 points of 32 and above)
Billy Maxwell Wootton (Grade 11, "Excellent")
Mark Ketcher (Grade 11, "Excellent")
Juan Alfonzo P. Dacumos (Grade 11, "Excellent")
Alexis Matus (Grade 11, "Outstanding")
Paula Abad (Grade 11, "Outstanding")
Nathan Williams (Grade 11, "Outstanding")
Mohit Krishna Kumar (Grade 11, "Outstanding")
Michaela Menzel (Grade 11, "Outstanding")
Haruma Maruhashi (Grade 12, "Excellent")
Francesca Occhionero (Grade 12, "Excellent")
Kelly Price (Grade 12, "Excellent")
Marius Sehrbrock (Grade 12, "Outstanding")
Matteo Azanza (Grade 12, "Outstanding")
Andrea Concepcion (Grade 12, "Outstanding")
Shraddha Puri (Grade 12, "Outstanding")
Suraj Satish (Grade 12, "Outstanding")
Values Award
GERMAN SECTION
Justin Almeida
Isabella Maia Hartwig
Leonie Kranz
Zoë Parker
Kassandra Schissau
Justin Schneider
Hannah Seo
INTERNATIONAL SECTION
Sophie Langely
Santino Javier
Alex Inkinen Ruiz
Cyrille Kueny
Kaitlyn Alba
Cleo Hanen
John Bensen Lueck
Yam Ben Ari
Hannah Guinea
Anushka Dushant
Lara Bohn
Natalie Concepcion
Juhani Soininen
Theo Avellan
Emme Burkard
Cassius Cornelissen
Cassandre Masserey
Andre Espiña
Eauel Kent Alba
Hannah Kai Matus
IBDP
Patrisha Clanor
Francesca Occhionero
Sarah Schneider
Andrea Concepcion
Billy Maxwell Wootton
Nathan Williams
Alexis Matus
Here are some photos from the Awarding Ceremony: