ISSUE 536 / April 13, 2023

Director's Message

Liebe TCGIS Gemeinschaft! / Dear TCGIS community,


I am happy to share that students from the University of St. Thomas German program are bringing German to students in Kinderclub through the SPARK for German program, a joint undertaking between the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG) and the Goethe-Institut. As the website describes, SPARK offers a uniquely “playful approach” to learning German in an after-school setting. Our students benefit from German support, while the college student instructors gain professional development and teaching experience. We are grateful for this innovative partnership with the University of St. Thomas that brings extra German support to some of our some of our youngest learners. 


Herzlich

Kirsten

School News & Updates

Note: If you don't see the calendar at the end of your Rundbrief, the message has been clipped and you must click "View entire message" to read the entire Rundbrief. Danke!

Join us for Kaffeeklatsch tomorrow!

Coffee

Kaffeeklatsch will be held outside on the playground (weather permitting) on Friday, April 14 at 8am. Sponsored by the Parent Council, there will be coffee and treats. We encourage attendees to bring their own mug and help keep our environmental impact low. There will also be TCGIS T-shirts and other TCGIS swag available for sale!


Parents who are planning on attending their elementary student's Morgenkreis (morning circle):

  • Please sign in at the front office before heading to your student's classroom
  • Do not take photos during your student's Morgenkreis

Used Book Fair: Wed., Apr. 19 & Thurs., Apr. 20

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Our TCGIS used book fair will be on April 19 & 20 from 3-5 P.M. It is open to the public and will take place in the school atrium. Expect to find German books of all levels - from board books and first readers to novels and “vintage” books. There will be books in the English language, as well! All items are

sold on a donation basis, and credit card or cash is accepted. The funds raised benefit the TCGIS library.


On Wed., Apr. 19th our Library Club students will be offering tours of the TCGIS library to families from 3:30-4:30. Interested in taking a 10 minute tour? You'll find them in the lobby!

TCGIS Website Survey - deadline is tomorrow!

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We invite all staff, families, and community members to take our TCGIS Website Survey. This short, eight-question survey helps us make our website as user friendly and accessible as possible. We appreciate your help! The survey will close on Friday, April 14.

Kinderclub registration open for Spring

Kinderclub Registration is now open for May and will close on April 17th at 6pm.

4th Grade Families: Welcome to Middle School night!

A reminder to our 4th Grade students and families that our Welcome to Middle School night is next Tuesday, April 18th at 6:30. We will meet in the cafeteria for an introduction to our Middle School programming. 

Seeking 4-5 bike helmets for interns

Our interns are eager to explore the Twin Cities by bike! We are seeking 4-5 bike helmets to borrow for the semester. Please email Katharina Schirg if you have one to lend for the next two months. Danke!

Host an Intern next fall! Application now open

We are seeking host families for 10 interns who will join TCGIS in August! If you are interested in hosting an intern - or learning more about hosting - visit tcgis.org/host-an-intern to read FAQs and hear from other host families why they host. Ready to apply? Fill out the Host Family Application (deadline May 19). Click on the image to "meet" our fall interns!

Family/Caregiver Support Group Meet-up

Our Family/Caregiver Support group presents: Raising Children to use Digital Technology & Social Media in a Healthy Manner on Wednesday, April 26⋅6:30 – 7:30pm on Join Zoom Meeting here.


Join parents and caregivers, the School IT specialist & School Social Worker for this important topic. You will meet with many other families who are facing daily challenges with raising children to use digital technology and social media in a healthy & appropriate way. You will leave this time encouraged and with tools.

Tech Use & Teens Survey

Frau Jelinski (Frau Coffee) is collecting data for a project on teen technology use. She is interested in knowing student, teacher, and caregivers' thoughts on screen time and what you do to manage it. The information gathered will be used as an example of the various opinions regarding screen time and tools to manage its use; the only personal data collected is student grade, and individual responses will be confidential. Filling out this survey means you agree to your answers being shared. The data will be shared with graduate students at the University of St. Thomas Graduate School of Professional Psychology. Please reach out with questions at mjelinski@tcgis.org. Thank you for your participation!

Lost & Found emptied April 27

Our lost and found will be emptied Thursday, April 27. If your student is missing something, please check the lost and found before then. It is located at the bottom of the stairs by the West (parking lot) entrance.


Please remember to label your student(s)' clothing and lunch items. This helps us return items to their owner.

School Board Meet the Candidates Forum & Election Approaching!

Join us on Wednesday, May 3rd at 6:30pm via Zoom to hear our three candidates talk about their visions for the school before the upcoming election the week of May 8-12, 2023. Read more about our candidates here! We thank the parent council and PTO for co-hosting the forum to meet the candidates.

PTO News: tonight's meeting rescheduled to May 21

The PTO meeting that was scheduled for this evening has been cancelled. Put our next meeting, Sunday May 21st, on your calendar - our wrap up meeting is always fun.

