蓋城中文學校的歷史、發展和組織 
蓋城中文學校 (Gaithersburg Chinese School) 的校址位於馬里蘭州 Gaithersburg 的 Quince Orchard High School，臨近 Gaithersburg, N. Potomac, Potomac, Rockville, Poolesville 和 Germantown 海外華人薈萃的地區。蓋城中文學校創校於1974年，其宗旨在教育有興趣 學習中文的學生。

蓋城中文學校是美國國稅局認可之501 (c)(3) 非營利組織。學校所有權為全體學生之家長或監護人所共有。 學校所有校務行政皆由董事會主持，董事位都是由本校家長擔任,由家長會中普選而出。董事會每年都會改選，以注入新血及推陳出新，不落迂腐。是以蓋城中文學校 雖然歷史悠久, 但永遠保持年輕的心，永遠充滿活力。

學校的財務健全，一切財務完全公開。所有董事等行政人員完全義務而不支薪，不享受任何特權或優待。我們的信念是取之於家長，用之於學生和學校。我們的原則是公有、公開、和公享。因為學校不以營利為目的，所以學校的收費也最合理。

蓋城中文學校為華府地區創校最早之學校，已有四十多年的悠久歷史。多年來累積了豐富 的教具及教材。現有完整最新編的海外華語課本全套教具、因應學生需求的最新自編的多媒體教材、學生課外閱讀教材，老師參考書籍，刊物，完整的文化系列等多媒體教學資源。項目繁多，不克一一列舉。

蓋城中文學校的班級和課程
蓋城中文學校有提供華語班、雙語班、文化課、特別個別中文輔導班、提供學生得到社區服務學分和中文外語學分的機會。

華語課程班
蓋城中文學校有提供針對華人子弟設立的幼教到高中(pre-K~12) 的華語課程。課程主要是以傳統注音發音的教學來加強正確中文發音的學習以避免和英文發音的混淆，並以學習傳統中文正體字為主。五年級以上因應中文電腦打字，五年級以上學生輔予漢語拼音教學。八年級以上學生並輔予學習認識瞭解中文簡體字。

雙語課程班
蓋城中文學校有提供針對不講華語或非華人的子弟專門設立的雙語課程。雙語課程是針對在家以英文溝通為主的學生。蓋城中文學校的雙語班老師是中英文非常流利並能使用中英文溝通和教學的老師。課程是以漢語拼音發音教學為主並認識學習傳統中文正體字和輔予中文簡體字。

文化課程班
蓋城中文學校有提供各式適合小孩和成人的文化課程供家長及學生參加，譬如民族舞蹈、 太極拳 、少年武術、 書法等。

社區服務學分
蓋城中文學校鼓勵學生參加社區服務。因此也提供中高年級學生各樣和多元的可以結合學習和社區服務的機會讓學生能夠有機會透過社區參與及服務的到社區服務的學分。

中文外語學分
另外，在蓋城中文學校學習的學生一旦完成他們在蓋城的所需課程且成績優異得到蓋城的認可，可得到蓋城的推薦申請得到馬里蘭蒙郡公立學校每學年0.5的校外中文語文文化學習的學分。

蓋城中文學校的教學理念、教育系統和方法與科技
因應現代數位科技學習， 蓋城中文學校提供學生在中文學習多元化的多媒體學習環境。在華語教學上除了結合各式多媒體數位學習的環境並推懬華語數位學習上不遺餘力之外，蓋城中文學校於2009成立【中文文化數位學習課外活動】提供學生多元化和各式多媒體數位學習管道和資源。並於2011成立了【蓋城中文學校數位學習中心】。【蓋城中文學校數位學習中心】非常榮幸於2011年七月成為中華民國僑委會全球華語數位學習中心在華府地區/華府華僑文化中心(TECRO)地區的中文數位教學示範點。

蓋城中文學校的師資優秀， 本校絕大部份老師受過正式教師訓練，擁有國內外大學以上學位。老師教學多年，熱心參加教學研習會，不斷引進新的教學法。蓋城中文學校的【蓋城中文學校數位學習中心】有專門為蓋城教師師資培訓成立的【蓋城教師數位學習中心】。【蓋城教師數位學習中心】也和其他大華府中文教師分享它的師資培訓資源。

蓋城中文學校具有完整的語文教學體系，採小班制，學生人數超過十五人則加聘助教或分班。幼班，小學班，中學班各設主任老師，各有特定的教學目標及教學方法。雖然教學的目標及方法有彈性，然而不同的階段教學內容環環相扣，結合成一完整體系。蓋城中文學校除了過去的傳統語文和文化的教學之外，蓋城中文學校的【蓋城中文學校數位學習中心】並有專門為學生設立的【蓋城學生數位學習中心】，提供學生多方面和多元化的學習和數位學習資源。除了語文 教學，供家長及學生參加的課外活動項目有元極舞,民族舞蹈、太極拳,少年武術 及書法。

希望有興趣的學生及家長，一起來加入我們這個大家族，一起來為中文教育努力。

GCS History, Development & Organization
Gaithersburg Chinese School (GCS) is located at Quince Orchard High School in Gaithersburg, Maryland. This location is close to North Potomac, Potomac, Rockville, Poolesville, and Germantown, which is home to many Chinese speaking people who have immigrated from all over the world. The school was established in 1974, with the goal of providing Chinese education to anyone who is interested in learning Chinese.

