Elternbrief
Issue: 263                               
October 13, 2016 
In This Issue

Quick Links
TCGIS Online Calendar



Upcoming Dates

Oct. 18: PTO Auction Starts

Oct. 19: Early Release Wednesday

Oct. 20-21: MEA Weekend

Oct. 23: PTO Auction Ends

Oct. 27: School Board Meeting

Oct. 31: Halloween Parade

Oct. 31 - Nov. 4: Scholastic Book Fair

Nov. 3 - 4: Parent Teacher Conference

Nov. 8: Picture Retake Day

Nov. 13: St. Martin's Day Celebration

Nov. 15: PTO Meeting

Nov. 17: School Board Meeting

Nov. 18: K-8 Morning Circle & Kaffeeklatsch



 Volunteer at TCGIS!
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!
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Administrative Information
Early Release Wednesday and MEA Weekend 

This is a friendly reminder that Wednesday, October 19, is an early release Wednesday. This means that school ends at 12:45pm. Please plan accordingly.

There is also no school next Thursday and Friday, October 20 & 21, for MEA weekend! Enjoy the extra few days!
No After School Activities Next Week October 17-21

Due to the shorter week next week, please note that there are no after school activities next week from Monday, October 17 through Friday, October 21. They will resume as normal on Monday, October 24. 
Too Many Tardies? We Need Your Help!

Please be aware that we are currently experiencing a daily level of tardies that is very challenging. Based on our observations, this is not due to busing but rather due to the number of students who arrive without sufficient time to transition from car to classroom. Consider that while an  8:10 drop-off time may feel "on-time" to the parent, the student may still be late, even without dawdling. 

With this in mind, we ask two things:
1) Talk to your child about the importance of being on time. 
2) Discuss with your child his/her time needs and consider an earlier drop-off. 

The value of arriving with enough time to manage materials and connect with classmates can make for a better start for all involved.

Of course, we as a staff will be working hard from our end, as well!

Danke im Voraus!
Join Us for our Halloween Parade!

We are looking forward to a fabulous, safe and creative Halloween enjoyed by all students! With good weather, we are hoping for a parade at the end of the day, making for another great opportunity for parents to connect with the school! Please get your cameras ready and come to enjoy the fun and creativity from 2:15-3:00 on Monday, October 31!

Interested in meeting our new director, Ted Anderson? Come at 1pm to enjoy donuts and cider sponsored by our Girl Scouts, and for a chance to chat with Ted.
Parent Teacher Conferences - November 4 & 5

Coming up quickly are parent teacher conferences! These are from 4:00-7:30pm on Thursday, November 4 and 8:10am-3:30pm on Friday, November 5. 

In next week's Elternbrief we will send out information on how to log in and how to sign up for conferences. The information for how to log in will come out at 4:00pm, however you will not be able to enter the system to sign up until 7:00pm that night. Parents will be able to sign up for conferences from October 20 through November 1. 
Give to the Max Day 2016 to Benefit the Intern Program!

Our interns are an essential asset to the success of  our school. In the coming weeks we will outline what it means to TCGIS to build on this collaboration with bright, young educators from Germany, Austria, Italy (yes, German is also spoken there!) and hopefully soon Switzerland and maybe someday even from the Alsace in France.

Please help keep the program running!

Save the Date for Martinstag!
 

Mark your calendars for our Martinstag celebration at the Landmark Center! Join us on November 13 from 4-6pm to light lanterns, listen to music, and to come together as a community. More details to come!
 
Five Days Until the PTO Community Auction and Strudel Sale!

In just five days, the TCGIS PTO Community Auction and Strudel Sale will begin. The auction and strudel sale start at 5 pm on Oct. 18 and run through 9 pm on Oct. 25. This is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the PTO and helps provides funds for things like classroom learning grants and community building events.

There many great events sponsored by TCGIS families and staff, items to bid on, AND ten fabulous strudels to choose from.  Mark your calendars and don't delay your sign-ups/bids as many items go fast.  Make sure to look for Teacher Treasures and Admin Adventures, including events for the following classes: KC, 1A/1B, 2A, 2B, and many other events for kids in all grades.  Consider buying an event ticket as a holiday gift.

Look for auction and strudel sale updates on the TCGIS PTO Facebook page and grade-level Facebook pages.  For questions, please contact auction coordinators, Becky Deimel and Astrid Knott Johnson at  auctionTCGISPTO@gmail.com
Kinderclub Information

A reminder to all Kinderclub families: next week we have extended care on  Wednesday, 10/19 (school release at 12:45pm).  On  Thursday, 10/20, and  Friday, 10/21, when school is closed, Kinderclub is open for full-day care  8am - 6pm. We are FULL for all three of these days, and cannot accept any additional drop-ins at this time.

TWO IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT  WEDNESDAY, 10/19:  
1. If your child is signed up to attend Kinderclub on Wednesday, 10/19, but will not attend, please fill out the Daily Dismissal Change Form to indicate this change.
2. Early Release Wednesdays are our busiest days in Kinderclub. We ask that families limit pick-ups to AFTER 3:15pm so students and staff can focus on quality student-focused programming.

Danke schön!
November Order Window for Bus, Kinderclub & School Lunch/Milk opens October 14!

It's already time to place your child's order for November! Please log on to our online store https://tcgis.orderlunches.com  starting October 14 , and place your Bus, Kinderclub and School Lunch/Milk. All orders are due by Midnight on  Friday, October 21 .

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 ordering@tcgis.org .
Collecting Empty Gallon Buckets and Cereal Boxes

P lease bring in your  cereal   boxes  and round oatmeal  boxes ! Frau Lenburg  needs 4 more oatmeal boxes and 60 more cereal boxes before MEA weekend in order to make lanterns with the K-3rd graders f or the annual Martinstag celebration.  In addition, if you are interested in an easy take-home project preparing (cutting) boxes for the classes, please contact Frau Lenburg!!!

Empty boxes can be given to Frau Lenburg in the morning at drop-off (Como side on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays) or sent to the classroom with your student. 
Vielen Dank for the Music Stand Contributions!

All the band kids would like to thank everyone who contributed to the stand donations! Click image to enlarge.

The band teacher Krista Johnson has decided to get one more box of stands! If interested in donating, please email Krista at  monk2miles@gmail.com. Stands are $40 and we need 4 more donations to get a box of 6!

 
Curriculum & Instruction Corner
Please click here for an update from Mike Mullins in the Curriculum and Instruction corner. This week we are highlighting drama teacher Herr Dahl and a project he did with the 7th and 8th graders.  
 
PTO
PTO Announcements

A big THANK YOU to everyone who made the Auflauf Cookauf a success, including the judges, the TCGIS Girl Scout Juniors for serving, the Weimholt family for the music, and everyone who submitted an entry. Congratulations to overall winner Natalie Yaeger and People's Choice winner Mark Ireland.

Did you know the PTO has sponsored 17 activities so far this school year? If you think you can name them all, fill out this survey for a chance to win a Starbucks gift card.

Click here to find out more about these upcoming events:
  • Parents' Night Out at Urban Forage Winery & Cider House, Nov. 10, 5:00-8:30 pm , f eaturing cider by glass and wine by the bottle, with 20% of proceeds going to the PTO
  • PTO Meeting Nov. 15, 6:30-8:00
  • The first Kaffeeklatsch was a big success! Sign up to host a future Kaffeeklatsch here.