We're looking for new PTO Team members! Please email us at tcgispto@gmail.com if you are interested in helping. We do a lot of fun and amazing things in and for the school but we can't do it without new volunteers! 

Festival of Cultures Update

Please fill out this 3 question survey to help the planning committee gauge attendance to plan the space and resource needs for this inaugural event! Many TCGIS families have volunteered to share about their cultures through music, art, food, dance, and more! We also plan to have food trucks onsite during the event, scheduled for Thursday, May 11, 5:00-7:00 pm.

Affinity Groups looking for leaders & members!

The Diversity & Belonging Committee is looking for leaders and members who are interested in the LGBTQ+ and Modern Family affinity groups.

  • LGBTQ+: This group is designed to be a space of support for parents and guardians who are either part of the LGBTQ+ community themselves or have children who identify as LGBTQ+. If you are interested to share experiences, build community or are looking for guidance as a member of this group or would even like to help lead it, please contact Michael White at mwhite@tcgis.org.
  • Modern Family: This group is designed to be a space for single parent, foster, and blended families to share experiences, build community and provide guidance to each other. If you are interested in becoming a member or even would like to lead this group, please contact Elizabeth Zehnpfennig at ezehnpfennig@tcgis.org.

Summer Opportunities

TCGIS Summer Camp Registration closes Apr. 30!

Registration for TCGIS Summer Camps closes on April 30! There are still spots open, and some camps need more campers to be able to run! The following camps still have spots available:

  • June 26-30: Harry Potter (Grades 3-6) - 2 spots!; Sport (Gr. 3-6) - 6 spots!; Track (Gr. 3-6) - 1 spot!
  • July 10-14: Sport (Gr. 3-6) - 2 spots!
  • July 17-21: Fußball (Gr. 3-6) - 4 spots!, Fun with Numbers (Gr. 3-6) - 1 spot!
  • July 24-28: Film 101 (Gr. 3-6) - 6 spots!, Harry Potter (Gr. 3-6) - 3 spots!
  • July 31-Aug. 4: Studio Art Camp (Gr. 3-6) - 4 spots!
  • August 7-11: Spielen und Spielen (Gr. 3-6) - 2 spots!

Maybe your student has a TCGIS friend who would like to join them!? Please share with your contacts! Visit the Summer Camp website for a full description of the camps and to register.

Register for TCGIS Summer Track

Sign up for our spring sports and summer track-and-field April 1-30 on Infinite Campus (school store). All middle schoolers are welcome to join our sports teams. Current 4th graders (as rising 5th graders) may also sign up for summer track-and-field.


Costs: $150, which includes USATF membership, meet fees, uniform rental

For more information, please check out our website and calendar. With questions, please contact Athletic Director Tabisz.

University of MN Cross Country & Track & Field Camps

The cross-country and track-and-field camps at the U of M will be on Sunday-Wednesday, July 9-12. The XC and T&F camps are for athletes of 12-18 years of age, and the future stars camp starts with athletes at 5 years of age. We have had athletes participate in the cross-country and future stars camps in 2019, 2021 and 2022. Coach Tabisz attends each year, and Coach Kittok and Coach Albers have also attended in the past.


Please fill out our quick interest survey. Finances should not be a factor in deciding to participate. With any questions, please contact Athletic Director Tabisz.

Volunteer Opportunities

Help with the Used Book Fair Apr. 19 & 20

We need volunteers for our TCGIS used book fair on April 19 & 20. Please contact Frau Zimmerman if you are able to help with one or both of the following on either/both days:

  • Set-up and check-outs, 2:30PM-4:30PM
  • Clean-up, 4:30-5:30PM

16-20oz Plastic Bottles needed for Science Project

Frau Gilhof & Frau Sweeney will be building rain gauges with their classes and are asking for clean, empty plastic bottles (caps not needed) by Monday, Apr. 17. Please don't go and buy a plastic bottle - rather look through the trash and recycling bins (no need to create MORE plastic trash)!

TCGIS Community Garden 2023

It’s time to plan for our community garden! For the 4th year, TCGIS will tend a plot in the D10 community garden near Snelling and Como Avenue. We plant around the end of May and donate produce throughout the summer to the Keystone Food Shelf. Right now we are looking for commitments to donate plants for the garden in May. Are you starting seedlings with your kids? Plant a seed for TCGIS! Or buy an extra plant from the PTO’s plant sale! Sign up to donate plants or materials here. Stay tuned for info to come on volunteering to plant, weed, harvest, and generally help the garden grow through the summer. Questions? Contact Julie Alkatout.

Help Furnish our Mothers' Room

Did you know TCGIS built a dedicated mothers’ room in our recent building project? This is meant as a quiet space (Stillzimmer) to express milk while at work. We need to furnish this space and are seeking donations of a comfortable chair, mini fridge, and side table. Please sign up and we’ll contact you to discern if your item will work in our space. Danke!

