Elternbrief

Weekly Newsletter for TCGIS Families

December 13th, 2012

 
In this Issue
:: Upcoming Events
:: Facilities Update
:: Bundle Up!
:: Kaffeeklatsch
:: Kinder Club Winter Break
:: Minnesota Boychoir Winter Concert
:: 1A Coat Collection Drive
:: Chinook Books
:: String Classes available soon
:: After School Activities Second Session
:: Maskenball Update
:: Boy Scouts of America
:: Performing Arts Update
:: Staff Appreciation Luncheon
Upcoming Events
Calendar

December
12- Registration opens for Session 2 After-school Activities
14- Session 1 After-school Activities end
14- Kaffeeklatsch 8:00am
19- Early Release 12:45 pm
20- School Board Meeting 6:30-9:00 pm
12/24-1/4 No school, Winter Break
Dear TCGIS community-

I hope everyone has recovered from Old Man Winter and is in full swing with the holiday season!


12.12.12 Baking Extravaganza!

It was fantastic to feel all the celebratory energy yesterday as classes marked the unusual 12.12.12 date and 1st graders had a baking day.  Frau Brenner's students brought me cookies in the TCGIS letters and it was adorable to see Frau Krug's students running around in baking hats and aprons.  The bake sale after school was a grand success and with such lovely weather, everyone enjoyed each other's company outside with the whole event holding the spirit of a German outdoor holiday market!

School Attendance and Tardies

As the weather turns wintery, traveling to and from TCGIS can be more demanding.  The school believes regular attendance and arriving to school on time is directly related to academic success, benefits students socially and establishes regular habits of dependability important to students' futures.  Our attendance policy is meant to be positive, not punitive, and when unusual circumstances arise, such as last Monday's traveling conditions, we suspend the normal attendance/tardy policy.  However, in normal conditions, including winter days I want to encourage all families to plan for extra traveling time for safety and timely arrival.  Here is a review our policy.  

TCGIS classes begin promptly at 8:15 am.  Students not in their classrooms by 8:15 am are tardy.  

Student's Right

It is the student's right to be in school.  It is also the student's responsibility to attend all assigned classes every day that school is in session.

 

Parent or Guardian's Responsibility

It is the responsibility of the student's parent or guardian to ensure the student attends school, to inform the school in the event of a student absence, and to work cooperatively with the school and the student to solve any attendance problems that arise.

 

Sufficient Reasons for Excused Absences/Tardies: illness, immediate family member illness, death in the family, a medical or dental appointment, court appearances, religious instruction/observation, emergencies such as fire, flood or storm, field trips, family emergencies.

 

Examples of Unexcused Absences/Tardies: working from home, oversleeping or late rides to school.

 

In extenuating circumstances or for an extended period of absence, please contact the TCGIS front office as soon as possible so we may work with you to meet the learning needs of your child.

Thank you all for your continued support of TCGIS.

Sincerely,

 Ann Jurewicz
Director
TCGIS
Facilities Update

The facilities committee would like to inform everyone that we will soon have a solid decision on what our location will be for next year. We look forward to sending out a formal notice to all families soon. Again please see these attachments for more information on the sites we are reviewing. Thank you.
 
Winter Clothing
Frosty Playtimes Approaching

Did you know that the average high temperature for St. Paul in January is around 24 degrees Fahrenheit? Even on cold days, our students have around a half hour of recess each day. The TCGIS teachers and staff wish to remind parents to send heavy coats, snow pants, hats, and especially gloves so that they can have a fun and (relatively) warm recess.
Kaffeeklatsch Tomorrow! 

Our next Kaffeeklatsch 
is this 
Friday, November 29th! We usually start serving coffee by 8:05am in the Front Lobby entrance. A suggested donation for a cup of coffee is $1.00 if you bring your own cup, or $1.25 if we provide you with a cup. We are also serving tea! Now also selling Coffee Cards for your convenience: $8 (with cup), $10 (w/o cup)!! No more searching for dollar bills necessary!
Kinder Club during Winter Break
 
Please take a moment to think about your child care needs for Winter break.
Kinderclub is closed from Mon. December 24th, 2012 through Tues. January 1st, 2013. We will open Kinderclub for full day care from Wednesday January 2nd - Friday January 4th, to accommodate parents that need to return to work.

Please use the doodle link below to sign up if you need care. 


The cost per child per day is $37.00. It is important that you please finalize your plans by the deadline, on Wednesday December 19th, in order for Kinderclub to arrange for sufficient staffing. Many of our staff is gone for the holidays and extended break, so it is crucial that we have a correct head count for attendance! 
I will close this electronic poll on Thursday morning Dec 20th, and will issue invoices accordingly. After the deadline all families that are signed up will receive a bill for services selected. You are entering into a valid payment agreement by signing up your child. Payment is due prior to service. Paid days can not be rescheduled for other days nor reimbursed for sickness or other absences as outlined in our family handbook. Your spot will remain reserved after the deadline and others may potentially be turned down if space is limited. 
Automatic payments (for families that chose credit card billing) will be deducted on December 26th, along with all January billing.

