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German Schools in California

Scholarships for One Year of German Language Instruction

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The German American School Association (GASA) is pleased to announce that again this year, the Los Angeles Turners, Inc. Scholarship Fund is awarding two Scholarships, based on merit and financial need, for the 2020 – 2021 school year.

This scholarship program is designed to assist children at least 6 years or older in their endeavor to learn German at one of GASA’s Saturday Schools.

The deadline for submitting completed APPLICATIONS is August 31, 2020. Incomplete or falsified information will invalidate the application.

The chosen recipient(s) will be notified by September 8, 2020.

All details can be found on the form, please read carefully.
Scholarship Application

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Image: Pixabay.com

German Language Instruction for the Youngest Learners

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Research shows, that the earlier you start with introducing a second or third language to your child, the easier it will be for her or him to learn it.

Especially if those languages are spoken at home as well, your child will just grow up using these languages instinctively and will automatically pick up the vocabulary and intonation of each one.

From what I have experienced, this effort of raising children with more than one language, is even more successful if the child can connect one parent to one particular language. It will make it so much easier for the child to switch back and forth between languages since there is also a visual distinction.

But even if your child grows up in a mono-lingual household, you now have so many options to introduce your youngsters to a wealth of languages and give them, too, the gift of understanding other cultures early on.

For many of us German expats it is a given that we want our children to be able to speak our native German. We want them to be able to communicate with family and friends still living overseas. But sometimes it’s hard if all the pressure of passing on this cultural heritage just rests on you!

California is fortunate enough to have many German language schools among its wealth of  language schools all together. Many of them offer classes already for three-year olds. And a few even offer Mommy-and-Me classes that one can attend as soon as the baby is born!

In the following find a few examples of schools, that offer these early language courses; but please feel free to browse our list of various schools under our “Resources” tab.

Learning German for the Youngest all around California

Tivoli Rainbow Garden Preschool is offering “Mama und Ich” classes starting this September 2017. The classes are instructed by Ilka Sternberger, Director at Tivoli, who is also a certified as a Lactation Specialist UCLA, and Postpartum Doula DONA .

These classes offer parenting information and support, meditation for the Mamas, German children songs and verses, movement and seasonal finger games. Sessions will start on Wednesday, September 20, 2017. All classes are held at: Tivoli Rainbow Garden Preschool in Mar Vista (3170 Stoner Ave., LA, CA 90066).  Two classes are offered weekly. The 3-4pm baby class is for newborns to age 15 months and the 4:15-5:15pm Toddler class is for age 16 months to 2 plus years.

If you are interested in joining our next session please rsvp to ilkayan@aol.com.

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WanderKind School in Glendale offers a bilingual nature immersion program preschool program for 2-5 year olds and an after school program for 4-7 year olds. Whether children are enrolled full time or part time they will always experience friendship, joy, free play and creative expression. Two mornings and two afternoons a week are spent at Brand Park immersed in a forrest school curriculum. While outdoors teachers guide the children utilizing English and German. The rest of the time we learn, get messy and play in the indoor/outdoor classrooms of the school and focus on German language immersion.

Contact Dr. Franziska Reff at 415-812-6675 or wanderkindschool@gmail.com .

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GermanSchool campus in Newport Beach just started with a “Vorschul-Klasse” for children ages 4-6years. This particular class will playfully engage the children with the concepts of the German language through music, songs, rhythm and dance. Children will learn numbers, the days of the week, the calendar, seasons and much more through fun songs and plays. As it is tradition at the school, also the youngest members will learn how to introduce themselves and will be able to hold up a small and simple conversation by the end of the year.

GermanSchool campus offers a variety of German language classes for children, 4-17 years old, focusing on guiding the older students through the various  exams available. From Deutsches Sprachdiplom to AATG testings for high schoolers.

Contact GermanSchool campus at (949) 285 0829 or email at principal@GERMANSCHOOLcampus.com

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German Pacific School of San Diego offers classes for students ages 3 to 18 at its four different locations in San Diego County: Poway, Clairemont, Carmel Valley and La Jolla. For this school year 2017 /18, registration has already closed. But if you are still looking for German classes for your child(ren). There are just a few spots at each location left. Most classes are full.

