At GAIS our mission to foster life-long learners is applicable for both students and teachers. In this spirit two of our Preschool teachers (Dunja Zaun and Simone Campbell) attended an IB workshop for Early Childhood in Denver. Both teachers came back reenergized with ideas and the assurance that our Preschool is a front runner in IB education. This coming weekend we will send three Middle School teachers (Julia Mumme, Bridey Jasprizza and Amanda Afshar) to a MYP workshop in Montreal. Our school places a high value on professional development and by sending teachers to IB workshops we ensure that our program is in alignment with the IB standards and practices.

All Preschool classes have started with our new drama unit. Children learn about their world through dramatic play. The children started out re-enacting the story of St. Martin. During the next few weeks, the children will be able to re-enact known stories, create their own, and plan the different components they will need for a play (stage, story, audience, costumes, props, etc.) and explore different emotions through their play. The classrooms have also gone through some changes to encourage lots of role play during free play. Several classes have stages, one class set-up a hospital, one has a puppet theater, while another is creating a castle.

All have various costumes and props to encourage children to try different roles. Creating their own stories, using props and costumes stimulates their creativity and imagination. Role play is a very important component for Preschool students, as it allows them to practice skills and explore the world in a safe setting. They can explore being the helpless baby or a caring doctor. They are learning important social skills like cooperation and following instructions. They need to negotiate what role to play, how to incorporate different play ideas and how to include others into the play by creating more roles. The children need to use language to communicate with each other and develop patience by staying in a certain role for awhile or awaiting their turn to get another role ("First I will be the baby and then I want to be the dad.").

Oral language skills and story telling are building blocks for reading and writing, as well as subjects like social studies and science. The older the children, the more complex the thinking skills involved. They explore the world by playing everyday family situations and different professions. They learn to have empathy and caring for the helpless kitten or the pretend patient with broken bones. Dramatic performances in the classroom encourage children to become risk-takers, to dare perform on stage in front of the group or to dare take on a role that might take a child out of their comfort zone. Children can also create situations that they are afraid of (getting a shot from the doctor, dealing with pretend monsters) and deal with their feelings and emotions through their play. Role play can be used by a parent or teacher to train certain skills. At home, you can create a role play with your child or their teddy bears, create a conflict in the play and teach your child how to handle it, e.g.: one teddy bear took a toy away from the other one. What do you think they should do or say? Another doll wants to come and play. What can she say to join the game?

You can also switch roles with your child. How does it feel when the teddy doesn't get to play, gets hurt, etc. Creating real life scenarios can help a child find and practice the right words. They will be more comfortable using them in real conflict situations. Through the complexities of role play, children are constantly learning and are practicing many skills.

On Saturday, November 20, from 1 to 4 pm we will have our Open House. All parents and students are invited to attend and visit the classrooms which will have lots of materials on display from the end of the second IB Unit. The choir will perform a number of songs starting at 1:00pm.  Please feel free to invite friends, neighbors and anyone who might be interested in our school

Swiss Language and Culture Lessons at GAIS

With the increasing number of Swiss students attending GAIS, the connection and interaction with the Swiss authorities has grown over the years.  Through the efforts of our own Swiss Director of Academic Programs, Dominic Liechti, GAIS has been able to develop this relationship into a formal recognition by the Swiss government.  This has resulted in an annual grant to GAIS in the range of 30K, a part of which will be used to offer a Swiss language and culture extra-curricular program. The course will look at different regions in Switzerland and study lifestyles and cultures in comparison of those in California.. This will be taught by our Swiss teacher, Claudia Gruber.  Lessons are taught after school and begin this week. Our thanks to the Swiss  government for their support of GAIS.

The school will be closed on November 25 and 26 in observance of Thanksgiving. We will not be offering Day Care on these dates.

Another GAIS Soccer Champion

Yannick Scheidegger from Grade 4 and his teammates from Red Star Soccer Academy won the NorCal Region 2 U10 Gold League. Yannick's team finished its fall season this weekend with two wins against strong opponents from Burlingame (Gryphons) and Capitola (Revolution). Yannick is pictured in the middle of the front row. Congratulations Yannick!

