Our Calendar
Our traditional classes meet Saturday mornings (excluding holidays) from 9:30am – noon at both campuses, with additional classes being offered online. Please click to view our calendar (PDF) for the Saturdays school is in session.
Annual Events
There are many events that we offer throughout the school. Below is a description of our annual events. Other events also take place throughout the school year and the summer. For specific event dates and details, please check out our calendar.
Lesetag
Lesetag happens in the fall (typically end of September or early October) and focuses on reading German books. Each teacher selects a book and fun project for the children in their classes. Activities are organized by the classroom teachers, for their individual classes. This event takes place during school hours. It is a fun way for students encourage students to read!
Laternenfest
This is a centuries-old German tradition of songs and brightly-colored lanterns to celebrate St. Martin’s Day! We have a lantern parade, followed by a gathering with refreshments. We meet at location (typically a park) in both Novato and Santa Rosa to light our lanterns (with flameless candles) before beginning the parade. Folks are welcome to bring their own lanterns or borrow one of ours! Afterwards we will have hot chocolate and Weckmänner (jumbo bread men) available if desired. The parade is free! We only ask for refreshments. Everyone is welcome at this event!
Christkindlmarkt
We host a booth at the Christkindlmarkt at the Hermann Sons hall in Petaluma every year. This is a wonderful holiday market and craft fair. We offer authentic German-made ornaments and German books. Our students also sing German Christmas songs for all to enjoy. Additionally, at this market you will find German baked goods, specialty foods, and baking ingredients along with special Christmas and Advent treasures.
Weihnachtsfeier
Both the Novato and the Santa Rosa campuses celebrate a Weihnachtsfeier (Christmas celebration) on the last Saturday we are in session in December. On that day, classes are in session for an hour before the festivities begin, giving students time for dress rehearsals of their presentations! Then there are presentations by the students. We also have refreshments throughout the morning and silent auction with German and local items available. Everyone is welcome at this event.
Fasching/Karneval
Fasching/Karneval is tradition throughout the German-speaking countries. We celebrate this event on a Saturday (typically in February) during school hours. The younger kids celebrate with fun activities in the classroom. Older students and adults will also learn about the Fasching/Karneval traditions in class.
Abschlussfeier
Our Abschlussfeier (end of the year celebration) takes place on the last Saturday of the school year. We host an Abschlussfeier at each campus. The Abschlussfeier is the culmination of the year’s work and celebrates all our students have learned. On that day, classes are in session for an hour before the festivities begin, giving students time for dress rehearsals of their presentations! Then there are presentations by the students. Everyone is welcome to join us for the presentations, followed by a lovely German lunch with a variety of salads, Wurst, and bread!
Summer Events
During the summer, we typically have Stammtisch events where we meet regularly at a specific date, time, and place for German community and conversation. These are casual events and everyone is welcome to attend.
Community Events
We try to keep our students, families, and friends up-to-date on events in our German community. We also post these events on our calendar and in our newsletter.
