Join us for our monthly Parent Engagement Group meeting & Cane’s restaurant fundraiser after the MEA break on Monday, October 21 at 6pm.
SAVE THE DATE! Harvest Fest on October 26th; 2 - 5pm at Great River!
Welcome all Great River Families to Harvest Fest, Saturday October 26 from 2-5.
It's a great chance to give back to the Great River by purchasing crafts, salves and salts foraged and crafted by our own Lower Adolescent 7-9 year students.
The Harvest Market will include:
Organic, Gourmet Table Salt
Indulge in the gourmet flavors of our hand-picked herb salt, crafted with student foraged, organic botanicals for a culinary experience that's truly one-of-a-kind.
Student dyed tea-towels
Delight in the beauty and eco-friendliness of our one-of-a-kind, naturally dyed tea towels, each a unique masterpiece.
Soothing Salves
Luxuriate in the soothing power of nature with our handcrafted salves, made with carefully foraged botanicals for a truly nourishing and therapeutic experience.
Photograph Cards
Students utilized the breathtaking scenery at the Farm, on the Odyssey and at the 10th year Itasca Key Experiences by creating beautiful photo cards for the community.
Additionally, there will be a Nordic Arts card section for sale as well. These are hand crafted by our 7/8th year Nordic Arts CAS.
Come for the market, stay for the community, enjoy each other and support all the work our Lower Adolescent students have done.
Also, stone soup, bounce house, apple cider, face painting, pick up Ultimate and football games, and music.
Come one, come all, see you there:)
LOST AND FOUND! Last chance to claim your students' items
Last Chance for Lost and Found Items! All items that remain in the lost and found after 4pm on Friday, October 25th will go to the Gear Swap at the annual Harvest Fest on Saturday, October 26th. Any items not claimed from the swap will be swept away and donated to charity.
Lost and Found locations are as follows:
Inside the foyer by the Cafe and inside the Elementary wing by the copy machine.
SAVE THE DATE! Queens is coming to GRS, November 22 - 24, 2024.
👑 Save the date! Come see QUEENS a play performed by grades 7-12 at GRS on November 22nd-24th 👑 Friday + Saturday night at 7PM, Sunday Matinee at 2PM Tickets are $10 for Students, $15 for Not Students
For more information visit: www.greatriverschool.org/shows
And stay up to date on GRS’ theatre Instagram page: grstheatre
Calling ALL 5th - 8th Grade Ultimate Players!
Join us for our end of the season Hat Tournament!
Our high school players are hosting a fundraiser “Ultimate Hat Tournament” for any and all GRS 5th-8th graders that would like to participate. This will be on Monday, October 14, after school until about 6:30pm at McMurray Fields.
Players will walk over to McMurray after school and put their name in a hat. Our high school players will run a short throwing clinic for the middle schoolers while we draw out random names to make teams. Each team will get assigned 1-2 high school players as coaches and the tournament will start at 5:00pm after warm ups and go until about 6:30pm. The number of games will be dependent on the number of players/teams. (probably 3 short games for all)
The money from this fundraiser will help pay for winter dome time for our high school teams. There is a recommended $5-$10 donation to participate, but we will accept any donation. You can either pay with cash at McMurray or you can prepay here through our PayPal Link. No need to have a login. If you plan to attend, please have your player bring a light and a dark shirt and a water bottle. Parents are invited to watch and cheer!
Save the Date! Join us for Harvest Fest! October 26th, 2 - 5pm
Harvest Fest is an annual tradition celebrating the work of our Lower Adolescents and the joy of the harvest. Come share soup, cider and singing with other GRS families. Buy works created by Great River students on their Key Experiences and in CAS (Creative, Active, Service) workshops. There will be games and music for all ages.
Want to help? Sign up to volunteer for this and many of GRS’s events at:
LIST League basketball coaches wanted!
We are looking for coaches for our LIST basketball teams, one for grades 5-6 and one for grades 7-8. The season is late November to early February (10 weeks). The team will practice after school one-two days per week from 4-5:30 pm (flexible depending on your schedule). Games are Wednesdays for the 5-6 team and Fridays for the 7-8 team. We are able to offer a stipend for coaching duties. Please reach out to kanway@greatriverschool.org for more information about this opportunity.
You could be one of the 60! Donate today!
Almost every family has contributed something to the cause. If 60 more people contribute $70 or more, we will cover school supply needs for all of Elementary for the whole year! We’ll even have the money to replace the Laminator!
Click here to donate. This money helps fund so many important materials for the work of the child and buys us a new laminator. When you donate, please leave a comment with your student’s name and note that it is for the supplies. You can also bring a cash or check to the front office of the school.
Important October 2024 Dates
"Life shall be lived well. The end of the summer is not the end of the world. Here's to October…" — A.A. Milne, "A Word for Autumn"
Get ready for October smiles, sweater weather, harvest festing, and candy consumption! Don’t forget to add these dates to your calendar for October!
GRS is hiring! CAS Internship Consultant
Hello GRS friends, We are currently without our all important GRS CAS Internship Consultant! It is only a few hours per week :) I have linked the job description here. If you know of anyone willing to do a few hours a week to help keep our GRS internship program afloat, please let me know. Thank you, all!
Lindsey Weaver, GRS IB Coordinator
Join us for the SEAC (Special Education Advisory Council) Mon., Sept. 30th; 6pm
The first meeting of the SEAC (Special Education Advisory Council) committee will occur on Monday, September 30th at 6pm. Any caregivers or students associated with an IEP or 504 (established or pending) are encouraged to attend..
The first meeting is a meet and greet and to establish topics for the upcoming academic year.
