A Weekly Update for Families
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Elternbrief
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October 13, 2010
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 Dear Families,
Annual Supplies
Contribution As you are all aware, our school, like all
other schools, is struggling to find ways to keep our programming levels
consistent in a time of reduced revenue and financial uncertainty. Last year,
the school asked parents to help pay for the cost of consumable student
materials that the school purchases in bulk from Germany. When this
school year's budget was approved in May, it again included the parent
contribution for these supplies.
The
Board requests that families make a $35 per semester or $70
annual contribution per student to cover the cost of disposable materials
such as writing and math notebooks. In some schools, families
would purchase these supplies as part of the supply list, but because we have
opted to use authentic German materials, it is both more convenient and more
cost-effective for the school to buy these materials directly. This year
the school bought many of the supplies such as folders and pencils that families
have previously brought in at the beginning of the year, because we determined
it was more economical to buy in bulk. These costs are included in the annual
supply contribution.
Payment
arrangements can be made to suit your family's needs. Click here to access a worksheetwhere you can indicate a payment plan, a request for scholarship or an ability
to contribute to a scholarship to support families who are not in a position to
make this contribution. We request that you turn in this Payment Plan
Worksheet by October 26th.
Lice There have been reports of lice in several
classrooms. You will receive
notification if lice have been identified in your child's classroom. Please inform the school if your child has
had lice, as early awareness is one of the key ways to identify the problem
before it gets spreads further. If your
child has been identified to have lice please ensure that all nits are removed
before sending him or her back to school. Lice is common in all schools. Click here to access a helpful information sheet about identification and treatment.
Halloween/ Fall
Festival Children will be
invited to come in costume to school on October 29th. Costumes must be culturally sensitive and
not reinforce stereotypes of any ethnic groups and be non-violent in
nature. Children may not wear masks
during the school day nor bring props that simulate weapons.
REMINDER:
NEXT WEEK IS A SHORT WEEK
Upcoming Dates
Oct 20th - 22nd No school for students
Nov 4th -
5th Parent Teacher conferences
Have
a good week. Thanks for all you do to support
your children and the school.
Frau
Annika Fjelstad
Director
Twin Cities
German Immersion School
afjelstad@tcgis.org |
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Auflauf Cook-Off
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Friday, October 15
6pm - 8pm
Salvation Army
2727 Central Avenue NE
Minneapolis, MN 55418
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Get you recipes ready!
Today is Auflauf competition deadline
If you plan to enter a dish in the Auflauf competition, today is the deadline. You may purchase tickets through tomorrow.
Click here to enter and/or purchase tickets. Hurry! Only 10 tickets left! |
Performing Arts News
Dear TCGIS parents,
I would like to inform you of what students have done in the first weeks of school and what the next plans are.
First of all some upcoming events:
Friday, October 29: We will celebrate Halloween. You will get more detailed information soon.
Sunday, November 7, 4 to 6 pm: St Martin's Day Celebration will
take place at Landmark Center, St. Paul. In past years, our school took
pride to be invited to this celebration. We sang German traditional St.
Martin songs. This year, students have already started to learn the
songs. Second grade will perform the St. Martin story. You are welcome
to come, to bring your children and friends, and to join us.
Thursday, November 4, 2:30 to 3:15: We will celebrate St. Martin's
Day at school. It will be a good rehearsal for the 2nd grade and a
chance to see the performance for those who can't come on Sunday.
Although I try to combine music, drama and dance in lessons, the
focus of the first month was music. In the future, it will vary as
students will work on different projects.
In September, students learned or repeated some basics of music
theory such as beat, notation and characteristics of the music sound.
6th grade completed the unit about Medieval Music.
5th grade is working on the project Totentanz that will be performed at Halloween.
4th grade has learned songs on the topic "We Are All Different"
and is practicing a dance to the song. I would like to develop
children's skills in playing recorder. Therefore, I will ask them once a
month to bring their recorders and books. The next time it will be
in the week of November 8 to 12.
3rd grade has learned Flaschensong and will experiment
with musical instruments. In November-December, they will work on a
performance of a fairy tale for shadow theater.
