GLSC Merit Award

2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992

The German Language School Conference is firmly committed to supporting and promoting the German language and recognizes outstanding teachers and administrators of its member schools. At its annual national conference, the GLSC presents two merit awards. The criteria for selection as a qualified candidate for the GLSC Merit Award require exemplary commitment and outstanding performance. Award recipients are selected nationwide from qualified candidates.

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2008

• Donna Giromini, Teacher, German Saturday School Boston
  Donna Giromini has been a dedicated teacher at German Saturday School Boston for the past 18 years. Drawn to teaching by "a fascination with the language acquisition process of very young children," Ms. Giromini uses games, crafts, music, dance and other visual and active means to encourage participation and promote positive reinforcement in her classroom. She enjoys developing "Ten Minute Games" for parents to use at home during the week to help their children speak more German. She is also always on the lookout for innovative didactical materials to use in her classroom. One of the most remarkable things about Ms. Giromini is her resilience and resourcefulness in adapting her classroom space to childrens' needs: Every Saturday she arrives 1,5 hours early to restructure her university classroom into a preschool space. She brings manipulatives, puzzles, blocks, dollhouses, German board books and crafts and uses all of these to create activity stations for the children. The German Saturday School Boston is very fortunate to have Ms. Giromini on its faculty. Many children have come through her classroom, and many more are lined up and waiting.
• William Killen Family, School Committee Members and Founders, German Language School of Morris County, NJ
  In 1967 William Killen and others who felt the need for German language education established what is now the German Language School of Morris County. The School was formed as an independent, non-profit, non-political organization to "engage in, assist and contribute to the education of students, regardless of ethnic background, who are interested in the German language and culture." The rapid growth of the School was due to the enthusiastic and hard work of the School's Press Secretary and Public Relation Officer William Killen. Bill and Annemarie's daughter Heidemarie was a student and one of the earlier graduates of the School. After Heidi's graduation Mr. Killen kept in touch with the School while the it had its ups and downs. And it was again a Killen who took lead of the School when times were difficult. Heidemarie Killen, as President from 1998 to 2003, was instrumental in finding the School's new home at Morristown Beard School. And yet another time Heidi stood behind the School, when it needed her in a transitional time between new principals and she became interim principal. Heidemarie's son Erick Killen graduated from the German Language School of Morris County just before its 40th anniversary with great success. The members of the Killen Family have been very involved in every single event in support of the School, its Board, Staff and students. The School is very grateful to have had and still have the four generations of the Killens.

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2007

• Margret Bohac, Teacher, DANK School Chicago Northern Suburbs
  Margret Bohac has taught kindergarten ans levels 2, 3, 4 and 7 at three of our DANK schools. Her teaching experience includs one year "Hamburger Kinderheim" Wyk auf Foehr, 7 years college for teachers in Hannover and 6 years at Harper College in Palatine, IL. Mrs. Bohac has taught dance, gymnastics, sport and music and has been the coordinator of all of Christmas and culture programs at the DANK German Language Schools Chicago Northern Suburbs.
• Krisjann VanOpdorp, School Committee Member, Founder, Head of the School Library, German Saturday School Boston
  Krisjann VanOpdorp has Kris been a tireless supporter of the school as a parent volunteer and as a school committee member for over 10 years. She founded and lead the largest German library in the U.S. specializing in children’s literature and age appropriate media for children ages K-12. She founded a parent initiative to build a library and organized efforts to acquire books, audio tapes, DVDs and computer games from Germany, initially carrying home many items herself on trips back from Germany. In 1994 Mrs. VanOpdorp introduced the Dankeschoen-Programm, which allows parents to donate library items or money for future purchases in a teacher’s name. Later a Flohmarkt was added, taking place once a year where second hand and duplicate books are sold to raise additional funds for the library. Today the library is a resource for students, teachers and parents with over 4,000 books, 177 DVDs, 695 Videos, 476 Audiocassettes, 175 Multimedia books and more than 150 Computer software games; altogether over 5,700 items. The lending process which was originally based on the honor system is now fully automated. The library is entirely run by parent volunteers.