Contact Wiebke Elbe (germanpacificschool @gmail.com) to inquire about availability or to get on the waiting list.

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GASA – The German-American School Association of Southern California, Inc. offers classes for children ages 3 to 5 years at its Kinderland School and has Parent & Me classes for children 1-3 years old that are currently offered only in Anaheim Hills.

Founded in 1954, GASA maintains several schools in the Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego area.  The various schools offer classroom-based German language programs to children ages 4 – 17 years in its Saturday Schools.

Contact the school at office@gasaschool.org or at (562) 693-0223.

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German Language School of Marin (NorCal) has a Kindergarten class that accepts children starting as young as 3-years-old at the Santa Rosa campus and as young as 4-years-old at the Novato campus.

In Kindergarten, children approach the German language in a playful, hands-on way. Through simple poems, circle games, songs and rhymes, story books, and art projects, the children intuitively learn basic vocabulary and grammar. Lessons revolve around themes like family, animals, colors, food, clothing, body, nature, months, weekdays, seasons, and holidays. To support learning on Saturdays, basic homework for our Kindergarteners include poems and songs that they can practice and memorize throughout the week.

Contact the school at (415) 897.9771 or email: info@germanschoolmarin.com

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GASPA – German American School of Palo Alto offers a Parent & Me class  for children ages 0-3, for the first time this year. The “Froggy Group” is for parents and their children. Come to play and sing with your child in German!  Classes start September 16th, from 9am-10:15am.

Since 1965 GASPA has been offering the ever popular Saturday morning program for students ages 2.5 to 18. Students 2.5 years or older must be accompanied by a parent in class until age 3. Saturday classes are already in session since September 9th, 2017. All classes are at the Campus of Alto International School , 475 Pope Street, Menlo Park.

Contact the school at (650) 520-3646 or email: contact@gaspa-ca.org

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Kleine Schule Oakland in the Bay area offers parent-toddler classes for kids from 18 months up to 5 years. They take place once a week for 1 1/2 hours.  The school welcomes to a space where you can have a lot of fun while learning the German language. You may not even realize how much you are learning because you’ll be so busy playing, singing, reading, crafting, experimenting, baking and making friends. Nature plays an important role; sometimes we even take the class outside and meet up in the nearby forest.  The school also runs a daycare program fromMonday to Friday 9am-3pm.

Contact Runa for more information at kleineschuleoakland@gmail.com

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Let us know if you heard of other German programs for the Youngest German Language learners and send us an email at californiagermans(AT)gmail.com

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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

 

 

 

GermanSchoolCampus Opens Up In Newport Beach

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GERMAN-SCHOOL-campus-Sea base

Grand Opening at Newport Sea Base This Saturday

A new school bringing German language courses to Orange County will open its doors in Newport Beach this weekend. German parents whose children have some German language skills already can rejoice since the new school will offer preparation towards the various German Language Exams as well as the respective exams themselves; some of which might be needed for entering German university. But also everyone else, who is interested in picking up German from the very start will find his/her match with classes offered for every level.

GermanSchoolCampus’ classes will be held Monday afternoons and Thursday afternoons in the beautiful classrooms of the Newport Sea Base that overlook the Newport Bay. Saturday mornings the school plans on offering science field trips and during spring and summer break there will be day camps with focus on education about German language and culture.

German School Newport Base

Please join the Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony this Saturday, September 19th from 9am- 3pm.

GermanSchoolCampus Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting

Saturday – September 19th – 2015

Campus Location @ NEWPORT SEA BASE
1931 W. Coast Highway – Newport Beach, CA 92663

9:00 am
– 11:00 am

open house ( Info curriculum , classes)
11:00 am
– 11:30 am

Special Guest speaker: Congressman Dana Rohrabacher
11:30 am
– 12:00 noon

Ribbon Cutting
1:00 pm
– 15:00 pm

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Images: GermanSchoolCampus

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Learning German for Kids in Southern California -NEWS

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German Immersion Outdoor Camp – July 26 to August 1, 2015

It’s that time of the year again to start thinking about summer camps. In three more months the children will be out of school and summer vacation will have started! If you plan on having your child expand on his or her German language skills, there is exciting news.

