Holly's Huddle June 2022

written by Holly Bell, Director of First Impressions

Welcome to our last newsletter (and Huddle) of the 2021-22 school year! Have you ever heard of chefs who are given just a few random ingredients and their challenge is to make something delicious out of those items? I had a great chat with a couple of dear friends recently, and asked them what they’d like to read about in this issue of Holly’s Huddle. Yes, it could be anything. They each gave me one idea and I’m going to do my best to combine them in a way that will encourage you to smile today, as well as to inspire our continued connection through this summer of 2022. The two topics are: Mermaids and Potatoes. Or, potatoes and mermaids. Now, I know what both mermaids and potatoes are, but have you ever heard of a sea potato? Researching this a little bit, I learned that these heart-shaped sea potatoes are common around England and Ireland. It does remind me a bit of a sand dollar.

And, have you ever heard of a mermaid’s purse? If you click on the link, you’ll learn that they have something to do with shark eggs! (Read more at the website.)

Now that I’ve introduced you to my characters, here’s my answer to the mermaid/potato challenge…

There was once a brilliant and dazzling Irish mermaid who loved spending her days frolicking in the tide along the coast of Ireland. The sometimes chilly waters invigorated her, so she got lots of exercise while swimming long distances. (Irish waters range from 59 degrees F in August to 48 degrees F in March.) One brisk February morning, she grabbed her (mermaid) purse and went for a swim. Her purse was a little clunky, but not nearly as substantial and cumbersome as her beloved harp which she played when looking for inspiration. As she was laughing and skipping stones across the water’s surface, she stopped near a shallow, sandy inlet. She gracefully dog-paddled (in a mermaid-ish manner) above the ocean’s floor when suddenly, she couldn’t believe her eyes… there, amongst the sea creatures was one tiny white heart! It was the shell of a heart-shaped urchin; a sea potato! How beautiful it was to her! While she loved all sea creatures, she was especially fond of the sea potato, for it fit into her palm perfectly and was so delicate. Carefully, she lifted the potato from the sea bed and tucked it inside of her (mermaid) purse where she knew it’d be safe until she reached her home later in the day. All the way back to her lodging, she hummed a fanciful tune that she embellished as it came to her. Playing the melody on her harp that evening, expressions of gratitude filled her soul. She was so happy to have found the dainty and intricate sea potato (shell). She wished everyone could be as delighted and satisfied with their lives as she was with hers. The words tumbled out between her gorgeous mermaid lips… “May the tide rise up to meet you… May the salty air kiss upon your skin…”

This is how the Irish Mermaid Blessing came to be and it can still be heard in the soft evening air on the coast of Ireland if you listen very, very carefully.

Perhaps, as you are experiencing this summer, you might want to start a series of stories about this Irish Mermaid and her (Sea) Potatoes. Please feel free to join me by sharing your ideas. There is no reason to be bored… let’s be creative!

Safely enjoy your adventures, which are right around the corner! Take good care of yourself and others. Give daily shout-outs of gratitude or keep a gratitude journal. And I will enjoy your company in the fall when we all return to Great River School!

On we go,

Holly

Tree Trust Planting Day

written by Scott Alsleben, Lower Adolescent guide

Great River School has become a Learning with Trees School thanks to a grant received from Tree Trust.

On Wednesday May, 11th, GRS students planted 79 trees and shrubs around campus (click to see a map of the planting). The trees and shrubs are MN natives and mostly deciduous trees - we planted fruit trees and many edible shrubs. Tree name tags have been placed on all trees, including their indigenous name. We also installed 8 outdoor benches to support the outdoor classroom experience.

The planting day was a great success thanks to our amazing students, staff, and the amazing people at Tree Trust. Everyone brought great work and positive energy. The Land Acknowledgement for Great River School is attached - we read this before planting.

We have some commitments to make. Not only for all these young shrubs and trees but also to our students, ourselves, our community and planet earth. I tell my forestry students, “trees are like humans, as we are both century beings and have a unique connection with each other, we need each other. No matter where you are, if you can find a tree, you can find a friend, a friend you can build a relationship with.”

I encourage you to think about conservation, stewardship and care. Please do water the trees and shrubs. Visit the trees and shrubs you planted, in fact, visit all of the trees on campus.

Earth Day Cleanup

A big thank you to the volunteers who came out on a cold, rainy day to help clean up Great River's campus on April 22nd! All the pictures from 4/22 are linked here.

