Dear School Community,

As the current President of the FRIENDS, I would like to wish our school community very Happy Holidays and a successful start into the New Year 2022!  The FRIENDS are continuing to navigate the current situation around COVID and are grateful to have strengthened our volunteer organization in helping to build a vibrant community of parents in support of our school.

We again organized a very successful Christmas market, which was only possible through the dedication of countless hours of volunteer work by the Board of the FRIENDS and the many parents, students and staff of the GISW.  Claudia Mansmann as head of the Arts & Crafts Group did an incredible job of bringing volunteers together crafting over 80 wreaths, additional arrangements and other handmade items.  Federico Jacoby spent countless hours coding our ordering system and website to provide our school community the opportunity to purchase many of the Christmas market staples we all enjoy.  James Schmitt seamlessly managed 30 vendors through the process of the online ordering and drive through event at the school, a huge logistical task.  Clemencia Torres de Maestle provided us all with a festive, communal and most importantly safe drive-through event. And so many volunteers engaged in helping from building our huts to delivering orders across the DMV, setting up music and distributing wreaths prior to the 1^st of advent.  What a great accomplishment! Thank You to all our wonderful volunteers!

As we enter 2022, let us use this dedication to service and tireless commitment to continue working together to build a school community deserving for our children.  Collaborating together with mutual respect and the effort to always take the extra step in the right direction is making me very hopeful for a successful 2022.

Happy Holidays!

Michael Heinen

President of the FRIENDS