Community Update #12 - April 17, 2020
Liebe TCGS Gemeinschaft, 

Hoch die Hände!
Wochenende!
[have your kids pronounce it for you, if you need it! It should rhyme. : - ) ]  

Congratulations, you’ve made it through two weeks of distance learning and five (!) weeks of having your kids at home. In coming years, these weeks will be ones that we remember, talk about, compare and perhaps even appreciate - a little - maybe - when things have been better for a LONG time… 

I have to smile when I think of the eye rolls that will ensue in the years after 2040 or 2050 or whenever our kids tell their kids about the spring of 2020. “Yeah, Dad, I KNOW. The whole world shut down because of a stupid virus! It was terrible. Now, can I have the car keys?” 

Seriously though, this will pass and we will meet again to learn, live and laugh together at 1031 Como Avenue at our own Twin Cities German Immersion School - and it’s NEW BUILDING! 

When that finally comes, time will tell. 

Until then, please know your educators miss you. We are working hard to keep the learning going, to stay connected and keep our community intact. With that in mind, here is a message of encouragement from your school board. Brave, committed, caring, whip smart and pretty funny, these individuals do so much behind the scenes to make sure our school is strong. We’re lucky. Enjoy. 

Ein schönes, erholsames, - und WARMES - Wochenende wünscht 

Ted Anderson
Executive Director
8th & 9th grade parent
A Video Message from your TCGIS School Board
Video Transcript:
Liebe TCGIS Gemeinshaft,

we hope you are staying healthy and adjusting to distance learning. Today we have a special message for all you from the members of the school board. We hope you enjoy it. 
 
To the TCGIS community: The TCGIS board is so grateful for all your dedication to TCGIS during this unprecedented global emergency. It is hard to imagine that, just a few weeks ago, our daily lives looked very different. Our school community is strong and guided by our mission, vision and values. Our mission is innovative education of the whole child through German immersion.
 
Our vision is Andere hören, andere sehen, weltoffen denken und handeln .
 
Our values are curiosity, kindness, challenge and support, intercultural engagement, and community.
 
To our 8th graders: you’ve been greatly affected by this crisis, and it just isn’t fair that this pandemic impacted your Capstone trip, your last few months with friends, and your TCGIS graduation. We hope we can find a creative way to create closure and celebrate with you, the TCGIS class of 2020.
 
To our educators: You’ve risen to a challenge no one saw coming, and we are grateful beyond words. You chose careers in education to engage with kids, but not in this socially distanced way. You’re bringing new meaning to “innovative education.”
 
Thank you for making it work, for trying new ways (and trying again), for knowing what works today might need to be different tomorrow, for being on the look-out for kids that are having a rough day that might have nothing to do with academics. 
 
When our kids are themselves parents and grandparents, they will still remember you: your names, your faces, how you encouraged them, how you made them feel welcome and cared for, how you helped guide them through this time.
 
We know this is a sad and frustrating time for you too, and we hope things will be better soon. Please know that we miss you, and our kids miss you even more. 
 
To our parents: the success of the TCGIS mission has always depended on your support, but now you're being asked to play a new, expanded role in guiding and supporting your children as they navigate new ways of learning, in addition to the extra social and emotional support they need during this time.  
 
Extra patience and understanding are at a premium during this extraordinarily stressful time, and you’ve brought those and more. Thank you for your kindness, your support, and your commitment to using the bonds of community to keep us together during a very challenging time.

To all our students: you’re doing great, even when it doesn’t feel like it. The whole TCGIS community – your friends, your family, your educators – is here for you. And we’re all very proud of you.

We hope to see you all in person very soon. Even while we're physically apart, we're still building a school together. 

Ted Anderson, Julie Alkatout, Silke Moeller, Sam Imbo, Lisa Linnell, Rich Iwen, Dianne Bell, Richard Heid, Emily Albers, Chris Tabisz, Stephanie Forsland
Resource Pages for the TCGIS Community
In collaboration with school psychologist, Carol Mecklenburg, and our team of mental health providers and interns at TCGIS, Jessie Kember, Sydney Carlson and Danielle Becker, we have created a new resource page for TCGIS families.

Resources include: videos and apps for guided meditation, yoga and breathing exercises; tips for talking about the stress of the pandemic with children and teens; ideas for adapting daily life to these extraordinary circumstances; and many more.

You can find links to this new page on the homepage , the Distance Learning page , and here:
Click here or the image above for
COVID-19-specific resources for families.
Click here or the image above for German enrichment resources for all TCIGS students.
Twin Cities German Immersion School | tcgis.org