GCS is registered and recognized by the IRS as a non-profit organization. The school is owned by the students and their parents and guardians. The school administration is run by a Board of Trustees consisting of members who are all parents or guardians elected to the position. The election of new board members occurs every year at the parents meeting in order to provide new blood and fresh ideas, and to promote school modernization. Therefore, even though GCS has a long history, it still maintains its young heart and is full of energy.

GCS has a well-established financial system in place, and all its financial information is transparently open to the public. All Board members are volunteers and do not receive any salary, benefits or special treatment. We believe in using all of the tuition funds for the students and school. Our guiding principle is 「owned by the public, open to the public, and shared by the public」. Our non-profit status allows us to offer students very reasonable tuition.

GCS is the oldest Chinese school in the Washington metropolitan area, and we have more than thirty years of experience in the Chinese language education field. Through the years, we have accumulated an abundance of teaching materials and equipment. Currently we have the latest collections of Chinese books created and edited for all those who are interested in learning Chinese. We also have many reference materials, and multimedia language and cultural learning resources for both students and teachers.

GCS Programs
GCS offers Chinese language classes, Chinese bilingual classes, Chinese culture classes, tutoring program, student service learning (SSL) credits and foreign language credits.

Chinese Language Classes:
At GCS, we have pre-k to 12 Chinese classes that are designed for students who predominantly speak Chinese with their family. Classes are taught by highly-qualified, native speaking teachers.

Chinese Bilingual Classes
Our bilingual courses are designed for students who predominantly or exclusively speak English at home. Our native Chinese speaking teachers are fluent in English. We teach the Hanyu Pinyin system to help non-native Chinese speakers to learn the pronunciation of Mandarin Chinese. We teach traditional Chinese characters supplemented with simplified Chinese characters for reference.

Chinese Culture Classes
At GCS, we offer a variety of cultural classes to children and adults including Chinese martial art, Taichi, Chinese calligraphy, Yuan-Chi and fork dancing.

SSL credits
We encourage our students to serve community with their passion. We offer various opportunities for middle school and high school students to earn student service learning (SSL) credits.

Foreign language credits
High school students could earn foreign language credits toward their high school diploma at GCS. GCS has been approved as eligible to recommend students to receive high school general elected credit (0.5 credit per academic year) on their Montgomery county public school (MCPS) high school transcript as outside language/culture study in Chinese, once students have successfully completed courses at GCS.

GCS Educational Systems, Teaching Approaches & Technology

To incorporate the most recent education and digital learning techniques, GCS also provides an environment for students to learn Chinese via multimedia learning techniques and resources. GCS constantly incorporates the most up-to-date multimedia learning techniques in Chinese teaching and learning. For example, in 2009 GCS established multiple extra-curricular activities in Chinese culture digital learning to provide students additional opportunities and resources to learn Chinese language and culture. GCS also established a GCS-E-Learning center in 2011 to provide students additional channels and resources for learning Chinese  language and culture. The GCS-E-Learning center is proud and honored to be a Chinese E-Learning demonstration school in the DC metropolitan area recognized by the Overseas Compatriot Affairs Commission (OCAC), Republic of China (Taiwan) in July 2011.
GCS believes that our teachers are our greatest strength.  

Our teacher's qualifications are superb. Most teachers have received formal teacher training, and at least obtained bachelors degrees in the United States or their home country.  In addition, most teachers have been with GCS for years, and continuously attend teaching seminars that introduce new teaching skills and techniques. Furthermore, the GCS-E-Learning center provides GCS teachers as well as any other interested Chinese teacher, continuous and up-to-date training in Chinese teaching and learning.

GCS uses a comprehensive teaching system and maintains small class size to facilitate learning. Classes with more than fifteen students will have an assistant teacher added, or a new class will be created. GCS includes the following major groups: pre-school, elementary, middle school, and high school. Each group has a master teacher as well as class teachers, and each group has its own teaching goals and methodology. Even though the teaching goals and methods may differ, the educational content of each group is connected, forming a comprehensive teaching system. In addition to language classes, many extracurricular activities are offered to parents and students, such as folk dance, Tai Chi, Youth Wu Shu,Chinese calligraphy.

GCS welcomes all interested students and parents to join our family, and work together towards better Chinese language and cultural education.

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