Fall Archery Session for Lower Elementary
Mondays, September 18-October 23 (no school 9/25) from 4-4:45 pm (5 sessions)
Cost is $100.
Space is limited Scholarships in case of need and discounts for current Big Canoe participants are available; contact bigcanoe@greatriverschool.org
GRS is partnering with the Twin Cities Chess Club again this fall for a guided chess club.
The Twin Cities Chess Club will provide coaching for any students interested in developing their game. Any skill level is welcome! Open to grades 1-12.
Meetings: Wednesdays, 4-5 pm, September 27-December 13 (9 sessions, only meets on school days)
Cost: $125
Space is limited. Scholarships in case of need and discounts for current Big Canoe participants are available; contact bigcanoe@greatriverschool.org
Registration: Sign up by filling out this form.
Please pay the fee at this link to complete registration.
FIRST Lego League for grades 4-8:
Calling interested students and parents! GRS hopes to host 4 lego league teams this fall under the direction of head coach Pam Husak.
Teams will practice every Wednesday after school from 4-5:30, and every other Saturday culminating in the all-day tournament in December. The first meeting will be Wednesday September 6.
The fee is $200 (scholarships available--contact bigcanoe@greatriverschool.org). The fee goes towards materials, equipment, competition fees, and GRS staff resources.
Lego League gives students a hands on technical challenge to solve while working as a team to study the problem and find solutions. We're looking for kids who are committed to hard work and building strong, cooperative teams. To apply, students and parents should fill out the Lego League application form.
We are also looking for parents who are able to volunteer their time to coach a team--no experience is needed, just a willingness to help guide the kids in their work!
Teams fill up quickly, and placement is not guaranteed. Registration is complete upon team confirmation and payment.
Contact legoleague@greatriverschool.org with any questions.
FIRST Lego League for grades 4-8:
Calling interested students and parents! GRS hopes to host 4 lego league teams this fall under the direction of head coach Pam Husak.
Teams will practice every Wednesday after school from 4-5:30, and every other Saturday culminating in the all-day tournament in December. The first meeting will be Wednesday September 6.
The fee is $200 (scholarships available--contact bigcanoe@greatriverschool.org). The fee goes towards materials, equipment, competition fees, and GRS staff resources.
Lego League gives students a hands on technical challenge to solve while working as a team to study the problem and find solutions. We're looking for kids who are committed to hard work and building strong, cooperative teams. To apply, students and parents should fill out the Lego League application form.
We are also looking for parents who are able to volunteer their time to coach a team--no experience is needed, just a willingness to help guide the kids in their work!
Teams fill up quickly, and placement is not guaranteed. Registration is complete upon team confirmation and payment.
Contact legoleague@greatriverschool.org with any questions.
LIST League soccer signup for grades 5-8
LIST co-ed soccer will run from September-November. We anticipate offering one 5-6 team and one 7-8 team.
Practices will be at McMurray fields north of Great River Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:15-5:30 pm, with games on Wednesdays (gr 5-6 team) or Fridays (gr 7-8 team).
Coaches: Corey Pederson and Ricardo McCurley
Cost is $150 (jersey, league and coach fee)
Sign up here to indicate your interest, and you'll be contacted with team and payment information.
Are you interested in coaching soccer for grades 5-6 and/or 7-8? We anticipate offering two teams next fall through the middle school LIST league. The season is September-November. Typically teams practice 1-2 times per week from 3:45-5 pm and have games on Wednesdays (5-6) or Fridays (7-8). We are able to offer a stipend for coaching duties. Please reach out to kanway@greatriverschool.org for more information about this opportunity.
The last day of school is a half day on Friday, June 9th. It is an annual tradition to close the year together with our end of year ceremony, thank each other for the work we’ve done, and enter summer collectively. The students will line up in the playground area on the south side of campus to participate in this short event, which will begin at 11:10am followed by an ice cream social and dismissal at 11:45.
Your students should bring all their personal items home. Please have your children bring nothing with them to school on the last day, except any remaining borrowed school items they need to return - we need the building to be cleared out by dismissal time. All items left in the lost & found will be donated.
Students will not be eating lunch at school on Friday. Big Canoe Kids Club will not be in session in the afternoon on the last day of school. Dismissal for all students is at 11:45am.
Thank you for your partnership through this year. We would appreciate parent volunteers to help with the ice cream social - please sign up here!
The Ceremony
Caregivers are welcome to observe the ceremony and pick up your students afterwards. We ask that caregivers gather along the perimeter of the playground (staying on or behind the limestone rocks). After the ceremony, students will participate in an ice cream social and be dismissed for the summer.
For more information, please see the email sent to all GRS Families.
The 22-23 school year is coming to a close and it's time to look towards summer and ways to stay connected with other GRS families! We still have some spots available at a couple of the Great Gathering- consider joining in and boosting your summer with some new learnings and friends!
EV Curious? Spend an evening enjoying appetizers and craft mocktails while learning what it’s like to buy, own and maintain an EV. We’ll have a informal discussion and answer questions about topics such as: Buying experience, availability Test driving options Rebates Features Hybrid vs Plug-in Batteries and range Road trip and route planning Charging options (solar) Local EV Car Share Options HOST: Susan and Rudolph Sochacki WHEN: June 20th, 2023 6:30pm WHERE: Our patio in St Paul WHO: Adults
click this link to buy tickets! bit.ly/GRSBHBTICKETS23
A student created project for class to raise money for the animals of GRS by selling used clothes donated by students.
