Liebe TCGIS Gemeinschaft! / Dear TCGIS community,

I offer my best wishes to our students, families, and staff as we all head into a well-earned spring break. We have been so busy here at school—MCAs, a wonderful reading marathon, active sports teams, and so much more. Wherever you will be, may the week ahead bring rejuvenation, connection with those close to you, and maybe even some warm weather.

Schöne Ferien!

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 read the entire Rundbrief. Danke!

Changes were made to the school calendar for the current school year, and then approved by the Board on March 2nd. The school is required to add 1 student contact day for all students and 17 instructional hours for 7th and 8th grades in order to comply with state law (Minnesota State Statute 120A.41(a)) after 5 instructional days were lost due to weather events.

• April 21 was previously a full professional development day. It is now an early release day for all students and staff. We will follow the typical early release day schedule.
• May 26 was previously a full professional development day. It is now a full instructional day for grades 7 and 8 ONLY. Grades K-6 will have no school.
• June 9 was previously a full grading day. It is now a full instructional day for grades 7 and 8 ONLY. Grades K-6 will have no school. There will be more information regarding scheduling for May 26 and June 9 coming soon.

Kaffeeklatsch is a great opportunity to connect with other parents/guardians in our TCGIS community. Kaffeeklatsch will be held outside on the playground (weather permitting) on Friday, April 14 at 8am. Sponsored by the Parent Council, there will be coffee and treats. We encourage attendees to bring their own mug and help keep our environmental impact low. We are also happy to announce that parents/guardians are once again able to observe their elementary student's Morgenkreis (morning circle) from 8:15-8:45am. If you plan on attending your student's Morgenkreis, please let their teacher know.

The Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs) are administered state-wide each spring in grades 3-12. You can learn more about MCAs by reading this Parent Fact Sheet from the Minnesota Department of Education. Important Additional Information regarding test day preparation can be found here.

MCA Math Schedule:

• Grades 5th - 8th: April 12
• Grade 3: April 17 & 18
• Grade 4: April 19 & 20

MCA Science Schedule (Grades 5 & 8 only): April 24 & 25

There are also upcoming dates for Make Up Assessments for students who did not complete their assessment or were absent the day of administration. You can view more schedule details on TCGIS’s MCA Assessment Calendar.

After Spring Break, all 5th graders are encouraged to attend full band rehearsals after school, 3:30-4:30pm. 6-8th Graders who haven't been attending should start! We will only have 6 rehearsals until the concert on May 19!!!

Reminder: the concert is FRIDAY May 19. Kids will stay after school for rehearsal. Concert starts at 5, with a potluck following.

The last day of band is May 25.

The trauma of gun violence in the U.S. affects us all. Secure firearm storage is an effective strategy to keep schools safe, and it is the responsibility of all adults who own guns in our community to make sure guns are stored safely in all households where children spend time. Several school districts in Minnesota have recently passed resolutions for schools to regularly communicate with parents/guardians about safe gun storage.

We are seeking parents/guardians to join our new 'safe gun storage' affinity group. As you would say in German: let's "fill these resolutions with life" - let’s turn them into action: we need to develop information materials, appropriate messaging etc. In order to organize these resources collectively, we especially need parents/guardians who own firearms to help spread awareness of gun safety. Their perspectives are key for effective prevention approaches, and individuals who own guns are best at reaching others who do. We need you!

Please contact Trish Jewett and/or Craig Chapman if you are interested in joining this group.

Our 2023 Lesemarathon (read-a-thon) has come to an end. Our elementary and middle school students read a total of 324,671 minutes - bravo, readers! Our students surpassed Frau Christensen & Frau Zehnpfennig's challenge of reading 150,000 minutes! On Friday Frau Christensen dressed up as an ostrich and visited elementary classes. Frau Zehnpfennig will be kissing a reptile in April!

The PTO would love to thank everyone who made it out to Maskenball last weekend. We hope everyone had a great time - it was a ton of fun. 

Thank you for all of our Auction donors and buyers! Another great Auction in the books. We appreciate our community so much.

The snow is melting! Think Spring and get your plant orders in now. The site is open until April 6th. Pick up will be May 12 - the Spring Plant Sale is happening too! TCGIS's store code is 550.

We invite all staff, families, and community members to take our TCGIS Website Survey. This short, eight-question survey helps us make our website as user friendly and accessible as possible. We appreciate your help! The survey will close on Friday, April 14.

7th grade friends building their own "Cabinet Computer“ by bringing in pieces of old/broken computers. 

Please fill out this 3 question survey to help the planning committee gauge attendance to plan the space and resource needs for this inaugural event! Many TCGIS families have volunteered to share about their cultures through music, art, food, dance, and more! We also plan to have food trucks onsite during the event, scheduled for Thursday, May 11, 5:00-7:00 pm.

The Diversity & Belonging Committee is looking for leaders and members who are interested in the LGBTQ+ and Modern Family affinity groups.

• LGBTQ+: This group is designed to be a space of support for parents and guardians who are either part of the LGBTQ+ community themselves or have children who identify as LGBTQ+. If you are interested to share experiences, build community or are looking for guidance as a member of this group or would even like to help lead it, please contact Michael White at mwhite@tcgis.org.
• Modern Family: This group is designed to be a space for single parent, foster, and blended families to share experiences, build community and provide guidance to each other. If you are interested in becoming a member or even would like to lead this group, please contact Elizabeth Zehnpfennig at ezehnpfennig@tcgis.org.

