Liebe TCGIS Gemeinschaft / Dear TCGIS Community, 

We have made it to the part of the year where students

-and staff!- start counting the days. Today it’s 13 in case you didn’t know! The weather is getting warmer, the field trips are coming up and the special end of year activities are on the horizon. With that comes an increase in excitement and a tendency to push boundaries on expectations. Our teachers continue to tow the line on these expectations while reminding and reteaching. In addition, today’s principal’s message is an encouragement to parents to have a talk with your child about expectations at school running up to the very end. 

The end of the school year can be difficult for our littles as their routine will change. Some suggestions to elementary parents on how to help with the end of the year are: 

• Create a countdown until the end of the year
• Celebrate the accomplishments and the hard work they have put in and talk about a fun end of the year activity to look forward to
• Continue with all of your normal routines
• Begin to make a summer activity list or reading list
• Start talking about the grade they will be in next year

To our middle school parents: All of the above are still great for your kiddo! We have also seen middle school behavior change in the last few weeks including an increase in teachers requesting students to put phones away. We have a No Phones Policy (Family Handbook, pg. 31) in our middle school, unless teachers authorize them for student projects. A parent reminder to a student can be a big help.  

Thanks for partnering with us as we move closer to the end of the 2023-2024 school year!

Elizabeth Zehnpfennig, Principal

Help TCGIS Close the Gap!

We have received $2,000 in gifts since Sunday! Vielen Dank!! We are now about $34,000 shy of our annual goal.

Did you know that if each one of our families gave $110 to the annual fund, that we would reach our goal? Now's the time to see if your employer will match your donation, or if supportive grandparents and loved ones can help us reach our goal of $110,000 by June 30th.

Thank you for considering ways you can help us close the gap! Ready to make your gift? Click here. Herzlichen Dank!

2024 School Board Election Ends on Tuesday. Please VOTE!

On Monday, May 20th, at 12:15pm, an electronic ballot for this year’s school board election was emailed to all eligible voters who have an email on file with the school. All parents and legal guardians of children enrolled in the school and all TCGIS staff are eligible to vote. If you are an eligible voter and wish to vote but did not receive a ballot, please contact the front office or email Nicole Crashell. The voting deadline is next Tuesday, May 28th, at 3:30pm. Applications from Jens Lindner (parent) and Anna Miller (teacher) are available here. 

School Board Searching for Community Board Member

TCGIS is still seeking community members with an interest in serving on our school board. A “community member” is a Minnesota resident who does not work at TCGIS, is not the parent/guardian of any child enrolled at TCGIS, is not an immediate family member of a TCGIS employee or board member, and is not involved in evaluating the school on behalf of our authorizer, the University of St. Thomas. If you know a community member who is interested in serving on the TCGIS board, please reach out to Director Hartman.

TCGIS Swag for Sale on the Playground Today at 3:15!

We will be selling TCGIS Swag at walking pick up from 3:15 - 3:30 p.m. Thursday, May 23rd. We will be selling t-shirts, car magnets, coffee tumblers, window clings, our NEW yard signs, and the remaining "Alle sind herzlich willkommen" yard signs!

Stop by today only to receive one of our new yard signs for FREE!!

P.S. Did you know that you can order TCGIS Swag anytime in the Infinite Campus school store and it will be ready for you in the Front Office?

Required Annual Update in Infinite Campus - Due Tomorrow!

To prepare for the 2024-2025 school year, all families are required to fill out the Annual Update in Infinite Campus by Friday, May 24. You will be asked to verify your contact details and your child(ren)’s health information. If this form is not received, your child(ren) will not be allowed to participate in classroom neighborhood walks in the fall, and your middle school student(s) will not be issued a Chromebook. Click here for instructionsto complete the Annual Update. Emailinfo@tcgis.orgwith any questions.

Return Your Library Books!

Starting on May 20th we expect students to return all their books. Please let the library team know if you can no longer find a TCGIS library book. 

Thank you for helping to keep our library a space with many books to choose from.

Beach Themed Middle School Dance - Next Friday!

Let's celebrate the Class of 2024 and summer with the last middle school dance of the year on May 31st! DJ Erwin will bring his show once again! The theme is beach! Purchase tickets online in the school store under "Field Trips." 

• 5th/6th Dance is 6:00-7:15 p.m. 
• 7th/8th Dance is 7:30-9:00 p.m.

Last Day to Check the Lost & Found - June 12 at 1 pm

Last day to check the Lost and Found is the last day of school at 1 pm! After this time ALL items in the lost and found will be donated.

Kinderclub Returning Family Survey (2024-25)

Please fill out this survey if you are planning to use Kinderclub AGAIN during the 2024-25 school year. This is for RETURNING Kinderclub families only! Thank you!

