School Year 2024–2025
The 2024–2025 school year runs August 19, 2024, to May 23, 2025. Please see Enrollment for more information.
Classes in El Cerrito
Prospect Sierra Middle School (960 Avis Dr.)
Kindergartengruppe
Mondays 4:00–6:30 pm
Wednesdays 3:30–6:00 pm
Enrichment class TK/K (a class for students in Transitional Kindergarten and optional add-on class for regular BAKS+ Kindergarten students)
Tuesdays 3:30–6:00 pm at Hillside Community Church
Deutschgruppe 1
Mondays 4:00–6:30 pm
Thursdays 4:00–6:30 pm
Deutschgruppe 2
Tuesdays 4:00–6:30 pm (if minimum enrollment of 7 is not reached. this class will move to Monday)
Wednesdays 3:30–6:00 pm
Deutschgruppe 3
Tuesdays 4:00–6:30 pm
Enrichment class K-3 (an optional add-on class for students in grades K-3 who attend a regular BAKS+ class)
Fridays 4:00–6:30 pm at Hillside Community Church
Deutschgruppe 3/4
Mondays 4:00–6:30 pm
Deutschgruppe 4
Wednesdays 3:30–6:00 pm – FULL
Deutschgruppe 5
Tuesdays 4:00–6:30 pm
Deutschgruppe 5/6
Mondays 4:00–6:30 pm
Deutschgruppe 6:
Thursdays 4:00–6:30 pm
Enrichment class 3-6 (an optional add-on class for students in grades 3-6 who attend a regular BAKS+ class)
Fridays 4:00–6:30 pm at Hillside Community Church – FULL
Deutschgruppe 7/8:
Tuesdays 4:00–6:30 pm
Thursdays 4:00–6:30 pm
DSD 1 Prep
Wednesdays 3:30–6:00 pm
Deutschgruppe 9/10
Mondays 6:45–9:00 pm
Wednesdays 6:30–8:45 pm
AP Prep
Mondays 6:45–9:00 pm
Wednesdays 6:30–8:45 pm
DSD 2 Prep (August–January)
Mondays 6:45–9:00 pm
Classes in Pleasant Hill
St. Mark's Church (3051 Putnam Blvd.)
Kindergartengruppe
Mondays 3:30–6:00 pm
Deutschgruppe 1
Mondays 3:30–6:00 pm
Deutschgruppe 2
Wednesdays 3:30–6:00 pm
Deutschgruppe 3
Wednesdays 3:30–6:00 pm
Enrichment class K-3 (an optional add-on class for students in grades K-3 who attend a regular BAKS+ class)
Thursdays 3:30–6:00 pm
Deutschgruppe 4
Tuesdays 3:30–6:00 pm
Deutschgruppe 5
Tuesdays 3:30–6:00 pm
Deutschgruppe 7/8
Thursdays 3:30–6:00 pm
AP Prep
Wednesdays 6:30–8:45 pm
Class Descriptions
Kindergarten (grade K)
This group is for children who have finished preschool and now attend Kindergarten. Prior knowledge of German is required for this group. In a fun and relaxed atmosphere, the children are given lots of opportunities to practice their German oral language skills, play with friends, and get involved in arts and crafts projects as well as music activities and dance. The German alphabet is introduced later in the school year. Students are expected to speak and to listen to books and stories in German regularly at home.
Deutschgruppe 1 (1st grade)
This is a beginning German reading group. We use German reading and writing materials (such as the "Fibel" and German "Schreibhefte"). The students learn to recognize and identify most sounds, and they learn to read easy sentences and beginning-level stories. Further focus is on the improvement of listening and the expansion of vocabulary. All skills are taught in a fun and relaxing atmosphere. Students are expected to speak and to listen to books and stories in German regularly at home.
Deutschgruppe 2 (2nd grade)
To join this group, students must be able to recognize German sounds and know basic spelling rules. Students in this group are able to read easy sentences and stories at a beginner level. We reinforce the students' knowledge of grammar and new vocabulary through language games, reading activities, and art projects. More advanced spelling rules are introduced. A new emphasis is placed on writing in German. Students are expected to speak and read in German regularly at home.
Deutschgruppe 3 (3rd grade)
This early intermediate group focuses on reading fluency and reading comprehension. The students engage more in independent, as well as small-group-guided, reading activities. The class uses reading, grammar, and vocabulary material from the 3rd grade level in Germany. Students are given lots of opportunities to engage in creative and guided writing activities. Arts, music, and the celebration of cultural events enrich the 3rd grade curriculum. Students are expected to speak and read in German regularly at home.
