German IS Program Gets MOU

Roger Cuevas, M-DCPS superintendent of schools, and former German Consul General Fritz von Rottenburg signing the MOU.

After a massive letter writing campaign and rally by parents and students at the Miami Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) Board Meeting in June, the M-DCPS and the Federal Republic of Germany finally signed and ratified a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The signing took place on June 28th during a farewell reception for former German Consul General Fritz von Rottenburg at the Miami City Club. Ironically, this turned out to be Mr. von Rottenburg's last official act as Consul General in Miami.

The MOU officially declares the commitment of the M-DCPS and the Federal Republic of Germany to the German International Studies (IS) program in Miami Dade County. It also provides that Germany will supply funding for half a German teacher's salary starting this year, with expectations that the amount of funding will increase in future. The other half of this year's teacher salary will have to be raised by the German International Parents' Association (GIPA), which has already been fundraising in the local German business community. (Dresdner Bank was first to make a significant contribution toward this goal.) If these fundraising efforts fall short, parents may be called upon to help out.

Where the additional teacher will be placed is still under discussion. The final decision will be made by M-DCPS based upon the school that shows "greatest need."

German IE Program at Carver?

The fate of the German International Education (IE) program at Carver Middle School remains uncertain.

Kathy Rodriguez (above), a recent graduate from Carver’s German IE program, and Theano Stavrinos, a German IS student currently attending Coral Reef High,spoke out at the July 11th school board meeting.

This announcement not only dealt a tremendous blow to those in or interested in entering the German IE program at Carver, but those in the German IS program there, since this cut also means that one of the two German teaching positions at Carver would be eliminated.

M-DCPS agreed to revisit this decision and told GIPA at the July school board meeting that it would provide an answer by the end of the summer. To date, GIPA officials have not gotten that answer. M-DCPS claims it is still reconsidering various options, but will not yet say what those options are.

(FYI - click here to view the portion of the July school board meeting that dealt with the German IE program at Carver)

Frau Riedel to Coral Reef High

Frau Gabi Riedel, formerly a German language teacher at Sunset Elementary, is now officially on board as German teacher for Coral Reef High School. While she provides a tremendous boost for Coral Reef ’s German IS and IB programs, she is sorely missed at Sunset.

Born and raised in a small village in Germany’s Black Forest, Frau Riedel graduated from the University of Bonn in 1998 with an MA in American Studies and an additional degree in German as a Foreign Language, which included an internship in the German Department at the University of Miami. She started at Sunset in October of 1999.

“I truly enjoyed working at Sunset,” said Frau Riedel. In fact, she often recalls Ms. Stroleny’s words upon her hiring. “Ms. Stroleny had said: ‘Jeder Tag an Sunset ist ein guter Tag’ and she was so right! The students, parents, and especially the other German teachers were very supportive and I would like to thank them for everything!!”

But now Frau Riedel is looking at new challenges at Coral Reef High and claims she has found her first few weeks at the school very satisfying. “The students are showing great enthusiasm and I know we will have a very successful year together,” she said, adding that she also looks forward to the day when her former Sunset children come through the door at Coral Reef, as teenagers, and she has a chance to teach them again.

German Program Students Grab End of Year Awards

Alessandra Jochum, a former German IE student at G.W. Carver Middle, received the Florida Language Teachers of Dade County’s (FLTDC) Marcos Rodriguez Scholarship at the end of last year. A panel of judges from the community and FLTDC Board selected Jochum because of her outstanding grades in German, as well as all other classes. She is currently in the German IB program at Coral Gables High.

Stroleny Honored

Shelley Stroleny, lead teacher of the International Studies (IS) program at Carver Middle, received the German-American Friendship Award from the Federal Republic of Germany at a luncheon in her honor on June 12th. The award was presented to her by former German Consul General Fritz von Rottenburg in recognition of her “long and dedicated efforts in developing and strengthening” the German International language programs. Ausgezeichnet !!!

Mrs. Robles on Leave

Mrs. Aleyda Robles, the German IS program’s second grade homeroom teacher at Sunset, has taken a leave of absence this year to spend more time with her family. Filling in is Jean Kaufman, a Miami native and Cum Laude graduate of Florida International University. Mrs. Kaufman holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education and has taught at Sunset Elementary over the past two years, first teaching the Emotionally Handicapped class and most recently as second grade homeroom teacher for the French IS program. While Mrs. Kaufman’s position is temporary, she hopes she will be able to remain at Sunset Elementary after this year.

Presidential Greetings

As many of you know, we ended off last year in the midst of a major push to save our German international language programs and obtain a long sought Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) from M-DCPS and the German government. I’m happy to say that our hard work has started to pay off, and I want to strongly thank all of you who wrote those letters and took time off from your busy schedules to speak out at the school board meetings!! I also want to once again extend a heartfelt thanks to former German General Consul Fritz von Rottenburg, whose tireless efforts went well beyond the call of duty. Without him, we never would have gotten this far. We also would like to thank the M-DCPS Board, especially Ms. Betsy Kaplan; the M-DCPS administrative staff; Walter Loy, chairman of the Global Affairs Committee of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce and president of the German American Trade Council; the local business community; and the administra-tors of Sunset Elementary and Carver Middle for all their support in this endeavor. But we still have a long way to go.

