Liebe TCGIS Gemeinschaft / Dear TCGIS Community, 

Happy Friday! I hope you are all enjoying the last week of summer. The weather is going to cooperate with our first Kaffeeklatsch, coffee hour, of the year. Thanks to the TCGIS Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) for sponsoring this event. Kaffeeklatsch is a great opportunity to connect with other parents/guardians in our TCGIS community. Kaffeeklatsch will be held outside on the playground (weather permitting) on Friday, May 22nd at 8am There will be coffee and treats. We encourage attendees to bring their own mug and help keep our environmental impact low. We are also happy to announce that parents/guardians are once again able to observe their elementary student's Morgenkreis (morning circle) from 8:15-8:45am. If you plan on attending your student's Morgenkreis, please let their teacher know.

I look forward to seeing you there!

Elizabeth Zehnpfennig, Principal

PBIS School Store: The PBIS team needs your support! This year, we will be launching a "School Store" for grades 6-8. Students in grades 6-8 will be able to "purchase" items from the store with the Mausmünzen that they have earned. In order to help with this, we are collecting monetary donations via Infinite Campus. In addition, we would accept small notebooks, pens, pencils, pencil cases, etc. Items can be left for Catherine Radecki at the front office. Maybe you have other things you'd like to donate? Reach out to cradecki@tcgis.org. Thank you in advance!

Our PBIS winners from Friday September 15th are: 

Frances (KA), Samuel N (KB), Frankie R (KC), Hannah (1A), Donatella (1B), Ethan (1C), Saty (2A), Deryn D. (2B), Lucy (2C), Franny (3A), Mikko (3B), Jionni (3C), Clara (4A) , Jenna B. (4B), Orion (4C), Alma (5A), Theo B (5B), Nellie W. (5C), Saga R. (6), Stella Z (7), Vivian S. (8). Learn more about PBIS here.

Now that your students were able to check out their first books, please make sure your family has a plan for returning library books. Find a place in your home where you keep library books so that your student will be able to return their books on time.

Library Club

If your 6th, 7th or 8th grade student is interested in being a library club member, they may pick up an application in the library. Applications are due October 5th.

Remember to place your orders for October 2023! Please log on to our online store website Boonli to place your child's School Lunch/Breakfast and Milk order. Please make sure to check out your cart to successfully place an order and to check your order for completeness. All orders must be submitted by 10pm on Sunday, September 24th. Orders received after the 24th will have a one-week delayed start date. Please remember that on our first Early Release Day on October 4th, we will only serve Cold Sandwiches (regular and vegetarian) for lunch.

Universal screening for all students will begin on Monday, October 2nd and will continue until Friday, October 13th. However, some of our grade levels will begin with screening the week of the 25th (Middle school only; ELFE-II). 

Universal screening is an important part of our multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) framework at TCGIS. It allows us to identify those students who are on-track to meet grade-level standards in reading and math, and also to identify those students who may need some additional support to meet grade-level goals by the end of the year. Click here to learn more.

Frau Lenburg is collecting empty cereal boxes and round oatmeal boxes! The Kindergarten through third grade students will be making lanterns in art class in a few weeks for Martinstag, and we need lots of boxes. Students can bring them to their classroom, the art room, or the office. Any adults interested in helping to prepare the boxes in October (an at home cutting project) can reach out to Frau Lenburg. Stay tuned for more information about the Martinstag event in early November!

We are excited to kick off the school year with a potluck gathering on Saturday, September 30, from 5:00-8:00pm at the Como Park Firepits. This is an opportunity to build community among BIPOC families and we especially want to welcome new BIPOC families to the TCGIS community. Please RSVP here and indicate what category of food you’d like to bring. Weather permitting, we’ll have a bonfire, yardgames, and the playground is just up the hill.

The first meeting of the school year for the Special Education Advisory Council (SEAC) will take place Monday, September 25th at 5:00pm in Room 100. SEAC is open to community members who want to be involved in supporting, advocating, and advising on special education related issues at TCGIS. Meetings will be facilitated by Andrew Haugen, Lead Special Education Coordinator at TCGIS. If you are interested in joining the conversation, please consider attending this upcoming Monday evening. 

Please click here to vote for your Parent Council representatives for the 2023/24 school year. To learn more about the individuals on the ballot please check out the nominations list here. If you have any questions about the ballot or the nominations form, please email the PC at parent-council@tcgis.org.

• Kinderclub is sending out email reminders regarding Registration dates opening/closing. We have had a few emails bounce back, probably due to a Typo in the email address. If you are not getting these emails, please contact Michaela Bromenschenkel 
• Kinderclub is looking for 2-3 additional staff members. If you are interested or know anybody looking for a part time job, please reach out to Michaela Bromenschenkel

There is still time to register for this season's after-school Enrichment Classes! These clubs and classes each run once a week from October 2nd through December 15th (with the exception of Spanish with Hr. Sander, which runs 3 times a week). We are offering varied activities this session, including:

• LEGO Club with Frau Davis on Tuesdays (with another session Thursdays)
• Spanish for Beginners to Intermediate with Herr Sander on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays
• Pokemon Club on Mondays
• Card Making and Stamping on Thursdays with Frau Davies
• Girl Power on Tuesdays with Michelle Loken Price
• Fantasy Role Playing on Tuesdays
• Woodworking on Thursday with Herr Stephenson

Registration for this season's Enrichment Classes closes on September 24th! Register through the school store, in Infinite Campus. For more information, click here

All TCGIS winter sports (basketball, indoor track-and-field, and Nordic skiing) will begin the week of Monday, November 27 (team practices and competitions). Weekly update emails will start up 1-2 weeks before the start of the season. Sign up for our winter sports on Oct. 1-15 on Infinite Campus (school store). For more information, please check out our winter sports slideshow. With questions, please contact Athletic Coordinator Tabisz.