GASA (German American School Association of SoCal) offers its German Immersion Outdoor Camp again. This year the camp will take place at the Irvine Ranch Outdoor Education Center in Orange, Southern California and promises fun for everyone! Seven days and six nights full of adventure, with special activities like zip lining, swimming a 136ft. water slide and archery are on the itinerary. Activities will all be conducted in GERMAN and include fishing, sports, crafting, baking, nature hikes and more. This year children will also experience the thrills of a planetary walk.

WHAT:     German Immersion Outdoor Camp                                                      WHEN:    July 26-August 1, 2015                                                                                       WHERE:  Irvine Ranch Outdoor Education Center in Orange                         COST:       $650                                                                                                                  For children ages 7 to 16. For more info refer to http://www.germanschool4kids.org         .

NEW German Flag Program at Theodore Roosevelt Middle School, Glendale

Middle School students within the Glendale school district can now continue their studies of the German language beyond elementary school. With Franklin Magnet School of Glendale having offered a bilingual immersion program in German from Kindergarten on for the last few years, graduating six-graders can now move on with their studies in German by attending Theodore Roosevelt Middle School in Glendale.

Theodore Roosevelt Middle School in Glendale, CA is excited to welcome the GERMAN FLAG program to the school next year! The school is one of the oldest schools in Glendale and recently underwent an expansive modernization of the campus. The school has an extensive partnership with JPL/NASA and has been named the first NASA Explorer School in the Glendale school district in 2007. “With our new school bell schedule adding 7 periods to each child’s daily schedule, all students will be able to take an exciting elective in addition to their GERMAN Language Arts class!” says Mary Mason, the middle school’s principal. The students have progressed in the district’s GERMAN FLAG program since kindergarten, and can continue now into middle school here at Roosevelt.

For more information on the school and its program, please contact the school at (818) 242-6845 or mmason(at)gusd.net.

Brag Sheet Back

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Images: GASA & Thedodore Roosevelt Middle School, Gendale

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Mayfaire and Sommerfest – Celebrate with German Schools in SoCal and NoCal

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Tivoli Rainbow Garden Preschool
Summer and the end of the school year is near. This means outdoor celebrations, open houses, parties and more. What a fun way to find out about some German Schools that are out here in California! Attending an Open house is a great way to get a feel for an institution’s vibe.

If you are interested in a particular German school in California (many of them are listed under “Resources” on our website), call them up and see if they have an end of year celebration or other community event.

Here are some events coming up in SoCal and NoCal:

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Annual MAYFAIRE at Tivoli Rainbow Garden Preschool

Tivoli Rainbow Garden Preschool in Los Angeles holds its annual Mayfaire. Having moved to a new location over the past year, the school is inviting to its new location to join in on the fun.

Lots of entertainment, delicious food, fairies, a bazaar and for the fist time there will be a “Kasperle Theater” this year! Besides there will be performances by the Tivoli children, and musical entertainment will be provided by the very own Tivoli house band! The fun begins on May 31st, 2014, from 11am-2pm at 3170 Stoner Ave., Los Angeles, CA 9006

GAIS

SOMMERFEST and 25th BIRTHDAY of GAIS – the German-American International School

A school that is celebrating a major milestone this year is the German-American International School (GAIS) in Menlo Park up in Northern California. They are celebrating their 25th year this June! Happy Birthday!

If you want to join them for their Sommerfest and 25th Birthday Carnival, then mark the date: Saturday, June 14th, 2014, from 2pm-5pm.

A fun day awaits you with Magic Show, Clowns, Games, Surprises, good food and so much more. For more information please call GAIS at +1 650 324 8617 or visit http://www.gais.org.  The Sommerfest will be on the school grounds located at 275 Elliott Drive, Menlo Park CA 94025

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 Photos:
©Tivoli Rainbow Garden Preschool
©GAIS-German-American International school
 
 
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Get To Know German Schools in California

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Open House Events and Lantern Parades

Fall is a great time to check out new schools for the next year without pressure. Some German schools in California offer great opportunities for students and parents alike to tour their campus this fall. Taking advantage of traditional seasonal events that are open to the community, or attending an Open House gives you a good idea what a particular school community is like, and let’s you connect to teachers as well as the school’s community at large. You can form a first hand opinion of whether this school is right for you, and can be ahead of the race once the application process starts in January and February .

