Elternbrief
Issue: 177
November 6, 2014
In This Issue
St. Martins Day
Give to the Max Day
Ghostbusters
Robotics With Chad Prater
National School Psychology Awareness Week
Dress your Kids for Winter!
Picture Day Retake
Elementary School Q&A
Lost & Found
Scholastic Book Fair
Follow our Exchange Students
PTO Announcement
GAI Announcement
Volunteer Opportunities!

Quick Links
Like us on Facebook




Nov 3-6: Scholastic Book Fair

Nov 6: Parent-Teacher Conferences / NO After-school Activities

Nov 7: Parent-Teacher Conferences / NO SCHOOL

Nov 9: St. Martin's Day Celebration

Nov 11: School Picture Day Retakes / Elementary School Q&A / PTO meeting

Nov 12-13: PTO Craft & Bake Sale

Nov 13: MN Give to the Max Day

Nov 19: Early Release Day / School Board Annual Retreat 2

Nov 20: School Board Meeting

Nov 21: PTO Kaffeeklatsch

Nov 24-25: NO After-school Activities

Nov 26-28: Thanksgiving Break - NO School

 

If you are a current volunteer or would like to become one, please visit our volunteer page, read the instructions and fill out the online application.
Click HERE!

Administrative Information
TCGIS Invites You to the St. Martin's Day Celebration

Sunday, November 10, 4:00 to 6:00 pm, at the Landmark Center, St. Paul

 

In cooperation with the Landmark Center and the Germanic-American Institute (GAI), our school celebrates St. Martin's Day at the Landmark Center. TCGIS students, families and any extended relatives are cordially invited to this celebration of light, charity & kindness. 

 

The program this year will feature the following:

4:00pm Welcome

4:10pm Joyful Winter Singers (Herbert Engelmeyer & Vienna Community)

4:20 Stories and Songs by 2nd Graders

4:45 Der Mann im Mond by 4th grade

4:50 Intermission (Enjoy lantern making!)

5:00 Twin Cities German Immersion School Band Performance

5:05 Blumenkranz: Laternentanz

5:10 Adiemus by 6th grade

5:15 Medieval Dances by 5th Grade

5:25 Blumenkranz Jr.: Gardetanz

5:30 Lantern Parade (Join St. Martin with your lantern for a parade through Rice Park!)

 

TCGIS will host a booth. Please visit us to say hello or purchasing spirit wear. We'll have t-shirts available in kids and adults sizes. 

 

There will be food and drinks available for purchase at the Landmark Center. More information about the event can be found here and on the the performing arts website.  


We hope to see many of  you this Sunday at the Landmark Center! 
Give to the Max Day!
Thursday, November 13

Are you ready for Give to the Max Day? Next Thursday, November 13 is Give to the Max Day. Thanks to the generous support of our board and leadership gifts, we were able to increase this year's goal to $35,000. The first $17,500 will be matched 1:1. This means that your gift to TCGIS will count twice! All contributions will support our wonderful Amity Intern program. Your donation will help ensure that there are two German-speaking teachers in every classroom-all day long! What a gift you will give the students at TCGIS.


In addition, every gift made on November 13 helps our chances of winning grant prize dollars. For example, Golden Tickets are given every hour. Each hour, one donation will be randomly selected to add $1,000 to the amount (TCGIS has won these in the past!).

 

So mark your calendar for Give to the Max Day, Thursday, November 13. Or, if you'd rather do it now while it's on your mind, schedule your gift today. You can schedule your gift, and it will automatically be donated on Give to the Max Day. To learn more, visit TCGIS Give to the Max Day 2014

 

Help us to spread the spark of giving and remind your friends to mark their calendars. With your help, we will reach our goal of $35,000 in support of our beloved Amity Interns. Thank you for participating in this years Give to the Max drive!
Ghostbusters

I ain't afraid o' no ghost, I ain't afraid o' no ghost
 

Thank you all for celebrating Halloween with us! It was a wonderful sunny day with our students and staff go strong with creative costumes. Click here to see TCGIS dance and sing Ghostbusters!

Robotics with Chad Prater!
Our 7&8 grade tech teacher, Chad Prater, rocks the robots!

