Elternbrief
Issue: 209
August  13, 2015
In This Issue

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Administrative Information
Bus Route Update 
 
Bus Route Information and Sign Up:

Dear Community:  

As noted in the Elternbrief last week, we are very excited to offer busing in partnership with Great River School to provide us with the opportunity of two routes. The routes offer stops on a north loop and south loop of Saint Paul and neighboring communities.

We have contracted with JME Transit Inc., who will provide bus service along these two routes.  THIS MAP shows the stops and times for each route (North Route -blue pins/ South Route -green pins). One of the BLUE PINS on the google map NORTH ROUTE is misplaced - there is a stop at County Road C West and Lincoln (Lunds & Byerly's location)   ***Please also note! All times of all stops on the morning routes according to the maps are actually 15 minutes earlier than stated.You will see the stops listed on the left for the North and South routes. The first thing you will see are the afternoon stops. Scroll down to see the morning. The yellow pins are school locations. You can insert your address on the search bar at the top to find the stop that is most convenient for your family. Next, fill out the BUS COMMITMENT form to commit to the stop your child(ren) will use this year. By selecting a stop on this form, you are committing to using the bus this year at that stop. Please do not fill out this form if you are not sure that you will be using it. The data in this form has a hard deadline of August 25th to ensure JME Transit has the time needed for their final preparations as well as time needed for the school to be in contact with families. ***Again, please note all times of all morning stops on the routes according to the maps are actually 15 minutes earlier than stated. The Bus Commitment times are correct for each stop.

As with any new complex undertaking, there will be issues and challenges to work through. We thank you in advance for your patience and understanding. We are committed to making the bus service a success and hope to be able to add buses to serve more members of our community in the future.

For your convenience we have put together a school bus FAQ from questions we have received so far.  If you have additional questions, please forward to Michelle Wallace at [email protected].


To read the full rationale behind the busing route decision, click here
TCGIS Open House - Save the Date!
Thursday, August 27 6:30-8pm

The new school year is right around the corner! Join us on Thursday, August 27 from 6:30pm-8pm at our Open House. You'll have a chance to meet your teacher, drop off school supplies, and get excited for a great year. We look forward to seeing you there!
Class Lists are Here!

The moment you have been waiting for is finally here! Find the class lists here
Kindergarten Playdates - Mark Your Calendars!

Dear Kindergarten Families, 
To welcome you all to school and provide you an opportunity to meet other families in your kindergarten classes, we are inviting you to a classroom kindergarten play date. Once you have found your child's name in the class lists, here are the play dates for each kindergarten class:

KA - Monday, August 24, 6:30-7:30pm
KB - Tuesday, August 25, 6:30-7:30pm
KC - Wednesday, August 26, 6:30-7:30pm

All play dates occur at TCGIS's playground at the school and families are welcome to bring all children in their families. The event is a casual meet & greet and the teachers of each section will be there. If you cannot make it, don't worry! There will be more social gathering happening throughout the school year.

Es freut uns!
Back-to-School Clean Up Week

Help spruce up the school! Join us the week of August 17th (M-Th) to get ready for the first day of school. We need volunteers to help us prepare the hallways and classrooms before the rush of students. Projects include: 
  • cleaning lockers
  • wiping down classroom tables and chairs (information on helping teachers set up their classrooms will be sent on a later date)
  • furniture assembly
  • inventory new books
  • library organization
  • and more!
Come prepared to get dirty! You may want to consider bringing work/rubber gloves. Kids are welcome to help! In fact, this is a great way to ease new and returning students back into the school year. Please note, kids must be accompanied by an adult. 

Returning  Enrollment Paperwork - Action Requested

The summer has flown by and we are excited to see you all back at school in just a few short weeks! In order to help us prepare for the new year, we ask that all RETURNING families fill out the attached paperwork once for each student. Please note, all families must fill out a complete health form every year.

If your family's contact information has not changed from last year, please just check the box on the upper right-hand corner on the Registration page.

Again, we do not need this paperwork for incoming Kindergarten students--only returning students, please! Forms can be handed in to the Front Office, mailed in to school or emailed to [email protected].
Online Lunch Ordering Coming Soon

We are currently working on setting up a new online lunch ordering and payment system. Information about how to create an account and order lunches for September will become available early next week. Stay tuned for more information!

In other lunch news, the application for free and reduced lunch is still available. Please find an information letter, instructions, and the application form for the free and reduced lunch program for the 2015-2016 school year.

If you have any question or need help, don't hesitate to email [email protected] or call 651-492-7106.
Supply Lists for 2015-2016

Supply lists are in! Please find the lists below. Happy shopping!
Familienfest at the GAI 
Sunday, August 23, 2-5pm

It's back-to-school fun for the TCGIS and GAI communities at Familienfest. Join us for kid-friendly activities and family-friendly menus and prices to celebrate the start of a new school year. Activities include a bouncy-house, lawn games, model trains, and picnic-style food. In addition, all incoming kindergartners are invited to join in the Schulanfang ceremony, honoring the beginning of their school careers. The ceremony will start at 4pm. Please note that this event is weather-permitting.

It's Box Top Bonus Season!

The return of classes brings the return of bonus Box Tops. Please be on the lookout for bonus opportunities!
These bonus Box Tops can be found on either specially marked products or your register receipt. 
For Sam's club shoppers, check out samsclub.com/boxtops for a high value offer!

Thanks for supporting TCGIS!
"School German" and Drop-In Homework Help for Parents

Coming this fall, Herbert Engelmayer is offering fun, efficient and informative

instruction in German for current TCGIS parents. Classes will focus on vocabulary and current concepts in the Kindergarten and first grade curriculums. Classes will start in October and meet at school. If interested, please contact Herbert for more information at 651-773-9525 or email him at

[email protected].