Elementary

Reminder: BIPOC Caregiver Meeting, Thursday, January 5; 7:45pm

REMINDER: BIPOC caregiver meeting will be held Thursday January 5th at 7:45pm via zoom. The zoom link can be accessed HERE

The BIPOC Caregiver Committee is a group of caregivers who meet the first Thursday of each month to talk about ways that the school can be more inclusive for BIPOC students while also focusing on encouraging everyone in the school to explore their identity. All caregivers of BIPOC students are welcome.

Please email Jordan Samejima (jsamejima@greatriverschool.org) or Anu Dean (adean@greatriverschool.org) if you have any questions.

Brrrrr! A Wintery Return to Great River School!

Written by Aja Parham, Communications Coordinator

While other schools did not return to their building today because of the Winter Storm warning, the students of Great River School embraced the cold 26 degree weather, the blustery snow, and use nature’s resources creatively on this beautiful winter day in Minnesota.

At recess, students found ways to utilize their environment and really put their imagination to work. Exiting the building, a table of students greeted me with rectangular shaped blocks of snow of which I was told were actually that they were making.

On the jungle gym, two students hung upside down and chatted while the snow slowly came down. Students in the Sport Court played a chilly game of soccer as the wind hit their little faces. Over a course of a few hours a large group of students carved a tunnel and on the open play lot, students found a patch of ice, using the shovel to form an ice skating rink.

And we can’t forget about our resident goat friends, Midnight and Sodak, living at the rear of the school. They too dawned little jackets and played in the snow a bit. Initially hiding in their little house, they came out just long enough to pose for pictures, sip some water, slide down a hill and return to the comfort of their home.

Yes, it is days like these that I love working here at Great River School, getting to witness the students working together, creating, and shaping the world around them, and animals of Minnesota enjoying the weather too.

Have a beautiful day and safe on the roads.

GRS Community Member in need. Can you help?

When one of our community members is down we are down with them. And when we can, we help where needed. For those who do not know, Nat Lutterman's dog, Drops of Jupiter, aka Baby Jupi, has had ongoing digestive issues since June 2020. Initially, it was thought to be stress-related tied to major losses in Nat's family during that summer, but as his issues continued, it became apparent there was definitely more going on. We need to find out while he keeps puking, and just like human medical care, pet medical care is not cheap, even with insurance. Nat is embarrassed to ask for help, but we need to help with Baby Jupi's on-going veterinary diagnostic testing as Nat has definitely reached the end of her financial resources. And, I believe that people WANT to help animals who cannot speak for themselves. This photo of Jupi shows how he is feeling these days.

Nat has exhausted the entirety of the academic resources of the whole vet staff at her vet clinic, and was referred to the University of Minnesota for an Internal Medicine Specialist.

If you have the resources to give, please click on the Gofundme link below and read more about Nat and Baby Jupi.
Baby Jupi's Veterinary Expenses

Thank you in advance.

Summer Camps 2023

Winter solstice has come upon us, but Great River School is already planning for summer camp!  Our programs are divided by grades and not age:  Pre/K, 1st-3rd, 4th-7th, and 7th-10th.  This year we are offering more 1st-3rd grade camps every week!  Some of our elementary themes will be art, theater, outdoor survival skills, sports, biking, science, games, animals and the environment, robotics, ninja training and more!  The goal is for registration to be open by January 13, so keep your eyes out for future announcements and on our summer camp link (to be updated): https://www.greatriverschool.org/summercamp.  You can also contact Brent Cummins with any questions at bcummins@greatriverschool.org.  As always, we'll have scholarships available for all!

Where do I find Information for sports and other activities GRS?

Are you wondering how you can support our GRS students on sports teams, theatre, and other activities? Below are a number of ways to keep track of the games and locations via Google Calendar at the bottom of our GRS website homepage and the Twin Cities Academy website. Let’s go teams! Let’s support our Arts and Athletics!

