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John F. Kennedy School Celebrating 50th Anniversary

Berlin’s John F. Kennedy School (JFKS), a bilingual, bicultural German-American public institution, is planning numerous events, beginning this spring, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of its founding.

Working together with parent volunteers, the school administration is planning lectures, concerts and other events — highlighted by a community “Fun Day” Festival in October — to put special focus on the school and its history.

The celebration, however, is not just “about the past,” according to JFKS Director Reinhard Roth, who says the school community is especially eager to understand the school’s legacy of cross-cultural and bi-lingual education in Berlin.

“The John F. Kennedy School’s 50th anniversary celebration isn’t just about the past,” said Dr. Roth. “We have been trying to use the occasion to reflect on where we stand in today’s changing times and where we want to be, as a member of the Berlin community, in the future.”

Originally called the “German-American Community School,” JFKS opened its doors in October 1960. The school was founded by German and American parents who were committed to education as a means of strengthening friendship between their countries, which had been at war against each other just 15 years before. The school was renamed in 1963, shortly after the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy.

The founding parents agreed to send their children to school together — two preparatory classes with sixty German and American students. The students conducted their studies in both German and English, as equal “mother tongues,” a bilingual environment based on two-way language immersion. This bicultural framework was experimental and without precedent, both pedagogically and politically.

The school, which prides itself on its teaching of respect, understanding and tolerance toward other cultures, first opened in Berlin’s Mühlen School building, under the direction of headmaster Rudi Bever, who oversaw the work of just two teachers, Bärbel Sotschek and Gudrun Adam. The school’s Berlin-Zehlendorf campus, constructed from 1980 to 1989, today offers instruction to about 1,750 students, ages 5 to 18, wth a teaching staff of about 160.

JFKS is home to vibrant music and theater programs, and hosts the annual Berlin Model United Nations (BERMUN), bringing students throughout Berlin together with counterparts from around the world.

The Jubilee Year 2010 is being marked by a number of interesting events, including:

April 17: Benefit Reception and Concert, featuring vocalist Jocelyn B. Smith and Friends, 7 p.m. JFKS Auditorium. April 22 – 8 p.m. (German) Lecture by Professor Eckhart Altenmüller, neurologist, on the value of esthetic education and conjuncture of music, perception and learning. Staatsoper Unter den Linden, Apollosaal. May 26: John F. Kennedy Week — School activities focusing on President Kennedy’s international legacy. May 6: Elementary School Art Exhibition June 9: Lecture on German-American Migration, Prof. Dr. Ursula Lehmkuhl, John F. Kennedy Institut (FU Berlin). 7 p.m. JFKS Auditorium. October 1: Opening Ceremony. (Invited guests only.) October 2: Fun Day Festival. October 2: Alumni Dance. October 7: JFKS students, staff, parents and volunteers perform Carmina Burana by Carl Orff.