School life

Algorithms, debugging… Don’t get them? We do! We know how to program simple code in Minecraft or create our own games on Code.org. Plus, from Grade 3, we apply our basic computer skills to our Thymio robots.

We are a group of very enthusiastic singers from Grades 2 to 5. Once a week, during the lunch break, we blow up fictitious bicycle tires or take an imaginary tour of the zoo, imitating animal sounds to warm up our voices!

Our repertoire includes both classical songs and current hits, and we love performing them at various occasions

This workshop is for all children who enjoy immersing themselves in stories: inventing them, writing them or performing them on stage.
By the middle of the year, the stage is ready, the sets and costumes have been created: it’s time for curtain up!

We take our first steps in the digital world, looking at how to start a computer, which programs we should use, and how to use the right and left mouse keys.

We create beautiful objects using a needle and thread. Children learn about front stitch, back stitch and overlock stitch, before making teddy bears, mice and even Christmas trees with buttons.

We build moving objects, test them and improve their performance during a series of fun trials. Is anything more fantastic than flying?

Students in Grades 1 to 4 embrace English in a fun and creative way. They learn effortlessly using rhymes, poems and songs, and get an introduction to English literature through a selection of stories

In this workshop, we look at various issues affecting the environment, from explaining what we can do to protect it and learning about the greenhouse effect, to discovering what ‘climate’ means and why plastic is not so fantastic.

We also collect rubbish from on and around the campus to encourage eco-friendly behaviour.

We start learning the recorder in Grade 2 and within a few short weeks, we know where to put our fingers and make some beautiful sounds.

This weekly workshop focuses more on the pleasure of playing than competition, and is aimed at both beginners and advanced players from Grades 6 to 9 and Grades 10 to 12.
After warming up, the various age groups do exercises focusing on technique or tactics, before playing matches of 4-on-4 or 5-on-5 on a small field.
Organised games against the International School of Toulouse (IST) give our players a chance to showcase their skills.

Nach dem Aufwärmen werden je nach Altersgruppe Übungen zur Technik oder Taktik durchgeführt. Im Anschluss wird auf dem Kleinfeld 4 gegen 4 oder 5 gegen 5 gespielt.

In einem Spiel gegen die International School of Toulouse – kurz IST – kann man sein Können dann unter Beweis stellen.

This workshop allows students to share films they have made using their own devices (smartphones, tablets, etc.) and video editing and image processing apps.
They are also introduced to wider film techniques, such as green screen or stop-motion animation.

Our weekly music workshop offers both beginners and advanced students a chance to sing beautiful songs or practice with the orchestra – and even take on pieces that could become firm favorites.
There are also lots of opportunities to perform in public: including the school Christmas concert on the third Sunday of Advent, a concert during the German-French week in January, and the Abitur and Realschule graduation ceremonies.

Students who take part in this weekly workshop are often surprised to learn their range is much bigger than they thought, with a little training – and a proper warm up.
The choir features in the school’s Christmas concert, held on the third Sunday of Advent, as well as the Franco-German week concert in January, and both the Abitur and Realschule graduation ceremonies. Beautiful voices are always welcome!

Experimental painting, drawing, 3D design, T-shirt design: our art workshop allows students to create using a broad range of materials, either solo, in pairs or in groups, depending on their wishes and interests.
Their pieces are produced during the school year, and we encourage them to experiment with different methods and techniques that allow students to express themselves freely.

The theatre workshop meets every Tuesday afternoon, either in a classroom or on the stage of the fully equipped Eurocampus theatre, to rehearse the season’s play. Students always rehearse their roles with great pleasure and enthusiasm, developing their sense of language and character.
Our repertoire includes plays by Shakespeare, Büchner, Dürrenmatt and contemporary authors that are funny, critical and moving. Although the months of preparation may be challenging, the audience’s applause is a well-deserved reward for our young actors, who are also supported by the school’s technical workshop.

Sound, image, light: they are an intrinsic part of the German School of Toulouse’s various festivals, thanks to the excellent work of our technical workshop’s members.
From Grade 8, students can learn the basics of stage lighting, including directing the audience’s gaze, using amplifiers, speakers and the mixing board, adjusting microphones to the speakers and singers, and dealing with unforeseen events!

The most extraordinary ideas for this workshop stem from interesting subjects, which remain secret until the end of the workshop. We can say this: they are always about topics that concern us all.

The yoga workshop is our haven of peace. It allows students to relax and recharge their batteries through various relaxation techniques. They also learn how to deal with stressful situations, especially before exams and during difficult times both in and out of school, adopting yoga postures and breathing exercises that can be called on quickly where needed.

