Elternbrief
Issue: 326                          
May 3, 2018 
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Administrative Information
See MN United FC Play and Support TCGIS!

Mark your calendars for Saturday, May 12, at 1pm! We are having another TCGIS event in collaboration with Minnesota United FC. What's different about this event?  It's also a fundraiser for our big End of the Year Picnic!

For every ticket purchased, TCGIS receives $5 towards funding the picnic on Tuesday, June 12. Enter the promo code TCGIS0512 on this page and buy tickets today! 
The picnic on June 12 is a great way to celebrate the end of the 2017-18 school year, but it's also a great way to meet players from MN United FC! We are so excited to announce that we will have 1-2 players from the team at our picnic who will be ready to sign your jerseys and scarves, and to take photos with fans!
PBIS Superschüler/innen des Monats

The "PBIS Superschüler/innen des Monats" are students that have shown outstanding behavior with regard to our three PBIS pillars Safety, Responsibility, and Respect. This award is given by the Middle School Teachers to students who deserve recognition for consistently showing our PBIS pillars. These students are great supporters of the rules & routines we have in place at the school, respectful to teachers and peers at all times, and we feel they deserve a round of applause and recognition. Thanks for being great role models!
Sign Up to Volunteer at the End of Year Picnic!

Our last day of school is coming up fast! Mark your calendars for Tuesday, June 12 to celebrate our End of the Year Picnic! The picnic will be held at the Como Park Pavilions and will be from 11:30am-2:00pm. To help make this event a success, we need help from parent volunteers. Please click here to see what volunteer opportunities are available and to sign up today! Please email Lauren Kalish at [email protected] if you have any questions.
Thank You to our Picnic Sponsors

We would like to thank our picnic sponsors: Larry Mohr, President of the German American Chamber of Commerce, MN Chapter" and Dr. Stefanie Bauer, Life Ripples.

Thank you for your support!
Early Morning Recess Volunteers Needed!

It's finally time! Early morning recess will start up in May pending enough parent volunteers. Please click here to read more information and sign up today!
Thank You from the Facilities Committee

Please see a message from the Facilities Committee regarding yesterday's meeting here.
GEMs Summer Camp -  Limited Space Available
 


Missy Morrissey (Middle School), Kim Kulhanek and Stephanie Mekacher (Elementary School) are offering a summer MATH camp for girls with support from the Society of Industrial and Applied Mathematics Student Chapter at the University of Minnesota during the week of  August 13th-17th.

Who: All students entering grades 1-6
What: GEMs Summer Math camp
Where: University of Minnesota, Vincent Hall
When:  August 13th-17th, 2018, from  9am-12pm.
Cost: $150 (daily snack provided)
Registration Deadline: June 12th, 2018
Returning Families: The curriculum will be different than last year's camp if you are interested in attending again! 


Contact Missy Morrissey at  [email protected] if you have any questions.
4th Grade State Parade

The 4th grade state parade is taking place this Friday, May 4, at 2:30pm in the 1st-floor hallway. Students will begin the parade near the 3rd-grade classrooms and end in the cafeteria. Families may line up all along the hallway (parade route) and wait quietly for the parade to begin. Once the parade has passed, parade watchers may join  in the cafeteria to get a closer look at the floats and to ask students questions about their state
2nd Grade Clean Up

Second graders are doing a neighborhood clean up on Friday, May 4th. Second graders and their parents will be walking and cleaning up litter in the area around the school and nearby neighbors. 
Understanding Dyslexia
May 21 6:30-8:30pm at TCGIS

Did you know as many as 1 in 5 students has a form of dyslexia?  In this session at TCGIS, John Alexander, MEd, Groves Academy Executive Director, will discuss what the latest research reveals about dyslexia and language-based learning disabilities. He will define dyslexia and examine key variables for instruction including the type, intensity, frequency, and duration of intervention. Please RSVP to this event and let us know if you will need childcare. 
Drama Play 

7/8th grade play "Der Besuch der alten Dame" coming soon! It is a  3-act play by Swiss playwright Friedrich Dürrenmatt, 90 minutes long.

There will be two performances in room 100:  Tues, May 15 at 10:40 AM and  Thurs, May 17 at 8:30 AM.  All adults are invited!  The play is a tragic comedy, but the main theme is pretty dark and involves corruption to the point of murder.
Strep Information

If your child experiences any strep-like symptoms such as sore throat, fever, headache and swollen glands, then your child may be infected with sore throat. It may take 2-5 days for symptoms to start. Please keep your child home from school until 24 hours after antibiotic treatment begins and fever is gone. please notify TCGIS at  [email protected] as we are required to report confirmed cases to the state.

Any time a student is home sick, please email both the office and his/her teacher(s) or call the school office at 651-492-7106 to report the reason for absence, including the type of illness. On the fourth day of illness, an excuse from a medical professional is required.
Meet the Candidates Forum

Come to the PTO sponsored Meet the Candidates Forum on May 8th, 7:30-8:30, Room 100 @ TCGIS.   Read the board candidates bios here.

TCGIS will elect THREE board members this year to serve a three year term.
We have 3 candidates for the TCGIS Board: Jenneke Oosterhoff, Julie Alkatout, and Nic Ludwig.
 
Elections will take place May 14 - 18. For voting el igibility, procedures, and instructions, please visit Board Elections FAQ 2018.
Faculty Focus
For this week and each week until the end of this school year Herr Mullins will introduce our school community to a new faculty member we have at TCGIS this academic year. We have talented colleagues who have diverse experiences in their lives that assist them each and every day in serving the needs of your sons and daughters. Herr Mullins hopes you find this column inspiring as you read about our TCGIS Educators!

This week: Kaylee Gueltzow from the Kindergarten Team
Board Announcements
***New opportunity to talk about the school facility project***
"Walk the block" with the Facility Chair
May 7th-11th 2:30-3:00pm
Meet on the steps in front of the Aula. (Como Ave side) We'll take a quick walk around the neighborhood and talk about the facility project.  Please review the current facility presentation before joining a "Walk the Block."

Upcoming meetings:
  • The Fundraising and Development Committee meets this Friday, May 4 at 8:15 in Room 99. All are welcome to join and bring their fundraising and development ideas for TCGIS!
  • Facility Committee Meeting - May 8th, 2018 6-7:00pm, Room 99
PTO Announcements
Pick Up Plants & Strudel
Monday, May 7th  stop by the main lobby to pick up your plants and strudel between  3-6pm.  Purchases will not be delivered to you in the car line.  We are also looking for volunteers to help organize items and distribute. Sign up here.

PTO Meeting & Meet the School Board Candidates Forum
May 8, 7:00-7:30 PTO meeting followed by forum at 7:30-8:30 in room 100.  Please RSVP  your attendance, questions, and child care needs. A recording of the forum will also be available  online

PTO Retreat 
Join us Sunday May 6th from 1-4:00 at Clare's home to talk about the PTO year and make plans for the next. Please RSVP to Clare for address,  
[email protected]
GAI Announcements
FamilienKino - Join us Saturday, May 19 at 9:00am
  • Bilderbuchkino (picture book movie) for young children up to 8 yrsImages are projected while a book is read to the children; with activity break
  • Spielfilm (feature film) for older kids & teens - Das Fliegende Klassenzimmer ('The Flying Classroom' 2002) Updated film based on the classic story by Erich Kästner - Deutsch with English subtitles
Summer German Language Camps start June 18 - Camps are filling up! Reserve your spot now!
Topics include Geography, Science, Arts & Crafts, Mysteries & Magic, Writing, Baking & Cooking, and more. Teachers and children will speak, hear, sing and create in German.