To all families that I may not see before the holidays - I want to wish you a peaceful and relaxing time with your families, friend and neighbors! Slow down your pace a bit and enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of this season! It's my favorite time of the year!!
Schoene Feiertage! :o)
-Babett Larimer

Minnesota Boychoir Winter Concert

The Minnesota Boychoir cordially invites the TCGIS community to the upcoming winter concerts "
A World... A way."  Two of our own second grade gentlemen, Chris and Charlie, will be performing for the first time with the Boychoir!  Concerts are Saturday, December 22 at 7:00 p.m. at the Ted Mann Concert Hall in Minneapolis and Sunday, January 6 at 1:00 p.m. at the Landmark Center in Saint Paul.  There is no charge for admission but donations will be received.  For more details visit 

St.Martin's Day Coat Collection

  

A big thank you to everyone who donated winter clothing. On Tuesday we were able to deliver a car load full to Joseph's Coat www.josephscoatmn.org/  This is what we tallied:

18 M�tzen und Stirnb�nder
11 Paar Handschuhe
05 Paar Stiefel
23 Jacken
13 Schneehosen
01 Schlafanzug.
Some of it was gently used or new. Herzlichen Dank!
 
Regina Brenner  

Teacher 1A

Get Your Chinook Book and Save While Supporting TCGIS

Don't forget to buy a Chinook Book before it's too late. Chinooks -- either traditional books ($20) or mobile app packs ($14) -- are still available by the TCGIS front desk, but they will be gone after winter break. Get yours now and save money on last-minute shopping around town, or give one as a gift. Best of all, 50% of the proceeds support TCGIS. Please make your payment in the TCGIS PTO payment box (cash or check payable to TCGIS PTO).  Questions? Contact Kate Olson  at [email protected].
String Classes
Introductory Concert Tomorrow 
Friday, Dec. 14

The Saint Paul Conservatory of Music will be initiating a string instruction program at TCGIS in January 2013! To introduce themselves to our community, conservatory students and faculty will present concerts at the school on Friday, December 14th at 8:30am and 9:30am. Please feel free to visit the SPCM website for more information about conservatory programs.

 

More details to follow!
After School Activities Registration Open!
New Classes Added!

The second session of after school activities starts the week of January 14th! Registration forms and class descriptions are available at the front desk. All forms and payments are due by January 9th. Click here to view the classes and here for the descriptions.

Start planning your Maskenball Great Gathering today!

Donations Now Being Accepted for the 2013 Maskenball Auction!

 

Between now and Friday, January 25, 2013, the Maskenball Auction Committee is accepting donations from the TCGIS community for the online auction.

 

Are you a TCGIS parent who owns a business? This is the perfect opportunity to get some great publicity (not to mention a tax deduction) by offering a certificate for services that your business provides. For example, last year we received donations from massage therapists, hair stylists, a vintage clothing store owner, a coffee shop & bakery owner, a paint color consultant, a photographer. Not only did their donated items raise money for the PTO, the auction listings also raised awareness of their businesses within the TCGIS community.

 

Are you a TCGIS parent with a special skill or talent? Consider knitting a scarf or doll clothing; sewing a bag; canning preserves; offering a custom made dessert, yoga class, music lessons, or a family ski day. The sky's the limit!

 

Don't own a business or feel like you have a special talent, but still want to make a donation to the auction? Consider purchasing gift cards, through SCRIPS or otherwise, for places such as Barnes & Noble, iTunes, your favorite restaurant. Donate a tangible item, such as a gift basket of German children's books. (NOTE: All items must be in new, unused condition.) Ask a business you frequent or family and friends with businesses or talents to donate. 

 

Please fill out the Donor Info Form and Receipt and return to Molly at the front desk. Page one needs to accompany your donation; page two is for your tax deductible records. You can also use this form to solicit donations from businesses you frequent or family and friends who have businesses or talents to offer. Any tangible items you donated must be in new, unused condition.

 

Feel free to contact Kami Blackwell Kinney with any questions you may have.
 
Boy Scouts of America  
Possible Charter at TCGIS

The Boy Scouts of America have contacted TCGIS in hopes of starting a charter here at school. To do so, they would need interested parents to head a scout troop. If you are interested in being a group leader, please contact Molly at[email protected] for more information.

Performing Arts Update
Puppet shows, Carnival of Cultures and More!

Please click here for more information about what's going on in your child's Performing Arts classroom.
Staff Appreciation Luncheon
  
The PTO is coordinating a Staff Appreciation Luncheon for the Teachers, Interns and all Staff of TCGIS for Friday, December 21st, from 10:45 AM-1:00 PM. We are looking for generous parents to help pull off this much-anticipated & appreciated yearly tradition! The Doodle poll has slots to sign up to help with set-up, clean-up, washing dishes, and of course--bringing FOOD: vegetarian & regular main dishes (hot dish/casseroles, etc.) appetizers, salads, veggies, fruit, rolls or bread, bottles or cans of sparkling water and soda, and lots of desserts!  
 

LABELED food items and serving utensils should be dropped off on Friday morning (Dec. 21st) by 10:40 AM, and picked up AFTER SCHOOL ON FRIDAY (that same day) so that nothing goes missing over break.
Food will be served in the 2nd floor Teacher's Lounge. Collect your items either from the teacher's lounge, upstairs refrigerator, or the school entryway at dismissal.  Anything plastic & unlabeled will be considered disposable. 
   
If you wish to bring a special item that doesn't fit into one of the categories just make a comment at the bottom of the doodle poll listing which item you are bringing. Please also make a comment if you need your item to be near an outlet to plug in a hot plate/crock pot, etc; or if you want to clarify what/how much of something you are bringing. If possible, label what your dish is--especially if it is Vegetarian--and maybe also write who made it. Teachers often ask who brought their favorite dish. I will try to keep an eye on the doodle totals & mark categories FULL as necessary. If you have questions, feel free to e-mail me at [email protected]

You may sign up for any of these items at the Doodle poll here: http://www.doodle.com/yg3i69hb6nfi7vi7

THANK YOU in advance for your generous donation to our hard-working teachers and staff!
 
Nicole Grenz
PTO Classroom Support Committee Member

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.