Elternbrief
Issue: 296                           
 August 24, 2017 
In This Issue

Quick Links
TCGIS Online Calendar

Like us on Facebook

Administrative Information
Bus Stop Times are Here!

Thank you for your patience to all of our bussing families who have been waiting for finalized stop times! You can now find finalized AM & PM stop times for your route and bus stop in the  2017-18 Bussing Handbook

If you have registered for bussing, completed your monthly order on Boonli, and submitted your Bus Behavior Agreement, you're all set! Do be sure to read the  2017-18 Bussing Handbook in full before your students' first ride, and swing by the Transportation Table at Open House to pick up bus tags for any students in Grades K-4.
Important Info for Bussing Families

We now have stop times, and we are READY TO ROLL!

Please take a final review of the  2017-18 Bussing Handbook before next week to make sure you know where your bus stop is, and what time to expect student pick up and drop off.

A few important reminders:

1. Make sure you have completed ALL three steps below to complete your bussing registration:
2. Any students in Grades K-4 should pick up a color-coded bus tag at Open House. Please clip these tags onto your student's backpack or outerwear each day to indicate to staff which route (Red-South, Yellow-Central, or Blue-North) your child is on. K-4 bus riders who do not attend Open House will get a tag from their teacher on the first day of school.

3. Please remember to arrive to your bus stop  AT LEAST 5 minutes ahead of schedule for both AM pick up and PM drop off. If you are waiting for  more than 10 minutes past the scheduled AM pick up or PM drop off, contact JME directly at  612-208-0237 for information on when the bus should arrive.

4. Tell students who will be picking them up from the bus stop each day, and remind them to  inform the driver and  stay on/return to the bus if no adult is at the stop to pick them up. If no adult is at the PM stop when the bus arrives, the driver will return the student(s) to the School after completing the route.

5. Our busses are getting full! We have a record number of bus riders signed up this year! Currently, we don't expect to have more students riding than the busses are capable of safely carrying; however, we will be closely watching bus ridership in the first few weeks of school to determine if larger busses and/or additional busses are needed. As we do plan on pretty full busses, please remind students to share seats and keep backpacks and other belongings out of the aisles.

If you have any questions on bussing, contact Gael Braddock at  gbraddock@tcgis.org.
2017-18 Student Arrival & Dismissal Information

For families transporting students to and from School in personal vehicles, be sure to check  our Pick-Up/Drop Off Map and Parking/Walking Guidelines before school starts on Monday, August 28.

We also ask that everyone remember to review Arrival and Dismissal Information on pages 9 through 11 of our 2017-18 Family Handbook to get a smooth start to the school year.

A few key points regarding student arrival and dismissal for the upcoming school year are:
  • Students arriving after 8:10 am must enter through the Front Office.
  • Parents are more than welcome to park in the neighborhood and walk students into school. Please remember to set a good example of safe pedestrian behavior as you bring children into school, and do your best to avoid parking on VanSlyke Avenue (Churchill, Oxford, Argyle, and Jessamine are all parking options).
  • When in the vehicle lines to drop off/pick up students, avoid blocking crosswalks, driveways, and alleys.
Please let Gael Braddock at gbraddock@tcgis.org know if you have any questions about student arrival and dismissal.
Seeking Elternkontakts for TCGIS Classrooms

Elternkontakts (EK's) are our classroom parents at TCGIS. They  work to build community among families in a variety of ways and support the teacher with general communication, classroom needs and volunteer recruitment for field trips and other class events, including parties. We're in the process of recruiting this years EK's, and need two parents per elementary classroom, and two parents per middle school grade level. If you are interested in participating in our EK program, contact Jenia Strom at jeniastrom@gmail.com.
 
TCGIS Soccer Team

Soccer season is almost here! Click here to read about the official soccer team at TCGIS and to register today! 
 
Lead an After School Activity!

