Elternbrief
Issue: 345                          
November 1, 2018 
In This Issue

Quick Links
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.
TCGIS Online Calendar

Upcoming Events
Like us on Facebook

Administrative Information
Halloween Pulse Survey - Feedback Requested

Thank you to all those who came out to watch the Halloween parade and flash mob! It was a fun and busy day at TCGIS. Please consider taking a few minutes to complete this three question survey to gather some feedback on Halloween at the school. We will be sending out "pulse surveys" throughout the year to gather feedback. Thank you for your participation!
 
Get Ready to Give to the Max!

November kicks off Give to the Max season in Minnesota, the most important time of year for non-profit organizations like TCGIS to raise donations
This year our Annual Fund goal is $150,000We are so grateful to our generous community of supporters who help us achieve our annual fundraising goals. Despite being a public charter school, Fundraising is CRITICAL to TCGIS. Please take a few minutes to read about Fundraising at TCGIS and learn why charter schools are funded LESS than traditional public schools.
Important! Save the Date!

We've learned there is a special D10 Land Use Committee Meeting on  November 15 at 7 pm at the Como Street Car Station. The agenda is solely about TCGIS's requested building variances.  The recommendations stemming from this meeting will be forwarded to D10 Community Council for consideration at their November 20th meeting (save this date too!).  

It's critical we have as many parents and D10 voting residents attend as possible!
Kinderclub Closing Early on 11/16

Due to the annual St. Martin's Day celebration at TCGIS on Friday, November 16, Kinderclub will close at 4:30pm. 
No After School Activities Nov. 5-9

This is a reminder that there are NO after school activities ALL of next week, November 5-9, due to parent teacher conferences on Thursday after school and parent teacher conferences all day Friday. There are no activities the entire week. Please be sure to update PikMyKid to reflect any changes. 
Picture Retake Day November 6

Picture retake day is  Tuesday, November 6!  If you would like to have your child retake their picture, OR if they missed the original picture day, please send them with their proof or picture package on retake day.  This will help ensure that the correct order is printed for their retake picture. These will be coming home late this week or early next week.

Reminder to 8th grade parents: we will be taking ALL 8th grade individual and class photos this day.  
Now Accepting Sibling Applications for Kindergarten

We are now accepting  applications  for the 2019-20 school year! If you have a child that will be entering Kindergarten next year, please fill out this application form  and return it to the school office at your earliest convenience. The application deadline is February 7, 2019, at 4:00pm.
Last Chance to Sign Up for Parent Teacher Conferences

The sign up for parent teacher conferences is open for a few more days! Conferences are from 4:00-7:30pm on Thursday, November 8 and 8:10am-3:30pm on Friday, November 9. The master password is  herbst2018

Before you log in, we suggest that you have the following information: 
  1. A list of all the teachers you would like to see. The online conference system will not tell you the names of your children's teachers.  
  2. The times you would like to have conferences. The system will tell you the available slots for all teachers. If the teachers you wish to see are not available, contact them to schedule an alternative time for a conference.  
For further information, please find the attached   parent letter and  parent overviewThe website to schedule conferences is herePlease note: the sign up window will close at 8pm on November 5.

Please contact Lauren Kalish with  [email protected] with any questions.
Minikurse: Short Term Electives for 7th and 8th Graders

This year, we are creating the opportunity for students to select a short mini course electives from January 7th until January 17th (9 school periods). During this time, students will be able to go more in-depth with specific interests, similar to German "Projektwochen." Spring of last year, we piloted this idea. A few examples of courses students participated in were: Life Drawing and Classic German Cinema. Within the next few weeks, we will be developing the "Minikurs" options and students will submit their preferences.
Building Bridges through TCGIS Intern Program

We would like to thank the German American Club Bayreuth - Deutsch-Amerikanischer-Freundeskreis Bayreuth und Umgebung e.V. (DAFK) - for their donation of $570 to our intern program! The mission of DAFK is to foster friendships between German and American communities through education and exchange programs. Pictured above is Director of International Outreach Tina Haarbusch with David Brueske, a representative of DAFK who has advocated for our intern program and was instrumental in securing the generous donation provided by the organization.
Basketball Team at TCGIS

Join the TCGIS Basketball team! Click here for more information and to register today!
Do You Love to Read?

