You can almost feel the excitement in the air. It won’t be long now – and the curtain will rise on a unique circus weekend. Right at the heart of it all: 470 children, dozens of teachers and a delighted headteacher.
“It really is a labour of love,” says Heike Schneller-Schneider with a smile. Since 2025, the Siedlungsgrundschule has been part of the “Startchancen-Programm” support project. The long-term aim is to improve the overall conditions so that as many children as possible can achieve a good school-leaving qualification. Three pillars underpin this approach: investment in modern, pupil-centred learning environments; support for independent school and curriculum development; and the provision of additional staff such as school social workers, school psychologists and multi-professional teams. Since the start of the week, the ‘Zappzarap’ circus – a professional team specialising in circus education – has been visiting the estate. In keeping with this year’s theme of ‘circus’, the experienced experiential educators are practising with the children everything that goes into a varied and spectacular circus programme: juggling, clowning, acrobatics and even fire shows. On Friday and Saturday, a total of six performances will take place in the specially erected big top at the lower end of the Sickergrund sports grounds.
1,800 tickets have already been given out free of charge to parents and relatives. The high level of interest is a great success, but for Heike Schneller-Schneider it is by no means the decisive factor. “Our school community is growing closer together,” she says, summarising her observations over the last few days. Children from different year groups are rehearsing for the performances, learning in a playful way how important reliable teamwork is, whilst also developing their motor skills. Many parents helped out on Sunday afternoon with setting up the big top and preparing for the project. The performances bring together siblings, parents and grandparents of different ages and nationalities. When the final curtain falls and the tent is taken down again on Sunday afternoon, the magic of the circus project is far from over for Heike Schneller-Schneider. She is convinced that the children and the whole school community will benefit from this in the long term. “Respect and consideration for one another will grow,” she says. “We can already see that happening.”