GISS Football Academy Launch Week –
Youth Development Partner of Borussia Dortmund
We were honoured to welcome special guests from Borussia Dortmund to celebrate the launch with our school and wider community. Their visit brought the spirit and expertise of BVB to Sydney – inspiring our students, connecting with parents, and sharing in the excitement of building something special for the future of youth football in Australia.
We kicked things off with an inspiring panel discussion in our sports hall, featuring
:
- Paul Lambert, Borussia Dortmund legend, UEFA Champions League winner & Technical Director BVB APAC
- Christian Diercks, Managing Director, BVB Football Academy
- Felix Schwarz, Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Sydney
- Alexander Baumjohann, former Bundesliga & A-League player, now Head of Player Development at Sydney FC
- Joe Lacey, Sydney FC midfielder, with the club since U13
Together, they explored “The Power of Football – Beyond the Pitch”, highlighting how sport can shape resilience, teamwork, leadership, and cultural exchange.
The celebrations continued with our Gala Harbour Cruise, where guests, partners, and friends of GISS enjoyed a night on Sydney Harbour in true black-and-yellow style.
The week rolled on with a series of student workshops on the Winning Mindset – on and off the pitch, as well as career pathway sessions showing routes into football and the wider sports industry. Parents also joined dedicated information sessions to learn more about the programme.
And of course, the moment everyone was waiting for — the very first training sessions with our UEFA-licensed BVB coach, Benjamin Galant, giving students hands-on experience in world-class football development.
As Christian Diercks said:
“Our aim isn’t just to find talent – it’s to give all children the chance to develop their skills, grow as individuals, and most importantly, have fun. We’re building a sporting ecosystem that supports them for the long term – whether or not they become professionals.”
„Es geht uns nicht in erster Linie darum, Talente zu finden – wir möchten allen Kindern die Möglichkeit geben, ihre Fähigkeiten zu entwickeln, als Persönlichkeiten zu wachsen und vor allem Spaß zu haben. Wir bauen ein Sportökosystem auf, das sie langfristig unterstützt – ganz gleich, ob sie später Profis werden oder nicht.“
A truly unforgettable start to a new chapter of football at GISS!
Click here to listen to a report from SBS Radio Deutsch. German International School Sydney eröffnet Fußballakademie mit Borussia Dortmund.
Last week at GISS, students ditched their backpacks for something a little more unusual in our Anything but a Bag Day. The idea was simple: bring your books and supplies in anything that’s not a bag, have a laugh together, and raise funds for our school charity.
Throughout the day, we saw everything from a giant popcorn box and a fold-out beach chair to a group of tradies wheeling their gear around in a full-sized wheelbarrow. The lunchtime catwalk gave everyone a chance to show off their creations, and the cheers from the crowd made it clear that imagination had well and truly taken over practicality.
The event also featured a cake sale, with delicious treats selling out quickly and helping us raise over $400 for a Girl & her world, which supports girls’ education in Fiji.
It was a day full of laughter, creativity, and school spirit — and proof that a little imagination can go a long way in bringing people together.
A big thank you to everyone who supported our school charity, and to all students that brought creative alternative backpacks, and helped make the day a great success.
The School Captain Team
anything but a bag day
What do you want to be when you grow up? A Formula 1 racing driver? An astronaut? A tennis player? Last Monday (11.08.), the kindergarten students celebrated "100 days of kindy".
This day was a small milestone for the kids, as they celebrated their 100th day of kindergarten with games, activities about future aspirations, and little treats. For this special event, the children were allowed to dress up as what they want to become when they grow up.
The class teachers Mrs Da Silva and Frau Thelen also dressed up. What do they want to become? Preferably old and wise!
100 days of kindergarten
Was möchtest du einmal werden, wenn du groß bist? Ein Formel-1-Rennfahrer? Eine Astronautin? Eine Tennisspielerin? Am vergangenen Montag (11.08.) haben die Schülerinnern und Schüler der Kindergarten Klasse "100 days of kindy" gefeiert.
