Liebe TCGIS Gemeinschaft / Dear TCGIS Community, 

Although our semester two just began, we are preparing for conferences already. Communication around student progress is an important part of the teacher/family and student/teacher relationship. Educators and parents have also long known that conferences are not a perfect system in middle schools or high schools. At TCGIS the average middle school teacher has around 125 students and our specialist teachers have somewhere around 225 students. There is not enough time for all families to see all teachers. With that knowledge, we have been working on how to better serve this group and to revamp this system making these important conferencing days more equitable. Thanks for your patience as we try something new. We are fortunate to be our own district and small enough to be nimble and update systems. Click here to read more about this year's conferences.

Elizabeth Zehnpfennig, Principal

Reminder: NO SCHOOL - Tomorrow or Monday

This is is a reminder that there is no school tomorrow, February 16th for a PD Day, and there will also be no school on Monday, February 19th.

NO SCHOOL - March 8th

Hello TCGIS Families,

Our students and staff have had a deeply emotional start to the school year. Students and staff could use a day to rest. Since we have had a mild winter this year, we have the opportunity to take a vacation day from school on Friday, March 8th, 2024. Kinderclub will be available on a first come first service basis. Registration for Kinderclub will open here on Tuesday, February 20th. Email Michaela Bromenschenkel with any Kinderclub related questions. 

Enjoy your day off!

Aki's BreadHaus + TCGIS Partnership!

Want to order authentic German baked goods? Want to support TCGIS? Look no further!

Starting next week on February 23rd, Aki's BreadHaus will be delivering orders placed by TCGIS families and staff every Friday right to TCGIS! (plus TCGIS will get 10% of all proceeds!) Click here for the order form!

Simply call in or email an order anytime between Tuesdays 12 - 4 pm & Wednesdays 8 am - 12, and on that given Friday the order will be bagged and delivered to the TCGIS main entrance with the customers name on it. Click here for more info.

Help Us Recognize Our Teachers!

Families, it's no secret that our staff is full of amazing humans that are positively impacting students daily at TCGIS. To celebrate our staff, we would like to acknowledge these small or large feats that are happening in our school. 

Please use this form to send a Shout Out to a TCGIS staff member. Principal Zehnpfennig and Director of Operations, Kim Hackett will visit the staff member with our goodies cart to give a small token of gratitude. 

LAST CHANCE to Congratulate Staff on their TCGIS Service Awards!

The TCGIS Board of Directors annually commemorates the dedication of TCGIS educators and staff with milestone years of service. We invite you to congratulate our 3, 5, and 10 year-honorees with a personal written message on this form by February 15. You may also submit pictures of the honorees’ time at TCGIS. All well-wishes and pictures will be printed and given to the honorees at the February board meeting.

In addition to writing a note, please demonstrate your appreciation by attending the beginning of the February 29 board meeting as we present awards and hold a reception with treats. Click here to RSVP!

Middle School Spirit Week Dress-up Days (Feb. 20th - 23rd)

Feb. 20th - 23rd

Tuesday: (Funny) Hat Day

Wednesday: Jersey/Baggy Clothes Day

Thursday: Colorful Socks Day

Friday: PJ Day

Bookmark Contest!

It's time for our annual Bookmark Contest! This year's theme is "Leseabenteuer: Reading Takes you Places." All students in grades K-8 are encouraged to participate! Turn in your bookmark design to your art teacher or in the library by Friday, February 23rd. Student voting will happen the following week. Top winners in K-4 and 5-8 will be announced on Friday, March 1st. Click here for the template.

No After-School band on Feb. 22

There will be no after school band on Feb. 22. There WILL be lessons throughout the day as usual. Please make alternate pick up arrangements for students that day.

MS Dance: NEXT FRIDAY! Theme: Valentine's Day!

The students have chosen the theme Valentine's Day for their dance on Friday, February 23rd. Tickets are $5.00 and on sale now in our online school store.  

The 5/6th grade Dance is from 6:00-7:15 pm and our 7/8th grade dance is from 7:30-9:00 pm.

Send your student with a coat as they may wait outside for a few minutes. Coat check will be available. Our Capstone students will have a bake/snack sale to support their trip. Students can bring a few dollars along to buy a snack. Snacks must be eaten in the cafeteria. 

The 2024-2025 Enrollment Application Closes NEXT WEEK!

Have friends or neighbors looking for an awesome school? Forward on the application!

Enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year will close on February 23, 2024! If you have a NEW student who will attend TCGIS in the 2024-2025 school year, please submit an application for admission online or by mailing a paper application. Currently-enrolled students do not need to reapply. You can check whether or not you’ve already submitted an application by emailing enrollment@tcgis.org. Please also share the application with any families who may be looking for schools for next year!

Festival of Cultures - THANK YOU!

The Diversity & Belonging Committee’s 2nd annual Festival of Cultures was a great success and showcased our strong school culture of belonging. Thank you to the planning committee, the families who set up exhibits to share their cultures, the fantastic cultural performers, and all who attended. With this free event open to the public, we demonstrated our school’s commitment to intercultural engagement and community. 

This year's event was another step in establishing the Festival of Cultures as a yearly celebration at TCGIS going forward. In this spirit, the Diversity and Belonging Committee asks you to consider a donation to the school’s annual fund to support this initiative into the future. Thank you for your support!

