Liebe TCGIS Gemeinschaft! / Dear TCGIS community,

As mentioned in last week’s Rundbrief, our school community has benefitted from the presence of a particularly warm and engaged group of 11 interns this semester. We bid seven of them a very fond auf Wiedersehen today and look forward to welcoming seven new interns on January 17! (We are happy to have Anne, Kat, and Nathalie continue to support TCGIS until they depart later in January, and Jannik who is with us all year.)

Our interns are all teachers-in-training or recent graduates who bring their expertise and enthusiasm to TCGIS to benefit our students by being another skilled, German-speaking educator in classrooms throughout the school. I want to thank this semester’s group for so enthusiastically enriching our core mission of German immersion. 

I also want to thank our wonderful host families who have given our interns both a home and an opportunity to be truly immersed in daily life here, and all of you who have contributed generously to our annual fund, without which our intern program would not exist.

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!

Our High School Panel night is next week,Thursday, January 19, 7:00 – 7:50pm. Students and families can join us virtually with this link to get have their question answered by high schoolers and TCGIS alumni. Please add questions to this Google Form. See you there!

The 2nd annual bookmark art contest is almost here! Last year students had a fun time designing a bookmark according to a theme. This year's theme is Reading is Magical. The 1st place winners from both ES & MS will have their bookmark design reprinted for the whole school!

Next week Frau Lenburg and Frau Kaiser will be handing out bookmark templates with instructions to students in their art classes, and all middle schoolers will receive the template during their advisory period. If you would like to print off the template yourself, you can find it here. Students can only submit one design, and the deadline is 3PM January 31st. The winners will be announced on Fri., Feb.10th.

The next Middle School Dance is being planned for Friday, February 10th. Students elected the dance theme of Winter Wonderland. The 5th and 6th grade dance will be from 6:00pm to 7:15pm in the school gym. The 7th and 8th grade dance will follow at 7:30pm to 9:00pm. Music will be provide by DJ Mathew Erwin. The dance is casual to semi-formal and all manners of dress are appropriate. Come as fancy as you want! Tickets will be $5.00 and available on Boonli starting Tuesday, January 17th.

Kinderclub is fully staffed and can accommodate approximately 20-30 more students. If you would like to register, email Michaela Bromenschenkel.

We are currently planning the 2023 TCGIS Summer Camps. Each Camp runs for one week from 9am-Noon. If you are a parent, alumni, or know anybody who might be interested in leading a camp this summer, please let Michaela Bromenschenkel know by January 18th. Registration for camps will be open from February 1st to April 30th.

The lost and found will NOT be donated in January, as was previously noted. The next lost and found donation will be on Thursday, February 23. A reminder to please label your student's items. An item that is labeled has a better chance of making its way back to its owner!

Do you enjoy planning events, and using your creativity and artistic skills to design displays? Do you like books!? If so, consider joining Library Club!

Library club is open to grades 6-8 and meets every Wednesday after school from 3:20-4:30. The spring session will be from Feb.22-May 3. 

What do we do in Library Club? 

• Design and set up monthly book-related displays in the library
• “Adopt” a bookshelf to keep organized during each meeting and class library visit
• Work together to plan one library event for fellow students

If interested, print and fill out this application by February 1st. Applications can be dropped off in the library. Please email Frau Zimmerman with any questions.

Curious about what the BIPOC affinity group is? Please read the group’s charter for information. 

Thursday, Jan. 12, 6:00-7:30 pm: Dinner and discussion circles led by Amazeworks facilitators at TCGIS. RSVP here.

Here is the save the date flyer shared earlier this school year for reference. 

In light of the recent shooting at Newport News school, we remind you of the importance of securing guns in the home. Much of the debate around the incident is mere speculation at this point. However, we do know that the adults in charge made a gun accessible to the child by not storing it safely. Children are curious. Children find hidden birthday presents, and they find hidden guns. Hiding a gun is not safe gun storage. Guns must be stored unloaded and separate from ammunition.

If you have need of a gun lock, please contact info@tcgis.org, and we can make sure to get one to you.

TCGIS families are the #1 way prospective families find our great school. Vielen Dank for encouraging your friends and neighbors to consider TCGIS! Here are two great ways you can help TCGIS find prospective families:

• There are just three more school tours before the application deadline on Feb. 15th. Please spread the word to friends and neighbors. They can learn more here: tcgis.org/school-tours.
• Daycares are a great place for prospective families to hear about TCGIS! If you have a connection to a daycare, we have flyers that can be passed out or hung up. Please contact Mary Zimmerman if you would like to pick up flyers or have some sent home with your student. You can also print the flyer here.

Do you develop or work with website platforms such as Squarespace or Wix? Do you know how to transfer a website to a new web host?

The Website Subcommittee serves as a part of the TCGIS Board’s Communications and Outreach Committee. TCGIS is exploring the option of using another website platform, and will need help in the evaluation of other platforms, as well as future creation and migration to another platform. If you are interested in joining this subcommittee, please email Mary Zimmerman. The subcommittee will plan to meet in February.

Come paint with us and we'll give you a cookie! Cookies & Canvasses is coming up on Saturday, January 21st - the whole family is welcome! More information here.

We teamed up with Herr Tabisz for another epic sledding party! Saturday, February 4th - sign up here.

Maskenball and the Auction are coming up in late March. We'll be posting a site soon for requests for items for the Auction. Start brainstorming - we can't wait to see what you do this year!

Universal screening for all students will begin on Tuesday, January 17th and will continue until Friday, January 27th. Universal screening is an important part of our multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) framework at TCGIS. It allows us to identify those students who are on-track to meet grade-level standards in reading and math, and also to identify those students who may need some additional support to meet grade-level goals by the end of the year. Students in every grade level will participate in at least one assessment so that we can learn more about their current skills and knowledge. read this document for more information, including

Access to grades and comments in Infinite Campus will be closed January 10th-18th while teachers finalize first semester grades. Once access to grades and comments reopens, please follow the steps here to access your child(ren)'s report card.

Our Yearbook holds memories for every kid in our School. Use this link to buy a yearbook for your child now! You can also use it to buy a grad ad for your 8th grader.

If you want to have a different name than your child’s birth name printed, please fill out this survey by Jan 8th.

As you read this we are probably deep in snow outside, so here is my reminder that when your child comes to school, they need to bring their shoes for sport. If you are not currently able to provide a pair of tennis shoes for your child, I do have some extras for the students to borrow during class. Please remind your children to grab their tennis shoes and get ready for sport when they come to school! Looking forward to seeing everyone back at school! Thanks! - Frau Spading

Diversity & Belonging Meeting Tues., Jan. 17 - 4PM, Google Meet

Board Meeting Thurs., Jan. 26 - 6:30PM, Room 100, Zoom

Classes begin Saturday, January 14, 2023

Kids are immersed in the German language while participating in fun activities such games, crafts, singing, and physical motion, along with age-appropriate language lessons. We offer brining to advanced levels for all ages. All classes are in person at the GAI. Learn more here.

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

January 10-18: Infinite Campus Closed (Grading Window)

January 13 & 16: NO SCHOOL

January 17-27: Universal Screening

January 19: 8th Grade High School Panel

January 21: Cookies & Canvas with the PTO

February 1: Summer Camp registration opens

February 4: Sledding Party with Herr Tabisz

February 9: History Day Contest

February 10: Middle School Dance

February 11: Pizza & Bingo with the PTO

March 25: Maskenball & Auction



TCGIS Google Calendar