ISSUE 474 / October 27, 2021 |
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Greetings from the Executive Director |
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Liebe TCGIS Gemeinschaft! Dear TCGIS community,
I hope fall break was restful and restorative for all.
Deans White and Zehnpfennig and I are busily engaged this time of year with our first of three rounds of teacher observations. Although these are mandated by the Minnesota Department of Education, they are also a wonderful opportunity for dialogue between the administration and our dedicated teachers and a window into their skilled, creative work with our students. I encourage you to take a moment to reach out to your child’s/children’s teacher(s), if you haven’t lately, and thank them for some specific way they have impacted your lives for the good.
herzlich,
Kirsten Christensen
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Incident Response Team (IRT) |
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The IRT tracks COVID cases in this dashboard which will be shared weekly. |
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No More Full Class Quarantines for Grades K-2 |
After sending out a survey to K-2 teachers and families, we have decided to move away from full class quarantines. TCGIS's School Board approved the change to our Safe Return to In-Person Learning plan and it went into effect after we implemented it. View the powerpoint here or watch the presentation on the board recording.
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COVID-19 Vaccine for Children 5-11 Years Old |
On Tuesday, Oct. 26, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Advisory Committee voted to recommend the use of the Pfizer vaccine in children ages 5-11 years old. The state is waiting on FDA’s official authorization of the Pfizer vaccine for use in this age group, as well as recommendations from CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to provide the authorization that doctors and other health care providers need before they start vaccinating. We will share more information soon on when children 5-11 years old can start getting vaccinated.
The state has built a strong network of providers—including pharmacies, health care systems, clinics, local public health and tribal health agencies, school clinics, and state-run community clinics—that can begin vaccinating eligible children once final eligibility recommendations are issued by the federal government next week.
Once CDC has authorized the vaccine for 5-11-year-olds and your child is eligible, Minnesota families can:
- Check with their pediatrician or family medicine clinic about appointments;
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Visit Find Vaccine Locations to locate and contact providers near them;
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Visit vaccines.gov to find pharmacies offering pediatric vaccinations; or
- Look to your local school district for more information about vaccination opportunities in your child’s school.
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Vaccine Scholarship for Kids ages 12-17
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Minnesota has launched ‘Kids Deserve a Shot,’ a vaccine incentives program rewarding Minnesotans 12-17 years old for completing their COVID-19 vaccine series. See more here. |
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Minnesota Department of Health has updated their decision tree for people in Schools, Youth, and Child Care Programs including a path for people that are fully vaccinated or had a positive COVID-19 test result in the past 90 days. First day of symptoms or positive result or contact with a person testing positive is day 0, isolation or quarantine starts the following day.
For household members of someone who tested positive, who are not fully vaccinated and have not tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 90 days:
- they are excluded from (should not attend) school, child care or other activities for 14 days from their last contact with the person who tested positive.
- If you are not able to isolate yourself/student from the person that tested positive, the quarantine starts after the 10 days of isolation period of the positive testing person, leading to a cumulative quarantine of 24 days (10 days isolation, 14 days quarantine).
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Second Testing Event Recap |
Our second weekly Covid-19 PCR testing event this past Tuesday was another success. In partnership with Zepto Technology we tested 299 students (50.1%) and 37 staff members. We would like to see the total number of tests continue to increase. Please consider registering and testing your students. If you are planning to test your students at TCGIS, please send the forms in tomorrow (Friday) in order to ensure your student is tested next Tuesday. We will continue collecting forms over the next weeks, though, and your family can opt in when convenient.
In order for your student to participate in onsite testing we will need a signed parent consent form and a completed registration form (without these completed forms, your student will not be tested). Please also see this FAQ. If you have any questions about the testing process, please email Dani Nicholson, our Covid-19 Testing Coordinator at dnicholson@tcgis.org. |
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COVID-19 Updates Available on IRT Webpage |
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:
- Travel during COVID-19 Pandemic (testing before returning to school)
- Weekly COVID-Testing at TCGIS
- COVID-19 Confirmed Case: Quarantine & Information Procedure
- Keep Sick Kids Home this School Year
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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 see the full email. Danke!
