The following events are cultural celebrations sponsored by GSSOP for students of the school and the greater German community in the Portland area. Please see the school Calendar for actual dates and times for the current school year.

The German American Society of Portland is proud to offer our Day Camp for 5–11 year olds at our Southeast Portland location and our week-long Residential Camp in the Columbia River Gorge for grades 2–10. Both camps give campers an intensive language experience, through a broad range of activities such as cooking, crafting, dancing and singing in German. Hearing German spoken throughout each day, even during mealtimes and activities, makes this a great way to learn a foreign language.

See the German Immersion Language Camp page for more information.

To kick off the school year each September, GSSOP holds an Open House. Parents can meet their child's teacher and the school staff, and children can participate in crafts and activities to commemorate the start of school. New in 2009, the Open House will be held in conjunction with the first day of school instruction.

Although some of the Open House activities vary from year to year, one staple is the traditional German Schultüte—literally school bag—which is a large cone fastened with tissue at the top which the student decorates in anticipation for it to be filled with school goodies.

Laternenfest is a modern adaptation of the ancient legend of Sankt Martin, a Roman soldier who had compassion on a shivering beggar. Martin cut his cloak in two with his sword and gave half of it to the poor man. That night Christ appeared to him in a dazzling vision, dressed in the parted cloak, and commended the young soldier for his charity. Martin soon quit his military assignment and gave his life to helping the afflicted. In the spirit of Sankt Martin, GSSOP children bring cans of food for a local food bank, and then light the lanterns they have decorated. The whole school, staff, students, and parents, create a neighborhood parade in the crisp Autumn air, singing Laternenfest songs and watching the jewel-like lanterns in the gathering dusk. Everyone returns to the German Haus for a hot dinner and folkdancing.

As the origin of many Christmas traditions now observed the world over, Germany is known as the homeland of Christmas. Not the least of these traditions is Nikolaus, a basis for the American Santa Claus. In German style, GSSOP children can expect to find goodies in the shoes they tuck outside their classroom doors.

During the Weinachten Celebration, the school gathers in the Halle to sing traditional Deutsch Weinachten Lieder (German Christmas Songs), and enjoy a visit from St. Nikolaus.

As the celebration preceding Lent, Fasching is an anticipated bright spot in dreary mid-winter. GSSOP celebrates Fasching with an early evening children's carnival, where children (and fun-loving adults) masquerade in colorful costumes and play a variety of carnival games while being prompted to converse in German. After a covered dish dinner, the children receive small prizes for their efforts.

A before-school pancake breakfast starts the Ostersamstag (Saturday of Easter weekend) activities at GSSOP, followed by classroom time and Easter Egg Hunts. Parents and other adult volunteers prepare the hot breakfast for the school, German America Society, and friends of the society.

The delicious full breakfast is a fundraising event, with suggested donations going to the German Immersion Summer Camp fund.

GSSOP celebrates our wonderful teachers and students with an end-of-year Maifest celebration. Each class shares a song, skit, recitation, or puppet show, and each teacher is thanked for their many efforts for outstanding language instruction. Each year there are many student accomplishments to announce; GSSOP is proud of the high rate of student awards from outside testing organizations. Then parents and students share a hot German lunch with their teachers. Warm weather and budding bushes beckon outside; Enjoy the summer! See you again in the fall!