Volunteers did all of the projects below:

  • Made a new trail to connect the front of school and back of school for more play space at recess.

  • Moved a tree (!) to make way for a new 9 square area

  • Put fences around peach trees and native plant area to protect them

  • Installed a slide

  • Dispersed 20 yards of mulch

  • Cleaned up the garden area

  • Picked up trash

Thank you everyone for working so hard on a rainy, 40 degree day! The kids did amazing raking out the woodchips and installing the slide. We appreciate the volunteer help and appreciate caregivers’ donations to the school - materials to keep up our outdoor spaces are expensive and family donations go straight to purchasing items like woodchips and recess equipment.

Freedom and Responsibility

written by Aderyn, Ella, and Oskar

We are students in Otter Tail River, an upper elementary classroom, and we are going to talk about how to use freedoms and responsibilities wisely.

Freedom and Responsibility can help to balance the work and choices of your school day. For example, a freedom could be sitting where you would like, working outside on projects, or cooking, but you would be responsible for tracking those choices in your work journal, and balancing them with practice work and follow up. 

You have to be able to work responsibly with your freedoms, otherwise you might lose them. 

We decided to ask a peer in our classroom about what their favorite freedom is, they said:

“ I like working outside on projects with other students.” 

Then we asked about balancing freedom and responsibility, they said:

“ It is like a seesaw because they need to balance each other out.”

May 2022 Head of School Message

written by David Núñez, Interim Head of School

Dear GRS Community,

Happy May everyone!

As we quickly approach the end of the school year I wanted to take the opportunity to say that I hope everyone is having a wonderful spring!

Also, May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month – Here at GRS I have been sharing some resources with staff that include (but are not limited to):

  • Making space to ask students what they have noticed, and what they have experienced.  More advice is available in this interview with Nicole Chung, author and advice columnist for Slate, and Chtistine Koh, neuroscientist and co-author of a book on parenting.

  • Or, visiting the new Exhibit at the MN historical society: ​​Righting a Wrong.  This exhibit was developed by the National Museum of American History and adapted for travel by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service.

Last month we didn’t have a newsletter and I didn’t have the opportunity to wish our Muslim families a blessed start to Ramadan or our Jewish Families a happy Passover, so I also wanted to say Eid mubarak to those who are observing Eid and belatedly say chag sameach to our Jewish families.

The end of the year here at GRS also means that we are quickly approaching our spring key experiences.  As a newcomer to Great River, I have been so impressed with the preparation that has been going into these trips and the work the students have been putting in to get ready.  I will be going along on the bike trip this year with the 7th, 8th, and 9th graders and I can’t tell you how much I am looking forward to it.

Finally, I wanted you all to know that next year’s calendar has been approved by the Board.  We listened to all the feedback the families and staff offered and did our best to incorporate all of it.  You will notice that we are closing school on several additional religious holidays and we won’t be having half-days of school again next year, two things that we heard quite a bit about from GRS families.  Thank you for your caring and thoughtful constructive advice.

I hope you all have a delightful May!

Peace,
David

GRS Food Program Video

written by Molly Farrell, UMN Student Intern ‘22

Everyone who eats engages in the food system. Understanding food systems is essential for understanding human health, social equity, and the environment. The lower adolescent Culinary Arts course at Great River School promotes this knowledge through holistic and experiential education. This school year, Tami Limberg, Jenny Breen, and Mel Hammond have partnered to pilot this class. Together they teach the 7th and 8th grade students fundamental cooking skills, kitchen safety, nutrition guidelines, food sustainability practices, and broader food systems issues in the kitchen and the classroom. 

Over the past several months, I have had the opportunity to connect with and support kitchen programming at GRS. As a Food Systems student at the University of Minnesota, I proudly endorse the Culinary Arts course and its mission to promote critical thinking in the kitchen. Looking forward, climate change, land access and food choices will continue to impact the future of food security. This class introduces lower adolescent students to these complex ideas through hands-on, project-based learning. Incorporating food systems and culinary education in GRS curriculum is an important step in promoting a generation of holistic, lifelong learners. 

Consider supporting kitchen programs like these by pre-ordering from-scratch school lunch today.

NoMythic at World Robotics Championship

written by Joseph Steinhauer, Operations Captain

Hello,  all!