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Halloween Costumes in School Tomorrow |
Students are welcome to wear costumes to school tomorrow. Please keep in mind the following guidance from the TCGIS Dress Code in the Family Handbook:
- Articles of clothing shall comply with health & safety requirements
- Articles of clothing are not contrary to the School’s values
- Articles of clothing are not disruptive to the learning experience
Most relevant to Halloween costumes: costumes may not include weapons or masks that cover the entire face. Vielen Dank!
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TCGIS PTO Events this Week(end) |
The Auction starts tonight!
Check it early! Check it often! Right here. It's open for one week.
Our Trick or Treat event is this Saturday!
Sign up here to join the fun! We'll have decorated tables and treats, a DJ, a food truck, and 8th graders will be selling coffee and hot cider to keep you warm and raise money for their Capstone trip to Germany!
Don't forget your BoxTops!
They have gone digital with a super easy-to-use app, but if you still have some clipped hanging out in your kitchen, you can drop them off in the office. Click here for more information. |
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Nov. 4: Martinstag Celebration and Lantern Parade
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Join us next Thursday 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.
This is an optional masked outdoor event to be followed by treats and warm drinks sold by our 8th graders, fundraising for their Capstone trip to Germany. 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
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New Online German Enrichment Opportunities |
Looking for more enrichment opportunities for your student(s)? We just launched our brand new MINT Enrichment page. MINT is the German acronym for Mathematik, Informatik, Naturwissenschaften and Technik. It is a broad term used to summarize these academic disciplines. In the English speaking world, the acronym for MINT is STEM, which stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. TCGIS students and families will find great resources and enrichment opportunities in both languages, German and English on this website. You will find magazines, websites, TV shows and apps that have a focus on one/some of the MINT/STEM disciplines. Please reach out to Frau Root-Joswig with any questions. |
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Fall Conference Reminder: Sign-up closes Wed., Nov. 3rd |
Sign-up for conferences closes on Wednesday, November 3rd at 8pm.
Fall Conference Dates:
- Thursday, Nov. 11th: 4:30-7:00PM
- Friday, Nov. 12th: 8:10AM-3:30PM
Conferences this year will be held virtually via Zoom for ALL families. If you did not receive the Constant Contact email with sign-up information please email info@tcgis.org. |
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Fall Screening continues until Thursday, Nov. 4th |
Our Fall universal screening for all students started Monday, October 25th and continues until Thursday, Nov. 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.
These assessments have been used in the past with TCGIS students. Students in every grade level participate in at least one assessment so that we can learn more about their current skills and knowledge. Teachers also complete social emotional rating scales (SRSS IE) for students in all grades. Click here for a brief summary of the assessements by grade level and click here for an FAQ about the universal screening process. |
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Student School Photos are Ready to View and Order |
Good news! JostensPIX was recently at your school to photograph picture day,
and your student's photos are now available for viewing and ordering!
Click here to get started. Find your student(s) using event code FE77121.
Did you know?
- You can personalize your photos with a variety of backgrounds and text
- Photos are shipped directly to your home
- High-res digital downloads are available
- If you have more than one child, you can order together and pay once.
Did your student(s) miss School Picture Day?
Retake Day is Nov 4 between 8:30am-12pm. Please complete THIS FORM to let us know to call your student(s) down for retakes. |
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TCGIS Online Book Fair is Coming Up! |
Be ready to do some holiday shopping and support TCGIS at the same time! Our online book fair will run November 15 - 28. |
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Prospective Family School Tours Have Started |
It’s that time of year again! If you know families interested in joining the TCGIS community next school year, now is the time for them to sign up for a virtual or in-person tour! All tours will include Q&A with a teacher and administrator.
In-Person Tours:
- Friday, November 12, 9:00 AM
- Monday, November 22, 4:00 PM
- Saturday, January 22 or 29, 9:30 AM (date TBD)
- Monday, February 7, 4:00 PM
Virtual Tours:
- Tuesday, December 7, 6:30 PM
- Monday, January 10, 6:30 PM
Links to sign up can be found on our website. Any questions about tours can be sent to enrollment@tcgis.org. We begin accepting 2022-2023 applications on November 1st. Thank you for helping spread the word about our school and community!
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Volunteer Needed: Square Shop Page Set-Up
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Do you feel comfortable (or maybe you're somewhat of a pro?) with setting up a shop page on the business site Square? We are looking for someone to help with a shop page for future orders. If interested please contact Frau Zimmerman by November 10th. Volunteer time would be approximately one-two hours, preferably meeting during or right after school hours. |
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Curriculum Advisory Committee: Public Input Session |
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.
