Summerfest 2011  

Despite the rain storm which kept up all morning long, and for short spells during the fest,  we still had over 600 people in attendance. This year's summer fest included a number of new features from past editions.  In harmony with our year-long theme of creativity, we had our first ever all school art exhibition.  Our gym was once again transformed, this time into an art gallery and it looked fantastic due to all of the great volunteers that helped put it together. Student art from all grade levels was on display and really showcased the talented students that we have at GAIS.  Our music program was also different and featured a long list of student performances in the form of a talent show.  In addition we had the GAIS Quartet and the Café Zoe House Band. During the three hours of the Summerfest, the music was non-stop.  Our magician, Magic Mike, was a huge hit for all ages and added his magic to that which kept the clouds at bay all afternoon. Thanks to all of the GAIS teachers for organizing the games and crafts, especially Anneliese Messner, our music teacher for organizing the talent show. A big round of applause goes to Stella Klose who was our event organizer.  Our list of event supporters increased again with Ester's Bakery being on hand with great sweets and bratwurst,  Café Zoe with ice cream, and Rawdaddy with other unusual and tasty snacks. Our thanks to these outstanding companies for their support of GAIS and an invitation to others to join us in the future. Finally a big thank you to the many volunteers who helped run this event. 

News from the Head of School

Projects for 2011 

This summer we will again be busy at GAIS with a number of projects designed to improve our school campus.  The new portable building is being outfitted to host two Grade 5 classes and will be ready to go on day one of the new school year.  In the Middle School Forum area we will add more lockers, build bleachers to create an outdoor theater, and cover the area with a huge sun screen. A new outdoor volleyball court will be created so that our PE program can add this sport to the curriculum. Our Music room will be re-located to the first portable by the VS vegetable garden so that our instrumental program does not disturb other classes. The old Music room will be converted into a new MS classroom for German.
Due to the growth of our Hort program, and the need to provide good supervision of these students, we will have to make the play structure and all of the hard court area in front of the VS and Grade 2 rooms off-limits to students after school. This includes the area under the blue shade structure. To compensate for this, a new play structure will be set on the open space by the tennis court.  This will be for students to use after school while they are being  watched by their parents. We will also provide some picnic tables nearby for the adults. In addition to all of this, we will continue our project of painting the school, both interiors and exteriors and will add some new lighting to some of the classrooms.

back to top   

MYP Corner by Dominic Liechti

Our academic program in the International Middle School (IMS) provides a variety of different overnight fieldtrips. During the intensive years of adolescence it's significant that in addition to academics, we promote teambuilding components.  Therefore, last week all the students and the teachers of the International Middle School attended different overnight fieldtrips.

Our sixth grade went to Aptos to the Science Camp to explore nature and its fascinating sciences with hands-on projects. The whole program incorporated elements of teambuilding during this week. For example there was a spider web made out of ropes ("Web of life"), in which the students from one side had to carefully pull a student from the other side through this web. This sophisticated task required a lot of communication and confidence amongst the team. In addition, in the evening there were a lot of other teambuilding activities. I'd like to thank Mrs. Jasprizza, Ms. Mueller, Mr. Bruegger and Tracey from chaperoning this event.

The seventh grade went to Sacramento to learn more about US history and we combined this with a wide variety of teambuilding activities as well. We visited the Railroad Museum, Fort Sutter, History Museum of the Bay Area and the Old Sacramento downtown. On the first day of the trip we practiced climbing in an indoor rock-climbing center to prepare for on the third day of our trip, when we went to the Moaning Cave. In the Moaning Cave close to Vallecito and Angels Camp we rappelled 165 feet down and then crawled 2 hours in the narrow cave system. Our guide led us through this exciting team-bonding event and explained the plate tectonics.

