The IRT tracks COVID cases in this dashboard which will be shared weekly.

TCGIS is partnering with Zepto Life Technology, LLC to provide free onsite COVID-19 testing on a weekly basis. They're able to offer a PCR Nasal Swab Active Infection test and oftentimes provide results the next day. In order for your student to participate in onsite testing we will need a signed parent consent form and a completed registration form (without these completed forms, your student will not be tested). Please also see this FAQ.

As the Delta Variant continues to spread throughout the country, we ask that any unvaccinated individual traveling out of state or country provide a negative PCR or Molecular Covid-19 test before returning to school. We highly suggest using the Community Vault Testing sites as their turn-around-time is currently averaging 24 hours. Please keep this in mind as you make plans for Fall Break (Oct. 18-22).

In order to shorten the Rundbrief, we will prioritize new items for this newsletter and link to our Incident Response Team Updates webpage so you can reference past updates more efficiently:

Next week duringWoche der TCGIS Einheit / Week of TCGIS Unity, we'll be sharing what our community loves about the German language and German, Austrian and Swiss culture with the entire community during this fun spirit week. We invite you to share what you love about the language, food, geography and culture of the German-speaking countries with our community in this Google Doc. Vielen Dank!

Martinstag is returning to TCGIS! Frau Lenburg needs your empty cereal boxes and round oatmeal containers so that the K-3rd grade students can make lanterns in art class in October. Please have your students bring them to the art room or the office. Also, if you are interested in a take-home cutting project, volunteers are needed in the coming weeks to prepare the boxes- please email Frau Lenburg if you can help. Look for more details about our Martinstag celebration in the Rundbrief soon!

Lately we've noticed that students are wearing Heely's/shoes with wheels in the soles. These shoes are not within the guidelines of our Dress Code Policy (504). Shoes with wheels are often a distraction both in classrooms and in hallways, do not promote COVID safety protocols, and do not comply with our value of safety as students have come close to hitting others. Please leave the fun shoes for home and outside!

Please use the green car tags for car pickup on Van Slyke. It saves time when staff don’t have to ask your child(ren)'s name(s) and grades, and it helps your kids get to you more expeditiously. The parents behind you in line will thank you! If you need another or additional green cards for other drivers in your family, please email info@tcgis.org. Vielen Dank!

As of Monday, September 27, students in Kindergarten and 1st grade who are delegated to Walking Pick-Up will walk with a supervisor to the ping-pong table on the playground and will wait there to be dismissed to a guardian or older sibling. To pick up your child, speak to the supervising staff member and they will cross off your child from their list. Thank you for helping us make dismissal more orderly for our youngest students!

As part of TCGIS’s state reporting this year, we need all families to complete the Digital Equity Survey for their household. Paper forms are available in the front office. This data will be used by the state to implement effective digital inclusion strategies to address disparities impacting students and families. Thank you for helping us provide complete, accurate information to MDE!

We are eager to take our stduents for neighborhood walks and share photos of active and fun learning with our community. As in past years, we need permission from parents to take classroom walks in the neighborhood, to treat students in emergencies, and to share photos of students. To either give or deny this permission, there are three forms all families must fill out in Infinite Campus:

Please fill out these forms as soon as possible by logging in to your Parent Portal account and selecting the "documents" option from the left-hand menu. Families with multiple students will need to fill out separate forms for each child.

If you have questions or would like more information about setting up or navigating your Infinite Campus account, please contact info@tcgis.org.

We are seeking host families for 9 interns currently planning to join our school in January 2022! If you are interested in hosting an intern from January-June, or learning more about hosting, we invite you to read the Host Family FAQs and then join us for a virtual Info Meeting:

Zoom link (also in the Google Public Calendar event)

Interested families are encouraged to fill out this brief interest form which also provides space to share specific questions in advance so we can answer them in person at the meeting on Oct. 12.

Our MS Curriculum Night is Wednesday, October 6th, from 6:30-8:00 p.m.. We will run a similar format to this year's open house and have each grade meet together on Zoom for 20 minutes. Our schedule is as follows:

5th Grade: 6:30-6:50 p.m.

6th Grade: 6:55-7:15 p.m.

7th Grade: 7:20-7:40 p.m.