Some such upcoming events are listed below:

GISSV – German International School of Silicon Valley 

Starting this October, GISSV has several Open House Events scheduled during the 2013/14 school year. Find the one right for you. The school has three different campuses, Mountain View, Berkeley and San Francisco.

Mountain View Campus:

  • Saturday, November 16, 2013 (11am – 1pm)

Berkeley Campus:

  • Saturday, November 2, 2013 (11am – 1pm)
  • Saturday, January 25, 2014 (11am – 1pm)

San Francisco Campus:

  • Saturday, October 26, 2013 (11am – 1pm)
  • Saturday, December 7, 2013 (11am – 1pm)

Furthermore, mark your calendar for December 14th . GISSV has a special treat in store for you. The school organizes a traditional Christmas Market from 11.00am to 9.00pm right on Townhall Square in Mountain View with 10-30 stands for the typical Christkindl-Market Flair.

Albert Einstein Academies in San Diego

Lantern Festival, Saturday November 2nd from 3pm-7pm at AEA

AEA’s 12th Annual Lantern Festival is almost here! Is has become a wonderful tradition for the whole family to enjoy. Join AEA in celebrating a 100-year-old German tradition with food, games, fun activity booths, a vendor market, and entertainment, ending with a traditional lantern walk around the neighborhood.

An even bigger and better festival is planned for this year with more activities for the Middle School students. Great entertainment from the German Cultural Committee, traditional food, the carnival, Martins market, inflatable jumpers, and of coarse our traditional lantern walk. We will be adding special activities for the older kids that include a photo booth and a fabulous video game truck, so that all ages can participate and enjoy this great AEA tradition.

Kinderstube/ BAKS  in Berkeley

Kinderstube has a Lantern Parade on November 9 at 4.00 pm

Come and celebrate the German tradition of St. Martin’s Day with Kinderstube:
See a performance by our children, join us in singing songs and during our annual lantern parade. You can bring your own lantern or buy one from us!
Our preschool fundraiser includes the sale of Glühwein (mulled wine), hot chocolate, grilled sausages, Weckmänner (a German sweet bread), soft pretzels, and German children’s books.   Lanternenfest – Saturday, November 9 at 4pm

GAIS – German American International School in Menlo Park

The German-American International School in Menlo Park has a few dates to offer to get to know their school as well as student body including a St. Martin’s Laternenfest on November 8th!

  • St. Martin Lantern Parade – November 8, 2013                                     On Friday, November 8, 2013 at 6:00 p.m., the traditional lantern parade celebrating the legend of St. Martin will take place at GAIS. Martinstag is all about giving to others and shedding light in the darkness. The event begins with a “Shadow Play” and the lighting of the lanterns, followed by a walk around the neighborhood.
  • Monday, November 11, 8:30am – 3:00pm: Open Classroom Day        On this day, our classrooms are open for the public and anyone interested in our school. Join us for this day and get a glimpse of the daily life, the academic programs, the curriculum and much more at the German-American International School.
  • Monday, November 11, 7:00pm – 9:00pm: Information Evening & Parenting Workshop                                        There will be an Information Evening including a Parenting Workshop conducted by external presenters for prospective parents and families taking place in our library. 
  • Saturday, December 7, 2:00pm – 5:30pm: Holiday Winter Fest 2013                                                                                    Our annual and traditional Holiday Winterfest takes place on Saturday, December 7, 2013, from 2:00pm – 5:30pm on our campus. The Winterfest will feature shops, café, baked goodies, food, hand-made arts and crafts, a visit from Santa, a raffle and much more…  In addition there will be again wonderful musical performances led by our Music Teacher. Join us for this wonderful event!
  • Wednesday, January 8, 7:00pm – 9:00pm: Information Evening & Parenting Workshop                                         There will be an Information Evening including a Parenting Workshop conducted by external presenters for prospective parents and families taking place in our library.
  • Thursday, March 8, 7:00pm – 9:00pm: Information Evening & Parenting WorkshopThere will be an Information Evening including a Parenting Workshop conducted by external presenters for prospective parents and families taking place in our library.

