Some Unusual Visitors  

Wildlife Associates is an organization from Half Moon Bay that works to educate children about animals in the wild with an eye towards protecting endangered species.  The organization came this Wednesday morning to the GAIS gym for a presentation to our VS-2nd Graders.  The organization introduced the students to 5 animals, a snow owl, a hawk, a porcupine, a fox and a lynx.  Each animal was shown to the students and very interesting information about the animals was told to the audience. The students had many good questions and were completely fascinated by the presentation.  Our sincerest thanks to Mrs. Janssen, who donated and organized this presentation for our students. 

News from the Head of School  

WASC Team Thrilled with GAIS 

On Wednesday afternoon the four-member accreditation team from WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges) presented their findings to the staff.

After four days of evaluation, discussion, and fact finding, the accreditation team compiled their impressions into a 37 page long report to the WASC Central office. Although official notification of accreditation will come form the office itself, the team made it clear that our re-accreditation was in the bag.

The team leader, Dr. Barbara Nemko, Superintendent of Napa County Board of Education said, "I can't think of a school that I have visited where the students and teachers are as excited and engaged."  The team made the following commendations based on their observations:

• Student standardized test scores, although not a teaching goal, are none-the-less generally higher than comparable international school and local public schools. This is extremely commendable given that the tests are in English and most instruction at GAIS is in German.
• The staff has done an outstanding job of implementing the IB Program and becoming certified in the Primary Years Programme. We applaud GAIS's efforts to submit the application for Middle Years Program certification and feel confident that it will be successful.
• The staff, teachers, and "working Board" are extremely dedicated to their work and collaborate constantly to produce greater results by synergy as evidenced by the school's growth in numbers and programs.
• The students are delightful citizens, eager learners who are very happy with their nurturing and safe environment. They constantly demonstrate their intense curiosity by developing many questions about the topics being studied. They embrace and exemplify the characteristics of the IB Learner Profile/ESLR's.
• Parent focus groups report their profound satisfaction with the education students receive at GAIS and generally stay connected to the school until their last child graduates from eighth grade.
• Plans to extend the middle school to include new English speakers will be greatly enhance the opportunities for socialization among this age group.
• Students are exposed to many outside activities through field trips, assembly presentations, after school programs, and participation in community events such as Earth and Peace Days.
• Students report being a part of a caring and nurturing community. In small classes they become confident risk takers who strive to meet the characteristics of the IB Learner Profiles and ESLR's.
• Students feel part of an extended family, which can be seen by their behaviors during free play at recess and lunch times. They can be observed playing in multi-age groupings and solving their own conflicts using the Circle of Choice.
• Staff demonstrate clear ability to adapt and adjust as appropriate, for example in response to a playground incident in which students reported not being able tot find a teacher, yard duty teachers now wear oranges vests so that they are immediately identifiable. Likewise, teachers adjusted their lesson plans in response to the school's visit by wildlife associates.
• Students graduate with proficiency in three languages and an awareness of responsibilities as world citizens.
• GAIS has made excellent us of its facility, adding portables as needed, maintaining the plant, while maintaining financial responsibility especially during an economic downturn.
• Instruction is generally of a high caliber. Class lessons are project based, interactive, multidisciplinary and relevant. Students collaborate with peers well and make a wide variety of creative presentations to students and adults.
• GAIS walks the talk of environmental protection by rotating yard cleanup among students who wear green vests and carry buckets to pick-up any trash their fellow students leave behind, they also remind other students of the need to clean up behind themselves.
• Teachers, staff and students and parents are thoroughly engaged.

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PYP Corner by Maike Silver 

At the end of each unit we asked the question: "Now what?".  Our hope is that students will take what they have learned and apply it in other life situations. This is what we call "action" in the PYP. Ever since the earthquake happened in Japan, our students have shared their concerns and their desire to help the people in need. In fact, Annika Schneider Annalisa Urban and Antje Hipkins took it upon themselves to start a money collection for Japan at school and have already collected close to $300. During class brainstorm sessions, the idea of having a school wide flea market was brought up repeatedly. After a discussion with the staff, we decided to support the students by designating "Earth Day" to the cause of helping people in need.  In IT students will create posters to advertise our flea market thatwill happen from 8:30am to 10:00am on April 22nd.  Students can sell anything from garden fruits and oven baked goods to toys and clothes. The benefits from the flea marketwill go to "The Enoch Choi Foundation" which we have also sponsored after the Haiti earthquake. To read more about the foundation's relief efforts, please follow this link:

http://www.paloaltoonline.com/square/index.php?c=107

After the flea market, the students will get creative in their classrooms in the name of Earth Day. We will continue after lunch with the annual Malawi Walk organized by Roche and the Middle School Leadership Academy. The day will finish with a school wide assembly to celebrate the day.

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While the children enjoyed the outdoors in the rain, catching rain drops, running through puddles and making mud pies, they are now enjoying the turn of the weather and the warm temperatures. Playing outside helps children burn off steam. But all that running and jumping and climbing also holds another hidden benefit - it helps children work on gross-motor skills. Unlike fine-motor skills, which work the small muscles of the hands, gross-motor skills work the large muscles. All that child's play burns calories, but it also helps kids develop strong bones and muscles, and "feeds" the brain. More than that, time on the playground or in the backyard gives children the confidence and the competence to take part in physical activity for a lifetime!