The programme also includes discussions about these new levels of perception. Our motto: let yourself completely relax.

What do we do when we’re physically threatened? In the self-defence workshop, participants learn the best ways to overcome even the strongest opponent quickly and with a minimum of effort.

Girls especially appreciate the chance to build their confidence and feel more secure as they travel the world. The workshop is for children of all ages, and is led by two experienced and committed students who are well-versed in all aspects of self-defence.

In the robotics workshop, students build various types of machines and robots using a Fischertechnik construction kit, which are then programmed using a computer. They begin with a hand dryer, building up to an automatic gate, a surveillance robot, various rolling robots, among other items, before finally creating a soccer robot that can either play alone or be controlled using a smartphone.

The hour-long English workshop is open to all interested students from Grade 10 upwards, and it aims to prepare participants for an exam that can be taken three times a year in Toulouse.

This is the C1 Advanced certificate (formerly the Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English) for people who can, want or need to demonstrate a very high level of competence in English.
It is also possible to take the B2 First, corresponding to level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages and is easier to obtain. For most employers in English-speaking regions, the B2 First offers adequate proof of language proficiency.

The Parent-Teacher choir is open to anyone who loves to sing and wants to get involved in the German School of Toulouse. It offers the chance to perform polyphonic, often pop music, pieces for school concerts and add to the festive atmosphere of our end-of-year parties.

We regularly visit the surrounding woods to allow the children to discover nature and experience all their senses, move freely and to play. They climb trees or build huts with branches and leaves, play hide-and-seek or wolf, and invent role-playing games adapted to the forest environment.
We also introduce them to Land Art: discovering nature by creating pieces with various natural materials that they leave on site. Will they still be there for the next walk in the forest?

As part of the cooking workshops offered at the Kindergarten, we often go to buy the ingredients we need in local stores: at the baker’s, the organic shop, the supermarket or the market.

This gives the children the chance to encounter the French language and culture, and to learn more about their host country.

At the start of the school year, we sign up for several events organised at the media library in Colomiers and plan several visits. The media library is a welcoming space, perfect for children with carpets, sofas and sheepskins.

During the ‘free visits’, the children can move around at their leisure, read books with others and get comfortable listening to stories. In the ‘Tell Me a Story…’ workshop, the librarian reads books related to the kindergarten curriculum aloud, which we translate into German.

We organise several cultural outings during the school year, including visits to exhibitions or museums. The journey by bus, train or subway is an integral part of the experience and is always very popular.

Depending on the type of trip, the children are given age-appropriate information on various social and cultural topics, such as art, music, media, geography and biology. Activities and guided tours help them become familiar with French language and culture, and these outings are also a good way to access media for educational purposes.

Every year we organise an excursion for kindergarten students, visiting a farm, mill, park, an educational garden or a forest, for example. The destinations are always chosen in accordance with the school’s themes to ensure the children’s interest.

We usually go by bus and, after a long day full of experiences, an outdoor picnic and various activities, the children climb back on board and head back to the kindergarten, where their parents will be waiting.

We organise a day of hiking for students in their final year of kindergarten. We go up and down with a picnic lunch in our backpack. It requires stamina but all the hikers eventually realise that if they take short breaks to rest or play, they can cover long distances. They can be proud of their effort and have a lot to talk about the next day.

Every two years, students from Grades 2 to 5 enjoy a school trip that lasts between three and five days.

For example: the younger children can head to a farm in the Gers, while the older ones could visit a youth hostel in the Pyrenees. They live in the middle of nature, go hiking, discover animals and play together.

These trips reinforce the bonds between classmates, while youngsters who have never before spent a night without their parents take great pleasure in this adventure.

Grade 11 students enjoy a trip dedicated to marine biology, during which they learn about the diversity of marine life, its ecological importance and evolution. We visit the Centro Europeo Cap Roig in Spain’s Playa de Aro, an ideal place both in terms of location and equipment.

We identify algae and fish, examine the fertilisation and development of sea urchins, dissect dogfish, explore coastal vegetation and discuss the economic and environmental importance of fishing.

Every two years, children from Grade 8 and 9 enjoy a week-long snow class at the Piau-Engaly ski resort in the Pyrenees. Instructors from the local ski school and alpine skiing teachers take care of different level groups. Beginners are supervised by competent staff, while those who already know how to ski can improve their technique.

The children play sports together for five days and meet up in the evening in small groups or to take part in a show or quiz. This trip fosters a sense of belonging and helps the students to get to know children from the other class.

