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All Things German In California

German Schools In California

Want to teach German in Southern California?

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Kids going to school - California Germans

German American School Association (GASA) is looking for German teachers for their school in San Diego.

The German-American School Association of Southern California, Inc. (GASA) is a non-profit, tax-exempt corporation, founded in 1954. GASA offers classroom-based German language programs to children ages 4 – 18 years in its Saturday Schools, ages 3 – 5 years in its Kinderland School. Adult classes are available online.

The Saturday Schools offer classes from 9 am to 12 pm at 10 different campuses throughout the Southland. The Kinderland School offers its program twice weekly from 9 am to 12 pm. GASA’s school year coincides with the public school calendar.

GASA also offers online courses for different age groups during the school year and summer months, and after-school classes at various locations throughout the school year.

Please contact office[at]gasaschool.org to inquire regarding teaching positions available.

Are you a German teacher? A High School in SoCal needs YOU.

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Crescenta Valley High School is one of a few high schools in Southern California still offering courses in German. If you know someone or if you are a German teacher, please read the post below.

Glendale Unified School District is looking for a German teacher, who can teach two periods of higher-level German at Crescenta Valley High School.

Glendale Unified offers dual immersion programs in seven languages; six magnet schools focused on technology, world languages, and visual and performing arts; innovative opportunities for dual college enrollment; and a wide variety of Career and Technical Education pathways beginning in middle school. “In Glendale Unified schools we are excelling together to prepare our youth with endless pathways for success!” Learn more at http://www.gusd.net.

The position requires the following credentials:

Applicants must hold a valid California Teaching Credential authorizing service in German. English Learner Authorization: Applicants must also hold a valid English Learner Authorization such as a CLAD, ELA1, ELAM, ELAS, ELAE, or similar authorization for designated English Language Development instruction or integrated instruction to English Learners. Glendale Unified is seeking dynamic educators who exhibit: • Effective skills in working with English Learner (EL) students • Strong pedagogical skills • Breadth of experience in educational technology • Instruction with a 21st Century perspective.

Find the original posting here.

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Sprichst Du Deutsch? Why not? – UNESCO International Mother Language Day

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UNESCO believes in the importance of cultural and linguistic diversity for sustainable societies and declared February 21st to be International Mother Language Day . Since 2000, International Mother Langauge Day has been observed annually worldwide with the intention to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and to promote multilingualism.

German Language Schools in the United States celebrate this day with the campaign “Sprichst Du Deutsch? Why Not?” encouraging students to learn more about their heritage by studying German and inspiring others to get to know more about Germany and its culture by means of its language.

By scanning the QR-codes in the picture below you can learn more about German Language Schools in the USA and about the motivation of students wanting to learn the German language.

To get a head start finding some options to learn German in California connect with GASA, the German-American School Association of Southern California.

Image: @GLSC-German Language School Conference

EUSTORY, an International History Competition for German and French Youth to Reflect on Peace

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Students of a German School in San Diego learn how to write a movie script

About a month ago  German Pacific School San Diego and San Diego French American School collaborated in preparing for an international competition that invites them to reflect on the concept of peace before, during and after WW I.

EUSTORY, an international history competition wants to guide students to a greater understanding of historic events but also engage them in finding relations between today’s events and events in the past, and overall help them become productive citizens of the world.

Both schools decided on choosing film as a medium for their project, and to learn the ‘nuts and bolts’ of scriptwriting they participated in an intercultural scriptwriting seminar. In the following read more about their experience:

German and French students collaborate on international competition

( by Lenni Elbe)
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An excited buzz fills the air as groups of French and German students discuss their ideas. They are preparing for an international history competition, called EUSTORY.

On October 14, students from San Diego French American School and German Pacific School San Diego partook in a seminar run by a professional scriptwriter, Diane Alpaio, to help prepare them for the competition in Spring.

The script writing workshop led students through a pre-written script in order to learn the basic elements of story writing. First, they watched and analyzed a short film. Then, they were split into small groups and wrote their own scenes using those basic elements such as dialogue, conflict, and characters.

The students left with a greater understanding of how movie scripts are written, and with plenty of ideas on how to continue their own EUSTORY project. “Working with the French students was great and I didn’t expect the seminar to be so much fun. It really got everyone excited about the competition” said Jack, a student at GPSSD.

The script writing seminar was just the start. Students will continue to meet on a regular basis throughout the script writing process. Instructors from both schools are guiding the students, including Mr. Baron (SDFAS), Ms. Brouder (SDFAS), and Ms. Elbe (GPSSD).

