Dear GSoM Families,

A warm welcome to all of you from the Board of Directors! We hope you all had a wonderful summer and are as excited as we are to start the new school year at the GSoM!

Over the past two years, the school has seen many changes and we are very grateful for your continued support and enthusiasm about being part of our school’s community. Apart from switching all our classes to Saturdays, and making changes in our curriculum, we have also found a “new home” at Lake Edge United Church of Christ! With all these changes behind us, the Board is confident that our school will continue to thrive as a school that serves both American and German families in the greater Madison area. We are also very happy that the German class for adults is finally becoming a reality. Thanks to all who have signed up!

“Behind the scenes,” a few changes have taken place as well. In an effort to become more professional and reduce the workload of our all-volunteer Board, we have used Active.com to handle our registration. We are also continuously working on streamlining administrative processes and becoming more efficient. This is very important because it allows us to focus on other important issues such as expanding our community outreach, offering varied community events, supporting our teaching staff, and serving you, our families, better. We always welcome your feedback and encourage you to share your thoughts about the school with us!

In the school year 2016/17, we will continue to offer a number of exciting family-friendly events. For details and updates on upcoming events, please visit the calendar on our website  or our Facebook page. Please note the following dates:

• October 15 (Saturday): No classes (rooms are needed for a church event)
• October 16 (Sunday), 3-5 p.m.: Game time! Join us for round of German board games at Panera West, 3416 University Avenue.
• November 6 (Sunday), 3-6 p.m.: Get crafty! Make your own Laterne (lantern) for our St. Martin Fest. Location: Neighborhood House, 29 S. Mills Street.
• November 13 (Sunday), 4:30-7:30 p.m.: St. Martin Fest with lantern walk and community potluck. Location: Shorewood Hills Community Center, 901 Swarthmore Court. (Volunteers needed.)
• November 26 (Saturday): No classes (Thanksgiving recess)
• December 10 (Saturday), 2-5 p.m.: No classes (rooms are needed for a church event). Instead, we will enjoy a visit from St. Nikolaus, along with Christmas Carols and a community potluck. Location: Shorewood Hills Community Center, 901 Swarthmore Court. (Volunteers needed.)
• December 24 and 31 (Saturday): No classes (winter break)

Last but not least, we would like to thank all our volunteers past and present – without you none of this would be possible! If you are interested in volunteering or have a special skill or talent to share, please speak with one of our board members or send us an email!

I am looking forward to a wonderful year ahead of us!

Herzliche Grüße,

Catrin Weimbs
President, Board of Directors