Let’s kick off the new school year together! That’s the goal of our traditional school outing in which all secondary pupils take part.

Every two years, alternately for one or two days, we go hiking, playing, swimming, visiting and eating in the area around Toulouse. Where will we go next?

The Mediterranean, the Pyrenees, the Atlantic, river valleys… students in Grades 6 and 7 get to enjoy the diversity of the landscapes of southwestern France during the week-long school trip that takes place every two years. As well as learning about regional ecosystems and local traditions, such as caluche fishing, the younger students get a taste of life in a community.

Each year, Grade 10 students travel to a major city such as Berlin, London, Barcelona or Rome (to name a few of our most recent destinations), where they explore their historical and cultural riches. Realschule students of the same age often join them to celebrate their graduation.

Parents and children celebrate St Martin’s Day together, singing the traditional lantern song in German and French, and parading through the streets in the evening, before gathering for a delicious international buffet prepared by the families.

“O great St Nicholas, patron saint of schoolchildren…” We sing every year while waiting for the visit of Saint Nicholas during a delicious breakfast. Because all the children have been good, he brings each one a small surprise and we thank him.

We always look forward to the Christmas holidays. We make decorations for the tree, make gifts ourselves, sing carols and put on Nativity plays, not to mention baking Christmas treats, whose delicious smell wafts through our classrooms.

Children and adults alike love this time of year and prepare for Christmas with great enthusiasm

Bought either from a bakery or homemade, the galette des Rois is always a delight! This traditional pastry is shared in France on January 6th or the Feast of the Epiphany.
A little figurine is hidden inside and whoever finds it is declared king or queen of the day and receives a crown.

In dem Kuchen ist eine “fève” versteckt und derjenige, der sie in seinem Kuchenstück findet, bekommt eine Krone und wird zum König bzw. zur Königin gekrönt.

France – and of course the kindergarten – celebrates Candlemas on February 2nd, also known as Pancake Day. Their colour and shape echo the sun, and are a reminder that the days will start to get longer, marking the end of the cold, dark winter. Happy eating!

Carnaval is an annual celebration in which all the children parade around in lovely costumes, participate in various games and crafts, and are entertained with funny stories.

They gather around a breakfast buffet prepared by the parents. To top it off, they form a big caterpillar that winds through the buildings, before dancing together in the hall decorated for the occasion.

Practice your traditional German carnaval cries: Alaaf and Helau!

We prepare for the arrival of spring with rhymes, books and stories, and make Easter baskets.

Kindergarten’s celebration begins with a communal breakfast. The children really enjoy the Easter bunnies and chicks, as well as the homemade carrot cake.

Afterward, we head to a small wood where we look for the famous baskets. Happy Easter!

In kindergarten, children’s birthdays are always special. The birthday boy or girl is the centre of attention and is honoured and thought of by everyone.
The day includes:
– a beautifully decorated table with birthday candles
– a birthday crown and chair
– a cheerful birthday song or “birthday rocket”
– birthday wishes and messages
– the possibility of bringing a cake

As the school year draws to a close, the children face leaving kindergarten. On the last Wednesday before the summer holidays, we hold a farewell party during which an annual rite of passage takes place.
In the courtyard, parents, students and teachers gather and, with the help of the kindergarten teacher, each child jumps out of the first floor window to join his or her future teacher in the playground.

This intense, emotional moment marks their move from kindergarten to primary school and the beginning of a new period of life.

We wish the children all the best for the future!

On the first day of primary school, new pupils are welcomed with a big party in the auditorium by all the children from Grades 2 to 5.

By the start of November, the classes and their lanterns are ready to celebrate St Martin’s Day. We gather on the sports field, sing seasonal songs and parade with over 500 children and parents through the Eurocampus. The parents prepare a buffet of delicious and varied snacks, including the unmissable St Martin’s Day buns.

The big German Christmas market takes place in Pibrac on the first Sunday in December, and all proceeds go to a good cause.

The primary school has a stand selling Christmas decorations hand-made by the students with the support of the parents.

St Nicholas also visits the primary school. Alongside children from Lucie Aubrac School, our French partner school and the students from the International School of Toulouse, we welcome him with songs and poems. In return, he hands out small gifts.

The musical highlight of the school year, this concert takes place at the end of the afternoon in the decorated, candle-lit church of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine in Pibrac.

Our students and colleagues are accompanied by the choir workshop and the secondary school music workshop, while the audiences also enjoy the teachers’ quintet. We sing traditional German and French Christmas carols, as well as contemporary pieces from around the world.

