ABOUT US

The goal of Goethe International Charter School of Los Angeles is to prepare children for the global society of today and tomorrow. The school will encourage its students to become knowledgeable, self-motivated and critically-thinking people with respect and understanding for all cultures.

Goethe International will promote this development by following a curriculum that is international in scope as well as personal in focus, by providing instruction in English and German, in the immersion model, and by offering an educational environment that is small, academically rigorous and accountable.


These are the cornerstones of Goethe International:

Academic excellence
We aim to meet the standards of the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO).

Bilingualism as a life long gift
Our curriculum will enhance cognitive development by offering an English/German language immersion. Spanish instruction will start in 3rd grade.

Cross-cultural understanding
We will foster cross-cultural understanding that enables our children to actively participate as citizens of a global as well as our local community.

FAQ

What makes us unique?

Goethe International Charter School is attempting to become the first school in Los Angeles to provide:

• a dual language immersion program following the internationally recognized International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum.  The IB combines the best of different educational systems worldwide into a full and rich international curriculum.  Only six schools in all of California currently follow the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program. None are in the Los Angeles Unified School District. 
  See our “Curriculum” section for more information on the International Baccalaureate.
  
• an English-German immersion program. Knowing German offers students of all language backgrounds the opportunity to strengthen their English skills, since English is based on a combination of Germanic and Romance language roots.
  For more details, see our “Why Bilingual?” section.

What grades will the school serve?

Initially, Goethe International will most likely open with grades K-4.  Grade levels will be added as these students advance.  Multiple grades may be added as demand indicates.  We hope to ultimately offer middle and high school grades so our students will receive full benefit of the IB and language programs.

When will the school open?

We aim to start with grade levels K-4 starting September, 2009.

Where will the school be located?

The school will be located in the West Los Angeles area.  We are focusing on the Mar Vista neighborhood.

What is a charter school?

Charter schools are tuition-free public schools that operate within the district under contract with the school district. Charter schools offer alternative teaching methods or curricula and more independence than regular public schools. 

Is prior knowledge of German required to enter the school?

No. It is expected that the majority of students will come from English-only speaking households. The immersion program is designed to teach children who don’t have any prior German language knowledge. After-school tutoring and assistance with homework will be offered if a student needs some extra help.  An intensive summer school program is in the works.

Is Goethe International the right school for you?

The educational experience at Goethe International will require a high degree of commitment from both students and their parents.  Success by any measure will be difficult to achieve without: consistent attendance, dedication to the immersion language model and to the International Baccalaureate curriculum, abiding by behavioral expectations, parental involvement, effective communication between students, parents and staff and parental support of the school in the form of financial or in-kind donations and/or volunteering.

How do I enroll my child?

Enrollment will most likely begin in Spring, 2009. But it is important that you take our short online survey so that we can know how many parents are “meaningfully interested” in enrolling their children the school. Please note that being meaningfully interested in your child enrolling does NOT mean that your required to sign your child up for the school. 

Who was Goethe?

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (pronounced, GUR-tuh) was a German poet, painter, dramatist, novelist, government official and scientist. He is widely considered to be one of the most important thinkers in Western culture, and is generally acknowledged as the most important writer in the German language. He is often cited as having as much influence as Shakespeare and Dante. Goethe is also the originator of the concept of Weltliteratur ("world literature"), having taken great interest in the literatures of England, France, Italy, classical Greece, and Persia, among others. He was born in Frankfurt in 1749 and died in 1832 in Weimar, having been ennobled for his contribution across many fields.

What does the Goethe International logo symbolize?

Our symbol is based upon one of Goethe’s significant contributions to human understanding - the color circle. The six segments of different and opposing colors are in harmony and order, arranged in a perfect circle. In the context of our bilingual, international and multi-cultural school, these colors are symbols for different roots and influences. The color circle shows us that differences are not borders. Rather, differences complement each other and create a dynamic whole.