Join us for Kaffeklatsch tomorrow! We'll meet you at the ping pong tables (or inside in the atrium if it's raining) after drop off and we'll have coffee and great conversation. You'll also have the chance to buy some school swag! Elementary parents will be able to step into the classroom for Morgenkreis. 

The 5K and Fun Run is coming up fast! Sign up the whole family here!

Sunday October 8th. Sign up here.

Our annual Trick or Treat event is on Saturday, October 28th. We need you to host a table! Decorate a table, dress up (if you want), and hand out candy to kids! It's a ton of fun. t's open to the public - friends, family, and neighborhood is welcome. Sign up here.

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!

• TCGIS is delighted to support the Como Lakeshore Cleanup scheduled for Saturday, September 23, 9am-Noon.
• We will give TCGIS shirts to all participants and ask you to wear them to the event!
• Last spring, TCGIS sent 30 cleanup volunteers. Let’s see if we can match or surpass that! Click here for more info!

The TCGIS Wellness Committee is in the process of reviewing our Wellness Policy this school year. We are looking for 2 interested TCGIS parents to participate. The Committee meets monthly until February to assess our compliance in policy and practice. Monthly time commitment: 2-5 hours. If you are interested in joining this Committee, please reach out to Elizabeth Zehnpfennig

The Curriculum Advisory Committee is seeking 2 community members to provide active community participation in: 

• Reviewing the school district instructional and curriculum plan, with emphasis on implementing the Minnesota Standards
• Identifying annual instruction and curriculum improvement goals for recommendation to the school board
• Advising the school board about development of the annual curriculum budget

If this is something you are interested in, please email Esther Neu. We are particularly interested in parents of Elementary students.

The Food Service Team is looking for 2-3 Lunchroom Volunteers who enjoy working in a fast-paced environment to help with general Lunchroom Duties (assist younger students during lunch, end of session clean up), and minor kitchen support. 

Time commitment: 2 hours/daily (11am~1pm). Flexible schedule. If you are interested, please contact Alex Weeding.

Board Meeting: Thur., Sept. 28 - 6:30PM; Zoom - RSVP HERE

Finance Meeting: Tues., Oct. 3 - 6:30PM; Zoom

Fundraising Meeting: Wed., Oct. 11, 8:30AM; Room 99 or Google Meet

Cmte of the Whole: Thurs., Oct. 12 - 6:30PM

Governance Meeting: Mon., Oct. 16 - 4:30PM; Google Meet

Communication Meeting: Tues., Oct. 17 - 6:30PM; Zoom

Board Meeting: Thurs., Oct. 26 - 6:30PM; Room 100 or Zoom

We are a family from Germany and are reaching out to you because we need your help. Our underage (16-year-old) son Jakob is an exchange student in Roseville (Roseville high school) and lived in a welcome family. He is looking for a family who will take him in until the summer or for another 2-3 months. He is more than welcome to visit you and introduce himself personally. He is a warm and helpful boy, plays football and piano. We would be very grateful for your help, if you know someone or ask in your community. Please contact Elizabeth Zehnpfennig if you would be available to house Jakob.

The GAI is excited to announce it's inaugural fall fundraiser—Kabaret! Thursday, October 12, 6–9 PM, at Schmidt Brewery Rathskeller. Join us at the historic Schmidt Brewery Rathskeller for an evening of fabulous German food and drink, games and activities, amazing cabaret performances from some of the Twin Cities’ top theater talent, all in support of the Germanic-American Institute.

Tickets: $125–$150 

To purchase tickets, please visit gaimn.org/kabaret or call the office at 651.222.7027

Samstagsschule for kids begins this week! The 4 to 6 year-old class will include a variety of activities such as story-telling, rhyming, singing and dancing, playing games and doing crafts. Children will experience learning a new language in a fun, playful way, covering topics including ‘my house’, ‘my friends’, ‘my toys’, and ‘my clothes’. Classes for older children and higher levels are also available! Register here.

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!

Every 2nd Saturday of the month beginning October 14. Join us from 11 to 11:45 a.m. for a fun storytime auf deutsch! We’ll read, sing, and move around. Storytime will take place on the GAI lawn or inside Kinderstube preschool, depending on the weather. For children ages 3 to 6 years (older siblings welcome). Free! Please register at gaimn.org/storytime

The Lost and Found has seen an increase in the lunchroom. We are noticing that the sweatshirts and water bottles with names in them are easily returnable to students. Please see that your child's water bottle, lunch box, containers, jackets and sweatshirts all have their name and their class to ensure we get items back to students. If you are missing something, please visit our lost and found. All items not claimed are donated.

September 25, 5:00 – 6:00pm: SEAC Meeting

September 28, 6:30PM: Board Meeting Zoom



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