Tivoli Rainbow Garden Preschool in Los Angeles

The Open House event with two different tours is schedule for October 30.

There will be two tours offered that day: 3:30-4:40pm and 4:30-5:30pm. Should you be interested in attending, please send an email to TivoliRainbowGarden@gmail.com so the school can plan accordingly. The German preschool has room for 13 children yearly within the age group of 2.5-5 and offers half day and full day programs. For more info please visit the website.

Die Rasselbande Preschool in San Diego

Holiday Bazaar – Lantern Walk on November 8th                                                            The school offers general Tours of the campus anytime even Saturdays, which can be scheduled at any time through the school office.

Kinderhaus Preschool in San Francisco

KinderHaus International Preschool in the Mission District of San Francisco hosts a Lantern Fest in San Francisco on November 15th. Please join families of the school at 5pm to go for a traditional lantern walk starting in Dolores Park and ending at the KinderHaus. There will be hot cider, wine & beer as well as a potluck with ‘Brezeln’ and sausages right after the walk. Suggested donation per family is $10. Handmade lanterns will be for sale in case you don’t have your own. For more information visit the website.

Magnet School Benjamin Franklin in Glendale

The school offers language immersion in German, as well as 3 other european languages. You can tour the school anytime with an appointment. Please go to the schools web page Franklinmagnetschool.com and find the link to sign up for a tour, or contact Ana Jones: Ajones@gusd.net  (818) 243-1809. To stay informed about their various community events please sign up for the weekly news-blast.

Ute’s Kinderschule in Irvine

Join children and their parents for a lantern parade on November 11th at 6pm in Irvine. For more information and RSVP please email: UtesKinderschule@gmail.com

Laternenfest

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German Schools in California – Plan Ahead for School Year 2013/14

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German Schools in CALifornia – Send in your Application 

As the new year kicks off many schools are starting their application processes or are already in the midst of it. Language Immersion Schools are very sought after these days and its advisable to send in your application as soon as possible, or at least get your name on the waiting list.  If you have in mind for your child to attend a German language immersion school make sure you find out if there is a separate application procedure for native speakers.

At some immersion schools native speakers might have a slight advantage and a better chance to get a space since the school needs to have a certain percentage of  native speakers to offer a well-functioning language immersion program.

Apart from January’s application season many schools host also open houses for parents and students to check out their program and to see if it’s the right choice for them.

A Language Magnet School in Glendale

It’s nice to see that some parent groups are really active out there and engaged to keep German language programs going. One of these schools that can call itself lucky to have such an engaged parent volunteer body is the Franklin Magnet School in Glendale.

Franklin Magnet School – The International Foreign Language Academy of25 Glendale is offering several language immersion programs, German is one of them. Before the holidays the school had the honor of  German Deputy Consul General Stefan Biedermann visiting the students and presenting them with a check of nearly $6000 to support the German language program.

Anyone who is interested in applying to Franklin Magnet School’s immersion program is advised to send in applications immediately. The cut off date is January 25 at 4:30pm.

IF YOUR CHILD SPEAKS GERMAN, SCHEDULE A TIME FOR THE EXAM! WHERE: GUSD Magnet Office at 223 N. Jackson St., Glendale, CA 91206, PH:(818) 241-3111 ext 649.

For more information on the school and the application process see the following links:
Main GUSD Magnet Page: gusdelementarymagnet.org
Direct link to the application page: gusdmagnetandflag.com
Applications MUST be RECEIVED by the Glendale Unified School District (GUSD)  by January 25 at 4:30 p.m. !

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California’s Southland

Orange County International Academy  (OCI Academy) in Ladera Ranch has been introduced in our previous article on German Schools in CA. The school opened its doors not too long ago, and because of the high demand in its various immersion programs established a popular German immersion program in South County for grades Pre-K to K.

