TCGIS is closed next week for Fall Break: October 18-22, 2021.

Thank you for understanding that our staff will not be checking email during the break. We wish our students, staff, and families a wonderful and well-deserved break.

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

If you would like your student to participate in onsite testing after Fall Break we will need a signed parent consent form and a completed registration form (without these completed forms, your student will not be tested). Students whose forms are received by each Friday will be able to be tested the following Tuesday. If you would like your child to be tested right after fall break, on Tuesday, Oct. 26, we need your form by tomorrow, Friday, Oct. 15. For other questions about the testing, please see this FAQ.

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:

Join us for the return of our annual TCGIS Martinstag tradition! On Martinstag we celebrate the light and warmth of giving to others. We foster a sense of community, kindness, and belonging.

Middle school students will perform a short reenactment of the legend of Sankt Martin and the TCGIS band will share a song, all followed by a Laternenumzug—lantern parade (Danke, Frau Lenburg!) through the neighborhood. In elementary drama, students will get to know the songs of Martinstag, and all participants will receive simple sheet music to learn and sing along. Find links below to learn and practice ahead of time, as well!

This is an optional masked outdoor event to be followed by treats and warm drinks from our Capstone Cafe. This is a wonderful event to invite grandparents, neighbors and friends to join you.Wir freuen uns auf Euch!

November 4th, 2021 5:30pm: Meeting on the TCGIS playground

Martingstag Songs: Laterne, Laterne (text with music), Ich geh’ mit meiner Laterne

Conferences this year will be held virtually via Zoom for ALL families. We will send a Constant Contact email with sign-up information on Wednesday, Oct. 20th at 8pm CST (when the window opens); sign-up runs through Nov. 3rd, 8pm CST. Please contact info@tcgis.org with questions.

Our Fall universal screening for all students will take place Monday, October 25th - Thursday, November 4th. Universal screening is an important part of our multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) framework at TCGIS. It allows us to identify students who are on-track to meet grade-level standards in reading and math, and students who may need some additional support to meet grade-level goals by the end of the year.

Students in every grade level participate in at least one assessment so that we can learn more about their current skills and knowledge. Teachers will also complete social emotional rating scales (SRSS IE) for students in all grades. Click here for a brief summary by grade level.

These are assessments that have been used in the past with TCGIS students. Results are essential for making sound decisions about who needs extra support to reach grade-level standards. Furthermore, these assessments fulfill compliance requirements by both our authorizer, the University of St. Thomas, and the State of Minnesota.

We encourage you to check out a resource we have developed to answer frequently asked questions regarding the universal screening process here.

The TCGIS Screening Team

Votes have been tallied and the first meeting is on the books! Thank you to everyone who voted in the Parent Council election! Find the results of your class representative here.  

The first 2021-22 Parent Council meeting was Monday, Oct. 11th at 6:30 p.m. Please click here to see the meeting details. Please email the parent council if you are interested in volunteering to represent any of the classes who do not have a representative, or if you have anything you’d like to notify the Parent Council of or address.

Links to sign up can be found on our website. Any questions about tours can be sent to enrollment@tcgis.org.

TCGIS's Curriculum Advisory Committee (CAC) is hosting a public input session on the TCGIS's progress toward Minnesota's statewide achievement goals:

• All children are ready for school.

• All third-graders can read at grade level.

• All racial and economic achievement gaps between students are closed.

• All students are ready for career and college.

Please join the CAC to review progress over the past year and plans for the current school year and beyond to drive student achievement and readiness for the next steps in their education journeys. The meeting will be held by Zoom on Wednesday, November 3 at 7pm. As this is a public input session, questions and discussion are welcome and encouraged.

We are still accepting donations for the Auction! Submissions are low and we need your help! We always love to see what this creative community puts forth. Baked goods, crafts, themed baskets, gift cards, tea tastings, and movie nights - the ideas are endless! Did you hone a new skill during COVID and want to share or teach people? We want to see that! The deadline is this Sunday, October 17th.

On October 30th, back by popular demand, our PTO is proud to present: Trick or Treat! We're giving you a safe and fun afternoon trick-or-treating party during these tricky times so nobody needs to miss out on the spooky fun or treats. Sign up for a time slot ASAP to book your favorite option, because we will we spacing families out for everyone's safety. Join us for trick or treating, food trucks, a DJ and a huge community of awesomeness!

