In line with SPPS, Great River will be closed tomorrow, February 8th, due to dangerous windchills and poor road conditions. We expect tomorrow's Jterm performance to continue, as the roads will be clear and the wind speed slower by the evening. Stay tuned over the next 48 hours to changes to the school calendar in order to make sure we meet state requirements for instructional days this year!
NORMAL hours today - JTERM is on!
Great River will hold normal school hours today February 7th, 2019. All performances and theater events will be held normally. Jterm play is on!
Athletic practices for today have been cancelled.
If you have changes to the pickup or travel for your student, please email attendance@greatrverschool.org
GRS will generally follow SPPS regarding any decisions on weather cancellations for future school days, and generally make our own decisions for early releases. Watch for future communications in your email, on text and our school Facebook page.
Lost & Found to be Donated
This is just a reminder that all unclaimed Lost and Found Items will be donated on Saturday, February 9th at 2 pm. We extended the deadline due to the cold weather days last week.
Can't find what you are looking for? Check BOTH Lost and Found Locations:
Adolescent Lost and Found
Located inside the foyer outside of the Heron's Nest Cafe.
Elementary Lost and Found:
Located along the west hallway inside the elementary main entrance and just north of the Big Canoe room.
Jenga Games needed for PE!
Do you have a Jenga board game set you can donate to the school? Physical expressions classes (in our gym, grades 1 through 8) need them! We use Jenga Sets to help facilitate balance work.
If you have an extra set floating around please send it to the front desk!
Any questions? Email Eric Canlas ecanlas@greatriverschool.org
Want to Make a Real Difference? We Need Your Help!
The Great River School Board is seeking faculty, guardians, and community members to help guide and steward the policy and vision of our school. Skills and experience that the board is looking for: raising families, working with limited resources to solve problems, building cooperation among people with different opinions, speaking multiple languages, and making decisions based on the values of peace education and justice. These experiences can be formal or informal.
We are actively recruiting members - especially those with life experience as a person of color and/or LGBTQ+ folks living in Minnesota. We recognize the importance of seeking to reflect the experiences and backgrounds of our neighborhoods and the students we serve.
For more information and to apply, read the complete communication here.
Volunteer Opportunity - Support the GRS Staff of Color Affinity Group!
Help support GRS’s staff of color affinity group by providing delicious food for their monthly meetings! Donations of main dishes, side dishes, beverages, and dessert are needed once a month, to serve 12 people. Cooking not your thing? Cash donations and gift cards are also welcome! Food can be dropped off at school the morning of the meeting, but other arrangements can also be made. Click here for the SignUp Genius or contact Karen Solas at ksolas@gmail.com.
Take the Bike/Walk to School Survey
The Parent Engagement Group (PEG) would like to know your thoughts about biking and walking to school! Even if your kids already bike or walk to/from school or if you would never consider it - we want to hear from everybody! Fill out this short survey and be entered to win a $25 gift card for Now Bikes & Fitness: https://tinyurl.com/GRSbikewalk
Great River School Math Club – Kick-Off Meeting
To Lower and Upper Adolescents (7-12) – You are invited!
WHAT: Great River School Math Club – Kick-Off Meeting
WHERE: Great River School Upper Adolescent Commons
DATE: Tuesday February 5th, 2019
TIME: 3:30PM to 5:30PM
Sign up by emailing: cjmanikam@gmail.com
Agenda for February 5th, 2019 Kick-Off Meeting
3:30PM-4:00PM
Sign-up to join the GRS Math Club
Talk about Rules and Expectations for the rest of the year
Election of officers (Secretary, Treasurer, School and Public Relations)
4:00PM-5:30PM
SAT/ACT Guest Speaker and Tutor, Emilio Alvarez
“Tips and Tricks on how to take and the SAT/ACT”
(This will be an actual study session/practice)
Refreshments and snacks will be available
GRS Math Club Purpose
•To encourage and support “hard work, great work, and the willingness to meet difficult
challenges”
•To make Math a normal and fun activity for everyone, and to provide a safe and accessible
resource to those who need math support with homework or projects or network connection.
•To “foster and nurture the relationships that build community”
•To Participate in Math Competitions
GRS Math Club Activities
• Practice Math portions of the ACT/SAT (February to June 2019)
• Invite guest speakers to talk/show some cool math concepts
• Discuss how math can be applied to different career paths
• https://www.maa.org/math-competitions/amc-resources
• Practice some math concepts through problems
• Play problem solving games and puzzles
• Help each other with homework and projects
• Eventually compete in AMC / Math competitions locally.
• Gather for dinner/treats/trips/fun as a club and invite others from the school community to
get to know the club.
I look forward to seeing many of you there!
Kaliana Andriamananjara
GRS Math Club Founder and Club Leader
JTerm Ticket Sales Information
Hello all,
The link to buy tickets is below. Please remember that seating is limited and we want all families to be able to attend.
Extra info about the website:
There are two links for each performance; one for students and one for adults. This is so that we can have different costs for tickets.
Adult tickets cost $15
Student tickets cost $10
There will be a limited number of tickets being sold at the door; however they will sell fast so please don’t count on buying them at the front of house.
If buying tickets is a financial hardship for you, please let Holly Bell know at hbell@greatriverschool.org so that we can make sure you can attend. We would appreciate hearing from you by Monday, January 28, so that we can ensure you seats.
