Our Program

In 2002, Cincinnati Public Schools reconfigured its foreign language schools. All CPS foreign language schools have been brought together to form a streamlined Pre-Kindergarten to 12t Grade International Program. Included in this Program are: AMIS, a Pre K-8 French and Spanish immersion school; The Academy of World Languages (AWL), a Pre K-8 school offering, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian (all Pre K-8); Fairview German Language School, (K-6) teaching German in the FLES model; and The International School at Withrow, offering foreign language instruction for new and continuing students at grades 9-12.

Fairview German Language School is the beginning segment of the German language component of CPS’ Pre K-12 International Program. At this time there is no German Pre Kindergarten. The continuation of Fairview’s program takes place at The Academy of World Languages for 7th and 8th grade if enough students enroll. At AWL our students will receive intensive German instruction if enough students transfer to AWL. They may choose to start a second foreign language if desired.

While all CPS students can choose to attend any high school for which they are eligible, Fairview/AWL students will be especially prepared to attend The International School at Withrow. The International School offers three different tracks:

• The International Language Program; with special emphasis on immersion language instruction
• The International Business Program; for students who may be interested in careers in International Finance, Legal/Paralegal work, and Travel/Tourism
• The International Baccalaureate Program; intensive class work in 9 and10 grades will prepare students for the International Baccalaureate Organization’s Diploma Program (IB) in 11 and 12 grades.
• The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, created this demanding pre-university course of study in 1968. Highly motivated students who complete this track and pass the rigorous final examinations will receive an internationally recognized IB Diploma. (American high school diplomas are not internationally recognized.)

Students in all three tracks will be expected to study a foreign language and may choose to study a second. During the 7 and 8 grade years former Fairview students who have maintained their fluency in German are given the opportunity to participate in the exchange program with the Realschule (Middle School) in Donaueschingen, Germany. There the students live with host families and receive instruction at the German school. Further travel options will be available at the International School at Withrow.

Fairview Library
Fairview has a full-time librarian, Ms. Eileen Kues, who oversees over 13,000 items in Fairview's school library. Each student visits the full-service library once a week. The library relies on funding that are locally raised and volunteers to function. Some of the funding sources including magazine subscription donations, the widely successful Birthday Book Club, the annual Scholastic Book Fair and the Used Book Sale in March. Library Media Specialist: Ms. Eileen Kues

German
Fairview German Language Curriculum
German instruction at Fairview is provided within the framework of an intensive Foreign Language in the Elementary School (FLES) program with emphasis on content enrichment. In addition to traditional foreign language instruction, topics in curriculum areas such as social studies, science and math are covered in the German classroom as well. There is an extensive, detailed German curriculum for each grade level. Authentic materials, German textbooks, and a variety of regalia are implemented on a regular basis to supplement the established curriculum at each grade level.

For more information including the school's accomplishments in the last year and the upcoming relocation of our program to the new Clifton site, read Herr Donald Hamilton's report to the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG). (aatgnews.pdf)

Kindergarten
From day one the students are exposed to thirty minutes of German class every day.  The classes are conducted in the target language.  The emphasis at this early stage lies entirely on aural/oral comprehension. Interactive games, songs, puppets as well as various objects gathered from home and school engage the children in this learning process. Research proves, that to educate our students at such an early age in a second language leads to a greater success in other subject areas as well.

Teacher: Frau Angela Mazzei

First Grade
First grade German emphasizes the development of listening and speaking skills.  During German class, German is the language of instruction.  This is an attempt to take advantage of the young child's proclivity to talk and relative lack of inhibition.  Many action verbs such as come, go, show, fetch, take, give, laugh, and cry, among others provide the basis for the language program.  These verbs are used in conjunction with various familiar objects from home and school as the children develop the basic vocabulary necessary for success in succeeding years.  Veteran and talented German speaking puppets put in numerous appearances and enhance the lessons to the delight of the children.  Games and songs are also and integral part of the first-grade curriculum.

Teacher: Herr Don Jacoby

Second Grade
The grade-two German curriculum builds upon and augments the aural and oral competencies acquired during Kindergarten and grade-one language instruction. As in previous years, instruction is carried out in the target language and in the present tense. (Past tense of verbs is officially introduced later in the year.) New components this year are reading and writing in German. Pupils meet seven times a week (for 40 minutes per period), five times in large groups (concentrating on listening and writing) and twice in small groups (emphasizing reading and speaking).

