National Volunteer Week is about inspiring, recognizing and encouraging people to seek out imaginative ways to engage in their communities. We'd like to embrace this opportunity to thank all our volunteers for their dedication to the school and their many hours of volunteering! Our school is blessed to have such a wonderful culture of support and devotion!

We're planning a Volunteer Appreciation on May 22th to celebrate our volunteers and supporting community. Please save the date. More information about the time and program will follow.

"I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve." -Albert Schweitzer

Reminder - Parent Survey Open Until April 14

This is a friendly reminder that the parent survey will remain open until Monday, April 14 at midnight. Please take a moment to complete the survey. It should take no more than about 10 minutes and it provides very valuable information to the school.

Note that each household receives one survey link. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. Thanks!

Astrid Knott Johnson, Survey Administrator
Matt Schneider, Board Chair

Capstone Benefit Event Program

Bring your blankets and deck chairs and enjoy an indoor festival!

Please join us for the third annual Capstone Benefit Event on Sunday, April 13th from 2:00- 5:00pm in the Aula of TCGIS. Click here for the program.

Our fantastic TCGIS teachers, students, their families and other members of the TCGIS community have come together to provide an afternoon of musical entertainment ranging from classic to rock while you and your family can enjoy a cup of coffee, delicious cake and more.

In March of 2013 the first graduating class of TCGIS went to Germany for a two week Capstone Experience. The Capstone provided students with the opportunity to integrate and apply what they've learned during their time at TCGIS and experience Germany first hand. It is the culmination of the education at TCGIS and is planned for all 8th grade classes at TCGIS. All proceeds from this event will go directly to the Capstone Fund and support our German Exchange program.

Hope to see you there. Don't miss it!!!

Please contact Sylvia Oxenham or Gina Vader if you have any questions or are interested in participating in the program.

Thank you,

The Capstone Committee

Grade Mixing for 2014-2015 School Year

TCGIS would like to inform parents of the following elementary grade configuration:

Kindergarten, grade 2 and grade 4 students will be mixed in new classes
Grades 1 and 3 will stay with their current class of students

Any questions should be directed to Ann Jurewicz.

Interested in Hosting a TCGIS Amity Intern?

We're looking for host families for our Fall '14 and Spring '15 Interns!

Create an intercultural experience within your own home by hosting a German Amity intern. Enjoy typical German dishes, music, and personal conversations with your intern. Let your children benefit socially and academically from a native German speaker in your home!

"Our intern has been great! She helps out with homework, teaches us how to cook German dishes, and helps watch the kids. But most importantly, she hangs out with us, laughs at our jokes, and has become a part of the family. We wish she could stay much longer!" says a current host-family.

If you're interested in either hosting or supporting an Amity intern, please fill out the online form HERE. This is only an expression of interest at this time, and not an absolute commitment or promise. For more information about our Amity program and hosting an intern, please go to the TCGIS website or contact Isabel Vollenweider.

Still Taking Applications for an Appointment!

We have received applications from six candidates. Introductions coming next week.

Application paperwork for the one year appointment can be found here, or picked up from the school office.

Stay tuned for more information about May 16 election day.

If you have any questions or have suggestions for potential candidates, please contact Michelle Wallace, Governance Committee Chair or any other member of the current board.

Thank you for your consideration.

Scholastic Book Fair

Week of April 7 - School Book Fair

Week of April 14 - Online Book Fair

School Book Fair: Week of April 7, Second Floor Elevator Lobby

The Scholastic Book Fair is around the corner! Come and shop books for all levels, picture and chapter books, pencils, rulers, all you need for your child's enhanced learning experience.

Our schedule:

Mon, Apr 7: 3:00-5:30

Tues, Apr 8: 3:00-6:30

Wed, Apr 9: 3:00-6:30

Thurs, Apr 10: 3:00-5:30

Fri, Apr 11: 7:50-8:30

Online Book Fair: Week of April 14

If you are out of town or can't make it to our Book Fair, you can also help support our school by shopping online. Shop the online fair if you missed the fair, or, if you want to add to what you already have!!

Click here for more information about the Book Fair.

Musicians Wanted

4A is working on the musical "K�nig Drosselbart" after a famous fairy tale by Brothers Grimm. We are looking for musicians who would like to play the instrumental part: trumpet and/or clarinet, violin, cello, and flute.

