DISC is the abbreviation for „Deutsch im Sacré Cœur“, which is a German language learning course for people who want to learn German as a foreign language.
The Sacré Cœur in Pressbaum is one of the oldest and most prestigious, private schools in Austria. Our vast grounds are situated at the end of a private road, far from any traffic. Our grounds include a historic school building, which looks like a piece of scenery out of a Harry Potter-movie, a triple-size sports hall, a football pitch, riding stables with well-equipped riding grounds, seven tennis-courts, grounds for playing street basketball and beachvolleyball.
The Sacré Cœur is located idyllically at the edge of the Vienna Woods but nevertheless it is close enough to Vienna to be able to visit the wonderful city without any problems.
We offer an abundance of experience as we have been organising highly successful summer camps for the past 25 years.
Not only do we offer excellent tuition but also various activities during leisure time and modern infrastructure.
Our language camp is for teenagers who are between 10 and 17 years old and who do not only want to learn German and also want to spend a summer full of fun and entertainment together with other young people from all over the world.
It is important to us that young people experience a sense of community, that they find their place in the group which is made up of many different nationalities and that they develop tolerance towards other opinions and ways of life.
Having that in mind, each single participant should remember his or her own strengths and develop one’s personalities.
As DISC is a camp, everybody joins in in the activities. We strive to offer a program so varied that everybody has an unforgettable time.
On weekdays (Monday to Friday) there are four German lessons in the morning. Each lesson lasts for 45 minutes (there are 20 lessons a week).
In the afternoon we play games, do sports and have fun!
At weekends we go on day’s outings (you have to take part in them) and relax.
In order to secure successful learning the course is organised in small groups which are tailor-made for individual language skills.
On weekdays there are four lessons, each lasts for 45 minutes. All four areas of language competence (reading, writing, listening, speaking) are taught but special emphasis will be placed on listening and speaking as these two are the areas that are most commonly neglected in the “normal” language teaching at school.
Three times a week there is intensive training (45 minutes) in the afternoon to consolidate the newly learned language skills.
It should be emphasised that language learning also plays a major role outside the classroom. Whether we are travelling on the underground or train, going shopping or relaxing in a typical Viennese “Kaffeehaus”, the language learning continues as the participants get experience “learning-by-doing” as they practise the language in everyday life, wherever they are and whatever they do.
Each participant does an initial classification test on their arrival day (Sunday). This test consists of a written and an oral part. So our teachers can establish what level of language skills each participant has and can make sure that everybody is in the right group.
It is possible to move to another group.
The lessons are held by highly qualified Austrian German teachers who are especially trained to teach German as a foreign language. Of course, our German teachers are all native speakers.
Our German teachers work at the „IDS-Institut für Deutsche Sprache“ in Vienna, their experience and motivation guarantee the best learning conditions and successful language learning with a lot of fun. Moreover they can deal with all the problems our participants can possibly have.
If you have any further question concerning the language course, call IDS (Institut für Deutsche Sprache), telephone number +43(0)1 586 51 51. They will be happy to answer all your questions.
You can spend between two and six weeks at our camp. We recommend you to stay at least three weeks.
On Fridays there are exams to monitor the participants’ learning progress.
At the end of the course each participant receives a report.
chill-out-time
After lunch – until the start of the afternoon program (about 2 p.m.) the participants can relax and spend time doing those things, which are usually not part of the program: staying in their rooms, listening to music, reading, walking around the school grounds, do sports individually, go to the village together (not alone) with older teenagers.
afternoon program
To promote the individual talents of each of our participants, the afternoon program is organised in various groups.
There is the option to book an additional tennis course and/or riding course.
Once a week we go on an outing to the wonderful city of Vienna, because our participants should experience the beautiful and famous sights of our capital city. Possible destinations are the
These trips to Vienna can be combined with a leisurely shopping expedition and/or a visit to the cinema.
When the weather in the afternoon is very hot and sunny, we go to the fantastic public swimming pool in Purkersdorf, which also has a great water slide.
