Elternbrief
Issue: 316                          
February 15, 2018 
In This Issue

Quick Links
TCGIS Online Calendar

Upcoming Events

Feb. 16: Professional Learning Day - NO SCHOOL

Feb. 19: Presidents' Day - NO SCHOOL

Mar. 5: Professional Learning Day - NO SCHOOL

Mar. 12-16: No After School Activities

Mar. 15-16: Parent Teacher Conferences 

Mar. 16: Parent Teacher Conferences - NO SCHOOL

Mar. 21: Registration Opens for Session 3 of After School Activities

Mar. 28: School Board Meeting

Mar. 29: Winter After School Activities End

Mar. 30 - April 6: Spring Break - No School
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Administrative Information
Enjoy the Long Weekend!

This is a friendly reminder that there is no school tomorrow, 2/16, due to a professional development day OR on Monday, 2/19, due to Presidents' Day. Stay healthy and enjoy the long weekend!
Carnival of Cultures Next Week

Carnival of Cultures is coming up
on Thursday, February 22nd , and we are looking forward to seeing many of you and celebrating the students' hard work. We have put together a series of logistical information for parents below. For those who are new to the TCGIS community, Carnival of Cultures is our annual school-wide performing arts celebration. All families are welcome to attend one or both parts of the program, which brings together 
mixtures of performance cultures from  around the world and across time.

4:45 (K-3)
Please bring your child to his/her homeroom classroom and drop off your child with his/her teacher. There will not be enough room in the classroom for all students and their parents, so your are welcome to take a seat in the Aula. K-3 program will run until approximately 6:00.

After 4:55 (and 6:25), the indoor entrance to the Aula will be for students only.  Audience members are encouraged to use the south doors that go directly into the Aula (at the top of the outside stairs), but after 4:55 (and 6:25), ALL audience members must enter through those doors.

When the performance is over, please remain in your seat.  Elementary students will be dismissed class by class, and parents will be subsequently asked to stand to meet their student.  This should be a very smooth process if everyone remains in his/her spot.  If your student is going home with someone other than you, please make sure to inform your student AND your student's teacher.

*Reminder that you are responsible for your students except for the time period when they are with their classes in the classroom before the performance, and during the performance.  TCGIS is not providing any childcare.  For everyone's safety, please know where your children are at all times and insure that they are exhibiting appropriate behavior.

6:00 (4-8) - All students should go directly to the Aula.  Program will run until approximately 7:30.

Any K-3 questions should be directed to Frau Hall ( shall@tcgis.org ), and any 4-8 questions should be directed to Frau Van Koolwijk (jvankoolwijk@tcgis.org).
Support Our 8th Graders at the Capstone Cafe

Next week at Carnival of Cultures don't forget to visit the Capstone Cafe. We will offer a variety of delicious refreshments for your enjoyment. The Capstone Cafe is a fundraiser for the Class of 2019's Capstone Exchange trip. 
Order Window for School Lunches/Milk, Bus and Kinderclub is Closing on February 19!

Please log on to our online store website Boonli now to place your child(ren)'s Bus, Kinderclub and School Lunch/Milk order for March All orders must be submitted by midnight on Monday, February 19.
Be a Sponsor for the End of the Year Picnic!

New this year, TCGIS is looking for sponsors for our annual end-of-school year picnic. We have a variety of levels of sponsorship available. If you or your company or someone you know are interested, please contact Dianne Bell (
dbell@tcgis.org) for more information.
Get Your Tickets TODAY -
Minnesota United FC vs Chicago Fire

Join us on March 17 at 1pm for our second TCGIS soccer community event when Minnesota United meets Chicago Fire for their season home opener. This is a great chance to see Germany's National team player, Bastian Schweinsteiger, live in action at TCF Bank Stadium. 

Get your tickets today at the school's online store!
Adults: $30
Students: $20
Staff/Interns $20

If you would like to buy a ticket for a staff member or intern, please notify them by email or personally. 
Valentine's Day at TCGIS


All students were in for a treat yesterday for Valentine's Day! Service Learning Group placed post-its on ALL (552!) student lockers with a little message auf Deutsch! Their goal was to make everyone feel cared for on Valentine's Day.  

