Liebe TCGIS Gemeinschaft / Dear TCGIS Community, 

How do we prepare kids for technology in their future without the negative effects of screens? The slow release of technology is how TCGIS responds to these two sides of the same coin. 3rd grade is the first opportunity that your students will interact with a tech device.

We begin with some basic typing and word processing. 3rd graders are doing some basic coding with our “Beebots” this week. The level of engagement with this STEM (MINT in German) tool was high and lovely to witness.  

In 5th grade and 6th grade our students are assigned a Chromebook that they leave at school. In 7th and 8th grade, they can take them home. Our goal is that when they leave TCGIS they have built the necessary skills to compete academically at any area high school.

Elizabeth Zehnpfennig, Principal

Board Meeting Tonight!

The board will recognize teachers and staff with service awards for 3, 5 and 10 years at TCGIS tonight. Following the awards ceremony, there will be a recess with treats provided by school board members. We will also hear updates from Principal Zehnpfennig and Executive Director Klinzing. The board will consider approving the 24-25 school calendar. The meeting agenda is available here. Join us in person or by listening to the meeting via Zoom!

TCGIS Lesemarathon (Read-a-thon) starts March 4

Our 4th annual Lesemarathon for all K-8 students is almost here! Here's how students can participate: READ & RECORD! (any language counts!) From March 4-15, students track minutes spent reading, being read to, or listening to an audiobook using our minute tracker, being send home with students on March 4th. All classes will set a reading goal and reward if they meet their goal. Students can also have fun completing the Lese-Bingo! Look for the Reading Tracker coming home next Monday March 4th. If our school can log 150,000+ minutes, there will be an extra celebration!

Spring Conferences Sign-up Now Open

The Spring conference sign-up opened yesterday Wednesday, February 28 and runs through Wednesday, March 13. Click here to read more about the conferences. Contact info@tcgis.org with questions.

Conference Dates:

Thursday, March 28, 4-7:30pm

Friday, March 29: 8:00am-3:30pm

Upcoming BIPOC affinity group events; all are welcome to join!

The organizers of the BIPOC affinity group activities invite ALL members of the TCGIS community to join these upcoming intercultural engagement gatherings. 

Our March activity is a group scavenger hunt at the Midtown Global Market on Sunday, March 10, 1-2pm. We’ll need to provide expected numbers to the market; please let us know you’ll attend.  

Our April activity is attending the relaxed, family-friendly MN Orchestra concert on April 7th at 2pm, featuring music from around the world. The concert is designed for audiences of all ages, including individuals with autism or sensory sensitivities. This is the first Sunday of Spring Break. We are trying to estimate how many tickets our group would need. Adults are $12 and kids under 18 are free. The performance is approximately 60 minutes. Your answers to this interest form will help guide our planning. Thank you for your time!

Girl Scouts at TCGIS Selling Cookies

Girl Scout Troop #57317 at TCGIS is in the middle of cookie season! If you would like to support our troop of 50 students and alumni, you can order from the link here and pick up your cookies at our school booths on March 15 and March 22. Cookies will also be available for purchase then. If you have questions, contact our cookie manager. Thank you for your continued support!

Still Looking for Coaches for 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.

Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs)

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. Click here to learn more about the MCAs.

On the day students take their MCAs, they should bring: 

• Their fully charged school Chromebook (7th- & 8th-graders)
• A quiet snack (optional) 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)

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. 

• Maskenball is coming up on Saturday, March 23rd! Book the sitter, start looking for an out of this world outfit and get your tickets here!

• Our newest fundraiser is also the most delicious. Driven Coffee is a fantastic local company that sells coffee, teas, snacks, and more. And the best part is that there is no wait! Once you order, it comes straight to your door in just days. Order here!

• And our favorite fundraiser - Gerten's is back with the Spring Plant sale. Get those flower and vegetable gardens planned! ID 550 Order here!

• Conferences are coming up - that means we're buying dinner for the staff on Thursday night. If you're able to donate a few bucks for pizza you can do it here.

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 Lost and Found Volunteers!

Are you looking for a simple yet impactful way to contribute to our school community? We're seeking dedicated volunteers who can spare just 30 minutes each week to assist with our lost and found.

The volunteer would sort through the items and find any that are labeled with student names. These items would then be brought to the front office and we will return the item to the student. This allows us to keep our lost and found at bay and make sure students keep their items!

Interested? Reach out to info@tcgis.org for more information.

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 

A Thrilling Teen Murder Mystery Night in German!

Call for host families - Exchange with the Konzertchor der Sing-Akademie zu Berlin

To all volunteers interested in hosting young singers from Berlin: We are the Konzertchor der Sing-Akademie zu Berlin, a women‘s chorus traveling to MSP at the end of March. We are looking for families to host our singers for the week we are visiting and giving concerts. Click here for more information about us.

Free Home-Buying Class by TCGIS Mom!

Don't forget to mark your calendars for this weekend and join us in person or virtually for our free home-buying class THIS SATURDAY 1-2 pm! Click here for the Zoom link.

My name is Lupe Dominguez, and I’m a TCGIS mom and Realtor with Edina Realty. Alongside my close friend and lender, Laura Carroll, we're excited to offer essential insights for selling your current home and buying your new one in today's market, all while maintaining your sanity. Not a home-owner yet? No worries! We will be having another class in the next few months tailored to first-time home buyers. Looking forward to seeing you there!

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!

Reminder: Please keep your students home if they are not feeling well

In the community as well as our school we see a lot of bugs going around, especially concerning Gastrointestinal Illness and Pink Eye. In school we keep disinfecting desks, door handles, encouraging washing hands, etc. 

To avoid outbreaks and the spread of contagious illnesses among students and staff please keep your students home if they are sick, even with minor symptoms. If your student doesn’t feel well in the morning, please monitor and rather send to school later in the school day.

Please see our handbook (page 25) for when to keep a student home.

Thursday, February 29

• Board Meeting

Friday, March 8

• NO SCHOOL

Monday, March 11

• Parent Council Meeting

Thursday, March 21

• Board Meeting

Saturday, March 23

• PTO Maskenball



TCGIS Google Calendar