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United States, Washington Dc
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Counselor Grades 1-4 provides students with opportunities to address problems and conflicts during office hours. Social learning takes place daily across the school. GREIF stands for group-oriented, respectful, empathetic, interested, and friendly. The elementary team uses GREIF tokens to reward students who demonstrate these values. Tokens can be exchanged for small gifts; in Grades 1–2, students earn a gift after 10 griffins, and in Grades 3–4 after 15 griffins. The counselor coordinates parent meetings and collaborates with the secondary school counselor to support students' social and emotional development.
Language enrichment is embedded in daily life in the Preschool, with daily sessions helping children acquire German or English as a second language and learn about German and U.S. cultures. The two programs for language acquisition in early childhood, Finki, ich & wir and Hocus & Lotus, are designed to be playful and age-appropriate. The enrichment modules are integrated into daily life and can be combined in diverse ways to meet different development levels. An Overall Language Concept extends language learning from the Preschool through high school graduation.
The Counselor for Grades 5–12 provides individual and group counseling, classroom guidance, student observation, responsive counseling, college counseling, referrals, and parent and teacher support. The counselor coordinates programs dealing with drug awareness and assertiveness training, peer mediation, and crisis intervention. The Counseling section also offers guidance resources with crisis hotlines and community resources for mental health support. The counselor can be reached at counselor@giswashington.org.
The Health Room serves preschool through twelfth grade and operates weekdays 7:45am–3:15pm. The health care team includes a Health Care Manager, an Administrative Assistant, and counselors for the Elementary School and the Upper School. Absences due to illness are reported to the Health Room via the provided email or phone contact. Before admission, health forms are submitted, and after admission families receive access to Magnus Health to store medical documents; immunization requirements are listed and updated for entry and ongoing compliance. Basic immunizations include MMR and Varicella, with additional requirements for vaccines as students progress through grades SEL–12. Magnus Health login is used to upload documents and update emergency contacts. Anti-bullying policy and safeguarding-related resources are included in counseling materials and resources.
German International School Washington D.C. is an independent bilingual school serving students aged 2 to 18 in Washington, DC. Founded in 1961, GISW provides a dual German‑American program that blends a German curriculum with English lessons to U.S. standards and lab science. Preschool serves ages 2 through 4, with morning groups and optional afternoon care. Elementary School combines German curricula with English instruction and hands‑on science, while Grades 5–12 lead to both a U.S. High School Diploma and German International Abitur, opening doors to universities worldwide. The STEM/MINT program deepens mathematics, informatics, natural sciences, and technology through problem solving and research. GISW is part of the network of German Schools Abroad (over 130 schools). A bus service spans Maryland, Virginia, DC.; SageDining operates the cafeteria with labeling; Bookstore and Health Room serve community. Kindergarten emphasizes play-based learning, time outdoors. The FastTrack language program supports learners, and NEWBEES help families settle.
