Lunch Orders for April 8th-12th!

Don't forget! Lunch orders for April 8th-12th are due on April 3rd at 11:59pm.

If it is easier for your family to order on paper instead of in EZ Lunch, there are paper copies of the menu available at the Front Desk and in the Café. Please fill out one form for each student in your family.

If you have any questions about the lunch program, please feel free to email lunch@greatriverschool.org.

More information about using EZ Lunch below:

Here is a 5-minute video tutorial for how to use EZ Lunch.

If you prefer to read, more tutorials for EZ Lunch can be found here:

How To Set Up Your EZ School Lunch Account
How to Add Another Student to a Parent Account
How to Pre-Order Meals and Add Money
How to Add a Credit Card
How to See Transaction History


Blue Heron Bash

Thank you all for attending this years GRS fundraiser! Thanks to all of your generosity, we have raised over $35,000 so far!  There are still open spots in the Great Gatherings and an opportunity to donate to this year’s Fund a Need for our exciting outdoor projects - playground area, elementary gardens, outdoor classroom & greenhouse.  Click link to sign up:

https://www.auctria.com/ev?site=7e8ddff9-9536-4ffc-958f-5a385585bf0f

If you won or purchased an item at the bash you should have received an invoice to pay or a receipt.  If you have not yet paid please use the link at the bottom of your invoice.  All paid items are at the front desk with Holly and can be picked up during school hours.  If you have any questions, comments or concerns about this years fundraiser email us anytime at blueheronbash@greatriverschool.org.  Thank you for your support!

Spring Conference Bookfair Volunteers!

We're looking for parents to help staff the spring conference book fair! The book fair supports the development of elementary classroom libraries. Families can purchase books directly for the classrooms from teacher wish lists, or they can purchase books for themselves, and a 50% credit goes to GRS for new books. The fair will be held during the two days of conferences, Thursday and Friday 4/11 and 4/12, and our Usborne Books representative will be on-site to support volunteers. Please consider signing up for a slot here to help support this important initiative that will directly impact elementary classrooms!

Tastetesters Needed

Volunteers needed for lunchtime taste tests! During the week of April 15-19 students will have the chance to taste samples of food from the new lunch program and provide feedback, and we need parent volunteers to help! This will be a fun activity, a great way to learn more about the delicious food being served, and another great opportunity to be in classrooms during the school day. Sign up here for an 11:30am-1pm shift.

Walk! Bike! Fun! Ambassadors Training

Are you interested in helping support biking and walking initiatives in our community? Please join us for a Walk! Bike! Fun! Ambassadors training Thursday, April 11 from 4:30-8:00 p.m.

Walk! Bike! Fun! is a free training program and educational resource for community members, parents, and volunteers. This training will give participants a general overview of walking and biking activities, and more insight into some of the specific activities GRS is hoping to add this spring, such as a walking school bus and a bike rodeo/skills workshop. A light supper will be provided.

Register using this link

Outdoor Space Parent Working Group

Are you interested in developing our playground/ outdoor space at GRS? Please join other passionate folks in design and implementation! I'm Hadley Musselman, mom of Wiley Sparks in Minnehaha Creek Classroom and an Educational Assistant to GRS, and this is something of a passion project for me.

We're in the preliminary stages of improving our outdoor space and need your input and help. I'd love to see more large motor opportunities (climbing, sliding, balancing, swinging, etc) and a beautiful garden on the elementary side that will grow food for our lovely new kitchen. As a recess supervisor I'm out there everyday. Many of our kids are asking for a "real" playground with their words or through rough physical (albit imaginative!) play, and relational/peer aggression. With an enriched outdoor/ recess environment, I know that our kids will have a much improved educational experience as a whole and a more positive relationship with the outdoors and each other. A necessary win-win-win in my book.

So let's get creative and dirty! With your help, we can save thousands of dollars in labor once it's time to install the new elements. 

Add your e-mail address, thoughts, ideas and inspirational pictures/ links in this document! We'll start meeting in May for design finalization and implementation planning.

Big Canoe Childcare Offered April 10, 11 and 12

Wednesday, April 10: Early release day: school lets out at 12 pm

Big Canoe will offer after school care from 12-6 pm, cost is $30 
Students will take a field trip to a local park to play and return by 3:30 pm for parent pickup.

Thursday, April 11: Conference Day

Big Canoe will provide care from 8 am - 5 pm, cost is $50 (usual discounts apply)
Children will visit Tamarack Nature Center for activities and programming; they will return to school by 3 pm for pickup by 5 pm. Please send a bagged lunch with your child.

Friday, April 12: Conference Day

Big Canoe will provide care from 8 am - 5 pm, cost is $50 (usual discounts apply)
Students will visit the Science Museum of Minnesota to see the exhibits and Omnitheater movie, "Cuba." They will return to school by 3:30 pm for pickup by 5 pm. Please send a bagged lunch with your child.

Please use this form to register. You can Email bigcanoe@greatriverschool.org with any questions. Thank you!