If you're looking for a soccer club for your child, Red Star Soccer Academy is hosting tryouts for the Spring season. Check out the Red Star website at http://redstarsoccer.org/ or specific tryout times and to pre-register your child online.

Race To Nowhere - December 14th at

7:00 pm

As a Christmas present to all of our parents, we will be offering a free showing of the outstanding and controversial film on today's education, "Race To Nowhere". This will be in the GAIS Gym and all parents, relatives and friends are invited. More details next week but please save the date for now.

Weihnachts Bazaar at the GAIS Winterfest

We are looking for vendors to participate in our annual Winter Festival on Saturday December 4^th from 2 - 5 pm. In the style of an Arts & Crafts market we will set up tables in the gym. We are looking for a wide variety of vendors to sell gifts for the holidays.

We will provide tables and you can start setting up your products around noon the day of the festival. Vendors usually donate about 10% of their sales to the school.

Please pass this on to anyone who might be interested. For more information please contact Stelle Klose at sklose@gais.org

GAIS Students Perform in Peninsula Youth Orchestra Concert on November 13

Adrian Putz (Grade 5) and Olivia Pintz (Grade 8) are the two current GAIS students who perform with the Peninsula Youth Orchestra group called "Nova". Both of them play violin. Other former GAIS students who are also members of this orchestra include Isabel Friedman, Alexandra Friedman and Danielle Pintz. The Orchestra will perform in Carlmont's new Theater in San Carlos on November 13^th. They would certainly appreciate support from friends at GAIS.

For more details you can download the event flyer: http://www.peninsulayouthorchestra.org/PDFfiles/FallPoster2010_Sinfonia_Nova.pdf.  Adrian will also be performing at Mimi Dye's recital on December 11 in Palo Alto both with a Vivaldi solo violin concerto and in Mimi's orchestra group with a jazz piece of her own composition.

Kinder Matinee "The Little Ghost"

On Sunday November 21 at 11 am the Goethe Institute in San Francisco will show the "The Little Ghost" by Otfried Preussler. It is an animated cartoon which runs 80 minutes. It is recommended for children 5 and older and is in German with English subtitles. The story is about small white ghost, who has been haunting castle Eulenstein for centuries, has a big dream: to see the great halls in daylight. Amazingly, his dream comes true one day. But the rays of sunlight turn the small ghost black and now he spreads fear among the inhabitants of the small city. Furthermore the village is threatened by an old enemy, General Torsten Torstenson. Not until the pharmacist's children, who are the only ones not afraid, care for the small ghost, things can return to their normal nighttime haunting-routine. There is a suggested donation of $5 per child and parents are free.

Food Drive

GAIS's Cub Scout Pack will once again be participating in Scouting for Food.  The food drive will take place next week in support of the Second Harvest Food Bank in San Carlos.  Please bring your canned and non-perishable donations to school during the week of November 15 - 19 and place them in the collection box at the front of the school.

GAIS Student performs at Musical

Isabel Black (Grade 6) will be performing the role of "Isabelle" in the Palo Alto Children's Theater production of "Madeline's Christmas."  This is a charming musical based on the popular Madeline book series by Ludwig Bemelmans.  This holiday season will be unlike any other for Madeline and her friends, as they encounter merchants, mischief, and a touch of magic! The performances are from December 7 - 19 at the Lucie Stern Community Center, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. The Box Office Number: 650-463-4970. Good luck Isabel!

New IB High School to Open in Santa Clara

On Friday, November 12, Mr. Metzger and Mr. Liechti will be visited by Mr. Bruce Smith who is the Principal of One World Preparatory School, a new IB High School that will be opening in Santa Clara in the near future.

Information about this school can be found at: http://oneworldschool.us/home.htm.

Mr. Smith will be available to speak with any parents interested in his school. This will take place in the Library on November 12 at 2:00 pm. Just drop by.

GABA Film

GABA is offering a discount for GAIS families who are interested in the movie "The 4^th Revolution" by Hermann Scheer.  The German American Business Association (GABA) will show the English version of this documentary that uses compelling images to show proof that renewable energies are sufficient to meet the world's energy demand. 

Please register for the screening in Palo Alto on Nov 17, or go to the GABA web site (www.gaba-network.org) and register on the Calendar of Events page!