At the time I am writing this, NoMythic is flying back to Minnesota after our trip to Houston where we joined 450 teams from around the world for the FIRST Robotics World Championships. We had a long week of competitions, museum visits, Texas heat, and pure robotics fun. Everyone on the team worked hard and had a blast. We are so glad we had the opportunity to attend.

This year, we broke new ground!  We did exceptionally well in our division and,for the first time in NoMythic’s history, we moved on to the quarterfinals!  Our design work was recognized with the Imagery Award -  another historical first for our team!

Everyone on NoMythic worked incredibly hard on this trip, and we’re so proud of each and every student and mentor who contributed their work and time at this event. Our drive team did an amazing job during matches and figuring out strategies for each match. Our scouting team spent long hours in the stands collecting data for our strategist and drive team to use. Our pit crew spent days working on and fixing the robot. The work put into this competition by each and every team member is phenomenal.

When our team wasn’t hard at work on robotics, we were having fun inside and outside the competition. We had the option to walk around the pits and stands talking to other teams and students at the competition. There were workshops offered by other teams on everything from Fundraising to Programming to Recruiting. Outside the convention center, we bonded as a team. We had a pizza party with two other Minnesota teams, and we played a team-wide game of ninja. On our last night in Houston, we had a bling fashion show and dance party. On Sunday, we visited the Houston Air and Space Museum, where we got to see cool rockets - including a FalconX and the Saturn V!

All in all, we had an incredible time in Houston at Champs. We had so much fun, learned so much, and grew as a team and as people. We’re knocking on wood that we have the chance to go again in 2023!

Thanks!

March & April 2022 GRS Board Updates

Your GRS School Board would love to share some updates! Certainly, a highlight of our last meeting was the Budget Presentation, given by David Nunez (Head of School) and Scott Brown (School Accountant).

Holly's Huddle May 2022

written by Holly Bell, Director of First Impressions

Happy Spring! I open doors. I open doors for people, mostly. I’ve been watching student traffic patterns more intently recently. And, I’ve asked many students: “What do you call a group of students?”. You know, you’ve heard of more common groups, like a gaggle of geese or a herd of cows. What about a pack of wolves or a flock of sheep? What would a group of students be called? A summary of students? A body of students? Think about what you’d call them as I share a list of some less common group names, some more appealing than others…

A prickle of porcupines

Murder of crows; Conspiracy of ravens; Skulk of foxes

Kettle of hawks; Barrel of monkeys (seriously!) or a Troop of monkeys; Tribe of goats

Zeal of zebras; Rafter of turkeys; Fluffle of bunnies

Colony of seagulls; Troop of baboons; Drove of donkeys

Herd of antelope; Smack of jellyfish; Loveliness of ladybugs

Snuggle of sloths; Cauldron of bats; Clan of hyenas

Raft of ducks; Bed of clams; Aggregation of manatees

Shrewdness of apes; Wake of buzzards; Mischief of magpies

Den of snakes; Team of horses; Army of ants

Herd of elephants; Bunch of deer (seriously.); Crash of rhinos

Prowl of jaguars; Confusion of wildebeest; Population of koalas

Blessing of narwhals; Array of hedgehogs; Caravan of camels

Congregation of crocodiles; Rockery of penguins; Pride of peacocks

Community of chimpanzees; Pod of dolphins; Flock of bluebirds

Roost of robins; Streak of tigers; Parliament of owls (perfect!)

Venue of vultures; Swarm of bees; Sloth of bears

Army of frogs; Tower of giraffes; Embarrassment of pandas

Bloat of hippos; Coalition of cheetahs; Pride of lions

Horde of gnats; Charm of goldfinches; Cloud of grasshoppers

Pandemonium of parrots; Romp of otters; Crash of rhinos

Brood of hens; Mob of kangaroos; Convocation of eagles

Gaze of raccoons; Rhumba of rattlesnakes; Shiver of sharks

Band of coyotes; Clowder of cats; Gang of elk

Leap of leopards; Plague of locust; Stream of minnows

Stench of skunks; Scurry of squirrels; Wisdom of wombats

Don’t you think that some of these names are a perfect representation of the group? How poetic! For some of them, you can see exactly how they got their group names - like a tower of giraffes. Exactly! 

When I’m opening doors for students between classes, it gets so busy in the orange lobby that I think the group might be called a Crush of students. What do you think? Create your own name for a group of students and send your answers to me. Let’s compare. Thanks!

