By Clyde Noel

Town Crier Correspondent

You don’t have to be German to go to Deutsche Schule of Silicon Valley, but it might help.

The German School has a nondiscriminatory admissions policy. The only requisite is a command of the German language because the curriculum is taught in German.

The school is located on the old Whisman School campus in Mountain View. Ninety-five students in K-10 are already enrolled for the fall term, but registration has not yet closed.

“Most of the parents who have children attending the school are from Germany. The fathers work as engineers in the high-tech industry,” said Sonja Snedden, office manager and registrar for the school. “When the kids go back to Germany they enter their German schools without missing anything.”

The Bavarian curriculum, Germany’s most academically rigorous program, is taught at the school. Starting in the first grade, English is taught one hour each day and by seventh grade, a third language is introduced, usually French.

“The minds of American families are changing to bilingualism and the use of a second language. We have some children whose parents do not speak German or anything but English,” Snedden said. “We have some Finnish, Swiss, Italian and French parents where only one parent speaks German.”

Academic classes are held 8 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The school offers afternoon programs in theater, athletics and music for choir. Tutoring is available in the afternoon.

Snedden said the mission of the school is to qualify students for both German and American universities and help each child discover the satisfaction inherent in self-discipline, mastery and creativity for a lifetime of learning.

The school is supported by the Federal Republic of Germany with teachers and grants. Report cards are accredited in Germany as well as accepted to transfer into American schools.

All teachers are native speakers and create a solid foundation for academics through imaginative play. There is a low student to teacher ratio and teachers encourage self-esteem and talent building.

Snedden said it is quiet now because there are no students around; but starting next month, it’s just like taking a German School and putting it in Silicon Valley.

The German School of Silicon Valley is located at 310 Easy St. in Mountain View. For more information, call 254-0748 or logon to www.ds-sv.org.