EUSTORY was started in order to provide students with an opportunity to reflect on the events of World War 1, to work together, and to foster cross-cultural understanding. This year’s theme is: “Peace in War Time, Peace in World War 1.” This initiative is representative of the creative potential in students, and broadens young people’s perspectives, giving them the tools and skills required to become productive citizens of the world.

The short film will premiere this coming spring at an event at SDFAS.
For more information, please visit http://www.eustory.fr or http://www.gpssd.org

Images: German Pacific School San Diego – GPSSD

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Summertime – Time for German Summer Camps in California

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Summer has officially started and all the school children in CA have most likely started their summer vacation by now. Have you checked out our list of German Language Summer Camps yet? Some camps might still have an open space for your child!

There are overnight camps and day camps, and camps right along the Bay in Newport and some at a serene lake. Most of them offer a variety of activities, of which some are more STEM related and others are more arts heavy. But we just got word of a cool camp in Santa Rosa, that focuses on nature explorations and Innerweaving!! We had to let you know…

Have you heard of Innerweaving before? It’s a method of experiential and emotional hands-on techniques that spark imagination and support personal development and conscious living.  It’s a technique created by Silvia Schroeder, who is also leading this unique camp for children. The camp offers a combination of indoor/outdoor creative fun. “Throughout the camp we will talk German and introduce language based on nature and craft activities.” Family members are invited to celebrate their children’s powerful Nature-Earthcraft accomplishments on the final day.

The Innerweaving German Summer Camp will take place from July 5th-6th for 7-11 year old kids, and a one-day camp is offered on July 7th for children 4-6 years old.

The camp is located in a small Redwood Park along a little creek at the Community Center/Women‘s Clubhouse, 16 Park Rd, Fairfax, CA 94930.

Check out our Camp Listings for more detailed information.

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Images: ©Innerweaving

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The 2017 German Language Summer Camp Guide for California

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Summer is approaching faster than we all would like to acknowledge it. And here we are, once again, trying to find the perfect camp and other summer activities that will save our kids from ‘extensive boredom syndrome’ during these hot summer days…

If you were planning on having your son or daughter attend a camp that will provide not only fun but will also stimulate their intellect – A foreign language immersion camp might just be the perfect pick!

In the following find a compilation of some German Language Camps up and down the coast of California. They all offer a great variety of fun activities along with German language immersion.

GERMAN LANGUAGE SUMMER CAMPS 2017

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STEM Summer Day Camp 2017 at GermanSchoolCampus in Newport Beach

Back by popular request is the STEM science camp in Newport Beach at the beautiful location at the Newport Seabase right along the waters of the Newport Bay. Children will enjoy a whole week of fun learning about “Feuer-Wasser-Erde-Luft” (Fire-Water-Earth-Air) while taking full advantage of the beautiful location and undertaking an excursion on a pontoon boat and trying out little motorboats. Fun is the top priority at the GermanSchoolCampus summer camp at the sea!

Classes are open to all children 6-17 years of age. Children can be pure beginners of the German language since all parts of the camp will be conducted bilingually and the German language is introduced throughout in a playful way.

Camp Dates : One week ONLY – Monday July 3 – Saturday July 8, 2017 from 8:30-4:30 (with no class on 4th of July)

No prior knowledge of the German language is necessary!

Contact: 949-285-0829 – Frau Schoeneich- School Director

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Camera, Lights, Action – Summer Camps for kids at GPSSD in San Diego

GPSSD San Diego offers four fun weeks of German language summer camps with themes like Zeitreisen (Time Travel), Camera, Lights, Action…, Trolls and Tournaments. The camps are open to all children 4-14 years of age.

Camp Dates: June 26 -July 21, 2017 from 9am-3pm (extended care possible)

Contact: (858) 461-9118 or germanpacificschool@gmail.com

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SUMMER IMMERSION CAMP 2017 at GISSV MOUNTAIN VIEW (NorCal)

German language classes + art, music, science, sports, cooking and more!

The GISSV Saturday School is excited to once again offer a German Immersion Summer Camp. Our combination of morning language classes and engaging afternoon activities offers a unique opportunity for kids to learn and play in German!

The German Immersion Summer Camp is for children ages 6-16. Prior knowledge of German is not required. Langauge classes are offered each day of camp from 9am-noon. Afternoons are packed with interesting, fun and physical activities ranging from art to soccer to science, cooking, yoga and music. Responding to popular request, we will also offer a KinderCamp for ages 4-5. KinderCamp will follow its own curriculum in our Kindergarten classrooms. Prior knowledge of German is not required.