So what do gross motor activities target? First of all, it helps establish balance. Gross motor activities are composed of skills, such as crossing beams and jumping from one place to another. Without a sense of balance, kids will not be able to do such gross motor activities. The most typical type of gross motor activity which enforces balance is bike riding. In our preschool, the children have the opportunity to transition from tricycles, to scooters and balance bikes and will then make the final transition to the two-wheel bicycle. This is a progression of skills, which the children learn without the help of training wheels or adults holding on. Watching the older children maneuver expertly around our bike course also helps the younger children to be a risk-taker and encourages them to give it a try.

Another important function of gross motor activities is to gain body awareness. As they move along and do certain tasks or go about the types of activities they wish to do, they begin to realize how certain body movements and proper posture and body control can enable them to do so. An example will be the transition from running to walking. Kids learn the sense of knowing how to speed up and slow down when running around. In effect, they learn how to control their movements accordingly. Having an extensive yard with a variety of different play areas gives our children endless opportunities to develop their gross motor skills.

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Annual Fund Up-date - Week  4 

BOOK SALE: Friday, April 1 from 1:30 to 3 PM

Tomorrow, Friday April 1 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

Bike Clinic - Get Ready for Spring 

Tomorrow Friday, April 1st from 1:30 to 3:30 pm Mike's Bikes from Palo Alto is coming to GAIS for a free bike clinic.  GAIS Students & Families please bring your bikes to school, and 2-3 technicians will be onsite to teach basic bike repair and tune-ups. The Vorschule students are going bike crazy and hope to set a good example to the entire GAIS community on the joy of using bikes for transportation. Please join the enthusiasm, help save our environment, and ease morning parking congestion by biking to school.  We will participate in the May 12 Peninsula wide Bike to School Day.

Monday, April 18 - Teacher In-Service Day 

Please note that there will be no regular school on Monday, April 18^th due to a staff in-service day.  We will, however, offer the Hort program on this day. Sign-up sheets have already been sent out. The deadline to sign-up is April 1^st.

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.

Contagious Illnesses 

It is very important to the general health of the community that students with contagious illnesses are reported immediately to the school office. Please review the school's information about contagious illnesses. 

US Pony Club Quiz Champions

This past weekend two GAIS student teams made up of Alexandra Wendker and Serena Grown-Haeberli & Franziska Wendker and Eden Grown-Haeberli participated in the United States Pony Club Mid California Quiz Rally. This tests their knowledge of theory regarding the riding and care of horses and equipment. Out of 12 teams in the Junior D division, Eden and Franciska led their team to a first place.  Out of 8 teams in the Senior D division, Serena and Alexandra helped their team score 6th. Serena's individual score was among the top and may qualify her to go to Nationals in Lexington, KY in July. We have to wait and see, but wish her good luck.

Pictures of the 1st place team in Junior D to follow. Unfortunately, Franziska couldn't stay for the award ceremony.

SMS Organizes Crazy Week 

The SMV will run a week of special days next week, April 4-8  The planned activities are:

• Monday - Prank Day:  They can only do this during the big break.  No pranks that are personally offensive to others.
• Tuesday - Nature Day: Wear anything that relates to nature
• Wednesday - Crazy Hair Day: Hairspray, colors etc
• Thursday - International Day: Wear something with an international theme
• Friday - Pajama/Lazy Clothes Day:  You don't need to get dressed to go to school

GAIS Traffic Study - Part I 

Thank you to GAIS volunteer parents and for your help last week during the March 21 - 25 Traffic Study. Our goal was to count the number of cars coming to GAIS each morning. The next study will be a parent survey. Stay tuned!

GAIS Action Club 

The GAIS Action Club sprang into action this week to deliver food supplies to stranded military dependents from Japan at San Francisco Airport.  Last week the US Military conducted an emergency evacuation of all US family members that were stationed in the vicinity of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant.  Hundreds of family members were flown on short notice to San Francisco Airport where they were stranded until the airlines could find space for them to fly to their state-side destinations.  They were taken care of by the USO at the airport, which was soon overwhelmed.  GAIS Parent Tracy Grown organized a huge food relief package donated by Whole Foods of Palo Alto consisting of food, fruit and drinks.  Over 500 pounds of relief were delivered to grateful families at the airport thanks to Manu Hipkins and Mike Fallon. These families were traumatized by the earthquake, then the sudden evacuation due to the radiation threat, and now must be concerned as their loved ones conduct recovery operations in the radiation zone.

Parent Workshop Next Week 

A GAIS Parent Talk, in collaboration with Parents Place will be held on Thursday April 7, from 7-9PM in the gym. The talk on, 'Achieving Balance and Defining Success for Children in Grades K - 8', will be presented by Susan Stone Belton, BSE.  This workshop will help you define "success" within your family, and also teach you what are developmentally appropriate expectations from parents and schools.

GAIS Scouts Visit Aircraft Carrier  

Scouts from GAIS's Pack 108 took part in the USS Hornet's Live-Aboard Program this past weekend.  The boys became junior crew members and enjoyed in the WWII aircraft carrier's mess.  They also learned about the ship's daring exploits as they were treated to a special tour of the vessel.  The USS Hornet is a registered national and state historic landmark.  It is now a museum moored in Alameda, http://www.uss-hornet.org.sleeping in restored berthing compartments and eating

San Mateo County Children & Youth Summit 

Everyone is invited to this free event at the San Mateo County Event Center at 2495 S. Delaware Street to discuss the course of public education in the county.  Keynote speaker will be Angela Glover Blackwell, author, radio personality and CEO of Policylink. The summit is on Saturday, April 2, from 9:00-12:30 with free continental breakfast provided.