Elternbrief
Issue: 127
October 24, 2013 
In This Issue
Letter from the Director
No After School Activities Nov. 7
Parent Teacher Conferences
PTO Announcements
Library Volunteers Needed
Special Ed Advisory Committee
Construction Update
November Lunch Menu
Parent Portal Access
St. Martin's Day
Free Pea Gravel
GAI Update
Substitute Teachers Wanted
Quick Links
Dear TCGIS parents and community,

Welcome Assistant Director Jeff Horton

TCGIS is very happy to welcome Jeff Horton as our new Assistant Director. Jeff has experience most recently in the South Washington School District and previously in Moundsview School District. He is licensed in special education, social studies, and English language arts, and is working on his Special Education Director and Administrator license. He has data assessment leadership experience, enjoys coaching and spent a year living in Germany. We look forward to the talents he brings. Please give him a friendly hello and introduce yourself when you see him in the halls.

 

Halloween: Parents Welcome for the End of the Day Parade

We are looking forward to a fabulous, safe, and creative Halloween enjoyed by all students!  Each teacher is sending out ideas for costumes and classroom party ideas, so watch for that in your weekly teacher updates. Weather permitting, we are hoping for a parade at the end of the day, making for another great opportunity for parents to connect with the school! Please get your cameras ready and come to enjoy the fun and creativity from 2:15 to 3:00 on Thursday, October 31!

 

Parent Teacher Conferences, November 7 and 8

Please be aware that sign-up for Parent Teacher Conferences opens this Thursday, October 24 at 5:00 pm. K-4 conferences will be scheduled in 20-minute time slots. Middle school conferences will be scheduled for 10 minutes per teacher. Middle school teachers will be in the cafeteria of the Aula where parents can easily move from teacher to teacher. Please see the article below for more details on how to sign up for conference times. 

  

Student and Family Handbook

TCGIS has updated the Student and Family Handbook for 2013-2014. Please click here for the new Handbook, and thank you for your patience!

 

Danke Sch�n!

 

Ann Jurewicz

Executive Director

NO AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES NOVEMBER 7
After school classes cancelled due to Parent-Teacher Conferences

There will be no after school activities on Thursday, November 7th. Teachers will be contacting their students to either reschedule or will reimburse families for missed class. Please contact Molly Kalda with any questions. 
Parent Teacher Conferences 
Thursday, November 7 from 4:00 pm to 7:30 pm
Friday, November 8 from 8:10 am to 3:30 pm

Both links to the calendar and instructions are available on our website, www.tcgis.org. The attached letter contains the master password to log into the system and to create an account, if you are a new user. The website for scheduling conferences is: 
 

 

Before you log in, we suggest that you have the following information on hand:
  1. A list of all the teachers you would like to see. The online conference system will not tell you the names of your children's teachers, but the PowerSchool Parent Portal is a useful tool to see a list of all teachers your child sees throughout the week. It is located here: https://twincitiesgerman.powerschool.com/public.
  2. The times you would like to have conferences. The system will tell you the teachers' available slots. If the teachers you wish to see are not available, contact them to schedule an alternative time for a conference.
If you have any questions, please call the office at 651-492-7106 or send an e-mail to Stefanie Berres at [email protected].
PTO Announcements
Find out what's going on in the PTO. Click here to read more about:
  • Craft & Bake Sale Donation & Volunteer Opportunities
  • Winter Strudel Sale Coming Soon
  • Meet-Ups (including upcoming Kaffeeklatsch)
  • How We Spend Our Money: Classroom Enrichment Funds
  • Elternkontakt Volunteers Still Needed
For the latest information, be sure to like our Facebook page!
 
Library Volunteers Needed
Help Students Access German Language Materials

childrens-bookshelf.jpg The library has settled into its final location for this school year. We are looking for volunteers to supervise library visits, as well as to assist students and teachers with book checkout. Volunteers generally serve for at least an hour on a specific day during the week. Classes are scheduled for 30 minute visits once a week. The volunteer uses the computerized card catalog system to help students and teachers find the books they are interested in checking out, and then assist the patrons in checking out the materials. No experience is necessary. Please contact Blaine Strobe at [email protected] if you are interesting in volunteering.
Special Education Advisory Committee 
Attention: Parents of Students Receiving Special Education Services 
teacher-students-college.jpg
The Special Education Advisory committee is meeting Thursday, November 7 from 6:30 to 7:15 pm. We look forward to seeing members of the community with an investment in the ongoing education and support of our special education students.

Thanks for your support.

The Special Education Team 

Construction Update
Cones
If you missed the letter in last week's Elternbrief on our continuing construction project, please read the following
 letter to parents for the latest information on our school's addition and estimated completion time.
November Lunch Menu

Please see this attachment for the November lunch menu. Please make payments to TCGIS. Lunch orders are due to the office by tomorrow, October 25. Log onto PowerSchool Parent Portal to check your student's balance. 
PowerSchool Parent Portal Access 

Thank you for your continued support as we roll out our PowerSchool Parent Portal. If you have any problems gaining access to the site, please check the instructions on how to log in, then contact Stefanie Berres with any further questions or problems as they arise. 
St. Martin's Day at TCGIS
TCGIS Invites You to the Yearly Celebration of St. Martin's Day
Sunday, November 10, 4:00 to 6:00 pm, at the Landmark Center, St. Paul

St. Martin's Day, or Martinstag, is one of the most popular German holidays. In November, when it becomes dark in the world, we light colorful lanterns in the hope that it will be brighter and warmer in people's hearts. Children in Germany come together with their lanterns, sing traditional St. Martin songs, and walk in a parade after St. Martin who is riding on his horse with a sword and a red cape. Lanterns became an indispensable attribute of this event, and St. Martin is definitely a celebration of light and hope. It is also an opportunity to spotlight the problems of the disadvantaged who may need our help.

Because of St. Martin's personality and his story, this day became a celebration of charity and sharing. People in Germany celebrate St. Martin on November 11, and this date marks one more event: The beginning of the Carnival season. 

In cooperation with the Landmark Center and the Germanic-American Institute (GAI), our school celebrates St. Martin's Day at the Landmark Center yearly in the beginning of November. This event is a part of the series Sundays@Landmark (more online at http://www.landmarkcenter.org/programs/calendar.htm#nov10).

TCGIS will feature 2nd grade with traditional German songs as well as 4th grade, TCGIS Band, and Blumenkranz Dance Troupe. The second grade and middle school students will perform scenes about St. Martin.

In the attachment you can find the texts of the St. Martin songs. You can also find these texts and more information about St. Martin's Day online at https://sites.google.com/a/germanschool-mn.org/music/stage/st-martin.

We hope to see you at the Landmark Center!
Free Pea Gravel 

This is your last chance to gather as much pea gravel as you'd like from our playground area as we are replacing it with a more sustainable material. If you would like to help with removal of the remaining amount, please bring shovels, wheelbarrows and helping hands to the school this Saturday, October 26 from 9-12 noon. For more information contact parent volunteer Matt McKinney at [email protected] or Facilities Manager, Andy Nesset at [email protected]. 
GAI Update

The annual wine tasting dinner is coming up this Saturday. Please see this attachment for more information on the date, time, and other important information about this event. The GAI is also presenting a Fall Culture Series. For more information about this and other GAI-sponsored events, go to www.gai-mn.org/events.

Substitute Teachers Wanted! studen-teacher-sm.jpg

Interested in helping out at school? Why not try substitute teaching! German fluency is preferred, but not required. Candidates must have a four-year degree. If you are interested, please contact Molly Kalda at [email protected] for more information. Thank you!