ISSUE 634/October 2, 2025 | | Message from the Executive Director | | |
Liebe TCGIS Gemeinschaft,
Today, TCGIS received a generous donation from our incredible PTO! Thanks to their efforts, every student will receive a science kit - what an amazing gift to our school community. Additional gifts to the science kit fund this week will allow us to buy replacement science materials as we go through beakers, pipettes and other gear.
We’re so grateful for the strong support from our parent volunteers. Families choose TCGIS for its commitment to high-quality education and a global perspective that lasts a lifetime.
Want to join the PTO and get in on the fun? Email tcgispto@gmail.com!
P.S. The PTO Auction is coming soon! Help make it a success by donating baked goods, gift baskets, or gatherings here!
Elizabeth Zehnpfennig
TCGIS Executive Director
| | Will you have a NEW student in 2026-2027? | | Enrollment for the 2026-2027 school year is now open! If you have a NEW student who will attend TCGIS in the 2026-2027 school year, please submit an application for admission online or by mailing a paper application. The enrollment window is open until the deadline on January 30, 2026. Siblings of currently-attending TCGIS students receive sibling preference for enrollment; for more information about TCGIS' enrollment process, please visit our enrollment webpage. Please direct any questions to enrollment@tcgis.org. Currently-enrolled students do not need to reapply. | | Opt-In Family Contact List | In order to facilitate communication between families such as playdates or birthdays we offer an opt-in family contact list by grade level. Eltern Kontakte (parent contacts, or EK's) for each grade maintain their lists and parents are welcome to add or edit their information throughout the school year. Parents are not obliged to share contact information at all, and if you choose to share your contact information, you may freely decide which details to include. Please enter only those contact details that you would like to share with other parents in your student's GRADE. Please complete this form one time for EACH child of yours at TCGIS. This will ensure that each of your children appear on their respective grade list. | |
The READ Act requires mandatory screening of every child in kindergarten, first, second, and third grade, including multilingual learners and students receiving special education services, using a screening tool approved by the Department of Education. The screenings must be administered twice per year, within the first and last six weeks of school, to measure foundational reading skills, including phonemic awareness, phonics, decoding, fluency, oral language, and for characteristics of dyslexia.
While TCGIS does not formally diagnose dyslexia, we do actively monitor student performance and screen for reading concerns and symptoms of dyslexia that would indicate a need for supplemental instruction, alternative learning methods, or specialized instructional services.This fall, TCGIS will be administering a gated dyslexia screener. Students who do not meet benchmark for Words Correct Per Minute in Oral Reading Fluency are administered the Nonsense Words subtest. Students who are below 95% on Accuracy in ORF are administered the Nonsense Words subtest. Results of that screener will be shared with families. We encourage families to check out this resource from MN Dept. of Education.
| |
|
Wear ORANGE on October 22! Unity Day, started by PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center in October 2011, is the signature event of National Bullying Prevention Month. This is a day when we can come together to send a visible message of building commUNITY through kindness, acceptance, and inclusion. The call to action is simple: wear and share the color orange. This vibrant statement becomes a conversation starter, showing support for students who have been bullied and for bullying prevention. Official Unity Day orange t-shirts can be purchased here.
| Introducing Library Go! Free Virtual Library Card! | |
TCGIS is partnering with Saint Paul Public Library's virtual library card program! Students should receive their cards by the end of October. Read more here.
| |
Did your student lose their glasses at TCGIS? If so, please email info@tcgis.org, because we likely have them!
| | St. Paul Monopoly - Get Your Game Today! | |
Did you know that TCGIS is featured in the St. Paul Edition of Monopoly? We are excited to offer this special edition game to our community for only $30, which is less than any other seller in the Twin Cities or online. This unique game makes a wonderful holiday gift for kids, relatives, interns, and TCGIS faculty and staff.
Games are available for purchase on the Infinite Campus School Store or by emailing Paige Yurczyk. Supplies are limited, so order today!
| Registration OPEN for Basketball, Indoor Track-and-Field & Nordic Ski! | |
Sign up for our winter sports on October 1-15 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 October 15.
Our winter sports will begin just before or after Thanksgiving. Basketball will go until mid/late February, and Nordic Ski and Indoor Track-and-Field will have practices and competitions through early March. 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 winter sports slideshow. If you have any questions, please email Athletic Director Tabisz.
| Running on TC Marathon Weekend? | |
If you are racing and would like to share your bib number with the school community, please send your name and bib number to Coach Tabisz.
It would be great to see our TCGIS community out cheering along this very exciting race. We have TCGIS staff, parents, guardians and friends racing this weekend. Check out our list and cheer them on!
| | Strudel is Back – Order Now! | |
Delicious, frozen & ready-to-bake strudel from Ruhland’s Strudel Haus — sweet or savory! Perfect for gatherings (serves 5–10).
