|
|
| Elternbrief |
Weekly Newsletter for TCGIS Families January 5, 2012 | |
 | | Annika Fjelstad, TCGIS Director |
Dear Families,
The Twin Cities German Immersion School was awarded a $10,000 grant from the St. Paul Foundation to hire consultants to provide background information and leadership to the Twin Cities German Immersion School Inclusivity Task Force. Our objective is to facilitate the development of a plan to deepen the extent to which TCGIS fosters an environment that invites, welcomes, and sustains families from diverse backgrounds and experiences, to more closely reflect the demographics of our community. We are excited to begin dialogues about how to work towards these goals in the upcoming months. Thanks to Board Member Anita Ratwik for her work securing this resource for our school.
We will be at the St. Paul School Fair this weekend talking to parents of prospective Kindergartners. It's just a little over a month until the enrollment lottery. If you have a child who will start Kindergarten next year, please turn in the enrollment form. You will receive sibling preference, but we must get your form beore February 15th. Please also make sure you let neighbors or acquaintances with prospective Kindergartners know about us. Information about tours and information sessions is on our website. We are excited to be planning for No Name-Calling Week from January 23 - 27. Teachers will coordinate activities to draw attention to the problem of bullying and to help kids build strategies to keep their environment safe for all. No Name-Calling Week does not imply that we tolerate name calling the other 51 weeks a year. It allows for a week to focus on creating and maintaining a respectful environment all year round. We'll look forward to keeping you updated on some of the events during the week.
Annika Fjelstad
Director, TCGIS
651-492-7106, ext. 103
afjelstad@tcgis.org
|
|
 Upcoming Dates
Save the Date  JANUARY 13 - NO SCHOOL- Teacher work day 16 - NO SCHOOL- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 17 - Spring Semester Amity Interns Arrive 18 - 5 PM, Info session for prospective families 26 - 6:30 PM, School Board meeting 27 - 8 AM, Kaffeklatsch 29 - 2 PM, Info session for prospective families FEBRUARY 4 - 7 PM, Maskenball 7 - 6:30 PM, PTO Meeting 7- 6:30 PM, Info session for prospective families 10 - 8 AM, Kaffeeklatsch 17 - NO SCHOOL - Teacher work day 20 - NO SCHOOL - Presidents' Day 23 - 6:30 PM, Board Meeting 24 - 8 AM, Kaffeklatsch For the complete school calendar, click here. |
Facilities Committee Update
Q & A on the facility search
The TCGIS facilities committee continues to actively work on facility options for the school. Attached here are some frequently asked questions. The committee will continue to update the community on progress being made. |
Thank you to our Fall 2011 Interns!
Amity Interns leaving this month
A big thank you to our fall interns that are leaving this month-- Bettina Hajek, Steffi Reinhard, Alyssa Okfen, Lena Gerhardt, Anita Bierschneider, Bernadette Pfeferrer, Barbara Humpf, Bettina Weber, Dirk Jung, Miriam Kobold, and Tobias Brinning. Your hard work at our school has made a huge difference to our students, and we appreciate all the time you've put in to improve our school. Thank you, and best of luck in your future endeavors!
|
TCGIS Photo Contest
Ends January 15
Don't miss your chance to win a pair of tickets to the Children's Theater! TCGIS is looking for images to represent the school on our website, in marketing materials and even in the yearbook. The six most suitable pictures will be used in the banner headings on our new website, which is currently in development. We are offering a prize for the best overall photo: tickets to a production by the Children's Theater Company this Spring! Please submit your photos by January 15 to photocontest@tcgis.org. See flyer for more info.
|
Clean Carpets
A fresh start in 2012
The winter break was quiet for some, but busy here at TCGIS. Over the break we were able to get a lot accomplished, including a deep-cleaning of all the carpets and rugs in the school. Tile and cement floors also got a new coat of polish or paint and are ready for the new year. Thanks to the efforts of the entire teaching staff and middle school students, rooms were readied and most furniture was removed to provide the cleaners with as much clear floor as possible. A special thanks to Frau Bailey, Herr Carlson, Herr Goetzmann, Herr Maier and Herr Solakau for your ingenuity and strength.
