The IRT tracks COVID cases in this dashboard which will be shared weekly.

As many families are traveling over spring break, we highly recommend that your students mask at school the week following and/or until they receive results from our Tuesday Zepto PCR testing event or are tested on your own. We strongly encourage families to test with a PCR after any traveling, but especially if you are traveling to areas with Medium or High transmission rates: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/covid-by-county.html

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.

Ramadan begins this weekend, and lasts until approximately May 2. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and is considered one of the holiest months.

Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam, meaning no food or water from dawn to dusk. If your student is fasting and would like a room other than the cafeteria to sit in during their lunch, please contact Frau Zimmerman.

From April 15-May 15 we will host the exhibit Transfer of Memory in the school atrium. The exhibit is a series of beautiful, full-color portraits of Holocaust survivors from Minnesota, set in their own homes, with brief texts. As described on the exhibit website, "these images focus on life and hope,” offering “constant reminders about the value of freedom and the enduring human spirit." 

On Wednesday evening, April 27, TCGIS will host a special evening in connection with the exhibit. The evening will be family-friendly and appropriate for all ages, with an emphasis on honoring past generations, and on tolerance, openness to others, and finding common bonds. 

6:00 pm--Doors open for the exhibit. 

6:30 pm-- short program with introduction by Dr. Christensen and remarks from Steve Hunegs, Executive Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council, and David Sherman, the photographer who created the portraits in the exhibit.

6:45 pm--screening of the animated short film, The Tattooed Torah, intended for young viewers. 

7:30 pm--event concludes

Sunday, May 1, 4-6pm - Transfer of Memory exhibit open to the public

Thursday, May 5, 6:30 pm at TCGIS-- Heidi Schneider from the Jewish Community Resource Center will speak on Jewish life. This event will be interactive, with beautiful cultural artifacts to see and touch, and appropriate for all ages.

By serving on the School Board, YOU can help our school, strengthen connections within our community, and make important decisions that affect the future. The work of the Board ensures that TCGIS provides a meaningful education and experience for all students. The Board represents the entire TCGIS community, and individuals from traditionally underrepresented groups such as BIPOC, LGBTQ, and families with neuro-diversity are especially encouraged to apply.

This year, the community will elect four parent board members to each serve a three year term. 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. If you have questions or want to talk to a current board member about the role, responsibilities, and expectations, feel free to contact any of the current Board members. Send your nominations or applications to Emily Albers at ealbers@tcgis.org and/or governance@tcgis.org.

Please remember to vacate the playground at 3:30 when Kinderclub uses it for their programming. The playground is open to the public again at 6:00 pm. Families are welcome to move to Chatsworth Park to continue hanging out after the playground is closed.

In honor of World Book Day on April 23, our school will be having a Dress Up Like Your Favorite Book Character Day on Friday, April 22nd. Students and staff are invited to dress up like a character from one of their favorite books. There will be a photo booth in the library where students can come in throughout the day to have their picture taken and enter their name in a drawing to win a prize!

Looking for costume ideas? Browse some ideas and tutorials here and here. We are also offering two costume workshops for students to make their own costume. The first is after school on Wednesday, April 20, for Kinderclub students. The second is Thursday, April 21st from 3:30-5:30 PM and is for student AND parent/guardian. TCGIS will provide costume ideas and materials for students. Two sign-up forms will be in next week's Rundbrief: one for parens/guardians interested in helping with the workshops, the other for the student/guardian workshop on April 21.

Mark your calendar - our used book fair will be on April 21 and 22! Our two-day fair will be from 3-5pm and includes books in any language, from children's books to adult. We are looking for parent volunteers to help out both days. We are also asking for two gift basket donations which will be raffled off. Please contact Mary Zimmerman by April 15 if you're interested in volunteering and/or donating an Earth Day-themed or reading-themed basket.

Have books you'd like to donate to the fair? We are accepting donations until April 19th. Please contact Mary Zimmerman to arrange a drop-off time.

Summer Camp still has availability for most 3rd-6th Grades Camps. Camp will only run if a minimum of 10 students are signed up. Available Camps are:

Track Athletes, Camp Rocks, Under the Circus Tent, Painting with Water Colors, Explore Science, Soccer Camp, Fort Building and Fun with Numbers.

You can find Camp Descriptions and Staff Bios here. Sign up is through Popsicle.

Our spring plant sale is going on now! Get your spring and summer garden planned out. Happening here! Store ID for TCGIS is 550.

Do you have season tickets for a sports team or playhouse? Do you own or work for a company that has something you can donate or put together and super cool basket? Want to be awesome and donate to our Maskenball Silent Auction? Money raised will be going towards Playground upgrades.

Please email us. Maskenball tickets are live! Join us for an a great night out! Get your tickets here.

Minnesota United will host TCGIS on June 11 as they take on Germany’s 2nd division team SC Paderborn. We currently have 6 tickets remaining at a discount price of $32. Another 30 tickets are available at $46. We’re excited to organize this again for our community!

What: Minnesota United FC versus SC Paderborn

When: Saturday June 11th at 7pm

Where: Allianz Field, St. Paul

Click here to purchase your tickets.

There are now 60 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. We will share the link to the unlisted Google map with those who have opted in (through the form).

$20 GAI members/$25 non-members

Order here by Sunday, April 24

Pick up Saturday, April 30, from 1–3 PM

Feed your Pork & Kraut cravings with our annual dinner, again available for curbside pick up. Prepared in-Haus, your meal will include a smoked pork chop, Helga’s secret recipe sauerkraut, sweet and sour green beans, boiled potatoes, Apfelstreuselkuchen, and a can of Paulaner beer! Order ahead, then pick up your Pork & Kraut dinner at the GAI Haus and warm it up at home. Guten Appetit!

Kinderstube German Immersion Preschool is enrolling for fall at its Minneapolis location -- less than a 20 minute drive from TCGIS! We welcome younger siblings to join our preschool. Through daily play, music education, art and science exploration, as well as outdoor play time, Kinderstube students are exposed to all the concepts of early childhood education--while learning German! No language experience from the child or family is needed. Learn more about 2022-2023 enrollment here.

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.

March 31: School Board Meeting

April 4-8: Spring Break

April 13: Modern Families Think Tank

April 21: Student & Guardian costume workshop

April 21 & 22: Used book fair

April 22: Dress up like your favorite book character day

April 30: Maskenball