Dear Families,

MCA Update Congratulations to Families and Students for making it successfully through the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments.  This is a high stakes important test that can add a lot of stress to the individual and the community.  Thanks to the seriousness and attentiveness to students to working to do their best.  Results for the school as a whole will be released in late June.   We will have individual results to pass on to you by the beginning of the next school year.

Help Save the Amity Program nationally If you've ever said or thought, "I sure love the Amity Intern program.  It really makes a difference to both the  school as a whole and to my child in particular" this is your moment to express that thought in a public way.

 We've received notice from our contact at Amity that the whole program nationally is in jeopardy due to a bureaucratic decision at the Department of State  that could deprive our school of a valuable and cost-effective resource to sustain foreign language teaching. Since February 2001, Amity has sponsored the J-1 visa for most interns in the category Specialist and in category Student/Non-degree for a handful of interns assigned to universities. Last year the State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs instructed Amity to apply for visa sponsor designation in the Intern category instead.  Amity filed that application, but recently learned that its application will be denied by the State Department, despite its excellent track record. Without receiving this designation, Amity cannot conduct its intern program, and this valuable resource will be lost to us and other schools around the U.S.  Please click here for a sample letter of how to contact your senators immediately about this important need. 

Update on our TCGIS Amity program.  The hardworking committee consisting of Mary-Fred Bausman Watkins, Nicole Grenz, Darcy Rindelaub, Andrea Zibble and Ina Elliot has already interviewed and offered positions to many interns for next fall.  They are excited about the skill, potential and enthusiasm of many young German teachers in training coming to Minnesota.  After you write your letter to congress insuring that they can come, consider contacting the Amity Committee, per information below and  offering to host.  If you wish you could support the program, but don't have the room or the transportation.  Consider writing a check to the school with the designator "Amity Lunches".  There are many, many ways to be part of the  village that enables these young people to join our community. 

Diversity Task Force  We're grateful for those that attended the first meeting of the Diversity Task Force.  This group is working on discerning steps to take to ensure that our environment is welcoming, inclusive and  equitable for all current and prospective members of our community.  There are many ways in which we are and also ways in which we can improve.  We welcome all to join the conversation.  The next meeting will be Wednesday, April 27^th at 12:30 PM. 

Thanks for all you do for your children and the school as a whole.

Frau Annika Fjelstad
Director
Twin Cities German Immersion School

afjelstad@tcgis.org