Elternbrief
Issue: 287                            
May 4, 2017 
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Upcoming Dates

April 8-23: PTO Strudel Sale

April 27: School Board Meeting

May 9: PTO Meeting

May 17: Early Release Wednesday
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Administrative Information
 
Bon Voyage to our 8th Graders!

Tomorrow our 8th graders embark on what is sure to be a wonderful adventure - their Capstone trip! Our soon-to-be graduates will spend three weeks in Germany an will return shortly before the last day of school. We wish them safe travels and Bon Voyage!
 
2017-18 Bussing Survey

It is time to begin planning for our 2017-18 student transportation!

If you are a family that  currently uses TCGIS bussing, or are  interested in using the bussing service next year, please fill out our  2017-18 Bussing Survey by  midnight on  May 12, 2017.

This survey will help our transportation provider, JME Transportation, determine bussing interest and needs for next year. Our routes and stops will be revised, as necessary, to be centrally-located among groups of families interested in bussing service. 

You can expect to recieve more information regarding registering for bussing service in the 2017-18 school year prior to  June 9, 2017.

Please contact Gael Braddock at  [email protected] for any questions you have about our bussing service.
Volunteer at the End of Year Picnic!

Mark your calendars for June 8 to celebrate our End of the Year Picnic! The picnic will be held at the Como Park Pavilions and will be from 11:30am-1:30pm. To help make this event a success, we need help from parent volunteers.

Please click here to sign up today! Please email Lauren Kalish at [email protected] if you have any questions.
Transition to Middle School Parent Information Night

The 5th grade teachers and administration invite 4th grade parents to attend a Parent Information Night on  Monday, May 15th from  7-8pm. Learn about how our Middle School helps students learn and the changes that are in store for your student as they transition to Middle School at TCGIS.  

We look forward to seeing you!
Girls Excel in Math-New Summer Camp Opportunity

Mrs Morrissey, assisted by SIAM (Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics) Student Chapter at the University of Minnesota, is offering a Summer Math Camp for Girls. If you are interested please take this poll to help determine the week and participating grade levels.
 
Learn more about Mrs. Morrissey here.
Lost and Found Spring Cleaning

We will be donating all Lost and Found Items collected between January 1 and April 30 to  Shoe Away Hunger on  May 15. Items collected between May 1 and the end of the school year will be donated on  June 19.

Be sure to stop in or remind your students to check the lost and found before the 15th to pick up any items that may have landed there over the winter. Please remind students to treat our shared space with respect and clean up after themselves when going through the lost and found.

If you are interested in volunteering on a one-time or on-going basis to help clean up and maintain our lost and found, please contact Gael Braddock at  [email protected].
Strategic Plan:  We need your feedback

CANCELLED THIS WEEK: Watch for information on feedback session during the week of May 15th.

The Strategic Planning Committee made up of parents, teachers and community members have drafted 5 statements that will guide our decision making, along with the Vision, Mission and Values, at TCGIS for the next 3 years.

Watch for an electronic form to provide input coming this next week.
 
Congratulations to our Mausmünzen Winners

Congrats to Annelise Pratt in Kindergarten A for including others, Hanah Schuster in 4b for holding the door for others, and Tierney Lien in 7a for being quiet when asked in the lunchroom! Keep up the great work, TCGIS!
 
Board Elections

Board elections will take place  May 15-19. Ballots will be distributed at pick-up and drop-off starting  Friday, May 12. If you do not participate in pick-up and drop-off, we will be providing an electronic form for you to print and drop off. Ballots will also be available in the main office. Unfortunately, we cannot provide ballots to students to bring home.

Ballots will be collected in the pick-up and drop-off lanes between  May 15-19, and can be dropped off in the main office during business hours till  Friday, May 19 at 4:45, or mailed (postmarked by  Friday, May 19).

The board is a nine-person oversight body, and we are electing three positions. Our four candidates are:
  • Dianne Bell (parent)
  • Stephanie Forsland (parent)
  • Wolfgang Koch (teacher)
  • Nic Ludwig (parent)
Please read their full biographies   here.  For more information about board elections, click  here   for the FAQ!
Musical "Zirkus Morio"

The 3rd grade circus is in town! Come in and enjoy a fabulous show with lions, clowns, magicians, ballerinas, dancers and a lot of music.

The 3rd grade classes, together with their drama teacher Frau Hall and their interns Frau Rödlach and Herr Pichler, are excited to announce the date for their musical performance on May 11th at 5 pm in the Aula. The whole TCGIS community is welcome!

Help Distribute Plants from the Plant Sale

Thanks to everyone who ordered plants and supported the TCGIS All School Plant Sale.  Now we need your help to distribute them!  Plants from the Plant Sale arrive on May 9th for distribution on May 9 and 10.

We need help with unloading the truck & distributing them. Please consider signing up for a shift (or 2!) and spending some quality time with plants and parents! Click here to sign up today!
Strudel Pick Up on May 10 from 3-6pm

Strudels are ready for pick-up in the Foyer at TCGIS from 3pm to 6pm. If you or your carpool cannot pick up on this day, please email Alex Weeding ([email protected]) to make arrangements for a different date.
GAI
GAI Announcements
 
Film Screening: Krabat
Saturday, May 6 at 10am - Free and Open to the Public
Screening is in German with English Subtitles
Estimated equivalent to PG-13 rating
Enjoy a spring movie outing with the whole family! On May 6 during  Kaffeestube  European Breakfast Cafe   we will be screening the popular German fantasy-adventure film,  Krabat Adapted from the novel by German author Otfried Preußler,  Krabat  depicts the journey of a young man taken in as an apprentice to an old Mill Keeper, who teaches the boys who work for him sorcery at night. It is an action-packed tale of magic, good and evil, and the power of love. 

Space is filling up for German Language Summer Camps 
From  June 19 through August 18, our weekly day-camps provide fun, interactive German language education for children grades 1-3. Two camps will also be offered for incoming Kindergarteners in the middle of August. Each camp has a theme, such as  Das macht Sinn! (That makes Sense!) exploring the science of the five senses and Die heisse Spur - Junge Detektive (Young Detectives) for young puzzle solvers and mystery writers.  Click here to register and learn more!

Send your suggestions - Summer Class Survey
During recent meetings and discussions with TCGIS staff and parents, we heard that some of you may be interested in Summer Classes to help your children maintain their German skills during summer break. The GAI can certainly offer a program, but we need your input and suggestions to ensure we meet your needs and can accommodate schedules. 

Here is a short survey - Please take a couple of minutes to respond and stay tuned for further information & updates. DANKE!  
PTO
PTO Announcements

How can you help the PTO next year? Please fill out  this short survey   to let us know your interests.

Click here to find out more about these upcoming events:
  • PTO meeting, May 11, featuring a presentation by TCGIS librarian Sarah Dye on German literature for kids. Bring your own outgrown books for a book exchange.