St. Patricks Day 

Green was the color of the day and GAIS students, especially in the lower grade levels, had much fun hunting for leprechauns and searching for pots of gold. Vorschule children were treated to a St Patrick's Day story by parent Diane Furlan.

News from the Head of School  

GAIS Students Start New Clean Campus Campaign

Keeping our campus clean is a collaborative endeavor involving all components of the GAIS community.  Our students are learning to take responsibility for their environment with a new Clean Campus Project. Two students are assigned per class each week to give some minutes of their break time to clean the campus.  This involves not only picking up trash, but also encouraging their classmates to be respectful of the environment during their snack and lunch break times and putting all refuse in the bins. The green vested, clean campus team started their work this week and are to be commended for their efforts. Even if you don't get to wear the official green vests, everyone can help to keep our campus clean.

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MYP Corner by Dominic Liechti

Student Led Conference MYP

Recently we developed the MYP assessment policy for the Middle School. This process is required by IB. One section in the assessment policy is about how we document our assessments and how we maintain the student portfolio's. As mentioned in an earlier newsletter, we introduced the IB Virtual Community (IBVC). This is an internal blog from IB to communicate and collaborate with the community and other MYP schools.  Therefore, the Student Led Conference (SLC) in the International Middle School was organized this year differently.

First of all, the students had to present their summative assessments on the IBVC. Prior to the presentation, the students faced some challenges such as how to upload compressed pictures and some of the students practiced how to convert a movie into a lower resolution because there are certain upload limitations given by the blog. In addition, the student had to reflect on each presented piece on the IBVC.  The aim was that the students practice their skills in the use of technology and that they learn how to present and blog safely on the IB Blog.  

Secondly, the students had to reflect on their approaches to learning (ATL) which are our skills and a part of the Area of Interaction (AOI) in the International Middle School. Each skill was listed on a roster and the students in collaboration with the parents, reflected on goals for the current and upcoming school year.  Our objectives were that the students point out their strengths, weaknesses and opportunities.

In summary, it's critical that our students as life long learners, think about their actions and who they will affect others. Therefore in this 45min student led conference period the students also reflected on the attributes of the IB Learner Profile. Moreover, the IB Learner profile is also used within essential agreements, which all students developed together.   

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PYP Corner by Maike Silver 

Recent events in Japan have affected communities worldwide.  Students at our school were very moved and immediately thought of possible actions. Rather than rushing into things we want to make sure we come up with appropriate actions that can raise money, involving the students actively.

We are currently looking for a direct contact to ensure the money reaches the people in need. If you have family or friends affected by this disaster and know ways of how we can sponsor families directly, please contact me at msilver@gais.org.  One of the things students and teachers also realized is that places like Haiti, Chile and New Orleans still need our help as well. Grade 2 just finished their IB unit ³How the world works² where one of the topics was natural disasters such as earthquakes. The students here had already started to do extra chores to collect money for the people in Haiti, which they will deliver to this cause. One of our former colleagues, Kathrin Winter, went to New Orleans just last week and took action there when she saw the need at a local community center. She and her partner bought materials, and with the help of local students outfitted a tutoring center. Originally we planned to involve students to fund this project, but due to the recent events in Japan the staff decided to support this project personally and collected money to help.  If you are interested in what is going on in the community in New Orleans, please check out the link http://www.lower9thwardvillage.org.

We will keep you updated on what our students will suggest and let you know how we will support the people of Japan.

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Just playing? Play is essential to early learning. It is the main way children develop ideas, concepts and skills. The 'simple' act of building with blocks for example, has many benefits and creates a variety of learning opportunities.

• They learn to use their imagination by creating  with blocks.
• They practice logic skills by experimenting with cause and effect.
• They gain math skills by learning about sizes and shapes, weights and balances, height and depth.
• They learn to play with each other, negotiate their ideas, solve problems and develop critical thinking and leadership skills.
• They gain self-confidence by building their own creations, initiated by their own ideas, rather than spending all their time following teacher's instructions.

Annual Fund Up-date - Week 2  

GAIS Stammtisch 

This month's GAIS Stammtisch will take place on Thursday, March 17 at 7:00 PM at the Gourmethaus Staudt (www.gourmethausstaudt.com) in Redwood City. Here is the schedule for this school year, please mark your calendars:

• April 7 (moved from April 14, due to Spring Break)
• May 12
• June 9

Spring Break 

We do offer Hort/Day Care during the Spring Break from April 11^th to 15^th. If you need a space in Hort please send in the sign-up form, which which has been sent out. The deadline for signing up for Hort is April 1^st.

Take the 2011 Drive Less Challenge!

April 22 - May 5, 2011 

We all have a role in protecting our climate, especially when it comes to reducing car travel, the largest source of carbon emissions on the Peninsula.  The Drive Less Challenge is a fun way to start by leaving your car behind to take alternative transport to work, school, shopping or your other local destinations. 

