Blake Peters, Head of School: Greetings! Born in Michigan, I studied German, Education and Human Development and Social Relations at Kalamazoo College. I spent my junior year in Erlangen, Germany and did my student teaching on an army base outside Stuttgart, Germany. After graduation I spent a year teaching English as a Fulbright Teaching Assistant in Bad Salzuflen, Germany. My summers have been spent in northern Minnesota at the Concordia Language Villages directing and teaching at the immersion language camps. I received my MA in German Languages and Literatures from Ohio State University. My wife Sharon, son Nathan and I enjoy living here in the Pacific Northwest, but are originally from Kentucky and Michigan.

Jackie Ortega, Administrative Manager: Born in Chicago, I've lived in Oklahoma City, OK and Dallas, TX. I moved to Portland in 1990 and officially call it home. In 1997, I received my Bachelors Degree in Management & Organizational Leadership from George Fox University. My background includes accounting and office management. I also have experience with non-profit organizations both as a professional and a volunteer. I'm very excited about joining the GSP community! In my spare time, my daughters and I enjoy games, letterboxing, and camping. I also enjoy reading, crocheting and scrapbooking.

Sabine Moyer, Administrative Assistant: A native of Nürnberg, Germany, I moved to the United States in 1984 and lived in Colorado, Delaware and Washington State before moving to Portland in 1997. I attended college in Colorado and in Washington State and my professional background is in business management. My daughter is a student at GSP and we have been members of the German American School community since 2003. 

Erica Andree, 4/5 English & Social Studies: The German language and I have lived all over the United States,  staying mostly in the northern latitudes.  Growing up in Rhinelander,  a little town settled by German immigrants in the Northwoods of Wisconsin,  I began learning German in high school.  During that time I had the opportunity to go to the Black Forest in Germany as an exchange student.  I studied German and English language and literature in Minnesota and earned a Master's Degree in German and English Literature in Washington.  I  have trained language faculty in Maine to use technology to aid language teaching; have taught German language, literature and  culture in New York; and taught English in Linz, Austria.  I settled in Oregon six years ago and now happily call my Northeast Portland neighborhood home. Some of you will recognize my face as the mother of a first grader at GSP.  Others may remember me as Carolin’s assistant in the preschool.  This year I serve as English and Social Studies teacher for the 4th & 5th grades as well as Second Step Coordinator.  I look forward to using my education and experience to the benefit of our students.

Claudia Bochow, 4th Grade: This is my third year at GSP. I received my education to become a grade- and high-school teacher in Hamburg, Berlin and Colchester in Great Britain. Afterwards I taught at a comprehensive school (Gesamtschule) in Wiesbaden and an elementary school in Hamburg. Since I was raised bilingually myself and child language acquisition and second language acquisition were two of the main focuses during my education, I am very glad to be able to work with this small, lively group of children at GSP, who already speak and understand German very well. In my spare time I am looking forward to exploring Portland and its surroundings, hiking, mountain-biking and snow-boarding.

Carolin Chubinsky, Preschool II: I am a proud Prussian (but wanna-be Bavarian) who was raised in Cologne, Germany. In 1984 I finished my State Exam in Social Pedagogies and Psychology and have worked in this field since then. I’ve worked in Amsterdam, Holland as well as in Oxford, England and in different areas of Germany. I worked with severely handicapped children, terminally ill children, orphans, abused children, children with learning disabilities, children from 0 – 18 years of age and children of different cultures, languages and religions. In 1990, I was working with 3 -6 year olds in a Kindergarten in Augsburg, Germany. In the afternoons I held classes for Preschoolers in gymnastics, TPR, music/art and gave guitar lessons. After four years of being the Principle, my husband , my two children and I decided to move to the United States of America. Since August 2001, I have been teaching Preschool in the German-American School of Portland, Oregon.

Sanja Cicin-Sain, Preschool Assistant: was born in Zadar, an ancient and beautiful Croatian town on the Mediterranean sea. I originally graduated as a registered nurse in my home town and worked for five years in the pediatric clinic. It was then that I realized how much I love working with children, and that I wanted to do that in a more engaging way, one that would offer me more chances for creative interaction with the little ones. I went back to school and earned a degree as a preschool teacher. During my studies I participated in many creative-children art workshops and illustrated a children's storybook. Upon graduation, I moved to Germany and lived in Munich for four years, along with my husband and two children. Once my husband was offered a fellowship at OHSU, we moved to Oregon. Soon we learned about GSP and enrolled our kids in the program. A year later I was offered this position. I am very happy to be part of this dynamic and engaging environment, and so are my children.

