Welcome to the German Pacific School San Diego !
We offer German classes to native and non-native speakers, from 3 years old through adults, with a core program for grades K-12. Our school year consists of 30 weeks and follows roughly the holiday schedule of the public schools.
Different language level classes are offered on Saturday mornings, weekday afternoons and weeknights, as well as field trips and camps with a diverse learning focus.
Due to the corona virus crisis, all classes are currently offered online. In person instruction is otherwise offered in La Jolla, Clairemont, Carmel Valley and Poway. Depending on availability, joining during the school year is possible as well.
2021 German Immersion Online Summer Courses
Due to the ongoing pandemic, our in-person summer program can still not be held this summer.
Like last summer, we are offering German Immersion Online Summer Courses for elementary, middle, and high school age children and teens. This program is especially designed for our current and incoming families and feature:
- an immersion experience
- small groups of students
- a combination of online/synchronous and offline projects
- taught by our own experienced GPSSD teachers
- a great opportunity to connect with your current or prospective teacher over the summer
If you have not had private tutoring sessions with us and are a new student,
please contact us before registering to confirm availability. Thank you!
GPSSD reserves the right to cancel courses if minimum number of participants is not reached. In that case, a full refund of registration fees will be issued.
about us.
The German Pacific School San Diego (GPSSD) is a non-profit organization that was founded in August of 2013. GPSSD is a language and cultural immersion school open to all students who desire to improve or master their German language skills and enhance their cultural understanding.
GPSSD offers German language classes for native and non-native speakers from age three to adult. Our core program aligns with the requirements set forth by the German Central Agency for Schools Abroad (ZfA) that is part of Germany’s Federal Office of Administration (BVA).
GPSSD is accredited by the German government to administer all levels of German language exams, including the German Language Diploma (DSD I and II ) which serve as proof of necessary language skills required in order to enroll in college-level courses in Germany (DSD I) and evidence of language proficiency required to attend a German university (DSD II). We also offer classes to prepare for the SAT Subject Test German and the Advanced Placement (AP) German Language Test.
Our school is governed by a dedicated board of directors consisting of educators, parents of students, and community members. GPSSD benefits from the unselfish leadership of our volunteer board members. In 2018, GPSSD stakeholders consisting of board members, principal, teachers, and students achieved accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).
Our Mission.
The German Pacific School San Diego (GPSSD) is a language and cultural immersion school open to all students K-12 who desire to master the German language, or to enhance their German language skills.
Our Vision.
GPSSD strives to foster global awareness of the traditions and cultural heritage of German speaking countries. The goal is to prepare students to become informed and critically thinking global citizens of the 21st century who are able to communicate inter-culturally.
GPSSD is dedicated to broaden and improve its currently existing language program to the next level of excellency by offering more access throughout San Diego County, resulting in a yearly increase of students mastering higher levels of German education. GPSSD is determined to become the premier educational organization in San Diego County for German language and cultural heritage.
Our team.
Peter Teriete, D. Phil.
President
Christine Johnson
Principal
Uli Heine
Board Member
Dr. Angela Miller
Board Member
Paul Williamson
Treasurer
Birgit Wester
Administration
Andrea Palczewski
Teacher
Kathrin Grosse
Teacher
Vicky Ripart
Teacher
Raschel Boujram
Teacher
Magdalena 'Magi' Gawlik
Teacher
Erin Pfeil
Teacher
Colette Vogler
Teacher
Eleana Whyte
Teacher
Eriona Cullhaj
Teacher
Celi Mangione
Teacher
Caia Jaisle
Community Relations Coordinator
JOB OPPORTUNITIES.
Interested in joining our team?
We are always looking to increase our pool of qualified candidates that could teach or substitute teach.
Qualifications:
- Native or near native oral and written skills in German
- Availability on weekdays late afternoons/evenings and/or Saturday mornings
- Excellent communication skills with students, parents, staff members
- Teaching experience preferred
Please send your resume to info@gpssd.org. We are looking forward to hearing from you!
Teachers
Our teachers are native or near native german speakers with love for the language and passion to share it with others.
Growth
From Pre-K through Grade 12 and for adults, we offer early language acquisition and build a strong foundation for growth.
Community
GPSSD is a supportive community of parents, students and teachers. In addition to our regular classes, we offer a variety of cultural events throughout the year.
Our Locations.
Not all class levels are offered at every location.
See current class schedule for classes that are offered at a respective location.
