German Immersion School in the Bay Area, CA

German International School Of Silicon Valley, Bay Area:
Are you searching for quality bilingual education in the San Francisco Bay Area? The German International School Of Silicon Valley (GISSV) is a bilingual (German-English) school with campuses in Mountain View, Santa Clara County; Berkeley, Alameda County and the Presidio area of San Francisco. At our Mountain View campus we teach students from preschool through Grade 12. K-5 programs are offered at our other locations. Our school is an optimal choice for families in the Bay Area either long or short term. GISSV's pedagogical approach ensures that students are prepared for a smooth transition into the American and European educational systems

GISSV is the only elementary and secondary school in the Western United States that meets the strict accreditation requirements of the German government, thus enabling entry into the best European and American colleges and universities. We also offer a Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)-accredited high school program. Graduating students earn the German International Abitur and obtain all of the required qualifications for a California High School Diploma. GISSV is an active part of a network of 146 German foreign schools worldwide to ensure the highest standards of learning and teaching.

Bilingual (German / English) programs offered in our Bay Area locations:
- Mountain View Campus: Preschool / kindergarten, elementary, middle & high school programs
- Berkeley Campus: Pre-kindergarten through Grade 5 programs
- San Francisco Campus: Preschool / kindergarten through Grade 5 programs

We offer a multilingual curriculum: German and English beginning in Grade one, with a third foreign language (either French or Spanish) starting in the 6th Grade (Optional fourth language in the 8th Grade).

GISSV assures the admission of German-speaking students in every grade level and guarantees a successful start for students who enroll during the school year. For these students, the school also offers additional programs in English (additional fees might apply).

Extracurricular Activities/Afterschool Program:
- Language Day once a week (Mountain View)
- School as a laboratory - hands-on science for students in grades 10-12 (Mountain View)
- Afternoon club includes homework supervision, play time and miscellaneous activities from Monday - Friday until 5:30 pm
- A variety of extracurricular activities are available, including soccer, chess, robotics and drama

- Teaching a cross-curricular, dual-language (German/English) program that leverages all modalities of knowledge acquisition (listening, speaking, reading, writing and culture)
- Delivering one-on-one and small group learning interactions with student-teacher ratios averaging less than 15 to 1 at school and 10 to 1 in pre-school
- Offering individualized learning plans so entering students quickly get on track
- Providing an after school teacher-assisted independent study/homework program
- Providing differentiated learning opportunities that allow each student to thrive, maximize achievement and develop a passion for lifelong learning.
- Implementing instructional approaches that guide students through knowledge discovery and fostering creative and imaginative thinking

Students whose first language is not German must learn the basics of the German language as early as possible (before Grade 1). The best method of learning German is to attend the immersion program of the GISSV Preschool and Kindergarten. GISSV may offer special German language programs after arrangement with the parents, teachers and principal. This depends on the student’s German language ability and might be offered at an additional cost.

In the case of older students whose first language is not German, the principal and teachers decide on admission on an individual basis. The teachers of the different subjects and the language teachers guarantee an ideal language development for each student and differentiated learning methods for students who join later in the school year.