The choice of Guilds
Guilds are social, sporting and creative elective mandatory offers. The old term “guild” makes it clear that every guild involves a goal – a choir or theatre performance, an exhibition, the acquirement of certain skills, contributions to school-life, sports competitions. The guilds are equivalent in value to school subjects – compulsory, but without grading.
There are classical favourites among the guilds but also a varying range of possibilities according to interest shown. Particularly popular are the sport guilds and the theatre. Here a selection:
Adventure activities
This wide range of activities includes rafting, go-karting, climbing, swimming and boating. The highlight is an overnight camping trip to Sylvenstein Dam in the summer semester.
Climbing
Climbing guild members start by practising on the climbing wall in our sports hall. More experienced climbers can use a big climbing hall in the nearby town of Bad Tölz.
Skiing
Skiing is arranged on one of the weekend days or as part of a course of lessons. Annual ski trips are organized for Classes 5 and 6.
Hiking
Weekends are the perfect time for a hiking trip into the nearby mountains, maybe even including an overnight stay in a hut.
Basketball
Our most popular guild! A basketball night is even held from time to time.
Football
A traditional guild! Football is played indoors and outdoors, against both local teams and other schools.
Volleyball
Beach volleyball is played in summer – not just in the guild, but also at break times and during leisure hours.
Table tennis
Played both indoors and outdoors, both one-against-one and in the “round the world” version of the game.
Badminton
Girls are particularly fond of this sport.
Swimming
A traditional guild, with visits paid to various pools in the region.
Sailing
The sailing guild practises on the Tegernsee in four-hour blocks from May onwards. Pupils work towards their sailing licence, after which real sailing can begin in earnest.
Horse riding – on the castle’s horses as a beginner, or in the riding club next door, where pupils’ own horses can be stabled and professional training is on offer.
Gym
Pupils train in the castle’s gym both in the guild and during leisure hours. The most important piece of equipment in the gym is your own body weight.
Trampolining
One of our most popular guilds – pupils can bounce and practise somersaults to their hearts’ content.
Other sports
Depending on pupils interests, other sports are offered, e.g. yoga, waveboarding, skating, martial arts, archery and dancing.
Plays are staged in a highly professional manner by the middle school guild and the “Theatre and Film” upper school course. Pupils build the set, assume responsibility for sound and lighting, design advertising material and costumes, and even incorporate their own ideas into the plays. The works thus created have resulted in the theatre being nominated for the Süddeutsche Zeitung’s Tassilo culture prize on a number of occasions.
Vocal ensemble and choir
Classical and modern pieces are rehearsed under professional guidance. Pupils can also receive singing and voice training.
School band
Pop and rock are included in the school band’s repertoire – performed in English and German. The band plays at school events and parties.
Free studio
The pupils practice different artistic techniques.
Painting
Works of art are created by using various techniques: Watercolour, oil painting, collage.
Photography
The pupils learn composition techniques, basic knowledge of photographic techniques and take photographs of school events and their own projects.
School newspaper
Twice a year, the guild publishes the school newspaper, which reports on school and boarding school life. The newspaper is professionally produced and printed using the programme Adobe InDesign.
Cooking and baking
One of our cooks teaches pupils to create simple dishes: bruschetta, Bavarian cream, Kaiserschmarren, cheesecake, and so on ….
Carpentry
Pupils learn to handle the materials and tools. They create small items – wooden swords, bird houses, candle holders, stools, mobile phone stands, caskets, catapults. There is no limit to the ideas that can be put into practice.
Sewing
Who wouldn’t like to sew a bag or cushion, progressing to a summer blouse or even a dress? This pastime can be pursued at weekends in the boarding school, as sewing requires plenty of time.
Chinese
It’s difficult to learn to write Chinese, but speaking it is easier. If there is sufficient interest, the language can be taught as an ab initio foreign language from Class 10.
Russian
Interest in Russia has increased considerably since we have had a partner school in Moscow. More pupils are interested in learning Russian, too – at least enough to help them find their way around Russia’s capital city.
