ISSUE 610/February 27, 2025 | |
Message from the Executive Director | |
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Liebe TCGIS Gemeinschaft / Dear TCGIS Community,
Last night at our board meeting we recognized staff who have been at TCGIS for 3, 5, 10, 15 and 20 years. On behalf of TCGIS, I want to express our deepest gratitude to these staff members for their many years of dedication to our German immersion school. Their passion for teaching and commitment to fostering German language education have profoundly impacted our students and school community. Their hard work has helped shape countless young minds, instilling not only language skills but also a deep appreciation for German culture and life-long learning.
Vielen Dank to all of the honorees.
20 Years: Scot Stephenson
15 Years: Anke Krug
10 Years: Ginger Sanford, Esther Neu
5 Years: Kat Sweeney, Sam Graf, Andrew Lubben, Kim Michlin
3 Years: Birgit Binkowski, Andrew Haugen, Stephanie Puestow, Isabel Vollenweider, Tobias Schupp, Adrian Nopala Ortega, Deysi Gerding Futagaki, Kimberly Hackett, Courtney Beckmann
Last night’s board meeting also addressed the new strategic planning process. We will work with Gail Gilman of MSBA, Minnesota School Board Association, to get stakeholder feedback from students, staff and families to plan our next few years of academic and operational excellence at TCGIS. Stay tuned to the Rundbrief for this listening session in May. Our new strategic plan is set to be in place for the 25-26 school year.
Elizabeth Zehnpfennig, Executive Director
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Early Release Day - Wednesday March 5th | |
This is a reminder that we have an early release day on Wednesday, March 5th. Students will be released at 12:45 pm. The front office will close at 1:30 pm. | |
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The MCAs (Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments) are administered state-wide each spring in grades 3-12. Assessments begin in March and go through the beginning of May. You can learn more about MCAs by reading this information from the Minnesota Department of Education.
We will start in March with Reading MCAs for grades 5-8th on March 13th and grade 3-4th on March 18th and 19th. Make-ups: are on March 24th and 25th.
You can view more schedule details on TCGIS’s MCA Assessment Calendar.
On the day students take their MCAs, they should bring:
- Their fully charged school Chromebook (7th- & 8th-graders)
- A snack and water bottle
- Comfortable headphones (bluetooth headphones are not permitted for this exam)
- 1-2 sharpened pencils
- A book or drawing/coloring materials in case they finish early (note that it must be a paper book, not a Kindle or other electronic device)
The data we glean from the MCAs is helpful in informing instructional and curricular decisions. Parents and guardians have the right to refuse participation in MCA testing by filling out this form, which can be submitted in hard copy in the office or by email to Esther Neu. Please submit this form at least 3 days before your child(ren)’s first assessment so we have time to process it.
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Spring Conference Sign-Ups Now Open | |
Lost and Found Being Donated Soon! | |
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The last day to check the lost and found for any missing items is Friday, March 7th.
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MS Dance Theme: Valentine's Day - TOMORROW | |
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The students have chosen the theme Valentine's Day for their dance on Feb, 28th. Tickets are $5 and on sale now in the infinite campus school store. Students please enter through door 1, the TCGIS parking lot door.
- 5/6th grade Dance is from 6:00-7:15 pm
- 7/8th grade dance is from 7:30-9:00 pm
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.
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TCGIS Lesemarathon & Bookmark Contest | |
We received so many amazing bookmarks from our elementary and middle school students, that it was very hard to pick the Top 5. All TCGIS students will vote for their favorite this week and the final winners will be announced next Monday as a kick off for our annual Lesemarathon. March is Read across America month and there is no better time to have a Lesemarathon (Read-a-thon) in our school. From March 3 - 14 all minutes spent reading can be tracked on a minute tracker, that will be handed out to every student next Monday. Reading in every language, listening to audiobooks and being read to counts - make sure you track all qualifying minutes at home as well. There will be class prizes, that teachers set with their cohorts and individual prizes for most minutes read in ES and MS. Additionally, students will get a Bingo sheet as an incentive to read at different places and giving a variation of genres a try, which will be rewarded with a small prize. On your books - ready - GO!
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Hard Lockdown Drill Next Week | |
TCGIS will be conducting a Hard Lockdown Drill on March 5. This drill simulates our reaction to any event in the building that would require limiting movement and access throughout the building. Click here to read more about the drill. Any questions can be directed to Assistant Principal Catherine Radecki. | |
New items for Mausmünzen School Store | |
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As reward for showing great examples of our school values kindness, respect, responsibility and friendliness receive Mausmünzen. Elementary Students have a weekly Mausmünzen announcement in which one winner of each class can get a little gift in the library. Most middle school students have collected a whole bunch and are able to buy items in our student council run school store. The store is selling every Friday and is running low on some items. If you are able and would like to support rewards for our students please consider buying an item form our amazon wishlist to be added to the prize pool and school store. A contribution of as low as $10 can make a big difference for your kids. Thanks for your help!
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TCGIS Summer Camps 2025 registration is now open! For information and registration go to our website. If you need any assistance with your booking, please reach out to Deysi Gerding-Futagaki before making any payments.
