Welcome to our website!
Welcome to the German International School of Portland! On the following pages you will find everything you need to know about our school. Please note that this page is under constant development.
accreditation
The German International School (GIS) is one of seven accredited foreign schools of the Federal Republic of Germany in North America and is supervised by the Zentralstelle für das Auslandsschulwesen (ZfA). We meet the high accreditation requirements of the ZfA and, of course, also follow the standards of the state of Oregon.
GIS has also been accredited by the International Baccalaureate (IBO) as a Primary Years Programme (PYP) since 2016. The PYP is an internationally oriented school program with a focus on cross-curricular learning that promotes the holistic development of the child as well as intercultural understanding and respect.
We regularly evaluate both the German and English language skills of our students. For this reason, the children take part in regelmäβig comparative tests, which are offered in Germany and the USA. Our students score above average in all test areas.
After graduating from our school, your child has the best prerequisites to successfully transfer to a secondary public or private school – both here in the USA and in a German-speaking country.
syllabus
Our curriculum is based:
- on a German core curriculum, which is enriched several times a week with music, art and sports lessons.
- on American educational standards
- in a multi-cultural environment that enriches our school day.
- practical, student-oriented activities that far exceed conventional teaching methods. Relevant projects and class trips also offer our students the opportunity to apply what they have learnt in practice and to focus on specific areas.
External Evaluation
In grades 3 and 5, all students take part in a comprehensive German language test and obtain a German language diploma. In addition, VERA evaluates pupils in Class 3 in the areas of German and mathematics.
In grade 4/5 the students take part in a US American comparative test.
nursery
Our goal is to offer students a holistic educational program. Our kindergarten program aims to guide students to independent learning through a variety of activities. The children learn to develop their individuality.
We involve the students in the teaching process and help them to discover and deepen their interests. As they continue to explore new topics, they draw on their own experiences and apply what they have already learned in practice.
Primary school (grades 1 to 5)
The German International School offers an ideal learning environment for students and families from all nations. Our focus is on the child and its intellectual, social and emotional development.
In primary school, we build on what we learned in preschool and kindergarten, and we continue to incorporate the children’s personal experiences into our lessons. Our lessons are multidisciplinary and meet all the educational requirements of a modern society. Our students are given a wide range of opportunities to put their newly acquired knowledge into practice. This form of “Action Learning” has many different forms. Some examples are the creation of a film about St. Martin, the work on our brook run and the cooperation with local aid organisations in supporting refugee families.
afternoon care
GIS offers support before school from 7 am and after school until 6 pm. The afternoon care is sophisticated. The children are looked after in two age-related groups in which appropriate play areas and teaching content are offered. We attach great importance to pedagogically high-quality care in the after-school care.
The offer is enriched by working groups. GIS teachers and external partners enrich our program with sport, technology and creative offers.