Could you spend hours in a bookstore? Volunteering for the Scholastic Book Fair is essentially like spending two hours in a bookstore (with a little guidance for our 8th grade student volunteers sprinkled in)! We are  seeking parent volunteers for the Book Fair Nov. 2, and the week of Nov. 5 - 9. The 8th grade students are trained as cashiers and help keep the fair orderly, we just need 1 parent volunteer per shift to support them, which leaves plenty of time for you to peruse the tables laden with new and favorite titles, from picture books to novels to non-fiction. You can even get some holiday shopping done while you volunteer! 

We need 2 parent (or grandparent!) volunteers to help set-up and break down the fair after school on Fri. Nov. 2 and Fri. Nov. 9; otherwise the other shifts only need 1 (grand)parent and are approx. 2 hours each.  Sign up here:  http://signup.com/go/dJuoibi  
Lost & Found: seeking Parent Volunteer(s)

Do you love bringing some order to chaos? Then we've got the perfect volunteer opportunity for you! During conferences we'll set out all the current lost-and-found items on tables in our foyer and are seeking a (grand)parent volunteer to help collect these items from around the school and set them out on Wednesday (Nov. 7) or Thursday (Nov. 8). Please contact Katharina if you'd like to do this: [email protected]. Thank you in advance!
TCGIS is Seeking a Kinderclub Director! 

We are currently seeking a new Kinderclub Director to lead our before-and-after school care program. If you or someone you know may be interested in this position, please visit the school's  Career Page, where you can find the position description and instructions to submit an application. If you have questions, contact  Gael Braddock for more information.
Voting Early - Now Easier Than Ever!

Early voting begins this week at the Como Park Streetcar Station. Any Ramsey County resident can vote at the Streetcar Station, which is at the northeast corner of Lexington and Horton, or at one of 10  other locations. Polls are open for early voting:
  • TODAY and Friday, No. 1 and 2: noon-6 p.m. 
  • Saturday, Nov. 3: 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
  • Monday Nov. 5: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. 
Or, you can wait until Election Day, Nov. 6, when polls open in all precincts from 7 a.m.-8 p.m. 

The ballot includes elections for both U.S. senators, the U.S. House of Representatives, governor and other state constitutional officers, Minnesota House of Representatives, Ramsey County commissioner, Ramsey County sheriff, numerous judicial seats, and a Saint Paul School District referendum.
Congrats to our Mausmünzen Winners!

Congratulations to this week's Mausmünzen winners! This week we said gratuliere to Wolfgang Escherich (1b), Nora Metcalfe (6c), and Atticus Gould (3a). 
 
German Community Event
Join us for Waldsee Fest on November 10

Head on over to TCGIS on Saturday, November 10 from 2-5pm for this year's Waldsee Fest! Join the Deans and staff from Waldsee , the German Language Village for a fun afternoon of  German songs, dances, games, crafts, food, conversation and so much more! 

You can win a 2-week scholarship to one of Waldsee 's summer programs!

Waldsee offers Family Fun Weekends, 1-, 2- and 4-week youth residential immersion programs, and Adult Weeks during the summer and throughout the year. Come join the fun. If you've been to Waldsee , here's a chance to join your Freunde again and get back into the Waldsee groove! If you've not yet been to Waldsee , Deans and staff will be on hand to answer any questions you may have.
PTO Announcements

PTO Auction ends TONIGHT!!    Don't miss out! You've got just a few more hours to visit the  TCGIS PTO Community Auction and Strudel Sale website and buy and bid till your heart's content. Questions? Contact Joyce Albers Tyrrell or Maureen Carlyle at [email protected]

Save the Date: Our next PTO Meeting  will be on Thursday, November 15th at TCGIS 6:30pm. Please note that this is the FINAL date. Disregard the calendar. Thank you. Sign up for childcare at least 24 hours in advance. Thank you! 
 
Please SIGN UP  for some upcoming staff appreciation events:
All Grades : November 8th/Conferences: We will be providing the staff with pizza, but some drinks and desserts would be a great addition! Sign up here!

Fourth Grade:  November 14/ Early Day Potluck: Will be hosted by the 4th graders and all are welcome to join the lunch which starts at 12:45 - 1:30pm. Click here!
 
Kindergarten : November 19/Intern Breakfast: Hosted by the Kindergarten families. Click here!
 
**For all of our staff appreciation potlucks, please remember to label your dishes in order to get them returned!!Thanks!**
 
Be sure to check out our PTO Newsletter that came out last week. 
GAI Announcements
KAFFEESTUBE at the GAI
The popular Saturday morning Frühstück has started again for the fall.  Enjoy a typical German breakfast with Brötchen, cheese, coldcuts, eggs, Nutella and more