International School Hamburg Celebrates 60 Years of Bringing the World Together

“Head of ISH Andrew Cross (right) celebrates with guests.” _________________________________________________________________________ Sixty years ago, a little school with a big heart was born in a small house near the Alster Lake in Hamburg. The International School of Hamburg (ISH) had a total enrollment of 50 students from 12 countries. Over the years, the campus moved from its first home—Timberlake House, named after U.S. Consul General C.H. Timberlake—to three further locations around the city. Currently, the school is located on a spacious campus across from the Botanical Gardens in the western suburbs of Hamburg. ISH now has more than 770 students from 50 nations and 6 continents. From 5–7 October, the school celebrated its 60th birthday in style, with exciting events and activities marking the journey our school has taken over the past six decades. The overarching theme—“ISH: 60 Years of Bringing the World Together”—was reflected in all of the displays and exhibitions, art installations, speeches, and events over the course of three days. The goal was to ensure that our celebrations were as student-centered as possible. We wanted the children of ISH—our most important asset—to be at the front and center of the program. The Theatre Department recreated a 1950s classroom, complete with wooden double desks with lids, a green chalkboard, and glass display cases with books and school materials from the time period. The 1950s dress-up day on Thursday saw plenty of wide polka-dotted skirts, glamorous Audrey Hepburns, Elvis Presleys, and James Deans in white t-shirts and leather jackets. As part of the focus on making our anniversary celebrations as inclusive of the local community as possible, the Junior School hosted three local public schools. The children and teachers collaborated on a full day of music, arts, and crafts, with some beautiful displays exhibited around the main entrance area for everyone to enjoy. The various Secondary School departments developed the theme “60 Years of Bringing the World Together” with a number of multilingual writing projects, the ISH History Project video and photographic exhibition, and artistic installations. No school anniversary would be complete without the presence of its alumni. Over 170 former students attended the celebrations, including several who were part of the very first group of children to walk through the doors in 1957. On Friday afternoon, five alumni participated in a question-and-answer session at a special assembly hosted by our Student Board Executive. The alumni events culminated with a buffet dinner in the school cafeteria, accompanied by a brass quintet and speeches from past and present members of staff. Our former students left us with a gift of the knowledge that our school has truly been a cradle over the years that nurtured, educated, and gave wonderful memories to many who are now scattered around the world. On Saturday, the final day of the anniversary program, the PE Department led the ISH Olympics sports activities on the playing field and in the gym during the afternoon, ably supported by an energetic group of parents. An evening concert and reception attended by over 500 guests in the auditorium on Saturday evening rounded out the anniversary celebrations. The ISH Junior School Choir opened the concert with a Happy Birthday song and the cutting of a gigantic 60th birthday cake. The oldest attending alumna and the youngest pupil from the pre-kingergarten class joined hands in cutting the cake. Keynote speaker Dr. Sonja Lahnstein-Kandel, an ISH alumna, reflected on her memories of being a student at ISH in the 1960s. United States Consul General, Mr. Richard Yoneoka, shared his appreciation of the bonds that continue to exist between ISH and the U.S. community in Hamburg. Our Student Council leaders addressed the audience and reflected on what the 60th anniversary of ISH means to them. The formal ceremony came to a fitting close with a solo trumpet performance by a Grade 11 student, accompanied by ISH Strings and Die Staatliche Jugendmusikschule Hamburg-West. In the foyer after the concert, hundreds of delicious cupcakes topped with blue and yellow frosting (the ISH colors) baked by our PTA and volunteer mothers were distributed to the guests. The very talented band Elephunk, which includes three ISH staff members, performed some wonderful dance tunes in the Aula after the concert. The celebrations could not have been so successful without the vibrant ISH community spirit which resulted in hundreds of volunteer hours being freely given. We are already looking forward to our 75th birthday in 2032!

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