8th Grade: 7:40-8:00 p.m.

Library student ambassadors help with projects such as keeping our shelves organized, re-shelving books, and working on creative monthly displays for our library books and heritage months. Students are encouraged to share and work on their own ideas for the library and its programs.

This program is for 6-8th graders and counts towards earning a volunteer badge (Abzeichen) at the end of the year. Other benefits include a first look at new books, and an end-of-the-year party in the library!

If interested in volunteering, please fill out this application form by October 22nd. Ambassadors will start the first week of November.

The first TCGIS Celebrate Diversity Buchgespräche will be on Oct. 29 & Nov. 3 during middle school advisory periods, 10-10:30AM. These are two separate book talks for MS students to read and/or listen to works from BIPOC/LGBTQ+ authors. This includes essays, poetry, books, etc. Students who sign up to read will be sharing at only one of the book talks.

You can find more info here. If your student would like to share or listen, please sign up in the library or use this form.  You can email our library coordinator Frau Zimmerman with any questions.

Registration for TCGIS winter sports will be open on Popsicle from October 1 until October 15, and the season begins on Monday, November 29. All middle schoolers are welcome to sign up. TCGIS athletic calendars are designed so that students may participate in more than one sport per season. 

*Finances should not be a factor in deciding to participate in TCGIS athletic teams. If finances are a concern, please contact Coach Tabisz BEFORE registering because payment is required at the time of registration.

With questions, please contact Athletic Coordinator Chris Tabisz and Intramural Coordinator Kevin Tocko.

Three of our teachers are running in the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon this Sunday! Come cheer them on as they run to the finish line:

You are also able to track their progress using their bib number and the Twin Cities Marathon app. The marathon starts at 8 AM on Sunday, Oct. 3; view Marathon Map. Find more info here.

Coffee & Create is this Saturday, October 2nd! Bring a friend (or your kid!) and join us for some coffee or hot chocolate and treats while we paint.

Our Fun Run and 5k is almost here! October 9th: Don't miss out on the this great community event - run, walk, roll - whatever you want to do to get over the finish line!

The Fall Auction is coming, is coming, and we need your donations to make it happen! We love this event and delight in seeing everyone's amazing contributions! We're looking for baked goods, knitted and crafted items, along with some super cool virtual events. Got a great talent you can teach? We'd love to see it here. Can't wait to see what you've got! Check out these links for all of the information:

Looking for a safe and spooky way to celebrate Halloween this year? Join us at the GAI for our Mystery Abend as we explore the Haus and solve a crime! The event is for teens between 12 and 17 years old with the theme of “Swingin’ 20s” in Berlin. Character roles and dialogue prompts will be distributed after registration and costumes are encouraged! The event will be in German and an intermediate/advanced language level is recommended. The registration fee is $45 for the four-hour event. Mocktails, pizza, and other snacks will be provided.

Register here.

Young people today have many more options for studying in Germany beyond traditional exchange programs. Those interested in studying in Germany can learn about visa requirements, the application process, health insurance, and other logistics. We will also present pathways such as the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange vocational scholarship and new university programs for non-German speakers. Partners include Wunderbar Together, Goethe-Institut Washington DC and Chicago, Nacel Open Door. For families with upper middle school to high school students. The event is free, but pre-registration is required.

Nicholas Pawlowski is a storyteller, born of an Austrian mother and Polish father. Join us as he tells the story Vom Wunderschimmel (The Wonder Horse), from a collection of old fairy tales edited by the Austrian storyteller Helmut Wittmann. The story is brought to life through interactive dance, drawing and discussion. The event is geared toward families with children ages 5–12, but all ages are welcome!

Cost: Free, but registration is requested.

NOTE: This event will be held outside and will be cancelled in case of rain or inclement weather.

TCGIS has built a list of local university/college students interested in virtual private tutoring in German for TCGIS students. We update this Google spreadsheet of tutors regularly. Learn more here.

September 30: September Board Meeting

October 2: PTO Coffee & Create

October 4: BIPOC Family Affinity Group Gathering

October 6: MS Curriculum Night

October 9: Twin Cities Oktoberfest 5K and the TCGIS Fun Run

October 12: Picture Day

October 18-22: Fall Break

October 27: Early Release