On we go,

Holly

UA May Update & IB Art Show Celebration

written by Adam Koehler, Interim UA Program Director

Dear UA Families & Caregivers,

There have been many exciting things happening in the Upper Adolescent program right now!

Key Experiences

After a two-year hiatus, we are excited to announce the return of key experiences this spring. Key experiences are grade-level, overnight camping trips that center place-based learning and community building. Key experiences will take place during the last week of school (June 6-9th).

IB Art Show

In March, IB Art students displayed their senior portfolios. The works were diverse and displayed a rich understanding of their Art studies over the last two years. Big shout out to Art teacher Randi McClure for her work supporting students towards such high-level work. Check out all the pictures here!

IB Exams 

May marks the beginning of IB exams. Seniors will sit for their formal exams in several subjects. See this calendar for the full exam schedule. Exams are held at school. Students are excused from regular classes on any days that they are testing. In preparation for the exams, students are encouraged to set regular sleep schedules, drink lots of water, and get regular exercise.

Experiential Learning in May (ELM)

Following IB exams, seniors will take part in Experiential Learning in May (ELM). Running May 25th through June 3rd, students will join the Director of College Access Teresa Hitchens-Olson through various place-based learning experiences such as sailing, self-defense, an alumni panel, and much more. Keep an eye out for upcoming information about ELM.

Preparing Thoughtful Spaces and Planning How We Work Together

written by Nadine McNiff, Rice Creek guide

As Spring begins, we reflect on how our beautiful spaces and time spent in learning how to work in community leads to the greatest support for children here at school. Maria Montessori explains what children need from adults; what indeed they might ask from us, “Help me help myself.” Fostering this independence is key and central to how we organize, plan, and use our school and classroom spaces. A prepared environment is one that considers carefully the needs and perspective of the child, and the goals for growth and independence we have for them. At school, this looks like wide hallways, plentiful light, a variety of outdoor spaces, a classroom with artwork and furniture at the child’s level, beautiful materials placed in a specific order on open shelves, objects that hold weight and require careful handling, and spaces that clearly define a child’s personal spaces and materials.

Adults in a Montessori classroom also spend a great amount of time, with children, defining how we will all work together. This includes discussions on what kind of school and classroom we want to come to each day, how we can do our own unique parts as adults and students, and finalizing this thinking and discussion into belief statements. Our classroom beliefs guide our work as a community, throughout the year, in peaceful times as well as times of conflict or differing opinions. We take time each week to acknowledge all the beauty we recognize in our work together and address when we are having difficulty in upholding our beliefs or failing to do our perspective jobs. Spending time preparing environments and agreeing on how we will work together is central to our healthy community. We know this type of investment and work is important in our student’s homes as well.

Preparing your home for independence takes some time, planning and thoughtfulness around the freedoms and responsibilities you understand are right for your child. Including children in the daily life of your home is one of the most important indicators of their success at school, and in life. This might look like rethinking your routines such that your child has time and space to get ready independently, giving your child special jobs or chores that are their responsibility, asking for their input and perspective in appropriate family decisions, and organizing their sleeping spaces and personal spaces sparsely, beautifully, and with a goal of independence in mind. Preparing our homes and including children in our family life fosters purposeful work, practical life skills, and builds self-reliance and discipline. Let them show you just how MUCH they can do.

Freedom and independence are vital, but we all know that there are some decisions and rules that are not appropriate for our children to make. It is our job as adults to set the limits and hold fair and firm boundaries. Moreover, although we often hear them protest these limits, we understand this consistent structure to be comforting and healthy for our children. It is worth considering what are those parts of your family life that children can make choices about, saying yes as often as is healthy and safe. This way, when we say no, and explain why we are making these decisions, they can trust (even if they don’t understand) that we are doing so, because this is our job as adults.

We understand that you are the holder of unique insight and knowledge about your child that allows you to make the best decisions about how to create opportunities for independence and healthy boundaries at home. We also know children are served best when schools and families do this in partnership.

LA May Newsletter - Bike Trip is Coming Up!

written by Tami Limberg, LA Program Director

For this May newsletter, your Lower Adolescent Bike Trip planning team really needs to reiterate upcoming dates and plans.

All 7th -9th-grade students are invited (though not required, due to COVID) on our final key experience of the year.  We'll embark on a 5 day, 100-mile bike trip across western Wisconsin and really work on personal perseverance on this physical challenge, but also a shared interdependence - no student can get through this bike trip on their own.

