Liebe TCGIS Gemeinschaft / Dear TCGIS Community, 

As our Spendenwoche, or Week of Giving, comes to a close on Give to the Max Day in Minnesota, I am feeling once again grateful for the great students, staff and families that make up TCGIS. TCGIS families' commitment to our school is truly einzigartig/unique. Your gifts made this week and throughout the year empower our supportive team of interns, sustain our incredible German library, and continue the development of our innovative curriculum–all of which makes our school einzigartig! 

Danke, TCGIS Gemeinschaft. Thank you, TCGIS community. Happy Give To the Max Day, and Happy Thanksgiving.  

Elizabeth Zehnpfennig, Executive Director

No School Next Week & Front Office Closed

This is a reminder that there is no school next week (November 25 - 29) for conferences.

Front Office Closed November 27-29

The TCGIS office will be closed Wednesday-Friday next week, from November 27-29. We will return on Monday December 2. You are still welcome to email info@tcgis.org and we will respond upon our return.

Parent/Guardian - Teacher Conferences Next Week!

Conference Dates:

• Monday, November 25, 4:00 PM - 7:30 PM
• Tuesday, November 26: 8:00 AM - 3:30 PM

Please click here for more information about the conferences.

Please Check Your Student for Lice During the Break

We still see lice in our classrooms, please use the break to check your child’s head. In case of lice treatment, continue checking the head and combing hair daily for 2 weeks. Repeated treatment may be necessary. If all nits within 1/4 inch of the scalp are not removed, some may hatch and the child will be infested again. It takes at least 2 weeks to get rid of head lice. Lice crawl and can fall off the head, they do not jump or fly. They spread:

• By head-to-head contact. 
• By sharing personal items that come in contact with the head (combs, brushes, hats, etc.).

Find more information on the leaflet by the Hennepin County Human Services and Public Health Department (HSPHD). 

Board Meeting Tonight!

This is a reminder that the TCGIS Board of Directors will meet tonight at 6:30 p.m. in Room 100. The Board will hear a special presentation from Special Education Director Tammy Stahl and Lead Special Education Coordinator Andrew Haugen as well as organizational updates from Executive Director Elizabeth Zehnpfennig. The Board will also take time to recognize the special contributions of staff and volunteers who have made a positive difference in our school over the past month. Click here to learn more.

The meeting will be held in TCGIS Room 100 starting at 6:30 p.m. The agenda and packet is available here. Remote viewing is available via Zoom.

Coffee with the Director - K-2 Tomorrow!

K-2 families are invited to join Coffee with the Director on November 22nd from 8-9 am! Director Zehnpfennig looks forward to meeting with families of Kindergarten through 2nd grade students to hear about your experiences at TCGIS. This is a great opportunity to share your thoughts, ask questions, and learn more about what the next 6-8 years will look like for your child. We will meet in the TCGIS foyer! To help reduce our environmental impact, please bring your own cup. Coffee will be provided. We hope to see you there! Space is limited - RSVP today!

Swag Store CLOSES tomorrow! Order your holiday gifts!

The TCGIS Swag store will close on November 22 and the items will arrive BEFORE winter break. Click here to order your TCGIS swag!

Playground Update & Input Request

The recent playground updates have positively impacted our students and community, and we look forward to Phase 3 in the spring. This phase involves removing the east-side playground and replacing it with Robinia wood equipment for a natural play space. We seek your feedback on which of two large movement equipment options to install. Please review the slide deck for more details and complete the short survey. Families, students, and staff are encouraged to respond by Tuesday, November 26. The playground task force will share the results in an upcoming Rundbrief. Thank you for your participation!

First Quarter School Pulse Survey 24-25

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 first eight weeks of the school year. Your feedback is invaluable.

For Sale During Conferences: Movies, Books, and Games - Oh My!

Nostalgic for those cozy Winter evenings of yore? Wondering if your kids know how to play "Mensch ärger dich nicht?" Want to fire up the ol' DVD player with the Familie? Pick up some books, DVDs and a game or two during Conferences (and support the Library)!

Check for Lost Items Before Conferences, We Will Donate Them After the Break

Here for the conferences?

A great time to check the ”Lost & Found” for items of your student. We would be happy if those are returned to their owner rather than donated. Last day before donation: November 26th.

Festival of Cultures Table Host Interest 

Are you interested in hosting a table at the TCGIS Festival of Cultures? Please complete this form.

Connection Issue in Pikmykid

Some parents have reported seeing an error message about a “connection issue” in the Pikmykid app. This seems to be due to using an outdated version of the app. Please click here for instructions to install the new version. Please email info@tcgis.org if you have any further issues/questions about using PMK.

Cell Phone Policy Up for Review

The Governance Committee will meet on 12/16 to discuss the Cell Phone Policy, including the feedback solicited from parents, staff, and students surrounding the answer to the question of "limited access" or "off and away" for cell phones throughout the school day. Feel free to join us at 4:30 pm on Google Meets. Email Emily Albers with questions.  

