Great River School Board Elections 2024 - 2025

It's time to vote in the Board Election for the 2024-2025 school year! Thank you to all of our candidates for being willing to serve on the board! We have a great group of candidates. Caregivers and Faculty, please check them out here! 

Voting opened today, Monday, May 6 at 8am CT.
Voting will close at 11:59pm CT on Friday, May 10.

If you have questions, feel free to reach out to executive@greatriverschool.org.

All parents, faculty, and board members are able to vote. Voting is open digitally from Monday through Thursday this week! cast your vote here! Election results will be shared the following week. 

Questions? Email executive@greatriverschool.org. 

GRS Annual Blood Drive, Wed., May 15th

Hello all,

The National Honor Society will be hosting our Annual Blood Drive on Wednesday, May 15th from 8:00 - 2:00 in rooms 251/253. We are inviting all caregivers, Faculty, and staff and eligible students to donate as there is a national blood shortage. The Red Cross is offering gift card incentives to volunteers who are able to donate blood.

Here's the Link for more information and to make an appointment.

If you have questions or would like to help volunteer for the event, please reach out to Director of Student Services, Matt McElrath at mmcelrath@greatriverschool.org.

Best - Matt and NHS Students

Adolescent Spring Formal Events! Volunteers and Donations needed!

Prom is only for 11th and 12th grades but did you know there are other opportunities for all Adolescents to attend a student planned special Spring Formal event? Are you looking to volunteer or donate to these incredible events put together by our hardworking students? Check them out below!

SPRING FORMAL, THURS., MAY 16TH, 2024
(7TH AND 8TH GRADES)

All 7th &  8th grade students are invited on Thursday, May 16th from 7:00pm-9:00pm to the Spring Formal Dance which will take place in the gym here at Great River School. 

Garden Party is the theme and there will be snacks, drinks, and music!

Dress code is Formal and Admission will cost $3 for entry. 

VOLUNTEER HELP!  This dance is being planned by students and is not possible without the help of our caregivers and community members! We need your help!  Sign up to volunteer or donate here! We are counting on you!

Brought to you by LA Student Leadership 

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GARDEN UNDER THE STARS DANCE, THU., MAY 23, 2024 (9TH, 10TH GRADES)

All 9th &  10th grade students are invited on Thursday, May 23rd from 7:00pm-9:00pm to the Garden Under the Stars Dance which will take place in the gym here at Great River School. 

Summer Garden Under the Stars is the theme and there will be snacks, drinks, and music!

Dress code is Formal and Admission will cost $10 for entry. 

Spirit Award - Towards the end of the night everyone will vote for two winners of the dance Spirit Award, which will be whoever you think brought the most spirit and good energy to the dance! 

Winners will receive a crown and will each get to request a song to play.

Don't vote for a student outside of 9th or 10th Grade.

BE KIND! It's not a competition so don't bring yourself or anyone else down!

VOLUNTEER HELP!  This dance is being planned by students and is not possible without the help of our caregivers and community members! We need your help!  Sign up to volunteer or donate here! We are counting on you! 

Brought to you by LA & UA Student Leadership 

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PROM 2024, THURS. MAY 30TH, 2024
(11TH AND 12TH GRADES)

Who's invited?: Any GRS juniors or seniors, each junior and senior is permitted 1 plus one. If the plus one is from another school they must fill out this form.

When: Prom 2024 will be on Thurs., May 30th from 7-10 pm.

Where: Station 10 at 754 Randolph Ave, St Paul, MN 55102

Parking: Free; Limited availability in the venue lot

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

Save on prom tickets! 

By buying a ticket for a plus one from a school other than GRS, you’ll get 20% off your overall purchase. Purchases are limited to two tickets.

Payments may be made online by Credit Card, Debit Card, or in person at GRS Front Desk by Cash, or Check. Discounted tickets will need to be purchased in person at GRS Front Desk with Jennifer Nelson. 

Early Bird $25: March 25th - April 14th

Mid Price $30: April 15th - April 30th

May Sales $35: May 1st - May 29th

At the Door $40: May 30th

Theme: Moonlit Ocean

Dress code: Black tie encouraged but not required.

IMPORTANT:  In order to attend prom you must sign this form to show that you understand you will be charged a fee of $500 and subject to immediate removal from the premises if you bring ANY alcohol or drugs to prom (you can print and sign or make a copy of the document and type your name in) and give it or share it with Gina Sedlacek (gsedlacek@greatriverschool.org). Printed versions will be available in the Upper Adolescent commons or the front desk.

