It's your favorite time of year again- time for back to school paperwork! We are trying something new this year and sending the forms out electronically. All returning students need to fill out the following forms:

Registration Form

Student Health Form

Field Trip Form

Transportation Waiver

To fill out the forms electronically, you must click the above link, download the document, fill out the form, save the document under your child's name and the title of the form (Example: Jurewicz, Ann Field Trip Form 2013-2014.doc) then send an email to forms@tcgis.org with the files attached. If you would prefer to print them out and send us a hard copy, please mail them to our new address:

1031 Como Ave
Saint Paul, MN 55103

You can always drop them off during the Open House as well.

Just as a reminder, these forms are required for returning students only. New enrollments do not need to resubmit the forms.

We appreciate the time you take in filling these out. Please let the front desk know if you have any questions.

Thanks!

School Supply Lists

Please click the following links for your grade to view your supply lists

Kindergarten

First Grade **UPDATED**

Second Grade

Third Grade

Fourth Grade

Middle School

Happy Shopping!

Career Opportunities with the GAI

Take a look at these new job opportunities at the Germanic American Institute

KInderclub Director
Kaffeestube Manager
Kinderclub Assistant Teacher

Your Vote Makes a Difference to our School

This year, Target will give money to schools all over the country for one simple act: a vote. Our school needs just 25 votes to earn a $25 donation from Target. But that's only the beginning. For each additional vote, our school will get $1 more. So please remember that, although the gesture is small, the rewards are potentially huge. Go to this site to vote for Twin Cities German Immersion Charter School once a week through September 21 or until Target has given away all $5 million.

Quick Links

Newsletter Archive

TCGIS Homepage

Transportation UPDATED

New procedures in transportation, safety and security

***Kindergarten and first grade parents may enter the school with their children during our first week of school if desired.*** Please park between Como Park Pool and McMurray Fields to accomplish this safely.

Morning drop off: Staff will be present on both Como and Van Slyke to assist and direct students to the building entrance and then into their classrooms. Parent volunteers will also be helping.

Afternoon pick-up: Students will be waiting (supervised by staff) for your arrival at 3:15. Please pull up and wait on the street as directed by staff. Staff will communicate your arrival to your students so that they can quickly get in your car and buckled in. As soon as students are secured, please pull out so that we can assist loading the next car in line. We will load the first three cars in line to ensure the safety of every child. Safety will be our guiding principle.

Cars with students in grades K-3: please use Van Slyke Avenue

Cars with students in grades 4-8: please use Como Avenue

Cars with a mixture of students in each set: please drop of all students on Van Slyke Avenue

TCGIS has requested NO PARKING signs from the city of St. Paul during drop off and pick up both on Van Slyke Avenue (school side entrance) and Como Avenue (Aula side entrance).

TCGIS Parent Teacher Organization

Join us for the August PTO Meeting

2013-14 Budget Approval Meeting

Tuesday, August 27, 6:30-8 pm

at the GAI Ratskeller (301 Summit Ave, St. Paul)

We will be discussing and voting on the 2013-14 PTO budget. The agenda and proposed budget are below.

In order to help us plan for set-up, please RSVP your attendance. *Please note that there is no childcare available for this meeting.

Be sure to save the date for our Kick Off Meeting on Tuesday, September 10, 6:30-8 pm at the TCGIS Aula. The TCGIS PTO has been hard at work over the summer, planning and getting ready to kick off a great year! Come hear about exciting new events and opportunities to get involved!

If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact PTO President Kami Blackwell Kinney at tcgispto@gmail.com.

August 27 Meeting Documents:

Be sure to like the TCGIS PTO Facebook page!

Neighborhood Transportation Picnics

Coming to a neighborhood near you!

The Transportation Committee will be hosting a final picnic. We invite you to meet your neighbors from the TCGIS community, enjoy a potluck, ask questions about pickup and drop-off routines, and even find a carpool!

Our final potluck is in the following neighborhood on August 26th:

Weimholt Residence, 1799 Portland Ave. Saint Paul (Merriam/St. Paul)

Each picnic will run 6:00-8:00 pm; Info session at 7:00 pm. Please bring your own plates, utensils, and a dish to share. We will provide beverages.

Find our group by the blue balloons. Transportation Committee Chair Hunter Goetzman will be on hand to answer questions and to unveil an online carpool hub, created exclusively for TCGIS families.

TCGIS now partnering with Lancer Catering

One of the great things about moving into a new space is the opportunity to make changes, both large and small, that will make our school a better place. As part of our efforts to make your student's experience better, TCGIS has decided to contract our school lunch catering services with Lancer Catering. Lancer is one of the largest school catering companies in the area, which allows them to buy lots of great, nutritious, foods at a low cost. Lancer is also one of the highest rated companies for customer satisfaction. Lancer menus comply with the new Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act requirements for nutritional value as well! Lancer's menus are also more kid friendly and appetizing for pickier eaters. Click here for the September lunch order form. The form must be turned in by August 29th, at Open House.

