German bookworms delight in Horst Kreft reading festival
By Nadja Roxin of the Deutsche Hoehere Privatschule in Windhoek.
“Reading is a boundless childhood adventure” – Astrid Lindgren.
The DHPS assembly hall came alive on Saturday 30 September 2023 with colourful letters, bookworms and avid readers – ready for the annual Horst Kreft Reading Festival, proudly supported by the AGDS (Association of German Schools).
The stage was set with a selection of children’s books, a cosy reading chair and a small table with a single chair. For the young participants, reading in solitude is an adventure in itself, but sharing their stories with an audience was a new thrilling challenge.
Twelve learners from six different German schools across Namibia accepted this challenge as part of the Horst Kreft Reading Festival.
In the first part of the festival, learners read a text of their own choice, from classics like “Pumuckl” to adventures like “Ronia, the Robber’s Daughter” and enchanting fairy tales from the Brothers Grimm.
The more demanding second part required learners to read from an unprepared text for three minutes. Group A, consisting of learners from grades 3 and 4, dealt with “Kommissar Kugelblitz – Alarmin Windhuk”, while Group B learners from grades 5 and 6 embarked on a literary journey through “Portilla” by Cornelia Funke.
The children tackled this task superbly, even though they were confronted with difficult words that put their pronunciation to the test.
Finally, the jury, comprising Sylvia Schlettwein (University of Namibia), Corinna Burth (Goethe Institute) and Katja Haase (Hitradio Namibia) evaluated the readers’ intonation, fluency and articulation: Certainly not an easy task for the jurors.
In the end, Jan-Leon Ruppel (Group A) and Emily Berens (Group B) took the victory to the coast. We congratulate the winners and wish them many more joyful reading adventures in the future.
AGDS and DHPS thanks all readers for the adventurous and exciting morning.
Final Results:
Group A,
1st place, Jan-Leon Ruppe, Privatschule Swakopmund.
2nd place, Klara Kaiser, Privatschule Otjiwarongo.
3rd place, Joshua Cowley, Deutsche Höhere Privatschule Windhoek.
Group B,
1st place, Emily Berens, Privatschule Swakopmund.
2nd place, Tabea Ermann, Deutsche Privatschule Omaruru.
3rd place, Michiel Boshoff, Deutsche Privatschule Otavi.