The eighth grade flew to Berlin to learn more about German culture, history and recent events.  The hostel was close to the gorgeous Wannensee Lake. Every day different guided activities were planned for example visiting the Jewish Museum, the Reichstag, the Pergamonmuseum, and much more.  As a culture part of the trip the whole group met and visited several local families. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Christian Groenke, Eric Preus, founder of the Crosscourt Foundation; and Heike Grieger who all supported us to make this great trip happen. In addition I'd like to thank Amanda Afshar and Julia Mumme for their dedication to the success of the trip..  

back to top   

PYP Corner by Maike Silver  

As PYP teachers we constantly contemplate on "what do we teach", "why do we teach it" and "how best do we teach it". So here is an interesting perspective on: "Have I taught them?"

I know they will forget how to multiply over the summer, and next year the teacher will show them how to do it all over again. I know they will forget the difference between an adverb and an adjective, how to spell spaghetti, and when the pilgrims sailed the new world.
 
But have I taught them that it is better to tell me, that they did not do their homework last night, than to lie?
Have I taught them that it is better to include somebody in a four square game than to tell them they cannot play?
Have I taught them to work in groups of four when there are only 2 red markers and everyone wants the red one?
Have I taught them how to say Good Morning" when they pass someone in the hall and "Good-bye" when they leave the room?
Have I taught them that Jefferson could not live without books and neither can I?
Have I taught them to think, when an answer is not right there in the text?
Have I taught them that imagination really is more important than knowledge?  
Have I taught them that most of Thomas Edison's experiments did not work first time either?
Have I taught them the joy of singing every day?
Have I taught them the satisfaction you feel, when you have done your best?
Have I taught them to laugh, but not at others mistakes or when someone's name is different from their own?
Have I taught them that learning is lifelong and shown them my French homework?
Have I taught them it is ok to make mistakes and shown them my French homework?
 
If I have taught them these things, then I do not care if they forget when the pilgrims sailed to the New World or how to spell spaghetti.

back to top

Last week, Anna Freiwald, a previous student, came to visit. I would not have recognized her but remembered her well from her preschool days 11 years ago. We all enjoyed seeing her and hearing some of her memories, like the bat that occupied the rafters one year and how the children were worried about the baby bat falling down. I had forgotten all about that. Our current students were fascinated to compare the grown-up Anna to the little girl in the yearbook picture, sitting on Mahbu's lap in front of the bike container. Read more about Anna below:

Hello everyone!
I'm Anna Freiwald and I'm 16 years old and I live in Munich, Germany. I went to GAIS 11 years ago (1999-2000) when my family  lived in Silicon Valley.  Today I went back to the kindergarten (preschool) and it was just wonderful. My teachers Heike, Maike, Moni, Mahbu and Carol still knew me and I felt really welcomed. The kindergarten  has changed in some ways but it will always still be the same place I loved so much as 5-year old. Looking at old yearbook pictures with my teachers made me remember how much fun I had in that huge sandbox, how Carol made our turkey-dinner on Thanksgiving and how my mom always started crying on mother's days when I gave her a self-made watercolor picture. I'm still in touch with a bunch of my kindergarten friends and I love to come back here and see them again. Right now I'm staying for a few days at Ruth McGee's house. Ruth and I became best friends in kindergarten and although we can't see each other that much anymore we're still really good friends and it never feels like we've ever been separated. Last night before we went to bed we were sitting on her couch singing  our old preschool songs. "Magdalena Hagnalena", "Wenn Der Elefant In Die Disko Geht", "Ich Schenk Dir Einen Regenbogen" and many, many more. My time in at the  German-American Kinder- gaten was really special to me and I won't ever forget playing in that huge backyard ( it seemed a lot bigger to me at that time). I wouldn't be the girl I am today if I didn't play with the crazy-daisy and blow giant bubbles with my buddies. Visiting the Kindergarten meant really much to me and I hope to keep in touch
for a very long time.

Meet our Future Graduates featuring  

Michelle Jakoby 

Hello, my name is Michelle Jakoby, and I'm in 8th grade. Those of you who have seen me before, have probably wondered about my black necklace that I wear every day. This is a very special necklace, because one of my very close friends gave it to me as a present when I moved to America. I haven't taken it off since she gave it to me, which was when I was two years old. Now I am fourteen. I guess the reason for this is that I don't want to forget her and all of the fun times we had together, even if she lives so far away now and I only see her once every year. This is what makes my necklace so special, and even though it broke a couple of times already, I have always managed to fix it and kept wearing it. I bet everyone has something special like this and can somewhat relate to my story.   

back to top 

School Forms 

If you haven't turned in your school forms yet, please drop them off in the office ASAP.

