Alexander Von Humboldt German International School Montreal
Its campus was formerly Oakridge Elementary School.
History
Founded in 1980, the AvH school opens its doors in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce district in Montreal to further moved in 1984 in a new building located in Baie-D’Urfé. Originally, it started with 22 students and now the school hosts more than 300 students. The school was founded to offer a German education to immigrants from Germany to Quebec. Today, the school serves a much greater community (e.g. Germans, Canadians, Americans, Italians, etc.).
The school is funded through school fees, donations, and support from the Federal Government of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Student body
As of 2016, there were 300 students, of which 66% came from non-German-speaking households. The remainder came from German-speaking households.
In 1996 the student body numbered 210.
Operations
The school cooperates with the Goethe Institute in order to promote German culture in the Montreal area.
Curriculum
Even though the school is not funded by the government of Quebec, it follows the standards of the Quebec Ministry of Education. Therefore, the students receive the provincial diploma upon graduation from high school.
Students may not choose to graduate at Grade 11 with the Diplôme des études secondaires and go on to CEGEP; but stay until Grade 12 and get the German International Abitur (DIA) and then immediately attend a university or college. Students may also earn the Deutsches Sprachdiplom, a certificate in German proficiency at grade 12.
The school has courses taught in German, French, and English. In PreKindergarten and Kindergarten courses are mostly in German while French and English courses are introduced in the first grade. The only classes taught in French and/or English are the non-German language classes.
The German government funds operations at the school, including eight teaching positions, while the government of Quebec does not fund this school.
Academic performance
In 1995 all of the students taking the Quebec provincial examinations passed even though the curriculum was not aligned with Quebec standards. Karen Seidman of the Montreal Gazette wrote that the school "so overwhelmingly aced [the tests] that it now has virtually no place to go but down."
Diplomas offered
| Year | Diploma | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 10 | Sekundarstufe-I-Prüfung | German High School Diploma I (allows students to continue in the Sekundarstufe-II education level) |
| Grade 11 | Diplôme des études secondaires (DÉS) | Quebec High School Leaving Diploma (allows students to pursue studies in Quebec's CÉGEP system) |
| Grade 12 | Deutsches Sprachdiplom | German Language Diploma granting access to German-language university programs |
| Grade 12 | Deutsche Internationale Abiturprüfung (DIAP) (Sekundarstufe-II) | German High School-Diploma II (allows students to study in any programme at any University in the world) |
Academic administration
- Principal: Dr. Martin Braun
- Vice-Principal: Tobias Grygier
- Principal Elementary School: Gerd Jonetz
- Preschool Coordinator: Christiane El Aboudy-Kalz
See also
References
- ^ Meagher, John (2022-06-09). "How a private German school in Quebec graduates trilingual students". Montreal Gazette.
- ^ "Language skills, especially German, at the core of AvH program" (Archive). Montreal Gazette. September 5, 2014. Retrieved on April 9, 2016. Note: Postmedia's editorial department was not involved in the creation of this article; it was created by Postmedia's advertising department on behalf of the AvH and it was created for commercial purposes.
- ^ Seidman, Karen (1996-05-09). "Three local schools rank among top 6". Montreal Gazette. p. West Island 3. - Available at Newspapers.com
- ^ "About Us." Alexander von Humboldt German International School Montreal. Retrieved on April 9, 2016.
- ^ Habib, Marlene. "Private Schools: Trilingualism Immersion goes beyond French." The Globe and Mail. Thursday September 26, 2013. Retrieved on April 9, 2016.
Further reading
- (in French) Agreement between the Quebec government and the German government about the school
- (in French) Meune, Manuel. Les Allemands du Québec: Parcours et discours d'une communauté méconnue. Montréal: Méridien, 2003. ISBN 2-89415293-0. - AvH is discussed in subchapter 6
- (in German) "Bekanntmachung der deutsch-quebecischen Vereinbarung über die Alexander von Humboldt-Schule Montreal." Bundesgesetzblatt (Germany) Teil II, 1992, Nr. 12 vom 24.04.1992. - Direct PDF link (Archive)
- (in French) "ENTENTE ENTRE LE GOUVERNEMENT DU QUÉBEC ET LE GOUVERNEMENT DE LA RÉPUBLIQUE FÉDÉRALE D'ALLEMAGNE CONCERNANT L'ÉCOLE ALLEMANDE "ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT-SCHULE MONTREAL"" (Archive). September 1992.
- (in German) "Erfahrungsbericht Alexander von Humboldt-Schule Montreal." Humboldt University of Berlin.