Twin Cities Academy/Great River Tigers
https://twincitiesac.org/public/genie/404/school/1009/

Great River School Website
https://www.greatriverschool.org/calendar

Elementary Clothing for Accidents and Emergencies

Dear Elementary Families, If at some point this year your child has borrowed clothes from the school, please wash and return them so we can continue to supply students with clean clothes in case of accidents. Additionally, if you'd be willing to donate any child-size underwear or leggings so we can add to our stash, that would be immensely helpful! Accidents happen, and having a supply of emergency gear helps students get through the day! Thanks for your partnership!! The Elementary Team

Broomball Club for All Genders, Grades 5 - 8

We hope to again offer a broomball club sport this January-February for grades 5-8. 

Great River will organize teams for broomball practices and scrimmages within our own community. What is broomball? Click here to find out!

Coach: Parent volunteer wanted, supported by Big Canoe staff

Practices and games: Mondays and Thursdays (tentative) 3:30-4:45

Location: Como broomball rinks at McMurray fields

Cost: $100.

Requirements: a bike or ski helmet, any skill level

Sign up here if you are interested in participating or to receive more information! 

BIPOC Caregiver meeting, Thur., Dec. 8, 2022

REMINDER: BIPOC caregiver meeting will be held Thursday December 8th at 7:45pm via zoom. The zoom link can be accessed HERE.

The BIPOC Caregiver Committee is a group of caregivers who meet the first Thursday of each month to talk about ways that the school can be more inclusive for BIPOC students while also focusing on encouraging everyone in the school to explore their identity. All caregivers of BIPOC students are welcome.

Please email Jordan Samejima (jsamejima@greatriverschool.org) or Anu Dean (adean@greatriverschool.org) if you have any questions.

Winter Gear Donation

Please consider the following donation requests, if you are able, to benefit Great River staff and families.  Gratitude!

Gear library donations for GRS staff:

As we enter into the cold weather of winter and simultaneously see a frequent need to shuffle staff around the building to cover absences, we are reaching out to families to request donations of high quality winter gear.  

This gear would be available for staff to check out as needed if they unexpectedly need to accompany students outdoors.

If your family has used gear in excellent condition that you no longer need, please consider donating the following to Great River:

-snowpants

-boots

-very warm jackets

-very warm mittens/gloves

We are seeking adult sizes XS-XXL.  At this time we do not need child sized gear, our social workers have coordinated the needs of students.

Please message the following three adults to coordinate donation drop off:

Jordan Samejima - jsamejima@greatriverschool.org

Saleha Erdmann - serdmann@greatriverschool.org

Lindsey Hartjes - lhartjes@greatriverschool.org

Gift cards for GRS families:

As families prepare for the holidays and encounter rising costs of basic needs, the social work team is seeking donations of gift cards that can be distributed to GRS families who need them.  

We are requesting gift cards for:

-gas

-grocery stores

-large retail chains like Target

Contact one of our social workers to coordinate drop off of gift cards.

Delia Koolick (Lower Elementary) dkoolick@greatriverschool.org

Angela Gaitas (Upper Elementary) agaitas@greatriverschool.org

Megan Miliaresis (Lower Adolescent) mmiliaresis@greatriverschool.org 

Seth Tupper (Upper Adolescent) stupper@greatriverschool.org

Saleha Erdmann (SEL Coordinator) serdmann@greatriverschool.org

GRS Ultimate Frisbee fundraiser

There is an ultimate frisbee fundraiser on December 6th at the Grand Ave Chipotle. From 4:00 to 8:00pm part of the proceeds from anyone who orders from the Grand Chipotle and says they are part of Great River will go to the Ultimate Program. Everyone should go! If you order online make sure you enter the code KWJYEWF.

GRS Spiritwear, Only two more days left to order for Free Delivery! Order by December 2nd.

Last week for free school delivery

Order your GRS school spiritwear by Friday December 2 to receive free school delivery before winter break.

We have fresh new tee and sweatshirt designs from our logo contest as well as old and new favorite hats, flannels, sweats and more. Each purchase helps support Great River's programming and operations.

Order online here.

BIPOC Caregiver meeting, Thur., Dec. 1st, 7:45pm

REMINDER: BIPOC caregiver meeting will be held Thursday December 1st at 7:45pm via zoom. The zoom link can be accessed HERE.