We begin the year by learning the alphabet in German. Thence we follow a logical progression from letters and words to sentences, and then, on to short texts.

New vocabulary is introduced weekly. Pupils receive a short vocabulary list on Monday, participate in a classroom competition on Thursday, and take a simple written test on Friday.

Each week (or two) we introduce a new German children's song (often related to the current instructional theme). The children learn, act out, and mime the song's content. We also celebrate and discuss numerous German (and German-American) customs and holidays.

Throughout the year, various themes are treated and discussed. These categories include: colors, directions, family members, the human body, clothing, animals, fruits and vegetables, foods, professions, and homes and habitats, etc.

A variety of approaches, media, and materials is employed to ensure that pupils have the maximum positive contact with the target language. We also attempt (with units on geography and other areas) to expand and reinforce the general grade-two curriculum. Puppets, pictures, games and regalia further assist our endeavor to expand upon and enhance the linguistic, educational, and cultural experience of each individual pupil at Fairview German Language Language School.

Teacher: Herr Don Hamilton

Third Grade
The third grade German curriculum includes development in these areas: listening, speaking, reading writing and culture.  All instruction takes place in German.  Students receive ample opportunities to practice spoken language as they engage in classroom conversation with the teacher and each other. Writing exercises help reinforce vocabulary and develop skill in combining language.  The combination of this years writing efforts is a student authorized book, a Young Author's project.  Fairy Tales, poetry, short narration and dialogues form the basis of a reading program.

I will enhance your child's regular classroom curriculum by teaching 3rd grade content in German.  I will incorporate social studies (Geography, map reading skills, bodies of water and land forms,) Math (math facts, fractions, story problems, counting money, telling time, place value, metric measurement,) and Science (animal classification, the environment etc.)

In order to devote as much time as possible to learning the German language, I have high standards regarding behavior. Students are to be well rested and give their full attention during class.  Students are encouraged to speak German as much as possible, but may not speak out without permission.  Talking out in English, playing with toys, keys, jewelry, supplies etc or disturbing other children results in a loss of learning time.  I appreciate your support of my efforts to create meaningful, productive and pleasant learning experiences for your child.

Teacher: Frau Julie Benthaus

Fourth Grade
The fourth grade German curriculum covers several areas: listening, speaking, writing, reading and culture.  All instruction takes place in German, which allows for many opportunities for all students to practice both speaking and listening skills. Reading and writing are major focuses in the fourth grade.   Students will learn more vocabulary and several grammar structures.  Students will also read several books in German this year, as well as writing their own German book for Young Author's Night.

Students in fourth grade German will also receive instruction in German covering topics from their regular classroom curriculum, such as Math, Science, Social Studies, and Art.  Specific topics include multiplication, the metric system, telling time, elapsed time, animals and their habitats, Ohio History and Expressionism.  These topics allow the students to review material, as well as build their German vocabulary.

Teacher: Frau Laura Will

Fifth & Sixth Grade
More to Come!

Teacher: Hans Dieter Glaubke

Exchange Opportunities
American Student Trip to Germany
The student trip to Germany is an exciting highlight of our pupils’ instruction in German and an impetus to continue their education in German. Students improve their ability to speak German, receive firsthand experience of the culture they have learned about, and enjoy the maturing experience of a trip away from home. The trip usually occurs at the end of the seventh grade year.

Students live in the homes of German families in Donaueschingen, the Black Forest region of southern Germany. They attend school with the German children each day, have their own classes, and take numerous day trips.

All students are eligible to go and are selected by teachers on the basis of maturity, readiness, and ability to speak German. Parents meet in the spring of the sixth grade year to apply for and to discuss the trip. Parents will be notified at that time if there is a potential problem that would make their child ineligible for the trip. At that time an initial deposit is made against the cost of the trip. A final decision on which students may go is made after the fall quarter of the seventh grade. The chaperones are chosen from among the German-speaking staff and approved by the GEBAS Board.

German Exchange Trip
The German students visit Cincinnati in the spring, staying in homes with Fairview and AWL students. This can be a wonderful cultural exchange experience, which the entire host family can enjoy. The German students go to school with the AWL students, have their own classes, and go on a number of “Cincinnati experience” field trips. They also visit the classes at Fairview and speak with the children there. The German-American evening, which usually includes a potluck, is held each year at the Academy of World Languages. All Fairview families are invited to attend this event and meet the visiting students.