German Immersion School settles into renovated facilities

Construction may not have moved as quickly as anticipated, but the students at the Twin Cities German Immersion School (TCGIS) are settling in to their renovated facilities at their new location at 1031 Como Ave. The school recently celebrated International Peace Day on Sept. 21, and students created pinwheels, writing their thoughts about peace on one side and decorating the other side with drawings about peace.

By JAN WILLMS

Construction may not have moved as quickly as anticipated, but the students at the Twin Cities German Immersion School (TCGIS) are settling in to their renovated facilities at their new location at 1031 Como Ave.

The site is the former home of St. Andrews Catholic Church and parochial school. The plan has been to renovate those two buildings and connect them with a new, 20,000-square foot addition.

The school, which offers all of its classes in the German language, has been steadily growing and looking for a bigger and more permanent home for its K-8 students. TCGIS had spent the last few years in a 90-year-old office building at 1745 University Ave.

“The renovation of the school is 99 per cent complete,” reported Ann Jurewicz, the school’s director. She said the former church building is being used as a gym and auditorium, with a cafeteria in the basement. The entire school program for the 300-plus students is being taught in the former parochial school.

“What remains is the construction to build a connection that will connect the school to the church, to have one continuous building,” Jurewicz said.

She explained that construction has fallen behind due to unforeseen issues.

“When we were digging out an area, we came across foundations that were built in the 1950s and had to be removed,” Jurewicz said. She added that power also had to be rerouted.

“We’re inheriting a couple of older buildings,” she continued, “with renovations and construction that can be unpredictable. But we are moving on to stage two, the new addition.”

The rectory of the old church was removed to provide parking for the school’s 36 staff members. The current parking lot on the site is being changed to provide a playscape for the children.

“We are getting used to the buildings and community,” Jurewicz said. “We have no busing currently, so there is a lot of carpooling. Overall, we are getting into the rhythm and routine of the neighborhood.”

She said the area has experienced a change from a site that sat vacant for three years to a building filled with 370 children.

“It’s a lot of changes and adjustment for everybody, but our big goal is to build a positive relationship,” she said. Jurewicz said that council member Amy Brendmoen lives right across the street from the school and has been very supportive.

“When we put construction updates on our website, she also puts them online,” Jurewicz said.

“Construction is going slower than we had hoped, and there have been some challenges,” Lenburg admitted, “but everyone is working together to make it work.”

“Our core mission is to have our students be active and engaged in world citizenship,” she emphasized. “An excellent way to reach out was through International Peace Day. It set the tone for what we want to contribute and create for the Como community.”

International Peace Day was adopted five years ago by the United Nations, according to Amy Lenburg, an art teacher at TCGIS. A project called Pinwheels for Peace had been created by a teacher in Florida, and Lenburg thought it would be a good idea for her students to follow.

“International Peace Day was Sept. 21, a Saturday, so we created the pinwheels the Friday before,” she said. “I had students in K-4th grade decorate the pinwheels in class, writing their thoughts about peace on one side and decorating the other side with drawings about peace.”

Lenburg said the students then went outside, joined with the music teacher in singing an Israeli peace song and marching around with the pinwheels. They then placed the pinwheels, 250 of them, in the front yard of the school.

“At the end of the day, I got the middle school class, and we walked the neighborhood, distributing the pinwheels,” Lenburg added. “We spread peace around. It was a good way to introduce ourselves to the neighborhood.”

Resident Kristi Herman Hill, who lives right next door to the school, agreed that the distribution of pinwheels was a wonderful introductory gesture.

“I was just getting home, and as I pulled up a little girl was putting a pinwheel on our retaining wall,” she explained. “She smiled and waved and ran away. I saw the greeting, sending a message of peace to the neighborhood. On Friday, after a long week, it was such a nice thing to do.”

Herman Hill said it has been an adjustment with the new school, with a long summer of ongoing construction.

“There were days when our walls were shaking,” she recalled. “But in general, the neighborhood is glad the building is being occupied by such a great place as the school. There could have been much worse uses for that building, and I know the school is going to be a great neighbor.”