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Donate Your Large Yogurt Containers for Art Class |
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!
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TCGIS XC & Track Mask Sale |
Purchase your mask for $10 on Boonli! Youth and adult sizes available. Email Herr Tabisz with any questions. |
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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!
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School Board Announcements |
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School Board Meeting Tonight |
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The TCGIS Board of Directors will convene tonight at 6:30 pm at TCGIS in Room 315 for its regular monthly meeting. The Board will recognize and thank volunteers and staff for outstanding contributions this past month. The board will hear a report from the Executive Director and review board committee charters for approval.
Due to the COVID-19 health pandemic, members of the public may attend at limited capacity in-person or monitor the meeting remotely via Zoom. Recordings of the regular board meetings are also uploaded to YouTube. Here are the links to the board packet and the Zoom meeting. |
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Bitte nicht an der Como Avenue Parken |
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Please do not park on Como Avenue during drop-off or pick-up times. The school prioritizes student safety and reducing congestion on Como Avenue is critical for safe drop-off and pick-up operations at TCGIS. The request not to park on Como came directly from the traffic impact study that TCGIS commissioned during the 2019 construction project through Spack Consulting. The report documented the issue with congestion during pick-up and drop-off and advised that TCGIS staff and parents should not park on Como to reduce conflicts and weaving between vehicles, buses, and parked vehicles. Fewer parked cars also improves the sightlines for children to safely cross at the marked pedestrian crossings. Please follow these professional recommendations, as communicated and requested by TCGIS. |
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School Board Information & Meetings on the TCGIS website |
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Please see the Board’s website for information about how to volunteer on committees, attend monthly board meetings or watch recordings, and be engaged and informed regarding the governance of our public charter school and independent school district. All board meetings and committee meetings are on the online school calendar. |
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Sophie Scholl and the White Rose Poster Exhibition |
Sophie Scholl would have celebrated her 100th birthday on May 9, 2021. As a young student in Munich, she paid with her life for her active, nonviolent resistance against the Nazi regime. We remember and honor her this year and want to explore her life and deeds as part of the White Rose resistance group.
There will be a Sophie Scholl poster exhibition on display at the University of St. Thomas on the second floor of the Anderson Student Center (ASC) until November 6th. The exhibition is part of the 2021 "A Time to Act" Campus Campaign sponsored by the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, Washington, D.C. and the University of St. Thomas. It is free and open to the public during building hours. More info here. |
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Lecture and Exhibition: 1700 Years of German-Jewish Life |
The year 2021 marks “1,700 Years of Jewish Life in Germany.” Jewish culture is a millennia-old pillar of German society. Jews and Germans are inextricably linked by their shared history, in all its many, complex facets. The year-long initiative #2021JLID reveals and commemorates Germany’s bond and engagement with Jewish life on its soil, yesterday and today.
On November 10, David Brown of the Leo Baeck Institute (LBI), a New York-based library and archive, will present the Shared History Project at the opening of a related poster exhibition in the Iversen Center for Faith at the University of St. Thomas. His remarks will focus on how the objects were selected to tell stories of migration, exile, inclusion, exclusion, daily life, achievement, persecution, and exile, and how these topics are relevant not only to Jewish history, but to contemporary life in all diverse, pluralist societies. Register for this free lecture here.
There will be an exhibition on display November 8-22, 2021 in the Iversen Center For Faith lobby at the University of St. Thomas. The poster exhibition 1,700 Years of Jewish Life in Germany is based on the Shared History Project, which tells the story of Jews in Central Europe through 58 objects displayed in a virtual museum. This exhibition is free and open to the public during regular building hours. Find out more here. |
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Study in Germany for English speakers |
Saturday, November 6, 2021
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
The GAI invites high school students, college and university students, and their families to a virtual information session with four participating German universities on Saturday, November 6, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. The event is free but pre-registration is required. |
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German Tutors for TCGIS Students |
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. |
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October 30: PTO Trick-or-Treat Event
November 3: Curriculum Advisory Committee Public Input Session
November 4: Martinstag Celebration
November 5: No School
November 11, 12: Fall Conferences
November 12: No School
November 12: Prospective Family School Tour (in-person)
November 17: Early Release Day
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