On January 7th  and 12th, 2013 from 10pm-1pm  OCI Academy’s Open House invites parents and students to check out the school and its academic program. Parents can meet the teachers, find out more about the curriculum and tour the school.  For questions please call the school at (949)-545-7487

The Albert Einstein Academies in San Diego had announced that the lottery process for applying to their school’s K – 8 grade has already started. The application deadline for K-5 is Feb 28, 2013 but for grades 6-8 it is already Jan 31, 2013. More information about the application procedure can be found at www.aeacs.org . Middle school has its new separate website at http://aeacms.org

Northern California Schools

GISSV – German International School of Silicon Valley offering a bilingual education from Preschool to University opened up a new campus in November 2012. The historic Hillside School of Berkeley became the school’s 3rd campus in the San Francisco Area. GISSV, which is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges” (WASC), offers the German International Abitur (DIAP), and the CA High School Diploma, which qualifies students for acceptance into European and American universities.

noname“The GISSV Berkeley campus, currently housing a mixed-age Kindergarten and grades 1 through 5, to be extended through grade 8 over time, is honored to make its permanent East Bay home in Berkeley.” The Grand Opening  Ceremonies were quite impressive with theGISSV Orchestra, performing “Music for the Royal Fireworks” by George Frideric Handel.

The Following Open House Dates for GISSV are offered:
Berkeley Campus, Preschool and Grades K-6
Upcoming Open House:
January 12, 2013 – 11am to 1pm
San Francisco Campus, Grades K-3
Group School Tours:
Every Tuesday from 9:30am to 10:30am during our enrollment season. Please contact admissions@gissv.org to register (registration required).
Upcoming tour dates for 2012/2013:
January 8 / January 15
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The German American International Schools (GAIS), another German immersion School in Silicon Valley which offers preschool through 8th grade,  has an information night on all sections of the school on January 8th at 8pm . The deadline to apply to the German American International School is already on Jan 14, 2013 (for new students only). To read their latest news, check out their online magazine .   

 
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It’s Time for School – German Preschools in California

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As my older son is preparing to going back to university and all of us are getting ready for our last trip this summer to drop him off in northern California, I realize another summer has come to an end!   It’s ‘Back to School‘ for so many children in California! While my eight year old still has a few weeks left to enjoy the beaches before his new school year starts, many California school districts are starting their new school year already this week.

For many students a new year just means moving up to a higher grade, but for some of the youngest ones it means starting a completely new stage of life as they prepare for their first day of elementary school!

This made us take a look at some of the German preschools & Kindergarten available in California.

Last year we had introduced BAKS, the Bay Area Kinderstube with an interview of its director Sybille Cohen. It is a full immersion German language preschool that started out as a parent initiative in 1994 and became a private preschool in 1997. BAKS is a very charming pre-school in a quiet neighborhood in Albany right next to Berkeley. It is the perfect place to send your little ones to slowly ease them into a new way of life – the life of a student. The school feels like a home away from home with an inviting playground and yard where the children grow plants and have a lot of space to run around. At BAKS children enjoy a lot of different activities while ‘living the German language’ through reading, singing, doing arts, nature explorations and also cooking and baking together with the teachers. Since last year the children are even offered martial art lessons and yoga. BAKS is for children 2.5  to 5 years old. Many children who have started at BAKS continue their German school education at the Berkeley campus of the GISSV (German International Schools of Silicon Valley).

BAKS has grown very popular over the last few years and it is advisable to put your name on the waiting list early on.

Across the Bay one can find three German immersion pre-schools

One is KinderHaus right in San Francisco. Similar to BAKS it is a smaller preschool but is run as a parent co-op. KinderHaus, a German international preschool, started out in 2005 and is located in the heart of the Mission District. The school follows the Piaget’s approach to childhood eduction. “This developmentally appropriate program is based on children’s intellectual, social, and physical needs and designed to encourage child-initiated learning activities within a supportive environment.” (Kinderhaus) . To learn more about KinderHaus visit them at their next Open House on Saturday October 15th from 10:00am – 12:00pm.

The other two preschools are part of the two international schools, which are both located in Silicon Valley. One in Mountain View , the other in Menlo Park.