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2006

• Annette Flogaus-Bareiss, Schoolboard Member, German School of Connecticut
  Mrs. Annette Flogaus-Bareiss has been a member of the Board of the German School of Connecticut for many years. Her major function, which she fulfills with much success, is fundraising. In addition, as a lawyer, she is indispensable in legal matters, such as contracts and insurance. Her personal initiatives at the school, such as organizing the weekly sale of food and magazines, attract many parents and contribute to the friendship and good school climate. Mrs. Flogaus-Bareiss’s flexibility, tact, as well as her energy make her an excellent discussion leader and problem solver. Other board members always find in her an understanding and compassionate conversation partner, who is always ready to listen and give good advice.
• Marianne Diekmann, Teacher, German School of Connecticut
  Mrs. Marianne Diekmann has been teaching at the German School of Connecticut since its founding in 1977. She is a teacher any school would be glad to have, both loved by the children and respected by their parents. Mrs. Diekmann teaches 10 year olds, most of them native language learners, preparing them for the German Language Diploma. The very first US students to pass the test and receive the Diploma in the early 80s were Mrs. Diekmann’s pupils. The success of this first group of students led to the implementation of the German Language Diploma at other German language schools in the USA. The administration hopes she will stay at the School for many years to come.

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2005

• Dr. Ute Gröning, Teacher, Deutsche Sonnabendschule Boston, MA
  Dr. Gröning has been a very effective teacher at her school for 15 years and has taught either 9th or 10th grade. She has always been very open to new challenges, be it the introduction of the Zentrale Deutschprüfung or, more recently, the German Language Diploma. She is the administrator of the ZDP and the examiner for the German Language Diploma. Ute Gröning is highly committed, making sure that every single student in her class is successful. To that extent she often prepares individualized lesson plans and communicates with the students and parents outside class. She is always willing to put in additional work because her primary goal is the success of her students.
• Helga Rundquist, Teacher, Deutsche Schule Charlotte, NC
  The Deutsche Schule Charlotte would be not imaginable without the preschool teacher Helga Rundquist. For more than 30 years Helga comes every Sunday to the school, fully loaded with new ideas, handicrafts and toys, in order to offer to the 4-year-olds a motivating Saturday morning. Ms. Rundquist uses new teaching methods, which allows her to successfully accommodate non-native speakers of German in her classes. With much patience and much teaching experience, she teaches the children songs, rhymes, games, awakening in them an interest in German stories and fairy tales. The German customs are fully integrated in Ms. Rundquist's curriculum. Long before the start of the school year Ms. Rundquist prepares wonderful sugar cones, which each child proudly brings home on the first school day. The children enthusiastically participate in the parade with lanterns, and joyfully present what they have learned at the Christmas celebration. The children wait impatiently for St. Nikolaus and the Easter Bunny. Each year, she also organizes traditional Fasching parade.

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2004

• Grace Whealan, Teacher, Deutsche Sprachschule of Union, NJ
  Ms. Whealan has been an outstanding, dedicated, conscientious and loyal educator, whose enthusiasm and competence have been highly valued for 24 years. She is convinced of the importance of her profession – teaching German language and culture to all students in her care. She is loved and respected by her pupils, who respond joyfully to her innovative teaching methods and caring manner. Ms. Whealan is an irreplaceable asset, an example of professional conduct and expertise to the teaching staff. Ms. Whealan demonstrated her academic ideas and professionalism in an excellent workshop for her colleagues. Everybody was impressed and enriched by her innovative ideas. She also planned and organized a full-day total immersion workshop known as Deutscher Tag at the Deutsche Klub Clark for about 100 high school students. She motivated five schools to participate in the activities. Ms. Whealan also held a successful workshop at a meeting of the N.J. AATG Chapter. Ms. Whealan is always willing to learn and improve her teaching skills and attends every workshop available to her, always open and receptive to new ideas.
• Margaret Wallis, Teacher, German Language School of Morris County, NJ
  Ms. Wallis has been successfully teaching German in the third grade for 20 years. She always prepares her lessons thoroughly and makes them very exciting and interesting, like her famous "Vegetables & Fruits" Lesson, where students enjoy figuring out if they have enough Euros to purchase their favorites. She taught courses at Drew University, Madison, NJ, and holds a Master of Arts Degree in German Philology from New York University and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in French and German from Drew University, earning summa cum laude in German. Ms. Wallis attended every annual GLSC Conference and participated in the Teacher Server Workshop as well as the 2004 SOPA Seminar in Washington, D.C. She has been a great asset to her school and the GLSC for two decades.