We are also still adamant about getting a second, class track added to the German IS program to ensure the program’s overall success, particularly at the upper levels. Right now it is too small to provide the upper grade levels with the resources they truly need.

Finally, we are now faced with a major fundraising obligation to cover our half of the new German teacher salary. We have already started to reach out to the German business community and are exploring all other avenues for financial support. But there is no question that we’ll also need your help and are hoping you will take part in this drive and chip in any way you can. Whether it be a donation of time or money, please join the cause.

You have clearly shown that GIPA can count on you in times of crisis, but we hope your efforts won’t stop there. Remember, GIPA’s main goal – the number one reason behind our efforts – is to ensure the best possible education and learning environment for all of our children. If you feel the same way, then please come forward and lend a hand!!!

Studying Abroad: An American in Germany

I just heard the song “Lean on Me” on the radio and immediately began to feel as if my heart were hurting. I always say that my heart "hurts" when I feel melancholic. This is the song my friends and I sang in Tübingen before we all went to live with our respective German host families. We had only spent one month living together in the quaint youth hostel, but the tears we shed were equivalent to those that one sheds when having to leave a family member.

When I think back on my experience in Germany, I often find myself concentrating on my month in Tübingen. It was the first place that I called home while abroad, and it is there that I made my first true friends. Living together with a diverse group of amazing teenagers was like spending a month in a constant slumber party. My roommates and I bonded like sisters, and we knew things about each other that only sisters know. You really get to know people when you see them at 7 AM sleepily wandering towards the bathroom without an ounce of makeup, or while borrowing blow dryers and gossiping about life in general. We eventually became one family in the midst of all the excitement that comes from being in a foreign country.

Downstairs, on the boys’ floor, I am positive that the same type of bonding took place, but somehow I feel that the girls had an even tighter bond. I remember vividly, the time we all hunched around the bathroom mirror to get ready for our first real night out. I was wearing my neighbor’s skirt and she was doing my eye make-up while wearing my favorite blouse. Yes, this seems like an ordinary situation, but when one examines it closely it becomes obvious that a dash of peculiarity is present. We had known each other for only two weeks, yet we all behaved as if we had known each since the womb.

We left everything back home to travel as student ambassadors of the United States to Germany for one full school year. We would attend German schools and embrace the German language. Our friends and families looked upon us skeptically, puzzled at our decision. Tainted by the horrors of the Holocaust, Germany is often devalued and unappreciated. Yet, along with 59 other teenagers, I was able to begin to chisel away at this wall of ignorance.

"A foreign language is no longer foreign once you learn it." This is a quote that goes beyond its literal sense. By learning German, our group began to under-stand the Germans. We were able to share our ideas without the hindrance of translation. We spent a year experiencing cultural clashes, accompanied sometimes by bitter weather, only to emerge as radiant as the sunlight.

My heart "hurts" as I write this. That month in Tübingen served as the cradle for my year in Germany. It is astonishing to note the impact that a month in a seemingly non-eccentric youth hostel has had on my life and on the life of others. The intensive German language classes and the constant exposure to the German culture provided the tools my friends and I needed for a successful year of discovery. Then again, those who will not take a trip into the world of Germany will never experience the thrills of "Fasching," know in which month "Oktoberfest" truly occurs, nor will their taste buds ever yearn for the simple pleasures of a "Kasebrötchen" from the corner bakery.

Naja, so ist das Leben! (If we had more German programs, you would not find yourself wondering what this last line means.)

German Student Clubs Gearing Up

German Student Clubs at Carver Middle and Coral Gables High have great plans for the coming year. The German Club at Carver, which is made up of about 150 students and organized by lead German teacher Frau Moghani, will start the year off with its annual German Unification luncheon, catered by the Melody Inn, on October 3rd. Other highlights include: the Nutcracker Suite ballet performed by New World School of the Arts students on Dec. 6, a salt dough ornaments workshop with Hiedi Riesterer of the Color Me Mine shop also in December, a Sadie Hawkins day event in February, a trip to the Renaissance Fair in March, the Dade County Language Competition also in March, the State Language Competition in Daytona in April, and a major field trip to Epcot also in April. Anyone interested in joining the German Club should see Frau Moghani in Room 14. Frau Moghani is also looking for parent volunteers to help at various functions, serve as chaperones, or tutor German students at the school. If you can help in any way, please contact her at the school.

The GNHS is also planning to host a Carnival at the high school this winter with food, games, and dancing in order to raise money for student exchange trips and new books. Finally, the GNHS and German Club at Coral Gables High will be having their big field trip to Islands of Adventure this year in the spring. In order to become a member of the GNHS, you must have an A average in German. The German Club is open to all.

UP, UP and Away

Volunteers are desperately needed to help cook, serve, organize and run this year’s GIPA Oktoberfest. We are also in dire need of items for the silent auction and raffle. If you have a business, or connection to a business that can donate gift certificates or prizes, please help us out. Call Rick or Linda Kramer at 305-387-2904.