Dieser Tag war für die Kids ein kleiner Meilenstein, da sie ihren 100. Tag im Kindergarten gebührend mit gemeinsamen Spielen und Aktivitäten zu Zukunftsvorstellungen sowie kleinen Naschereien zelebrierten. Für dieses besondere Event durften sich die Kinder als das verkleiden, was sie später einmal werden möchten, wenn sie groß sind.
Auch die Klassenlehrerinnen Mrs Da Silva und Frau Thelen haben sich verkleidet. Was sie einmal werden möchten? Am liebsten alt und weise!
100 tage kindergarten
Just before the holidays, the Musical AG from Years 3 to 6 brought the beloved musical “Der kleine Tag” by Rolf Zuckowski to life on stage – and delivered a truly remarkable performance.
The students showed their musical skill, and remarkable talent, bringing the touching story of “Der kleine Tag” to life and captivating the audience of fellow students, teachers and guests from neighbouring schools.
The production was expertly guided by Janine Boubbov, whose passion and dedication shone through every scene. Special thanks also go to Valerie and Juri for their outstanding musical direction and steadfast support.
Congratulations to everyone involved – both on stage and behind the scenes – for creating such a memorable and inspiring theatrical experience!
der kleine tag - musical ag shows off their talent
Kurz vor den Ferien brachte die Musical-AG der Klassen 3 bis 6 das beliebte Musical „Der kleine Tag“ von Rolf Zuckowski auf die Bühne – und begeisterte das Publikum mit einer eindrucksvollen Aufführung.
Mit musikalischem Können und großem Talent erweckten die Schülerinnen die berührende Geschichte von „Der kleine Tag“ zum Leben und fesselten das Publikum aus Mitschülerinnen, Lehrkräften und Gästen benachbarter Schulen.
Unter der fachkundigen Leitung von Janine Boubbov entstand eine Darbietung, die lange in Erinnerung bleiben wird. Ein besonderer Dank gilt auch Valerie und Juri für ihre inspirierende musikalische Begleitung und tatkräftige Unterstützung.
Herzlichen Glückwunsch an alle Beteiligten – auf und hinter der Bühne – für dieses unvergessliche und inspirierende Theatererlebnis!
der kleine tag - musical ag zeigt ihr talent
cas fiji trip
For our class CAS trip, we had the privilege of travelling to Fiji and seeing firsthand the lives of young children there. Our first stop was St Mina’s Children’s Home in Nadi, where we helped improve the area by moving hurricane shutters, picking up rubbish, gardening and tidying spaces. We also got to spend time with the children, playing games, chatting, and learning about their stories.
We then visited Nabalasere village, where we hiked to a breathtaking waterfall and carried out tests to check the water quality. During the trip, the a Girl and her world ambassadors met with Urmila, the in country- coordinator of our school charity, to hear about her experiences and discuss how we could contribute more. She explained that the fundraisers and awareness campaigns we already run at school are making a real difference and encouraged us to keep going.
We heard about the challenges faced by the girls the charity supports, balancing school, housework, and even earning income for their families. We also learnt that the charity focuses on women, as in Fiji they often have fewer opportunities for education.
Visiting a local high school in Rakiraki was another highlight. We ran workshops on baking, sports, dancing, and even taught some Aussie slang. This was a wonderful experience as it allowed us to see how different their lives are to ours.
The trip was an eye-opening experience that gave us a deeper understanding of Fijian culture and the resilience of its people. - Shreya, Year 11
We are all going to experience setbacks in life - your challenges will be different to mine but we can use the same strategy to overcome them by focusing on our strengths. The students who lead this conference know their strengths and can recognise them in others because they have been taught this - that's something we could also learn at GISS. Strengths are attributes like wisdom, courage and justice - for example, you might be creative, have a great sense of humour or be a natural leader or team player. When things seem hard, knowing your strengths will help you find a way through because applying your strengths in the real world will boost your confidence and give you something positive to focus on. For example, if creativity is your strength, you could focus on a creative hobby or apply your creativity to projects at school. Or if you are a good leader, why not try coaching or mentoring younger students?