Students will take 1 of 2 trips:

  • The first trip leaves on June 3rd and returns June 8th.  They will have a half-day on June 9th for trip recovery and clean-up.

  • The second trip leaves on June 4th and returns June 9th.  They will have a half-day on June 3rd for trip preparation.  

  • All students will have a half-day for our end-of-the-year ceremonies and celebrations on June 10.

To help prepare, if caregivers have not done the following, please do so.

1. Watch the Bike Trip Orientation Video (slide deck)

2.  Fill out the Bike Trip Readiness Survey. (if you need to borrow a bike, here's where you tell us that)

3.  Get your student's bike tuned up either at a local shop or at GRS Ridey Tighty Bike Shop (as spaces are available)

4. Be sure we have your medical forms (Prescription and Non Prescription) at the front office.  We can't give your student even tylenol without these forms.  You can return these forms to the front office or Dan Wilder (dwilder@greatriverschool.org).  

5.  Know when your student is biking at school on Wednesdays (see the Orientation Video for more information).

6. Review the packing list.

If you are not receiving emails from Tami Limberg LA Program Director about these items, please reach out!  We want to make this experience as easy as possible.

As we all continue getting more accustomed to living with Covid, we're taking precautions seriously.  We strongly encourage a Covid PCR test 3 days prior to the trip (and we're working on making that happen through the school if possible) and we'll require a negative antigen test the morning of (we'll take them at school).  We'll wear masks on the buses and will follow the guidelines that we follow in school.  We'll stay with one tent group for the duration of the trip.  We've also reduced tent capacity.  Students that show symptoms on the trip will take an antigen test and be sent home if they are positive.  We know that this doesn't meet every family's needs, and we're not going to be able to.  We are trying to live out Great River School's mission and commitment to key experiences.

We will make every possible effort to go on these trips. Aligning with our school’s mitigation strategy, if Ramsey County were to go into the high Community Level category, we would require masking, but try to adapt our key experience to be as COVID-safe as possible. In the upsetting situation where COVID-19 case counts would cause us to cancel the key experience, students would need to make up those instructional hours and the school year would be extended further into June. 

March 2022 Head of School Message

written by David Núñez, Interim Head of School

Dear GRS community,

March is Women’s History Month.  As always we encourage the celebration and centering of underrepresented voices at all times at Great River.  However, Women’s History Month is a time to celebrate the vital role of women in American history and highlight the accomplishments of people who identify as women!

As part of that celebration, I am sharing resources weekly with staff to help us focus our lens more keenly.  Here are just a few examples of those resources: 

March is also testing season in the state of Minnesota and we have begun MCA testing this week at GRS.  I know many of you have some strong feelings about standardized testing (as I do as an educator), but we should keep in mind that this test is just a single snapshot of how kids are doing at certain skills at a time when, because of a worldwide pandemic, we are sorely missing data.  Between that and the impacts on the school’s long-range finances, we do encourage students to take the test and to try their very best.

You should have gotten report cards in the last week or so.  We’ve gotten a number of questions about why our report cards look the way they do.  In the elementary, we offer full narratives on your students' progress.  In adolescent, we have a 7 point rubric for grading, it can be found linked here, and we also offer a simple form of rating for Skills of Effective Learning.  This document shows you the details of each rubric ranking.

If you missed it last week, I sent out a communication about the work GRS is doing as a school around Russia’s reprehensible attack on Ukraine.  We are seeking to support all of our community through this terrible series of events and are dedicated to continuing this work as a peacemaking community. 

I also wanted to remind you all that the Blue Heron Bash is coming up!  I, for one, am excited about my first Blue Heron Bash. This is Great River’s biggest fundraiser of the year and will be our first in-person Blue Heron Bash since 2019. This year's Blue Heron Bash is a fun outdoor event with games, food & drinks. Even if you can’t make it, everyone can enjoy friendly bidding on great gatherings, and amazing items in our online auction. The money raised by the Blue Heron Bash is used to support all of the amazing programs that make GRS so special. To see more details, check out the BHB website. We hope to see you there! 

Finally, there are lots of upcoming opportunities to volunteer with the Parent Engagement Group! As a community-centered school, Great River asks that each family volunteers 20 hours of their time each school year to help support our programming. Caregivers can find all the current PEG volunteer needs by going to the PEG website. 

Again, Happy Women’s History Month!