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Meet the Spring Interns - Host One Next Year! | |
We are currently looking for host families for our fall interns from Aug - Jan. If you are curious about the intern program and consider hosting an intern in your family in the 25/26 school year, reach out to Nina Maslofski or Claudia Müller or use this link to send us a host family application. | |
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Servus! My name is Jana Pesendorfer and I am 23 years old. I'm from Franconia, the northern part of Bavaria and I study the subjects geography and chemistry for high school education. At TCGIS I am the intern in all of the Sozi classes. :)
In my free time I enjoy creative things like cooking, drawing or dancing and I volunteer with the Bavarian Red Cross. As one might guess I also love traveling and exploring new things and I am really excited to finally be able to experience living in the US! I am sure we will all have a great time together in Minnesota and at TCGIS since I really like it so far. Or as we Franconians would say: Bassd scho!
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Hello my name is Wiktoria Kubiak and I am an intern from northwestern Germany. I am 24 years old and have Polish roots. I will be staying at TCGIS for this semester. I study Biology and English, so I will be teaching NaWi at TCGIS in grades 5, 6, and 7. In my spare time, I enjoy listening to music, painting, and watching my comfort shows. I also love cooking, so feel free to share your favorite recipes with me. So far, I love Minnesota! I just need to get used to everyone smiling - it's not that common in Germany.
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Hallo! My name is Hannah Klapperich, and I am 24 years old and from Bonn, also known as the former capital of Germany.
I study education with the subjects English and Biology at the University of Koblenz. I started my studies with the intention of becoming an elementary school teacher but along the road I found out that I like working with older kids, especially middle schoolers more. I am an open-minded person and enjoy getting to know new people! I also like to read and try out new recipes! I am very excited about my internship here at TCGIS and my stay in Minnesota!
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Save the Date-Class of 2025 Graduation | |
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Mark your calendars! Our Class of 2025 graduation ceremony will take place this year on Sunday, June 8th from 1 pm to 3pm. If you are interested in helping the TCGIS staff plan this year's graduation ceremony, please email Frau Zehnpfennig.
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Apply to Join the TCGIS School Board! | |
If you’re looking for a meaningful way to make a difference at our school, consider serving on the TCGIS Board. The TCGIS Board is accepting applications or nominations for an appointment of a new parent, teacher or community member to serve the remainder of SY24-25 through SY26-27. The TCGIS Board is a nine-member volunteer body that works collaboratively with school leaders to provide strategic oversight of our school’s operations, finances, policies and more. Visit our website or email Board Chair Kersten Reich to learn more. | |
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It's Scholastic Book Fair time! March 3-7th from 3:30-5:15, come look at new titles from Scholastic! Located in room 104 near the drama room!
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Get your Girl Scout Cookies at TCGIS Tomorrow! | |
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It's the most wonderful time of the year: Girl Scout Cookie Season! Our TCGIS Girl Scout Troop #57317 will be selling girl scout cookies after school on Fridays: February 27th and March 7 from 3:45 - 4:30 PM. Cookies are $6 a box - buy for yourself or donate to a local food shelf. Proceeds support our local troop in learning about the world around them through educational programs, badges, nature camps, service projects, all while building a strong community and lasting friendships. Cash, check, credit card, and venmo all accepted. Questions? Reach out.
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The Spring plant sale is finally here! The sun is shining and the snow is melting and it's time to get thinking about your gardens! Visit the site and enter ID 550. Store is open through March 31st. Products will be delivered to TCGIS on May 9.
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Get a CLUE and join us at Maskenball. We'll be at the GAI this year and it's going to be great. Things are a little different, but all information is here. You can still get Early Bird pricing for a few more days - through March 1st. Can't wait to see you there.
Speaking of Maskenball, we're working on our amazing online Auction that leads up to the great event. Do you have any season tickets to sporting events or plays that you would like to donate? Any great gift baskets or amazing things you would like to share? Please contact us!
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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! | |
Lost and Found Volunteers | |
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Love organizing and sorting? We're looking for volunteers to help organize our lost and found once a month! Your help ensures students can easily find their missing belongings. Interested? Email us to get involved!
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School Board (Schulvorstand) Announcements
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Upcoming School Board & Committee Meetings | |
- Finance Committee Meeting: Tuesday, March 4 at 12:30 p.m. on Zoom
- Committee of the Whole Meeting: Thursday, March 13 at 6:30 p.m. in person at TCGIS
- Fundraising Committee Meeting: Tuesday, March 11 at 12:30pm on Google Meet
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Watch Holstein Kiel play Minnesota United with your TCGIS friends! | |
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Join Twin Cities German Immersion School at Allianz Field when Minnesota United FC takes on Holstein Kiel, from the German Bundesliga! Discounted tickets are available while supplies last, and they cannot be resold online. All sales are final. We’re excited to organize this again for our community! Tickets average $33, 36, 44 (after fees). Click here to purchase your discounted tickets.
What: Minnesota United FC versus Holstein Kiel
When: Monday, July 7th at 7:00pm
Where: Allianz Field, St. Paul
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Feb 26 - Board Meeting
Feb 27 - Girl Scout Cookie Sales in Foyer
Feb 28 - MS School Dance
March 3-7 - Scholastic Book Fair
March 5 - Early Release Day
March 7 - Girl Scout Cookie Sales in Foyer
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