Elternbrief
Issue: 221       
November 5, 2015
In This Issue

Quick Links
TCGIS Online Calendar
 Volunteer at TCGIS!
Take a look at current volunteer opportunities! If you are not yet a volunteer, but are interested in becoming one - please fill out an application here. Vielen Dank!
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Administrative Information
Give to the Max 2015
Don't forget to support TCGIS as part of Give to the Max Day on November 12. All gifts will be matched thanks to a group of dedicated and generous parents and board members who have already provided a strong foundation of $13,000. This means every dollar you give will be doubled!

We would like to see 100% community participation, and gifts are accepted and appreciated at all levels. Currently we are at 7% participation, so let's get giving!
PTO Community Auction Open Now!

Scroll down to read about all of the wonderful things the PTO Community Auction has to offer--and start bidding!
 
Martinstag on Sunday

Please be reminded that students (K-3) should bring their lanterns. Electric tea lights will be for sale for 50 cents at the event.

All participating artists please arrive ahead of time, cast call is at 3:30pm at the Landmark Center:
  • TCGIS Band
  • 5th grade (scenes, songs & dances)
  • 4th grade (a song)
  • 2nd grade (songs and scenes)
  • Blumenkranz (dances)
  • some 7/8th graders (final scene)
See you on November 8 at the Landmark Center! 
Picture Retake Day - November 10

Students should have come home this week with either their picture orders or proofs. Not happy with the proof or the order? Smile big for retake day on November 10! If students would like their picture retaken, all they need to do is bring either their proof OR their order to the photographers on retake day. Interested in placing an order? The proofs will have this information. 
Join the TCGIS Basketball Team
 
Come shoot some hoops and join the TCGIS basketball team! Basketball season is December 2 - February 12. Students do not play during TCGIS Winter Break.

Click here for more information and to register! 
 
You're Invited to a Parent Community Conversation
Sunday, November 22 1:00-3:00pm

Join the School Board Parent Liaison, Christine VeLure Roholt and others in the TCGIS community on Sunday, November 22 from 1-3pm at the Uptown Community Gathering Spaces (3554 Bryant Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55408). Learn about the role of the school board at TCGIS and share your questions and suggestions for the board. Name the challenges and successes you want the board to consider as it relates to the mission, vision and values of the school. Children are welcome to be in the space and a few art activities and board games will be available.

This is the second in a series of 6 parent gatherings that will happen around the Twin Cities in the coming months.

Interested in attending, would like to be part of a future conversation, or have questions? 
Please contact Christine VeLure Roholt, [email protected]. 
Is Your Child Struggling to Keep Up With Reading?

Join TCGIS literacy specialist Gesa Zinn for a discussion about getting your child motivated to read Monday, November 16 from 7:30-8:30pm in room 100.  

The Special Education Advisory Committee will screen a viewing of the movie, "The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia" at 6:30pm, with the discussion about reading for ALL students to follow.

Please click here to RSVP and send in your specific reading questions.
Any questions? If so, please contact Jessica Chastek.
Spooktacular Halloween Box Top Collection Results

Our K-2nd grade classes collected over 2500 Box Tops this month! Many thanks to students and of course their parents for such a great effort.

Keep asking family and friends to save their box tops because they really make a difference for our school. Box Top collection containers for your business or work place are available for pick up at the school office
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Bring in Your Old Shoes!
This month we will be collecting your gently used shoes for a charity called Shoe Away Hunger. We will have bins throughout the school for your donations in the next month. Thank you for donating! 
 
Spirit Wear Ready for Pick Up

The day has arrived--spirit wear is ready to be picked up! Find us during parent teacher conferences, at the Landmark Center for Martinstag this Sunday, November 8, or swing by the office next time you're at school. Missed the order? We've got extras--but get 'em while you can!
Germanic American Institute 
Puppet & Mask Workshops for Adults and Kids

Calling All Knitters and Crochet Crafters!
Are your knitting needles getting dusty? Crochet hooks in a tangle? Are you buying new yarn despite the half-finished projects waiting at home? Then we want to hear from you! We are seeking fiber-craft enthusiasts to join a knitting and crochet circle this January. Whether you are beginner or can combination knit in your sleep, join us as we meet to socialize while we work, swap patterns and skills, and share a good yarn!  Send an e-mail with your contact info to [email protected] to get on our group e-mail list.

 
Save the Date: Holiday Open Haus
Saturday, December 5, 12pm-6pm & Sunday, December 6, 11am-3pm
 
As the weather turns cold, the GAI opens its doors once again for our Holiday Open Haus! Enjoy the feel of a European market with all the comforts of our community home, with local vendors selling German Christmas gift items, model trains, festive food and drink featuring Gl�hwein, Flammkuchen, Lebkuchen, and more! Come on Saturday for tours of the Haus, decorated for the holiday season, as well as a Germanic-cuisine Cook-off, or bring the Kinder on Sunday to visit St. Nikolaus. Click here to learn more. This event is free and open to the public.
PTO

Bidding is Open for the TCGIS PTO Community Auction
 
Check out the great events and products available in the TCGIS PTO Community Auction. Bidding opened last night and will be open through 9pm, Wednesday, November 11. Many events fill up fast, so sign up early! Keep checking your auction items throughout the week to make sure you still have the top bid. Look over the list, sign up, and place your bids on the auction website.
 
Strudel Sale Going on Now
The Fall Strudel Sale is also going on during the auction. There are a variety of sweet and savory strudels available made locally by Ruhland's Strudel Haus. Proceeds from the sale go to the TCGIS PTO Community Auction, so be sure to order one (or two). They make great holiday gifts, too. Strudels can be ordered on the auction website as well!
 
Thank you to the generous donors that made this year's auction possible---parents, students, teachers, staff, interns, and friends!
 
Questions?
Please contact Becky Deimel and Astrid Knott Johnson at [email protected].