Peace,
David

Interview with GRS Alum Kunle Ajao

While subbing in the Upper Adolescent program earlier this year, GRS alum Kunle Ajao,'15 (he/him) sat for a quick interview to tell us more about his high school experience, how Great River has changed, and what benefits he sees from his GRS education.

Kunle is now working for Sierra Space on their Dreamchaser team, designing and building a Spaceplane to supply and support the ISS and the new Orbital Reef program.

Name and graduation year
Kunle Ajao, 2015

How did you end up coming back to sub at GRS? 

I’d heard from another alum that Great River was looking for subs and I really liked tutoring at college (Kunle attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University for a degree in aerospace engineering). I’m excited to sub for more CAS and social studies classes.

What do you remember about going to school at GRS? 

I attended 7-12th grade at Great River. I remember the little dining area (in what is now Michael Flood’s classroom). We would eat outside a lot if the weather was nice. There were 55 kids in my graduation class - that was the largest class GRS had ever had.

I remember using the Multi-Purpose Space for plays, concerts, and coffeehouses. I definitely remember the Key Experiences - I went on both Odysseys, both Bike Trips, and I made some of my best friends, still to this day. In 9th & 10th grades, we went to the Lake Country Land School, then the 11th grade Northstar College Trip and the 12th grade Namekagon Canoe Trip. On our senior canoe trip, it rained a lot and the river was too full for us to camp, so we got to sleep in cabins instead! The Key Experiences were great - you suffer a little bit together and you come out stronger.

Do you remember any favorite classes? 

I really enjoyed Physics with Sheila, especially the experiments. I remember momentum experiments with rail cars. At the time, it wasn’t IB curriculum. The students today are learning quantum theory. I think they’re way more prepared for college.

How did the skills you learned at GRS affect your life after graduation?

This place is all about getting out of your comfort zone and trying new things - J-Term, Key Experiences, CAS, spring intensives, etc. You never have time to settle and get super comfortable, you are always just a little bit out of your comfort zone. I think it helps later in life. I was definitely more adaptable at college- I was down to roll with it.

The GRS model really helps in transitioning to the college experience - I had lots of skills to be self-guided. GRS students are responsible for themselves and their work. Engineering is hard - it’s made harder because people don’t know how to manage their time and workload. I was a lot better equipped than my peers - I knew how to pace myself and finish my work.

Student Athletes Advocate at MSHSL Meeting

The GRS Boys Volleyball Club recently advocated at the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) 4A region meeting for the sanctioning of Boys Volleyball as an official sport in Minnesota. Soren Lewandowski (Grade 9) spoke and five of his teammates were present to demonstrate support of sanctioning. Minnesota first lady, Gwen Walz, also spoke. The final vote of the MSHSL to sanction Boys Volleyball will occur May 10th, 2022. Last year, the vote failed by 2 votes. Anyone interested in supporting the cause or learning more can follow the MN Boys Volleyball Facebook page. The GRS Boys Volleyball Team begins in March and is open to all 7th-12th graders. Interested folks should fill-out this Boys Volleyball interest form or contact Coach Lindsey Weaver (lweaver@greatriverschool.org)

UA Winter Retreat

written by Adam Koehler, Interim UA Program Director

On Thursday February 10th, UA students spent the day celebrating our successful completion of semester 1. In the morning, students explored Franconia Sculpture Garden. In the afternoon, students visited Interstate Park along the St. Croix river and ate lunch, played, hiked, and build community around the fire .In spite of all the challenges this school year has thrown at us, it remains clear that shared communal experiences build trust among students and staff. This trust allows us to dig deeper into educational experiences all year long. Thank you to everyone who supported the outing, especially those that donated items or time.

February 2022 Board Updates

FEBRUARY

Your GRS School Board would love to share some updates! 

  • School Board Meeting Agenda from February, 2022 

  • Finance Committee 

    • As always we reviewed the financial spending and check registry. Additionally we had conversations with our Food Program and the GRS Foundation. As was scheduled, we discussed and updated the COVID PTO Policy.

    • NEW EVENT: Budget/Equity Working Session with David Nunez, Head of School
      Join this working session in order to complete an ORID reflection on the equity and transparency survey data, and use that to generate possible next steps for the 2022-23 budget and budget processes at GRS.
      Date: Thursday March 3rd- Hosted By David
      Time: 4:00 PM- 5:15 PM
      Location: Zoom Working Meeting at this zoom link.

    • The Finance Committee is actively seeking more members!
      Next meeting: Tuesday, March 8th at 3:30pm.
      Email:       resources@greatriverschool.org.