Lost & Found 

The Lost & Found box will be emptied the last day of school. All items will be donated to a local charity. If you are missing items please check for missing items before the last day of school.

Volunteer Corner 

Thanks to all the volunteers for helping with the Summerfest.  We will have another workday this Saturday, June 11 from 10-4pm.  Please contact the school office if you are interested.

Please don't forget to return your signed volunteer time sheets to the office by June 16th. 

Library

Please return all currently loaned books to the Library as soon as possible! If the Library is closed you may return the books to the office. We do appreciate your help keeping our system up to date before loans over the summer start.

Loans over Summer Break 

Like last year all returning GAIS-families will be able to borrow books from the library over the Summer Break. To do so, you must first return all you currently loaned books by June 10th. Summer loans will be made between June 13th and 16th. Every loaned item requires a security deposit of $20 in form of a check made payable to GAIS.

Thank you from Roche 

It is with great gratitude and pride that I announce a collection of $5762 at this year's Malawi-Walk at GAIS. In addition, the Heilek/Snyder family will make a supporting donation that will round the amount to $6500. As in previous years Roche will match all funds collected. The funds will contribute to the annual Roche Children's Walk and most of the money will continue to support the children of Malawi, an impoverished nation unbelievably ravaged by HIV/AIDS that needs our help with the most basic necessities, such as food, clothing, potable water and medicines. In addition, this years' walk will also benefit vulnerable children within our own community through a donation  to the Taylor Family Foundation (TTFF), a non-profit organization based in Livermore that helps thousands of children suffering from conditions such as skin disease, heart disease, Crohn's, autism, diabetes, bipolar, brain tumors, celiac, and HIV/AIDS.

To all walkers and fundraisers at GAIS who helped make this sizable amount possible- our heartfelt "Thank You" in the name of all the children whose lives will be touched and improved through your generosity. To all those who helped with the logistics: The SMV, the school management and all the student that took the pledge forms home and committed to walking, a big round of applause and again our deepest thanks. 

Ballet Performance 

Katya and Jamilla (from Grade 3) will be dancing with Bayer Ballet Company at "Springtime Novelettes" next Sunday, June 12, at the Menlo-Atherton Performing Arts Center. The program includes variations from La Bayadère, Swan Lake, Don Quixote, Paquita, the Talisman, La fille mal Gardée, Sylvia, and more, as well as lively folk-inspired Russian and Moldavian (character) dances. Children will especially enjoy Little Red Riding Hood, an original mini-story ballet with an unusual retelling of this classic fairy tale. Professional dancers-Maykel Solas and Junna Ige of Ballet San Jose-will join Bayer Ballet's youth company and students. Tickets are $20. For more information visit www.bayerballetacademy.com.

Green Kids Conference 

Adrian Dolatschko-Putz, 11, 5th grader at GAIS, is presenting as an exhibitor at the Green Kids Conference (www.greenkidsconference.org), Saturday, June 18th from 11am - 3pm, in Mountain View. This conference is sponsored by Microsoft and a number of environmental organizations and its goal is to educate kids and their families on environmental issues, make them aware of available resources and opportunities, and also to promote, encourage, and reward new innovative ideas. The conference is free of charge, but you may need to email the organizers to see if you can still attend.

Host Family for Student 

Florian Ulrich an almost 16 year old High School student and family friend of the Janssen Family from Pforzheim/Germany is looking for a host family. He would like to stay in the US for about 6 months. If you are interested in hosting Florian, please contact him at florian@familie-ulrich.com.

New York Times Article 

If you are interested in the "Advantages of Bilingualism please click on the link to read an interesting article in the New York Times

Advantages of Bilingualism