Do you have any empty yogurt containers you can donate to the Middle School Art Room? Frau Henry is looking for ones that are around 32oz. Students can drop them off in room 314! Danke!

Our “lost and found" is filling up! Please remind your student to come and pick up missing items from the "lost and found" and feel free to come look through it. It is located on the bottom of the staircase inside the West Entrance. We will donate all items after 4:00 p.m. Friday to keep our “lost and found” organized and make it easier to find items.

Buy the 2021/2022 Yearbook now for $20! Order here.

Want to buy a yearbook ad for your 8th grader? You can do that here!

Last Wednesday some of our 7th and 8th graders met a German student via Zoom. Daniel, who studies in Greifswald, a city in the northeastern part of Germany, chatted with our students for 50 minutes and told them what studying in Germany is like. The students asked many questions and were surprised to find out that Daniel is a fan of the Milwaukee Bucks even though he has never been to the US. They not only had good conversations with Daniel about sports, but also about tuition fees and health insurance.

Even though our students meet Germans every day, it was a fun experience for our 7th and 8th graders! Daniel’s visit was part of the Fulbright Program “Meet a German.” We hope to welcome Daniel into our classroom again someday - hopefully not only via Zoom!

October 29th is the last day to apply to be a library student ambassador. This is a chance to earn a volunteer badge (Abzeichen). Students will help with library projects and have an end-of-the year party in the library. If interested in volunteering, please fill out this application form by October 29th. Ambassadors will start the first week of November.

TCGIS is looking for an assistant coach for our Indoor Track-and-Field Team, preferably with experience in jumping and/or sprinting. All middle schoolers participate in the same team. Compensation is $1000 per season.

The season starts at the beginning of December and runs through early March.

Practices are on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays with five Sunday meets throughout the season.

Coaching duties and requirements:

Previous experience in coaching is preferred but not required. If you are interested, please contact Chris Tabisz by FRIDAY, October 29, to set up a time to talk further. Coaching job preference will be given to the most qualified individual.

Registration for TCGIS winter sports will be open on Popsicle until October 15, and the season begins on Monday, November 29. All middle schoolers are welcome to sign up. TCGIS athletic calendars are designed so that students may participate in more than one sport per season. 

*Finances should not be a factor in deciding to participate in TCGIS athletic teams. If finances are a concern, please contact Coach Tabisz BEFORE registering because payment is required at the time of registration.

With questions, please contact Athletic Coordinator Chris Tabisz and Intramural Coordinator Kevin Tocko.

Nicholas Pawlowski is a storyteller, born of an Austrian mother and Polish father. Join us as he tells the story Vom Wunderschimmel (The Wonder Horse), from a collection of old fairy tales edited by the Austrian storyteller Helmut Wittmann. The story is brought to life through interactive dance, drawing and discussion. The event is geared toward families with children ages 5–12, but all ages are welcome!

Cost: Free, but registration is requested.

NOTE: This event will be held outside and will be cancelled in case of rain or inclement weather.

Join us for a family-friendly night of film and drinks at Summit Brewing. Visit with friends and enjoy happy hour from 5–7 p.m., then settle in to watch the movie, Der ganz große Traum (Lessons of a Dream), auf Deutsch (with English subtitles). The film features German star Daniel Bruehl as an English teacher who brings soccer to Germany in the late 19th century by teaching it to his class. Barbecue and ice cream food trucks will be on site. Tickets are $5 and Summit beer will be for sale. Get your tickets here.

Young people today have many more options for studying in Germany beyond traditional exchange programs. Those interested in studying in Germany can learn about visa requirements, the application process, health insurance, and other logistics. We will also present pathways such as the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange vocational scholarship and new university programs for non-German speakers. Partners include Wunderbar Together, Goethe-Institut Washington DC and Chicago, Nacel Open Door. For families with upper middle school to high school students. The event is free, but pre-registration is required.

Explore scary stories for all ages including written works and video stories that are quickly watched but leave a lasting impression. In this 4-week course, we will explore the realm of the eerie and practice German along the way! Register 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.

October 15: Winter Sports Registration Closes

October 18-22: Fall Break

October 25: Prospective Family Tour (in-person)

October 27: Early Release

October 30: PTO Trick-or-Treat Event

November 3: Curriculum Advisory Committee Public Input Session

November 4: Martinstag Celebration

November 5: No School