No, visiting the pool does not mean that everybody has to swim. You can also lie in the sun, read, play games or ball.
Your child is welcome to book an additional horse riding and/or tennis course (ten units with an instructor).
In the evenings we play a variety of games with the whole group. These games demand brains, courage, speed and team work.
These games take place in the boarding house, all over the school grounds, in the adjoining Vienna Woods as well as in the dark „Hogwarts“-like school building.
Moreover we organise talent shows, paper-chases, beach parties, camp-fires, barbecues, on Friday night there is traditionally a discotheque on our premises for all summer camps.
We go on „Vienna by night“-walks. The magnificent Viennese buildings are lit atmospherically and a relaxing stroll through the old city centre is a charming change to the action-packed games.
On Saturdays and Sundays the participants can sleep longer than during the week. On Saturday the long “lie-in” is followed by a day’s outing, which is compulsory for everybody. In the evening we may watch a film to end the eventful day in a relaxed fashion.
On Sundays there will be sports and fun on the school grounds or in the public swimming pool. Additionally the rooms should be tidied as new participants arrive in the afternoon.
cultural places of interest
Destination are palaces and castles which we visit, look at old suits of armours and weapons (Forchtenstein castle), learn about the history in guided tours (Aggstein ruin) and watch bird of prey-shows (Rosenburg).
A further destination is Dürnstein where once the English king Lionheart was held captive. Then we go along the Danube on a ship through the Wachau region which is part of the world cultural heritage.
sports trips
Another destination is the alpine region of Lower Austria. In Türnitz und St. Corona we can go tobogganing, which is perfectly safe but great fun, we can also roll down the mountain with oversized scooters (wearing safety helmets) – you can get rather dirty doing that but everybody who tried it was thrilled!
When the weather is fine, we can go boating on idyllic castle lakes (such as the one at the Laxenburg imperial hunting lodge).
The Neusiedler See national park, Europe’s largest steppe lake, invites us to go boating, swimming and cycling.
The Danube riverside forests national park, invites us to explore one of the last remaining natural parts of the Danube river.
Of course, these destinations are only a selection of possible ones. We always try to combine a cultural and a sports destination, so that there is something interesting for everybody. We cannot promise that we will visit all of these sights or only these sights, as the choice of trips will depend largely on the group and – unfortunately – the weather.
8:00 |
morning call – rise and shine |
8:30 |
breakfast |
9:00 - 10:30 |
learning session |
10:30 - 11:00 |
break (+ snack) |
11:00 - 12:30 |
learning session |
12:30 |
lunch |
until about 14:00 |
chill-out-time |
14:00 -18:30 |
afternoon program |
18:30 |
dinner |
19:30 - 21:30 |
evening program (+ late night snack) |
22:00 - 22:30 |
night’s sleep or preparing for that |
If you travel by car the Sacré Cœur is reached best via the A1 motorway. After having taken the exit Pressbaum, turn right towards Vienna, drive through the village, pass the main square and the church. After about 200 metres turn left at the traffic lights. There is a big neon advertising sign for the „Hofer“-supermarket, which cannot be missed. There is also a road sign that shows the way to the Sacré Cœur. Drive through the underpass and take the private road to the Sacré Cœur.
If you travel by train, you can also take both slow and semi-fast trains as well as the S50. You can board the trains either at the station “Wien Westbahnhof” (the underground lines U3 and U6 take you there) or at the station “Wien Hütteldorf“ (last stop of the underground line U4). You need to get off at the stop „Pressbaum“. From there it is a five minute walk.
Our school grounds are situated in the Vienna Woods, far away from public roads and traffic. Grand and spacious facilities, woods and meadows guarantee a summer full of events and action.
The price includes full board, language tuition as described, teaching material, taking care of the participants 24 hours a day, sports equipment and material for doing handicraft work, trips and outings (you have to take part in these outings).
Entrance fees and the price of the transfer on arrival and departure (should you wish that) are not included.
The day of arrival is the Sunday of each week, between 4 and 5:30 p.m.
