Liebe TCGIS Gemeinschaft / Dear TCGIS Community, 

We have made it to another milestone in the school year, the week before Spring Break. Before that important break, we turn our attention to conferences. Spring conferences are essential for continuing to foster strong partnerships between teachers and families. These meetings provide an opportunity to discuss student progress, address academic or behavioral concerns, and set goals for the remainder of the school year. By collaborating, parents and educators can ensure that each child receives the support they need to thrive both academically and socially with German Immersion at the focus. 

I’m looking forward to seeing parents at school over the next couple of days during our Spring conferences. And I wish everyone a restful spring break full of sunshine and outside time :)

Elizabeth Zehnpfennig, Executive Director

May 7 - No School Day

Originally planned as an early release day, May 7 will now be a no-school day for students. This change allows our teachers additional professional development time to complete Phase I of the Read Act training that is required for teachers. The state reduced required instructional hours to allow districts to give this time to teachers in acknowledgment of the workload created by this mandatory training. Students will not be required to participate in e-learning on this day. Kinderclub will remain open from 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. for families who need childcare. Athletics will proceed as planned. Music lessons with Vienna Community Arts will proceed as planned.

Drop-off and Pick-up Reminders

• Never cross Van Slyke Ave between cars—always use the crosswalk. Students should enter vehicles from the sidewalk side for safety. The end of the Van Slyke car line is on Lexington. Do not enter the car line from Churchill or Horton Streets.
• Avoid idling, stopping, or parking on Como Ave between Lexington Ave and Van Slyke, as it crowds the street and obstructs visibility, bus access, and traffic flow. Please do not park there from 7:45-8:15 a.m. and 3:00-3:30 p.m., except on the north side (school side) between Van Slyke and the playground driveway.
• Parking is allowed on these streets Lexington, Churchill, Oxford, Argyle, Chatsworth, Jessamine, and West Como Blvd.
• Students in grades 3+ are encouraged to walk a block or two to school. Fewer cars improve safety and traffic flow.

All School Pulse Survey and Admin Office Hours

We appreciate your involvement in our Twin Cities German Immersion School community! To help us improve the educational experience for our students, we invite you to participate in this survey regarding the 24/25 school year. Your feedback is invaluable.

Director Elizabeth Zehnpfennig will host open office hours to talk with families about this survey on 3/27 from 5-7 pm. Email to set up a time.

Win TCGIS Swag!

If you're traveling for spring break and wearing your TCGIS merch, we'd love to see it! Submit a photo by April 9th of you or your student in TCGIS gear for a chance to be featured on our social media and a chance to win a free yard sign or fanny pack.

Welcome to Middle School - Info Night for 4th Grade Families 

You are invited to attend our Welcome to Middle School Night on Wednesday April 23rd from 6:30-7:30pm at the TCGIS cafeteria! The agenda for the evening includes such topics as:

• Middle School programming
• Transition and what to expect 
• Tour of the classrooms

If you or your child has specific questions you would like addressed, please put them into this form in advance of our meeting. We will reserve time for questions and answers. We hope to see you there! 

Graduation Yard Signs - Due Tomorrow!

8th grade graduates: If you are interested in a graduation yard sign (pictured here) please fill out this form.Take note that this form is a commitment to buying a yard sign. The deadline to order a graduation yard sign is Friday, March 28.

Donate to the TCGIS Book Sale!

Gather your old books (in English or German) to donate to the TCGIS Used Book Sale! Donated materials must be free of mold, tears, or other damage, and the publishing date must not be older than 2010. All book donations should be brought to the TCGIS Front Office (we will also be collecting donations by TCGIS Door 1 and Door 6 during conferences and Kinderclub). Save the date for the book sale on April 17th after school!

Playground Equipment Needed

Temperatures are rising, and we’d love to restock our recess shed with new equipment! Unfortunately, many of our basketballs, soccer balls, and volleyballs end up on the roof or go missing. We're seeking donations to provide playground equipment for students. If you'd like to help, check out our wish list or donate similar items from home (labeled and dropped off at the front office). Thank you for your generosity!

MCA Season is Underway

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. To learn more about MCAs at TCGIS click here.

Urgently Looking for Fall Host Families

We have nine wonderful interns joining us this fall semester Mid August - Mid January and are looking for host families to accommodate them. We have four families that have offered to bring some German culture and welcoming an intern into their home and are in need of five more. Interns support all K-8 classrooms at TCGIS and we need your help to be able to continue offering this program in the future. If you are considering hosting an intern in the fall semester or in the future, please fill out the host family application form or reach out to Claudia Müller or Nina Maslofski if you have further questions.

Save the Date for Our Kindness Campaign!

SAVE THE DATE! To wrap-up this year's fundraising for the TCGIS Annual Fund, we are preparing for a kindness journey in partnership with Raise Craze. Raise Craze is an online platform enabling families to set up secure, custom websites where they request donations via email, text, or social media. During the campaign (April 10-May 2) students pay it forward by completing Acts of Kindness for others. Its a great way to embrace our school's value of KINDNESS while also supporting our immersion mission! Be on the lookout for registration info after spring break! 

Dance Team Coach Wanted

We are exploring the opportunity to offer a dance team for the school year 2025-2026. For this to happen, we need your help! We need a coach who knows the dance competition scene and would be willing and able to set up the team. The season including practices and competitions would be organized along with Athletic Director Tabisz. Please read through the job description and Athletics Handbook, and email AD Tabisz with your interest and questions.

Join the Board!

It’s that time of the year when the board is looking for candidates to serve for the next 3 years as TCGIS Board members! We are seeking 3 candidates to join us, beginning this June. Additionally, the 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. Feel free to nominate yourself or someone else! Click HERE for more information or feel free to reach out to Emily Albers with questions!

The Spring Plant sale closes on Monday, March 31st! Shop for beautiful planters for decoration, flowers, vegetables, herbs and fruit! Go to gertensfundraising.com and enter ID 550

Our next Cookies & Canvas event is happening on Sunday, April 13th at 2pm. Sign up and meet us in the cafeteria. We'll have treats and juice or cocoa, and a great time painting with Courtney as our amazing instructor! Great for the whole family. 

A huge thank you to everyone who made it out to Maskenball last weekend. It was a spectacular night and the GAI was a great host. We'd love to see you there next year!

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!

Help Out at the Book Fair!

Help out at the TCGIS Used Book Fair! We need help organizing books and running a cash box. Click here to sign up!

Help us plan TCGIS' 20th Anniversary Celebration!

This fall, TCGIS will proudly celebrate its 20th anniversary, and we’re planning a special celebration for the entire community! If you’re interested in joining the planning task force in any capacity, we’d love to have you. Whether you’re a longtime member or new to TCGIS, all commitment levels and experience are welcome. Fill out this form to get involved!

Upcoming School Board & Committee Meetings

• Finance Cmte Meeting: Tuesday, April 8 at 6:30 p.m. on Zoom
• Committee of the Whole Meeting: Thursday, April 10 at 6:30 p.m. in person
• Governance Cmte Meeting: Monday, April 14 at 4:30 p.m. on Meets
• Fundraising Cmte Meeting: Tuesday, April 15 at 12:30 p.m. on Meets
• Mission Alignment Cmte Meeting: Monday, April 21 at 7:30 p.m. on Meets

Watch Holstein Kiel play Minnesota United with your TCGIS friends!

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

March 31-April 4 - Spring Break



TCGIS Google Calendar