Enlarge image German teacher Astrid Ronke bids farewell to her students. (© Images courtesy Frank Duscha) Twenty students at Albert Einstein Academies Charter Middle School in San Diego received German language diplomas during 8th grade graduation on June 22.

Carefully guided by their German teacher, Astrid Ronke, students underwent rigorous testing of their German language skills in four categories: listening comprehension, reading comprehension, writing skills, and oral communication. By having successfully passed, they completed the first of two levels required of foreign students as proof of their German language proficiency to attend a college or university in Germany.

Enlarge image Frank Duscha hands out German language diplomas and books provided by the German Consulate General in Los Angeles to students. (© Image courtesy Frank Duscha) Frank Duscha, the regional German Language Consultant for Germany’s Central Agency for Schools Abroad, was impressed by how innovative students were in choosing topics for their oral presentations. One student, born in Mexico, compared Mexican tortillas to Schwarzbrot, a dense wholegrain bread that is a German staple. The freshly baked and crispy tortilla made a far better impression than the dried-out and stone hard German baked good, which had obviously sat on a shelf far too long. Luckily, as Mr. Duscha noted, AEACS students have the unique opportunity to travel to Germany with GAPP, the German American Partnership Program, so they are able to enjoy freshly prepared German specialities.

Middle School Principal David Sciaretta in his commencement speech congratulated students on their achievements and sent them on their way reminding them of all the things they had learned, including how to be more tolerant, how to voice their own opinions, and most importantly, how to be part of a mutually caring global community.

Enlarge image Students toss their caps in the air after graduation. (© Image courtesy Frank Duscha) With the official part of the graduation ceremony over, students joyfully tossed their caps in the air and then joined their families and teachers for a celebratory brunch.

About Albert Einstein Academies Charter Middle School:

AEACMS is an independent charter school with an instructional focus on German, Spanish and English immersion within the context of a rigorous academic instructional model. It is an authorized International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program World School, placing it in an elite group of schools worldwide. Along with the AEA elementary school, which recently celebrated its tenth anniversary, the two schools form the only authorized public K-8 IB continuum in California. AEACMS was also one of only 97 officially-recognized CA Distinguished Schools in the entire state of California for 2011.