1700

German

55% German, 40% American, and 5% other nationalities.

Students applying to Grades 1 through 12 have to be fluent in English, but not in German.

French, Spanish

The school's core philosophy in regards to technology is that every student and teacher should have access to the technology that is needed to make them successful.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
JFKS brings the internet into the Elementary school classroom through the use of classroom computers and Promethean interactive whiteboards. Instead of dedicated ‘computer’ classes JFKS integrates the use of technology into all of its core subjects. Students are encouraged to research, design, create and present concepts and ideas using technology as a tool or as a delivery method.
• JFKS has two computer labs to support full classroom instruction.
• JFKS has a media center in its library to support student research.
• JFKS offers keyboarding instruction in both German and English.
• JFKS currently uses web based tools for math support, reading intervention, accelerated learning and instructional support.
• Every teacher has access to a full suite of technology tools through the school's Google Apps for Education portal.

HIGH SCHOOL
JFKS underwent a major infrastructure project in 2013 to equipthe High School as a Bring Your Own Device campus. Now JFKS has wireless access for both students and teachers in every part of the High School campus. JFKS brings the internet into the classroom through a combination of large screen televisions, Epson interactive projectors, Promethean interactive boards, and portable media carts.
• JFKS has three computer labs to support instruction.
• JFKS offers courses that fulfill all N.E.T.S standards as well as P.I.S.A recommended guidelines.
o Computer Applications
o Web Design
o Multimedia Design and Film Making
o Computer Information Systems Management
o Informatik
o AP Computer Science
• Online Content Management system.
• Cloud managed online environment for all students and teachers through the school's Google Apps for Education Portal.

Students at the John F. Kennedy School work towards the German Abitur, the American High School Diploma and Advanced Placement Program, or towards both. JFKS does not offer the IB program.

Yes

Depends on the subject and grade level.

The John F. Kennedy School is dedicated to creating a supportive learning environment for all students, including those with certain special learning needs.
JFKS does not offer a full special education program, and in individual cases it is sometimes determined that the special needs of a student would be more effectively met in a monolingual or smaller classroom setting. However, students with special needs do attend JFKS and are supported with a variety of strategies and resources.

In the elementary school JFKS is able to effectively help students with dyslexia, dyscalculia, attention deficit (hyperactivity) disorder (ADD/ADHD), perception processing disorders and milder forms of Asperger Syndrome/Autism Spectrum Disorder. The school is also able to serve hearing- and sight-impaired or physically- or mentally-handicapped students, if outside support is provided by the school district, the child’s parents, the health insurance company or the employer of the child’s parents.

The School Counseling Department plays an important role in helping parents find the appropriate service for their children outside of school. The school has close contacts with English-speaking psychologists, with organizations offering “Ergotherapie” (occupational therapy for children), with speech therapists as well as with the “Rechenzentrum”, which offers therapy for more severe cases of dyscalculia.

Admission is selective. It is based on past school records and, where necessary, on testing. All admissions are probationary for one year in the elementary school and one semester in the high school.

Yes

The application period begins as of September 1 of the year prior to the school year requested. Since JFKS admits on a SPACE AVAILABLE basis, there are only a limited number of places at each grade level, so applying far enough in advance is crucial.

The John F. Kennedy School is not an all-day school – students are dismissed at different times according to their grade level. In order to accommodate working parents or to coordinate with siblings’ dismissal times, JFKS offers two After School Care programs: Hort and Late Birds.

Hort is a program for children of working parents subsidized by the city of Berlin covering long working hours during the day until 18.00 h as well as during vacation time and American holidays.

Late Birds is a program children of all families can participate in. It offers care until 16.00 h on school days, and occasional camps during vacation times and on American holidays if enough families are interested. Families pay only for the actual hours their child attends Late Birds.

Younger Children who are not ready yet to use public transportation by themselves or students who live in less accessible areas, have the option to use the private school buses.

Yes

Haywire, muckracker, odyssey of the mind, bermun, French, Spanish, drama, community service club, national honor society, girl scouts, boy scouts, peer mediators, badminton, basketball, flag football, gymnastics, handball, lacrosse, cheerleading, rowing, soccer, yoga.

The Sports Department uses the German Curriculum (Rahmenplan) as its foundation and supplements the program to enhance the benefits for the students. Therefore, the special JFKS curriculum includes a wide variety of sport disciplines from both the German and American cultures. Typical American Sports (American Football, Flag Football, Softball, Lacrosse, Basketball, Cross Country) as well as typical German Sports (Apparatus Gymnastics, Team Handball, Soccer) are offered. The German curriculum provides general guidelines allowing for teacher flexibility.

Yes

The John F. Kennedy School is a bilingual, bicultural German-American tuition-free public school.
The school’s bicultural, bilingual program is up-to-date and future-oriented. It is also a guarantee for the partnership between the United States of America and Germany with its very special, historically founded meaning for Berlin. The John F. Kennedy School considers it its educational mandate to develop the student’s entire personality. From the Entrance Class to the Abitur or High School Diploma Sports, Music, Drama and Art all play an essential role.
The use of new technologies, the changing view of contents as well as a focus on the learning process itself play a defining role. Preparing the students for coping with ever faster developing social and global changes, learning communication and team competence, and taking over responsibility for others are just as crucial.

JFKS offers an integrated elementary and high school program that combines the strengths of both the German and American educational traditions. Acknowledging and appreciating cultural diversity, the John F. Kennedy School serves German- and English-speaking students of all nations for the purpose of developing international understanding. The languages of instruction, German and English, are equally respected. Within this framework the educational program incorporates the essentials of the German and American school curricula.

Upholding high academic standards of both educational systems, the JFKS gives students an opportunity to learn through different modes and strategies. Promoting learning as a continuous lifetime process, the balanced curriculum supports student growth in all areas, including the fine arts, humanities, languages, sciences, mathematics, and sport. The school trips are an important part of formal education and they supplement instruction by providing direct observation and experience, thereby creating new ways for students to deepen their understanding of what they have already learned and acquire new knowledge.