Deutschgruppe 4 (4th grade)
This advanced intermediate German group focuses on reading and writing materials used in 4th grade classrooms in Germany. Students gain a deeper understanding of grammar and spelling rules and learn to apply them correctly in independent writing assignments. Further, the students engage in independent reading assignments and also discuss some age appropriate pieces of literature. Students may participate in writing contests and the German A1 language exam from the German Central Agency of Foreign Schools Abroad (ZfA). Students are expected to speak and read in German regularly at home.
Deutschgruppe 5 (5th grade)
This advanced intermediate German group focuses on reading and writing materials used in 5th grade classrooms in Germany. Students read several novels and focus on writing short statements, fictional essays, letters, poems, and more. They also work on improving their grammar and spelling skills. Further, students concentrate on geography and selected important events in the history of Germany. Students are expected to speak and read in German regularly at home.
Deutschgruppe 6 (6th grade)
This advanced German group focuses on gaining independent reading and writing skills. This class usually reads two novels per school year. We cover many different genres of writing, including essays, letters, fiction, non-fiction descriptions, and poems. The curriculum is enhanced by inclusion of the history, geography, social studies, arts, and music of German-speaking countries. Students participate in writing contests and annual language exams, including the AATG National German Exam and the German A2 language exam from the German Central Agency of Foreign Schools Abroad (ZfA). Students are expected to speak and read in German regularly at home.
Deutschgruppe 7 (7th/8th grade)
This advanced German group reads across all genres, discusses reading material in class, and writes detailed responses. The class covers more complex grammar and spelling rules and conventions. Practicing independent writing skills is an important focus of this class, with a strong emphasis on grammar and spelling skills. Students can take the AATG National German exam (level 3) and participate in writing contests. Students are expected to speak and read in German regularly at home.
Deutschgruppe DSD 1 Prep (8th/9th grade)
Students must have instructor approval to sign up for this class. Students in this class prepare for the advanced German exam Deutsches Sprachdiplom 1 (DSD1), which may serve as a first step to satisfy the language proficiency requirements for students who wish to study in Germany after their high school graduation. Further, the curriculum is enhanced by deeper studies of the history, geography, social studies, arts, and music of German-speaking countries. Later on, students in this class may want to continue their language education by working towards the AP German exam at their local high school and the next higher level exam, the DSD2, which satisfies the language proficiency requirements to attend a German university. Students are expected to speak and read in German regularly at home.
Deutschgruppe 9/10 (9th/10th grade)
This advanced German class serves as a foundation for the following AP prep class. Students thoroughly review German grammar and spelling rules, practice written responses and persuasive essays, and read German news articles and non-fiction text as well as excerpts from German literature and at least two novels. History, politics, social studies, geography, and arts of the German-speaking countries are systematically covered. Students who have not taken the National German Exam level 4 or the DSD 1 yet will have a chance to prepare for those as well.
Students also receive formal training in debating and have the opportunity to participate in the national debate contest (Jugend Debattiert) with their classmates. All students are expected to speak and read German regularly at home.
Deutschgruppe AP® Prep (10th grade or higher)
Students must have instructor approval to sign up for this class. This class is intended to prepare students for the AP® German Language and Culture Exam, administered in May each year. Students enrolling in this evening class should plan on taking the exam in May after one or two years in this class. The course follows the College Board guidelines for the AP® curriculum. AP® courses are considered college-level courses, and after passing the exam with a score of at least 3, students may receive college credit (rules vary among colleges). Students in this class can also prepare to take the Deutsche Sprachdiplom 1 (DSD1), if they did not take this exam in Deutschgruppe 8. This course develops four core skills that are tested in both exams: listening comprehension, reading comprehension, written expression, and oral expression. The course curriculum comprises a thorough grammar and vocabulary review, practice exams, and classroom study with current printed and audiovisual materials and textbooks. Students are expected to speak and read in German regularly at home.
Deutschgruppe DSD 2 Prep (10th grade or higher)
Students must have instructor approval to sign up for this class. Students in this class prepare for the advanced German exam Deutsches Sprachdiplom 2 (DSD2), which satisfies the language proficiency requirements for students who wish to study in Germany after their high school graduation. The class covers all four areas of this advanced exam (reading, writing, listening, and speaking) and helps the students prepare for the oral presentation. Since the DSD2 exam takes place in December and/or January, this is a half-year class. Students need to have received a score of 5 on the German AP exam, or approval of the instructor, to enroll in this class.