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2003

• Gertrud Golsch, Director, DANK German Language Schools Chicago Northern Suburbs, IL
  Ms. Golsch has been teaching for almost 20 years at the DANK German Language Schools Chicago Northern Suburbs, putting pedagogic accents in the curricula from the kindergarten through the elementary school level, the middle school level to the business German classes. She is successful in transmitting her pedagogic abilities and experience to her colleagues. Ms. Golsch's organizational talent, her pedagogic abilities, friendliness, untiring devotion to preserving traditions, and her continuous attention to new pedagogic developments make her a valuable asset to her schools. As the director of the two German language schools she bears responcibility not only for the curricula, but also for the well coordinated administrative work. Ms. Golsch contributed to the fact that both the AATG and the ZDP-8 Examinations were introduced and passed with good results. In March 2002 her schools received the Certificate of Appreciation from the Governor of Illinois George Ryan, "in recognition of commitment and dedication to the ethnic schools of Illinois."
• Lisa Dunning, Administrator, German School Atlanta, GA
  Lisa Dunning manages the most part of all organizational work behind the scenes - from registration to keeping class lists, tuition, contributions, substitute lists to document copying. She serves as a link between teachers, parents, and students. She is irreplaceable person. She is the first recipient of the Lisa Dunning Award which is given every two years to a member of the Atlanta School Staff for extraordinary accomplishments in school administration.

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2002

• Ingrid Boeddeker, Teacher, German Language School of Morris County, NJ
  For extraordinary dedication in teaching her students.
• Kerstin Hopkins, Director, German Language Courses at the German School Washington, DC
  For her efforts in furthering the German language and culture.

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2001

• Gerda Juhasz, Teacher, German Language School of Cleveland, OH
  For 36 years of untiring efforts in the service to the German language and culture.
• Ilse Brosnan, Teacher, Deutsche Sprachschule of Central New Jersey
  For outstanding achievements in over 20 years of teaching German.

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2000

• Brunhilde Dluhy, Teacher, Deutsche Sprachschule of Union, NJ
  For outstanding achievements in and dedication to teaching German.
• Grethe Möller Ridley, Principal, German Language School of Morris County, NJ
  For untiring efforts in the administration of her school and furthering the German language and culture. In addition to the duties at her school, Ms. Ridley serves on the Board of Trustees of the GLSC.

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1999

Coming Soon

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1998

Coming Soon

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1997

Coming Soon

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1996

• Karoline Lindenmaier, Principal, German Language School of Cleveland, OH
  Ms. Lindenmaier has been working for her school since January 1960, first as a classroom teacher, and since 1966 as the Principal. She demonstrates much energy and dedication in approaching the problems. With Ms. Lindenmaier as a Principal, the German Language School of Cleveland grew and prospered.
• Margot Purucker, Teacher, Immanuel German Language School, Philadelphia, PA
  For 20 years of service to her school. Her love and dedication to teaching the German language is reflected in her instruction style and in many special projects.

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1995

Coming Soon

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1994

• Astrid Hasbrouk, Teacher, Deutsche Sprachschule New York at the United Nations School, NY
  Ms. Hasbrouk, one of the first teachers of Deutsche Sprachschule New York at the United Nations School, was instrumental in the growth and development of the school. After more than 25 years of dedication to private German language schools, Ms. Hasbrouk has retired. Her students and colleagues expressed their gratitude by nominating Ms. Hasbrouk for the GLSC Merit Award.
• Ingrid Wehrhahn, Teacher, Deutsche Sprachschule of Westwood, NJ
  Ms. Wehrhahn was director and administrator of the Deutsche Sprachschule of Westwood, NJ, for six years. Supported by her energy, enthusiasm, excellent communication skills and warm spirit the school grew from 65 to 135 students. In addition to the duties at her school, Ms. Wehrhahn served on the Board of Trustees of the GLSC. Her services will be sorely missed.

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1993

• James Bennett, Esq., Administrator, Deutsche Sprachschule of Central New Jersey
  Mr. Bennett, an attorney, has long been a supporter of German Saturday schools. In addition to serving his language school he has volunteered his time as legal counsel for the GLSC Board of Trustees. His services were invaluable to the GLSC.
• Bertha Birk, Teacher, Deutsche Sprachschule of Union, NJ
  Ms. Birk was affiliated with the Deutsche Sprachschule of Union, NJ, for over 25 years. During this time she endeared herself to the students and faculty alike, giving above and beyond of what is expected of any teacher.

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