After this Connection Week, middle school students switch to the Distance Learning Schedule and block scheduling. This choice was made to give your child fewer transitions in a day, and a deeper, longer dive into subjects. This page of instructions (pictured) is included with your child's schedule. All middle school parents will recieve more detailed information tomorrow (Friday).

Starting next Friday, Sept. 18, parents can pick up printed materials and other resources for distance learners from 2:00-3:15 PM on Friday afternoons at the Westeingang (west entrance) near the new parking lot. Weather permitting, pickup will take place outside; otherwise in the large entrance space there.

Car-pickup for all grades is on Van Slyke Ave.

Buses park on Como Avenue.

Walking pickup is in our school courtyard. Please do not park on Como or Van Slyke, instead park on Lexington, Churchill, Oxford, Argyle, Jessamine or Chatsworth.

Kinderclub students in K-2 are picked up at their classrooms; 3-8 graders walk to the Torwart in the lobby. Parents sign in/out with the Torwart at the Westeingang.

We are not using Pikmykid for 5th-8th graders this year. Please confirm with your middle schooler(s) how they are getting home each day so they know where to go or meet you at dismissal. Middle school students are still listed in Pikmykid but they don't need to be updated.

Please update your child(ren)'s dismissal mode - how they are going home each day - in Pikmykid. Instructions follow in the "Reminders" section below.

Important: if your child was in Kinderclub aftercare last year but is not this year, please remove the recurring dismissal mode for aftercare. Danke!

Over 340 parents and students toured the school building last Saturday! If you missed the opportunity, the TCGIS Board of Directors invites you to tour the newly constructed spaces on Saturday, September 12, 10:00-11:30 AM. In order to maintain safety, we are limiting the number of people in the building by metering tour groups. While it's possible you may pass by your child's new classroom, visits to classrooms are not part of this tour. Sign up for your tour here.

Sign-in/-out at the Westeingang (west entrance)

Families using Kinderclub should only use the west entrance when dropping off and picking up students. Students must be signed in/ out with the Torwart at the Westeingang, even if the child is only in Kinderclub during school hours (8:15-3:15).

If you're unable to select "Kinderclub" from the menu of dimissal modes in Pikmykid, please email the Front Office and they can add Kinderclub as a mode for you: [email protected].

Please help students understand what safe and hygenic mask-wearing looks like. Here is a video for kids about why and how to wear a mask. If your student is in need of masks, please reachout to [email protected]. TCGIS has a limited number of masks to provide for families in need. If your student forgets a mask, TCGIS will have extras onsite to provide back-ups.

All TCGIS students must have their temperature taken at home every day before coming to school. If their temperature is 100.4 they should not come to school.

Similarly if your child has any COVID-19 symptoms, they should also stay home. This symptom guide from MDH may be helpful. 

If you are not receiving emails for your child's class, please fill out this form to add your email to your child's class email list (e.g. KA, 3B, 5C)

Our class-level email lists use PowerSchool contact information. If you are not receiving class emails, please login to PowerSchool to update your contact information using the T - Student Contacts form and make sure you are listed in the top two contacts.

Our class email lists are different from the Elternbrief distribution list in Constant Contact. In this form, please specify if you are requesting to be added to the Elternbrief-list or to the class email list: Add-My-Email Form

This year we are using the PikMyKid dismissal app for elementary school students only: grades K-4.

Please set a recurring change for 'Distance Learning' on the days your child is not at school, especially if your child normally rides the bus. Here's a quick how-to:

If you are a new parent and have not yet registered for PikMyKid, please find the instructions here. PikMyKid allows parents, teachers, and office staff to view a child's dismissal mode at the end of the day whether it's bus, car pickup, Kinderclub, etc. Please download the app for iOS or Android, register your account, and set up your child's dismissal mode.

ZuVon is a parent-school collaboration that offers eco-friendly ways to get to (zu) and from (von ) TCGIS. This website (www.tcgis-zuvon.org) includes information on a new carpooling initiative and local transit options. 

If you're interested in exploring carpooling to/from school, fill out this google form by Sept. 13. Your address and limited contact information will be used to populate a Google map similar to the one on this page. After Sept. 18 we will share the link to an unlisted Google map that will include limited contact information with those who have opted in (through the form) and are interested in setting up a carpool with nearby families. Once families have this info, it's up to them to contact possible matches and arrange the carpool. 

The TCGIS Parent Council seeks class representatives for this school year. Self-nominations are welcomed and encouraged! Each grade has a Google Doc for parents to self-nominate and write a short introduction. Nominations will be collected until Monday, Sept. 14. Click here to access the nominations forms.

Curious about what it's like to serve on the Parent Council? Watch their Welcome Video, visit their new webpage, or email [email protected] and to be connected with your Parent Council representative. 

Elternkontakte (parent contacts) a.k.a. 'EKs' are volunteers who provide an additional communication channel between the teacher/school and the parents in their homeroom/class. This is a fun volunteer position that can be done remotely in small bits of time since it primarily consists of communicating via email. 

1B, 2A, 3B, 5B, 5C, 6B, 6C, 7A, 7B, 8A, 8C.

If you're interested in volunteering as an EK for your child's homeroom this year, please sign up here and Katharina Schirg will be in touch with you. Herzlichen Dank!

Join the PTO for our first meeting of the year! It will be via Zoom, on Thursday September 17 at 6:30pm. Stop in to say hi, meet the new team, and hear about what we have planned in the year ahead of us. Watch this Welcome Video to learn more about who we are and what we have planned!

TCGIS will be participating in the Box Tops for Education program again this year. Last year we raised over $500! Please download the app at www.btfe.com and click here for more information!

The Covid pandemic has thrust all schools into a difficult position as it pertains to distance learning. Distance and hybrid learning are hard enough in English, but as a language immersion school, TCGIS has an additional challenge because we teach our children in German.

Many parents have asked the school about private tutoring resources to provide supplemental German help to their children to ensure their German skills remain strong. TCGIS has reached out to the many colleges and universities we have contacts with to see if any of the German students would be interested in virtual private tutoring. There has been an outpouring of interest from German majors and minors to help TCGIS parents and students. We have compiled a Google spreadsheet with the names of those students interested in tutoring.

Vienna Community Arts offers music instruction for continuing and new students at TCGIS in Piano, Violin, Classical Guitar, Ukulele and Voice.

There are three options:

All Grades and Skill Levels are welcome.

For more information please contact: Herbert & Nancy Engelmayer

651 340 6205 (Landline Office) | 612 505 2892 (Mobile Herbert)

Sept. 12: School tours hosted by the Board

Sept. 14: Parent Council nominations due

Sept. 17: First PTO Meeting of the year

Sept. 24: Board Meeting