Lower Adolescent

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BIPOC Caregiver Meetings 2023 - 2024

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BIPOC Caregiver committee meetings will be returning this month with some minor changes for the year. Meetings will be held in person on the final Thursday of each month. Our first meeting will be held on Thursday October 26th at 4:30pm.

As a reminder this meeting is for any caregiver that has a student of color attending Great River. Future meeting dates can be found on the GRS calendar. If you have questions please contact Jordan Samejima at jsamejima@greatriverschool.org

Mandate/Objective of the group: This group provides an opportunity for caregivers with students of color attending GRS to come and build community by voicing suggestions, support, care, and concern. This group is a working group of the board which means that the caregivers' voices are being heard from a board member who monthly will bring their suggestions, concerns, and comments to the board. 

Recess and Weather Reminders for Lower Adolescents

Dear Lower Adolescent Families

Great River School recognizes the positive impact of physical activity and the outdoors on student learning. Therefore we continue recess in 7-9th grade; I have included our Recess Guidelines form the Student and Family Handbook below. Please ensure your students are coming to school with proper attire, so they can comfortably be outside for recess from 11:15-11:45 (daily for 7th/8th, 3x week for 9th graders). Friday was our first real experience with less-than-ideal weather during recess and many kids came unprepared. If you need help accessing winter gear, please reach out to the Lower Adolescent Social Worker, Gina Carveth, at gcarveth@greatriverschool.org

Great River School Recess Policy:

RECESS GUIDELINES PERTAINING TO WINTER WEATHER

Our hope is that students have access to outdoor recess whenever it is safe to be outside.  To that end, the following guidelines will be enforced at Great River.  We ask that all families prepare students for dressing accordingly.

  • If the temperature is 32 °F or below, a coat, hat or hood, and gloves/mittens are required.

  • When the wind chill falls between -15 and 0 °F, recess may be abbreviated at supervisor discretion.

  • Outdoor recess will not be held when windchill is below -15°F.

  • At all other times, outdoor recess will be held.

Sincerely,
Nick Beermann
nbeermann@greatriverschool.org

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VOLUNTEERS AND DONATIONS NEEDED: Harvest Fest, Sat., October 14th; 2 - 5pm

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Who's excited to be at Harvest Fest on Saturday? It's a time of community gathering, work and celebration and truly a magical day at GRS! We have a lot of support so far, AND we could use a lot of volunteers still. If you aren't able to be there Saturday but want to contribute in advance, let us know----lots of advance prep and shopping can be done! For more information, please contact PEG at peg@greatriverschool.org or click here to view the remaining slots and sign up to volunteer.

We have many lead roles filled but are in need of volunteers in the following areas:

  • Caramel Apples: Assist with Caramel apples and bring gallon jugs of Ghiradelli caramel with pumps, topping and help serve.

  • Cider Press:  Helpers, apple donations and compostable cups. 

  • Harvest soup: Kitchen assisting with roasting and prepping soup Friday after school/Saturday morning and could use some kitchen assistants.

  • Donations needed of lots of root veggies, bouillon and some helper for roasting and preparing soup!

  • Gear Swap: Donations and a few helpers to hang, stage and then clean up.

  • Bounce House: Assist with the kids in line and also pre-fest campus clean up. He's going to need some extra hands with the bounce line as well as helpers with wood chips and campus projects 

  • Face Painters and help with temporary tattoos 

Donations being accepted:
- We will also have some farm stand and bake sale goods for sale----if you would like to share any of your extra homemade jams/jellies, sauces or other fall items, we would gladly receive them (please be sure to label all ingredients)

- Clean clothing for the Gear Swap

-Root Veggies, bouillon

As you can see---it's a wild ride getting to Harvest fest and a lot of fun in the making. It takes a whole community to put on a great harvest fest and it really shows how the Great River works together to do all the things.

