Here is general information for our school for current and prospective families. The information in this section has been listed alphabetically. If you are looking for further information on any topic, please feel free to contact our Parent Coordinator, Herr Possing
Academics: Students are taught by combining the Wisconsin Common Core State Standards and the MPS elementary curriculum with curriculum and resources from Germany. Students are held to high academic standards and are providedwith cross-cultural learning opportunities. Our school uses standards-based grading to monitor students’ academic progress.
Admission Policies: Children are only accepted at the K4, K5 and Grade 1 levels without any prior knowledge of German. There are no special enrollment requirements for entrance into our school at these levels. If there are more applicants than there are openings, students are randomly selected by computer lottery. Non-selected students’ names are placed on a waiting list for the upcoming year. Admission at Grades 2-5 is dependent upon the student’s prior German/English experiences and space availability. Students may continue in the Grade 6-12 German Immersion Program at Milwaukee School of Languages.
After-School Activities: The PTA coordinates volunteers to coach soccer and volleyball. Other after-school activitiesareArt Club, Chess Club, and Roots and Shoots. We also have a very strong Boy and GirlScout troop participation.
Awards: MGIS has a long and proud history of accomplishments. Click here to see more details.
Birthday Club: Once a month, the MGIS PTA arranges the celebration of children’s birthdays during the lunch hour. Volunteers help with out by baking cupcakes, decorate the cafeteria and serving the kids.
Classrooms: Click here for more particular information about grade level topics and content areas.
Coffee With The Principal: This PTA-sponsored morning chat allows parents to sit down with our principal and talk about their concerns and ideas. Refreshments are served.
Cold Weather Policy: When weather or playground conditions are determined unsafe by the principal in the morning (e.g. rain, ice or severe temperatures), students are allowed in the building to wait in the hallway by his or her classroom until the official start of the school day, 8:45. Students may enter through the front door or the supervised door on the southwest corner of the building near the parking lot. If you are dropping students off in the parking lot, please be considerate of all school families and move through in a timely manner.
Community Service: The PTA sponsors several worthwhile community service projects each year including the food drive in the fall, Mittens for other MPS families, and a Book Swap.
Curriculum: MGIS provides children with the academic, social, and economic benefits of becoming bilingual in German and English. All children (except in the Special Education Program) receive reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies and science instruction in German from the first day of kindergarten through fifth grade. In second grade, students are introduced to 30 minutes twice a week of English reading instruction. The amount of English is increased to approximately 30 minutes per day at the third grade level, and one and one-half hours per day at the fourth and fifth grade levels.
Facility: We are located adjacent to a park in a residential area on the northwest side of Milwaukee. Our building was constructed in 1958, and underwent a $2 million expansion. We have 25 classrooms, gymnasium with stage, private courtyard, lunchroom, kitchen to prepare lunches/breakfast, and office suite. The heart of our school is a 6,000 sq. ft. Instructional Media Center encompassing the Library, Teacher Resource Center, and Reading Resource Center.
Faculty: There are 24 German Immersion classroom teachers,2 Special Education teachers, and specialists in Music and Physical Education. Our Immersion teachers and assistants are totally bilingual. About 50% of our Immersion staff are native speakers of German.
Family Fun Nights: Herr Arndt, our Physical Education Instructor, runs this popular series of family fitness nights in the spring.
Field Trips: Our school places a high value on learning in the community. Some examples of the places our students go are: the Art Museum, JA BizTown, Oakridge Farm, Milwaukee Public Museum, the Milwaukee County Zoo, the Boerner Botanical Gardens, and apple/pumpkin picking in the fall. Our 4th and 5th grade students go on an overnight camping trip. Many times, our 5th grade plans their end of the year trip to Chicago, to the Museum of Science and Industry. Parents are welcome to chaperone!
German Book Sales: German books, DVDs, and games are ordered from Germany and sold at cost during school events.
The German Immersion Foundation: The Foundation supports MGIS as well as the German program at Milwaukee School of Languages. They help fill funding gaps to make sure that students in the German Immersion Programs have up-to-date resources and technology. They host several events throughout the year, the Fall Social, the GIF Auction fundraiser, and the Golf Outing.
Grillfest: This event, our school picnic, serves as an opportunity for new and “old” families to gather with lawn chairs or a blanket and get acquainted. The PTA cooks up hot dogs and brats and each family contributes a salad or dessert. Door prizes are awarded and everyone is encouraged to join the PTA.
Kinderkino: Many families and staff members gather in the gym, get comfortable with pillows and blankets and enjoy a family-oriented movie. Last year’s featured movie was Rio. Usually, 5th graders sell popcorn and beverages to help fund their graduation trip.
Laternennacht: Hundreds of students and their families, teachers and staff turn out to celebrate this German festival of light, music and Thanksgiving which is based on the legend of St. Martin. Everyone joins in as we sing traditional songs and walk around the school grounds after dark with our “Laternen”. Everyone enjoys cookies and apples, and nonperishable food items are collected for our food drive.
Login and Password: Student logins are their S number, or their S number @milwaukee.k12.wi.us if logging in to Google on a non-school-issued device. Their passwords are their birthday: mm/dd/yy
Library: At roughly 3,000 square feet, the MGIS Library is a stimulating place where students can acquire knowledge and gain insight. Our library offers approximately 20,000 children’s books in English as well as over 10,000 children’s books in German. In addition, our library holds a wide variety of instructional videos, magazines, as well as an abundance of DVDs both German and English. Students and families also have access to audio books and eBooks (in German and in English) through the MPS library site. Click here for further information.
Lunch Menu: Click here to view the current month’s lunch menu.
Monday Morning Work Group: This flexible group of parents lightens the load of our teachers by doing some of their “busy work.” Anyone with a free hour or two on Monday mornings is always welcome to help cut, trace, fold, staple and fill the dreaded glue bottles. Please no non-school age children, however.
Multicultural Night: This event is intended to promote school-wide appreciation of the similarities and differences of various ethnic groups and cultures.
Office Hours: Our School Office is a very welcoming, friendly area, providing information and administration to our school. The hours are8:00-4:00 each school day. Frau Wade is our Head Secretary and will assist in any way to explain or answer your queries. You can contact the office at (414) 393-5600 or fax at (414) 393-5615. There is an answering machine for inquiries outside the office hours.
Open House: Our Fall Open House usually sees a turnout of 600-800 and allows parents to meet their child’s teacher and see their classroom. Everyone has the opportunity to enjoy an ice cream sundae courtesy of the PTA, and German books, DVDs, and games are for sale, as are school shirts. We also have a mid-winter Open House.
Organization: We presently have four all-day 4-year old kindergartens, four all-day 5-year old kindergartens, three classes each at first, second, third, and fourth grades. and 2 fifth grades classes.We also have twoSpecial Education classes.
PTA: Our PTA sponsors many events throughout the school year, including after school activities, Grillfest, ice cream at Open House, Rollschuhabend (school skate), RIF, and many more. They assist teachers and classrooms with projects and field trips. The PTA meets once a month throughout the school year.
RIF Book Distributions: In June, the PTA seeks to impress upon our children that “Reading is Fundamental” by presenting them with a book-in German-of their choice.The children come to the library to read with a volunteer and choose a book.
School Shirt Sales: School T-shirts and sweatshirts are sold to our families at Open Houses and conferences.
Student Body: Weusually haveupwards of 600 students at K4-Grade 5. We are a city-wide program with a diverse student populationcoming from all parts of the City of Milwaukee.
Tuition: There are no tuition or transportation fees.