The meeting will be in the media lab at Great River School. If you are unable to attend in person, you can join via the following Zoom link:
https://minnstate.zoom.us/j/98921953430
If you arrive late and can't get into the building on the day of the meeting, call or text Jeremy Sartain at 612-414-5224.
What is a SEAC?
A SEAC (pronounced “seek”) is an acronym for Special Education Advisory Council, which is a group that provides input on special education issues to its local school district. Its purpose is to advise and advocate, not to decide policy. Minnesota law requires each school district in the state to have a SEAC although it does not specify how the groups should be organized or what duties they should perform. As a result, each SEAC may have a unique mission and structure.
(Source www.pacer.org)
Why Might I Want to Participate on a SEAC?
Parents give many reasons for joining a SEAC, including these:
I may be able to help other families and children with disabilities in my school district.
I can share what I’ve learned since my child began his education.
I can support the school professionals in my district.
I will be a good role model for my child.
I feel good when I make a contribution to this community.
I will learn information and skills that may help me work more effectively with my school district.
I will meet others with similar goals, both parents and school professionals.
I may build positive relationships with others in my district.
I will become more knowledgeable about special education.
By sharing my unique perspective and insights as a parent, I may help the school district work more effectively with families and improve outcomes for children.
(Source www.pacer.org)
Some background information about Jeremy Sartain:
One reason I am part of SEAC is to assure special education (staff, caregivers and students) have representation. My wife, Jennie and I are organizing SEAC meetings this year (with help from Brad and Lindsey).
Key Experience Trip Gear Lost and Found
All Lost and Found Items from 7-12 Key Experiences are currently in the lobby by the main office and will be available for pick up until 4:30pm on Friday, September 27th.
Join the Robotics Team! 8th - 12th Grade Students!
Apply to join the FTC Robotics team! Looking for 8th grade and older students curious about problem solving with robots. We will meet on Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:30-6:30 until January. The team will participate in two all day competitions (or more if we make State!) Suggested fee is $200 but sliding scale is available if needed. Eager adults may also fill out the application to be a mentor, no experience required.
Check out this year's theme and find out more details about First Robotics at: https://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/ftc/game-and-season
There will be an info night Monday September 23rd at 4:30pm in room 163. Applications are due by Wednesday the 25th. Practices start on Monday the 30th.
BIPOC Monthly Event Series - September: Double Dutch
BIPOC monthly events are spaces where BIPOC students from all levels, can connect, learn from each other, enliven their spirits, and cultivate a sense of community energy that can radiate throughout the whole school, so that every place feels like home to the 191 students who identify as BIPOC at GRS.
For September and October BIPOC Events, GRS has the honor of welcoming Mizz Mercedes, as she and her friends spread Spread love, peace, and unity to the GRS community, through her sharing of the Rondo Double Dutch and Broken Robots project.
Looking for substitute opportunities? Apply today!
Ethnic Studies Summit, Friday, October 18th 2024, 8:30am - 3:00 pm
This summit is open to all people who are actively working to ground Ethnic Studies education in MN. The Summit will gather over 250 students, educators, and community members to spend a day together to 1. connect, learn and grow together. 2. Examine how different identities experience Ethnic Studies across Minnesota 3. Explore ways to prepare and normalize Ethnic Studies instruction in K-12 classrooms.
The Summit is free for all youth. Registration fee for adults are $ 125. If you are an adult who is interested in attending, please email mknguyen@greatriverschool.org
BIPOC Monthly Event Series - September: Double Dutch
BIPOC monthly events are spaces where BIPOC students from all levels, can connect, learn from each other, enliven their spirits, and cultivate a sense of community energy that can radiate throughout the whole school, so that every place feels like home to the 191 students who identify as BIPOC at GRS.
For September and October BIPOC Events, GRS has the honor of welcoming Mizz Mercedes, as she and her friends spread Spread love, peace, and unity to the GRS community, through her sharing of the Rondo Double Dutch and Broken Robots project.
Ethnic Studies Summit, Friday, October 18th 2024, 8:30am - 3:00 pm
This summit is open to all people who are actively working to ground Ethnic Studies education in MN. The Summit will gather over 250 students, educators, and community members to spend a day together to 1. connect, learn and grow together. 2. Examine how different identities experience Ethnic Studies across Minnesota 3. Explore ways to prepare and normalize Ethnic Studies instruction in K-12 classrooms.
The Summit is free for all youth. Registration fee for adults are $ 125. If you are an adult who is interested in attending, please email mknguyen@greatriverschool.org
Fall Archery Sessions for grades 1-8
Fall Archery Sessions for grades 1-8!
Grades 1-3, Tuesdays, September 24-October 22 (5 sessions) 4-5 pm
Grades 4-8, Tuesdays, October 29-November 26 4-5 pm (5 sessions) 4-5 pm
Lead coach: Hadley Musselman
Cost is $100.
All sessions will meet in the GRS gym, and parent pickup is at 5 pm at the south main door.
We are looking for parent volunteers to help out with the archery sessions (see form to sign up). A coaches’ meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 17 after school.
Space is limited Scholarships in case of need and discounts for current Big Canoe participants are available; contact bigcanoe@greatriverschool.org
Use this link to sign up. A payment link will be sent before the first meeting; registration is confirmed when payment is complete.
Middle School Baseball Clinic, Sept. 21, 28, and Oct. 5, 2024
A Middle School camp for 3rd-8th graders will take place at Nova Classical Academy on three Saturdays:
September 21, 28 and October 5 from 11:00am - 12:30pm.
$75 fee.
For questions and to register, email Coach Lindholm slindholm@twincitiesacademy.org