Elternbrief
Issue: 354                          
January 24, 2019 
In This Issue

Quick Links
Buy TCGIS Spiritwear from our new online store!
Submit Yearbook Photos

Have photos for
the yearbook? Submit them directly to the Josten's Yearbook website! We will be taking photo submissions all year long. If prompted, lease enter the following code for a USER ID: 411163676
TCGIS Online Calendar

Upcoming Events
Like us on Facebook

Administrative Information
Parent Powerschool Report Card Instructions


We are now officially in the second semester of the 2018-19 school year! To see the written progress of your student, please click on this link to find information on how to view/print your child's report card. Kindergarten report cards will be sent to parents shortly.
We Need Your Support More Than Ever!  Next Stop:  City Council

TCGIS will be going before City Council in the next few weeks to contest the historic designation application, and to advocate for our building variances and site plan.  Unlike the all-volunteer HPC, Zoning Committee and Planning Commission, City Council members are ELECTED officials with constituents. Letters against heritage preservation should be sent NOW, as it will be on the city council agenda for a first reading on Feb. 6th. (Note: Letters related to the variances and site plan need to wait until that separate matter is on the city council agenda.)

Mark your calendars- the anticipated date for the  public hearing regarding heritage preservation is Feb. 20th. It will be CRITICAL to get as much parent and neighbor support at this meeting, regardless of whether you are a St Paul resident, and to write letters of support to the Mayor and  ALL City Council members, in addition to Amy Brendmoen, the school's City Council Member.  Click here  for City Council Member contact info.  Please contact Ted Anderson, Nic Ludwig, Julie Alkatout or Dianne Bell with any questions you may have.
Building Project Update

On Friday, January 25th our site plan and variances will be discussed and voted on by the St Paul Planning Commission. Last week's Zoning Committee (a subset of the greater Planning Commission) voted to deny our variances and thus our site plan, which depended on those variances being approved. We hope that there will be some robust discussion of our variances request and site plan at this meeting. Board members and Ted Anderson will be present. If the Planning Commission approves our requests, we fully expect SHSA to appeal. Should they vote against our requests, TCGIS will immediately appeal. This is a public meeting, but not a hearing, so we will not be able to present. FYI meeting is from 8:30-11 in City Hall Conference Center, Room 40. Here is the agenda; TCGIS is on about midway through. 
TCGIS in the Local News

In case you missed it, Board Members Julie Alkatout and Dianne Bell had an editorial published in the St Paul Monitor  to highlight the positive impact that TCGIS has had in the neighborhood since moving here in 2013.  And, on Tuesday, Jan 22,  Executive Director Ted Anderson had an editorial  published in the Park Bugle  commenting on our proposed building plan.    
A/B/C Schedule for Spring Semester

We regretfully announce that we will no longer be changing the schedule back to a/b/c/a/b/c despite announcing that change last week. Please accept our sincere apologies. We didn't realize that doing so at this point would impact our state reporting and year-long grade calculations. Again, our apologies. The schedule will reflect the PTO calendar for the rest of the year and is on our website under " Family Resources ".

Please contact Mike Mullins at [email protected] with any questions.
TCGIS Seeking Front Office Administrative Assistant

We are seeking a German-speaking, full time Front Office Administrative Assistant. If you know of any one who might be interested in this position, please encourage him/her to contact Gael Braddock at [email protected]
Carnival of Cultures is Coming Soon!

Carnival of Cultures is when our students perform songs, dances, skits, etc. from various different cultures. Please mark your calendars for Wednesday, February 27th. The program will start at  6:00pm, but performers will need to arrive earlier (more specific instructions on that will follow from your child's drama teacher). Grades K-3 will perform starting at 6:00. After 3rd grade finishes, there will be a 20 minute intermission before the  4th & 5th grade performances start. During the intermission, families with younger children can feel free to leave if they like. Although grades 6-8 have performed at Carnival of Cultures in the past, this year they will be doing a separate performance at a different time and with a different theme - stay tuned for more details! Any questions can be directed to your child's drama teacher (Frau Hall - grades K-3 -  [email protected], Frau Bergman - grades 4 & 5 -  [email protected], Frau Mueller - grades 6-8 -  [email protected])

TCGIS Track-and-Field: First Official Season!

