Announcement by the School Committee of the German Saturday School Boston:
German Saturday School Boston Is Moving to Lexington
The School Committee of the German Saturday School Boston is excited to announce the selection of Diamond Middle School (DMS) in Lexington as its new home beginning with the 2012/13 school year.
In the spring of last year, Boston University informed the school that a renovation of the College of General Studies building, our main school facility, as well as increased use of the premises for BU’s own purposes requires us to move to another building. Over the years, our school grew from 27 when classes were first held at BU to currently 300 students. Lately, we were spread over three buildings on the BU campus and our school logistics, including the regular use of our German library, had become challenging.
After careful consideration and review of several viable options, we concluded that a move to Diamond Middle School in Lexington is the most suitable solution for the future of our school: It allows for growth and community building – all while staying true to our main mission, namely to offer excellence in German language education, as well as to introduce children to the cultures of German speaking countries, at affordable tuition rates.
Here is a brief overview of the advantages that the move to DMS will bring to the Saturday School:
•We will be able to house all classes in one building.
•The large, well-lit classrooms are well suited for providing interesting, effective instruction to students of all ages.
•All classes will enjoy easy access to our extensive library.
•Waiting parents will have an opportunity to stay near all of their children’s classrooms.
•Parents will be able to enjoy the school’s cafeteria as a central meeting and waiting area.
•Free parking is available directly at the building, making building access safer and more expeditious.
•Local area attractions, such as cafes/restaurants/public library in downtown Lexington, proximity to the Burlington mall, or the nearby Minuteman Bike Trail invite parents to pursue interests of their choice during school hours.
•The school is conveniently located close to a major highway (I-95, exits 31 A/B) within the I-95/Rt-128 belt around Boston, ensuring convenient access for the majority of our current school community.
Furthermore, we are extremely pleased that additional classrooms are available at DMS to afford a further growth of our school should demand for space continue to be high. This will enable us to address the long wait list that was a major impediment to access to our lower grades over the past few years.
We would like to express sincere and special thanks to Boston University, our host for the last forty-five years, for their most generous hospitality towards the German Saturday School. We are most appreciative of the support we have enjoyed over the last four decades while our school has changed and grown. Many generations of children received their instruction in German language and culture on Saturday mornings on the BU campus, and look back with fondness and great appreciation to our time here.
We also want to thank the Town of Lexington, in particular the Lexington Public Schools Facilities Staff and the Diamond Middle School principal and administration, for providing us a new home. We look very much forward to a long relationship with the school, the town and its surrounding neighbors.
The School Committee of the German Saturday School
Heri Sontgerath (Chair)
Dr. Martin Beinborn
Dr. Roland Bizanek
Dr. Ulrich Heintz
Thomas Ringler
Dr. Michael Teufel
Dr. Thomas Thuene
Emily Westhoven