VOLUNTEER HELP!  This dance is being planned by students and is not possible without the help of our caregivers and community members! We need your help!  Sign up to volunteer or donate here! We are counting on you!

Brought to you by UA Student Leadership - Prom planning committee

Parent Engagement Group partners with Chipotle, May 7th, 2024

Let us help you with dinner and support the GRS PEG community! The Parent Engagement Group has partnered with Chipotle to help you with dinner on May 7th (Tuesday) and raise money for the Parent Engagement group. Win, Win, Win for everyone !

May 7th (Taco Tuesday) at Chipotle from 4 to 8 pm
857 Grand Avenue Saint Paul, MN 55105 Use the code WLFAFXR

BIPOC Gathering! May 22nd, 2024 at Griggs Park!

Please join us for the year end schoolwide BIPOC gathering at Griggs Park. Students that identify as BIPOC and interested in attending can sign up HERE. 

Ultimate Frisbee wins!

The Girls Ultimate team traveled to Madison, WI this weekend and went 5-0, winning the "Madison Mudbath Tournament." They endured just about every type of weather the midwest sees in the spring, high gusts of wind, 70s and sunny, and of course 50s and pouring rain.They played 4 games on Saturday against Madison West, Middleton, Vel Phillips Memorial, and TENGU. On Sunday, they played Hopkins in the final and won 10-7. It was a great weekend full of competitive frisbee and team bonding!

PEG Monthly Newsletter - May 2024

For ongoing PEG news and more details on opportunities to volunteer and connect with other families, check out their monthly newsletter. Happy Reading! https://www.smore.com/n/x1pbe

Spring Formal, May 16th (7th and 8th Grades)

All 7th &  8th grade students are invited on Thursday, May 16th from 7:00pm-9:00pm to the Spring Formal Dance which will take place in the gym here at Great River School. 

Garden Party is the theme and there will be snacks, drinks, and music! Dress code is Formal and Admission will cost $3 for entry. 

VOLUNTEER HELP!  This dance is being planned by students and is not possible without the help of our caregivers and community members! We need your help!  Sign up to volunteer or donate here! We are counting on you! 

Brought to you by LA Student Leadership 

This needs to go on the blog for announcements and all social media accounts please.

Please email to all 7th and 8th grade families. 

Email recipient: all 7th and 8th grade caregivers (not students, just the families)

Email should come from: LA Student Leadership Advisor (gsedlacek@greatriverschool.org)

Ultimate Camp! Check out the registration and schedules

–We are in the heart of the GRS Ultimate season and we would love to help your player to continue to improve over the summer.  We have a variety of Ultimate Camps for players entering 4th grade all the way up to 12th.  Since this is by far the biggest sport at Great River School, please use the following code during checkout to receive 20 percent off of the camp price: 24Ultimate20 and be sure to click the “Apply Coupon” button to activate it.

For schedules and registration, go to https://great-river-school.jumbula.com/home or email Brent Cummins at bcummins@greatriverschool.org with any questions.

As always, we are dedicated to making summer camp possible and affordable for ALL through our early-bird pricing, sibling discount, multi-program discount and our Pay What You Can program.

External Communication: St. Paul Youth Bike Team (SPY-MTB)

The St. Paul Youth Bike Team is trying to attract more female riders into the sport and have a "Try it out" session planned with our coach Sara Martin on Saturday, May 18th. Interested girls should pre-register with Coach Martin at sara.l.martin@me.com.

REMINDER: Annual Campus Clean-up! April 27th

Join us for our annual campus clean up! Details upcoming for projects but we will always have a big pile of woodchips to spread, gardens to tidy and something that needs building. It's a wonderful opportunity to get involved and give back to the school and the earth!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0D49A4A62BABF94-49283581-earth

GRS Gear Swap is another part of Earth Day upcycling practices. Start keeping a bag or bin of outdoor clothing and gear that's been outgrown and plan to pick up something new to you.

