Our Program 2012/13
Classes at BAKS+ will start September 3, 2012 and go through June 7, 2013, unless otherwise noted. The 2012/13 calendar with information on planned activities throughout the school year will be available here in August. Our holiday schedule, as well as information on tuition and fees is listed in the enrollment contracts.
German Summer Camp 2012
Ritter Rost
Classes in Berkeley
Classes in Pleasant Hill
German Summer Camp 2012
Ages 4–14, June 18 – July 13, all language levels welcome!
Daily schedule: Mon-Fri, 9 am–1 pm
Extended care option until 3 pm/5 pm
Location: Archway Campus, 250 41st Street Oakland, CA 94611
This year, BAKS+ is hosting a full immersion German Summer camp, on the beautiful Archway campus with spacious classrooms and a great yard. Each age group is led by a native German teacher with experience instructing various levels in an immersion classroom. The teachers will be supported by assistants, many of whom are former campers themselves. All language levels are welcome!
Session 1 (June 18–29): Ritter und Burgen (Knights and Castles)
Boys and girls of all ages are excited about the many castles in the German
speaking countries. Let’s expand our knowledge of the medieval ages through
a fun, hands-on curriculum while learning (more) German. All classes will be enriched by theme-related arts, crafts, music, food and games.
Session 2 (July 2–13): The German Why's: Wieso, Weshalb, Warum?
Children want to know how the world works. Their questions and their curiosity
seem endless! No matter if students work on their basic German skills or are fluent,
they need (content) vocabulary to ask those questions. For two weeks we will
investigate in many different areas of sciences in hands-on classes that are
challenging and fun for all ages and levels.
Cost
Session 1, June 18–29: $400
Session 2, July 2–13 (no camp on July 4): $360
Session 1+2: $700
Half Afternoons (1–3 pm): $15/day*
Full afternoons (1–5 pm): $30/day*
* Extended care can be booked for individual days.
Register today to secure a spot for your child!
Download the flyer and application form (PDF)
For more information, please contact Heike Feltes at sommerschule@kinderstube.org
Ritter Rost—Bühne Frei!
Don't miss our last performance of this hilarious musical, performed by kids for kids, all in German.
Sunday, June 10, at 12 pm
at the Goethe Institut San Francisco, 530 Bush Street, San Francisco, CA 94108
Classes in Berkeley
Epworth United Methodist Church
1953 Hopkins Street
Berkeley, CA 94707
Kindergarten: grade K
Wednesday, 3:30–6:00 pm
Epworth Room 25
This group is for children who finished preschool and now attend Kindergarten. Prior knowledge of German is required for this group. In a fun and relaxed atmosphere, the children are given lots of opportunities to practice their German oral language skills, play with friends and get involved in arts and crafts projects as well as music activities and dance. The German alphabet will be introduced later in the school year.
Deutschgruppe 1: ages 6-7, 1st grade
Tuesday, 3:30–6:00 pm
Epworth Room 25
This is a beginning German reading group. We are going to use German reading and writing materials (such as the "Fibel" and German "Schreibhefte"). The students will learn to recognize and identify most sounds and they will learn to read easy sentences and beginning level stories. Further focus is on the improvement of listening and the expansion of vocabulary. All skills are taught in a fun and relaxing atmosphere.
Deutschgruppe 2: ages 7-8, 2nd grade
Tuesday, 3:30–6:00 pm
Epworth Room 30
To join this group, students have to be able to recognize German sounds and know basic spelling rules. Students in this group are able to read easy sentences and stories at beginner level. We reinforce the students' knowledge of grammar and new vocabulary through language games, reading activities and art projects. More advanced spelling rules will be introduced. A new emphasis will be placed on writing in German.
Deutschgruppe 3: ages 9-11, 3rd grade
Tuesday, 3:30–6:00 pm
Epworth Youth Room
This early intermediate group focuses on reading materials as used in 3rd grade in Germany. The students engage more in independent as well as guided reading activities. To enhance the understanding of German, this group focuses on grammar rules and the further expansion of vocabulary. The students are given lots of opportunities to engage in creative and guided writing activities. Small drama performances are an integral part of this group. Free writing is practiced weekly.
Deutschgruppe 4: ages 10-11, 4th grade
Wednesday, 3:30–6:00 pm
Epworth Room 30
This advanced intermediate German group focuses on reading and writing materials as used in 4th grade classrooms in Germany. The group will gain a deeper understanding of grammar and spelling rules and learn to apply them correctly in independent writing assignments. Furthermore, the students will engage in independent reading assignments and also discuss some age appropriate pieces of literature.
Students may participate in writing contests and annual language exams.
Deutschgruppe 5: ages 10-11, 5th grade
Wednesday, 3:30–6:00 pm
Epworth Youth Room
Description coming soon.
Deutschgruppe 6/7: ages 11-13, 6th and 7th grade
Tuesday, 3:30–6:00 pm
Epworth Room 29
This advanced German group focuses on gaining independent reading and writing skills. This class usually reads two novels per school year. We cover many different genres of writing including essays, letters, fiction, non-fiction descriptions, poems, and more. Furthermore, the curriculum will be enhanced by the inclusion of history, geography, social studies, arts and music of the German-speaking countries.
Students participate in writing contests and annual language exams. These include the American High School Exam AATG as well as the German language exam (A2) from the German Central Agency for Schools Abroad (ZfA)
Deutschgruppe 8+: ages 13-17, 8th -11th grade
Wednesday, 3:30–6:00 pm
Epworth Room 29
This advanced German group is reading German literature across all genres and discusses the reading material in class as well as writes responses. The class furthermore covers more complex grammar and spelling rules and conventions. Practicing independent writing skills is an important focus. Students in this class prepare for advanced German exams. The areas of speaking, writing, listening, reading, plus a strong emphasis on grammar skills will form the focus of this class.
Students are working towards taking the "Deutsche Sprachdiplom (DSD1)" in the following school year and/or the AP German test at their local high school in the school year 2012/13.
AP® Preparatory Class
Thursday, 6:00–8:15 pm
Note: This class might take place at Bay Are Kinderstube depending on class size.
This class is intended to prepare students for the AP® German exam, administered in May each year. The course follows the Collegeboard guidelines for the AP® curriculum. AP® courses are considered college-level courses, and after passing the exam with a score of at least 3, the students may receive college credit (rules vary among state and private colleges, however).
Typically, the students have taken or will also take the DSD 1, a globally administered test by the German government's Zentralstelle für das Auslandsschulwesen. This exam may serve as a first step to satisfy the language proficiency requirements for students who wish to study in Germany. The next higher level, the DSD 2, satisfies the language proficiency requirements completely.
The course develops four core skills that will be tested in both exams: Listening comprehension, reading comprehension, written expression, and oral expression. The course curriculum comprises a thorough grammar and vocabulary review, practice exams, as well as classroom study with current printed and audio-visual materials and textbooks.
This class is offered every other year and will start in the fall of 2011. Students have to be in 9th grade or above to enroll in this class and should be prepared to complete 2-3 hours of homework assignments each week.
Classes in Pleasant Hill
St. Mark's Church
3051 Putnam Blvd.
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
Deutschgruppe 6: ages 11-12, 6th grade
Thursday, 3:30–6:00 pm
Description coming soon.
Deutschgruppe 8+: ages 13-17, 8th -11th grade
Monday, 3:30–6:00 pm
Description coming soon.