If your child arrives by plane or train, we gladly organise a transfer from the airport or the train station to the Sacré Cœur Pressbaum.
The participants share rooms for 2 to 4 people, the rooms are equipped with showers, wash-basins and some also with toilets.
We endeavour that participants with different first languages share rooms in order to support the use of German among the participants. However, parents often wish that brothers, sisters or friends share rooms.
Rarely do participants share their room with others who speak the same first language, this may be due to the numbers of participants or their age.
This has the advantage that the participants feel just like home. This relaxed atmosphere promotes a pleasant environment and increases the success of language learning.
That is always a difficult question to answer. First let us mention that most things are included in the course-fee. The material for doing handicraft work is included in the price but there might arise costs for t-shirts (which we will paint or dye). Money will also be needed for outings (e.g. for the rides when we visit the Prater or for tobogganing rides, should we choose to go there). Apart from that the participants may want to buy sweets or ice-creams.
Last year, most children brought between € 20 and 40 per week with them, some hardly used any money, others needed all of it. We try, of course, to encourage our participants to be economical with their pocket money and to think carefully before spending it.
sufficient underwear, t-shirts,...
short and long trousers, pullovers, a jacket, sports gear, hard-wearing and casual clothes, sturdy shoes (sneakers)
do not forget: rain jacket, swimming gear!
A torch and batteries, pens and pencils, sun protection, a rucksack, something to read, tennis-, badminton rackets, table-tennis bats, dictionary (German-participant’s mother tongue)
We do have a washing machine at our disposal but it should be used economically and only in cases of emergency. Washed clothes cannot be ironed. Therefore we ask to bring sufficient hard-wearing, casual clothes.
We ask you to only call your child in important cases. As the participants spend most of the time in groups somewhere on the school grounds, it is often impossible to get them to answer the phone. The best time to phone us is between 13:15 and 2 o’clock in the afternoon.
We know from experience that phoning the parents increases possible feelings of homesickness. Alternatively we recommend writing emails. In doing so the parents can stay in contact with their children without causing homesickness. This method has proven successful in the last years.
It goes without saying that parents will be contacted immediately, should anything unexpected happen!
We also advise against visiting. The participants can use the phone at all times, we have two payphones in the boarding house, one is coin-operated, the other takes a phone card.
Of course, mobile phones can be brought to phone the parents. But please do keep in mind that teenagers often call one another and they can run up immense phone bills.
We reserve the right to take away mobile phones during the night and return them the next morning as we have learned from experience that participants continue writing text messages until the small hours.
No, it is not. We try to cater for all needs but ask you to inform us about special diets and allergies at the beginning of the camp.
Please make sure to check what is covered by your own private insurance. We can not offer insurance in case of illness, accident and theft. Participants should bring a health insurance certificate of your own health insurance institution so that free medical or dental treatment can be granted.
Please note that costs for medical care (doctor, hospital) and transportation have to be paid private if not covered by your insurance!
Each participant should bring along a health insurance certificate and one that covers dental treatments. These documents will be collected at the beginning of the camp and are kept safe and easy to reach.
Please make sure that your child is vaccinated against FSME, as many activities take place outside.
You can enrol your child here on our homepage www.sacre-coeur.org/sommer, or use our registration form, by phone, by fax:
Sacré Cœur
Klostergasse 12
A-3021 Pressbaum
Tel.: +43 (0)2233 52427 564
FAX: +43 (0)2233 52427 533
e-mail: verwaltung@sacre-coeur.org
bank: |
Raika Pressbaum-Breitenfurt |
Austrian bank number: |
32667 |
account-number: |
679 |
IBAN (international bank account): |
AT78 3266 7000 0000 0679 |
international BIC-number: |
RLNWATWWPRB |
name of account: |
Institut Sacré Cœur |
In that case the money will be transferred back. This is also true for the case that your child has booked a sports course and could not take all training units. In such cases the amount for the units that were not consumed will be transferred.
Usually that is not a problem. Even if you have to change your booking unexpectedly late, the camps usually have the capacity to take in additional participants.