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Important Announcement from the State of Minnesota
Governor Walz and Education Commissioner Ricker announced today that Minnesota schools will remain in distance learning mode for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year. Tomorrow's professional learning day will provide an initial opportunity to discuss details and planning days on May 1 and 4 (= not student contact days) will provide more time for educators to adjust and get ready for the rest of the school year.
Look for a more detailed announcement from the school next week.
Commissioner Ricker echoes our feelings as educators moving into yet another phase of this worldwide crisis:
"We recognize that this news might be difficult to hear for our school communities and for many of you who have school-age children. Families are struggling with distancing learning at home. And many were hoping to return to our typical spring-time celebrations that are typically filled with plays, concerts, graduation, and other ceremonies to recognize the hard work that students have put in all year. While things look different this year, I know MDE is still as committed as ever to supporting Minnesota's students in their education, and helping schools think of creative ways to still honor hard-earned student accomplishments."
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| Message from the Director |
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Schöne Grüße von Herrn Anderson
As we conclude our third week of Distance Learning, Herr Anderson shares some thoughts about how we - TCGIS staff and families - are partners in our school's mission:
innovative education of the whole child through German immersion.
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| Videogruß vom Direktor 23 April 2020 |
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School Board Announcements
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Lasst Euch Überraschen!
Last week we announced we reached our $75,000 Fundraising milestone and thus unlocked our "All School Dress Up Days". We are excited to hold our first "virtual" all-school event for staff and students! Here are details:
- Choose any day that works best for you from Friday, April 24 through Wednesday, April 29.
- Dress up any way you'd like: fancy, funny, scary, etc.
- Take a selfie or have someone take a photo of you all dressed up - families can do group shots!
- Upload your photo here by the end of the day on April 29th.
- We will compile all the photos submitted into a fun video for everyone to watch!
- Watch for a link to the video in the April 30th Elternbrief!
- Have fun seeing your friends and teachers and staff all dressed up to celebrate achieving our Fundraising milestone!
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Share the TCGIS message in different languages!
In an effort to promote our school's goal of increasing diversity, the TCGIS school board Communications Committee wants to use videos in languages other than German and English to share what makes our school great. We are seeking volunteers to speak for the school in languages commonly spoken in Twin Cities immigrant communities such as
Amharic,
Arabic, Hmong, Karen, Somali, Spanish, Vietnamese, etc.
Please contact Rich Iwen at
[email protected]
if you can participate in this outreach program.
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Upcoming Committee Meetings
Here are the scheduled upcoming committee meetings. Please contact the committee chair for meeting login details. Meetings will be virtual until further notice.
Workplace Culture Committee - note date change
: Wed, May 6, 3:45pm, contact
[email protected]
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All-School Updates: Important Links
Here are links to useful pages you may wish to bookmark for easy reference:
In case you missed any of the email updates in the last month, find them here:
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Moving to Weekly Attendance this week
We have moved to taking weekly attendance as of this week. Your first weekly attendance submission is due
tomorrow, Friday April 24th. The
new weekly attendance form will be available
Friday-Sunday (it opens Friday morning 8 AM and closes 11:59 PM on Sunday). If your child has attended school everyday, you will have a simple yes/no option. If your child missed any days that week, you'll have the option to check off which days they were absent and a space to tell us the reason (required for accurate attendance reporting). If you forget to enter attendance, let the front office know by emailing
[email protected]. The TCGIS website has been updated to reflect these changes.
If you would like to receive a weekly email reminder to enter attendance on Fridays, you can opt in to reminder emails by filling out a brief form
here (if you already signed up for the daily reminder, we will continue to email you this weekly reminder, until you
email Katharina to be removed from the list).
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Checking in with the Parent Council
The parent council will meet again in May. If you have concerns about issues you'd like us to address, get in touch with your class's Parent Council representative.
