We look forward to welcoming you to our beautiful campus on Wednesday afternoon, August 19, 2026 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm. During Welcome Night, you will meet your child's group/homeroom teacher, meet some of your child's classmates, explore the classroom, and have any last-minute questions answered by various departments.

Please stay up-to-date with these 2 important school calendars:

> GISW Event Calendar

> Academic Calendar 2026/27

READ SOMETHING FUN THIS SUMMER - E-BOOKS AND AUDIOBOOKS (Preschool – 12^th grade)

Borrowing books during the summer break - Students returning to GISW after summer are welcome to check out books for summer vacation. Check this out: Great book recommendations sorted by grade level and more info on e-books and audiobooks for all ages from preschool to 12^th grade. For questions and login information, please contact our librarian Kathryn Deschler at kdeschler@giswashington.org.

Please use this link to order your book and school supplies for Grades SEL through 12 and sports uniforms (Grade 1 through 4).

School athletic uniforms for grades 5-12 are available at the link below. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Sedlmayer at bookstore@giswashington.org.

> Sportbekleidung | PE Wear | The German School Society

Families make appointments online to pick up books after they received a confirmation that the order is ready for pickup (Calendly). Please pay in US$, we accept all major credit cards as well as cash and US checks. Please contact the bookstore manager if you are tax exempt before you submit your order.

Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact our bookstore manager Ms. Sedlmayer at bookstore@giswashington.org.

There are additional care programs offered in all grade levels from age 2 through Grade 12. The Afternoon Program goes until 3:10 pm and is included in tuition for all grade levels except preschool.

Preschool: There is an Afternoon Program and a Preschool Extended Care Program as well as a Morning Care and Evening Care which are described in the Add-On Booklet that you will find on the Tuition page.

School Entry Level: There is an Afternoon Program included in tuition and a Preschool Extended Care Program as well as a Morning Care and Evening Care which are described in the Add-On Booklet that you will find on the Tuition page.

Grades 1-4: The Afternoon Program is included in tuition and offers a variety of courses. The registration begins at the start of the school year. More information: https://giswashington.org/afternoon-program.html - Contact person: Andrea Pence apence@giswashington.org. Morning Care and Evening Care are also offered and are described in the Add-On Booklet that you will find on the Tuition page.

Grade 5-12: The Afternoon Program is included in tuition and offers a variety of courses. The online registration takes place during summer break. More information: https://giswashington.org/afternoon-program-429.html - Contact person: Dunja Baker dbaker@giswashington.org. Morning Care and Evening Care are also offered and are described in the Add-On Booklet that you will find on the Tuition page.

On Early Release Days, when classes end at 12:15 pm, there is no Afternoon Program, but Extended Care is available from 12:15 pm to 4:45 pm. Morning Care and Evening Care are also available. On all early Release Days there is no bus service at 4:55pm; only at 12:30pm.

If you have not yet registered your child for the Preschool Afternoon program, the Extended Care program or the Morning and Evening Care with your school contract, please view the descriptions in the Add-On booklet and use the Change form from the Tuition page and send it directly to afloyd@giswashington.org.

Is your child interested in one or more of our upper school teams?

For information about athletic teams offered during the fall, winter, and spring seasons, as well as team registration links and the Team Communications App used by coaches, players, and families, please visit Campus Life > Athletics.

With questions, contact the Head of the Athletics Department, Ms. Malena Lair-Ferrari at mlairferrari@giswashington.org.

The German International School Washington D.C. is using Blackbaud Tuition Management system to process and collect tuition and fees. Blackbaud is one of the world’s largest providers of purpose-built software solutions for educational institutions and Tuition Management will provide significant advantages to our GISW community.

Tuition Management enables you to:

Select a payment method that works best for you:

• Choose to receive a monthly invoice.
• Set up recurring automatic payments from your bank account or credit card.
• Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express are accepted.

Access your account online to:

• Review account history, transaction details, and print monthly invoices.
• Edit your contact information, password, and payment method.
• Make a payment or set up recurring payments.

Receive payment and follow up reminders:

• For recurring payments, a reminder is emailed 7-10 days before the due date.
• For missed payments or outstanding balances, you’ll receive an email and text message.

Speak with a customer service representative.

