Entry 6: SCHULTUETE and Linda Cotter
Beginning in 2006, Saint Mary has begun the year by presenting a “Schultuete” to each of the incoming first grade students. This tradition of giving a paper cone filled with goodies was started by our award winning teacher, Linda Cotter. Linda was born in Frankfort, Germany and was brought to this country when she was six by her American father and German mother. Ms. Cotter began teaching at Saint Mary in German Village in 1974. As the fourth- grade teacher it has been one of her goals to teach her students about Germany and German values. As a result Linda was awarded the Transatlantic Outreach Program’s 2007 TOP Fellow of the Year, at the National Council for Social Studies annual conference in San Diego. She was the only elementary teacher who has been selected twice to participate in study tours of Germany. The tours were to aid her in developing lessons and ideas to be shared with other teachers. One of her lessons focused on the “Schultuete,” a cone filled with school supplies and other items, including sweets. The purpose of the “Schultuete” was not only to welcome the children to the school but, more importantly, to impress upon them that they were now entering a new stage of their development. The Tradition has its origins in Saxony and Thuringia around 1810. In one legend each teacher has a tree growing schultuete in their yard. When they are ripe and ready to be picked this marks the beginning of the school year. They are picked and given to the first graders to mark the beginning of their academic career.
Mary, Queen of Apostles, Pray for us. Pray for Vocations.
