But they have enough time for arts, music, theater, PE etc. The educational model is the same one used in Germany, with some adjustments for the USA. We also have some good friends who live near the school and are able to walk. - We commute to the German School from Berkeley, but there are GISSV/EBGIS families living in (Emeryville and) Oakland, Albany, El Cerrito, Richmond, and others who commute on I-80 and I-580. And yes, the Berkeley Campus welcomes each and every new addition to the school, even if it is during the school year. The teacher respects and enjoys my son's humor, but we are working to make sure it doesn't interrupt the class. There is no anonymity and the school community is welcoming and engaged. German International School of Silicon Valley - About The California School Directory contains information about California public schools, private schools (including nonpublic nonsectarian schools), . It's different, but in my opinion, a much, much better way to set a foundation for learning and actual thinking - it's not just numbers, shapes and letters shoved down their throats. My son's school day is basically the same with all his classes online and he is able to work independently and keep up with all of the 6th grade curriculum and the language (which is so important because we don't speak much German at home). The program is divided into Early childhood (Preschool& K), Elementary, and Middle School. A couple of children wear headphones with music, especially developed to help certain children concentrate. It has 10.0 students to every teacher. They are very happy and glad they chose the school because their child just thrives and gets a lot of attention! The new home in Emeryville is excellent - tons of space, both indoor and out for all kinds of classroom and extracurricular activities. There have been numerous all school volunteer opportunities, parent and child parties and just parents parties too. One thing I appreciate is that they have divided her class into small groups so that the kids who need to work more on their German can get small group help with that, and for the kids who are here from Germany and need more help with their English, they can get that. instructions in English eventhough the assignment might be in German). I, personally, would not know what to do without the other mothers and can only say that everybody who is interested will get a chance to make friends! Love the school and am grateful that this has been where our child has beenable to learn and grow since starting in Kindergarten. For my middle schooler, the daily class schedule hasnt changed since they went online. We also love the community of German and American parents. Yes, it is a private school but compared to other private schools their tuition fee is on the lower end. Finally, at breaks and during the afternoons (if your child stays for the afternoon club) the kids get to play with kids from other grades, so their friendships are not restricted to their class. The teachers are also amazing and always there to help. The kidsalso gets plenty of outdoor time to run around, get exercise and be kids. All in all the teachers have put so much into it and really done an amazing job. about Traveling in Times of Covid-19: Regulations & more, German International School of Silicon Valley, Traveling in Times of Covid-19: Regulations & more. Ralf who is the head of school would be more than happy to discuss with you how a program will be set up to keep you daughter intelectually stimulated while in kindergarten. We had always planned to send our children to the Bay Area Kinderstube (BAKS) in Albany, but as our daughter has been on the waiting list since I was pregnant with her, and at 3.5 years we've still not been granted admission, we've basically given up. Is there more of a focus on handwriting than on creative writing? (3) Really have no idea where this is coming from. The parents are very involved as it is a small start-up school. Our child spoke no German when he started kindergarten, and now he is close to fluent. It's obvious thatourson feels that he belongs and loves to go to schoolevery day. -GISSV parent, Our 5.5 year old just started at GISSV in Kensington. We cover reading and early arithmetic at home now but understand that these subjects are introduced formally at GISSV a bit later after the German model. About Us - AVH - Alexander Von Humboldt - German International School - Montreal. 310 Easy St . Two preschool classes have been missing teachers since the first month of the school year, and we are now told they may not arrive until Dec/Jan. Holidays/school closures: There are a few more than in other schools. The preschool director quit the first week of school and her replacement won't arrive until after Thanksgiving from Germany, and the lack of an experienced early childhood administrator has left significant issues that led to a painful, unsatisfying,2-hour town hall with families and the board/principal last month where it was clear many children are struggling, andfamilies are nervous about being asked to re-enroll in December. EBGIS MTB Season 2022-23 has wrapped up for this year. With the school being German immersion, within a couple of weeks attending he replied in German and is now completely fluent (and has not lost his English). The philosophy is play based but with a carefully thought out curriculum. Its been amazing for our kids and I hope other schools follow their example! My daughter loves her school and has never said anything else! Super responsive, organized, and my daughter adores everything about EBGIS. My GISSV Portal; Quicklinks. Our kindergartener has a school readiness check-in with his teacher every weekday for 20 minutes in a group of 3 students. When the school moved to the new campus, it was a pleasant surprise for us since it is closer to our house and our oldest can ride her bike to school occasionally. It is a great community for our kids (and our family). The kids play outside a lot. You ask about community