November 17, 2016

Take a look at current volunteer opportunities! If you are not yet a volunteer, but are interested in becoming one - please fill out an application here. Vielen Dank!

Administrative Information

K-8 Morning Circle and Kaffeeklatsch Tomorrow

Join us tomorrow, November 18, for our combined K-8 Morning Circle and PTO Kaffeeklatsch!

7:50-8:15am - parents/guardians gather in classrooms to visit with teachers and interns

8:15-8:30am - adults quietly observe Morning Circle

8:30-9:30am - gather in the Commons for coffee and socializing!

We hope to see you there!

Early Release Wednesday and Thanksgiving Break

This is a friendly reminder that next Wednesday, November 23, is an early release Wednesday. This means that school gets out at 12:45pm. We also do not have school from November 24-28 due to Thanksgiving break.

Safety Reminders

As the weather turns colder, the roads offer greater challenges for drivers and pedestrians. The goal of this message is to highlight important reminders for the safety of all people on roadways & sidewalks.

REMINDER: December Order Window for Bus, Kinderclub, Lunch & Milk is CLOSING Friday, 11/18

It's time to place your child's order for December! Please log on to our online store https://tcgis.orderlunches.com and place your Bus, Kinderclub and School Lunch/Milk. All orders are due by m idnight on Friday, November 18 .

If your family is new to our online store, please click here for more information on our online store, how to "Register" for an account and how to navigate the website. Please note the school password needed during the registration process is TCGIS1 .

If you are a returning family and you need assistance with your Account Log-In information, please email us at [email protected] .

Welcome to Our New Board Members

The board is happy to announce that we have filled the vacancies on the board. Below are the names and terms for the new board members. The board is still in the process of arranging the best fit for the various committees and initiatives. Feel free to read up on our new board members here or come see them in action at the next board meeting tonight 11/17 at 6:30 at TCGIS

Nic Ludwig - Parent Community Member, Seated October 2016, Term Ends June 2017

Dianne Bell - Parent Community Member, Seated October 2016, Term Ends June 2017

Samuel L. Walling - Community Member, Seated October 2016, Term Ends June 2019

PTO Auction and Strudel Sale Raised $12,592 - THANK YOU!

A big thank you to all donors, buyers, and bidders who made the auction and strudel sale a huge success. Special thanks goes to our teachers, staff, and interns for supporting this fundraiser.

Here are the auction and strudel sale in numbers: proceeds were up 10% over last year, with 87 donors, 166 buyers, 19 volunteers, 554 sign-ups, 218 strudel sold, and 41 bidding items. Two events sold out on the first day!

If you donated an item, won, or bought an item, you should have received an email with the details (pickup, etc.). If you have any questions, please contact auction co-chairs Becky Deimel and Astrid Knott Johnson at [email protected] . A reminder that strudel pick-up is this Friday, November 18, from 3-6pm in the Atrium.

Have fun at the Great Gatherings, Teacher Treasures, and Admin Adventures, and enjoy your items, especially your strudel! Thank you for supporting PTO and our school.

Join Us for Hour of Code

Tuesday, December 6 from 3:30-5pm

Hour of Code is a one- hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify coding and show that anyone can learn programming basics. Participants will play games and complete puzzles using code. No experience with coding? No problem! Activities are sorted by experience level and interests.

The event is open to K-8 students and their parents. K-3rd grade students must have a parent attending. 4-8th grade students can join us on their own, but parent participation is encouraged. K-3 students in Kinderclub may be registered as supervised by Kinderclub staff, however space is limited.

Make it a family event! Hour of Code is free, but participants must RSVP in advance here.

Contact Esther Neu at [email protected] for questions or comments.

Helping All Students Learn with Positive Behavior Support

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is the new proactive approach to make our school safer and help all students learn. Come learn more about PBIS Monday, November 21 from 6:30-8pm in Room 100 - sponsored by the Special Education Advisory Committee.

RSVP for the meeting here. Free Babysitting is available. You must RSVP by Nov. 18 if you plan to use babysitting.

Call for After School Activities Instructors

Session two of after school activities will be starting after the winter holiday and we are looking for instructors! If you would like to offer a class please fill out the attached form and email or hand it in to the office by November 23. Session two of After School Activities will be starting the week of January 9.

Helping Students Take Small Steps Towards Positive Changes

November 14-18, 2016 is National School Psychology Awareness Week, the theme of which is "Small Steps Change Lives." Great accomplishments and long-term goals are not achieved overnight. Success is usually the result of hard work, deliberate practice, persistence, and trial-and-error learning. This often takes time, with many small steps creating a positive direction along the way. The resulting path can be filled with obstacles that may hinder or delay progress but, with persistence, don't halt it altogether. We can reinforce persistence by recognizing and celebrating children's small steps towards achieving positive outcomes. Click here to read more!

Winter Clothing Drive

Service Learning, a Student Life group that's mission is to help our community and world become a better place, would like to inform you that we are having a winter clothing drive. While you are going through your winter clothing please donate any winter items you won't be needing any longer to the boxes located around the school building labeled Winter Clothing Drive. We will be donating the clothing to a homeless shelter in St. Paul called the Catholics Charities Dorothy Day Center. We will be accepting clothing until December 16.

PTO

PTO Announcements

Click here to find out more about these upcoming events:

Kaffeeklatsch, Nov 18 at 8:30 after morning circle. Thanks to Clare Roney and Julie Alkatout for hosting
Volunteers needed for the staff holiday potluck lunch Dec. 13
PTO meeting, Dec. 13, 6:30-8:15

GAI

GAI Announcements

Weihnachtskugel: Christmas Ornament-making Workshop

THIS SATURDAY, November 19, 11am-1pm

$15 per person (includes supplies, hot cocoa, and cookies)

Click here to register

Learn how to make a satin Christmas bauble like the ones Oma has at our Weihnachtskugel workshop. This workshop is fun for the whole family-although children under 10 should have an adult with them. The price includes baubles, ribbon, lace, sequins, and pins for the craft along with hot chocolate and festive cookies for a snack.

Holiday Open Haus

Saturday, December 3, 11am-5pm,

Sunday, December 4, 11am-3pm

Free and open to the public

Enjoy the feel of a European market with all the comforts of the GAI Haus. We will feature local vendors selling German Christmas gift items, model trains, festive food and drink featuring Glühwein, Flammkuchen, Lebkuchen, and more! Come on Saturday for shopping and afternoon Christmas Trivia in the Ratskeller or bring the Kinder on Sunday to visit with St. Nikolaus and make your own authentic tree ornament. More details at www.gai-mn.org.