NEW FAMILY FAQ

Oberursel Campus Primary School (First Steps - Grade 1)

• Arrival time 8:20 
• Classes begin 8:40 
• Dismissal time 14:50 (First Steps Half Day Dismissal is 12:00)

Oberursel Campus Elementary School (Grade 2-5)

• Arrival time 8:05 – 8:25 
• Classes begin 8:30 
• Dismissal time 15:05 
• Bus departure 15:17 

Oberursel Campus Upper School (Grade 6-12)

• Arrival time 8:15 – 8:20 
• Classes begins 8:32 
• Dismissal time 15:10 
• Bus departure 15:17 

Wiesbaden Campus (First Steps - Grade 8)

• Arrival time 8:15 – 8:30 
• Access to classrooms 8:30 
• Classes begin 8:35 
• Dismissal time 15:10 (First Steps Half Day Dismissal is 12:00)
• Bus Departure 15:20 

For those planning to use their own private vehicles to transport students to and from our campuses, please note that we have specific drop-off and pick-up procedures both on the Oberursel and Wiesbaden campuses to help with traffic flow in those neighborhoods. 

Oberursel Campus Drop-off / Pick-up
When transporting students to and from the Oberursel Campus by private vehicle, parents are required to use the designated drop-off/pick-up zone at the FIS Primary School. This not only helps ease morning traffic congestion, but more importantly, ensures the safety of our students.

Wiesbaden Campus
Those arriving at our Wiesbaden Campus by private vehicle are also required to use a designated drop-off/pick-up zone.

FIS boasts the largest private school bus system in Germany, contracting with local bus companies to service over 50 different bus routes for students on the Oberursel and Wiesbaden campuses. If you are interested in sending your child to/from school on one of our buses, please visit our Transportation page. 

Primary School (PS)

Stationary, pencils, scissors and all other school supplies are provided by the PS. When school begins, all children will need indoor shoes with Velcro fastenings for physical education (PE) classes. On a daily basis: please send students with a healthy nut-free snack, a drink and lunch, or lunch money/ticket. Students will also need rain/snow wear, depending on the season, including waterproof pants, jacket, gloves and boots. Any additional items needed will be communicated once school begins or in the Start of School Resources packet, which is typically sent via email in May or June for the upcoming school year. 

Elementary School (ES)

In the ES, all daily supplies such as paper and pencils are provided by FIS. When school begins, children will need a "gym" bag for and extra pair of indoor shoes for physical education (PE) classes. A PE shirt will be provided by the school for students in Grade 5 only. Please ensure PE shoes/bag are clearly marked with student’s name. Grade 2 and 3 students are not required to change for PE.

Students will also need weather-appropriate clothing. ES students play outdoors in all weather conditions with the exception of dangerous weather such as lightning. For the winter months, we recommend to bring indoor shoes, which can be left at school. Parents are asked to provide a set of headphones for each child for health and hygiene purposes; these can be purchased in the FIS Bookstore at the beginning of the school year. Any additional items needed will be communicated once school begins or in the Start of School Resources packet, which is typically sent via email in May or June for the upcoming school year. 

Students entering Grades 5 will need to bring an Apple MacBook laptop with them on the first day of school. There are no specific requirements for the MacBook. Students in Grades 10–12 are also required to bring a laptop to school, but there are no required platform specifications at these grade levels (PC or Mac). If you need help purchasing the right machine for your child, please contact our FIS Tech Support team at support@fis.edu.

Middle School and High School

FIS Wiesbaden Middle School students will be sent a supply list prior to the first day of school in the Start of School Resources. 

Calculators: Every student in the Upper School (Grades 6–12) is required to have a calculator. In Grades 6-8, students use a simple scientific calculator; in Grades 9-12, a graphic display scientific calculator is required. Since there are many different types of calculators, we recommend the Casio FX 85GT Plus for all students in Grades 6-8, and the Casio FX CG50 graphic display calculator for every Grade 9-11 student.

Laptops: Students entering Grades 5–9 will need to bring an Apple MacBook laptop with them on the first day of school. There are no specific requirements for the MacBook. Students in Grades 10–12 are also required to bring a laptop to school, but there are no required platform specifications at these grade levels (PC or Mac). If you need help purchasing the right machine for your child, please contact our FIS Tech Support team at support@fis.edu.

Students across our divisions and on both campuses who choose to buy their lunch at school can enjoy healthy, delicious food prepared by our lunch services providers. Our cafeterias offer daily vegetarian dishes, a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, and fewer sugary snacks and drinks. The system for ordering and paying for lunches varies by campus and is outlined below. Parents can also purchase items on both campuses. 