Our fall session of after school activities will be starting soon! If you would like to offer a class please fill out the attached form and email it to lkalish@tcgis.org or hand it in at the office no later than September 5. Session one of After School Activities will be starting the week of September 25. If you have any questions about teaching a class, please email Lauren Kalish at lkalish@tcgis.org. 
MCA Test Scores Available

MCA scores are here! They will be available for pick up at the Open House from 6:30-8pm, and will be sent home within the next couple of weeks. 
Online School Board Election Voting

The Governance committee is seeking alternative voting options for school board elections. We need a small group of community members (parents or staff) who come together for a short period of time to research options for online voting and present them to the governance committee.
Expected time commitment : 2-3 meetings and a total of 15 hours/person. Completed by the end of October.
Interested? Have questions?  Contact: Christine VeLure Roholt, cvelureroholt@tcgis.org.
Looking for Morning Playground Volunteers

Physical activity has been proven to help improve student focus and learning in the classroom. This is why TCGIS is looking for volunteers to supervise an extra 
recess before school! This was a huge hit last year and we are looking forward to continuing this fall! Please see the sign-up for additional information.
Volunteer for a PTO Event!

We are hoping that every family at TCGIS will find ONE thing to help with this year. One event/ item/ outing/ fundraiser to volunteer for in order to ensure that the work of the PTO can continue. Check out all the options here. It's going to be a great and busy year!
 
Band at TCGIS

For information on joining the TCGIS Band Program, please click here
EVERYONE should read the "welcome to the new school year" letter, and NEW students should contact Krista Johnson at  monk2miles@gmail.com, if you haven't already!
Deutsch für Eltern!

Explore German with Herbert!  New this year: textbooks from Germany written especially for school parents.  Learn German in a relaxed, fun and challenging class.  Meets Mondays  5-6 pm . "Kinderklub" is "open" until  6:00 pm  for y our child(ren).  Call  612-505-2892  or email  vcaherbert@gmail.com.
TCGIS String Group

Achtung- All String Players!  The String Group is here again with a new format.  It is open to all grades - one year experience advised.  Herbert and Elena will ready the group for performances  including Martinstag at the Landmark.  Hope to see you Fridays at  4:30pm .
Call 651-773-9525 or email  infoviennarts@gmail.com today!
Special Education Advisory Committee Potluck

The Special Education Advisory Committee is hosting a potluck  September 18 from  5:30-7:30 in the school cafeteria. This is a great  chance to network with other parents and build community.

Please RSVP to  ckeidman@gmail.com we h ope to see you there!

 
PTO Announcements
PTO Announcements

TCGIS PTO Community Auction and Strudel Sale - Oct. 12-26 - SAVE THE DATE and Get Your Great Gatherings and Items Ready!

As you are gearing up for your children's first day of school, the PTO is gearing up for the 2017 TCGIS PTO Community Auction! The auction is the largest fundraiser of the year for the PTO and will be held online from October 12-26. The funds are used to sponsor classroom learning grants and community building events throughout the year. You can be involved by hosting an event (e.g., Backyard Yoga, Knitting night, Progressive Dinner, Bounce House Party), donating an item (e.g., homemade edibles, gift certificates for your business), volunteering to help with the auction preparations or by purchasing items on the auction.  Registration for donations will begin in the next few weeks so watch the Elternbrief for more information and start brainstorming! Questions? Contact Maureen Carlyle and Joyce Albers Tyrrell at auctionTCGISPTO@gmail.com.
GAI Announcements
GAI Announcements

ST. PAUL OKTOBERFEST AT THE HISTORIC SCHMIDT BREWERY 
Friday, September 15 & Saturday, September 16, 2017

GAI is proud to produce the 2017 St. Paul Oktoberfest! Come down to Schmidt Brewery onSeptember 15 & 16 to enjoy German music, food, and beer along with vendors, cultural presentations, carnival rides and games, Dachshund and bed races, a German wedding, and more! Don't miss the opening parade led by an authentic Bierwagen pulled by Percheron draft horses!

Interested in volunteering? We can use your help - many shifts available!  

FALL REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

ADULT CLASSES - begin September 5, 2017
Day and evening classes are offered for all levels from beginner to advanced with NEW COURSES for near native, fluent speakers. 
SAMSTAGSSCHULE - Saturday School for young kids & teens - begins September 23, 2017 This Fall the GAI is offering Samstagsschule classes for various age groups and language proficiency.