NOTE: Please get through the lost and found before then as we'll get ready to donate any and all leftovers! Thanks much:)

BHB Auction Item Pick Up will be in the staff lounge from 10-2

Bike Maintenance 101 - Nick Beerman (Adolescent Program Director) will be helping teach bike maintenance. Bring your own bike or you can learn on one of the GRS Bike Shop's bikes. Volunteers wanted~all family welcome! Bring gloves, shovels, buckets and water/snacks:)

Congratulations! MN Dept. of Labor and Industry Youth Skills Training Grant Recipient: Lindsey Weaver and GRS IB

For immediate release:

April 16, 2024

Labor and Industry announces 2024 Youth Skills Training grant recipients

Seventeen partnerships across Minnesota will receive funding to develop and expand programs to offer meaningful career exposure and paid work experience for students 16 years of age and older.

The grants are part of the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry’s (DLI) Youth Skills Training (YST) program that was signed into law in 2017 with bipartisan support to create and provide employment training for student learners ages 16 and older in high-growth, high-demand occupations.

“These Youth Skills Training partnership grants will help high school students throughout Minnesota find pathways to high-growth, high-demand occupations and allow them to participate in safe, meaningful work experiences in their community,” said Nicole Blissenbach, DLI commissioner. “Thank you to everyone who has supported this program.”

YST grants will be awarded to the following 17 partnerships, which will receive and split $1.5 million in funding to be used for programs operating from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2026. The partnerships will offer safe, meaningful work experience in advanced manufacturing, agriculture, automotive, health care and information technology.

• Albert Lea Area Schools

• Bemidji Career Academies

• Cambridge-Isanti Public School District 

• Detroit Lakes Public Schools

• Fergus Falls High School

• Great River School (St. Paul)

• Hennepin West Consortium

• Hermantown Community Schools

• Itasca Area Schools Collaborative 

• Minneapolis Public Schools – Camden High

• Minneapolis Public Schools – Wellstone International High School

• Moorhead Public Schools

• New Prague Area Schools

• Parkers Prairie School District

• Perham Schools

• ROCORI School District 

• Staples-Motley School District

Grants can be used to create programs, recruit students and employers, provide training, transport students and pay for industry-related student certifications. An eighth round of grant applications will open in winter 2024.

For more information about Youth Skills Training contact Rich Wessels, program manager, at 651-284-5184 or rich.wessels@state.mn.us; Jo Daggett, program consultant, at 651-284-5354 or jo.daggett@state.mn.us; or Faye Blough, program specialist, at 651-284-5341 or faye.blough@state.mn.us; Learn more online at dli.mn.gov/YST.

Media contact:  James Honerman at 651-284-5313 or james.honerman@state.mn.us.

Spring Formal, May 16th, 2024

All 7th &  8th grade students are invited on Thursday, May 16th from 7:00pm-9:00pm to the Spring Formal Dance which will take place in the gym here at Great River School. 

Garden Party is the theme and there will be snacks, drinks, and music!

Dress code is Formal and Admission will cost $3 for entry. 

Spirit Award - Towards the end of the night everyone will vote for two winners of the dance Spirit Award, which will be whoever you think brought the most spirit and good energy to the dance! 

Winners will receive a crown and will each get to request a song to play.

Don't vote for a student outside of 7th or 8th Grade.

BE KIND! It's not a competition so don't bring yourself or anyone else down!

VOLUNTEER HELP!  This dance is being planned by students and is not possible without the help of our caregivers and community members! We need your help!  Sign up to volunteer or donate here! We are counting on you! 

Brought to you by LA Student Leadership

One Acts are approaching fast!

Student-directed one-act performances are on Saturday, May 11th at 6pm! Come see 2 one act plays directed by grs students, sophomore Honesty Oliver and Senior Jackie Le! Come support the grs theater program!

10 Ways to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse by Don Zolidis (Honesty Oliver, director)

It's the end of the world and hordes of rampaging zombies are about to kill you. What do you do? Try your hand at kung fu against the undead? Attempt to reason with creatures that would rather eat brains than use them? Turn to this handy and hilarious guide to survive the apocalypse! (Hint: sacrifice the weak is step number one.)

Good Cop Bad Cop by Ian McWethy,  Jason Pizzarello (Jackie Le, director)

A catastrophic street sign switcheroo has two rookie detectives grilling a motley crew of suspects and witnesses. Everyone from the high school mascot to a guy who may be Super Mario is pumped for information...and while these suspicious characters are combative, ridiculous, and downright incompetent, none of them seems guilty. With the clock ticking and their jobs on the line, can this good cop and bad cop collar a suspect before it's too late?

