20 Years of GISSV

United by a desire for a German and California accredited curriculum, six German and American families formed and incorporated the German School of Silicon Valley (GSSV) in November of 1999. Instruction began in February 2000 with 34 students.

The Deutsche Schule Silicon Valley (DSSV), as it was known at its inception, was built up by Principal Michael Spahn-Senge and beloved teachers like Regina Enhuber, Jennifer Krejcik, Kristin Eichholz, Heike Lill, and Franke Mercer.

After the name was changed to German International School of Silicon Valley (GISSV), the new Principal Maja Oelschlägel completed the journey with the first graduate class of ten students in 2009 and a new location in Berkeley (now known as EBGIS). With the Principal Martin Fugmann, the San Francisco Campus was founded in 2011 and the Mountain View Campus grew into a two-track school with new buildings added every couple of years. Today, Interim Head of School Mario Cimiotti and incoming Head of School Kathrin Röschel are leading the GISSV, a WASC and CAIS accredited school and an “Exzellente Deutsche Auslandsschule” into the next decade of bilingual education in the Bay Area. More than 100 teachers and staff care for now 536 students with more than 40 different nationalities, having had well over 100 graduates so far. With the move to Diamond Street in San Francisco and the next graduating class preparing for the Deutsche Internationale Abitur, GISSV is looking forward to welcoming new families and educating students ages two to 20 for many years to come.

GISSV History - Timeline