Liebe TCGIS Gemeinschaft! / Dear TCGIS community,

What a wonderful couple of weeks we have had, meeting our new staff, welcoming our continuing staff back, and meeting our interns! We are all grateful to be back together preparing to welcome our students next week and to greet students and families at Back-to-School night tonight! (Lots of details below.) 

To help make next week go as smoothly as possible, here are a few friendly reminders about pick-up and drop-off. Don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions. 

• Morning arrival on Van Slyke Ave and Como Ave is supervised daily between 7:50am - 8:10am. Students arriving after 8:10 a.m. must enter through the building’s Main Entrance (located by the staff parking lot) and sign in at the Front Office

• Students are dismissed from school at 3:15pm. Students remaining at school after 3:30pm without adult supervision, and/or with no dismissal plan indicated in PikMyKid will be directed to the Front Office. All student dismissal plans for Grades K-4 must be managed through the PikMyKid app; Middle Schoolers should discuss their daily dismissal plans with their parents each morning.

• Como Ave, the street that runs south of our school alongside the new campus addition, is NOT intended for parent parking. Once the weather worsens and snow arrives, this will be of even more critical importance as the city does not consistently plow Como, and it thus becomes essentially a one-lane road. Even now in beautiful weather, cars parked on both sides narrow the street down to one lane. Thank you for parking on the side streets (highlighted below in orange) instead.

• Pro Tip for Dismissal: A fast way to collect your child(ren) is to park in the neighborhood (see orange parts on the map) and meet them on the playground. Students delegated as "Walking Pick-up" in Pikmykid come directly to the playground at 3:15. (At 3:30 the playground is used by Kinderclub and we ask "Walking Pick-up" students/parents to depart at that time so Kinderclub staff have oversight of their students.)

Herzlich

Kirsten

Note: If you don't see the calendar at the end of your Rundbrief, the message has been clipped and you must click "View entire message" to see the full email. Danke!

TCGIS is excited to welcome all families back in the building for our first in-person Back To School night in our completed building. Elementary families are invited to check out classrooms from 5:30-6:30 pm and our middle school families will visit from 6:30-7:30. Our specialist teachers that overlap both schools will be available from 6:00-7:00.

This is an opportunity to connect with your children's teachers, find a locker, run through their schedule and drop off supplies. As a reminder, curriculum nights will follow in early September and our purpose for this night is to ease the anxiety of returning to school, celebrate the return to school as a community, and to prepare kids for what to expect on that first day.

You may find your child's schedule by logging into Infinite Campus. Any questions about Infinite Campus may be sent to the front office at info@tcgis.org.

Parents have the opportunity to participate in a voluntary grade-level Family Contact List that is shared and managed by Eltern Kontakte (parent contacts, a.k.a. EKs). This list can be used to set up playdates, send birthday party invitations or connect with other parents in your child(ren)'s class/grade. Parents decide which details to share. Click here to sign up by September 5th.

Eltern Kontakte (parent contacts), or EKs, are parent volunteers who provide an additional communication channel between the teacher(s) and the parents in their child(ren)'s homeroom/grade. Managing the voluntary grade-level Family Contact List is an important part of the EKs role.

We are still in need of parent volunteers for the following classes: 1C (Uitto), 2A (Krug), 2B (Jacobson), 3A (Rowe), 3B (Maslofski), 4B (Schupp), 4C (Manus), & 8th grade.

If you're interested in volunteering as an EK this year, please fill out this brief form before August 29th. Vielen Dank!

Have you been tapping your chin and wondering about how you’d like to volunteer at TCGIS this year? Do you find yourself wanting to connect with parent’s of other grades to find out what middle school will be like or what’s going on in elementary school now that your kids are older? Consider joining the Parent Council to connect with other parents and the school. Learn about how the school works and help represent the family perspective to the administration, School Board, Staff Council and Student Council.  

Meetings are once per month for a one-year term. Currently, those meetings take place on the second Monday of the month from 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm. Many Parent Council members also attend other school committee meetings and attend to other tasks between meetings on an as-needed basis, however, these additional tasks are optional and it’s ok to dip your toe in the water or dive right in, whatever you are comfortable with.

Each class section has an elected representative on the council. Nominations will be open until September 10th. The election will be held September 19-30 via a Google Form-Ballot. We would love to informally meet all new and old PC representatives on October 1st during the PTO 5K Fun Run and then there will be a joint meeting on October 10th to transition the old Parent Council to the new. 

To nominate yourself (or someone else with their permission), please fill in your information in the Nomination Form here. Nominations will be collected until September 16th.

Curious about what it's like to serve on the Parent Council? Watch our Welcome Video, visit our webpage, or email parent-council@tcgis.org to be connected with a Parent Council representative to answer your questions. 

Our interns have arrived! We are delighted to welcome eleven interns to the TCGIS community. This week, interns have been getting acquainted with the school, attending orientation with their mentor teachers, and settling in with their host families. Read more about our interns here!

ZuVon is a parent-school collaboration that offers eco-friendly ways to get to (zu) and from (von ) TCGIS. Their website includes information about a new carpooling initiative and local transit options.

If you're interested in exploring carpooling to/from school, fill out this Google form. Your address and limited contact information will be used to populate a Google map similar to the one on this page. Starting August 11th we will share the link to an unlisted Google map that will include limited contact information with those who have opted in (through the form) and are interested in setting up a carpool with nearby families. Once families have this info, it's up to them to contact possible matches and arrange the carpool.

We're hitting the ground running - literally! Our annual 5K and Kid's Fun run is October 1st. More information and sign up here.

