Dear GSB Families,

Three weeks into the summer break, we are delighted to reach out to you with wonderful news about GSB and the return to school this fall. Thank you all so much for your patience as the School Leadership Team has worked to ensure that 2021-2022 will be a terrific academic year for our families. The spirit and energy of this community has carried us through this challenging period, and all of us at GSB are deeply grateful.

Building News
It’s official! The final interim location before GSB moves into its forever home at 770 Sterling Place is 9 Hanover Place in Downtown Brooklyn. We are excited to move into two floors of 9 Hanover, which offers newer classrooms with more natural light, proximity to Fort Greene Park, and a convenient location close to many subway lines. The building has eligibility for a DOT yellow school bus, and we are doing everything in our power to have the buses running by September.

All school supplies are boxed up and waiting to be moved into our new classrooms, so we can return to full in-person schooling for all students, including the extended day after school program (you can view and book here). While we do not currently anticipate the need to extend the lease at 9 Hanover beyond the 21/22 school year, the lease includes an extension feature should we need it for any reason.

IB News
GSB is now an International Baccalaureate (IB) Candidate school, which means we are in the final stage before approval to become an official IB World School. From GSB’s inception, the IB Diploma was the goal for our graduates, and we are thrilled that our 9th graders will begin the IB Middle Years Programme, the precursor to the IB Diploma Programme (in grades 11&12). We are proud to be affiliated with an organization that sets the highest education standards worldwide.

Oktoberfest News
After an Emmy-nomination level remote Oktoberfest last year, we are returning to an in-person Blocktoberfest on Sunday September 26th from 11-6PM. Mark your calendars; this is where the GSB community celebrates Bavarian-style and in a true Brooklyn fashion. The event is open to all, kid-friendly, vegetarian-friendly, and a great time to celebrate our special community. The master of Blocktoberfest, Vinz Feller, has already applied for all permits to make this outdoor event possible, including dance, fashion, art, and fundraising on location and remotely (even family members from abroad can participate!).

You will receive specifics shortly about Blocktoberfest 2021, but you can book your ads already (great for businesses, causes and greetings to special people – info attached below). Proceeds will support our new location. We can’t wait to see you – in Tracht or not. We would like to extend a special invitation to our new GSB families that are joining this year – come out and celebrate with us!

Enjoy your summer and wishing you a healthy return.
On behalf of the GSB Team,
Kathrin Nagle

GSB is proud to share about this sibling duo’s project – their own band! Nika (8th grade) and Luca (6th) grade have been playing music for a long time and finally started a band that you can support now! If you can, please add to the Kickstarter that currently has 16 of the 25K raised to release the debut single “time”.

Read the whole letter here.

Dear GSB Families, Friends & Supporters,

We are excited to announce the 7th (virtual) Annual Summer Gala. It will take place on Saturday May 15th at 7PM. Please mark this important date in your calendars.

The funds we will raise will make five-days-a-week school possible starting in September 2021, even if social distancing guidelines remain in place.

Over the next weeks you will receive more information regarding ticket packages, sponsor announcement, Gala program and all the ways you can contribute to GSB’s largest FUNdraiser of the year.

We cannot wait to celebrate with you.
On behalf of GSB
Kathrin Nagle

Dear GSB Families, Friends & Supporters,

The 7th Annual (virtual) Summer Gala is on May 15th at 7PM on Zoom. That’s only three weeks away!

This year instead of “tickets“, we are offering different packages to enjoy & to be picked up at the school before the event.

We teamed up with German company Lamy (known to make the finest fountain pens) and Eduard Frauneder to create five amazing ticket packages. An exquisite selection of writing tools is paired with alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and it’s up to you to decide which one resonates with you most… are you the “travel diary type” or rather the writer of “Liebesbriefe”?

The packages also make great presents! They can be purchased for teachers, neighbors, friends and co-workers. Each pairing comes in a beautiful tote bag and $25 gift certificate for Eduard’s restaurant Schilling. And the best news is – you’re just shopping but you’re already supporting GSB!