A Change to Student Emails

As our school grows we are finding it necessary to make some changes to the way that our student email system functions. Students in grades 5-8 have email addresses associated with the school. We have changed the format of the student email user names in order to allow us greater ability to add and monitor new and existing student email addresses. Students' new user names are now composed of the first initial of the child's name, their last name, and their 8th grade graduation year. So, if the child's name is John Doe and he graduates from 8th grade in 2014 (this Spring), then his username is jdoe14@tcgis.org. For students with siblings in the same grade with the same first letter, the first two letters will be used, e.g. jodoe14@tcgis.org. Please notify your children of this change. They will also be instructed as to their new log in procedure at the beginning of the school year.

Supply Contribution for 2013-2014

Each year, TCGIS asks for a supply contribution from its families. This contribution helps defray the additional costs we have as a school for the German consumables we use such as workbooks and notebooks. This year we are asking for $75 per student. We raised the suggested contribution by five dollars so that families would not be asked to provide copy paper, as in years past. Contributions can be dropped off at the Open House on August 29th. We appreciate any contribution your family can make.

Tax Break for School Supplies

Did you know that the state offers tax breaks for school-related expenses for kindergarten through 12th grade students attending public, private or home schools? Qualifying expenses include textbooks, paper, pens, notebooks, calculators, computer hardware and software, tutoring fees and music lessons. Learn more about Minnesota's Education Tax Break with this Fact Sheet.

Looking for Volunteers

As we approach the start of the new year in our new home, TCGIS staff is looking volunteers to help with some projects to make the first day of school the best it can be. We're looking for people to help with landscaping and some outdoor projects, and some parents to help students and parents outside of the school during pick-up and drop-off for the first few days. We have other projects as well just waiting for the right volunteer. Please let Molly Kalda know if you are available and help us get this year started off on the right foot!

Open House

Thursday, August 29th from 6:30-8:00 pm

We are kicking off our new school and new school year with a scheduled Open House program. Parents and students will go straight to their homerooms to drop off school supplies and have a welcome from teachers. All classes will then get to tour the new facility. We will gather at various times by grade level (K-2), (3-4) and (5-8) for a welcome by the director!

We have new grade level colors to help orient children and parents and create special belonging and identification:

ORANGE = kindergarten, 1st grade, 2nd grade
GREEN = 3rd grade and 4th grade
BLUE = 5th through 8th grades

Still need Host Families for Amity Interns!

Host an intern, enjoy multiple benefits

TCGIS is still seeking one family to host an Amity Intern for this fall 2013. We are also still asking for families who could host Amity interns in the spring. Benefits of hosting an intern:

Learn German from a native so your children don't talk about you behind your back!
Life long international friendships!
Free tutors for your children!
Enjoy a new cultural perspective!

Please contact Nicole Grenz or Darcy DeBoer for more information.

Intern Feature: Silke Matthiesen

I�m from Husum, a small town by the North Sea in the very North of Germany, only about half an hour from Denmark. I studied English and Wirtschaft/Politik (Social Studies) in Kiel to become a teacher at the Gymnasium. I love reading, taking pictures, swimming, travelling and spending time with friends and family. I am very excited to be an intern at TCGIS.

Intern Feature: Ramona Badem

I'm Ramona Badem and I'm studying French and English at the University of Passau to become a secondary teacher. I'm originally from a small village in Bavaria, about 62 miles to the east of Munich. I really enjoy traveling, Zumba dancing, horseback riding, sports in general and meeting (new) people. I'm already very excited to join TCGIS and really looking forward to having new experiences!

Intern Feature: Andrea Sch�nbauer

My name is Andrea Sch�nbauer and I am 20 years old. I am from a small village near Ingolstadt, Bavaria, but moved to Munich two years ago. In Munich, I am currently studying English, History and Social Studies to become a teacher for the German High School ("Gymnasium"). In my free time, I like doing belly dancing and kickboxing. These sports are obviously very different, but both are a lot of fun. I love traveling, dancing, reading, spending time with my friends and coffee. I am already looking forward to my time at TCGIS.

Application for Educational Benefits

A single form for need based scholarships could help
reduce numerous school expenses

The Minnesota Department of Education provides schools and parents with a form to help determine whether a student is eligible for educational benefits. This form is most often used to determine whether a family is eligible for free or reduced pricing on school lunches. TCGIS also uses this form to determine if a student is eligible for scholarships for Extended Kindergarten, field trips, after school activities, as well as school supply fee waivers or assistance, and more. If you would like to be considered for these scholarships, please fill out and return the 2013-2014 Application for Educational Benefits. This form must be filled out every year if you wish to be considered for these programs. Benefits do not roll over to the next school year, so if you received benefits last year, please apply again this year in order to receive benefits from these programs.