My main takeaway from the conference was gratitude - after hearing Michael speak, at times with great emotion but also humour, it reminded me just how lucky we all are at GISS. We all have so much opportunity through the sheer luck of being born or raised in a country that has good access to education and healthcare for starters. I thought a lot about this on our CAS trip to Fiji - it was a really powerful reminder not to take our everyday fortune for granted. Thank you to all the families who donated shoes to take to the children's home - they were so grateful and the kids were eager to wear them straight away. It was a good reminder that we don't have to do big things to make a difference to others. If we all make an effort to notice small opportunities to help each other, we also improve our own wellbeing.
We know that humans need each other to thrive - loneliness is predicted to be one of the biggest health issues in the future. By recognising our own strengths and the strengths in others, we can work together to make positive change, in our own lives but maybe also for people we never even meet, as you did by donating shoes. I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to go - now it's time to try and apply what we learned to our own school community. -Aureleo D, Yr 11
student wellbeing conference
What does wellbeing actually mean? As School Captains we attended the Knox Ravenswood Student-Led Wellbeing Conference to find out more. It soon became clear that wellbeing isn't about being happy all the time - the theme was 'mental toughness' and the day began with a powerful keynote speech given by Michael Crossland, whose life story has been defined by hardship. Michael was diagnosed with cancer at 11 months of age and, despite being told several times that he didn't have long, is now a proud father of two and is a highly sought-after speaker all over the world. His message was this: have hope, and courage and determination to keep going because anything is possible. Nobody really knows what the future will bring.
It got me thinking about what wellbeing really means for us as students and I think it boils down to this: we all have immense potential to do something that is meaningful to us. Our worth is not defined by our grades, and how well we do at school is not an indicator of what is actually really important - finding a purpose or something that gives our life meaning, and making a positive impact on our world, starting with the people around us.
In an unforgettable finale to Semester 1, all 110 students from Years 3-6 embarked on an extraordinary musical adventure to one of the world's most iconic venues – the Sydney Opera House – during the final week of term.
The concert program featured two beloved classics: Benjamin Britten's A Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra and Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story Symphonic Dances. Through these works, our students discovered the diverse instruments of the orchestra and explored different musical genres.
Students were captivated by the architectural brilliance of the Sydney Opera House and the magnificent concert hall, filled with our enthusiastic young audience, provided the perfect backdrop for this educational experience.
a musical journey at the sydney opera house
The concert proved to be remarkably vibrant and engaging – so much so that several students expressed genuine surprise when it was finished! Many commented that they never imagined a classical music concert could feel so brief and captivating. This response perfectly demonstrates how live orchestral music can capture young imaginations and challenge preconceptions about classical performance.
Looking ahead, our younger students from Years 1 and 2 are eagerly anticipating their own Sydney Symphony experience on August 22nd, when they'll enjoy Peter and the Wolf. We're confident this upcoming excursion will be equally inspiring and educational for our Stage 1 students.
These orchestral excursions continue to be invaluable in broadening our students' musical horizons and fostering a lifelong appreciation for the performing arts.
year 12 mock exams
The Year 12 students recently got a taste of what their final exams will be like when they sat their mock exams over the past two weeks.
These mock exams provide an excellent opportunity to experience the structure and pressure of the real exam environment, helping them prepare for what to expect during the actual exams.
Die SchülerInnen der 12. Klasse haben in den letzten zwei Wochen bei ihren Probeprüfungen einen Vorgeschmack darauf bekommen, wie ihre Abschlussprüfungen aussehen werden.
Diese Probeprüfungen bieten ihnen die Möglichkeit, die Struktur und den Druck einer echten Prüfungssituation kennenzulernen, und helfen ihnen so, sich auf die tatsächlichen Prüfungen vorzubereiten.