This May, the community will elect three directors to the TCGIS School Board. Based on the current board composition and TCGIS bylaws, directors elected through the upcoming election must include at least one parent and at least one teacher. The third director can be a parent, a teacher, or a community member. Each will be elected to serve a three year term that begins in June. We seek any interested persons, especially those with experience in financial compliance, education, board governance, legal matters, management and leadership, and marketing and development. 

If you are interested in serving or would like to nominate someone to serve, all details and forms are available here. You do not need to be nominated to apply. All nominations and applications are due by April 10.

By serving on the School Board, YOU can help our school, strengthen connections within our community, and make important decisions that affect the future.

We still have some spots left for 2023 summer camps! Visit the Summer Camp website for more information.

Sign up for our spring sports and summer track-and-field April 1-30 on Infinite Campus (school store).

All middle schoolers are welcome to join our sports teams. Current 4th graders (as rising 5th graders) may also sign up for summer track-and-field.

Costs: $150, which includes USATF membership, meet fees, uniform rental

For more information, please check out our website and calendar.

With questions, please contact Athletic Director Tabisz.

The cross-country and track-and-field camps at the U of M will be on Sunday-Wednesday, July 9-12.

The XC and T&F camps are for athletes of 12-18 years of age, and the future stars camp starts with athletes at 5 years of age. We have had athletes participate in the cross-country and future stars camps in 2019, 2021 and 2022. Coach Tabisz attends each year, and Coach Kittok and Coach Albers have also attended in the past.

Please fill out our quick interest survey.

Finances should not be a factor in deciding to participate. With any questions, please contact Athletic Director Tabisz.

It’s time to plan for our community garden! For the 4th year, TCGIS will tend a plot in the D10 community garden near Snelling and Como Avenue. We plant around the end of May and donate produce throughout the summer to the Keystone Food Shelf. Right now we are looking for commitments to donate plants for the garden in May. Are you starting seedlings with your kids? Plant a seed for TCGIS! Or buy an extra plant from the PTO’s plant sale! Sign up to donate plants or materials here. Stay tuned for info to come on volunteering to plant, weed, harvest, and generally help the garden grow through the summer. Questions? Contact Julie Alkatout.

Did you know TCGIS built a dedicated mothers’ room in our recent building project? This is meant as a quiet space (Stillzimmer) to express milk while at work. We need to furnish this space and are seeking donations of a comfortable chair, mini fridge, and side table. Please sign up and we’ll contact you to discern if your item will work in our space. Danke!

Saturday, April 22 from 9-11:30am

Represent TCGIS at the upcoming Regional Parks Clean-Up Day at Como lake! On this day individuals and groups of all ages come together to pick up litter that has recently become exposed due to the melting snow. No registration is required; simply drop by the Como pavilion around 9am on April 22 to check in and pick up bags and gloves. Borrowed equipment should be returned by 11:30am.

There are free rapid antigen (Binax) tests available for families to use before, during, & after spring break! Please come to the office to pick up a box or two (each box contains 2 tests), or send an email to info@tcgis.org to have them sent home with your child(ren).

Our TCGIS used book fair will be on April 19 & 20 from 3-5 P.M. It is open to the public and will take place in the school atrium. Expect to find German books of all levels - from board books and first readers to novels and “vintage” books. There will be books in the English language, as well! All items are

sold on a donation basis, and credit card or cash is accepted. The funds raised benefit the TCGIS library.

Do you have books (in English or German) that you would like to donate to the fair? The school will be accepting donation drop-offs starting April 10. Donated materials must be free of mold, tears, or other damage. Contact Frau Zimmerman to coordinate a drop-off time.

With lots of families on vacation as we approach spring break, this is a quick reminder that make-up work is provided to students after they return from an absence, not in advance. The Family Handbook states, "Assignments will be given to the student upon their return. The student will have as many days as they were gone to turn in the completed work, with a week being the maximum time given." There is more information on page 15 of the handbook.

Finance & Facilities Meeting Tues., April 11 (date change) - 6:30PM; Zoom

Fundraising Meeting Wed., April 12 - 8:30AM; Google Meet

Governance Meeting Thur., April 13 - 4:30PM; Google Meet

Cmte of the Whole Wed., April 19 - 6:30PM

Board Meeting Thurs., April 27 - 6:30PM, Room 100; Zoom

Join Twin Cities German Immersion School at Allianz Field for when Minnesota United FC takes on 1. FC Kaiserslautern from Germany! 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!

• What: Minnesota United FC versus 1. FC Kaiserslautern
• When: Wednesday, June 28th at 7:30pm
• Where: Allianz Field, St. Paul

Tickets average $26, 29, 35 (depending on section). Click here to purchase your discounted tickets.

Tuesday, April 11, 2023

Ab aufs Eis! We had so much fun last time, we’re doing another German Community Hockey Night. The Wild go head to head with Jets. Admission includes a limited edition Wild-German scarf. Wear your German-related fan gear to show your German and MN Wild pride! 

Note: In order to join us for GAI-specific activities, tickets MUST be purchased through this link.

Thomas Brussig Book Reading Event

Saturday, April 15, 2023 - 4:30 PM

Thomas Brussig is the well-known author of satirical novels that deal with the German Democratic Republic during the late 70s and early 80s. His book, Am kürzeren Ende der Sonnenallee (The Short End of the Sonnenallee), has recently been translated into English. The event will include a dual-language book reading, follow by time for questions. The event is free but registration is requested. Register 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!

March 30 & 31: Parent/teacher conferences

March 31: No school

April 3-7: Spring Break

April 14: Kaffeeklatsch

April 19 & 20: Used Book Sale



TCGIS Google Calendar