Enlarge image Students in Ms. Massingill's 5th-grade class learned about Germany as part of the Embassy Adoption Program. (© Hearst Elementary School) The highpoint of this year’s participation by the German Embassy in the Embassy Adoption Program took place last Thursday, May 31, as the Hearst Elementary School’s 5th-grade class, led by teacher Allie Massingill, visited the home of the head of the cultural department, Dr. Bertram von Moltke.

After a brief welcome by the host and the embassy liaison, the students enjoyed traditional German foods like bratwurst, potato salad, pretzels, marble cake and Streuselkuchen, and made a final class presentation on past school visits. The class presented a booklet with pictures from these visits, as well as a big poster of Model UN session where the class represented Germany. Before leaving, the children all received a present of Haribo gummi bears and German chocolate.

Volunteers of the German Embassy visited Hearst Elementary School on a frequent basis during the year, introducing them to German language and culture. Among the topics of the lessons were an introduction to German language (part of the embassy’s “do Deutsch” campaign), presentations on the work and organization of the embassy, the Carnival holiday, German inventors and inventions and the German children’s author Cornelia Funke. The 5th-grade class of the German School Washington also made a visit to Hearst, and the Hearst students visited the German School.

Enlarge image 5th-grade students from Hearst Elementary School celebrate the completion of this year's Embassy Adoption Program. (© Germany.info) The Embassy Adoption Program, founded in 1974 and organized via a partnership between the Washington Performing Arts Society and the DC Public Schools, annually connects 1,500 fifth- and sixth-grade students in 50 schools across all eight DC wards with 52 embassies in the nation’s capital. The German Embassy, an active participant in the Embassy Adoption Program for many years, is looking forward to continuing this cooperation in the future.