  • BIPOC Caregiver Advisory Committee 

  •  Student Experience Committee 

    • At our last monthly meeting, we met with representatives from the Finance Committee to talk about long-range goals for GRS' financial sustainability and the role of the Student Experience Committee in meeting those goals. We also heard from David about the Annual Report, and made plans for a special meeting to discuss potential additional farm partnerships.

    • Next meeting: Thursday, March 10th at 4:00pm.
      Email:       sec@greatriverschool.org.

  • Policy Working Group 

Lower Adolescent Aquaponics System

written by Ava Limberg 

This is an aquaponics system. It was made by me ( Ava Limberg) , Asata Portwood, and Honesty Oliver when we were wanting to make a new system for our final project in our Aquaponics class. We also made this for the kitchen to get fresh herbs every day. We are still working out some problems like leaks in the system and other setbacks like distance learning, plants dying, and outlets in the wall. When it is done, a water pump will take water from the tank and bring it up to the pipes that have plants in them, from there the course of gravity will take place and run it through the pipes, giving the plants water. It will then run through a biofilter (which gives any bacteria a place to live that is not in the water which keeps the plants healthy) and then go back into the tank where it will start all over again. When we do finish, we plan to put baby tilapia in the tank as our fish. We like these fish because they go well with aquaponics systems and they are fish that you can eat and that you will find at some restaurants.

 We came up with this idea when someone showed us a picture of something that looks similar to what we have built and we hope that people will find inspiration with this in future aquaponics classes.

Handwork in the Montessori Classroom

written by Nadine Wetzel-Curtis, St. Croix guide

“Watching a child makes it obvious that the development of his mind comes through his movements.”  ~ Dr. Maria Montessori 

Many of my favorite lessons to give are those which allow a child’s creative nature to become more visible:  bookmaking, weaving, knitting, beading, “nets” (tracing a geometric solid onto paper, cutting and folding it in order to duplicate the solid out of paper), anything with the Box of Sticks (a geometry material), mandalas, shading, or illuminated letters to name a few.  Children notice the materials I’m gathering and ask to join the lesson and I never need to remind them to be responsible for their follow-up work.  I get to witness incredible perseverance as they learn to thread a needle, cast-on stitches, untangle thread, knit, or purl.  They build stamina, increase their ability to ignore distractions, and focus all their senses on the task before them.  

We apply color theory and design principles to our artwork using rich language:  diagonal lines indicate speed and movement while straight lines give the impression of strength and structure. Cool colors appear passive and retreat into the background.  We solve problems.  “What could be added to this composition to bring it into balance?”  “Will this piece of construction paper be enough for what I want to accomplish?” “How can I position the insets so that I can cut 8 shapes from this piece of paper?”  Students practice patience, self-control, and gratitude as they share materials, too.  

I get to witness joy in their creative journey and see their confidence bloom when classmates compliment each other on their creations.  Will you show me how you did that? I’d like to make one, too!  The transformative and grounding power of art and handwork is also clearly visible.  After working with their handmade dough, one student assured me “your fingers just feel so GOOD after touching it!” 

Art and handwork also provide a vehicle for practicing mental flexibility.  “I thought I was going to make my mom a scarf but decided to make one for my favorite stuffy.”  “I really like the color of that yarn but I’m not exactly sure what I should do with it.  Maybe I’ll finger knit a necklace.”  “I realized that I liked the way the yellow squares looked better this way so I changed them before I glued them down.” 

You may recognize many of the skills I’ve described as “executive functioning skills,” or the name given to a family of brain processes that all work together to help you remember, plan, and do daily activities.  Check out The Homeschool Resource for more!

Here are a few tips for greater handwork success at home:  

  • Know that it will be messy.  Really messy.  Students know how to clean up in the classroom, expect them to do so at home.  Do too much for a child and a child won’t do much for themselves.

  • Uninterrupted blocks of time are an incredible gift.  The dishes & laundry can wait. 

  • Expensive art supplies aren’t necessary.  Cardboard and duct tape or a glue gun will surprise you. 

  • Give yourself permission to be a beginner with your child.  “I’m new at this” is one of my favorite mantras.  Nothing models growth mindset like fumbling clumsily.  

  • Let your child do their own project.  This can be especially hard if you are showing your child something at which you excel.  Sit on your hands or walk away if you need to.  

  • Have fun!