Participants use an on-line, game-like trip log to compete with friends, neighbors, and co-workers - or just challenge themselves - by taking a bus, train, carpool, bike or just walking to your destination.   We all win by reducing our community's greenhouse gas footprint so please join us on the Drive Less Challenge 2011, and see how much you and your communities can do to keep the earth cool! 

Volunteers and Sponsors Wanted! This innovative, grassroots event encourages residents and employees to shop locally and provides volunteers and business sponsors an opportunity to contribute and communicate support for climate protection.  Signup to sponsor, volunteer or participate at:  drivelesschallenge@gmail.com.  

We'll see you out there walking, biking, on the bus or train!

Peninsula Youth Orchestra Performance

On March 19^th, our two Peninsula Youth Orchestra musicians will be on stage again:

Adrian Putz and Olivia Pintz are performing in Orchestra Nova, part of Peninsula Youth Orchestra, on Saturday, March 19^th, 4 pm at Carlmont High School Performing Arts Center, Tickets $10/$15 at the door.

They will be playing some exciting pieces by Bizet (Carmen Suite), Robert Smith (The Great Locomotive Chase ... this piece is worth coming to the concert - absolutely awesome!!), and other contemporary overtures and arrangements.

Thank You Workday Volunteers! 

Over 30 people were on hand for the workday this past weekend.  Under the supervision of Hausmeister Tim Farris, the volunteers were able to accomplish the following projects:

• Clean up behind the Gym.
• Put wood chips in front of the school.
• Paint new fence in front of the preschool.
• Power wash the ramps to the portables
• Paint the bottom of the ramps on 2 portables yellow.
• Paint VS - 5th grade lunch tables.
• Sand and apply Clear Coat of paint Preschool lunch tables.
• Assemble 2 new middles school lunch tables and apply a clear coat of paint.
• Put wood chips for between both play structures beside the Gym.
• Assembled 2 Benches

A great round of thanks to the team for getting lots of projects done.  The next workday is on May 7.

Looking for Host Families for Interns

We will soon have 2 new interns working with our teaching staff in the Middle School. We are looking for a Host family for an Intern who is coming from the University of Bern in Switzerland. Sabine Frimpong will be coming from May 9th to July 2nd 2011.   We are also looking for a Host Family for Bianca Gratzl. She is from the University of Vienna/Austria and will stay from September 9th to November 29th, 2011.  If you have space and are interested to welcome an Intern, please contact Dominic Liechti at dliechti@gais.org.

Grade 5 Hornblower Fieldtrip 

In connection with the upcoming Earth Day all classes in the elementary school have started a unit under the transdisciplinary theme "Sharing the planet". To launch into it, Herr Matzeit organized an educational tour for the fourth and fifth graders on the San Francisco Bay.  The tour was on the Hornblower, a hybrid vessel which is powered using energy from solar,  wind, grid electric, and Tier 2 diesel generators. Students participated in science experiments, explored renewable energy, and learned about watershed and preservation. The educators on the tour were amazed with our students' knowledge and questions. It will be exciting to see how the students will apply what they have learned in the upcoming unit.

Peace and Hope at Cafe Zoe 

The Central Asia Institute is inviting GAIS parents to a fundraising event & conversation with Fozia Naseer, who is CAI's Women's Development & Scholarship Director working from Azad Kashmir, Pakistan.  She is CAI's first international female employee and will share with you first hand her stories of the amazing work that is taking place at CAI's schools in Pakistan which many of you know about from Greg Mortenson's book "Three Cups of Tea". The event will be on March 28 at 7:00 pm at Café Zoe. Wine, Cheese, and Appetizers will be provided by Café Zoe, 1929 Menalto Ave, Menlo Park, CA 94025. Please RSVP via email to info@empowerthrougheducation.com.

BOOK SALE: Friday, March 25 from 1:30 - 3 PM 

On Friday March 25 the Library will have a huge Book sale in front of the school! Bring your grocery bag and fill it with books for only $5 or $0.50 - $1.00 per book. We will be selling:

• German adult books
• English kids books
• German kids books
• German and English tapes, CD and VHS
• Games
• Puzzles

eScrip Spring Sweepstakes

$250 to the eScrip group of you choice!

Parents can 'Like' eScrip on Facebook for a chance to win $250 designated to the eScrip group of your choice. This would be GAIS, of course. The Sweepstakes starts March 1, 2011 and ends May 15, 2011.

Simply go to http://www.facebook.com/escripfans.

Enter on eScrip FB Fan page, "like eScrip" anytime prior to May 15, 2011 for entry into the Spring Sweepstakes to win $250 for the group of your choice. (Note) Followers who have liked eScrip prior to contest announcement dates will also be included in the contest with 1 (one) entry. "Like" us, click the Sweepstakes link on the left side of the page; and enter the sweepstakes.

Remember to send this to all your friends!