Curiosity, excitement and anticipation were evident not only on the faces of the 69 new first-graders, but also among their parents, families, and teachers on Wednesday morning, the first day of school at Deutsche Höhere Privatschule Windhoek (DHPS).

The new learners were once again welcomed with a special ceremony on 24 January 2024: The Head of the Primary Section, Conni Hecht, shared the story of the "Little We" with the new first graders and guests, emphasising the significance of the feeling of togetherness. She conveyed that everything could be rather joyless and grey without it.
Grade 2 and 3 learners welcomed their new schoolmates to DHPS with cheerful songs, while André Graf, pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, invited everyone to a brief devotional service.

Although the first-graders will have to get used to early wake-up calls in the mornings, Carola von Blottnitz, Vice Principal at DHPS, highlighted in her welcoming note that it's not the „onset of the serious side of life but the start of a wonderful time of curiosity, learning, and discovery. I wish you, dear first-graders, magical moments of discovery, your first reading, your first maths excercises and many wonders, freedoms and discoveries. And to you, dear parents, I wish you the wisdom to remain calm, even if your child's thirst for knowledge is more about dismantling the fountain pen than learning a new way of calculating. May you realise that your child will probably quickly surpass your knowledge - or at least claim to do so at some point in the exciting 12 years ahead."

We wish the 2024 first-year learners a fantastic start at DHPS and welcome you and your families to the DHPS school community.
It is great to have you here.