Over the next days we will reveal more things to come:
The tote bag design will be revealed. We also will announce the – gasp – gala film, and some other program highlights.

The silent auction is growing steadily. You can submit auction items until May 5th!

Meanwhile, please select your gala packages! Order deadline is next Monday, May 3 at noon, that means you have 5 days!

Looking forward,
Julia Stratmann
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Ticket Packages and more info at

www.bidpal.net/gsbgala
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Package 1 ($90)

Der Liebesbrief/The Love Letter

Lamy Product: Lamy Lx Fountain Pen in rosegold

Bottle Giosa Prosecco Rose

Schilling $25gift certificate & Schilling’s Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Custom GSB Gala Tote Bag

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Package 2 ($90)

Bitte Unterschreiben/Sign Please

Lamy Product: Lamy 2000 Ballpoint Pen the modern classic

Bottle John L Sullivan Irish Whiskey

Schilling $25gift certificate & Schilling’s Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Custom GSB Gala Tote Bag

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Package 3 ($60)

Das Gedicht/The Poem

Lamy Product: Lamy Safari Fountain Pen timelessly modern

Bottle Gin Lane London Dry

Schilling $25gift certificate & Schilling’s Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Custom GSB Gala Tote Bag

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Package 4 ($35)

Der Zauberspruch/The Spell

Lamy Product: Lamy Joy Calligraphy Fountain Pen

3 bottles of Bionade naturally fermented Soda

Schilling $25gift certificate & Schilling’s Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Custom GSB Gala Tote Bag

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Package 5 ($60)

Das Reisetagebuch/The Travel Journal

Lamy Product: Lamy Pico Ballpoint Pen Surprisingly practical

6-pack Victory Golden Love Summer Ale

Schilling $25gift certificate & Schilling’s Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Custom GSB Gala Tote Bag

Read the whole newsletter here.

GSB’s  Gobal Community Committee is proud to invite all families:

Gender/Inclusion 101 with Max Masure (they/them) from Argo Collective

From GSB’s Director of Arts & Performance:

____________

Dear Families,

Please join us on April 8th at 7pm for our GSB Info session, with a focus on the International Baccalaureate Programme.

We’ll share an overview of our K-12 program, and the IBO’s Antrina Leeth, Senior Outreach and Development Coordinator, and Marie Vivas, Senior Development Manager, will join us for this event. Both have been supporting GSB and joined us for our last Info Session about the IB. They offer a wealth of experience and knowledge, and we are glad to welcome them back!

Zoom link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8911715130?pwd=U0lHZEN3SG10aXp1TVZrdzVaQmtZQT09

Meeting ID: 891 171 5130

Passcode: GSB2020

Google Calendar Link

In an integrated Social Studies/English unit in Melissa’s class, 8th grade students learned about WWI while reading the Historical Fiction text Stay Where You Are and Then Leave by John Boyne, which is set in London during the war. 8th graders had a series of projects to choose from to dive deeper into different aspects of the time period, and were encouraged to not only research well but also to put their creative spin on how to relay the information to others. Have a look at what Nika has to teach us about food during WWI through her Sumptuous Cooking Show!

Dear Families,

GSB’s Global Community invites you to join us on Thursday March 25th from 6:30-8pm for:

How Do We Talk About Race as a Family? with Bari Katz

Bari will:

• Lead us through a series of guiding questions and breakout room discussion groups

• Anchor us in this particular moment in history

• Help families explore their relationship to race/racism

Bari’s communication style is warm and inclusive, and she brings deep study, knowledge, and passion to social justice work. We are grateful that she can be with us, so please mark your calendars!