Corinna Doty, Preschool Assistant: I was born and raised in Geislingen bei Balingen in the Schwäbische Alb area of Germany.  After graduation from school I trained as a professional dressmaker. In 2002 I came to the Portland area as an Au Pair and met my future husband. I attended PCC as an international student in 2004 and made the US my permanent home the following year when I got married.  I love Oregon and all the outdoor things you can do, such as hiking, boating, snowboarding, and camping.  I am happy to spend my 2nd year at GSP with Daniela in Preschool 3.

Heidi Draheim, English 1st to 3th Grade:  I grew up in Appleton, Wisconsin. I started to learn German in the 6th grade, when my parents sent me to German camp in Bemidji, Minnesota.  German quickly became one of my passions, and I continued to study it at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, where I also studied elementary education. After graduation I began teaching 2nd grade at the German Immersion School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In 2003 I was delighted to learn that I was a recipient of a Fulbright Grant, which allowed me to live and teach for a year in Leinefelde, Germany. After that amazing year, I decided to make Portland my home, and I began to fall in love with the Pacific Northwest! In my free time I love hiking, spending time outdoors, dancing, shopping, and of course reading! I spend my summers in beautiful Northern Minnesota at Waldsee, Concordia Language Village’s German camp.  I’m excited to be here for my third year at GSP, and I am looking forward to sharing my love of literature and social studies with your kids!

Bernd Ferner, 5th Grade: I was born in Uelzen, Germany and grew up in Weil am Rhein, a small town in the very south of Germany. After graduating from school I started with an apprenticeship in Haltingen, then went on to study Education for Secondary Schools in Freiburg. I did additional studies in Special Education  in Heidelberg, and then moved to the State of Saarland for my Teacher Training Internship and my first teaching appointment. Finally I ended up in Worms where I taught at a secondary school. In 2003, my wife and I followed our own Oregon Trail, moving from Mainz to Portland. From the first moment on we have tried to explore Portland and Oregon on foot and are still overwhelmed by the beauty of this area. In the summer of 2007 I earned my Oregon teaching credentials from Portland State, where I am currently enrolled in a MA program.  During the new academic year I will teach 4th and 5th grade mathematics, 5th grade science and coach the Lego team. In addition, I will teach German for adults. I am very much looking forward to my fourth year at the GSP.

Margit Fischbach, Physical Education: I was born in the Ruhrgebiet, Germany. As a child I joined the local sports club and had a lot of fun in gymnastics and track and field classes. At 14 I started as an assistant in one of the gymnastics groups and shortly later I participated in an instructors class and earned my group leader certificate. After high school I studied at the Deutsche Sporthochschule in Cologne, Germany.  During my free time I worked as a gymnastics teacher with girls ages 6 – 12. After earning my MA, I went to Northern Germany and worked as a full time physical education teacher in the Möllner Sportvereinigung. I taught swimming, track and field, gymnastics (mom and me groups through 14 year olds), fitness, aerobics, volleyball and dancing.  I participated with some of my groups at the ‘Deutsches Turnfest’ and at the world gymnaestrada, which was a great pleasure and a great honor. With the Volleyball Mixed Team I participated in several tournaments, especially international ones. At GSP I started as a volunteer in 2001, when I did “turnen” with the Preschool and Kindergarten classes. Starting with the 2002/2003 school year, I became PE-teacher for all grades at GSP. I enjoy working in this environment.

Nina Hahn, 2nd Grade: I was born and raised in Idar-Oberstein, a small town in the southwest of Germany. After my high school graduation I moved to Heidelberg to pursue my degree in primary school education at the University of Education in Heidelberg. My subjects were German and Sachkunde. During this time I started to attend English classes and  became interested in the American culture. My student teaching time brought me to Ulm in the south of Germany were I taught second and fifth grade. Most of the students had a multicultural background, which gave me the opportunity to work with children who learned German as a second language. Working at the German American School gives me a great chance to experience a new country and culture. I am really happy to be a part of the GSP community and excited about my work with the second grade class!!!