We've had the pleasure of working with birder Amy Simso Dean during elementary Environmental Ed workshop. Amy leads the MN Youth Birdwatching Club, which has received grants for 2023 to offer *free* guided birding opportunities for youth and families. Please share this information with others, or reach out for your own family if you are interested! Email MYbirdclubinfo@gmail.com or follow @MYBirdClub on facebook.
Families of Great River,
We look forward to your feedback regarding this past school year. Your feedback creates and informs the decisions we will make as a school community. Please be direct, honest, and critical where appropriate. Also let us know where you find joy and strength in our learning community. After each question is an opportunity to provide additional comment if you would like to elaborate on any specific topic.
Please fill this Family Feedback Form by June 9th. Your results are anonymous and we appreciate every shared experience and perspective!
This is a reminder that our year end BIPOC gathering will take place tomorrow at Griggs park from 11:30am - 3pm.
Pizza, snacks, and water will be provided. Vegan, vegetarian, and gluten free options will be available.
The plan is to meet outside at the blacktop area and walk over to griggs park together as a group at 11:30am. Students are expected to remain at the park until we return to school together at 3pm.
If you have any questions please reach out to Jordan.
Cleaning out your storage for spring? The art department is looking for any (working) film cameras that you may be looking to unload. We are always happy to take any used or unused canvases and blank sketchbooks as well. Thanks for considering the GRS Art Department! Supplies can be delivered to the front office. Please contact Randi McClure rmcclure@greatriverschool.org for any questions.
Families of Great River,
We look forward to your feedback regarding this past school year. Your feedback creates and informs the decisions we will make as a school community. Please be direct, honest, and critical where appropriate. Also let us know where you find joy and strength in our learning community. After each question is an opportunity to provide additional comment if you would like to elaborate on any specific topic.
Please fill this Family Feedback Form by June 9th. Your results are anonymous and we appreciate every shared experience and perspective!
As Ultimate seasons are coming to an end, we would like to keep the spirit of the game going throughout the summer! Come learn from one of our very own seasoned veterans, Scott Alsleben this summer. He has over 20 years of playing and coaching experience and is running a variety of ultimate camps for 4th-7th, 7th-10th and 8th-12th grades at Como Park. If you played on an ultimate team this year, keep your eyes out for a discount code in your inbox from Brent. If you are looking for further financial assistance, click to fill out the form for our Pay What You Can Program. Register and learn more about our camps here. Questions? Email Brent at bcummins@greatriverschool.org if you have any questions about the below options.
• June 20-23 (9:00-12:00)-Ultimate for All for 7th-10th
• June 20-23 (1:00-4:00)-Beginners Ultimate for 4th-7th
• June 26-29 (9:00-12:00)-Experienced Ultimate/Goaltimate for 7th-10th
• June 26-29 (1:00-4:00)-Beginners Ultimate for 4th-7th
• July 5-7 (9:00-4:00)-Advanced Ultimate and Swimming at Como for 9th-12th
• July 31-August 3 (9:00-4:00)-Ultimate, Swimming, Hiking and More for 7th-10th
Our David Bowie Ziggy Stardust show at the Amsterdam was a huge success! Thanks so much for coming out and supporting our GRS musicians. They were thrilled to be playing to a full and enthusiastic audience!
If you didn't get a chance to see the show on Wednesday, May 10, you're in luck! We'll be doing one performance here at school on Saturday May 20, at 7:00 PM in the Performance Space. Donations are welcome, but not required! No tickets required, Seats will be first come, first served so get here early! Doors will open at 6:30.
Our David Bowie Ziggy Stardust show at the Amsterdam was a huge success! Thanks so much for coming out and supporting our GRS musicians. They were thrilled to be playing to a full and enthusiastic audience!
If you didn't get a chance to see the show on Wednesday, May 10, you're in luck! We'll be doing one performance here at school on Saturday May 20, at 7:00 PM in the Performance Space. Donations are welcome, but not required! No tickets required, Seats will be first come, first served so get here early! Doors will open at 6:30.
Every two seconds someone in the US needs blood. Due to the vitality of blood for everyday life, it cannot be manufactured and can only be donated. On May 17th you could be one of the 6.8 million people who donate blood and help save countless lives. Your single donation can save the lives of many, helping much more than just one individual. While we are planning to have a large student turnout, and we ask that you encourage your teen students (Ages 18, and 16 and 17 with parent permission) to donate as well, we need participation from the whole community to make the biggest impact possible.
That means YOU parents!
Last week, we had our first 10 donors sign-up and we are looking for 30 more to help us reach our goal of collecting 26 pints!
Upon participation, snacks, $10 gift card to, and donor t-shirts will be available to all that give blood!
You can sign up here: https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/drive-results?zipSponsor=Great%20River&cid=siebel&med=email&source=bdc_email&utm_source=siebel&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=bdc_email
Appointments are available from 8am to 2pm!
For more information please contact Elsie Newburg at enewburg@greatriverschool.org or Anika Overvoorde aovervoorde@greatriverschool.org
We are counting on you!
GRS NHS Class of 2023
Hey, did you know?
Homework Help Meets Until June 1
Tuesday and Thursday from 3:30 to 5 pm
Room 255
Free
Drop-in anytime
No registration required
Healthy snacks are provided
A quiet, supportive, after school study space for 7th to 12th grade students staffed by experienced GRS