The Only PDX School Offering German or Mandarin from Age 2, Plus Middle School in Three Language Options.
Explore German and Mandarin Chinese Immersion in our place-based, IB Curriculum with rigorous academics, creative arts, and a warm, international community.
Small Class Sizes and Tight Knit Community
Every child is seen, known, and supported. Our small class sizes create a warm, connected environment where teachers truly understand each learner, and families feel like part of a real community, not just a school system.
Exceptional Results in Math & Reading
GIS students consistently outperform national benchmarks in both math and reading. With strong foundations, individualized support, and inquiry-driven learning, our students gain the skills, and confidence, to thrive in any academic setting, here and globally.
A Global Education That Actually Matters
With immersive German or Mandarin Chinese tracks and a Middle School option in German, Chinese, or English, GIS prepares students for a global future without sacrificing belonging or joy. Language isn’t just a class here, it’s how they think, connect, and grow.
Bilingual Two’s
Full Immersion Grade School
German, Chinese & English Middle School
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Two Year Olds in German or Mandarin Chinese
Warm, immersive beginnings in German or Mandarin Chinese. Gentle routines nurture social-emotional skills, emerging language, early numeracy, and fine- and gross-motor development.
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Preschool in German or Mandarin Chinese
Playful, immersive foundations in German or Mandarin Chinese. Social emotional growth, early literacy, math and motor development.
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Full Language Immersion Kindergarten
Immersive kindergarten in German or Mandarin Chinese. Biliteracy foundations, inquiry-based math and science, social–emotional growth, and fine-motor/handwriting development.
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IB Curriculum, Language Immersion Grade School
Biliteracy across subjects, hands on science, arts and outdoor and place-based learning. Emphasis on target language, along with English literacy.
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Middle School in English, German or Mandarin Chinese
Advanced language in target language, project-based STEM, leadership and global citizenship. Preparing students for high school and beyond.
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Learn About the IB & PYP Curriculum
IB Primary Years Programme (PYP), Kinder to Grade 5. Inquiry-led, transdisciplinary learning that builds conceptual understanding, learner agency, international-mindedness, and purposeful action.
Why Parents Choose GIS.
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Academic Excellence
Inquiry-driven, place-based learning with strong outcomes on literacy, fluency, math and science.
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True Immersion
German and Mandarin Chinese taught by native or near-native educators. Target language introduction in the Two’s Program and Preschool, Full immersion in Kindergarten through 8th grade.
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Whole Child
Arts, outdoor education, and social-emotional learning in every grade.
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Global Mindset
Rooted here. Ready for anywhere. With a Global IB Curriculum, students build cultural agility for life.
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Close-Knit Community
Small classes sizes, caring teachers, and partnership with families.
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STEM + arts
Project-based learning in a place-based environment that connects our local community with science, technology, and creativity.
Take a moment to see your child’s new school.
FAQs
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Language immersion is an instructional model where most or all subjects are taught in a target language rather than English. At GIS, students in the German and Mandarin Chinese tracks learn math, science, social studies, and the arts in their immersion language, building fluency while mastering academic content. This approach supports cognitive flexibility, problem solving, and cultural literacy. Our Two’s Program offers a bilingual classroom to ease and introduce our little learners into their target language, while also ensuring communication skills over all are built with confidence.
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No prior language experience is required for our early learning programs or private kindergarten. Students entering first grade without immersion experience may quality for our Fast Track language support program, which helps new learners quickly gain the skills needed to succeed in an immersion environment.
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Yes. GIS provides need based financial aid to eligible families, making our private school education more accessible. Financial aid awards help ensure that qualified students from diverse backgrounds can benefit from our Global IB, language immersion programs.
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2026-2027 Enrollment Timeline
November 14 - New families and sibling applications open
November 14 - February 6 - Schedule your family meeting & Student visit
February 20 - Two year old - 8th grade new family acceptance letters sent out
December 2 -January 30 - Schedule your 1st - 8th Grade shadow day
January 16th - Kindergarten student visit day.
January 24th - Preschool student visit day
February 20 - Two year old - 8th grade new family acceptance letters sent out
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For our Two’s Program, children do not need to be toilet trained before starting. Our teachers work with two year olds daily to support successful potty habits, and each classroom is equipped with its own private bathroom to make the process easier and more comfortable. Parents are asked to provide disposable diapers, wipes, and changes of clothing to keep at school.
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Our two’s program is structured just like an age appropriate school classroom and follows our school academic year calendar, with convenient after school extended programming options.
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Middle School at GIS is offered in German, Chinese, or English. Students in the English track still benefit from our global curriculum and multilingual environment without prior language experience.