Kati Heckmann, Kindergarten: I was born and raised in a little town in Bavaria. Now I have been in the States for 17 years! When I was pregnant with my first child I started to study at PCC. I earned an AA degree in Early Childhood Education in 1991. For several years I worked at Mountain Park Playschool, first as a preschool teacher and then as the head teacher for their school age program. After I had my 2nd child (Nanni) I started my own child care business. When Nanni turned five I accepted a position teaching here at the German American School.

Vicki Jörke, Grade School Assistant: I was born and raised in Southern California. During my second year of college, I went abroad to Tübingen, Germany. I liked Southern Germany so much that I stayed for nearly sixteen years. In Germany, I studied German and Germanic Linguistics and English Studies at the University of Stuttgart. After receiving my degrees, I taught English and German for international students (DaF) at the University level for several years. From 2001-2003, I also volunteered and worked as a teaching assistant at a German American preschool near Stuttgart.
In the fall of 2003, my family and I relocated to the US, where I completed a supplemental degree in TESOL and foreign language teaching at California State University Fullerton. In 2005, my first year in Portland, I began teaching classes at the German Saturday School and German summer camp, which I found to be very rewarding. I have always enjoyed working with children, and nothing makes me happier than being able to share with them my passion for the German language.

Susi Kapela, Pre-K Assistant: I was born in Nürnberg, Germany , attended the Gymnasium there and the Höhere Handelsschule. In 1969 I moved to Portland, OR, where I attended college. I have been involved with a Spielgruppe my children attended and later on volunteered in the classrooms of the German Saturday School of Portland and for the past two years I taught the full immersion class for 4 - 7 year old children. I also volunteer for the Beaverton Art Literacy Program, as well as in my children’s and grandchildren’s classrooms, who attend public schools here in Beaverton. My family and I enjoy camping, hiking, gardening and are involved with soccer, golf and other sports.

Maureen McGinty, Preschool Assistant: I am from sunny Gilroy, California, and am very excited to be here at the German American School.  I studied German and Political Science at the University of Portland, and love the Portland area.  I first started to learn the German language in college, but have spent my whole life celebrating German traditions with my mother’s German family.  My sophomore year of college I lived in Salzburg, Austria as a participant in my university’s year-long Art History and German Language study abroad program. Upon graduating from college in 2006, I also worked as a Fulbright teaching assistant in Saarlouis, Germany for a year.  My experiences living in German speaking countries for those two years have been truly amazing, and I can’t think of any place I’d rather be working here in Portland than the German American School.  I love working with children, and when I’m not at the school, I can be found watching Notre Dame Football or spending time with my family and friends.

Kristina Moschisch,Preschool I: I went to school in Cologne, Germany, where I got my teaching diploma and taught a mixed age preschool class. I lived in Chicago, IL and Washington, DC where I worked with preschool age kids and finished my certificate program in special education. I am very excited to teach German and see the kids grow throughout the year. I already love Oregon and explore the outdoors frequently. I also love to play music, sing, ride my bike and go to concerts or theaters.

Iris Noack, Art teacher: I was born in the Black Forest and grew up on the Schwaebische Alb in southern Germany. After the Abitur I went to work in New York for a year, but then ended up staying there and getting married. In 1989 I graduated from SUNY Purchase School of the Arts with a BFA and have been working in the Graphic Arts field since. Volunteering in teaching art in classrooms at the public school level since 6 years taught me the joy and fun to work with kids in the art environment. This is my fifth year as art teacher at the German American School and I hope the kids have as much fun as I do!

Rita Noller, 1st Grade: I was born and raised in Berlin, Germany. After the Abitur, I studied at the Pädagogische Hochschule Berlin, with emphasis on Psychology and English as a foreign language. My first Staatsexamen allowed me to teach from first to tenth grade. After an 18 month internship at an elementary school in Kreuzberg, I received the second Staatsexamen. During my studies and the internship I was very involved with the Turkish culture. At the same elementary school, I was also a homeroom teacher and taught a variety of subjects in grades one through six. I  moved to the United States in 1982 and have lived in Florida, Connecticut, Tennessee and now, Oregon. I have been teaching at the German American School since 1996, working with Kindergartners, first and second graders. My interests include literature, theater, travel, cross stitch, and spending time with family and friends.