2nd grade will present the St Martin's story at the St Martin's celebration at Landmark Center.
1st grade has learned a couple of new songs and the slavic dance "To the River."
Although Kindergarteners just started school this year, they have learned a lot of German songs.
Fall is a good time to sort out old/small costumes and clothes. Please bring them to school; they will be appreciated!
Same with fabrics, especially with sheets: I would like to use them
for stage design/background, for example for shadow theater project
with 3rd grade.
You all know the frustrating feeling when you see a great
performance and you don't have a camera handy. To manage this problem,
I would like to ask you to serve as volunteers. You can make pictures/movies with
your own camera and then send them to me, or you can do it with
school equipment. We have a digital camera and a donated video camera at
school. If anybody could have a look at the camera, check if it works,
and could operate it that would be just fantastic.
Best,
Valentin Solakhau
Performing Arts Teacher
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Calling All Crafty Folk! 2nd Annual Craft and Bake Sale is November 19th and 20th
TCGIS
PTO is looking for handmade craft donations and/or bake donations for
our 2nd Annual Community Craft and Bake Sale. Watch for more details
later in October. Contact Heidi Zimmermann, hzimmermann22@yahoo.com, if you have any questions. The sale is scheduled for Friday,11/19 and Saturday, 11/20 at the school. Thank you!
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Reformation Polka Service
The public is invited to attend the annual Reformation Polka Service at
Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, on Saturday, October 23rd beginning at 4:00
p.m.
Chuck Thiel and the Jolly Ramblers Polka Band are the featured
musicians during the service. A German dinner featuring pork filet with mushroom sauce follows at 5:00 p.m.
Tickets: adults $10 and children
ten and under $5, may be purchased in the church office.
Tickets on
sale in advance only, October 3rd through October 17th. The church is handicapped accessible. Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 3014 McKinley St. NE, Minneapolis 55418. (612) 781-1989
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Art News
Thank you to all those who brought in boxes for the K-3rd grade
lanterns. We now have enough, and look forward to celebrating
Martinstag with everyone at the Landmark Center on November 7th!
I am excited about a new year of art at the Twin
Cities German Immersion School! The art
room is already buzzing with creativity and enthusiasm. I plan to update the families once a month in
the Elternbrief to let you know about the great things we are learning in the
art classes. If you have any questions or concerns,
please contact me!
Frau Lenburg
alenburg@tcgis.org
Kindergarten In September we learned that artists use
their "art eyes" to look at the world, and that we are all artists. We are now beginning to learn about the four
types of art that artists make. The
first of these is portraits (Porträt)- pictures of people. Now they are learning that a landscape (Landschaft)
is a picture of outside.
First Grade In first grade we are beginning to study
the Elements of Art. These Art Elements
are what artists use to make their art interesting. We have discussed how artists use different
kinds of lines, and created abstract pictures by drawing overlapping geometric
shapes. Two more Art Elements are color
and texture- the children painted with warm and cool colors, and will make
stamps out of the textures of their shoes.
Second Grade The second graders are continuing their
studies of the Elements of Art. We
investigated the characteristics of horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines. Then they made animals out of geometric shapes and learned more about the
primary colors, mixing them to create the secondary colors. We learned that texture is what something
feels like, and will make collages using real textures.
Third Grade The third graders are building upon
their knowledge of the Elements of Art. In studying line, they made outline pictures using yarn. We talked about
organic and geometric shapes and were inspired to make collages like those of
Henri Matisse. To explore color this
year, students are learning to mix primary and secondary colors to get tertiary
colors.
Fourth Grade In fourth grade we further studied the
Art Element of line by learning about contour lines, drawing only the edges of
an object. Our discussion of shape this year was an investigation into positive
and negative shapes, creating a black and white collage. Next, we'll be learning about the German
Expressionists and their use of colors to show emotions.
Fifth Grade We are beginning the year in fifth grade
with drawing, because most all art processes incorporate drawing. The students have made contour line drawings
of their shoes and worked on drawing textures. Soon we will draw some still life objects and try adding shadows to
them.