Chad Prater's tech/robotics class this year is based on the First Lego League (FLL) organization and is aimed at introducing our 7th and 8th grade students to the fun and excitement of science and technology. In our classroom the children do most of the work in teams of up to ten students. The main work students engage in includes learning to program an autonomous robot to score points on a thematic surface, as well as creating innovative solutions to a problem, all while being guided by the FLL Core Values. Students are learning skills in the areas of team building, problem solving, and technology that will benefit them as they encounter the challenges of higher education and entering the workforce. It is a perfect example of student driven inquiry, they are presented with problems and through active investigation find solutions to the problems. 
National School Psychology Awareness Week


November 10-14 is National School Psychology Awareness Week.  The theme this year is "Strive. Grow. Thrive!" As parents and educators, we share the goal to help our children thrive in school, at home, and in life. Please click here for more information about the School Psychology Awareness Week, and your School Psychologist, Carol Mecklenburg.
 

Dress your Kids to Impress Old Man Winter!

With the colder weather approaching, please make sure that your children are well prepared for the lower temperatures.
  • Don't forget extra layers, including mittens, hats, boots, and scarves to ensure children stay warm outside.  
  • Consider healthy snacks that give an extra energy boost to stay warm in winter.
  • Please follow the drop off (7:50-8:10am) and pick up (3:15-3:30pm) procedures and wait in line patiently. Staff is working hard to load children quickly and efficiently as the weather becomes more challenging.
Picture Day Retake
Tuesday, November 11

Picture Retake Day is scheduled for the morning of Tuesday, November 11th. Grade 7 and 8 class photos, as well as all students absent on picture day, will have their photos taken. If you would like your child to have a retake taken, please email Lauren Kalish at lkalish@tcgis.org. If you received your order and are not satisfied with the picture and would like a retake, please send the picture package with your child on November 11th. They will need to give the photographer their old picture package, in order to receive their new one with the new picture.

Please email lkalish@tcgis.org no later than Monday, November 10th if you want to request a retake.
Elementary School Parent Q&A
Tuesday, November 11, 5:30-6:30pm

The Administration and Elementary School Coordinator, Elena Heindl invite any parents interested to a Elementary School Q&A Night on Tuesday, November 11, 5:30-6:30pm. The goal is to answer any questions parents and guardians have about Elementary School implementation. We welcome all and look forward to having a positive and collaborative discussion.
Lost and Found
Please Check the Lost and Found for Your Lost Items

Please check Lost and Found in the foyer behind the stairs. Click here for the excel spreadsheet with found items that are labeled with a name. Items left after the Parent-Teacher Conferences will be given to Goodwill. 

A big thank you goes out to Katheryn Mueller for doing an amazing job with Lost & Found and putting together the excel sheet!
Scholastic Book Fair
School Book Fair

 

The Scholastic Book Fair is here! Come and shop books for all levels.

 

Our schedule:

Thursday, Nov 6: 5:00pm-8:00pm

Friday, Nov 7: 8:30am-3:30pm

 

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.

  • Send wish lists to family and friends
  • All orders ship free to the school
  • Browse an expanded book selection - all ages through adult
Online Scholastic Book Fair is available Oct 29 - Nov 18 only!


Follow our Exchange Students!

Follow the adventures of our exchange students from Borghorst and read their blog: http://rsbusa2014.tumblr.com/.
PTO

PTO Announcement

 

Find out what's going on in the PTO. Click here to read more about:

  • November PTO Meeting
  • Craft and Bake Pre-Sale - November 10-12
  • Winter Strudel Sale

Be sure to like the TCGIS PTO page on Facebook!

GAI
GAI Announcement

Junior und der Schwan: American Agents for East Germany: Friday, November 14, 6:30pmGerman journalist Konrad Ege will discuss his coverage of the last Cold War spy trial, in conjunction with the screening of a documentary. The film features interviews with the spies themselves -- Americans who were agents for East Germany.
Volunteering
Volunteer Opportunities!

Every week, TCGIS offers diverse opportunities to volunteer. Right now we have the following openings:
  • Performing Arts Volunteers
  • Library Volunteers
  • Green Team Volunteers
Please check out our Volunteer Opportunity Directory here

If you are a current volunteer or would like to become one, please visit our volunteer page on the website, read the instructions and fill out the online application. 

If you need assistance with the application or have any questions, please contact Isabel at ivollenweider@tcgis.orgThank you!