Kristina Ronningen, Music: I grew up in Washington State and studied music education at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. After graduating, I taught K-12 music and choir in Oregon for three years before returning to Washington. My Masters degree is in Choral Conducting from Central Washington University; The next 11 years were spent teaching public school music and choir in a high school and middle school. It wasn’t until moving to Texas last year that I realized just how much I like singing with preschool and grade school children. When I returned to the Pacific Northwest and the Portland area, I was very excited to get the job teaching music here at GSP! I don’t speak German, but am learning quickly, and I have traveled to Germany with choir students on two different occasions. I enjoy jazz music very much. In our free time, my husband and I like to read, travel, take hikes, play games on the computer, and go to Renaissance Fairs around the country.

Sarah Seifried, 3rd Grade: Born and raised in a small town in the North of Bavaria, I moved to Munich in 1995 to start my studies. Because of my interest in psychology and languages, I chose Education for secondary schools, with school psychology as my major. This education included working with at risk children and teenagers as well as with highly skilled students, earning a license to lead through intelligence and psychological tests and leading workshops for students with dyslexia, dyscalculia and ADS. The guidance of conversations and the improvement of social skills have always been two of my main focuses. After passing my state examination I worked at an elementary and secondary school with a strong multicultural background in the centre of Munich and at an elementary and secondary school in the heart of the bavarian mountains. Working and living abroad has always been a big dream of mine, so I applied for a position at GSP – and here I am! I am glad to share my passion for the German language with this lively community and I am excited about exploring the beautiful West Coast.

Leah Steiner Suter, Kindergarten Assistant: I am originally from Columbus, Ohio, where I had a wonderful German teacher who encouraged my passion for the German language and its cultures. I went on to study German and Gender Studies at the College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio and spent a semester abroad in Berlin, Germany. I have worked as a staff counselor and high school German teacher at the German language village of Concordia Language Villages, and as a Fulbright English Language Teaching Assistant in Vienna, Austria. I just moved out to Portland this last summer and am thoroughly enjoying the funk and foliage of the city. When I'm not in the kindergarten classroom with Kati and the kids, you can find me cooking and baking at home, taking photographs around town, playing guitar, and re-learning how to ride a bike.

Kerstin Tegtmeier, 1st Grade: Born in Horn-Bad Meinberg, a small town in the eastern part of North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. I studied special education for children with speech impairments and learning problems in Dortmund. My time as a student teacher was spent in Hamburg where I later taught first to fifth grade at an elementary school for children with speech impairments. During that time I gained a lot of experience communicating with parents and children from multicultural backgrounds and assisting children to improve their language skills. Having a strong urge to see the world, I took a sabbatical and went travelling in Central- and South America for a year. As experiencing languages and different cultures are fascinating to me, I always had the wish to live and work abroad. That’s why I am very happy and excited about the opportunity for me to teach at GSP!!!!

Marion Wheeler, Before Care: I was born and raised in Cologne, Germany and after obtaining my High School degree I became a clerical employee with the German government. I worked with individuals who had to perform community service in lieu of required military service unitl I married a US Air Force sergeant in 1992 which eventually brought me to Portland, Oregon. The Northwest has been my home away from home for the last 12 years!   I have four children and ended up home schooling them for the last three years. I also have been involved with the German Saturday School of Portland for the past several years as a parent and volunteer in the first grade class. For the last two years I have been teaching the Kindergarten age children my native language and I became fascinated with their little personalities. I appreciate to have the opportunity to get to interact a little each morning with the children and to see them grow throughout the year.

Daniela Williams, Preschool III: I was born and raised in a small town in Bavaria. There I met my husband and in the summer of 1994 we moved to Olympia, Washington. After taking a short detour to West Virginia, we finally landed here in Oregon in 1998. After actively working as a volunteer at my daughter’s school, I decided to find a career in Early Childhood Education. I found working with children to be the most rewarding, challenging and fun profession, that I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. Since 1998 I have been working with children, ranging in ages from 2 - 6. I feel very honored and proud to be part of our wonderful GSP community.