| Message from the Director |
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Schöne Wintergrüße von Herrn Anderson
Herr Anderson shares this week's in his first
Videogruß of 2020.
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| Videogruß vom Direktor 16. Januar 2020 |
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How can we help our kids become more independent and self-reliant? Come find out!
January 29, 7:00-9:00 p.m., University of St. Thomas
This community event is open to the public and a fundraiser for the TCGIS Annual Fund. It is co-sponsored by TCGIS and the German Department at University of St. Thomas, and made possible with a grant from the TCGIS PTO.
Our goal is to sell 300 tickets; currently 70 tickets have been purchased. Please
spread the word
. Students are bringing home postcards today and Tuesday for the event; if your family receives more than one postcard, please pass extras along to friends, family, neighbors or colleagues!
Copies of Achtung Baby are still available at TCGIS for a $20 donation to the TCGIS Annual Fund. Pick up or order your copy now.
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School Board Announcements
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Oath of Office for Board Members with Amy Brendmoen
Amy Brendmoen, St. Paul City Councilmember and TCGIS neighbor, will administer the oath of office for all TCGIS school board members at the upcoming board meeting on Thursday, January 30, 6:30pm. This meeting is open to the public. Thanks to CM Brendmoen for performing this service!
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Upcoming Committee Meetings
Workplace Culture and Innovative Education Committee: Rescheduled, TBD
Finance & Facilities Committee: Tuesday, January 21, 6:00 - 7:00pm, Rm. 99
Executive Committee: Thursday, January 23, 6:30pm - 8:30pm, Rm. 100
School Board Meeting: Thursday, January 30, 6:30pm - 8:30pm, Rm. 100
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Moving to Electronic Board Packets
To preserve paper and more fully engage with TCGIS's focus on managing our resources with care, the Board will begin using primarily
electronic packets
for each monthly meeting. Packets can always be found
in the public folder
and are uploaded three days before each meeting. The Board invites you to follow along on your personal electronic device during meetings or bring your own printed packet. If you would like a printed packet and cannot print your own, an individual packet can be printed for you
if requested before 3:30 PM on the day of the Board meeting.
Please contact Nicole Crashell, the Administrative Assistant to the Board, with any questions or to request a printed packet.
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No School Tomorrow and Monday
There is no school tomorrow,
Friday, for Teacher Grading Day
and
Monday, January 20, for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
Enjoy the long weekend!
Schönes langes Wochenende!
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Winter Health Update from the Health Office
Unfortunately after the winter break we are seeing more stomach infections including vomiting, stomach cramps, and diarrhea. Other symptoms are headache and tiredness. If your child is infected it may take 1 - 2 days for symptoms to start and the illness usually lasts for 24 to 48 hours.
Please keep your child home 24 hours after vomiting and diarrhea has stopped.
They also must be fever-free without medication for 24 hours before they can return to school.
At school we strongly encourage students to wash hands thoroughly with water and soap and keep cleaning and disinfecting. As always, if you have questions or concerns, please email us at
info@tcgis.org
or call 651-492-7106.
We wish you a healthy winter - Monika Avery (Health Service Associate).
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Reminder: February Order Window for Lunches/Milk & Kinderclub Clses at Midnight Sunday, January 19
Don't forget to place your order for February! Please log on to our online store website
Boonli
to place your child's Kinderclub and School Lunch/ Milk
order. Please make sure to check out your cart to successfully place an order.
All orders must be submitted by midnight on Sunday, 1/19/2020.
For any questions regarding our online store website (e.g. forgotten username/password, payment questions, etc.), please contact us at
ordering@tcgis.org
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An oversight in last week's Elternbrief
Last week in our Elternbrief, TCGIS disseminated an image provided to us by the GAI and created by the organization Spielmannszug that depicted a child wearing Native American dress as a costume. This image was an advertisement for a Kinder Karneval event hosted by the GAI.
TCGIS understands how this image is deserving of critique and we regret that it wasn't caught before we included it in the Elternbrief. This oversight created an opportunity for us to have a worthwhile conversation and to learn from this error. In collaboration with the school board's Diversity and Communication Outreach Committee, TCGIS is committed to fostering a school culture and community that is inclusive, equitable, and critical in its growth. We appreciate your understanding and patience with us as we move forward together.
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Parent Access to Grades and Comments Closed
Parent Portal access to student grades and comments will be closed from January 10th until January 22nd. This enables teachers time to post final grades and comments for fall semester.
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Busing Q & A with TCGIS and CSTMN
Please join TCGIS and CSTMN staff for a busing Q&A:
January 22nd, 2019 at 6:30pm
Room 100 at TCGIS
CSTMN's Chief of Staff (Dillon LaHaye) and Directory of Charter Transportation (Cory Klabunde) will join us to communicate concerning our current busing contract. If you have any specific questions before please send them to
awestonmiller@tcgis.org.
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Field Trip Chaperones and Background Check Forms
If you (or a grandparent/relative) may chaperone a field trip with your child(ren)'s class this spring, and have not turned in a Background Check form within the last two years, please do the following:
- Fill out this Background Check Disclosure Form and read the
- Turn in the Disclosure Form to the Front Office with payment ($20/adult)
The cost for background checks if $20 / adult and can be paid with cash, check or in Boonli.
Parents for whom the $20 fee would present an obstacle to chaperoning: please email Nicole Sveen (nsveen@tcgis.org). We also welcome donations towards the $20 fee for parents who may otherwise not be able to afford it.