Annual Campus Clean-up! April 27th

Join us for our annual campus clean up! Details upcoming for projects but we will always have a big pile of woodchips to spread, gardens to tidy and something that needs building. It's a wonderful opportunity to get involved and give back to the school and the earth!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0D49A4A62BABF94-49283581-earth

GRS Gear Swap is another part of Earth Day upcycling practices. Start keeping a bag or bin of outdoor clothing and gear that's been outgrown and plan to pick up something new to you.

NOTE: Please get through the lost and found before then as we'll get ready to donate any and all leftovers! Thanks much:)

BHB Auction Item Pick Up will be in the staff lounge from 10-2

Bike Maintenance 101 - Nick Beerman (Adolescent Program Director) will be helping teach bike maintenance. Bring your own bike or you can learn on one of the GRS Bike Shop's bikes. Volunteers wanted~all family welcome! Bring gloves, shovels, buckets and water/snacks:)

REMINDER: BIPOC Caregiver Meeting, April 25th

BIPOC Caregiver Committee Meeting

Please join us on Thursday, April 25th, from 5:30-6:30 for the BIPOC Caregiver Committee meeting. It will be held virtually via Google Meet. You can access the meeting link HERE. 

Blue Heron Bash Thank you!

Donors, sponsors, volunteers, those who attended, and others who bid online… 

Thank you for participating in the 2024 Blue Heron Bash! 
Together we raised more than $33,000 for our school!

Important Reminders

***Auction Winners: Please pick up your item(s) Thursday April 25, 4-6pm or during the Earth Day Clean Up on Saturday, April 27 from 10am-2pm. 

***We still need volunteers this week to organize auction items, assemble thank you letters and help with auction item pick up. Volunteer

***Great Gatherings and Fund A Need are still available plus a few auction items. 

Check ‘em out!

Reminder: Ultimate Frisbee Fundraiser April 24th

The Great River School Ultimate Frisbee teams are hosting a fundraiser to participate in tournaments this Spring. This event is April 24, 4-8pm at the Midway location on Hamline Ave & University in St. Paul.

When ordering in the restaurant, mention GRS. Online orders use "GIVING25" in the Coupon Code line at checkout.

Noodles & Company
470 Hamline Ave N, St. Paul, MN 55104

GRS Track and Field Highlights! Congratulations!

This Spring our GRS students have been putting in hard work and running into great success in Track and Field. Read more below about just a few of the amazing things our students have been up to this spring:

In the 110 Hurdles: Oskar R and Emmet G both ran great times for their first time doing the hurdles. They also ran the 300 Hurdles where Oskar is 4th in school history and Emmet is 10th in school history. Congratulations!

In his first ever 1600 meter run, Alexander Jacobson ran a 6 minute 44 second race in very tough weather conditions. Amazing time and perseverance!

In the girls 400, Onya Vandarcia ran a 1:10.14 400 (one time around the track) she is 2nd in school history and is only 4 seconds off the school record which she will hit when the weather is nicer. Onya also ran a very solid 200 meter dash as well.

Ever the go-getter, Jamal Randle had a busy day on the track running the 100, 200 and the 4x4 relay. Jamal is a key part of the tigers roster as he is known to run and fill into any event asked of him (no more than 400).

In her first Varsity meet ever, Aliyah Randle found success in the throwing events where she not only beat juniors and seniors, but also broke the 8th grade school record in the shot put! This is a huge accomplishment for her!

Last but not least, Asata and Aima Portwood will be competing in next week's battle for the school record. What sister will get the record? And Desirae Pederson will make her Track and Field Debut on Thursday, April 25th so come out and cheer her on!

To come out and support the Track team, take a look at the schedule below!

Thank you all for your support and continued cheering for the track and field athletes.

Blue Heron Bash is tomorrow!

Blue Heron Bash To Dos:

Get tickets bit.ly/GRSBHBTICKETS24

Volunteer https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0D49A4A62BABF94-under#/

Start bidding bit.ly/GRSBHBTICKETS24 Saturday, April 20, 6pm–10pm, at GRS. (Tomorrow!)

See you there!

P.S. Here are a few tips:

Bring cash if you wish to play the wine pull (as a game of chance by law must be paid for using cash). If you can’t attend, you can still participate in the online auction by registering at bit.ly/GRSBHBTICKETS24 Childcare is free! Limited availability for ages 5-12. Sign up today