Close to people | Stories from Bethel
The coatis are travelling to the shepherds
The flickering light of the artificial campfire illuminates the children's curious faces. They listen eagerly to the words of their teacher. Kathrin Prause tells the children from the Nasenbären class the story of the young shepherd Simon, who has fallen asleep among his sheep under the starry sky and is dreaming of the scents and sounds of his homeland. The teacher at Bethel's Mamre Patmos School now takes her pupils into this dream.
Eleven-year-old Sandro Carbone's eyes widen as Kathrin Prause holds a singing bowl close to his ear. She uses a mallet to make the instrument vibrate. The pleasant sound that is produced has a calming effect on the pupil. His body relaxes in the wheelchair. He smiles.
Alongside him, eight other children with various disabilities take part in the Advent circle. "We combine Christmas stories with the promotion of the senses and perception," explains Kathrin Prause. Together with a colleague, she goes round the circle - with a variety of stimulating objects to smell, hear and touch. For example, a soft cuddly sheep that can even bleat. Or little jars that smell of incense and sage. Christmas music accompanies the small group who have made themselves comfortable behind the stage in the forum of the Bethel special school. A twinkling starry sky is projected onto the blue curtains and ceiling. The teachers at the school for children and young people with disabilities, which was built with the help of donations, are very creative.
They enrich the weeks of Advent with many special teaching activities. Like Sandro Carbone, almost all of the children here today can only express themselves through sounds, facial expressions and gestures. They grasp the world through sensory impressions and with the help of trusted carers who know their body language and needs inside out. Starlights on a golden yellow blanket in the centre of the circle create a contemplative atmosphere. Sandro Carbone observes the surroundings and his classmates closely. When Kathrin Prause approaches him with a guitar and plays a well-known Christmas carol, the boy smiles and laughs. The teacher knows: "The Christmas carols touch the children. They are simply part of it."
Text: Gunnar Kreutner | Photos: Thomas Richter
This story simply told
Sandro attends the special school in Bethel. He can only express himself using sounds, facial expressions and gestures. The teachers organise lots of activities for the children during Advent. For example, they tell Christmas stories. They also use instruments such as singing bowls to stimulate the children's senses.
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Contact
Mamre Patmos School
Maraweg 29
33619 Bielefeld
Programmes & services
The Mamre Patmos School is a special school run by the v. Bodelschwingh Foundation Bethel. 230 pupils with special educational needs in the areas of mental development and physical and motor development (here also in the learning programme) live and learn at the school.