Dates and Times:
Thursday, January 31st, 6:30pm - Deleted Scenes from Fairy Tales and Shuddersome: Tales of Poe
Friday, February 1st, 6:30pm - Shuddersome: Tales of Poe and The One-Word Odyssey
Saturday, February 2nd, 2:00pm - Deleted Scenes from Fairy Tales and The One-Word Odyssey
Thank you!
- Front of House Crew
Lost & Found Donated 2/2
Lost & found items at all levels will be donated Saturday, February 2nd. Take a minute to check out the table near the cafe and collect any lost items!
Call for Pencil & Tissue Donations!
If you see pencils on sale, or have high quality pencils at home....
and you’d like to contribute something to Great River School, consider pencils (aka Ticonderoga) or facial tissue (aka Kleenex). No brand names endorsed here though!
As a Montessori environment, we practice care for our materials, and students take great measures engaging independently in their work. Sometimes, this means that we are learning to do this. This year, it’s a need for pencils and tissue for noses!
Donations can be dropped off at the front office! Thank you all!
Cook or donate meals for poc teacher group!
Cook or Donate for the GRS Staff of Color affinity group!
Please help the Parent Engagement Group support GRS’s staff of color affinity group by providing delicious food for their monthly meetings! We are looking for donations of main dishes, side dishes, beverages, and dessert on the first Tuesday of every month. Cooking not your thing? Cash donations and gift cards are also welcome! SignUp Genius coming soon, or contact Karen Solas at ksolas@gmail.com.
Be a Volunteer Judge for History Day Competition
Be a Volunteer Judge for History Day Competition
Sarah Garton, our intrepid UA Social Studies guide, is seeking volunteers to judge our tenth grade History Day competition on Tuesday, Feb 12th from 8-11am. This year's theme is Triumph and Tragedy. Students are working on their exhibits, websites, research papers, documentaries and performances on a wide range of topics, and we'd love your help giving them critical feedback. Judges would need to arrive around 8am for orientation and will judge at least five different entries with 1-2 other judges between 8:45-10:30. Debriefing and conferring for who to recommend to regional competition should take until 11am. If you know anyone else in the community who might be interested, please pass this along + thanks for your support! Questions? Email Sarah Garton: sgarton@greatriverschool.org
Spring Driver's Education
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 at Great River School. All registration can be done through: www.APlusDrivingSchool.net
CLASS DATES:
March 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 & 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 (Monday-Friday) 3:30-6:30pm
LOCATION:
Great River School, Room 274
COST: Total Package: $375
Payment Option: class = $240 BTW = $165
REGISTRATION: www.APlusDrivingSchool.net
GRS Closed for MLK Day
A reminder that Great River School will be closed in observance of Martin Luther King Jr Day on Monday, January 21st. We’ll welcome you back on Tuesday!
GRS Closed for MLK Day
A reminder that Great River School will be closed in observance of Martin Luther King Jr Day on Monday, January 21st. We’ll welcome you back on Tuesday!
J-Term Performances Ticket Announcement
Hi Great River School Families,
J-Term performances are coming up, and we are hoping to open up ticket sales very soon. We are sending this message to help you plan ahead to attend our awesome shows.
If buying tickets is a financial hardship for you, please let Holly Bell know at hbell@greatriverschool.org so that we can make sure you can attend. We would appreciate hearing from you by noon on Thursday, January 18th.
Performances are:
Deleted Scenes and Shuddersome, Thursday, January 31 (evening)
Shuddersome and Odyssey, Friday, February 1 (evening)
Deleted Scenes and Odyssey, Saturday, February 2 (matinee)
and they will be held in Great River's new Performance Space!
Each of the three shows will be performed on two different nights, and it will be possible to buy tickets either for a full night or for only one of the two shows on a given night.
Ticket prices will be as follows:
Adult, Full Night: $15
Student, Full Night: $10
Adult, Individual Show: $8
Student, Individual Show: $6
Children in laps do not need to buy tickets. Student prices include those 18 and under who do not attend Great River.
Phoebe Kirchner
Front of House Manager
Sheridan Story Resources Available!
This year GRS is continuing a partnership with The Sheridan Story. The Sheridan Story is a local non-profit with a goal of addressing and ending childhood hunger. We are able to provide a bag of non-perishable food items once a week to a student (Friday distribution) and their families.
There are no eligibility requirements for a family to receive food.
If you are interested in this weekly food donation or have questions about it, we invite families to contact our social workers:
-Saleha Erdmann for elementary students at serdmann@greatriverschool.org
-Seth Tupper for adolescent and 6th Bridge students at stupper@greatriverschool.org.
Advertising Space in J-Term Program!
Evan D. and Beyen are selling advertising space for the 7/8th J-Term programs. It is $25 for half page of advertising space and $50 for a full page ad. Please send a JPEG image of your advertisement and pay by cash or check at the front office by January 18th.
If you want to advertise or know about a business or a person that might, or need more info, contact jtermmarketing@greatriverschool.org.
PEG Meeting this Monday 6:30PM!
Please join us for the upcoming Parent Engagement Group meeting this Monday, January 14th 6:30-8:00PM. Come to meet some new faces, get to know your PEG classroom ambassador, and learn about upcoming
volunteer opportunities.
We are excited to welcome Coffee Shop Coordinator Donna Goodlaxon for a tour of the new kitchen and waste management system. You will also hear from staff and parents about the student Green Team and other green initiatives on campus. Childcare is available in the Clear Lake classroom for ages 5 and up, or bring your children right into the meeting. Looking forward to seeing new and returning faces!