GISSV - German International School of Silicon Valley

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Mountain View, CA
GISSV - German International School of Silicon Valley

We offer a preschool-grade 12 bilingual German-English educational program that serves children of a

Preschool-12 Bilingual Education in Two Locations in the Bay Area:

Mountain View Campus
310 Easy Street
Mountain View, CA 94043
[email protected]
(650) 254-0748

San Francisco Campus
117 Diamond St
San Francisco, CA 94114
[email protected]
(650) 254-0748

09/10/2026

🏐🏃‍♂️ A great start to the fall athletics season!

Volleyball is officially underway! Our Golden Eagles opened the season with a close match against Waldorf, then bounced back with a well-fought victory over Silicon Valley International. Strong serving runs from Frauke and Elena helped fuel the team’s win. 👏

On the cross country course, Leo represented GISSV at the Baylands Invitational, racing alongside athletes from across the region and finishing in an impressive 6th place. 🏃‍♂️

And there’s more to come! Our Middle School cross country team hits the starting line for its first competitive races next week. We’re excited to cheer them on! 💛

Go Golden Eagles!

09/07/2026

🇩🇪 Celebrate German language, culture, and music at German Day in Golden Gate Park on Sunday, September 27!

German Day brings together numerous Bay Area German groups to celebrate and promote German culture in the Bay Area. Enjoy live music, organization booths, food, and drinks, plus a special children’s area. Admission is free!

Be sure to stop by GISSV’s information table and say hello while you’re there! 💛

📍 Bandshell & Music Concourse, Golden Gate Park
⏰ 11 am–4 pm

Learn more: www.sfgermanday.org

09/04/2026

🐰 From Social Internship to Real-World Impact

At GISSV, our students have opportunities to step beyond the classroom and contribute to the community through their Social Internship.

For Henry, his internship at Animal Assisted Happiness(AAH) sparked an idea that turned into a real-world solution.

While volunteering at AAH, Henry noticed that volunteer sign-ups were being managed manually through spreadsheets and emails. Rather than simply accepting the inefficient process, he saw an opportunity to improve it. He designed and developed a custom app that makes it easier for AAH’s volunteers to sign up for shifts.

Over the following months, Henry built the app from the ground up, working within AAH’s existing IT systems and processes. In August, his app was successfully rolled out to AAH’s large volunteer community — and the response has been incredibly positive. AAH expects the app to become a permanent part of its volunteer operations.

And this is what makes Henry’s story so special: he didn’t just complete a Social Internship — he identified a need, applied his skills, and created something that will continue to make a difference.

We’re proud to see our students take initiative, solve real-world problems, and turn their ideas into meaningful impact. 💛

Congratulations, Henry!

09/01/2026

🌞 What a wonderful afternoon at the GABA Sommerfest!

Yesterday, we joined the German-American community at Twin Pines Park in Belmont for a relaxed summer afternoon filled with good conversations, delicious food and drinks, and plenty of fun for the kids. 🥨☀️

At the GISSV activity area, kids got creative with face painting and button making and put their skills to the test with co****le. 🎨✨

It was a pleasure to connect with so many families, GABA members, GISSV friends, and community partners — and to enjoy the wonderful picnic atmosphere together.

A special thank you to our wonderful GISSV volunteers, especially our student volunteers, who brought so much energy and enthusiasm to the activities and helped make the afternoon such a success! 💛

And a big thank you to GABA Northern California - German American Business Association for bringing everyone together and hosting such a lovely Sommerfest!

08/25/2026

🎓 Exploring Study Opportunities in Germany

Last Friday, our Grade 11 and 12 students had the opportunity to learn more about studying in Germany and explore their options for university.

Representatives of TU9, the alliance of leading technical universities in Germany, visited our Mountain View campus to give a presentation and answer students’ questions about studying in Germany, with a special focus on STEM (MINT) programs as well as insights into other fields of study.

A great opportunity for our students to get firsthand information and start thinking about their next steps after GISSV! 🇩🇪🎓

08/24/2026

We were honored to welcome Ambassador Christina Beinhoff, Head of the Directorate-General for Culture and Society at the Federal Foreign Office, to GISSV’s San Francisco campus last Friday. 🇩🇪

Accompanied by Franciska Obermeyer, Deputy Consul General, our Board President Shamala Hinrichsen, and members of our school leadership team, Ambassador Beinhoff toured the campus with students from our Elementary and Secondary School.

