Schools are places of learning. And at a community school, learning does not only take place at different levels to enable three educational qualifications, but the focus is also on the social life of the learning partners. One thing all-day schools cannot and should not do is offer only schooling. The art is rather to find a balance between relaxation and activation for the learners, to allow times to clear the mind, to be able to be a community meeting place for socialising in addition to the lessons.
One place to go that meets these needs is the cube in the inner courtyard of the GMS. Here you can chill comfortably in the armchairs, play something or listen to music, enjoy the view from the large glass front or push the heavy fabric curtains forward when you are on retreat. The cube-shaped building with the outdoor stage, where performances and festivities take place time and again, is the declared sanctuary of the Stetten school community and a highly frequented place to go during all non-school hours. In addition to the space, the cube also offers a fixed programme: arrival at the daily start of school, breakfast offered during the first movement break, dance meetings during the lunch break, chill-out area in between.
This requires staff: there are actually no teachers working in the Kubus, but the learning partners of learning level 8 as the Kubus team. And if Toby Buck didn't have their support, he wouldn't get out of the cube for even five minutes on any given day.
It's going well: the young staff members are so accomplished that Toby Buck himself is almost no longer necessary and can pursue other duties in peace, while in the break, for example, the International Youth Club's cake sale for the earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria is just getting underway.
What does the Kubus team have to do? The to-do list is long:
Collecting the key for the cube from the secretary's office at the start of break, preparing muesli at the first break, collecting the purchase price, providing crockery, setting up chairs, managing the games cupboard, looking after the equipment, sweeping the cube, carrying tablets for the music system back and forth between the storage area and the cube. Care must be taken that the cube guests handle the table football and the music system properly. And the music must not be too loud, because there are lessons going on all around. If a member of the Kubus team is ill, you have to find a replacement on your own. If there are difficulties with other pupils, contact Buck. If someone violates all the boundaries, the team member is even authorised to give instructions and can give the troublemaker a short time-out.
"I had a meeting with the team earlier and they are getting so involved," says Tobias Buck, praising the students' commitment. "Some of them are already showing responsible leadership skills and are able to manage the cube operations independently."
This means something for the age in learning level 8: A student job that combines self-management and duty of care and places confidence in the team members to act appropriately. The learning partners are appreciated by the whole school community through the success of their work. If you ask them about the additional burden of their work besides the learning effort for the school, you will get the uncomprehending question what "burden" means.
Do the team members themselves ever have time to enjoy the cube offerings and just hang out? It looks good. The motto is on their duty roster:
Chilling is the art of not getting bored while doing nothing.
The cube team currently consists of:
from 8.1 Leon Hofmann, Sophia Nagel, Levi Meyer, Saskia Beck, Laura Fischer, Anastasia Leuter, Lara Kaiser, Emely Hirschberg
from 8.2 Anna Nuber, Amelie Conzelmann, Alessia Hidiatulin, Dzevahira Berisa, Philipp Kuhn, Sean Tritasco, Klara Fiebig, Max Lauterbach, Gabriel Pera, Leon Fischer
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