Zoom Link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8911715130?pwd=U0lHZEN3SG10aXp1TVZrdzVaQmtZQT09

Meeting ID: 891 171 5130

Passcode: GSB2020

Google Calendar

Dear GSB Community,

We have been reflecting on the violent attacks in Atlanta last week, which took the lives of eight people, including six women of Asian descent. We are horrified and saddened by this tragedy, and are alarmed at the increase in xenophobia since the beginning of the pandemic. We know that anti-Asian racism is not new, and we are aware that we need to do our part to fight against bias and injustice.

To our Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander students, staff, and families, we would like to express our support and stand with you not only in grief but also in action.

Resources

Here are some resources to help spark discussion with your child(ren) and center the experiences of Asian-Americans:

The Wuhan I Know Interview

with Chinese-American Artist Laura Gao on NPR

The Wuhan I Know by Laura Gao

Comic/Blog/Animation

Social Justice Books: Asian-Americans

The book list includes titles on Asian Americans and Asia for children, young adults, and educators. There are also links to Learning for Justice, the Zinn Education Project and others for further reading.

Min Jee’s Lunch

Short story by Elizabeth Kleinrock about a student’s Korean lunch, her classmates’ response, and how we can stand up against bias and discrimination.

Responding to Anti-Asian Violence and Georgia Shootings

From Learning for Justice: Pause, Check In, Prioritize Care

After Atlanta: Teaching About Asian American Identity and History

By Elizabeth Kleinrock (@teachandtransform)

Here are some options for donating to various organizations:

Ways to Donate in Support of Asian Communities

At school, we work to discuss the hard topics of bias, prejudice, and racism, and will do our best to support and promote a ‘brave space’ for our students. We are committed to constantly learning how to do this work well, and are grateful for your partnership in dispelling hate.

Our very best,

The GSB School Leadership Team

Update: This project was awarded 3rd place in the competition: Logo Schülerwettbewerb.

Congrats to all the 4th graders!

German Teacher Sabine Deinhardt:

“For this project we put the students in charge. They selected and research the topics they wanted to report on.”

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We vote for more politicians made out of Lego!

Thanks for your hard work, young journalists! We are blown away…

https://vimeo.com/499231258

You will hear about GSB on public radio!

It is our great pleasure to inform you that we have partnered with the WNYC to spread the word about GSB to listeners in across the city. We are very excited that GSB is mentioned as a WNYC supporters in different shows: From Brian Lehrer, to All Things considered & BBC Newshour. Please listen to catch us on the radio!

You can download the yearbook instantly through flipsnack and we will send you the hardcopy via your GSB student!

Of course, the Blocktoberfest was reason enough for GSB house cinematographer Thorsten Thielow to make another masterpiece. See the parent’s Schuplattler in front of the iconic bandshell – masks included. Choreography: Nora Stephens. Dancers: the bravest of all GSB parents!

We are glad to invite you to our first round of Virtual Open Houses this fall! Please join us for one of these three dates in September:

09/22/20, Tue at 8:30am EST

09/24/20, Thu at 5:30pm EST

09/29/20, Tue at 5:30pm EST

At our Virtual Open House you will learn more about our school’s mission, educational approach, extracurricular opportunities and welcoming international community. Our educational and administrative team will share a brief overview and allow plenty of time for Q&A.

Sign up via our GSB Virtual Open House Registration Form. Your registration confirmation will include the Zoom link and password for the event.

We are still accepting applications for the school year of 2020/21!

We can’t wait to meet you soon!

PARENTS LEAGUE presents: 2020 Middle and High School Virtual Fair and Panel Featuring Independent Schools in the greater New York Metropolitan area

This fair was created to help you learn more about the variety of independent and private preschool options. We invite you to customize your experience by registering for the school sessions you’re interested in learning more about.

GSB session is this Friday 9/25 at 2:40PM, sign up here.