The German International School of Silicon Valley (GISSV) has campuses in 3 different locations. Bilingual preschool programs are offered at both, the Mountain View and the Berkeley campuses, but only the main campus in Mountain View features the programs preschool through High School (GISSV is the only school offering a High School Diploma as well as the German Abitur on the West Coast). “The language concept of the GISSV Kindergarten and Preschool is based on the Principle of the Dual Immersion Method… [This ] offers the children an effortless, natural language acquisition in both languages.” (GISSV website)

The German American International School in Menlo Park offers a preschool and the grades 1 through 8. While GISSV’s focus lays on a dual immersion program, GAIS concentrates on a German language immersion program . The school is a certified IB (International Baccalaureate)  school offering the “Primary Years IB programme” from preschool on. “The content of our academic curriculum from preschool trough grade 8 compares to the California, German, and Swiss standards.” (GAIS website)

Preschools in Los Angeles County 

Going south we find two preschools with German language immersion programs.  Tivoli Rainbow Garden Preschool is a small quaint preschool with a very central location in L.A. The school has a daily program for up to 12 children in a mixed age group from 2 1/2 years old to Kindergarten age. Kigala Preschool in Santa Monica on the other hand is a much bigger preschool in comparison offering children not only German language immersion but also Spanish immersion programs. Parents can enroll their potty trained toddlers in morning, afternoon, and also full day sessions.

German Preschools beyond Los Angeles

As we move more south along the coast it seems German schools have become more scarce. Orange County for example has no dedicated German language immersion preschools or elementary schools despite a quite extensive local German community. The closest one with some German infused education is Anneliese School with its three campuses in Laguna Beach. Here children are exposed to a variety of languages from preschool on and receive formalized instruction in both, German and Spanish, from Kindergarten through sixth grade.

A fairly new school in Orange County that we just have learned about is OCI Academy (Orange County International Academy) in Ladera Ranch, which offers language immersion programs for children ages 2-9 in six different languages including German.

San Diego as our last destination on our search for German preschools has one full German language immersion preschool called Die Rasselbande. Founded in 2003 with only 12 children the school has grown into serving over 80 students to date. There are five preschool classes grouped by age and one mixed age class to choose from. The school follows a play-based program that nurtures the whole child. The language during school operation (9am-2pm) is exclusively German. Many children who went through the program of ‘Die Rasselbande’ continue their German school education at the Albert Einstein Academies, a German immersion elementary school (K-8) that CaliforniaGermans had portrayed in July.

‘Schultüten’ – Following a German tradition

A Geman tradition is to celebrate your child’s first day of elementary school with a ‘Schultüte’ . This day marks the transition from playful preschool days into the structured life of elementary school education and beyond.

CaliforniaGermans wants to celebrate this special day with you and teamed up with KinderCone, the first company to introduce this German tradition to America through a line of custom designed Schultüten called KinderCones.

Check out CaliforniaGermans Facebook page to find out how you can win one of three KinderCone First Grade Editions sponsored by KinderCone.

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Albert Einstein Academies – A German-English Immersion Charter School in San Diego

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The first school in our series on ‘German Schools in California’ is in San Diego. It is the Albert Einstein Academies, located in Southpark near Balboa Park with its many museums. 

From the outside looking like one of many other public schools there is nothing that suggests that this building hosts quite a different version of an American public school until one enters the school’s premises, and suddenly is greeted by murals depicting German “Fachwerkhäuser” and a “Brezen Bäckerei”.

Albert Einstein Academies, a Public Charter School, is one of only three schools in California that offer a K through 8 International Baccalaureate (IB) continuum, but the only one that offers a German-English immersion within this IB program . Since 2008 Albert Einstein Academies is also an official German Partner School (PASCH).

All the fabulous education this school has to offer is free!

Having started out in 2002 with only 24 students and in rented rooms of a church, the school has grown into over 800 students and is slowly growing out of its present school site. Initially just an elementary school, Albert Einstein Academies now offers also a middle school and is working on expanding into a High School as well.

The school has become very sought after in San Diego for its high academic standards, and since there is no school tuition for public schools, it makes the school evermore attractive! So if you live in the San Diego Unified school district, consider yourself lucky since you at least can apply to this popular school via an official lottery.

Birgit Schafer, elementary language coordinator at Albert Einstein Academies, is one of the school’s true veterans. She has witnessed the school’s growth since the very beginning. Her son was one of the first students to start first grade with only 24 other registered students at the newly opened school.  “We have just grown exponentially over the past years, and our success shows that we are on the right track. With our 9 out of 10 Academic Performance Index (API) we are among the top ten schools in the district wide ranking!”  says Mrs. Schafer. Applying to the school has become highly competitive and the waiting list is long. “We have about 300 children every year who we have to put on a waiting list” points out Mrs. Schafer. An official public lottery decides on the final admissions.