The traditional German carnaval cries of ‘Alaaf’ and ‘Helau’ echo through the primary school on the Wednesday before Mardi Gras.

We celebrate carnaval with costumes, songs and dances, and form a caterpillar that winds out to the kindergarten. Singing and dancing together is a great experience for the children.

Musical concerts, featuring our ensembles and sometimes our soloists, lend their own rhythm to the school.

The secondary school organises the traditional Christmas concert in Pibrac’s Sainte-Marie-Madeleine church. The choir, the flute group, the Orff group and other artists bring to life a German Christmas in France, backed by the choir and secondary school orchestra.
Another concert organised by the secondary school takes place during the Franco-German week in January in our auditorium. They join forces with young musicians from the Victor Hugo secondary school, alongside the student workshops (including the primary school) and the parent-teacher choir.

Every secondary school or Realschule student dreams of that moment when they finally have their diploma in their hand.

To celebrate this momentous event with family, friends and teachers, we organise an unforgettable graduation ceremony every year, featuring speeches, musical accompaniment by the choirs and the music workshop, snacks and lots of emotion.

It’s an evening that we hope our young graduates will remember for a long time.

The Franco-German Week is a chance for the German School of Toulouse and its partners to celebrate this international friendship through several cultural, educational and sports projects.

The aim is to highlight the diversity of France and Germany, while also remembering our shared, sometimes sombre past.

Plays only come alive when students watch them performed on a stage. That is why, every year, we regularly attend performances in Toulouse.

The language varies depending on the teachers organising the outings. There are always performances in German, English and French, much to the delight of pupils, who relish watching professional actors at work.

Sparking an interest in the city of Toulouse’s cultural treasures and introducing students to works of art in an active way are important aims for our art classes.

That’s why every year the different classes visit local museums and temporary exhibitions, including Fondation Bemberg, Musée des Abattoirs for modern and contemporary art, the ManifestO photography festival, and the Halle de la Machine.

Other teachers also organise visits to museums to explore different themes of interest to students, such as the Museum of the Resistance and the Rivesaltes Camp Memorial.

Our annual talent contest is open to all students from Grades 5 and up. It aims to create links between the primary and secondary schools by inviting students to sing, dance or perform magic. It’s always a very rich line-up.

The event showcases a multitude of talents and the limitless creativity and courage to perform in front of a large audience.

In the last year of kindergarten, the pupils are called “Schu-wi-dus”, which means “future schoolchildren”.
To prepare them for the transition to primary school, our teaching staff organises numerous activities so the Schu-wi-dus can learn about their new environment. They participate in the primary school’s entrance party, and visit classrooms with the teacher in charge of cooperation to work in small groups and meet primary students.
The visit to the secondary school is another highlight. The pupils show the Schu-wi-dus the science rooms and help them conduct experiments.

Under the educational exchange with the International School of Toulouse (IST), we set up annual meetings between the two kindergarten’s students at the Eurocampus in the autumn and spring.

This allows the children to get to know different classrooms, new games and activities.

Exchanges with our French partner, the Lucie Aubrac Nursery School in Colomiers, allow us to have an authentic and solid relationship with our host country.

We organise mutual visits several times a year in which the children play together, engage in various activities and participate in annual celebrations.

For Grades 7 and 8, October brings Creative Arts Day and a chance to “be creative, be cooperative and be English”.

During this day, students from our school and the International School of Toulouse are divided into small mixed groups to learn from British drama teachers about theatre techniques and to make connections that go beyond language.

Every year, this theatre workshop shows in a very impressive way how lively and productive an international outlook can be.

Trilingual classes, or “Trili”, are taught to students in Grades 6 to 9, in groups that include children from the Victor Hugo Middle School, which is in the same building.

Grades 6 and 7 enjoy Trili classes in art and music, while Grade 8 does history and Grade 9 covers geography.

These courses are taught throughout the year by French, English (from the secondary school) and German teachers, and give students the chance to get to know each other and various forms of education.
Thanks to Trili, our school offers a unique intercultural experience!

Grades 9 and 10 have worked on exciting art projects with our neighbouring school since 2018.

Our students tried new techniques and materials with an English art teacher and learned the corresponding vocabulary in Shakespeare’s language, finding it a rewarding experience.

Students from Grade 11 often find their level of English is very good while taking part in chemistry classes at our partner school, the International School of Toulouse.

They learn complex topics in a foreign language, such as the orbital model of the atom and the synthesis of esters, sparking discussion while also helping students realise scientific English is not so hard.