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German Saturday School Boston in Growth Mode
Boston is often referred to as the cradle of American history, boasting many
historic landmarks and important historical events. So it may not be surprising
that it is also home to one of the oldest language schools for heritage learners in
the country, The German Saturday School Boston or “Deutsche Sonnabendschule
Boston”. Founded in 1874 by the “Boylston Schul‐Verein”, the German Saturday
School Boston today enjoys more popularity than ever before.
Now in its 138th year of teaching students the language and culture of German
speaking countries, the school has experienced increased enrollment numbers,
especially over the last 20 years. The school offers classes from preschool through
11th grade and currently teaches 360 students in 30 classrooms on 30 Saturdays
(for a total of 90 hours) from September to May – a 20% increase from last year’s
numbers.
One of the factors behind this significant increase was the move from a location in Boston to a public middle school on the outskirts of
the city. Boston University had graciously housed the school for the last forty years; however, the need for more classroom space could
not be met. Waiting lists, especially for lower grades, were growing long. The Saturday School limits classroom size to not more than 15
students to ensure a constructive and manageable teaching and learning environment.
The move to the Diamond Middle School in Lexington was carefully considered to ensure the Saturday School would be able to grow not
only in enrollment but also as a school community within one building
Claudia Bonmassar, long‐time principal at the German Saturday School, was instrumental in ensuring a smooth transition to the new
location. More than a dozen new teachers had to be hired, four new lower grade classes were added and schedules were adjusted to go
along with the new rental arrangement.
Many, but not all, of the school’s students are heritage German learners, who hear or speak some German at home, but need instruction
to read and write. “Our curriculum is designed to enable students to actively communicate in German by giving them a strong foundation
in understanding German, building their vocabulary, speaking, reading and writing,” explains Claudia Bonmassar. “Immersion into the
language is crucial and that’s why the primary language of instruction is German,” she adds.
One of the school’s centerpieces is the Saturday’s School’s library of approximately 8,000 German books, CDs and DVDs with a
computerized lending system. The books, housed in cabinets in which they are also displayed, are rolled out of a storage room every
Saturday to create an instant school library. Students can check out books before classes start or visit during school hours as part of the
curriculum with the teacher.
Cultural events, music and activities are integrated into the curriculum.
Before Christmas and at the end of the year, students perform songs or a
play during an all‐school celebration; kids may dress up for Fasching in
February or go on a St. Martin parade in November. From time to time,
German performers are brought into the school for enrichment purposes.
Academic goals and testing also are woven into the program. As the second
semester approaches, students prepare for various exams. All students in
grades 6 and higher, this year 128 students in all, are required to take the
AATG test in January. Deutsche Sprachdiplom (DSD) exams, which are
provided by the German government, are administered to qualifying
students: DSD A2 in grade 9, DSD I in grade 10, and in grade 11, the most
challenging one, the DSD II. Historically, students from the Saturday School
have performed very well, with 99% of the candidates passing the exams.
More information on the German Saturday School Boston can be found at www.germansaturdayschoolboston.org.
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