Background checks will be considered valid for 3 years. If you're not sure if a background check you submitted in the past is still valid, please email Nicole Sveen (nsveen@tcgis.org). In order to ensure we've received background checks from our provider before your next field trip, please submit your disclosure form by February 1. Thank you!
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Order Yearbook(s) Now and Save
You still have time to purchase a TCGIS yearbook for the lowest price this school year!
For a limited time, buy your yearbook for $17.50! Prices will increase at the end of January.
Go to
jostens.com
and search for Twin Cities German Immersion School.
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8th Grade Parents: a Yearbook Ad for your Grad
Celebrate your 2020 grad with a yearbook ad! Submissions are due by February 8, 2020.
Click here for more information.
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Mausmünzen Drawing Winners - January 14
The selected students have shown exemplary behavior at TCGIS during the
school day and are representing their class and grade level.
Meistermäuse have demonstrated to staff one or more of the following praised traits: Sicherheit (safety), Verantwortung (responsibility), Respekt (respect), and Freundlichkeit (kindness).
KA - Jackson,
1B - Harper,
4B - Matthew,
5C - Asher
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Volleyball Season is Coming!
Click
here for the 2020 Volleyball Letter, which includes details about practices and game times. Please read before registering. The registration link can be found
here.
Registration closes Monday, February 3rd at 5:00pm.
The first practice is Wednesday, February 5th, from 3:30-5:30pm at the
Orchard Recreation Center. Players are responsible for getting from TCGIS to Orchard, which is an 11 minute walk. They will meet in Coach K's room and walk over as a team.
If you have further questions after reading the letter, please contact Coach Kulhanek at
kkulhanek@tcgis.org.
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Reminder: 2020-2021 Enrollment is Open
Parents with incoming
siblings of currently-enrolled TCGIS students: please remember to submit an application for sibling enrollment.
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IMPORTANT: February Early-release Date CHANGE
February's early-release day has been changed
from Wednesday, Feb. 5
to
Thursday, Feburary 6.
Due to the date of Minnesota's World Language Day at the Minnesota Zoo, February's early release day has been moved one day later. Twin Cities German Immersion School participates in programing at the World Language Day at the Minnesota Zoo every year. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Please mark your calendar and adjust your child's dismissal plan in Pikmykid. Thank you! |
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Support TCGIS: Volunteer Opportunities
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Seeking Host Families for Interns Next School Year
As we get ready to bid our fall interns farewell today, we hope you'll consider hosting an Intern
next
school year!
We are seeking approx. 25 host families for the 2020-21 school year. We'll have about 12-15 interns each semester, 4-5 of whom will stay for the entire year. Here are some FAQs about hosting.
If you are interested in learning more, or are ready to sign up, please fill out
this short interest survey
by February 1. Vielenk Dank!
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Wanted: Judges for our school History Day Competition
When: February 27th, 8:15 to 3:15
Full-day,
morning and afternoon shifts available
Judging is a fantastic way to connect with students, support your community, and learn about history. Be a part of TCGIS students' successes as they learn and grow through History Day!
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Donate Old Calendars to Art Class
Do you have any calendars from 2019 that you haven't gotten rid of yet? Frau Henry is looking for calendars that have LANDSCAPE photographs for an upcoming art project. Drop them off in the front office or in Room 301.
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PTO Updates  |
Save the Dates:
Thursday, Feb. 7th
-
PTO Meeting 6:30pm at TCGIS (meal + guest speaker TBD)!
Saturday, March 21st
- Maskenball at St. Paul Athletic Club (get your babysitters lined up! This will be a fun night!)
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PTO Maskenball 2020
**Theme will be revealed NEXT week!!**
We need your help in organizing and identifying sponsors for the biggest party of the year!
- Have experience or enjoy organizing events?
- Do you know community supporters in the Twin Cities area?
- Interested in being part of community of parents who are passionate about our school?
- Desire to volunteer with a large or small impact? All time commitments are welcomed!
Join the
Maskenball committee
for their next meeting;
- January 22nd, 7:30-9:30pm
- Held at the Theis/Farrell Klubhaus (1128 N Churchill St, St Paul) across from the school
- Bring a drink or snack if you feel inclined!
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Maskenball FAQs
What is
Maskenball?
An annual gala hosted by the PTO to celebrate our community as
a whole! There will be drinks, appetizers,
a DJ, silent and art auction! Each year
a theme is announced, come dressed to impress and be prepared to have some fun!
Where and when?
We are happy to announce our new M
askenball home this year at the gorgeous St. Paul Athletic Club. March 21st, 2020 at 7:00pm. Formal invitation coming soon
Who will be there?
Maskenball is
a school community event and all that support TCGIS are invited! Staff, teachers, parents, grandparents, and friends of TCGIS!
Proceeds go towards?
Ticket sales and donations to the PTO goes towards our mission to enrich TCGIS as
a whole.
In addition to fulfilling the PTO mission, the committee is looking for sponsorship support to go towards funding
a stage for the new addition of our the school!
Imagine seeing your child performing on
a new stage! If you are interested in being
a stage sponsor or know
a business that would support our goal, please contact Annegret Theis at
annegret_theis@ultimatesoftware.com
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News from the GAI 
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Karneval Tanzparty
Saturday, February 8, 8 PM-1 AM
It's the naughtiest night of the year at the GAI Haus - a night of revelry German Karneval style. This over-the-top costume party is an opportunity for normally serious folk to let loose. Entertainment features cabaret performances with well-known local performers Elektra Cute and Victoria DeVille of Black Hearts Burlesque. Read more
here.
21+, $15 ($10 GAI members and cultural partners member)
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