Laternlein #21: Lunar New Year Season is upon us, and Fasching, too!
Open House coming up!
Are you excited to share our community to others? Well our Winter Open House is coming up on February 22nd and it’s a great opportunity for families to visit GIS, tour our facilities, meet teachers and discover if we’re the right fit for them.
Spring Break Camps Enrolling Now
Each age group has its own fun theme - the creativity from our amazing Spring Break Camp Staff is brimming! Details still to come but enrollment is open!
Adult Language Classes Are Open for Spring
Spring term registration is now open for German, Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese, Yoga, History, and more. On site affordable childcare is now available for learners, making it even easier for families to participate. A great way to learn something new, meet new people and build community!
Learn Mandarin Online. Info Session Coming Up
Interested in our online Mandarin course? Teacher Evangelista will host a free virtual information session and mini lesson on Thursday, February 12 at 6:30 pm.
Sign up to receive the meeting link, or contact Evangelista Barylski with any questions.
GIS Board and Committee Members Needed
The German International School Portland is seeking parents, grandparents, extended family members, and community partners to serve on its Board or committees.
We especially welcome experience in:
Building and facilities
Finance
If you or someone you know brings these skills, or simply has a passion for supporting a vibrant, international learning environment, we would love to connect.
Inquiries accepted through March 20, 2026
Contact Tom Chau, Board Secretary.
Open Music Classes for German Track PreK and Kindergarten Families
German track PreK and Kindergarten families are invited to a special Open Music Class where caregivers can join their children in making music together.
Date: Week of February 23 to 27
Time: During your student’s normal music class
Where: PreK classes will remain in their classrooms. Kindergarten classes will meet in the downstairs music room.
Come sing, dance, play instruments, and see how music fosters creativity and learning. It is a wonderful opportunity to share in your child’s musical journey and enjoy some time together. Questions? Contact Rebecca Carvalho
EP February In Service Day Registration Is Open
Registration is now open for the EP In Service Day on February 13. Please be sure to sign up by February 12.
GIS Family Fun at the Rip City Remix Basketball Game
We are thrilled to be invited as Anthem Buddies at this family friendly basketball game on Friday, March 6 at 5:30 pm.
Fifteen GIS students will join the away team on the court during the National Anthem as the Remix take on the Valley Suns.
Tickets are $10 in our reserved GIS section in the Lower Bowl, complete with padded seat backs.
Perks include free parking, $7 kids meals, $5 snack packs, and post game photos with the team.
This promises to be a fun community night and we hope to see you there.
Portland Timbers vs. Vancouver Whitecaps at Providence Park - Come see Thomas Müller Debut in Portland!
Join Portland’s German community for a special night of football on Saturday, March 7 at 7:30 pm.
We are celebrating the beautiful game with a ticket offer for GIS Community!
A World Class Legend Takes the Pitch!
Supply Request for Fifth Grade Project
Ashley Parsons and Kati Heckmann are collecting fence posts for an upcoming fifth grade project and are checking with families before purchasing new materials. They’ll be researching grape varieties and selecting the best options to plant and monitor the delicious results!
If you have fence posts available to assist with the trellis build, thank you for considering donating to support student learning.
Lunar New Year Performances on February 20
We are so excited to celebrate Lunar New Year with our community at our student performances on February 20 from 6:00 to 7:30 pm at Village Church.
Because the venue has a firm capacity limit, we are unfortunately not able to accommodate our full school community at once. We were able to increase the total number of seats to 698, but this still requires us to place a temporary limit on ticket reservations.
At this time, families are asked to reserve no more than two tickets so that as many households as possible can attend.
Students who are performing, as well as volunteers who signed up on the Parent Circle volunteer sheet, do not need to reserve an additional ticket. You have already been accounted for.
We know this is disappointing, and we truly appreciate your understanding and flexibility as we work to make this celebration accessible to as many families as possible.
Thank you for helping us support our students and one another as we celebrate the incoming Year of the Horse.