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Construction Updates
This week the focus will be on completing the roof on the upper level and framing in the exterior openings in between the precast walls. Waterproofing and drain lines have been installed along the exterior foundation of the building.
Veit has begun the excavation for the underground stormwater management system on the east side of the building. This will collect water
runoff and also replace the rain garden that used to be there. Due to the excavation, the construction fence had to be moved further east. Unfortunately, that closed the access to our school from Como avenue. For the time being, we ask that visitors access the school by walking from Van Slyke Avenue through the playground.
Sorry for any inconvenience,
Andy Nesset
TCGIS Facilities and Grounds
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Yearbook Orders due May 8th
There is less than one month to order your yearbook! The price is $25 until May 8th. Order your yearbook today at
jostens.com!
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PTO Maskenball 2020 Update
As we navigate these unprecedented times of global crisis together and plan for the future,
our focus remains on the health and safety of our TCGIS families,
sta
ff, and our greater community. With the uncertainty of the next few months we feel that w
e are unable to confidently plan a large in-person event and have made the difficult decision to cancel Maskenball for 2020. We are hopeful that we will be able to host it in 2021 and that we can come together to celebrate Maskenball, TCGIS, our children, dedicated staff, community and reflect on all that we have overcome individually and as a whole. We
will of course keep our participants up-to date as we move forward.
If you purchased a ticket(s) there are two options:
DONATION: Maskenball raises a significant amount of money to support our school and its
mission and we would be ever grateful if you would generously consider donating your ticket
purchase. This will be done automatically if no action is taken.
REFUND IN FULL: We are aware that many are concerned financially due to these extenuating circumstances, and we fully respect and honor your option to request a full refund for this cancelled event. Please email
[email protected] with a refund request for your Maskenball ticket purchase and we will process accordingly. We ask that requests for refunds are done promptly so we can close this out and move
forward with supporting the school.
Now for the good news! The ever popular Maskenball Art Auction will be held virtually this year in May! Watch for more details to come next week!
We thank you for your patience, hope you are well and look forward to a bright and unified future!
Open Positions for 2020-2021 School Year
We need you! The PTO executive committee is seeking new, fresh faces to join our team! It is a great way and fun to get involved with the school!
Open Positions Include: Secretary, Fundraising, Treasurer
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Community Events: Updates
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GAI: Podcasts, Freitag Feierabend, & Kinderstube
To honor Holocaust Remembrance Day,
or "Yom Hashoah" on April 21, the GAI is offering special online programming to the community that will be available throughout the month.
Interviews on Hier & There podcast
Host Günther Michael Jahnl interviews MPR Classical Music host Mindy Ratner and writer and Holocaust survivor Fred Amram.
Listen at
gai-mn.org/Podcast.
Kaddish: Reflections on the Holocaust in Music and Words,
by MPR Classical Music host Mindy Ratner and writer and Holocaust survivor Fred Amram. Listen at gai-mn.org/kaddish.
Online Freitag Feierabend
Happy Hour auf Deutsch - Friday, April 24 | 5:30-6:30 PM
Now in the comfort of your home! Bring a beer or wine to your computer or smartphone and join in the conversation. Registration at gai-mn.org/Freitag-Feierabend.
Kinderstube at GAI
Registration is open for summer and fall Kinderstube. More info at
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Parent &
Family Resources
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Stress Management Resources at tcgis.org
In collaboration with school psychologist, Carol Mecklenburg, and our team of mental health providers and interns at TCGIS, Jessie Kember, Sydney Carlson and Danielle Becker, we have created a
resource page
for TCGIS families.
Resources include:
videos and apps for guided meditation, yoga and breathing exercises; tips for talking about the stress of the pandemic with children and teens; ideas for adapting daily life to these extraordinary circumstances; and many more.
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Family Resources
These and more resources can be found on
this page on our website:
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German Enrichment Resources
Looking for ways to keep your child(ren) engaged in German? Check out this
webpage with resources in various media and subject-areas. Check back often for the
Video des Tages!
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