Essay writing may not always be the most popular activity for our students - but the ZfA Essay Contest usually rewards all participants well, so it's worth "writing" the extra mile! This year, the contest information came to us a little delayed, so our student writers have to sharpen their pens and go to work very quickly on the topic of "Mein deutsches Lieblingswort/My favorite German word" or "Mein deutscher Lieblingsausdruck/My favorite German expression" for younger students (ages 6-11).

Ever wondered if our school has an Honor Society? Well, now it does and last week it officially inducted 12 students from our grades 10 and 11 into the newly formed "National Honor Society for High School Students of German - Delta Epsilon Phi". Thanks to Claire Sehringer and our principal Claudia Bonmassar for making this possible.

The deadline to submit an application for AATG's Summer Study Program is coming up (March 1). This is a program for High School students to spend 3 weeks in Germany during the summer studying language and experiencing the culture. This program has been offered for many years. To learn more about dates, costs, location and to download an application, click here or visit www.aatg.org.
 

This announcement came in this week from our friends at the BSV:
 
"Would you like to enjoy going to events that have dancing?  Would you like to learn how to dance or improve your skills?  Want to dance at the next event?  Learn Ballroom Dancing at the Boylston Schul-Verein with a professional dance instructor.
 

The German International School Boston is offering scholarships for students in grades 7 through 9 for the coming school year. Letters informing parents about this opportunity are going out to families from the Saturday School this week. Interested students or parents are invited to learn more about this opportunity at an information session on Saturday, January 30 between 9.30 and 11.00 AM at our school (look for a table in our main hallway in front of the library).

The school administration wishes staff, students and their families a happy and healthy new year - may everyone continue to enjoy and embrace the learning of the German language and culture in 2010!
 
We'd like to apologize for being tardy in updating the online calendar on our Web site. You may have noticed the new calendar feature on our home page (we're still working out some calendar kinks, so bear with us). In the meantime, here's our calendar-at-a-glance (PDF for you to download). Make a note of the following dates:
           January 9: AATG Test for all students in grades 6 and higher
           January 16: School
           January 23: Class photos for year book
           January 30: Report Cards
           February 6: School
           February 13: Vacation 
           February 20: School
 
Also: stay tuned for registration 2010/11 information! Registration for current families will open on March 1, 2010. Check for info here. 
 

Registration for the 2010/2011 school year is approaching.  As in previous years, registration will be online only via our registration site which we will link to when registration opens.  
We will post detailed information on how to make the online enrollment process easy for you. 
In the meantime, make a note of our general registration information for the 2010/11 school year:
  
Registration dates: 

With winter upon us, and yes, snow already on the ground in some Boston areas, we'd like to remind you of our snow cancellation policy as outlined in our handbook: 

The decision to close will be made no later than 7AM on Saturday morning. Parents will be able to learn if the school is closed through the following:

 If you are looking for holiday events in the Boston area with a German cultural or language theme, I have gathered a few here: 
 

• The Boylston Schul-Verein is hosting a star studded "Live Weihnachts Show" on December 5 and the Sängerchor is performing two holiday concerts: December 20 (in Walpole) and on January 3 (in Boston). 
• Baroque music enthusiasts may enjoy the Christmas Cantatas by Briegel and Graupner performed by the local vocal ensemble Exsultemus on December 6 in Boston.
• The Goethe-Society will host an Advent and Christmas Party on Sunday, December 13 at 2pm at the Goethe-Institut in Boston. For more information or to RSVP, contact Brigitte Henkes at (617) 522-0713 or henkes1@shore.net. 

 
Do you know of other events? Please send them along to us and we'll post it.

It's time for the library "Dankeschön" December fundraiser - a great way to give back to the library and to help it grow! All families should have received a form through their youngest child's folder a few weeks ago.  You can contribute to the fundraiser with a financial donation which this year will be invested into purchasing more titles for the "Sachkunde" (non-fiction) collection. Suggestions for specific titles are always welcome and should be directed to the library staff. You may also contribute your own German titles. Please see the fundraising form for all pertinent information regarding this year's drive and donation specifics.  Thank you in advance! Our library is an integral part of our school and the "Dankeschön" fundraiser a great way to give back and say thanks to our teaching staff. Deadline to submit is December 12 for donations by mail and December 19 in person directly to the library staff.