• Families can access their accounts to check balances and make payments 24/7.
• Call toll free to make payments at (888) 868-8828.

Please make sure you set up your account through the email you received from Blackbaud. You may review the below Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) document to learn more about Blackbaud Tuition Management as well as how to access the account. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact April Floyd at GISW via email at afloyd@giswashington.org.

Refunds and Accounts Receivable Policies

> Policies and Procedures for Refunds and delinquent Tuition Fees and other Payments

The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene conducts an annual inspection of our school's Health Room records. Students with incomplete vaccination records are not permitted in the classroom. Without complete Health Forms your child will not be allowed to attend school the first day.

With questions regarding all health related matters, please contact our Health Room at healthroom@giswashington.org or 301.767.3814.

For more information, please follow this link:

> Health Room

Have you found a new home for your family and have a new address and still need to sign up for bus-service? Bus routes are adjusted annually based on the enrollment for bus service. Please reach out to Ms. Kinsler at kkinsler@giswashington.org, Phone: 443.531.6244 for all bus-related questions as soon as possible. Seats are limited.

Bus Routes will be posted before the first day of school at CAMPUS LIFE > Bus

If you have not yet registered your child for the bus with the school contract, please use the Change Form and send it directly to afloyd@giswashington.org.

DO YOU STILL WANT TO REGISTER YOUR CHILD FOR THE LUNCH PASS?

If you have not yet registered your child for the lunch pass with the school contract, please use the Change Form and send it directly to April Floyd at afloyd@giswashington.org.

If you have questions about the cafeteria, please contact Brunela Wong bwong@giswashington.org.

For more information about the cafeteria, please use the Change form from the Tuition page and send it directly to afloyd@giswashington.org.

> Campus Map

> Parking Lot: Dos and Dont's

You will receive the Wednesday Mail, our weekly newsletter packed with interesting and important information about life at the GISW, every Wednesday while school is in session. It is very important that you read that email every week.

During the last two weeks of summer break you can expect one or two so-called 'Vacation Mails' with information as we gear up for the new school year.

If you have not received a Vacation Mail by Wednesday, August 12, 2026, please contact admissions@giswashington.org.

The German International School Washington, D.C requires social service hours from our students in grades 8-12. We will be requiring only ten hours per year. Students will be earning these hours by taking part in activities within the curriculum, the school or the community. As a general rule, all service learning must be performed with a nonprofit tax exempt organization. Assisted-living facilities and nursing homes are the only exception to the nonprofit rule. (List of organizations that offer community service-learning hours: www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/ssl/ )One service-learning hour is awarded for every hour of service outside of the instructional day. A maximum of 8 hours may be earned in a 24-hour period. All service-learning activities must be secular in nature, occur in a public place and be supervised by a nonprofit organization representative. Parents or relatives cannot serve as supervisors for their child or relative. We would like to give you an overview of the process of earning community service hours.

Step 1:

Students will be able to obtain the student service learning activity form here or by stopping by Ms. Fabina's office and picking up a copy in person.

Step 2:

The student chooses one or more activities either in school or in the community. If there are any questions as to whether or not an activity that a student wants to participate in is approved, please contact me prior to beginning the activity.

Step 3:

The student completes the 10 hour requirement and fills out the activity form. The activity supervisor fills in the hours of service and signs the form.

Step 4:

The student brings Mrs. Fabina the completed and signed form and the hours are entered into the database.

For Grade 12 Students only: To be eligible for graduation, each student must hand in their signed forms no later than June 1.

Student may also complete their SSL (Student Service Learning) hours during the summer. All hours must be handed in to Mrs.Fabina by the last Friday in September.

Students may also choose to fulfill their entire service learning requirement at one time. As an example: if a 9th grade student completes 40 hours of community service, the requirement has been met and no further hours are necessary.

Please encourage your children to read the FAQs for students

GISW students should always strive to be neat and clean in their dress and appearance and dress appropriately while at school. At GISW students are not required to wear a uniform.

Please review the complete Dress Code Policy and other school policies.

Parents play an important role at the German International School Washington D.C. Below you will find groups which you may support right at the beginning of the school year:

> QUICKLINKS > Getting Involved at GISW

> Supporting GISW

> QUICKLINKS > Contact Faculty and Staff