Baseball and Softball clinic registration to run through February 9th

Here's our latest reminder that for any students interested in enhancing their baseball or softball skills, we will be holding Saturday winter training sessions at TCA on the next five Saturday dates, as well as two at Nova:

January 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 1:30pm.  They will be led by current varsity players. Coaches can only supervise.  We'd love to see some more of our veteran ballplayers show up and get to know some new teammates. 

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).

If your family qualifies for free/reduced lunch, you pay 50% of the fee.

If your family is in need of baseball equipment/uniform pieces of any kind, please let me know. I am well aware of the hefty expense to play a team sport these days.

Our registration will close on Feb. 9, at which time you will receive a formal greeting email with lots of key information and dates, including our online team store, that will be open Feb. 10-23.  I will inform families to know when costs will be coming as well as I can.

If you are curious about our game schedule, please reach out.  Our 20-game varsity regular season schedule is set, as well as our 18 JV games, which is an outstanding # of JV games, weather permitting, of course.

Speaking of V/JV, we truly have some legit competitions on the horizon for some V spots and playing time.  Competition is a great thing! 

I hope to see you one of these Saturdays.

Coach Steve Lindholm

Summer Camp Registration!

GRS Summer Camp Registration is now open!  Our registration home page with schedules is Here!  This year we have camps that focus on sailing, ultimate frisbee, Lego robotics, art, pottery, and new this year, THEATER!  Be sure to sign up to get the early bird discount.  Also, click here to fill out the Pay What You Can Program form.  Email Brent Cummins at bcummins@greatriverschool.org with any questions.

Addams Family Musical opens on Friday, February 17!! Tickets on sale now!

Tickets are now available for our winter musical, The Addams Family! Buy your tickets now on the GRS website.

In the kooky, spooky world of the Addams Family, to be sad is to be happy, to feel pain is to feel joy, and death and suffering are the stuff of their dreams. Nonetheless, this quirky family still has to deal with many of the same challenges faced by any other family, and the spookiest nightmare faced by every family: the Addams kids are growing up. The Addamses have lived by their unique values for hundreds of years and Gomez and Morticia would be only too happy to continue living that way. Their dark, macabre, beloved daughter Wednesday on the other hand, has different plans. She has fallen in love with Lucas Beineke, a sweet, smart boy from a normal, respectable Ohio family — the most un-Addams sounding person imaginable! And to make matters worse, she has invited the Beinekes to their home for dinner. Can this family be normal for just one night? Come find out in Great River School’s production of The Addams Family, opening on February 17th, 2023!

Synopsis adapted from stageagent.com

Recommended for ages 10 and up due to some suggestive material including brief sexual references. Please note that this is just a recommendation and not a strict age limit. Feel free to do whatever feels right for your family.

While masks are not required, we strongly recommend you wear one for the safety and health of our cast and crew. There will be masks at the door if you need one.

Have a question or an accessibility need? Email us at grstheater@greatriverschool.com!

January 17th schedule switch to "A Day"

Tuesday, January 17th will follow the A Day (Monday and Thursdays) schedule. On that day students will go to whatever courses they would have on Monday or Thursday.

This decision was made to balance our A Days (M/Th) and B Days (T/F) as Semester 1 comes to a close. 

Students should check with their advisors if they have any questions about their schedule that day. 

Sanneh Foundation Presents "MLK Community Cup", Monday, January 16

The Sanneh Foundation, will be hosting an annual MLK Day Community Cup on Monday January 16th, 2023 at the Conway dome! 

This is for all High School students who play soccer. The games are 7 vs 7 and will run from 11am-4pm. All participants will be randomly assigned to a team when they sign up. 

Here is the link for players to register, as well as more information: 

https://forms.gle/VpwMBot1kL11cKJu5

For more information, please see the flyer below:

Save the date! Blue Heron Bash Fundraiser - Saturday, March 18, 2023

This year’s annual Blue Heron Bash Fundraiser is Saturday, March 18.  

Check out the BHB 101 2023 for all the information about the event, how to donate, volunteer & more.  You can also email blueheronbash@greatriverschool.org anytime.

Our first planning meeting of the year is tonight, Monday, January 9, 2023 at 7pm via zoom. Please join in if you are able. We hope to see you there!  

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

REMINDER: BIPOC caregiver meeting will be held Tonight, 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.

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.

Calling all baseball and softball players! Winter training sessions at TCA

Happy Monday and 2023 to you all, known and hopeful baseball or softball players and families!

Here's our latest reminder that for any students interested in enhancing their baseball or softball skills, we will be holding 8 more Saturday winter training sessions at TCA on the following dates:

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.  We'd love to see some more of our veteran ballplayers show up and get to know some new teammates. 

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).

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

A Plus Drivers Ed: Take Drivers Ed over the Winter break!

DRIVER’S EDUCATION (Students who are 14 years of age and older) This 30-hour program will be conducted by a certified instructor from the A+ Driving School and will fulfill the state driver’s education requirement. The course will address the “how to” and “whys” of safe driving. The format of the class will be lecture and active discussion. After completion of the program, students will be able to set up and participate in behind the wheel sessions to meet the six hour state requirement. Classes will meet VIRTUALLY through ZOOM Teleconferencing! All registration can be done through: www.APlusDrivingSchool.net

Need to miss a few classes--NO PROBLEM. Easy Make-Up classes! We offer classes all year long with multiple time offerings each day. Take class from ANYWHERE through teleconferencing! LIVE INSTRUCTORS! FUN CLASSES! PAYMENT PLANS AVAILABLE!

CLASS DATES and REGISTRATION: www.APlusDrivingSchool.net

WINTER BREAK CLASS: Dec. 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, Jan. 1

Class Times: 9:30am - 12:30pm and 12:45 - 3:45pm; DEC 22nd ONLY 3-6, 4-7, 6:15-9:15 pm

GRS Annual Meeting, Tuesday, December 13, 2022; 5:30 - 7:30pm

Zoom Webinar Link for the GRS Annual Meeting

Educational travel experience: London Summer 2024!

Your Adolescent student is invited to join us on an upcoming educational travel experience to London in Summer 2024!

When students travel, they expand their knowledge of the world around them, discover more about themselves, and grow more confident. These skills are critical for creating the global citizens of tomorrow, and I would love to have your student join me on this adventure.

Come hear all the details, including the itinerary, activities, academic opportunities, and the cost of our trip at our informational meeting on December 13 at 7:30PM. The meeting will take place in Room 251.

Note that this is not a Great River School sponsored trip; students are asked to provide all of the funding for their own travel. It is a well-supported and safe trip.

Please click here to register for the meeting ASAP to save your seat: https://bit.ly/3WSgjAr. 

There are limited spots on this trip, so we would love to have you attend this meeting to learn more about this exciting opportunity!

Great River School is hiring: Lower Adolescent Social Studies Guide

Great River School is Hiring: HS IB Math Long-Term Sub

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.

You are invited! - GRS Alumni Panel 1/6/2023

Support this by spreading the word! Please text fellow GRS friends and join the panel together!

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