Read the Update – August 25th 2020

“This is a book that trusts white children to feel painful feelings about racism.” GSB is inviting author Anastasia Higginbotham to share the story behind “Not my idea”. Please visit Anastasia’s website to watch the “trailer” for the book https://anastasiahigginbotham.com/not-my-idea/

Anastasia Higginbotham (@AHigginBooks) shares NOT MY IDEA: A BOOK ABOUT WHITENESS. Anastasia’s Ordinary Terrible Things book series has taken on the topics of divorce, death, and sex using straightforward language and respecting the reader with each page. Her most recent entry in the series is called NOT MY IDEA: A BOOK ABOUT WHITENESS and it has been one of my most-talked about books ever since a colleague shared it with me at the beginning of this school year. Anastasia talks at length about the work that went into creating this book, laying the art from found materials, handwriting the text, and crafting the story around her own experience of processing racial injustice and White supremacy. It’s an absolutely exceptional book and one that provides the necessary space and language for confronting Whiteness and working against the historic and ongoing oppression of Black men, women, and children.

What does #BlackHistorymonth look like at GSB? 2nd graders loving Harriet Tubman’s story. Teacher Jane Marie: “Several students commented, as we read about the Underground Railroad, that if they had lived during that time, they would have helped with the Underground Railroad. After we finished the book, we then began brainstorming ways that we can be an activist today.” 

Dear Friends & Supporters,

It’s the moment we have all been waiting for: The new GSB building is becoming a reality and it will live at 116 Rogers Avenue in Crown Heights.

We are overjoyed to share with you that, just a few days ago we closed on the property.

116 Rogers Avenue is within walking distance to the Union Temple and easily accessible via the Franklin Ave Subway Stop (2,3,4,5 trains). When demolition and construction are complete we expect that grades K-3 will be at Union Temple and grades 4-12 at the 116 Rogers campus.

With this major milestone, we are ringing in a whole new chapter for GSB students, families & staff. We are so excited to continue this journey with you.

Kathrin & Muriel
with the GSB Team

GSB After School Animation Team at work headed by GSB super parent Anna Bergmann. Check out their amazing work!

Usually the current 5th grade celebrates their graduation into Middle School at the GSB Gala in May. This year the gala was virtual and we received a special video. Still, we owe you a party!

https://vimeo.com/417440970

More Sendung mit der Maus Videos:

GSB students joined students around the world for a Climate Strike on Friday, September 21, a movement inspired by Greta Thunberg, the Swedish teenager who staged a solo protest outside the Swedish parliament last year.

All students discussed the issues in their classes and painted signs and then assembled in front of the Brooklyn Museum. The older classes let the smaller ones, teachers and parents in chants. The older students then went on into Manhattan to join the many other schools protesting.

GSB’s Green Committee invited families to a fall beach clean-up as part of the International Coastal Clean-Up Day 2019 on Sep 21. This was a global volunteer effort to clean up beaches for the marine life, shorebirds, and wildlife. They spent the day outside together as a community and learned about pollution and the environmental impact it has on our precious nature.

The clean up took place at the North Channel Bridge and was coordinated by the NYC Audubon and the American Littoral Society. It was a beautiful fall day and we couldn’t have asked for a better turn out.

Dear Families

The GSB 6th and 7th graders would like to invite you to their production of “Alice in Wonderland”!

Please join us for the magic next weekend, January 24th @ 7pm and January 25th @ 3pm at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, Commons Theater.

See all the info on attached flyer and make a reservation at the following link if you’d like to attend:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gsb-middle-school-presents-alice-in-wonderland-tickets-90463441589

Suggested donation of $5-$10 will be collected at the door.

“Alice in Wonderland” is the culmination of rehearsals during the first semester of the middle school performing arts curriculum, Performing Arts Workshop (PAW). In this mandatory weekly course, students explore various aspects of theatrical production with concentration on Drama, Dance and Music.

We hope to see you there!

The GSB Winter Celebrations are always a highlight before everybody parts ways for the holidays. All classes prepare performances around a theme. This year’s theme was “All Our Dreams Can Come True if we Have the Courage to Pursue Them.”

Here a few snippets of the performances as well as an impromptu performance by PA president Jabali Sawicki.