Represent TCGIS at Lake Como Clean-Up & get a free T-shirt!

Earth Day, Saturday, April 22 from 9-11:30am

Organized by our D10 neighborhood's community council, represent TCGIS at the upcoming Regional Parks Clean-Up Day at Como Lake! On this day individuals and groups of all ages come together to pick up litter that has recently become exposed due to the melting snow. Come by the Como pavilion at 9am - a TCGIS staff person will be there to check in with you.


We are giving a TCGIS T-shirt to our registered volunteers to thank you for demonstrating our school's value of community!  Register here by April 20th.

Reminders

Updated 2022-23 School Year Calendar

Changes were made to the school calendar for the current school year, and then approved by the Board on March 2nd. The school is required to add 1 student contact day for all students and 17 instructional hours for 7th and 8th grades in order to comply with state law (Minnesota State Statute 120A.41(a)) after 5 instructional days were lost due to weather events.

  • April 21 was previously a full professional development day. It is now an early release day for all students and staff. We will follow the typical early release day schedule. It will be a B day.
  • May 26 was previously a full professional development day. It is now a full instructional day for grades 7 and 8 ONLY. Grades K-6 will have no school. It will be an A day.
  • June 9 was previously a full grading day. It is now a full instructional day for grades 7 and 8 ONLY. Grades K-6 will have no school. It will be a C day.


There will be more information regarding scheduling for May 26 and June 9 coming soon.

MCAs continue after Spring Break

The Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs) are administered state-wide each spring in grades 3-12. You can learn more about MCAs by reading this Parent Fact Sheet from the Minnesota Department of Education. Important Additional Information regarding test day preparation can be found here.

MCA Math Schedule:

  • Grades 5th - 8th: April 12
  • Grade 3: April 17 & 18
  • Grade 4: April 19 & 20

MCA Science Schedule (Grades 5 & 8 only): April 24 & 25


There are also upcoming dates for Make Up Assessments for students who did not complete their assessment or were absent the day of administration. You can view more schedule details on TCGIS’s MCA Assessment Calendar.

Safe Gun Storage Affinity Group

The trauma of gun violence in the U.S. affects us all. Secure firearm storage is an effective strategy to keep schools safe, and it is the responsibility of all adults who own guns in our community to make sure guns are stored safely in all households where children spend time. Several school districts in Minnesota have recently passed resolutions for schools to regularly communicate with parents/guardians about safe gun storage.

 

We are seeking parents/guardians to join our new 'safe gun storage' affinity group. As you would say in German: let's "fill these resolutions with life" - let’s turn them into action: we need to develop information materials, appropriate messaging etc. In order to organize these resources collectively, we especially need parents/guardians who own firearms to help spread awareness of gun safety. Their perspectives are key for effective prevention approaches, and individuals who own guns are best at reaching others who do. We need you!


Please contact Trish Jewett and/or Craig Chapman if you are interested in joining this group.

School Board Announcements

Upcoming School Board & Committee Meetings

Governance Meeting Thur., April 13 - 4:30PM; Google Meet

Cmte of the Whole Wed., April 19 - 6:30PM

Board Meeting Thurs., April 27 - 6:30PM, Room 100; Zoom

Community News

Watch 1. FC Kaiserslautern play MN United with your friends!

Join Twin Cities German Immersion School at Allianz Field for when Minnesota United FC takes on 1. FC Kaiserslautern from Germany! Discounted tickets are available while supplies last, and they cannot be resold online. All sales are final. We’re excited to organize this again for our community!

  • What: Minnesota United FC versus 1. FC Kaiserslautern
  • When: Wednesday, June 28th at 7:30pm
  • Where: Allianz Field, St. Paul

Tickets average $26, 29, 35 (depending on section). Click here to purchase your discounted tickets.

Thomas Brussig Book Reading Event

Saturday, April 15, 2023 - 4:30 PM

Thomas Brussig is the well-known author of satirical novels that deal with the German Democratic Republic during the late 70s and early 80s. His book, Am kürzeren Ende der Sonnenallee (The Short End of the Sonnenallee), has recently been translated into English. The event will include a dual-language book reading, follow by time for questions. The event is free but registration is requested. Register here.

Intercultural Engagement Opportunities

The board’s Diversity & Belonging committee would like to highlight upcoming events in the Twin Cities as opportunities for intercultural engagement- one our school’s core values. Click here to learn about highlighted events!

Resources & Calendar

CALENDAR

April 14: Kaffeeklatsch

April 17: May Kinderclub registration closes

April 18: Middle school night for 4th Grade Families

April 19 & 20: Used Book Sale

April 21: Early Release Day

April 22: Clean up Como Lake with TCGIS

April 26: Family/Caregiver Support Group Meet-Up

April 27: Lost & Found emptied

April 30: TCGIS Summer camp registration closes

May 3: School Board Meet the Candidates Forum

May 11: Festival of Cultures

May 21: PTO Meeting











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