Green Seal certified cleaning products have been in use throughout the school as of October 1st, 2011. Carpets will be deep-cleaned and tile re-finished twice a year during summer and winter breaks in addition to daily vacuuming and spot treatment to promote good indoor air quality and to inhibit the spread of lice.
If you have any questions regarding the school building and maintenance, please direct these to Sarah Bailey at sbailey@tcgis.org. |
Job Opening at the GAI
Director of Language Services
The Germanic-American Institute is seeking a part-time Director of Language Services. The person in this position coordinates and manages all aspects of the GAI's language classes, tutoring, and translation services. Please click here to view the position description and application information.
|
|
After School Activities Start Next Week!
Pick-up at TCGIS at 4:30
After school activities begin next week. Please pick up your children promptly at 3:45 on Wednesdays and at 4:30 on every other day. Pick-up is located in the TCGIS entryway.
|
Once Upon a Time
Maskenball 2012
This year's Maskenball Gala takes us long ago and far far away to the land of fairy tales, where we promise an enchanted evening of charm and delight. Please join us! Tickets are on sale now. Watch your email for updates or like the PTO Facebook page for the most up-to-date information.
Timelines and deadlines
Maskenball has many dates to keep track of. Here are a few to help you plan: - January 13, Deadline for auction donations
- January 24, Online auction opens
- January 28, Ticket price goes to $55
- January 31, Online auction closes
- February 2, Deadline to order tickets
- February 2 & 3, Auction check-out at TCGIS (more details to follow)
- February 4, Maskenball Gala
|
Introducing Our New Amity Interns!
Introducing Louisa Preul and Rebecca Liepert
Thank you to all of the host families for our spring interns! It is already time to start finding hosts for next fall--please email Amy Davis at adavis@tcgis.org if you are able to host one of our fall interns.
 Introducing Louisa Preul: Louisa is from Hanover in Lower Saxony. She is a student of English and History at the University of Hanover. In 2009, she did her Abitur and started her studies right afterwards to become a teacher. In September, Louisa did her first internship at a school (for four weeks) and really liked it. She likes to read, play sports (aerobics & step-aerobics), listen to music, sing, and meet friends. She also does private tutoring and children's service volunteering. She is looking forward to her time at TCGIS, including learning about American culture!
Introducing Rebecca Liepert: Rebecca is from Hamburg, where she just graduated from Hamburg University. After one year as a German teacher in Spain and the United Kingdom, she is very happy that her first job after university happens to be in the United States. She is looking forward to helping strengthen the German-American friendship as a German ambassador at TCGIS and to getting to know a new culture, new people and new places. In her spare time, she likes to do all kinds of sports, travel, spend time with friends and family, enjoy city life, and relax during long walks with her dog in the countryside. |
GAI Zwerge: Early Childhood Arts
Enrichment through German immersion
Ages 6 months - 4 years Saturdays, February 25-April 21, 10-11am
$130 members, $165 non-members Explore the subjects of music, dance, and art with your child in the GAI's new early childhood classes. Children are exposed to a variety of songs, rhymes, dancing and movement, instruments, visual arts, and sensory play all in German! Each series will focus on one of the three subjects and this spring we will be focusing on learning through music. During the class, children will sing songs, playfullyexplore body movement, and play with simple instruments. For more information or to register for an upcoming semester, please contact Language Services at language@gai-mn.org or 651-222-2979. |
|
|
|
|
|
Educating Children for Informed and Active World Citizenship
|
| |
|
The Elternbrief is published electronically Thursdays throughout the school-year and on an as needed basis at other times. Submissions are due by 3 PM on Tuesdays. Content printed at the discretion of the TCGIS administration.
|
|
|
|
|