PEG Ambassadors and the whole GRS community are excited for this event and look forward to collaborating with you.
Thank you,
PEG

Check out the PEG happenings at GRS in their Bi-Monthly newsletter: https://www.smore.com

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External Volunteer Opportunity: St. Paul Promise and Homework help

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Saint Paul Promise is currently seeking volunteers to help provide homework help to our elementary through high school-age scholars whose families are participating in the PAC. The upcoming PAC launches on Wednesday, October 11, and runs for six weeks – meeting every Wednesday from 5:00pm to 7:30pm – through Wednesday, November 15. The PAC meets in-person at Hallie Q. Brown Community Center (270 N Kent Street) in Saint Paul.

Volunteer homework helpers can sign up for one or more Wednesday shifts by emailing Megan Jekot, Advocacy + Systems Change Program Manager, at megan.jekot@wilder.org. To learn more about Saint Paul Promise and the Promise Advocates Cohort, visit saintpaulpromiseneighborhood.com

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Harvest Fest 2023

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HARVEST FEST, GEAR SWAP, AND MUCH MORE!

Join the GRS community for Harvest Fest 2023 on October 14th, from 2:00pm-5:00pm!

Harvest fest is our annual community celebration of Autumn. We'll create stone soup over a fire, sell micro-economy goods from Key Experience trips, and welcome in the change of the season. Enjoy games, food, caramel apples, face painting, a gear swap, and much more!

Volunteer your time or donations to make Harvest Fest happen! Sign up here!

SAVE YOUR GEAR FOR THE GEAR SWAP!

Bring your used gear (jackets, snow pants, boots, hats, gloves, scarves, camping gear, etc) that you no longer need to Harvest Fest at 2:00pm or to the school on Friday, October 13th (at dismissal, a sign will show you where you can drop used gear). Then come to Harvest Fest to browse the racks and grab some new-to-you gear for this 2023-2024 season! All clothing sizes are accepted, including toddler sizes.

Nothing to donate this year? No problem; come see what you could use! We always have extra and lots of leftover gear!

*Leftover gear will be donated to schools/families in need*

Questions? Email Ashley Beermann, ashleyabeermann@gmail.com

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FTC Robotics Team Athena

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Hey Great River, We have another Robotics team! FTC Team Athena!

FTC Team Athena is like NoMythic but with smaller robots. This is a great space to learn new skills like building, coding, and problem solving. This year’s game even lets us design robots that throw paper airplanes!

We are having an intro night on Wednesday the 27th from 4:30-6. Interested students should come fill out an application and find out what the season will hold. Responsible adults of the students should join us as soon as you are able after work to learn about what we are doing and how you can help. We have 8 spots for Lower or Upper Adolescent students.

Practices will be held after school on Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:15-6 but may be adjusted after we discuss what works best with the team. The robotics room is off of the little garden at the end of the parking lot and will have a sign on the door for info night.

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GRS all-ages Chess Club

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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.

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REMINDER: First Lego League (4th - 8th grades)

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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.

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First Lego League (4th - 8th grades) , and Soccer (5th - 8th grades) Sign ups!

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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.

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Fall Sports!

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By August 4th, 2023, if you are interested in playing a Fall Sport, please return this registration form. Great River School is part of a sports consortium so that we have enough players to create tremendous teams!

These sports are open to all in grades 7-12 for the 2023-2024 school year.

Practices start on August 14th and no registrations will be accepted after the first week of practice.

This fall, our choices are:  Coed Cross Country, Girls' Volleyball, Boys' Soccer, Girls' Soccer, and Football.

Please send your completed forms to: tiger.hs.athletics@twincitiesacademy.org BY AUGUST 4.

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LIST League Soccer Coach Wanted

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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.

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REMINDER: Last day of School ceremony and half day

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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.

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Great Gatherings: Owning and Maintain an Electric Vehicle (EV)

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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

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Theory of Knowledge Class Annual Exhibition, Wed., May 31st; 10:30am

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The Theory of Knowledge class will be hosting their annual Exhibition. Each student will have an exhibition of three artifacts centered on a Theory of Knowledge question of their choice. Students will act as hosts and presenters of their exhibition, sharing their artifacts and insights. It will be a super fun morning for any and all curious minds!

Date: Wednesday, May 31st

Time: 10:30- 11:30am

Location: Sophie and Sarah H's Rooms

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External post: MN Youth Birdwatching Club

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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.