Our visitors also experienced some of the highlights of learning and life at GISSV: a Jugend debattiert debate, introduced by our school winner Shay and presented by members of our SF Debate Club (Shay, Nila, Jan and Jonathan), followed by a presentation from our Jugend forscht winners, MV High School students Aarav and Viyona. Together, they showcased the curiosity, talent, and accomplishments of our students. ✨

A heartfelt thank you to Ambassador Beinhoff for taking the time to visit GISSV and for her interest in our school and students while in the United States. It was a pleasure to welcome you!

Her visit came just as GAIN26, the annual conference bringing together researchers and partners from Germany’s science and research community, was taking place in San Francisco—a wonderful opportunity to highlight the connections between Germany and the Bay Area. 🇩🇪🌎

Photos: Franciska Obermeyer

German Consulate General San Francisco
Auswärtiges Amt
Zentralstelle für das Auslandsschulwesen
Deutsche Auslandsschulen
Weltverband Deutscher Auslandsschulen

08/21/2026

✨ Exploring AI: GISSV Students Take Part in the 2026 Presidential AI Challenge

What happens when our students dive into the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence?

As part of the 2026 Presidential AI Challenge, students in Grades 10–12 during the 2025/26 school year explored foundational concepts in artificial intelligence and machine learning, gaining an introduction to technologies that are increasingly shaping our everyday lives, education, and future careers.

The Challenge provided an opportunity for students to engage with AI beyond simply using the technology—to explore how it works, think critically about its applications, and build a foundation for understanding this important field.

The project was supported by our Computer Science teachers, Mr. Berk, Mr. Betten, and Dr. Ritter, who guided students throughout their participation.

In recognition of GISSV’s successful participation, each teacher received a Presidential Certificate for their involvement in the 2026 Presidential AI Challenge.

We’re proud of our students for embracing this opportunity to learn, explore, and think about the possibilities and challenges of AI. 💙

08/19/2026

🎒💛 A very special beginning to a brand-new school adventure!

There’s something truly magical about a German Schultüte ceremony—the excitement on the children’s faces, the beautifully decorated cones, and the feeling that a whole new chapter is about to begin. 🇩🇪✨

On Monday, our San Francisco campus celebrated its new first graders, and yesterday morning, we continued the celebration in Mountain View. Surrounded by their families, teachers, and our GISSV community, our newest first graders received their Schultüten, filled with little treats and school supplies to help them get off to a wonderful start.

As part of the many celebrations kicking off the new school year, our Head of School, Dr. Wolfram Schrimpf, welcomed new and returning families together with our new Heads of Elementary School, Nadine Heckmann-Zakharov in San Francisco and Michelle Catudal in Mountain View, President of the Board Shamala Hinrichsen, and Deputy Consul General Franciska Obermeyer.

We’re also delighted to welcome Frau Tatsiou as the teacher of our San Francisco first graders, while Frau Schloetter and Frau Martiny are welcoming our new first graders in Mountain View.

To all our first graders: we’re so happy you’re here! 💛 We can’t wait to see all the things you’ll discover, learn, create, and experience together.

Herzlich willkommen in der 1. Klasse! 🎉📚

German Consulate General San Francisco
Zentralstelle für das Auslandsschulwesen Deutsche Auslandsschulen Weltverband Deutscher Auslandsschulen

08/18/2026

🎒💛 Welcome back, GISSV!

Today was the first day of school for most of our students from Kibili through High School — and what a wonderful way to kick off the 2026/27 school year! 🎉

Across both campuses, students started the year with fun activities and special moments designed to help everyone reconnect, get to know new classmates, build community, and settle into the new school year. From our youngest learners to our high school students, our teachers and staff made the first day a memorable one. 🥰

Here’s just a little glimpse of what was happening today:

🧩 Middle School in Mountain View jumped right into team-building activities in class and mixed-grade teams, including challenges like the Egg Drop Challenge. After all that teamwork and creativity, everyone enjoyed a well-deserved ice cream! 🍦

🌳 Middle School in San Francisco headed to Dolores Park for a little outing — a fun opportunity to spend time together, reconnect, and kick off the year as a community.

And these are just two examples of the many special activities happening across our campuses today! We’re so happy to have our students back and can’t wait for all the learning, laughter, growth, and memorable moments the new school year will bring. ✨

Here’s to a fantastic 2026/27 school year, GISSV! 💛

Address

Mountain View, CA
94043

Telephone

+16502540748

Website

http://www.gissv.org/

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