To Our Incredibly Curious, Kind, and Passionate Students

6/13/2025

Weekly Update from the Director - June 13, 2025

Dear Students,

As I prepare to say goodbye after four unforgettable years as your School Director at our German International School Chicago, I find myself reflecting not on meetings or reports – but on you and the thousands of greetings, smiles, questions, and moments of laughter we have shared together. It has been the greatest joy of my 35 years of working in schools to watch you grow, learn, and simply be yourselves.

One of my favorite parts of every day was standing at the front entrance, watching you arrive full of joy and energy. Many have thanked me for being there each morning, but the truth is – I am the one who is grateful. Whether it was a high five, a fist bump, or a hug, your greetings reminded me, every single day, of what truly matters. You made my job not only meaningful, but also deeply human.

Walking into your classrooms has been another frequent gift. I will always smile when I think of the warm, musical chorus of "Gu-ten Mor-gen, Herr He-be-brand" that welcomed me – sometimes stretched out for 20 seconds or more! Your excitement to tell me what you were learning (and your patience as I launched into my professorial responses!) showed me how deeply engaged you are as learners.

When I first arrived, many of you were sitting on the floor to eat lunch. Now you sit at tables – but no matter the setting, I have seen you show a real sense of responsibility for your space. Cleaning up isn't always perfect (I've asked more than a few times, "Are you expecting someone else to clean up after you?"), but it's clear that you understand what it means to take care of a community. That's no small thing.

You also understand how you learn best. Your enthusiasm for project-based and hands-on learning shows that you care not just about getting the answer, but about making meaning. There is pride in your work – rightfully so – and it's a joy to see how seriously you take your own learning.

But what I have admired most of all is who you are: Authentic, expressive, joyful, and unashamedly yourselves. You are wonderfully free of pretense. You are still kids in the best sense – imaginative, sincere, kind, and open to the world. Your recent Music Concert showcased this quality so perfectly!

Speaking of the world – what a gift it is that so many of you speak multiple languages! Whether in German, English, or another language entirely, you show every day that being multilingual is more than a skill – it's a worldview. You recognize and celebrate that our differences are what make us stronger. You think not just about your friends and neighborhoods, but about the wider world. That's rare. And it's beautiful.

You also ask incredible questions. Your thoughts are complex. You draw insightful conclusions. In short: you are already intellectuals – thoughtful, curious, and always searching for meaning.

In all these ways, you have inspired me. You have made me proud. And you have filled my heart with hope for the future.

Thank you for being the kinds of students – and human beings – that remind us why schools matter. Stay curious. Stay kind. Stay exactly who you are.

With deep affection and admiration,

Herr Hebebrand

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