School
- What grade levels does the school offer?
- Berlin Kids has classes for children from first grade until 6th grade. For more information about the school's educational concept and the mixed-age classroom, read the section on Classroom Structures and Teaching Methods in the school concept.
- How many students are there in a class?
- Each classroom has 24 students.
- What hours does the school run?
- School hours are from 8:30 am until 4 pm.
- Does the school offer before- and after-school care? What about school vacation child care?
- The before- and after-school care in Germany is called Hort. Hort is open from 7:30 until 8:30 in the morning and then again in the afternoon from 4:00 until 6:00 pm. The school also offers holiday Hort during school breaks. The Hort does not function during staff work days, during the Christmas holidays, and during a two-week span in summer break.
- What's the split between German and English in the classroom?
- English is used for roughly 60-70% of all teaching in the first three years of schooling, balancing out to 50% from Year Four onwards. German and Math are taught in German, while English and the other subjects are taught in English. For more information about the bilingual aspect of our school, read the Educational Concept.
- Is there a school bus service?
- Yes, there is. Several of the Berlin Kids families live in neighborhoods a little bit farther away from the school and take advantage of a school bus service provided by an external company.
- Does the school tuition include lunch?
- Yes, a hot lunch is included in the day care tuition. Children are asked to bring an afternoon snack from home and fresh fruit and vegetables are offered by the school every afternoon at snack time.
- What kinds of services does the school have for special-needs children?
- We work closely with local authorities and specialists to assess the level of care and assistance special needs children require and together with parents we go through the bureaucratic procedure which then allows us to hire the required specialists. Every classroom has a teacher and a teaching assistant to better attend to children's individual learning plans.
- What is the school's art and music program like?
- All children have art and music classes. Art is integrated into the overall class projects, music is taught separately by a music professional. Berlin Kids is delighted to be able to offer pottery as part of its art program. There is a pottery studio in the school. This class is a big favorite with the children.
- How do parents fulfill their 6 monthly work hours, and what happens if you don't do your work hours?
- Parents have a choice between working 6 hours per month or paying an extra fee. Some parents choose to participate in one of the many active work groups. There are work groups to fit any interest, from maintaining the website, to gardening. Other parents prefer to pick up odd jobs off the Parent Work bulletin board that hangs in the entryway of the school. These odd jobs can range from sewing curtains to helping out in the school office, to picking up sausages for the school Open Day! Berlin Kids has a vibrant and active parent community. For more information on how this system works, read the section on fees
- Do I have to join the School Association?
- Parents are not required to join the Association, but it is very strongly encouraged. All important decisions regarding the school's vision and concept and their implementation are made on the Association level, and it is here that parents participate actively in the school's decision-making process. Additionally, the 30-euro application fee is waived for Association members.
Association
- What are the association's main jobs?
- The association has been the basis of all our bilingual activities up to now. It was due to the dedication of the association's members that first the nursery school and now the primary school were founded. Today, the association serves mainly as a network and a contact for any organization or agency dealing with Berlin Kids in connection with the nursery and primary school.
- What does it mean to be an active member?
- The association can only be effective and successful if all members actively work together above and beyond their financial contributions. This means regularly attending association meetings, taking the initiative and getting involved in the work at hand.
- Why do I have to join the association, if my child is to go to the daycare or the school?
- Together with the funding from the Berlin Senate and financial contributions from the families, the parents' involvement plays a crucial role. For without our dedication, neither the nursery school nor the primary school could be run to the standards we wish for the care and education of our children.
- How much does a membership in the association cost?
- A membership costs €60/year for family, or half that for single parents.
- How do I join?
- Just fill out the form and pay the annual dues.
Kindergarten
- What conditions must my child fulfill to be admitted to the nursery school?
- From the very beginning, there were more families interested in Berlin Kids than room to take them, so a prioritized list was unavoidable. This list still exists, and the following criteria are considered, in order:
- Siblings
- A quota of 70/30 English/German-speakers
- Gender and Age
- Parental involvement in the association
- Do parents have to be members of the association for their child to be accepted to the daycare?
- Yes. To join, just fill out the form.
- What is the youngest age at which children are accepted?
- Children must be at least 1.5 years old to be accepted. All children are between 1.5 and 5 years old.
- How is the nursery school's bilingual mission implemented?
- We strive to maintain in practice the 70/30 quota of English and German-speakers. This means, the educators speak only their own native language, whether English or German, with the children.
- How many groups are there, and how many children in each group?
- At the moment, there are five groups. The 18 children in each group are looked after by one German-speaking and one English-speaking educator. In addition, there are interns and assistants doing their year's alternative service. The groups are age-homogeneous, i.e., the children in each group are about the same age.