Special thanks to 8th grader Darius Pouladian-kari for taking the lead on this thoughtful and caring project. 
4C Field Trip to a Naturalization Ceremony!

4C took a field trip using Metro Transit (for some students, it was the very first time) to the Federal Courthouse Building in downtown St. Paul to take part in and witness a U.S. naturalization ceremony. The highlights included meeting the presiding judge and asking him great questions, having our students' work be read aloud during the ceremony, and finally taking part in a mock trial in a real federal courtroom where students played the roles of judge, attorneys, plaintiff, defendant, and law clerks. A quote from 4C students in relaying some of what was read aloud during the ceremony: "Immigrants not only bring themselves, they bring their cultures which make America more interesting." Last week, 4C had the pleasure of witnessing this process firsthand! 
Listening Sessions Hosted by TCGIS Board & Admin

The School Board and the Administration will host TWO listening sessions for the TCGIS Community on 2/27 and 3/6. These sessions will take place at 3:45pm and 6:30pm on both days. Each session will include a presentation on the current status of the Board's and the Administration's efforts regarding the respective topic as well as time afterward reserved for engagement with the Board and Administration on that topic. We encourage all interested community members to attend! All sessions will be in room 100.
TCGIS Family Ski Day at Trollhaugen
Monday, March 5

Register now! Don't miss this year's TCGIS Family Ski Day on  Monday, March 5 at  Trollhaugen Click HERE for more information.

Cost:
Age 6 & up -- $15 lift ticket
Age 5 & under -- FREE lift ticket
Ski/snowboard rental -- $15 (includes helmet)

Special packages available:
Grades 5 & 6 -- $18 lift ticket/rental/lesson
Grades K-4 -- $28 lift ticket/rental/lesson

Please email  Kelly Huxmann or  Manuela Thames with any questions. Click HERE to register!  Registration deadline is  Monday, February 26 . We'll collect payment and distribute lift tickets/rental forms in the school lobby  on Tuesday   2/20, Thursday  2/22, and  Monday 2/26 , before and after school. Cash or check only. Click HERE for complete details.
TCGIS Sommercamp 2018

summer
Summer is just around the corner! Why not make some plans to speak German while having fun learning in one of our summer language camps geared to incoming 3rd - 8th-graders?

Click  here for details for TCGIS Sommercamp 2018. One-week camps will be offered  July 16 - August 3, 2018. Registration will open next week on  Monday, February 19. All February and March registrations will receive a discounted rate. Don't miss out! 

Thanks for the feedback we received from you in the past weeks!
Board Announcements
Finance Committee Meeting - Feb. 20 at 6:30 p.m. in Room 99
 
The Finance Committee invites interested community members to attend its monthly meeting, held next Tuesday, February 20th at 6:30 p.m.  The Finance Committee is responsible for overseeing school finances, reviewing and recommending approval of the school budget, and providing analysis and feedback on other issues that financially impact the school.  This month, in addition to reviewing the January 2018 financial statements, the Finance Committee will be discussing the status of funding for potential expansion efforts and the impact of any additional bond issuances on future school budgets.
PTO Announcements
Shoe Drive Closes March 1
We still need many pairs of shoes. Ask your family, friends, neighbors and drop them off in the shoe box. Shoes are donated to  Funds2Orgs.

Sell Herberger's Books
PTO earns $5 for every $5 book we sell. Just takes 2 hours. Volunteer with  Christine. 

Need help with a broken coffee maker. Looking for commercial grade single cup coffee solution for the teacher's lounge.  Email with connections.  Look for the  PTO February Newsletter  and complete the 3 question survey!
GAI Announcements
KINDER IN DER KÜCHE - Join us for Osterzopf baking for Kids on Saturday, Feb. 24.
Braided yeast sweet bread is an Easter tradition in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. This class lets kids get their hands in the flour and they get to take home the delicious results 
Ages 5 to 12 (class for children only)

SUMMER LANGUAGE CAMP 2018 - Registration now open! 
Summer Camp runs from June 18 to August 17 - Camps offered for KG - 3 grade (2018/2019 school year); Topics include Arts & Crafts, German Fairy Tales, Science, Magic, Baking & Cooking, and Experiments

Register NOW for Spring German Classes
Click HERE for Adult Class Registration.