Playground Task Force: Progress Update

The task force has been meeting weekly to develop plans for updating the school playground in stages, beginning this summer. In March, the school community provided input via a survey: view results here. Student Council members outlined their suggestions in a presentation. Student Council members met with the task force and another meeting is planned once designs are ready for review. These students have done a great job becoming proactive in making positive changes at the school. Thank you to everyone who provided ideas and feedback – this will influence decisions on equipment and design/layout of the outdoor play space.

Don’t Forget to Buy a Yearbook

Haven’t bought a yearbook yet? You still have time! Our yearbook is only $25! Go to jostens.com now and purchase a 2024 TCGIS yearbook! 

Registration for TCGIS Fall Sports is OPEN!

Sign up for our fall sports on May 15-31 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 May 31.

Cross-Country will start on Monday, August 5 and go through early November. Soccer will begin the first week of school at the end of August and continue through early November. Math Team will begin in mid-September and go until February 2025.

Weekly update emails from the coaches will start up 1-2 weeks before the start of the season. For more information, please check out our fall sports slideshow.

With questions, please contact Athletic Director Tabisz.

BIPOC Affinity Group Potluck Picnic Sign Up

Our 10th and final event of the 23-24 school year is on June 8, 11am -1 at the Como playground. Please sign up to bring a dish! Not familiar with this affinity group? This group organizes fun gatherings to foster community and positive relationships among TCGIS BIPOC community members, make connections and increase a sense of belonging for BIPOC students, families, and staff. We hope you will join the fun!

Parent Council May 2024 Update

Click here for the Parent Council update and minutes from May 2024.

The end of the school year is coming and many people like to show their appreciation with a gift of sorts for staff. You can use this list. Not every staff member has filled it out, but hopefully this will help somewhat. 

We're still looking for some people to fill out the Executive Team next year. Roles are small, low commitment, and super fun. We work as a team to make the magic happen. If the roles aren't filled we are unable to commit to our normal fun events and support. We need you to help us out! The more on the Board, the easier and more fun it is for all of us. 

We are currently looking for Fundraising, Communications, and Staff Appreciation chairs. Please email us with any questions. We'd love to hear from you.  

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!

Volunteer at Youth Pride

Minnesota School Outreach Coalition’s Youth Pride is an annual event for LGBTQIA+ school-aged people! TCGIS was at this event last year and it was a huge success. We are excited to have a booth at this fun event again, and now it's time to organize volunteers to help out! Sign-up for a two-hour slot between the hours of 12:30-6:30PM on June 1. Advisors for our students' GSA group will be there with planned activities. Please sign up here if you are interested.

Volunteer at the TCGIS Table at Deutsche Tage

TCGIS is looking for staff, parents, and community members to help represent us at the GAI's Deutsche Tage on Saturday, June 8 and Sunday, June 9. Anyone is welcome to volunteer at our tent! Invite a friend to volunteer with you or use this opportunity to meet someone new in our community! Click here to volunteer.

A Reminder About Public Comment

Every monthly business meeting of the board of directors provides the opportunity for public comment. As a reminder, public comment will be held during the May 28 regular business meeting. Please sign up for public comment here. Comments will be limited to 2 minutes. Please be advised that no identifiable information about individual staff members or students should be shared in public comment. Due to Minnesota data privacy laws, the Board can entertain no oral comments about individual personnel matters, negotiation matters, business contracts, or real estate transactions. Such matters should be addressed to the Board in writing. For more information, please refer to TCGIS School Policy 206: Public Participation at School Board Meetings.

May Board Meeting: Tue., May 28 - 6:30PM; Room 100/Zoom

Special Board Meeting: Wed., May 29 - 6:30PM; Room 100/Zoom

Cmte of the Whole Meeting: Thurs., June 13 - 6:30PM; Room 310

Governance Meeting: Mon., June 17 - 4:30PM; Google Meet 

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

Deutsche Tage (German Days)

Saturday, June 8 | 11 AM to 9 PM

Sunday, June 9 | 11 AM to 5 PM

One of St. Paul’s longest-running ethnic festivals, the family-friendly event takes place on the grounds of the Germanic-American Institute. To celebrate the GAI’s 30th anniversary as the non-profit for Germanic language and cultural studies in the state of Minnesota, the event features authentic German and European food fare, Paulaner beer, music and traditional dance and fun for the whole family. Click here to see the entertainment schedule.

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!

There are no reminders at this time.

May 23 - TCGIS Spiritwear for purchase at Walking Pick-up

May 24 - No School / PD Day

May 27 - No School / Memorial Day

May 28 - Board Meeting

May 29 - Special Board Meeting

May 31 - Middle School Dance



TCGIS Google Calendar