at a language immersion school. Kathy. It has a student teacher ratio of 7.0 to 1. German International School of Silicon Valley - Yelp In first grade they usually would like some German language skills but it also very much depends on the willingness of the family to support the child. You ask for other thoughts on language immersion challenges. Also, this year at the Berkeley Campus, the school has introduced specialty classes such as spelling and math classes for children with learning differences. FR. German International School of Silicon Valley - Wikipedia It was a tough year (with regard to COVID) and I can't imagine any school handling things better than EBGIS did. I'd like to enroll my son for some summer classes. There are countless opportunities for parents and kids to get together and socialize, both through events organized by the school, and through ad hoc get togethers created by parents, whether dinner parties, hikes in Tilden or Claremont Canyon, Prosecco brunch, evening cocktails, going to ball games, birthday parties, parent-teacher choir, going to yoga class together, etc. Indictment of Arizona polygamist leader, 10 others details sex crimes against young girls. My sense of many families is that the school is our primary community. We find the teachers terrific, both in Kindergarden last year, but also now in 1st grade. At the German School the kids have a lot of play time .. more than other (American) schools offer and their curriculum integrates German AND English reading and writing. How many kids are in the class/what is the ratio between staff and child? Payment Address. He is one of two students without a native German speaker at home, and yet from our observation and the teachers' feedback he is picking up the language quickly. We live in Oakland's Bushrod neighborhood, which is a 10 minute bike-ride to the German school. I don't think they have a summer program yet. How is this handled at the Berkeley school? St Elizabeth Seton School (Palo Alto, CA - 0.8 miles) Discovery Childrens House Montessori School (Palo Alto, CA - 0.8 miles) Eastside College Preparatory School (East Palo Alto, CA - 1.0 miles) Peninsula School (Menlo Park, CA - 1.0 miles) East Bay German International School Support a Growing Community Show Your EBGIS Spirit! He understood, but was very insecure about using German. Our parents are very active in showing their support for the school. School leader: Claudia Mueller. The cost is lower than other private schools as the German Government pays part of the teacherms salaries. His teacher told him his necklace was a great idea. For the entire community there are also annual skiing and annual camping trips for everybody who wants to. For example they did some studies around flying that included making airplanes, animals that have learned to fly, learning about mythical creatures like pegasus, stories like icarus, artists like Klee and his flying angels, learning how to count down before making the airplane fly, songs about flying. Coming from a very community oriented preschool (El Cerrito Preschool Co-op) and not being a German speaker, I wasn't sure what the sense of community would be like at GISSV, but I have to say I've been so impressed so far. My kid is making the usual progress in all his school subjects and is just as excited about school as he was before shelter in place. Adult classes are available online. The school (and our kid) seems comfortable with this way of learning it. At drop off in the morning, we often mingle at the playground and set up playdates for our children. What are their expectations with regard to knowledge of the German language? GISSV mom of 2, I am a parent of two kids at the German School (GISSV) and I have had exactly the opposite experience of what you are describing. Our regular school hours are for Preschool & Kindergarten from 8:00 am to 1:30 pm and for Grades 1-8 from 8:00 am to 1:50 pm. Where to live around the German School in Emeryville? A part of me wishes I could spare her that, but I also think it's part of what she needs to learn. We are thrilled to share that GISSV has won the prestigious first prize. The school is accredited with the Western Association of Schools . Search. Select any title to view the full question and replies. There is also a group of moms who meet every morning at school and then often take their dogs on a walk together. Hi we're moving to SFO now/soon. I'm a dad of 3 boys at the school, who are in the pre-K/K and elementary grades. We invite children to learn, explore, and play with us! (650) 254-0748-501, LabClass Blog Showcases Interdisciplinary Projects, GISSV Wins Highly Endowed Prize Awarded by the German Chamber of Commerce (IHK), GISSV Families Joining the Presidio Trail Run, about Walk-a-Thon '23 on San Francisco Campus, about LabClass Blog Showcases Interdisciplinary Projects, about GISSV Delegation Visits HPI in Germany, about GISSV Wins Highly Endowed Prize Awarded by the German Chamber of Commerce (IHK), about GISSV Families Joining the Presidio Trail Run, School and Camp Operations under COVID - MV Campus, Summer Camp MV 2023: CIT Program Age 14 - 18, German language classes for all ages on Saturdays, Adult and corporate classes also on weekdays. Hi - both of our kids are at EBGIS, a 1st grader and a 2nd year preschooler and we have been part of the community since 2016/2017 school year. Currently there are not enough kids to make offering camps viable, but that might change in the future if more families need a place to put their kids during those times. Old Sage (i.e. a bilingual Kindergarten (Mountain View, Berkeley, San Francisco). GISSV is a preschool-grade 12 school with two locations in the Bay Area. The academics are embedded in child appropriate and very creative projects and a lot of focus is spent on social and emotional development. After graduation, 100% of students from this school go on to attend a 4-year . The kids submit all their assignments to their teacher -- they usually send a photo or use a scanner if