ISSUE 564/January 18, 2024 | |
Message from the Principal | |
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Liebe TCGIS Gemeinschaft / Dear TCGIS Community,
This week we came together to remember our beloved staff member, David Meis. I have spent the last few days joining grief circles with his students and hearing their memories and stories. Though his time at TCGIS was brief, Herr Meis has made a lasting impact, igniting a love for learning and the subject of drama. His dynamic teaching style and genuine care for each individual fostered an environment where students flourished both academically and emotionally. Herr Meis will be remembered for his infectious laughter, his ability to engage his students, and his dedication to learning German.
Amidst the sadness, we find comfort in the positive influence he had on the TCGIS community, both as teacher and colleague. His dedication to his students and our school’s mission is woven into the fabric of our shared experiences. In our collective mourning, we discover strength, and in celebrating his life, we express gratitude for the privilege of getting to know him.
Elizabeth Zehnpfennig, Principal
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Message from the Executive Director | |
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TCGIS Community,
I would like to extend an invitation to all TCGIS families to our upcoming State of the School presentation at the School Board Meeting on January 25, 2024 beginning at 6:30 pm.
During this time TCGIS administration will be presenting on the school's achievements, milestones, and future endeavors. As Executive Director, I am eager to share the progress we've made, highlight our dedicated faculty and staff, and discuss the initiatives on the horizon. The Vienna Community Arts Liederkranz Choir will have a short performance, and there will be an opportunity for a few questions following the presentation. We value your input and look forward to your active participation.
RSVP here. Please be sure to ask your questions in the Google Form, that way we can allot enough time to answer everyone's questions. Thank you! I look forward to seeing you!
Karen Klinzing, Executive Director
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February Boonli Lunch/Breakfast order window closes on January 21st, 10pm | |
Infinite Campus Grades and Comments Closed | |
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Access to grades and comments in Infinite Campus will be closed January 26th-6th 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.
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Educational Assistants Needed | |
The Special Education Department is seeking educational assistant candidates to provide academic and behavioral support for students receiving special education services. Days and hours can be flexible. If you, or someone you know, are interested in helping students with disabilities fulfill their potential through German immersion, please contact employment@tcgis.org. A full job description and collective bargaining agreement are available on our website. | |
Prospective Family Event - Invite your friends! | |
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Do you have friends or family looking for a great school? Invite them to our upcoming Prospective Family Kaffeeklatsch!
Saturday, February 3rd, from 9:30 am - 11:30 am.
There will be free coffee, pastries, and conversation. This event is dedicated to our prospective families to give them a taste of what its like to be a part of our welcoming community. We will have 2 tours: one at 10 a.m. and one at 10:30 a.m.
Send this link to RSVP and please reach out to Paige Yurczyk with any questions.
| Register for TCGIS Spring and Summer Sports: Volleyball, Outdoor Track-and-Field and Summer Track! | |
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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.
Volleyball will start on Monday, February 26, and go through early May. Outdoor Track-and-Field will begin on Monday, March 25, and continue through the end of the school year. Summer Track will begin the first full week of summer vacation and go until the end of July 2024.
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TCGIS Summer Camps 2024 - Have fun this summer! | |
Winter Fun with the PTO - This Weekend! | |
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Art can be a healing and comforting practice. Join us for Cookies & Canvas where we'll snack on delicious cookies and create a piece of Sunflower inspired art led by artist and TCGIS parent Courtney.
Saturday, January 20th - information and sign up here. The event is family friendly but kids below 2nd grade may need assistance.
Join Herr Tabisz for some Epic Sledding! We know it may not seem like it right now, but the snow will come soon! Sign up for a few hours of awesome sledding and fun on Saturday February 10th.
Our next meeting has been rescheduled to Saturday February 24th. Join us for Bingo in the morning! More information and RSVP link coming soon.
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Capstone Fundraiser: Dino's - This Weekend! | |
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TCGIS Capstone is hosting a fundraiser at Dino's (1700 E Snelling Dr. Falcon Heights, MN 55113) on January 21st from 11 am - 7 pm. 20% of all sales will be donated to the 2024 Capstone. Order online using "Fundraiser" as your first name or mention you are there for the fundraiser when ordering in restaurant. See you there!