The performance will take place at the end of May. Exact day and time TBA.There will also be an option to perform the musical on June 22 or 23 at the German Fest.

If you are interested in sharing your musical talents please contact Valentin Solakhau. Students and community members are very welcome! You'll get the scores, and we will schedule practices in May.

Singers Wanted!

We are assembling a Family Choir to celebrate German Days at the GAI on June 15. Commitment is 4-5 rehearsals and the performance. We welcome all - it's intergenerational! No auditions necessary. Call Herbert or Nancy at 651-773-9525, or email.

PTO Announcement

PTO GAME NIGHT - April 25, 2014, 6:30-8:30pm at TCGIS

Our annual Game Night at TCGIS is coming up on Friday, April 25th 2014, 6:30-8:30pm! All TCGIS families are invited! We will have games for all ages and across all genres, snacks and beverages for refreshment and prizes for the winners of our game raffle! Bring a game and snack for sharing and then play away the evening with some old and new games! If you would like to volunteer for this event (set up, clean-up), please contact Alexandra Weeding.

The TCGIS PTO Strudel & Plant Sales Are Now Open!

Click here to purchase all your Mother's Day gift-giving needs! For Mother's Day brunch, buy and bake a few handcrafted strudels from Ruhland's Strudel Haus. Then surprise her with a plant card from Gerten's, so she can pick out the flowers and plants she likes best.The Strudel Sale will feature several new varieties, both savory and sweet. This year's Plant Sale will feature plant cards only, since the school construction project makes order fulfillment tricky.

Orders will be taken through 10:00 pm on April 21. (Note: You will need to create a new account for this sale, even if you have purchased strudel or plants in previous sales.) All items will be available for pickup on May 8 from 3:00 to 6:00 pm in the school parking lot, next to the Aula. The PTO keeps a portion of proceeds from these sales. What a great way to celebrate Mother's Day AND support the PTO!

GAI Announcement

Germany: Promise and Challenges

On Thursday, April 24 from 7-8:30pm the Germanic-American Institute presents the final installment of our Spring Culture Series. Dr. Heino Beckmann will discuss the profound changes Germany has experienced since the fall of the Berlin Wall 25 years ago, focussing on Germany's economic, policies, integration, and influence - both economic and political - throughout Europe. This event is free and open to the public. More details are at the GAI website

Easter Egg Hunt

Join us Saturday, April 19 at 10am for an Easter Egg Hunt for kids ages 10 and under. No pre-registration is necessary and more details are available on our website.

Gardening Project Volunteers

Kindergarteners in Leah Steiner Suter's class are growing flowers and vegetables from seeds. They're excited to create their own indoor garden, but what they'd REALLY love would be to have a small, raised garden bed outside in the sunshine. If there are a few adult volunteers who'd like to organize this for them (cleared area, soil added) they'd be happy to fill the new beds with baby plants and care for them until June. Sign up here.

Intern Hosting Volunteers

We are looking for families to host Amity interns for the coming school year. The Amity intern program is a cornerstone of our school. It not only enriches our classrooms and community culturally, but keeps our adult to student ratio low and quality of learning high. Hosting a German intern is an unforgettable intercultural experience for the whole family. Enjoy typical German dishes, music, and personal conversations with your intern. Let your children benefit socially and academically from a native German speaker in your home.

If you're interested in hosting an Amity Intern, please sign up here. This is only an expression of interest at this time, and not an absolute commitment or promise. For more information about our Amity program and hosting an intern, please go to the TCGIS website or contact Isabel Vollenweider.

Can't Host? Support an Intern as an Uncle or Aunt!

For those of you who would love to host an intern, but your living situation or family life does not make that possible, we are also asking you to help with host family support. You would be able to provide meals or extra food for interns, or take interns out for evenings and weekends, much like an "Onkel" (Uncle) or "Tante" (Aunt).

If you're interested in supporting an Amity Intern, please sign up here. This is only an expression of interest at this time, and not an absolute commitment or promise. For more information about our Amity program and hosting an intern, please go to the TCGIS website or contact Isabel Vollenweider.

Library Book Sales Volunteers

The library has an annual book sale on Friday, May 16. This is also the day of the PTO Plant Sale and the School Board Elections. Blaine Strobe appreciates help setting up, during, and after the Book Sale. Sign up for helping out with the Library Book Sales.