Sixth Grade In sixth grade we
have explored our beautiful new textbooks, and the students have been exposed to
and created some art history timelines using examples of self-portraits. This week we will be making animal portraits
like the prehistoric cave painters, using dyes made of natural materials. When we meet again we will be looking at the
art of ancient Egypt.
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Safety Presentation
On Monday, October 18 the TCGIS PTO is welcoming staff from the Jacob Wetterling Resource Center at the school to present, "Talk Safety to Me!"
This 45-minute presentation for parents or caregivers answers the question, "How do I talk to my kids about personal safety?" Includes questions every parent should ask before choosing an afterschool program, activity or overnight visit at friend's house. If you have wondered about how you can effectively teach your children how to recognize a dangerous situation without scaring them, this presentation is for you!
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What If games
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Recognizing dangerous behaviors
For more information on the Jacob Wetterling resource center, visit them at www.jwrc.org.
To help us plan better for this presentation, please RSVP. You can also sign-up for free childcare through this link.
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Neighborhood Update
The school has received notice that a Level III Sex Offender has
moved into the neighborhood. A Community Notification Meeting is being
held on Wednesday, October 20, 2010, from 7:00-8:00 PM. The meeting
will be held at the St. Stephanus Lutheran Church, located at 739 Lafond
Avenue. Following is a link with more information regarding this
individual:
http://www.doc.state.mn.us/level3/OffenderDetail.asp?OID=166323
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Scrip Update
If
you were to walk into SuperAmerica to pay for your $25 tank of gas & the
attendant asked you if you'd like them to donate $1 (4%) of your $25 to TCGIS,
would you say yes? Of COURSE you would! Did you know that SA is doing just that when you
purchase a $25 gift card through Scrip? The percentage donated is even higher with restaurants (Chipotle,
Starbucks, Noodles, Subway) and clothing retailers (Gap, Gymboree, Lands
End). There are literally hundreds of
participating retailers, from home improvement stores, to electronics stores,
to grocery stores. Your everyday
purchases WILL make a difference for our school!
Our first order was a
huge success, netting just shy of $300 for the school (with only six families
participating)! Just think how much we could earn if YOU
joined in! Orders are due the first
Tuesday of every month, and will be ready for pickup in the office on the
second Wednesday of the month.
More information can be found at www.shopwithscrip.com. Don't forget to use the school's enrollment
code when you sign up so TCGIS gets credit for your purchases - it is 4CA2AE9714L14. Next order is due November 2. |
Suzuki Guitar
Does Suzuki Guitar interest your family?
I have a BA and an MFA in Music: Classical Guitar Performance from the University
of Minnesota, Mpls. My principal teachers were Jeffrey Van and Dominick
Argento.
I taught Classical Guitar at the University of Minnesota, Duluth, College of
St. Scholastica, University of Wisconsin, Superior, and Augsburg College for a
combined total of ten years+.
I was a "Suzuki dad" for ten years while our child studied Suzuki
Violin and Suzuki Piano.
I am SAA Trained and Registered in all Suzuki Guitar Books 1-9.
My rates are: $28 per 30 minute lesson paid 4 lessons in advance at $112.
I teach in the relaxed environment of my own home in St. Paul, located in
Merriam Park.
I seek interested families with a grasp of the Suzuki "method" or
"way."
Contact me at: danielsturm.guitar@gmail.com
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Gifted Services Testing Information
Attention parents of kindergarten through fifth grade students:
Gifted Services testing offered to Saint Paul private, parochial, homeschool and charter school students
Testing Sessions:
5:30 pm Tuesday, November 30, 2010
9:00 am or 10:30 am Saturday, December 4, 2010
Testing sessions are located at:
Center for Curriculum, Instruction and Professional Development
St. Paul Public Schools
345 Plato Boulevard East, Suite 625
St. Paul, MN 55107
Pre-registration deadline is November 2, 2010
Click here for more information!