Registration opens on January 31st!  Here is our 2019 Track-and-Field Letter with all the details about our upcoming season.

You can also join your TCGIS Track-and-Field coaches at the USATF Indoor Track Meet #4 at Bethel University's Sports and Recreation Center on Sunday, February 3, 2019 at 1 PM. Try out some of the events before our spring track season: sprints, hurdles, shot put, long jump, high jump or mid-distance.

Further questions, please contact Coach Tabisz ( [email protected] ).
We Need 15 More Host Families for the 2019-2020 Intern Program

We are about half-way there! Next year we hope to have about 14 Interns each semester -  but  we can only invite as many Interns as we have host families! We need to make final decisions about next year's Interns this February, so the time to act is now. 

If you've ever considered hosting an Intern, but still have questions and would like to learn more about it, please connect with  Katharina Schirg as soon as possible. She can answer questions and also connect you with current and past host families who can share their experiences with you. You can also read these  FAQs about hosting, and learn more about our Intern Program  here. We hope you'll consider volunteering as a host family next school year! 
Register for Volleyball at TCGIS

Click here for the 2019 Volleyball Letter, which includes details about practice and game times. Please read before registering. The registration link can be found  hereRegistration closes Friday, February 1st at 5:00pm. 

If you have further questions after reading the letter, please contact Coach Kulhanek at  [email protected].
Meet our New Interns!

Last week, we welcomed a new group of interns! We are so lucky to have so many of them among us this semester. Please click here to read their bios.
Judges Needed for History Day

We are looking for judges for TCGIS History Day Competition on February 28! 
Judging is a fantastic way to connect with students, support TCGIS, and learn about history.  Full day and half day judging shifts available. Interested in helping out OR want more information?  Please email Catie Jacobs at [email protected]
Vienna Event: String Demo

VCA's new string teacher will give a Demo along with Herbert Engelmayer on February 11 at 3:30 at TCGIS.  Janelle works with the Minnesota Orchestra and will be teaching group and private lessons at TCGIS through  Vienna Community Arts.

Kinderclub students will be invited; other students can attend with parents.  Event is free but sign-up is required.  Call Herbert or Nancy at 651-773-9525 or email [email protected]
MCA Assessments at TCGIS

This spring TCGIS will participate in MCA Assessments. TCGIS views the MCA Assessments as another data point in creating a mosaic of our students' academic progress in school and therefore encourages all students to participate. Parents do, however, have the right to "opt out" of the MCA Assessments by filling out this form. Please return completed forms to the Front Office. Click here to view the 2019 MCA schedule. Please contact Mike Mullins with any questions. 
Family Ski Day at Trollhaugen
Friday, February 15, 2019

TCGIS Family Ski Day is just around the corner! Mark your calendars for Friday, February 15, and join us at  Trollhaugen in nearby Dresser, WI. Don't miss this chance to hit the slopes with family and friends!

Cost
Age 6 thru adult - $15 lift ticket
Age 5 & under - FREE lift ticket
Equipment rental - $15 (includes helmet)

Special student packages
Grades 5 & 6 - $18 (includes lift ticket/rental/lesson)
Grades K-4 - $28 (includes lift ticket/rental/lesson)

Sign up in person in the school lobby on 1/29, 1/31, 2/6, or 2/8, with times before and after school. Click HERE for full details.  Registration deadline is Friday, February 8. No late registrations will be accepted. Please contact  Manuela Thames or  Kelly Huxmann with questions.
PTO Announcements

Maskenball Update:
Save the Date! This year's theme is 90s Prom! Join us on Saturday March 23rd at 6:30pm at the University Club, St. Paul, for a great time!
Tickets will be available soon.

We are looking for sponsors! Do you own a small business? Consider making a financial donation. Learn about sponsorship opportunities here. Contact  annegret_Theis@ultimatesoftware.com  for all the details about the levels and perks of sponsorship! 


Staff Appreciation Update: 
2nd Grade Families: Please Sign up for our Monday, February 11th intern breakfast here: 

1st Grade Families: Please Sign up for the early release lunch on Wednesday February 13th here:  http://signup.com/go/ZhYykUT

You can message the PTO if you have any questions or email  [email protected].