they have one. EIN. General School Information can also be found on our website at www.gissv.org. This is a learning experience for kids who are curious and creative. Good luck on your school hunt. Mother of 3 German ISD students SAID. You should feel free to contact the school if you want to talk to me or any other parents. Schedule: Normal class is from 9 (drop-off starting at 8:30)to 2pm with an afterschool program until 6pm. Commuting from SF would be against the East Bay commuters. Jennifer. Re: Challenging Progressive School? Please contact the Head Coach Caron Bush for more information, caron.bush@gmail.com. Take a look at the German International School of Silicon Valley Berkeley Campus (GISSV). Exceptional Academics Critical thinking and project-based learning Blend of collaborative and self-directed learning Learn more Welcome! And German speaking high schoolers to take part in our CIT Program! And of course, offering your child an opportunity to learn another language is a fabulous gift, regardless of which language you choose. However, I visited the school at their last open house, met the teachers and saw the new location and class rooms. In our experience the school offers a great mix of academic learning and learning through play, small classes, lot's of art, field trips and projects. My husband accepted an offer and is moving ahead. Our kids are in elementary and middle school at the East Bay German International School (EBGIS) in Emeryville. As far as I know, the first official open house will be beginning of October. We receive both printed and downloadable materials for the kidsto work on. From my experience there is a great sense of community. My child started school there this year In Kindergarten I have to say I'm positively thrilled with my decision to place her there. We live in El Cerrito on the Albany border. We like the approach to Math that seemsmore intuitive than California Common Core and at this point he is not just 100% bilingual but can also write in both German and English. My son loves homework and he is not the only kid in class that does. Academically I believe GISSV offers a great program. (For Northern California please scroll down) For the most updated list please check under the tab "Education" to see schools divided into either SoCal or NorCal. To this end, we encourage you to schedule a visit with us, and our Admissions team will be happy to help you arrange an appointment at your convenience. Families come from all around, so you will probably be able to find others to carpool with wherever you choose to live if you'd like to do that. Does anybody have personal experiences with the school, the teachers and also with the school's educational approach? I was nervous, but it worked! (ages 3-9 / 2+ weeks) He has never reported being bored at school. Anumber of families take turns car-pooling. Hello, I currently have a 5th grader and kindergartener at EBGIS. There are lots of creative writing opportunities. Happy and Social GISSV Mom. If anyone can comment on these questions and/or share your experience so far, it would be much appreciated. In addition, I have found the teachers to be very approachable and flexible, whenever any issues have come up with our child. We are tremendously happy with the school, and it seems to be functioning beautifully from everything I can see. I have to admit that I was VERY impressed! parent. When the schools all started closing EBGIS moved right away to a really impressive online learning program. Go to their website for the date - gissv.org. There are two more teachers, one teaching English and Science one morning a week, one teacher for music. I believe they have opened an East Bay Campus a few years ago? So I really appreciate that it's all there for when we need it but fine if we don't do it all. East Bay German International School - EBGIS Who We Are Inquire > Download Fact Sheet > You can tour the school anytime with an appointment. The Spanish giants produced a stunning comeback in front of a record-breaking crowd to be crowned European champions. In trying to launch the high school and IB program the focus ison upper grades, and preschool feels like a top-of-funnel effort to ensure enough high schoolers 9 years later without thought to the specialized care, attention and administration early childhood requires. For us the small class size, community and bilingual education make it well worth it. Neither my husband nor I have any German language but we never feel like this is an impediment in participating in the school community. 12 reviews of German International School of Silicon Valley "This bilingual German/English school just got started in San Francisco, with a Kindergarten class in Fall 2011. Welcome to the Bay Area! Then the next class starts with that classs teacher doing a video call with all the students, and so on. happy GISSV parent, Our family (two kids) has been part of the GISSV (Berkeley) family for the past six years. How far spread around the school? In the following find schools in Southern California and Northern California. anon, I'm not sure which school you are referring to. It was a very similar experience to what we had in Germany and what I expect in any international school as kids come and go each year. For those who have gotten in, is there something we are missing? Students graduate the school with both the German International Abitur and the California High School Diploma. California has it all! However, at least three kids in his class have American-only parents and I have to say that I am amazed how well their German has become since they started K-Class. The after school care and extra curricular programs that are offered by the school, also add to the opportunity for the kids to interact and develop friendships with other kids beyond their grade levels. Short-staffing has led to children having to switch rooms mid-day to ensure staffing coverage, manylost items, no one able to tell us why our child had a bad dayor how an injury happened.