- Order now
- 30% goes directly to Teacher Appreciation Week!
- Pickup at school: Friday, Nov. 21 (with strudel)
| Holiday Wreaths & Poinsettias | |
Shop festive plants from Gertens, a local favorite! Beautiful gifts + a portion of sales supports TCGIS teachers.
- Order here
- Use Store ID: 550
- Pickup at school: Friday, Nov. 21 (with plants)
| Fall Auction: Donate by Oct. 20! | |
Got a cool idea, talent, or item to share? Help make our Oct 23–26 auction unforgettable. Baked goods, handmade gifts, events — all welcome!
| Thank You for Funding Science Kits! | |
Huge thanks to our amazing science sponsors! Rae Johnson, the Ottoman family, the Klinkert/Graham family, Oriana Rabe on behalf of Allison and Caroline Leishman, anonymous donor family, the Barnes family, the Gardner family, the Patel family, Ann and Al Dohm and anonymous donor family.
Additional gifts to the science kit fund this week will allow us to buy replacement science materials as we go through beakers, pipettes and other gear.
| Join Us for the 6th Annual TCGIS Trick-or-Treat Party! | |
Our PTO is thrilled to host this beloved community event on Saturday, October 25th, from 4–6 PM at TCGIS.
Two ways to join the fun:
-
Trick-or-Treaters: Sign up so we know how much candy to bring. Bring the whole family in costume!
-
Table Hosts: Set up a table, decorate it, and hand out candy to our cutest ghouls and goblins.
-
Middle School Challenge: Middle schoolers (and friends!) can host a table together—the best-decorated table wins an epic Bluetooth speaker!
Don’t miss this spooky-fun night with the whole TCGIS community.
| | 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! | | Have you ever considered volunteering? Do you want to help TCGIS to thrive? Our PTO wants awesome parent volunteers to join us this year and to hold board positions next year. Email us at tcgispto@gmail.com and we can meet up for coffee and talk. | | Donations Needed: Cereal Boxes and Oatmeal Containers | | |
Frau Lenburg is gathering empty cereal boxes and round oatmeal containers for K–3 lantern-making in art class, and volunteers are welcome to help with at-home cutting in October. Reach out to Frau Lenburg if you are interested in helping.
| | Volunteer as an Elternkontakt (EK) this Year | | |
Elternkontakte (parent contacts), or EKs, are parent volunteers who provide an additional communication channel between the teacher(s) and the parents in their child(ren)'s homeroom/grade.
Each homeroom and grade-level have 1-3 EKs who work together to support the class or grade-level teachers, connect parents with each other and help strengthen our community. Managing the voluntary grade-level Family Contact List is also an important part of the EKs role.
Much of this fun volunteer position can be done remotely since it primarily consists of communicating via email. If you're interested in volunteering as an EK this year, please fill out this brief form.
| |
School Board (Schulvorstand) Announcements
| | Upcoming School Board & Committee Meetings | | The GAI Presents: In Good Company | | |
In Good Company is a one-of-a-kind theatrical walking performance in St. Paul. Starting at the Germanic-American Institute, you’ll journey to Raspberry Island with live music, dance, and theater, then return for a shared meal of soup and bread. Created by Chicago’s Theatre Y with the Goethe-Institut and Rimini Protokoll, this national project invites us to walk, reflect, and imagine together. Featuring local performers and community partners, it’s an evening of art, connection, and possibility.
| | St. Paul FSC Open House and Learn to Skate Lessons | |
St. Paul FSC’s Preschool Skate class is designed to help the preschool-age* skater develop preliminary coordination and strength to maneuver on the ice. This class will teach fundamental skating skills to preschoolers, so skaters feel comfortable and become independent on the ice. Classes are 30 minutes in length.
| German Tutoring Services (all levels) | | |
My name is Agnes Hill, I’m a German native speaker born and raised in Germany. I have been living in the USA for the last 20 years and I’m bilingual in English and high German (“hochdeutsch”).
Services available:
- Classic way of textbook, grammar book, exercises, etc.
- Comprehensible way: "Natural language learning method”, slow and clear speech according to student’s level, use of interesting stories and games
- Conversation practice
- Formal letter writing, resume for Germany
- Preparation for trips to Germany
- Tutoring services in English, French, Russian and Latin also available
All lessons are custom lessons according to goals/requirements. I offer free 30-minute consultation to determine language level, goals, learning material used/required, preferred ways of learning and studying. Lessons can be via phone or video online (several ways available).
For more information or to set up a free consultation contact Agnes.
| |
October 13-17 - Fall Break | | | | | |
