German School Upstate, South Carolina

𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐩 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭

July is closer than it looks. 🦊

Fritz the Fox is heading to Vienna — and we still have a few spots left for kids who want to join the adventure.

𝐆𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐈𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐩. 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟐𝟕–𝟑𝟏 𝐢𝐧 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞. 𝐀𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝟓𝐊–𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝟔𝐭𝐡 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞.No German experience needed — just a curious kid and one free week this summer.

One week of language, culture, and stories — so that your child starts the school year with something most of their classmates don't have. A little bit of German. A lot of confidence.

𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲:
👉 germanschoolupstate.org/SummerCamp

🧠𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚'𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙄 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙡𝙚 𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙠 𝙞𝙣 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙢𝙨:

The kids who are learning German aren't just picking up a language — they're building a different kind of brain. More flexible. More creative. Better at solving problems they've never seen before.

Science backs this up. Bilingual children show stronger cognitive skills, higher academic performance, and sharper focus — so that when things get hard, they have more tools to work with.

𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙂𝙚𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮? It connects them to one of the world's most powerful economies, a rich cultural tradition, and 100 million speakers worldwide — so that doors open for them that most kids don't even know exist yet.

This is why I do what I do. Not just to teach vocabulary — but to give kids a real advantage, for life.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔–𝟐𝟕 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝟐𝟎. 🇩🇪 𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐩𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞.𝐨𝐫𝐠

⚽ 𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝟏 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 — 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞!

🇩🇪 Germany — 7-1 vs. Curaçao 🔥
🇨🇭 Switzerland — 1-1 vs. Qatar 😅
🇦🇹 Austria — 3-1 vs. Jordan 🎉
(first win since 1990 — wir sind stolz!)

We are definitely "ein geteiltes Haus" over here — and we wouldn't have it any other way 😄

𝙎𝙤 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙪𝙨 — 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙔𝙊𝙐 𝙘𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚? 𝙒𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨… 𝙤𝙧 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙-𝙣𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙚𝙨? 😂👇

ɴᴇxᴛ ᴜᴘ: Switzerland vs. Bosnia tomorrow, Germany vs. Ivory Coast Friday, Austria vs. Argentina Monday. It's getting real! 🏆

📬🦊 𝙁𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙯 𝙜𝙤𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙞𝙡!

𝙏𝙤𝙙𝙖𝙮, 𝙁𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙯 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙙 — 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙑𝙀𝙍𝙔 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙙!

This summer, German School Upstate students are taking part in Fritz’s Postcard Challenge: students can send Fritz postcards from wherever summer takes them. Each postcard earns points, and students can win prizes along the way.

Fritz can’t wait to hear from more of our students and see where their postcards come from next!

Way to go, Sofia, for sending the very first postcard and earning the first point! 🎉

Who will be next?

🏆⚽𝙃𝙚𝙪𝙩𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙩 𝙙𝙞𝙚 𝙒𝙈 — 𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙧 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙞𝙣 𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙞𝙡𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙃𝙖𝙪𝙨! 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝘾𝙪𝙥 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝙏𝙊𝘿𝘼𝙔 — 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙!😄

At German School Upstate, we proudly represent Germany 🇩🇪, Austria 🇦🇹, AND Switzerland 🇨🇭 — which means not everyone in our community is cheering for the same team… and we LOVE it that way!

𝐒𝐨 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐮𝐬 — 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰? 🏠 𝐖𝐢𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐞𝐡𝐭 𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐢 𝐞𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐳𝐮 𝐇𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐮𝐬?

Are you a Germany-only household? A Switzerland-Austria split? Or is someone secretly cheering for another team? 😂

𝗗𝗿𝗼𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺(𝘀) 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗮𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗿-𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 — 𝗹𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀! 👇

Möge das beste Team gewinnen! 🏆🎉

🍺🇩🇪 Did You Know?
German Father’s Day Is Nothing Like American Father’s Day!

When Americans think of Father’s Day, they often picture backyard cookouts, neckties, greeting cards, and spending time with family.

In Germany? Well… things can get a little more adventurous. 😄

German Father’s Day, known as Vatertag, is celebrated on Ascension Day, which is always 40 days after Easter. And while family gatherings certainly happen, one of Germany’s most famous traditions might surprise you.

For generations, groups of fathers (and sometimes not-so-fathers! 😉) have gathered with friends, loaded up a handcart called a Bollerwagen, and headed out for a day of walking, hiking, laughter, food, and drinks.

Imagine a wagon filled with picnic foods, local specialties, beverages, and good company rolling through the German countryside. That’s a scene that has played out across Germany for well over a century.

🚜 Fun Fact:
Some Bollerwagen are decorated with ribbons, flowers, or funny signs. In some villages, friendly competitions arise over who has the most creative wagon!

🍺 Another Fun Fact:
Many German beer gardens and restaurants traditionally see some of their busiest days of the year on Vatertag.

And before you ask—yes, there are plenty of stories involving fathers who may have enjoyed their celebrations a little too enthusiastically. 😆

While American Father’s Day focuses on honoring Dad with gifts and family gatherings, Germany’s Vatertag has long been known as a day of friendship, adventure, and making memories together.

❤️ We think both traditions have something special to offer.

Now we’re curious…

If you could choose just one Father’s Day experience, would you rather:

🇩🇪 Spend the day hiking through the German countryside with a Bollerwagen and friends

OR

🇺🇸 Enjoy a backyard BBQ surrounded by family and good food

Tell us which one you’d choose in the commen