Camp Dates: June 19 – July 14, 2017 , from 9am-4pm (Extended care is available for a maximum day from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm)

Contact: office@gissv.org or (650) 254-0748

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“Stein, Schere, Papier” – German Summer Camp 2017 at Bay Area Kinderstube in Berkeley (NorCal)

Bay Area Kinderstube offers four weeks of a full-immersion German summer camp at Berkwood Hedge campus, 1809 Bancroft Way, Berkeley (one block west of Berkeley High). Beautiful Berkwood Hedge campus in Berkeley has spacious classrooms and a great outdoor space. The camp is for children ages 3-13.

The curriculum is hands-on and includes singing, playing, acting, history, music, cooking, arts and crafts, field trips and many outdoor activities. Each age group is led by a native German teacher with experience in instructing various levels. The teachers will be supported by assistants, many of whom are former campers themselves. Because our camp is full immersion, it is best-suited for children with at least basic understanding skills in German. Counselor-in-Training program for 8th grade and up.

Camp Dates: July 17–August 11, Mon-Fri 9am-3pm (Extended care available form 3pm-6pm)

Contact: Heike Feltes at sommerschule@kinderstube.org or at (510)525-1310

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Nature, Creativity, Language – Summer Camp at WAnderKindSchool in Glendale 

Two amazing summer camps are scheduled for this summer. In June we will do two weeks of FORREST SCHOOL CAMP packed with outdoor fun and adventure. In July you can sign up for GERMAN LANGUAGE IMMERSION CAMP to playfully learn and improve a second language. Preschoolers join us in the mornings and Elementary Student (up to age 9) come in the afternoon.

Camp Dates:  June 19-23 & 26-30 “Forrest School Camp”,  and July 10-14 & July 17-21 “German Langauge Immersion Camp” (extended care is available upon request) Different Times for Preschoolers & elementary students.

Contact: wanderkindschool@gmail.com or 415-812-6675

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Summer Camp with GASA (SOCAL)

GASA will host their yearly overnight camp at the
beautiful Irvine Ranch Outdoor Education Center.
Swimming, hiking, zip-lining. A 136 ft. water slide, ‘smores by
the campfire, singing and dancing as well as fishing, baking, sports,
games and crafts, plus a special visit to a nearby zoo will be part of the fun! All activities will be conducted in German.

Camp Dates: June 25 – June 30, 2017

Contact: 562-693-0223 or office@gasaschool.org

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Summer Camp at GASPA (NorCal)

GASPA will offer a 4-week German summer camp for children at the location of Alto International School Campus (formerly GAIS) at 475 Pope Street, Menlo Park 94025. The camp is open to all children from ages 3-12 & 12-14. There is no prior German language knowledge required.

Camp Dates: June 19th – July14th 2017  from 9am-2pm (extended care is available) No Camp on Tuesday, July 4th

Contact: 650.520.3646 or contact@gaspa-ca.org

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Image: Courtesy of GermanSchoolCampus.com

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SOCAL German Day 2017 at UCI

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Yesterday on Tuesday, February 7 the UCI Department of European Languages and Studies invited to its SOCAL German Day 2017.  A day that started out with German weather in fact. But despite initial rain showers students and teachers came out in big numbers to learn what UCI’s German Studies Program had to offer.

German School campus students and the school’s founder Frau Ursula Schoeneich attended as well and joined in the three hours filled program whichUCI -German consul was put together by Glenn Levine, Professor of German and German Language Program Director at UCI. Before the crowd of students spread out to find their respective session, School of Humanities Dean Georges van den Abbeele as well as the German Deputy Consul General Kathrin Steinbrenner welcomed teachers and students to the event.

A variety of interesting and fun classes were offered including sessions led by Peter Zykowski of the Goethe Institute San Francisco, a workshop with Hanni Geist from the DAAD, and daad-workshop-with-hanni-geista class with Vera Dindoyal from the ZfA-Zentralstelle für das Auslandsschulwesen of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Students of German School campus won the German Trivia Quiz 1 with 20 to 11 against other High School students. They joined classes of “Getting a Degree in Germany”, “Step into German with Soccer and Music”, and a “German Theater workshop”.

At the end of the event everyone could enjoy a UCI Campus Tour led by UCI’s German Studies students in German or English. By that time California sun had come out again as well and begged for a visit at the university’s ‘Mensa’ (food court). Frau Schoeneich and her German School campus students took that moment to discuss the day’s exciting moments while going through their gift bags filled with information and enjoying California fare.

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Text/Images: German School campus & CaliforniaGermans

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New Language Immersion School in Glendale to Open Fall 2017

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In fall 2017 a new language immersion school is planning to open its doors in the Los Angeles area. 

