Elternbrief, August 30, 2012

We are almost through the first week of school and I think the week has gone quite well. We are still experiencing some transition pains as well as the delay of the Amity Interns who will be arriving throughout the next 7-10 days. This does place extra pressure on the faculty, staff and paras as they try to fill the jobs usually done by the interns.

Parents are urged not to make major assumptions based on this first week. Students, teachers and staff are all just getting to know each other and learning the routine of the day which is different with the ABCD schedule. My impression is that teachers and students are gradually acclimating themselves to the different classes on different days. Even the Director is making a great effort to learn his way around.

We have been rather lenient this first week about closing the office door at 8:15 am allowing students and parents to come in after that. Beginning next week every effort will be made to be consistent in closing the door at 8:15, so parents who are dropping off their children are asked to be on time. Students entering after that time will be considered tardy.

There have been some questions and observations about the socializing of the students and student groups, so I have asked teachers affected to pay particular attention to any situations which may lead to any type of social frustration or struggle for their students. Parents should not hesitate to contact classroom teachers if they have particular questions about behavior or other social issues.

Having visited the lunchroom a number of times, I am satisfied for the most part with the cooperation and behavior there. Parents are reminded that they are asked to let the school know whether their student will be eating hot lunch.

TCGIS is always looking for qualified substitute teachers, who are a little harder to find with the specialized program here. Substitutes must have either a Minnesota teaching license or have been granted a substitute license by the state. If parents are aware of licensed teachers, preferably who speak German, please let them know of our interest.

Thank you once again for a good start to the school year. I sincerely hope that the hot weather will be gone soon.

Dr. Greener

Upcoming Events

August

31- No School

September

03- No School- Labor Day

06- PTO Info Night & New Parent Night 6:30-8pm

11- PTO Meeting 6:30-8pm

12-14 Fourth Grade Field Trip

14-Kaffeeklatsch 8:00 am

New Online Payment Option for Lunch and Supply Fees

http://germanschoolmn.revtrak.net

For your convenience, TCGIS has contracted with RevTrak, a national credit card payment processor, to provide you the simple security and convenience of making online payments for the 2012-2013 school year's food service and supply fee payments. It only takes a few minutes to check your account balance and add money using a Discover, VISA or MasterCard (credit/debit) card. There are no additional fees charged for the convenience of using this service. Please see these instructions for more information.

September 17 - 19th

7:30am to 8:15am

3:10pm - 4:10pm

Concert Band

It's not too late!

It's not too late to join the TCGIS concert band! Students currently in grades 5-8 are welcome to join. Contact Krista Johnson at monk2miles@comcast.net with questions.

For those of you who have already signed up, watch for an email from Krista in the next few days.

Parents ONLY Flu Clinic
September 14th from 8-9 am

The Minnesota Visiting Nurse Agency will be administering Flu vaccines to parents at school on Sept. 14th from 8-9 am. They accept 17 health insurance providers including Health Partners and Blue Cross. There will be a signup as of Friday morning in the front office for flu shots. The cost without insurance is $29 per vaccination.

PTO Information Night/New Parent Night

Meet the Board

Thursday, September 6, 6:30pm-9pm

Our goals for the evening include an explanation of all PTO and School Committees, opportunity to speak to committee chairs/members about current work, provide
a causal atmosphere to meet and talk with school board members, and an opportunity for new parents and returning parents to ask questions about volunteer opportunities and meet each other.

Meeting Agenda:

Introductions: 6:30pm-7:00pm

Meet the board and committees 7:00-9:00pm

Refreshments will be provided.

New Class for Teens at the Germanic-American Institute

German for Teens

The GAI is proud to announce a new Sams

tagsschule class for the Fall 2012 semester! With many middle schools in the area no longer offering

German, the GAI has designed German for Teens for students ages 12-14. Targeted toward relative beginners, German for Teens will take a comprehensive approach to language learning by incorporating conversational skills, reading, and writing into an age-appropriate curriculum. We are very excited to expand our language offerings to a new set of students hope you can help make German for Teens a success!

Samstagsschule classes for ages 4-14 meet Saturdays beginning September 22. For more information, please visit www.gai-mn.org/classes/samstag.html or contact Language Services at 651 222-2979.

New Early Release Policy

Our first early release of the semester will be Wednesday, September 19th. We will be releasing at 12:45 pm. All students will be served lunch on this day.

Seeking Volunteers for Book Fair

Volunteers are needed to help put on the Book Fair of Sept 17th -19th. If you are able to share your time to help conduct the Book Fair, please contact Michelle Wallace.

Education Support Committee

Is not too late for parents to drop off their Kemps lids (rinsed), Campbells labels, and Box Tops! Especially important is the KEMPS lids as they are ending this program with one last submission due November 1, 2012.

A Reminder about Student Pick up

Anyone who is not a parent or guardian must have written permission from a parent or guardian

Your child's safety is our primary concern. If anyone other than your child's parent or guardian will be picking up your child during the school year, this person must have written permission to do so in advance. The permission forms will be available at the front office. Adults picking up children may be asked for to show ID.

Blumenkranz at the MN

Renaissance Festival

Saturday and Sunday, Sept 22-23

German Dancers

The Blumenkranz will be a part of the German weekend celebration at the MN Renaissance Festival. Look for us at the Special Events Stage!

Call for After School Instructors

Classes Start the week of September 24

It's that time of the year again! If you would like to offer a class, please fill out the attached form and hand it in to the office. After School Activities will be starting the week of September 24th.

Check Out the New Books for Teens at the GAI Library
Eleven New Titles!

With the help of a grant from the German-American Chamber of Commerce, 11 new titles for teens have been added to our collection, including Die Tribute von Panem 1-3 (The Hunger Games) by Suzanne Collins and Cornelia Funke's popular Tintenwelt books. If you have a young adult ready to tackle some novels auf Deutsch or would like to put your own reading skills to the test, stop by the library during your next visit and peruse the shelves! Note: GAI membership is required for check out of library materials.

Construction Update

Updates for your commute to school

The traffic restrictions at Snelling may make your ride to school more complicated; please utilize north-south crossings at Aldine and Fairview
as needed. Please

click here for the most current construction information. We know that the constant construction has been frustrating--thank you for your patience during the construction this year.

Ride Needed for Amity Intern

Highland Area

The Intern Committee is looking for help with transportation for an intern from the Highland area. This intern needs a ride into school in the mornings only. If you think you can be of help, please contact Ina Elliot.

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.