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MEA Kinderclub
Dear Kinderclub Families,
Kinderclub offers a full day program from the hours of 8:00 a.m. to
6:00 p.m. on school release days at the rate of $35/day. You must be
registered for Kinderclub and sign up your child's name by the deadline
of Friday 10/15 so that we may staff and supply the curriculum
appropriately. Kinderclub may close for a school release day if minimum
enrollment numbers have not been met. I will notify you via email after 6
PM on Friday the 15th if Kinderclub will close for a school release
day. Please reference the School Release Payment Policy in the Family
handbook for related payment information. All billing is final after 10/15/10 any any unattended days will not be refunded. To sign up, click the link below and enter your child's name.
Check the appropriate day(s) that you wish your child to attend. Enter
multiple children individually.
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Intern Brief
Who are Interns?
They are students or graduates of institutions of higher education in
their home countries. Many of them have teaching experience or have
worked with youth. The personal qualities we seek in Interns are
friendliness, openness, maturity, adaptability, motivation and
enthusiasm.
Why are Interns here?
Interns assist in bringing the German language and culture to life, and
engage and motivate students to leave them with new confidence in their
ability to communicate across borders. They are here to represent the
German language, culture and country, to share experience, to contribute
knowledge and ideas, to learn first-hand about American culture, and to
improve their English. They are volunteers who are role models, active
TCGIS community participants, integrated members of their Host
Families, and teaching assistants and temporary faculty of TCGIS.
What can you do for Interns that benefits the TCGIS community?
Expand their experience while here, and you will likely have your own
experiences expanded as well. Invite them over for dinner, to a
family activity, or short trip to a nearby destination or place of
interest. Perhaps consider hosting an intern for a short or long-term
stay. You may contact Interns directly to schedule an outing. If you
would like more information about hosting an intern, please contact
Amity Committee Volunteer Darcy Rindelaub darcydeboer@hotmail.com or Nicole Grenz nicole_grenz@hotmail.com.
Please join our Committee in thanking our current Intern host families: The Betker Family*, Kamil Ugurbil & Jutta Ellermann*, Gene &
Julie Rindelaub*, Thad & Carmen Dahlberg, Andrew & Angela
Thomas, Derek Schmidt and Angela Ngo, Bruce and Rebecca Johnson, Chris
& Carol Schoonover, Jon & Allison Burkhow, Florian &
Kimberly Kompel, Carl & Darcy Rindelaub, Peter Watkins &
Mary-Fred Bausman-Watkins.
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Recital of German Music
"Ich liebe dich," a recital of German songs and arias, is coming to House of Hope Presbyterian Church on Saturday, October 16
Soprano - Sofia Ardalan
Pianist - Thomas Bartsch
Saturday, October 16, 2010 at 7 PM
House of Hope Presbyterian Church
797 Summit Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55105
Questions? Contact Eva Heidmann.
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The 2011 Blue Sky
Guide Chinook Book is here! Buy yours now! Back
with a new name but the same great coupons and local, sustainable focus, this
year's Chinook Book coupon collection
is as useful as ever. Chinook Books arrive
in the TCGIS front office this week. Please check them out and buy one - or
more - to help support our school.
Chinook Book,
the original Blue Sky Guide, is full
of coupons to help you save at local, sustainable businesses that promote
healthy living in our community. Find hundreds of dollars in everyday savings
with offers for:
● Lunds/Byerly's
● Kowalski's
● Erik's Bike Shop
● Science Museum
● Bachman's
● Frattallone's Ace Hardware
● Bibelot
and many, many more!
The
books cost $20 each, and we keep $10 per
book in our school community! Our goal is to sell 100 and raise $1,000. Save
money and support our school with Chinook Book.
Chinook Book has something for everyone. It makes a great gift, so
pick up copies for you and a friend.
You can peruse this year's coupon book and pick
up your copy in the front office at TCGIS. Checks are payable to the TCGIS PTO.
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Elternbrief Submissions
Please have all articles pertinent to the TCGIS community submitted to the Elternbrief by Monday at 9 am prior to Wednesday publication. Submissions may be sent to aberge@tcgis.org.
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