Newly Enrolled Families
Welcome new Griffin Families!
Thank you for enrolling at the German International School Washington D.C. (GISW)! We are so excited to welcome you to our campus. Our goal is to make your transition as new members of our school community smooth, efficient, and enjoyable. To help with the transition, we have created this Back to School Resource Guide for you. We have complied lists of links, dates, and information as your one-stop shop, for example important dates, classroom supplies, ways to get involved or last-minute tasks to ensure a smooth transition for you and your children into the new school year.
We look forward to welcoming you to our beautiful campus on Friday, August 18, 2023 from 5pm to 7:30pm. 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.
For planning purposes we ask you to sign up via this link:
https://forms.gle/F7j2j5nyv3xmbHzr7
After registering for Welcome Night you will receive further information.
Please stay up-to-date with these 2 important school calendars:
READ SOMETHING FUN THIS SUMMER - E-BOOKS AND AUDIOBOOKS (Preschool – 12th 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 12th grade. For questions and login information, please contact our librarian Kathryn Deschler at kdeschler@giswashington.org.
SUMMER CAMPS
- Sports with our afternoon program provider KOA: MULTISPORT SUMMER CAMP
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 following link. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Sedlmayer at bookstore@giswashington.org.
Families make appointments online to pick up books (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.
The Afternoon Program is offered in all grade levels from age 2 through Grade 12 and goes until 3:10 pm. For further information regarding online registration:
Grades 1-4: The registration begins at the start of the school year: https://giswashington.org/afternoon-program.html - Contact person: Andrea Pence apence@giswashington.org
Grade 5-12: The registration begins on July 31st. You will receive a separate email with further information. Afternoon Program information: https://giswashington.org/afternoon-program-429.html - Contact person: Dunja Baker dbaker@giswashington.org
The GISW Extended Care Program is provided daily from 3:15 pm to 4:45 pm for students who are in the School Entry Level through ninth grade. Extended Care is an After School Program, which can only be booked for the entire school year, 5 days a week. Group activities and the possibility to complete homework assignments in a quiet environment are the core elements of our program. A teacher brings all bus-riders to the 4:55pm bus. - Contact person: Melanie Schneider mschneider@giswashington.org
On official Early Release days where classes end at 12:15pm, we offer Extended Care from 12:15 pm to 4:45 pm. On all early Release Days there is no bus service at 4:55pm.
If you have not yet registered your child for the extended care program with the school contract, please use the Change Form and send it directly to aburns@giswashington.org.
Is your child interested in one or more of our upper school teams?
To find out more about our sports teams and schedules, please see this Athletics Flyer and the always updated Athletics Page on our website.
Please 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 for the 2023/24 school year. 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 Andrea Burns at GISW via email at aburns@giswashington.org via phone at 301.767.3813.
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 School Nurse at nurse@giswashington.org or 301.767.3814.
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: 301.767.3839 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 aburns@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 Andrea Burns at aburns@giswashington.org.
If you have questions about the cafeteria, please contact our Cafeteria Liaison Jutta Wagner mail@giswashington.org.
For more information about the cafeteria, please see the cafeteria page.
ONLINE VIEW OF CURRENT DAILY PLAN OF CLASSES AS WELL AS SUBSTITUTES
In order to view the current daily schedule and substitute classes (Vertretungsplan) any time please download the Units app to your mobile device. Or if you work in a browser, please go to: https://mese.webuntis.com/WebUntis/index.do#main
Then follow these steps:
- If you are using the app you need to select “add profile” when you first set it up, then move to the next step
- Where is says „Schulname“ enter these three letters: dsw (in the app select “anonymous”)
- Please select „Stundenplan“ to see the schedule
- Make sure you have chosen the correct week.
- Select a class from the drop-down menu in order to see the schedule in which you will also find any substituted classes.
If you have any questions, please contact our Deputy Head of School, Mr. Markus Hagemann: mhagemann@giswashington.org
You will receive the Wednesday Mail, our weekly newsletter packed with interesting and important information about life at the GISW, every Wednesday during school weeks. 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 Monday, August 14, 2023, please contact Ms. Wagner at mail@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. However, please see GISW’s Dress Code Policy.
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: