ISSUE 483 / January 20, 2022 |
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Greetings from the Executive Director |
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Liebe TCGIS Gemeinschaft! Dear TCGIS community,
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The interns are here! We are beyond delighted to welcome nine interns this week, and another will be arriving next month. Our interns have all recently completed or are in the final stages of completing their teaching degrees in Germany, so they bring rich educational and cultural perspectives as well as language support for our students. They will be working throughout the school for the rest of the school year. Click here to read their greetings and first impressions!
Thank you to the host families who have welcomed them into your homes. Our intern program is entirely supported by donations, so our thanks also to all who have contributed to TCGIS this year. It makes a difference for our students!
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We are also very pleased this week to welcome Kathrin Gillhoff as our new middle school science teacher! Kathrin comes to us through TCGIS’s partnership with the Zentralstelle für das Auslandsschulwesen, an arm of the German Foreign Office that supports German-language schools operating outside of Germany. Kathrin received her master’s of education at the University of Mainz. Besides Germany, she has taught in Australia, the Czech Republic, and Canada.
TCGIS is so enriched by our teachers and interns who are not only from German-speaking countries but who also bring their international travel and work experience to our school, supporting our students as they become global citizens. Our diverse staff makes TCGIS truly distinctive.
herzlich
Kirsten Christensen
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Incident Response Team (IRT) |
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The IRT tracks COVID cases in this dashboard which will be shared weekly. |
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IMPORTANT: Updated Isolation Guidelines |
As always, students or staff who feel sick should stay home and get tested before coming to school.
Isolation Period Update for Students
Isolation is used to separate people with a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 from others.
The most recent CDC guidance allows for a 5-day isolation period for individuals who test positive, followed by 5 days of strict mask wearing around others. CDC and MDH have indicated that these guidelines do apply to the school setting, while also acknowledging that the realities of the school setting make implementation nearly impossible.
After consultation with our MDH team, we have determined that it is in the best interest of the school community to return to a 10-day isolation period for students who test positive for COVID-19. This more conservative approach acknowledges the fact that students must be unmasked at snack and lunch time, along with other implementation challenges.
Staff who test positive may return to school after a 5-day isolation if they are symptom free. On days 6-10, staff must remain strictly masked throughout the day (as always) and eat away from others.
Quarantine duration (for close contacts) will continue to follow CDC guidelines.
Please refer to the graphic below for an at-a-glance guide to isolation and quarantine.
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Strongly Recommend Weekly Testing at TCGIS |
If your student is not signed up for our weekly testing program at TCGIS, please consider signing them up. Testing is a strong mitigation we have available as the Omicron variant continues to spread in our community. Weekly testing can pick up asymptomatic individuals, limiting the potential spread at TCGIS.
In order for your student to participate in onsite testing we will need a signed parent consent form and a completed Zepto registration form (without these completed forms, your student will not be tested). Please also see this FAQ. If you have any questions about the testing process, please email Dani Nicholson, our Covid-19 Testing Coordinator at dnicholson@tcgis.org.
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Reminder: Please keep your students home if they are not feeling well |
As we return to school after winter break, please remember to keep your students home if they are not feeling well. Not only are we seeing an increase in Covid-19 cases but we are also seeing an increase in other illnesses. We can help to keep our community healthy by staying home when we are not well. |
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Talk to your students about properly wearing their masks |
Please remind your students of the importance of wearing their masks above their nose all day long. Please be sure to send your students to school with well fitting face masks.
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COVID-19 Updates Available on IRT Webpage |
In order to shorten the Rundbrief, we will prioritize new items for this newsletter and link to our Incident Response Team Updates webpage so you can reference past updates more efficiently:
- Updated Quarantine Procedures
- Updated MDH Decision Tree
- Weekly COVID-Testing at TCGIS
- Keep Sick Kids Home this School Year
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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 see the full email. Danke!