Priority is given to German-speaking students, but the selection process stays competitive also for them.

In order to guarantee the dual immersion program with the German language, the school is officially allowed to fill 25% of their over all applications from a pool of German-speaking applicants. You might therefore have a slight admission’s advantage if your child speaks German. But since applications by German speakers have equally increased over the years, a lottery makes the final decision also here. To be admitted into the pool of German speakers, students have to pass a special test that will determine German language fluency.  “This testing is difficult particularly for the younger children who are often shy”, so Mrs. Schafer, “but for an immersion school like ours, it is important to have fluent and native speakers in all classes. They are speech models in the immersion classes.” She further points out that, since the children not only learn speaking German through classroom instruction, but also from interaction with each other, it is critical to have a certain amount of German-speaking children in a class.

Walking through the school and visiting some classrooms I am in fact impressed by how much the German language is present in every classroom. This is particularly visible in the elementary classes K-5 where the dual immersion program guarantees that  “50 percent of the total instruction time including core subject instruction is taught exclusively in the German language” (ABE website). The instruction alternates between German and English on a weekly basis and is continuous.

Options for students planning to enter Albert Einstein Academies  at a higher grade level but speak little to no German.

The school has incorporated a “Foreign Language Pathway” class that academically goes along with the three regular German immersion classes in a particular grade level. Available from third grade on the “Foreign Language Pathway” class makes it not only possible for non-German speakers to join the school at a later time, but it also gives current students of an immersion class the option to withdraw from the immersion part, but still stay at the school, and enjoy the benefits of the unique IB program and an international community.

While the IB program continues throughout Middle School the Dual Immersion does not. In Middle School (6-8 grade), the students actually can decide on which language they would like to concentrate on, and can pick between German or Spanish. At the moment 220 of the 300 middle school children chose to continue with German while 80 students went on to study Spanish. To further deepen language skills in either language the school has a foreign language exchange program in place with a Gymnasium (High School) in Germany and a High School in Mexico.

But that’s not all.

Apart from the extraordinary language immersion opportunity for children, Albert Einstein Academies offers a well-rounded curriculum along the guidelines of the IB program incorporating California State Academic Standards. In addition to that an extensive after school program encourages all students to get involved in many other learning opportunities. From German Drama & Choir to German Soccer, Spanish Club, Mad Science, martial arts, yoga and much more. Special  workshops sponsored by the “Friends of Albert Einstein’s German Cultural Commitee” offer additional cultural immersion into Easter, Christmas and other German traditions.

Last personal impressions…

All the classrooms I visit have a very inviting, friendly learning atmosphere.  I admire one page essays by first-graders on the topic “Frühling”, written in such perfect German that I start wondering if I accidentally got lost in a second grade class.  Many of the classrooms feature a piano and as I am glancing at one of the music sheets I recall my own elementary school years learning songs like “Brüderchen komm tanz mit mir…” Another class displays projects on ‘life cycles’ and a 3rd grade made a collage on the topic “Umweltverschmutzung” (pollution).

Albert Einstein Academies  – definitely a school worth checking out!

Albert Einstein Academies (AEA) in short:

  • Tuition-free public charter school with dual language immersion in German-English
  • Accredited IB World School offering the IB program from K through 8th grade
  • Official German Partner School (PASCH) since 2008. The title is awarded by the German federal department of schools abroad a  PASH Model School
  • Admission to the school is by official public lottery
  • Students wear school uniform
  • AEA prepares for the German language diploma level A2 in 5th grade & level B1 in 8th grade
  • School features foreign exchange programs with Germany & Mexico in Middle School
  • Extensive German & English library on the school premises
  • Great catalog of after school activities offered 
  • Special German tutoring in place by German intern teachers
  • Special cultural enrichment assured through private foundation “Friends of Albert Einstein”

For more information visit the school’s website, http://www.aeacs.org or contact the school at:

Albert Einstein Academies
3035 Ash St.
San Diego, Ca. 92102
Phone: 619-795-1190
 

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