Check out what great events we have coming up this year - and our meetings are can't miss! We'll have a short meeting, pizza, and an event afterwards - crafts, movies, and bingo! It's going to be so much fun. Our first meeting is Thursday, September 8th, in the cafeteria. 

Led by Herbert Engelmayer of Vienna Community Arts, TCGIS students will explore traditional and contemporary song repertoire in German. Students in grades 3-8 are welcome to join.

Practice will start in September, and will be once a week on Thursdays from 3:30-4:30PM. Please contact Herbert at infoviennarts@gmail.com or at 612-505-2892 if interested.

Class schedules and teacher assignments are now available in the Infinite Campus Parent Portal. Once you're logged in, click on "Schedules" item in the Menu. 

If you have any trouble logging in, check out the Infinite Campus Help Center for Parents & Students.

We are having our first meeting of the school year in the school cafeteria on the evening of Back to School night, Thursday, August 25th at 7:30 p.m. The meeting will run 30-45 minutes and will give detailed information about the upcoming arrival of our German exchange students. See you then!

Kinderclub is urgently looking for staff. If parents are interested in helping out, they can bring their children for free PLUS they will get an extra afternoon of Kinderclub for FREE! 

Please also reach out Michaela Bromenschenkel if you have any friends/family interested in a part time afternoon/morning shift. German NOT required this year! Thank you!

Please find the information and instruction letter and the application form for the Educational Benefits program for the 2022-2023 school year. TCGIS is back to operating under the regular National School Lunch Program. All USDA pandemic waivers have expired and therefore last year’s Seamless Summer Option (SSO) is no longer available as a meal program during the school year.

However, your child(ren) may qualify for Educational Benefits (such as free/reduced lunches as well as reduced fees at school programs like Kinderclub and Afterschool Activities). We encourage our families to fill out an application. At public schools like TCGIS, your application also helps the school qualify for education funds and discounts.

Applications can be submitted at any time during the school year, however in order to receive these benefits for the first day of school, please submit your completed application form no later than September 1st. Forms may be emailed to Alex Weeding or dropped off at the front office.

If you have any questions or need help with your application, please don't hesitate to email Alex Weeding or call the front office: 651- 492-7106.

The Board of Directors is the governing body of the Twin Cities German Immersion School (TCGIS), an independent school district, public charter school, and non-profit organization. The Board hires the organization’s Executive Director, provides strategic direction, and monitors school operations and performance to ensure the school fulfills its mission and vision. The Board is composed of TCGIS parents, TCGIS teachers, and community members. Directors are elected to 3-year terms by the TCGIS teachers, staff, parents, and legal guardians of students. New Directors take an oath of office committing to the moral and legal obligations of the role. TCGIS Board members are honored to serve the TCGIS community in this volunteer capacity. We look forward to meeting you!

TCGIS is a thriving school community whose mission is enhanced by many dedicated volunteers, including our Board of Directors. Please consider contributing your talents and expertise to the Board by serving on one of our subcommittees. While the time commitment is minimal (1-3 hours monthly), the impact on our school is significant! Most committees meet bimonthly via Zoom.

Communications and Outreach Committee: Share our school’s story with key audiences through creative marketing, community outreach and publicity efforts. Learn more by contacting Chair Silke Möller at smoller@tcgis.org.

Finance and Facilities Committee: Support the financial well-being of our school by reviewing budgets, resource allocation and our financial performance while also addressing key facility needs. Learn more by contacting Chair Richard Heid at rheid@tcgis.org.

Governance and Leadership Development: Ensure a vibrant school community by developing and overseeing school district policy while also recruiting, training and developing board members. Learn more by contacting Chair Emily Albers at ealbers@tcgis.org.

Fundraising and Development Committee: Develop and implement the fundraising strategies and messaging needed to meet the financial goals for the TCGIS Annual Fund. Learn more by contacting Chair Kersten Reich at kriech@tcgis.org. 

Diversity and Belonging Committee: Foster diversity and belonging among students and staff at TCGIS by identifying and implementing initiatives that make our school a welcoming place for all. Learn more by contacting Chair Kevin Eberhard at keberhard@tcgis.org. 

August Board Meeting (Public): Room 100, Wed., Aug. 31, 6:30 PM; board@tcgis.org

Diversity & Belonging; TBD; Contact Chair Eberhard

Fundraising; TBD; Contact Chair Reich

Communication & Outreach; Zoom; Wed, Sep 7, 12 PM; Contact Chair Moeller

Executive Cmte; TBD; Contact Director Alkatout

Friday, September 9 | 4–10 PM

Saturday, September 10 | 10 AM–10 PM

Oktoberfest is synonymous with beer, and this year, we will have an even larger selection than ever. The iconic Paulaner is imported directly from Munich and our local brewer, Utepils, is based in Minneapolis. We’ll also feature an array of foods, from favorite German fare like Gerhard’s bratwurst and Aki’s pretzels to Currywurst and more. With non-stop entertainment and fun for the whole family, it’s a two-day celebration of German food, beer, and culture! More information can be found here.

Join the GACC for their annual golf tournament on Monday, September 12th at Crystal Lake Golf Club. Register here.

Welcoming new and continuing students! Vienna Community Arts offers private studio instruction in piano, violin/viola, ukulele, and classical guitar, after school hours on-site at TCGIS. Fall session begins September 6. Contact Herbert or Nancy at infoviennarts@gmail.com.

TCGIS has built a list of local university/college students interested in virtual private tutoring in German for TCGIS students. We update this Google spreadsheet of tutors regularly. Learn more here.

August 25: Back to School Night for all families

August 29: 1st Day of School for Grades 1-8

August 31: 1st Day of School for Kindergarten

September 2: No School (Professional Learning Day)

September 5: No School (Labor Day)



TCGIS Google Calendar