Preschool - middle School

3-year olds - 14-year olds

Willkommen to the 2023/24 school year at the Kinderschule!

If you are interested in joining a class, please email kinderschule@dankhaus.com.

class description

Our community based heritage learning classes are full immersion German programs with an emphasis on project-based learning, where we support the learning journeys of our students by engaging them social-emotionally, as well as by challenging them academically. It is important to us that our students not only learn the language, but also the culture, and become part of our community.

Academically, our program is accredited with the Zentralstelle für Auslandsschulwesen (ZfA), we follow the European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), offer the Deutsche Sprachdiplom I to our middle schoolers (and DSD II to our High Schoolers), offer the National German Exam provided by the AATG, and offer the Internationale Vergleichsarbeit (IVA) to measure our younger students' learning path. And while we offer and prepare for these exams, students take these on a voluntary basis as it is more important to us that our students enjoy the culture and learning the language than that they excel in any standardized test.

Meeting times

Classes meet in-person on Saturdays (see detailed calendar here) from 9:15-12pm. The first day of class is August 26, 2023.

We also offer afternoon classes on Wednesdays from December through May. Please click here to find out more.

Students have the option to stay 30min longer (12-12:30pm) to do homework under supervision. You can add this option during the registration process.

We also offer Gym Class after School from 12:15-1:15pm with GymWheel Chicago. This will be on the fourth floor. You can add this option during the registration process.

Class placement

• If your child(ren) have been enrolled with us in the school year 2022/23, we will place them according to their skills, combined with minor attention to their age (mixing of ages will start with the 5-6 year olds). Simply register them here, and you're done.

• If your child(ren) are younger than 3, our parent-toddler group (Krabbelgruppe) is the best match. Please click here to find out more.

• If your child(ren) have passed the DSD I Exam, or are on a CEFR B1+ Level, please enroll them in the DSD II/Advanced class here.

• If your child(ren) are a new student, we require a placement evaluation. Please contact us at kinderschule@dankhaus.com.
  

Price

We're proud to announce that we are able to keep our pricing at last year's level! Thank you all who support us! Be sure to pay by June 30, 2023, to take advantage of this pricing! Sign up is free, we will send you an invoice after you have signed up. If you pay during July, there is a $25 surcharge, and if you pay after August 1st there is a $50 surcharge.

Our school year has 32 sessions, and costs $1023. There is an additional $40 book and material fee. This is applied to all classes - some use more than one book, some use more arts and crafting materials, so it evens out overall.

The 30min homework add-on costs $5 per session, resulting in $160 for 32 sessions.

You can also add-on gym class (Rhönrad) from 12:15-1:15pm at $450 for the year.

If you would like to pay this amount in full, please indicate so during registration, if not, we will invoice you quarterly, resulting in 4 (four) charges of $255.75.

Discounts are available to friends of the DANK - click here to learn more! (Generally, if you are signing up more than one child, the family friend option pays for itself and you will be able to take advantage of all our special offers for our friends throughout the year).

Sign-up fee

There is no sign-up fee. Once you have signed up we will send you an invoice. If you pay by June 31st, 2023, you will receive last school year's pricing (see above). If you pay during July, there is a $25 surcharge, and if you pay after August 1st there is a $50 surcharge.

Questions? Comments?

Please contact kinderschule@dankhaus.com with any questions, concerns, and comments. You can also reach us at 773-561-9181 Ext.2!

New to the Kinderschule? We're happy to show you the school, please contact us to set up a date and time.

See you in class! / Bis dahin!