Oberursel Campus (All students, age 3 to Grade 12)
On the Oberursel campus, all students (and parents) use a cashless payment system. Because it is much faster to swipe a card than handle individual cash transactions, the cashless system helps ensure students have ample time to enjoy their food. All Oberursel campus students (Primary, Elementary and Upper School) must have an electronic ID card to purchase food as cash is not accepted. ID cards are issued to all students at the start of the school year. Details on setting up an account to add funds to the ID card can be found on our Lunch Services page. A weekly menu is posted by Aramark and is accessible via the "Quicklinks" tab from the FIS website homepage, or via our Lunch Services page.

Wiesbaden Campus Students
FISW introduced a new lunch catering service in 2020. The ordering system is via an online form, which is emailed directly to FISW parents each week. Orders must be placed by Tuesdays each week and families are invoiced at the end of the month for meals ordered. 

Parents are allowed on campus with their school-issued photo ID badge. Parents often visit campuses to volunteer, use the FIS Fitness Room, participate in REAL Activities, or just to socialize.

The volunteer opportunities at our school are endless. Parents help in classrooms and libraries, and can join field trips as chaperones. They speak to students about careers, mentor students through research projects, and coach our youngest students during weekend sports. Parental support, including welcoming visiting students into their homes, helps our performing arts and sporting events run smoothly. You will find parents acting as ambassadors for new families, organizing festivals and celebrations, and leading FIS as members of the Board of Trustees.

Each of our campuses has a Parent Teacher Group (PTG) that acts as a focal point for general parent volunteerism. Given its larger size, the Oberursel Campus also has an Athletic Booster Club (ABC) and Supporters of the Performing Arts (SPA) for parents wishing to volunteer in these specific areas.

In addition to making a meaningful impact in the lives of FIS students, our parent volunteers also form important relationships with other parents that often last long beyond their years at FIS.

If you are a current parent – or one who will be joining the FIS community soon – we encourage you to contact one of our PTG groups to learn more about the opportunities that await you.

• Oberursel Campus Parent Teacher Group (PTG)
• Oberursel Campus Athletic Booster Club (ABC)
• Oberursel Campus Supporters of the Performing Arts (SPA)
• Wiesbaden Campus Parent Teacher Group (PTG)

Yes. Between our two campuses, we have four libraries from which parents can borrow books, DVDs and other resources. Library catalogues are available online, and allow parents to browse and reserve books from home. Further details, including how to contact each of our librarians, can be found here on our Libraries page. 

We invite all FIS community members, including students in Grade 9 and above, to take advantage of the Fitness Center.

All parents are required to complete a brief orientation before using the Fitness Room and a current school ID badge is required for entry. To request an orientation, please send an email to Fitness Room Manager, Sebastian_Manntz@fis.edu.

Opening Hours:
Since FIS students also use the Fitness Room for classes, there are dedicated periods of time each day for general use. 

The Fitness Room is generally open on weekends from 9:00-17:00, unless otherwise noted.

On both the Oberursel and Wiesbaden campuses a support team staffs our Tech Deck – an open technology work space – to provide tech support throughout the day for students, faculty, staff and parents. Parents are welcome to come in to get assistance with their personal devices. You are welcome to email the Tech Deck at support@fis.edu with any questions.

The ABC Bookstore is located just inside the Upper School entrance. All frequently required school supplies and school spirit wear can be purchased here. Most school supplies are priced similarly to local shops; only cash payments are accepted.

Examples of supplies available for purchase:

• Casio Calculator FX-85 GT Plus (Grades 6-8)
• Casio Graphing Calculator FX-CG50 with English manual (Grades 9-12)
• Art sketch books
• Writing supplies such as pens, pencils, erasers, notebooks, binders, folders, etc. (Note: two-ring binders and A4 size paper are used in Europe, not three-ring or smaller paper size)
• Extra Physical Education (PE) shirts
• Design Technology required supplies

In addition to school supplies, the bookstore also sells FIS-branded merchandise, including shirts, blankets, beanies, caps, umbrellas and more. The Bookstore sells FIS "Warriors" athletic wear as well, including polo shirts, sweatshirts, towels, water bottles and more. All clothing is available in both adult and children’s sizes. Proceeds from spirit wear sales go to the Athletic Booster Club (ABC), which invests in items connected to the FIS Athletics program.