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February '22 Lunch/Milk Order Window: Closes this Sunday, January 23 at 6:00 p.m. |
Remember to place your order for February 2022! Please log on to our online store website Boonli to place your child's School Lunch/Milk order. Please make sure to check out your cart to successfully place an order and to check your order for completeness. All orders must be submitted by 6pm on Sunday, January 23rd. Orders received after the 23rd will have a one-week delayed start date. The February Bus Donation window is open as well. Questions? Please contact us at ordering@tcgis.org. |
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Infinite Campus Grades and Comments Now Open |
Access to grades and comments are open! Please follow the steps here to access your child(ren)'s report card. |
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Health Office Update: Mask Supply & Hygiene |
Due to the weather we are seeing an increased need of changing masks (mostly after recess). Paper masks (surgical, KN 86, KF 95s, etc.) feel especially wet and uncomfortable for students. In order to keep students in class and refraining from multiple trips to the health and front office, please pack several extra masks for your student. Please make sure cloth masks are washed and checked for tear and wear on a regular basis. Find more tips for mask wearing here. |
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Summer Camps will run from June 27th-August 12th this year. You can find the weekly schedule and camp descriptions here.
Registration begins February 1st, 2022!
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Carpooling Map Opt-in Form is Open Again |
There are now 57 families who have opted in to using this Google form to participate in the 2022 Carpooling Map.
Interested in exploring carpooling to / from school? Fill out this Google form. From now until our bus service returns to 4 bus routes, we will share the link to the unlisted Google map with those who have opted in (through the form).
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Help your K-1 Students mask up prior to arrival |
Dear Parents/Guardians of K-1 students,
Help your child start their day on a positive note by putting on masks before they arrive at TCGIS. Our youngest students take the masking rule seriously and sometimes meltdown as they struggle to put their masks on before walking into the building. Thanks for helping your child meet masking requirements while helping them feel empowered to dress themselves!
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Family Support Night: "What Boundaries?"
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Our TCGIS Parent Council is putting on a Family Support Night! Dr. Susan Walker, Associate Professor of Family Social Sciences from the University of Minnesota will be presenting the topic "What Boundaries?" on February 1st at 7:30 p.m.
Join us to explore how we can reclaim some boundaries in our lives, find a little peace and fun, and recharge (not the phone). Along the way, we'll talk about the devices and tech in our lives and in the lives of our children: the good, the bad, and the necessary. Maybe we can find ways to make tech a little more intentional and a lot more positive.
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Tuesday, February 1st at 7:30PM
Meeting ID: 895 1701 6841
Passcode: 997367
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Volunteer needed: TCGIS Community Garden |
Looking for a volunteer opportunity that beautifies St Paul, grows food for people in need, and makes connections among TCGIS families? The TCGIS Community Garden project is in need of a co-coordinator for the 2022 growing season. The co-coordinator will work in partnership with last year's coordinator (Lisa Linnell, 8th grade parent and board Vice Chair) to organize the TCGIS community garden (i.e., set up Sign Up Genius for volunteers, send weekly reminders to gardeners, help plan what will be grown). It is fun, doesn't take a lot of time, and is a great way to connect TCGIS families. Want to know more? Please contact Lisa Linnell. |
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Will you have a NEW student in 2022-2023? |
Enrollment for the 2022-2023 school year is now open! If you have a NEW student who will attend TCGIS in the 2022-2023 school year, please submit an application for admission online or by sending a paper application. The enrollment window is open until the deadline on February 16, 2021. Siblings of currently-attending TCGIS students receive sibling preference for enrollment; for more information about TCGIS' enrollment process, please visit our enrollment webpage. Please direct any questions to enrollment@tcgis.org. Currently-enrolled students do not need to reapply.
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School Tours for Prospective Families in Jan./Feb. |
Do you have friends and neighbors who are curious about TCGIS? Encourage them to sign up for a school tour in January or February! We are accepting applications for all grades for 2022/23; the application deadline for our lottery is Feb. 16. Personal recommendations from TCGIS families are our strongest recruitment tool. Thank you for sharing what you love about TCGIS with friends and neighbors!
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Order a Yearbook! + 8th Grade Yearbook Ads |
You still have time to purchase a TCGIS yearbook!
Buy your yearbook here for $22. Prices will increase at the end of January.
Parents of 8th Grade Students: Celebrate your 2021 grad with a yearbook ad! Submissions are due by January 29, 2022. Click here for more information and create an ad now! |
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Register for TCGIS Spring Sports! |
Registration for TCGIS Spring Sports will be open on Popsicle from February 1 until February 15. All middle schoolers are welcome to sign up. TCGIS athletic calendars are designed so that students may participate in more than one sport per season.
Interscholastic Sports:
Intramural Sports:
Payment required at time of registration per sport per athlete: $150*
*Finances should not be a factor in deciding to participate in TCGIS athletic teams. If finances are a concern, please contact Coach Tabisz BEFORE registering because payment is required at the time of registration.