Auto-Announce Feature for Van Slyke Car Pick-Up

TCGIS families using Van Slyke Car Pick-Up can now use the auto-announce feature on PikMyKid. This feature announces you automatically in the app when you arrive at school to pick up your child(ren). It is hands-free and will help save time and increase safety in the car line. Instructions for setup are available in English and Spanish. Make sure to set your location permissions to “always on”, and not only while in the app - otherwise the auto-announce will not work. Email info@tcgis.org with any questions!

Coaches Wanted for Outdoor Track-and-Field!

The Twin Cities German Immersion School (TCGIS) is looking for 1-2 assistant coaches for Outdoor Track-and-Field, preferably with experience in jumping, sprinting and/or hurdling.

The season starts at the end of March and runs through early June. Practices are on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays with several meets throughout the season. Click here for more info.

Today is the LAST DAY to Register for TCGIS Spring and Summer Sports!

Sign up for our spring and summer sports on February 1-15 on Infinite Campus (school store). Please be respectful of the time and efforts our coaches and athletic director put into the sports program by signing up during the registration window. There is a $50 late fee for registrations after February 15.With questions, please contact Athletic Director Tabisz.

PTO - Coffee, Plants, Bingo and Maskenball!

Our newest Fundraiser is here - Driven Coffee is a local company that offers coffee, teas, snacks, and more. Your order comes straight to your door! Click here!

Closes March 14th.

Time to start planning those Spring and Summer gardens. The Gertens Plant sale is open! Click here! Our store ID is 550

Closes March 27th.

Join us for our next meeting on Saturday, February 24th. We'll meet at 10am in the cafeteria for a quick meeting and then play Book Bingo! We'll have snacks and books and fun for the whole family. RSVP Here.

Maskenball is coming! This year the party will be out of this world! (hint hint)

Save the date and a babysitter for March 23rd. Ticket link will be here next week! 

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 read the entire Rundbrief. Danke!

Seeking Lunchroom and Breakfast Volunteers

Seeking 2 Lunchroom Volunteers:

The Food Service Team is looking for 2 Lunchroom Volunteers who enjoy working in a fast-paced environment to help with general Lunchroom Duties (assist younger students during lunch, end of session clean up), and minor kitchen support. 

Time commitment: 2 hours/daily (11am~1pm). Flexible schedule. 

Seeking 1-2 Breakfast Volunteers:

We are also looking for volunteers to help check in students when they arrive at school and pick up their breakfast.

Time commitment: 20-25 min (7:50-8:15am). Flexible schedule. 

If you are interested in any of these volunteer opportunities, please contact Alex Weeding, TCGIS Food Service Coordinator.

Seeking Collapsible Wagon!

Do you have a collapsible wagon similar to this one that is collecting dust in your garage? The Community Outreach team would love to take it off your hands! Reach out to Paige Yurczyk with information. Vielen Dank!

Call for Nominations & Applications for the TCGIS School Board

In early May, the school community will elect three new directors to the TCGIS School Board. The work of the Board ensures that TCGIS provides a meaningful education and experience for all students. 

All interested persons are encouraged to consider serving on the board! The Board represents the whole TCGIS community, and individuals from traditionally underrepresented groups such as BIPOC, LGBTQ, and families with neurodiversity are especially encouraged to apply, as are individuals with experience relevant to board work, such as finance, education, board governance, legal matters, management, and marketing.

If you would like to run for the board or nominate someone else to run for the board, additional details and links to the nomination form, application form, and FAQ are available here. 

Communication Meeting: Tues., Feb. 20 - 6PM; Zoom

Governance Meeting: Tues., Feb. 27 [Added] - 4:30PM; Google Meet 

February Board Meeting: Thurs., Feb. 29 - 6:30PM; Room 100/Zoom

Board Retreat: Sat., March 2; 10-3pm; Ramsey County Library - Roseville

Governance Meeting: Wed., March 6 [Rescheduled] - 4:30PM; Google Meet 

German Storytime - THIS WEEKEND!

Weekly camps for ages 5–16, July 8–August 9

Add a GAI German camp to your child’s summer fun. Our half-day week long camps (with optional extended care) immerse campers in themes such as In der Märchenwelt (into the world of fairy tales), Musiktheater (musical theater), All Things Bauen (engineering), Kinder in der Küche (cooking) and more! German beginners to bilingual children are welcome.

Learn more at gaimn.org/camps

Roseville Raiders: Fastpitch Softball Registration

Register today for Roseville Area Fastpitch!

We offer fastpitch programs for ages 8U, 10U, 12U, 14U, and 18U.

Practices (2-3x per week) are held at the various fields across Roseville, MN.

The board’s Diversity & Belonging committee would like to highlight upcoming events in the Twin Cities as opportunities for intercultural engagement- one of our school’s core values. Click here to learn about highlighted events!

Crosswalk safety at Student Pick Up

It has been brought to our attention that drivers have been attempting to drive through the crosswalks while a crossing guard has extended a flag for students who are crossing. These are vehicles driven by other TCGIS families. PLEASE BE PATIENT and WAIT for the crossing guard to get every pedestrian across the road safely BEFORE attempting to drive through the crosswalk to get to your destination. We know you have important appointments to get to but injury to a pedestrian will be a tragedy for all involved. Help us keep student pick-up safe.

Friday, February 16

• NO SCHOOL - PD Day

Monday, February 19

• NO SCHOOL - President's Day

Friday, February 23

• MS Winter Dance

Saturday, February 24

• PTO Meeting and Bingo



TCGIS Google Calendar