Please email Jordan Samejima (jsamejima@greatriverschool.org) or Anu Dean (adean@greatriverschool.org) if you have any questions.

GIFTING STAFF for Holidays {coordinated by PEG} Deadline DEC 6th!

Wondering about Teacher Gift Ideas? We asked and got some great feedback from teachers about what they love! 

Contribute to a Group $ Gift: At Great River we have 131 different staff members who all contribute to our community’s success. We are organizing a group gift for our dedicated guides and staff for those parents who wish to participate. We hope to make this a routine for holidays and teacher appreciation week at the end of the school year. We know the teachers will appreciate it, plus parents don’t have to put much thought into an amazing gift. Your contribution to the group gift is completely optional, and if you prefer to give your own gift, that is fine. 

The group gift collection is for all GRS staff. We suggest an amount of $15-$150 that will be divided up equally. You can also choose to contribute whatever amount you’d like to. 

Thank you!

Here is the link to Venmo and Paypal options. Please contribute now as we have a quick turnaround time to make this happen before winter break! Please note PEG in the description.

Venmo: @Heather-Thomas-190

PayPal: nathatddt@yahoo.com

If you prefer to make a cash donation, please deliver to the front desk in a sealed envelope with “PEG Holiday Gift” on the envelope.

Please participate as you like. Your gift amount is confidential.

Deadline for contribution will be December 6th.We’ll use our PEG meeting to stuff envelopes for each of our staff members, along with a thank you note.

Just to give you an idea........

We have about 800 in our student body and we know some families have more than one student at school.

If each family gave $5, we could give each staff member $25. 

If each family gave $25, we could give each staff member $130. 

If now is not a good time for your family, we can do another gifting time during teacher appreciation week. Teacher Appreciation Week: May 7-13

Gift Ideas from our Survey

If you want some other ideas to do on your own or as a classroom.

Bookstores: Moon Palace Books, Barnes and Nobles, Magers and Quinn, Black Garnet

Grocery Stores: Mississippi Market, Trader Joes

Pizza places: Pizza Luce, John’s Pizza, Red Savoy and Punch

Movie Theaters: Riverview, Alamo Drafthouse, AMC Rosedale

Cafes: So many—If you’d like to know a specific thing, ask your guide or email peg! 

Favorite places, theaters and parks are also in our survey results, ask if you’d like more info:) 

Contact your classroom ambassador or PEG if you’d like to know what your teacher loves and coordinate a special treat for them. We’ve listed some popular ideas for starters!

Please contact Heather or Mary Sage with questions at peg@greatriverschool.org

GRS Spiritwear, Order by December 2nd for Free Delivery!

Last week for free school delivery

Order your GRS school spiritwear by Friday December 2 to receive free school delivery before winter break.

We have fresh new tee and sweatshirt designs from our logo contest as well as old and new favorite hats, flannels, sweats and more. Each purchase helps support Great River's programming and operations.

Order online here.

Winter Baseball & Softball Saturday Sessions 12/3 and beyond

Good morning, known and hopeful baseball or softball players and families!

This is a reminder that for any students interested in enhancing their baseball or softball skills, we will be holding 10 Saturday winter training sessions at TCA on the following dates:

December 3 and 17

January 7, 21 and 28

Feb 4, 11 and 18

March 4 and 11 (These two dates are going to be at Nova Classical Academy).

All of the training sessions are FREE and will start at noon and end at 1:30. They will be led by current varsity players. Coaches can only supervise.

Batting practice, pitching practice and utilizing the TCA weight room will be the primary areas of focus this winter. Bring your baseball glove and some good athletic shoes and clothes. Feel free to bring a bat if you have one.

Please help recruit some new, young athletes for our programs.

Please reach out to Coach Lindholm or baseball captain Alex Ehlebracht with questions (slindholm@twincitiesacademy.org).

Scott Lindholm
6-12th grade Health & Physical Education and Sports Psychology
Varsity Head Baseball Head Coach (co-op w/ Nova Classical Academy)
Twin Cities Academy
https://twincitiesacademy.org/
690 Birmingham Street, St. Paul, MN 55106