Great River Yearbooks

The Great River School yearbook team is busy completing the 2018-19 yearbook, which we expect to be available during the last week of school!  The GRS yearbooks are designed by students, including the yet-to-be-revealed cover. 

Click here to pre-order online! You can also pre-order your yearbook at spring conferences, April 11th and 12th. 

Unsure if you've ordered? Ask us at conferences or email office@greatriverschool.org to ask!

Ultimate Frisbee Summer Camp - Grades 3-8

Hello Families,

As you may have heard, Great River School is running 7 weeks of Day Camp this summer and we hope you check out our programs Here. 

We also want you to know that one of our own, Tyler Mahoney, UA SpEd Assistant, runs his own ultimate frisbee camps for any 3rd-8th graders.  If you are interested, please read the message from Tyler below.

Overview:

The Youth Ultimate Program (YUP) was the first middle school ultimate program in Minneapolis when it was founded in 2011. In the past 8 years it has grown to be one of the largest in the state and helped to found the current middle school spring league! We place a large emphasis on learning, being a good sport, and having fun, and there are camps for all skill levels!
Details:

One week of YUP costs $80 that you pay on arrival the first day. Camp takes place at Linden Hills Park at 42nd and Xerxes in south Minneapolis. The two types of camp are: Advanced Camp from 9am-12pm, Monday-Thursday for students 6th-8th grade who have some experience with ultimate, and Afternoon Camp from 1pm-4pm, Monday-Thursday for students 3rd-8th grade who have never played before. Registration for 2019 camps is open on the website www.youthultimateprogram.org.  Hope to see you this summer!

Blue Heron Bash: TOMORROW


Tomorrow is the big day! Blue Heron Bash - Saturday, March 23, 6 to 10 pm. You could even make a day of it and see the fabulous musical “Bright Star” at 3 pm in the Performance Space.

There will be beer from Clockwerks and Burning Brothers and wine to purchase. Every cent goes to school! Delicious appetizers as well as a nightcap of dessert and coffee/tea at 9 pm are included with your ticket. Bid on a wide array of fun auction items. Sign up for Great Gatherings - an excellent way to support school and build community. Play a game of chance to win yourself a bottle of wine. Socialize and enjoy conversation with other GRS-loving adults! We are so excited to see you.

Tickets available at the door!
Childcare sign-up here!
Volunteer sign-up here!
Great Gathering list here!

Blue Heron Bash: TWO DAYS OUT


Two days left until the Blue Heron Bash. Did you get your tickets? No worries, you can get them at the door! Preparations will be fully underway tomorrow as we test our design skills in the transformation of Peace Hall. You can still put your name down to volunteer. Don’t see a spot? Email us and at blueheronbash@greatriverschool.org and we’ll find you a spot. We promise that we are really fun to hang out with!

Lunch Ordering for April is Open!

The April menu is now available in EZ Lunch!

We have updated our pre-order range, as well. We ask that parents order by the Wednesday before the following week. For example, on April 3rd, orders for April 8th-12th are due.

If it is easier for your family to order on paper instead of in EZ Lunch, there are paper copies of the menu available at the Front Desk and in the Café. Please fill out one form for each student in your family.

If you have any questions about the lunch program, please feel free to email lunch@greatriverschool.org

More information about using EZ Lunch below:

Here is a 5-minute video tutorial for how to use EZ Lunch.

If you prefer to read, more tutorials for EZ Lunch can be found here:
How To Set Up Your EZ School Lunch Account
How to Add Another Student to a Parent Account
How to Pre-Order Meals and Add Money
How to Add a Credit Card
How to See Transaction History


Executive Functioning Presentation

The TCGIS (Twin Cities German Immersion School) parent-led SEAC (Special Education Advisory Committee) would like to invite any interested GRS parents or staff to this presentation on Executive Functioning.  Our guest speaker is Theresa Wallace, EBD, LD, DCD, POHI, ASD Teacher, Intermediate District 916.  This event is free to anyone interested and CEU credits are available!

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Walk! Bike! Fun! Ambassadors Training

Are you interested in helping support biking and walking initiatives in our community? Please join us for a Walk! Bike! Fun! Ambassadors training Thursday, April 11 from 4:30-8:00 p.m.

Walk! Bike! Fun! is a free training program and educational resource for community members, parents, and volunteers. This training will give participants a general overview of walking and biking activities, and more insight into some of the specific activities GRS is hoping to add this spring, such as a walking school bus and a bike rodeo/skills workshop. A light supper will be provided.

Register using this link

Blue Heron Bash

Ever wanted to give bartending a try? How about styling food in beautiful arrangements? Will you need a short break from adult conversation during the Bash? Then an hour hanging out with kids might be your thing? Perhaps you are longing for the holidays and would like to spend some time with light strings on Friday? There are lots of ways to volunteer. Check out the signup here. If you don’t see something that suits you, send us an email at blueheronbash@greatriverschool.org and we’ll brainstorm more options! We couldn’t pull it off without your help.