La Jolla
Classes are held at the
San Diego French American School
6550 Soledad Mountain Rd
La Jolla, CA 92037
Clairemont
Classes are held at the
Clairemont Lutheran Church
4271 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117
Carmel Valley
Classes are held at the
Harvest Evangelical Church
13885 El Camino Real
San Diego, CA 92130
Poway
Classes are held at the
Incarnation Lutheran Church
16889 Espola Road
Poway, CA 92064
2020-21 Class Information and Registration for Child and Adult Classes
Welcome to the 2020-21 school year at GPSSD!
Please read through the following information. All classes during the first and second semester of the school year 2020-21 will be ONLINE.
- Students will be taught remotely via Zoom video conferencing. Synchronous instruction will be complemented by other learning activities via Google classroom, Seesaw (K-2) and other digital tools as appropriate and effective for learning and engagement.
- Parental support will be needed for Kindergarten and Lower Elementary students.
- Class size will be limited to allow for student-teacher and student-student interaction.
- Class duration will be tiered based on grade level and age of students.
- Students will interact, collaborate, and work during class time. If appropriate, students will be using break out rooms.
- As most students will participate in distance learning at their regular school, we will maximize German instruction during the assigned class time.
- Weekly academic support will be offered for students to get help if needed.
- Feedback on homework and other assignments will be provided weekly.
- Testing will resume unless not offered by the respective organizations.
- Returning students will receive priority consideration for enrollment.
- Books will be needed for most classes. Books will be drop shipped.
2020-21 Class Schedule and Tuition: Semester 2
First Day of School: 9/12/2020
Semester 1: 9/12/20 – 1/23/2021
Semester 2: 1/30/21 – 6/12/21
The schedule below reflects class offerings during Semester 2.
1. Tuition and Registration (Please read!)
- Tuition is per semester.
- A non-refundable registration fee of $30/student is due upon registration.
- Tuition includes fees for text/-workbooks for classes as indicated above. Books will be shipped directly to your home address.
- New students joining a current class that is still working with books from the previous semester, will be invoiced a separate book fee of $35. Books will be shipped directly to your home address.
- Exam fees of $30 for the DSD I and DSD II in-person exams will be due at the time of exam registration.
- If registering multiple children, a registration form has to be completed for each child individually.
2. Selecting your child’s class
- Use your child’s grade level in the current school year to guide you.
- If your child is a returning student, you may check the recommended progression in their latest report card.
- General guidelines for the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference) levels:
A1 – Beginner (student completes A1.1 and A1.2 before taking A1 exam)
A2 – Elementary (student completes A2.1 and A2.2 before taking A2 exam)
B1 – Intermediate (students working towards DSD I exam)
B2/C1 – Advanced/Mastery (students working towards DSD II exam)
AP is an American High School Exam. Students can enroll in the AP prep course after completing the DSD I exam) - Enrollment in any exam prep class is based on teacher recommendation.
- If you are new to the school, you will be asked to complete a language skill assessment form.
- Students will be grouped by considering language abilities, age/maturity, grade level, and teacher input. Adjustments will be made as required.
- Please contact the school if you need any assistance!
Priority consideration will be given to registered students of returning families.
Withdrawal and Refund Policy 2020-21
- In case of withdrawal, notification must be made in writing to the Administration at info@gpssd.org.
- No refund of tuition after the 2nd week of classes.
- The $30 registration fee is non-refundable.
If you are interested in joining after the start of the current semester, please contact us by email at info@gpssd.org before registration, so we can confirm that we have a spot in the right class available. Thank you!
Language Proficiency Standards and Exams: CEFR-ACTFL
The two major frameworks for learning, teaching, and assessing foreign language skills are: the U.S. defined scales of proficiency, i.e., the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines/ILR Skill Level Descriptions, and the Common European Framework of Reference for Language (CEFR). Please see below for details of each framework and how those two systems have been aligned.
1. CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Language).
The self-assessment grid below illustrates the levels of proficiency described in the CEFR. For more information, please follow the source link.
Source: Council of Europe
2. Correspondences ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) Levels and CEFR
For more information and to read the complete text of the Assigning CEFR Ratings to ACTFL Assessments follow the source link.
Source: https://www.actfl.org/resources/assigning-cefr-ratings-actfl-assessments
Calendar School Year 2020/21
First Day of School: 9/12/2020
Semester 1: 9/12/20 – 1/23/2021
Semester 2: 1/30/2021 – 6/12/2021
Get in Touch.
Here for you
info@gpssd.org
858-461-9118
German Pacific School
San Diego
4271 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.,
San Diego, CA 92117