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Summer Track and Field Registration opens February 1st |
Payment required at time of registration per sport per athlete: $100*
*Finances should not be a factor in deciding to participate in TCGIS athletic teams. If finances are a concern, please contact Coach Tabisz BEFORE registering because payment is required at the time of registration.
With questions, please contact Athletic Coordinator Chris Tabisz.
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School Board Announcements |
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The School Board is publicly recognizing and celebrating TCGIS colleagues with milestone years of service at the February 24 board meeting. To celebrate the contributions and dedication of TCGIS educators and staff, the Board will present awards to commemorate milestones of 3, 5, and 10 years of service!
All honorees, all staff, parents and students are invited to attend the beginning of the Board meeting for this recognition of TCGIS colleagues.
We also invite you to congratulate the honorees with a personal written message and pictures on this form by February 17. All well wishes from colleagues and families will be shared with honorees at the February 24 Board meeting. Please feel free to sign one, several, or all! And please sign your name at the end of your comments. Thank you for helping us celebrate these incredible milestones! |
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BIPOC family affinity group upcoming events |
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We have several upcoming BIPOC family affinity group events scheduled, including an outdoor meet-up at the Lake Harriet Kite Festival, a private showing of the movie Hidden Figures at Grandview Cinema, and a circle group discussion with Amazeworks facilitators. Read more about the details and RSVP here. We will monitor the public health situation and reschedule indoor events as necessary.
What is this group? The group charter explains that the term BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) includes people from Black/African American, Asian American, Middle-Eastern American, American Indian/Native American, Latino/Hispanic, and multiracial backgrounds. The BIPOC family affinity group is open to those who identify as, or have children who identify as, people of color and their allies. For more information about the group’s norms, routines, objectives and measures of success, please review the full group charter here.
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Upcoming School Board & Committee Meetings |
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The board of directors meets twice a month at the Committee of the Whole and the Regular Board meetings, both public meetings. All are invited to attend school board and board committee meetings. It’s a great way to stay engaged and informed regarding the governance of our public charter school and independent school district. Upcoming meetings and their agendas are listed below. Zoom links are available on the agendas and on the online school calendar.
January Board Meeting: Thurs., Jan. 27, 6:30 PM; Agenda
Fundraising Cmte: Tues., Feb. 1, 8:30 AM; Agenda
Mission & School Culture Cmte: Wed., Feb. 2, 3:45 PM; Agenda
Governance & Leadership Dev. Cmte: Date: TBD; Agenda
Finance Cmte: Tues., Feb. 15, 6:30 PM; Agenda
Cmte of the Whole: Thur., Feb. 17, 6:30 PM; Agenda
February Board Meeting: Thurs., Feb. 24, 6:30 PM;
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School Board Information on the TCGIS website |
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Please see the Board’s website for information about how to volunteer on committees, attend monthly board meetings or watch recordings, and be engaged and informed regarding the governance of our public charter school and independent school district. All board meetings and committee meetings are on the online school calendar. |
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Add some warmth and spice to your week with a GAI language class! From beginner classes with no language experience necessary to Oberstufe culture classes for advanced speakers, we offer something for everyone. Take advantage of our no-travel Zoom classes. Winter session begins January 10 and runs through March 31. Register here.
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Samstagsschule for kids and teens
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Samstagsschule (Saturday School) winter session begins in February. Kids are immersed in the German language while participating in activities such as singing, crafts, games, and physical motion, along with age-appropriate language lessons. We offer beginning to advanced levels for all ages and classes are offered online and in person. Sign up today! |
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Kinderstube German@home for preschoolers
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A new Kinderstube German@home cohort begins January 17, 2022! Parents or caregivers of preschool-age children (ages 3 to 6) will receive weekly content updates with four German language activities that they can do throughout the week or on the weekend with their children. Register here.
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German Tutors for TCGIS Students |
TCGIS has built a list of local university/college students interested in virtual private tutoring in German for TCGIS students. We update this Google spreadsheet of tutors regularly. Learn more here. |
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January 21: Bookmark contest entry due
January 22: BIPOC Affinity Group Gathering: Lake Harriet Kite Festival
January 23: Lunch/Milk order window closes
February 1: Parent Council Family Support Night, "What Boundaries?"
February 1: Summer Camp registration opens
February 1-15: Spring Sports & Summer Track & Field Registration
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