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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! | |
Looking for History Day judges! (Feb 8th & 9th) | |
We are looking for numerous parent / family / friend judges for our school History Day competition. Commitment is 4 hours (or more!) on either Thursday, Feb. 8th or Friday, Feb. 9th (or both!). No experience necessary - we'll show you what to do! Parents of students of all ages welcome to sign up! Email Frau Melk with date/time availability. Vielen Dank! | Sports and Activities Survey! (less than 10 seconds) | Please fill out this short survey to help TCGIS advertise where our students participate! If you have any questions about the survey, please reach out to Paige Yurczyk. | Is there a cultural group in your neighborhood? | If you are a member of a cultural group or community center (e.g. Polish American Cultural Institute of Minnesota, Turkish American Society of Minnesota, Ethiopian Community in Minnesota, etc.) and would be open to sharing information about TCGIS with the group, please reach out to Paige Yurczyk. The majority of new families find TCGIS through current families. We would love to share information about our great school with communities that share our value of intercultural engagement and global perspectives. | |
School Board (Schulvorstand) Announcements
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Charter School Advocacy Task Force | |
The Communication and Outreach Committee is seeking 4 members of our school community (staff, parents, and teachers) to join our Charter School Advocacy task force, part of a statewide grassroots action network organized by the MN Association of Charter Schools (MACS). The goal is to increase the number of voices advocating for important charter school issues with lawmakers. The group will receive periodic training from MACS to help us be great advocates for our school! More detailed information from MACS is available here. Interested in advocating for equitable funding? Please sign up here. | |
Upcoming School Board & Committee Meetings | |
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Cmte of the Whole: Thurs., Jan. 11 - 6:30PM; Room 310
Communication Meeting: Tues., Jan. 16 - 4PM; Zoom
January Board Meeting: Thurs., Jan. 25 - 6:30PM; Room 100/Zoom
Governance Meeting: Mon., Feb. 12 - 4:30PM; Google Meet
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Kinderstube Open Haus - This Weekend! | |
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Saturday, January 20, 2024 | 12–3PM
106 E Diamond Lake Road | Minneapolis, MN 55419
Join us at the GAI's Minneapolis Kinderstube to meet our incredible teachers, see the learning space, and enjoy treats.
What is Kinderstube?
Kinderstube is a German language immersion preschool program of the Germanic-American Institute. The program focuses on a social-emotional approach that offers play-based learning in a fun environment, while also preparing children for future academics.
Kinderstube is a community-based approach. Families with children in the program have monthly get togethers and a parent group for support and friendship. They also have the wonderful GAI community of language and cultural events providing lots of social opportunities for all ages. Learn more and register here!
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German Storytime - This Weekend! | |
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Saturday, January 20 | 11:00 AM - 11:45 AM
Join us for a fun-filled storytime auf deutsch. Children and their families will immerse themselves in stories, songs and activities that foster language skills. Our January story will focus on making friends, learning patience, accepting new things and overcoming prejudices.
Please note: Storytime will be conducted in German and is geared towards children who have German as a home language, have been exposed to German through classes or immersion programs or have basic knowledge of the language. Learn more and register here!
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1st grade board-game playdate at the GAI | |
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Come join us for a few hours of board-game-fun for TCGIS first graders and their families in the GAI Rathskeller on Sat Feb 3, 2024 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM.
In addition to being fun to play, playing board games can help with child development by providing kids with opportunities for problem solving, decision-making, deferring gratification, and dealing with mistakes. We will focus on the joy of it all, some light snacks will be provided. To keep the experience pleasant for everyone, we kindly ask not to bring more than 2 kids per attending adult.
This event is free, but registration required, so we know how many people to expect.
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Roseville Raiders: Fastpitch Softball Registration | |
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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.
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Intercultural Engagement Opportunities | |
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, signs my be atypical | |
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Infections are back and before our winter break we saw all kinds of symptoms from stomach aches, GI distress, headaches, cold symptoms, and more.
We love our students being in school. To avoid outbreaks and the spread of contagious illnesses among them 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.
Click here for more information!
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Temperatures are Plunging: Please send your student with winter gear | |
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It’s getting cold next week! As long as temperatures, including wind chill, permit, we will have outdoor recess. Please send winter gear with your student every day to be able to participate. Students can bring clothes on a daily basis or keep a pair in their locker to make sure they are prepared for cold temperatures or snow. To go outside students need: Winter jacket, Hat, Gloves, Snow Pants in Elementary School. Please LABEL every item - sharpie, white pen, and stickers work really well.
If providing winter gear is a challenge for your family the following places can help:
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Saturday, January 20
Thursday, January 25
Sunday, January 28
Friday, February 2
- NO SCHOOL - Teacher Grading Day
Saturday, February 3
Thursday, February 8
Saturday, February 10
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