International Studies Language Academy (www.islaca.org), a new charter school in Glendale, will have an:

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (K-5) that will offer immersion (90/10 model) in French, German, Italian and Spanish. All grades K-5 will be open to all students, regardless of language skills – no prior knowledge of the target language is required.
The MIDDLE SCHOOL will have two tracks. A Continued Immersion track will be open to students already fluent in their target language (25/75 model). An Acquisition track will be open to students with no prior knowledge of the target language (25/75 model), giving them an opportunity to become fluent in their target language by high-school.

The program of the school is designed according to the International Baccalaureate framework and is furthermore supported by the school’s affiliation with the International Studies Charter School in Miami, which is ranked #1 among charter schools in Florida.

The State has already approved the new immersion school to have its location in Glendale. The actual school building will be in Southern Glendale and is still in the process of being negotiated. The school model, similar to Benjamin Franklin Magnet School in Glendale, will also offer 6-8 grades, so that the students can continue their immersion education in German (and other languages) throughout middle school. In 2018, the board is planning to file a petition for a Language Immersion High School as well.

If you are interested in the school and would like to find out more, please visit the future school’s website at www.islaca.org . Questions can also be sent to info@isla.ca.org . 

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Image Credit: ISLA

 

 

 

Good-Bye Summer – Hello School

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school busGood-Bye Summer – Hello School

While some schools and students are just getting ready for another school year many school districts in California have decided to let the school year start early and are in fact already in full swing…

Gone are the days when, almost as a rule, school would start right after Labor Day.  This is the case also with some German Schools in California whose first day of instruction is around the corner!

GERMAN-SCHOOL-campus-Sea base

GermanSchoolCampus

GermanSchoolCampus in Newport Beach is ready for another excellent year

“A wonderful new German School year of 2016/2017 is ahead of us”, says GermanSchoolCampus founder Ursual Schoeneich excitedly as she shares her plans for the upcoming year. Her school which is located right at the beautiful Newport Sea Base, offers classes for beginners and advanced German learners.

And… you will not just learn German but you will walk away with a diploma for every level, since you are actually working towards an official German exam that is accepted by the Common European Framework of Reference for Language (CEFRL).

Each level of German studies therefore will end with achieving the corresponding German Exam A1, A2, B1 through B2/C1 of the CEFRL and also AATG Level 1to 4.

All classes are open to native and non-native speakers from 7 years to 18 years old or as long as they are enrolled in High School. The school offers also preparation classes for AP German, an Advanced Placement course which is offered by some High Schools in the area.

Classes for Beginners and Advanced German learners start on Monday, August 29, 2016 closely followed by the Intermediate German class which starts Thursday September 1st in the afternoon hours.

All GermanSchoolCampus teachers are on task as they visit conferences during the year and keep going with their continuing education. All classes are taught primarily in German except for giving certain instructions or assistance.

Keeping Traditions Alive

Celebrate with GermanSchoolCampus the many traditional festivities throughout the year, and learn about German culture through its traditions. The school holds a St. Martin Lantern Parade in November and in December you can participate in the Gingerbread House Decoration contest followed by a Christmas Party. In February you can learn about German Fasching by attending the Carnival Party and in April be part of the Easter Egg Hunt at the Easter Party.

To find out more about GermanSchoolCampus please visit their website, http://GermanSchoolCampus.com or if you would like to enroll in some German classes you can go straight ahead at http://germanschoolcampus.com/enrollment/

 

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Image: Pixabay.com , GermanSchoolCampus

 

 

Fun Open House Event at the German School Campus this Saturday

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Newport Sea BaseOPEN HOUSE at the Newport Sea Base and German School Campus

Enjoy a nautical Saturday with a little German mixed in at the Newport Bay. The Newport Sea Base and the German School Campus, which is located at the Sea Base, have a fun day planned ahead.

Bring your friends and family and discover the exciting possibilities for girls and boys on the waterfront, and find out more about the German School Summer Camp as well as registration for the upcoming school year 2016/17.

Free Events and Activities are the following:

Sailboat & Pontoon Boat Rides
“Coastie” the Talking Tugboat
Sea Scout and NSB Sailing Team
Vessel Tours
Face Painting
Origami Boat Making
Huck Finn Fishing
Row Boats
Kayaking
Lunch provided courtesy of the Balboa Bay Club
Andy Fitzpatrick Regatta

Location: Newport Sea Base
1931 West Coast Highway
Newport Beach CA
Date: April 30, 2016
Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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