Public Academic Progress Report and Goal-Setting Meeting

All are welcome to join us for a public report on our progress toward the World’s Best Workforce goals set last year and engage in providing input for setting goals in goal areas outlined by the Comprehensive Achievement and Civic Readiness plan: 

• All children are ready for school.
• All racial and economic achievement gaps between students are closed.
• All students are ready for career and college.
• Prepare students to be lifelong learners.

We will meet in room 100 at 7:15 pm on 11/25 and in room 100 at 2:00 p.m. on 11/26 and begin with the progress report!

Thank You for Joining in the Generosity! 

Herzlichen Dank to everyone who participated in the Münzen Matter coin drive last week. TCGIS students raised an astonishing $2,389.82 to support their school–amazing! Special congratulations to Frau Stolzenbach’s class and Herr Graf’s advisory for bringing in the most coins by weight. Our generous school community also shared two overflowing boxes of winter gear and hygiene supplies with Joseph’s Coat. A big thank you to everyone who supported and participated in the coin drive, coat drive and hygiene supplies drive. Together, we do more!  

Parent Council Update November 2024

The TCGIS Parent Council is an all-volunteer, elected organization that facilitates communication between families and Twin Cities German Immersion staff, teachers, and administration. Parents and care-givers can contact your class representative directly, or email us if you have questions or items you would like the Parent Council to address.

We need your help! The Parent Council is currently looking for representatives at almost all grade levels. This year's individual class representatives are listed here as well as an overview of the most recent meeting. If you don’t see your childs’ class, we currently have a spot for you to fill! If you are interested, please reach out. Our next meeting will be December 9th.

LGBTQ2IA+ Affinity Group

TCGIS prides itself on being an inclusive, caring space for kiddos and parents in the queer, trans, and gender expansive community, where representation matters and our authentic selves are celebrated!

The LGBTQ2IA+ Affinity Group will be organizing social opportunities for parents and students to meet up and be a source of support for one another! We would love to have you join us!

If you are interested in being involved, please contact Jenn Kelly-Bauer.

Plant Sale Pick-Up! 

Did you order plants, wreaths, or gift cards from our Gertens fundraiser this fall? Don’t forget to pick up your order on Friday, November 22nd after school.

Showing Appreciation During the Holidays

We all love to show appreciation to the incredibly hard working teachers and staff at TCGIS. If you are looking for ideas - we have a resource for you! We’ve compiled a list of “favorite things” for each of them - from treats they enjoy, stores they shop, to classroom supplies they covet. We’ve also have their birthday information! Check out the list here. 

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!

Come and join the Mission Alignment Committee!

A new board committee is gearing up this school year and

is looking for motivated individuals to join us - everyone is an asset!

The committee’s work will be focused on how our mission tenets are at work throughout our school. We’ll meet every other month, during which we’ll hear from school leaders, explore areas of opportunity and gather stakeholder feedback in support of our amazing school. If this opportunity piques your interest, mark your calendar for our first meeting on Nov. 18 in room 99 at 6:30 p.m. and reach out to Anna Miller for more info. 

Represent TCGIS at MPLS School Finder Fair

The Comm and Outreach Team is looking for volunteers to go with them and represent TCGIS at the MPLS School Finder Fair at MPLS College. Folks that speak languages such as Spanish and Somali are especially helpful! Jan. 11 from 10-2 Click here to sign up if you can help.

Upcoming School Board & Committee Meetings

Nov. Board Meeting: Tonight! at 6:30 p.m. in Room 100/Zoom

Finance Committee Meeting: Tuesday, December 3 at 6:30pm on Zoom

Fundraising Committee Meeting: Tuesday, December 10 at 12pm on Meets

Governance Committee Meeting: Monday, December 16 at 4:30pm on Meets

Kinderstube: Current Openings, Open Haus & 25-26 Registration

Kinderstube German Immersion Preschool welcomes younger TCGIS siblings and their families to learn more about our school! We serve children 33 months to 5 years.

• Current openings: limited part- and full-time openings at our St. Paul and Minneapolis locations!
• Open Haus in St. Paul: Sun, 12/8, 10 am - 12 pm during Christmas in Germany
• Open Haus in Minneapolis: Sat, 1/18/25, 10 am - 12 pm at Mayflower Church
• Registration for new families on our Interest Form: Jan 15-31, then open to the public
• In addition to our scheduled Open Haus events, we are happy to schedule individual tours. Reach out to preschool@gaimn.org with any questions!

Nov 21 - Board Meeting

Nov 22 - Coffee with the Director (K-2)

Nov 22 - Swag Sales Close

Nov 22 - PTO Plant Sale Pickup

Nov 25 - No School PD Day

Nov 26 - Conferences

Nov 27 - 29 No School



TCGIS Google Calendar