Announcement on Head of School Transition

Have questions or want to get involved? Email search@greatriverschool.org.

Dear Great River families, 

Great River School is a beautiful and dynamic place. Children, adolescents, and adults are in deep relationship here. I love this place. And it is with a deep reverence for this community that I make this announcement. June 2020 will be my last month as Head of School at Great River.  I am committed to supporting a smooth transition and welcoming the next school leader, and I have full confidence in our community to work and welcome a new person to fill the Head of School role. 

I am grateful for the immense opportunity set in my hands when I began teaching here in 2007, and for the grand responsibility granted me as Head of School in 2014. This school has been indelibly twined into the fabric of my life since I first stepped foot into the building. Great River welcomed, taught, honed, and polished me. I will continue to love this place even in my absence. If you are reading this letter, you are a part of this community, and I am indebted to you. All my gratitude to the students, families, community, and faculty who have welcomed me. I will be moving to northern Minnesota with my family and establishing outdoor education and ecology programs.  

Work that I have carried out here these past six years as school leader set a foundation upon which this community can rely upon. Our students have won national awards for their accomplishments, our facility and finances are rooted deeply and positively forecast for many years to come, and our employees share a clear and living expectation that defines our Montessori education. The next plane of development for the school will be an exciting one as the mature school creates opportunities and addresses the developmental needs of students in ways we only dreamed of these past six and twelve years. 

So, what’s next for the process? Our school board is establishing a search working group and process that calls on the voices and contributions of our community. Please contribute your voice! Our next school leader will be someone who can listen to the voices of our entire community and build reliable bridges in conversation about education, class, race, and culture. To best inform our process we need the voices of families who love the school - this especially includes families who see where we could be more inclusive, welcoming and diverse in our perspectives, action, and work.

If you have any questions for me regarding this announcement, our work here, or anything related to the school, please contact me directly.

In Partnership,

Sam O’Brien 
Head of School 
sobrien@greatriverschool.org  
o: 612-567-0955

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Dear Great River Families, 

On behalf of the Great River School Board, I’d like to express our deep gratitude to Sam for his leadership over the past six years. It has been a period of great change for our community: we have doubled our student body and more than doubled our faculty; we have purchased land and buildings and settled into a permanent home with space for the programs that make our school unique.  

Six years ago I was on the search working group that recommended Sam for the position of Head of School. It felt like we were taking a chance on the unknown, someone with talent and potential who we thought would be able to figure out how to lead this unconventional school. Sam has been the leader Great River needed to see us successfully through many changes and on to a more stable foundation. With his decision now, he has given us the gift of time to make a thoughtful transition to a new leader. 

The Great River School Board will guide the process of finding a new Head of School this winter and spring. Our first step is communication and dialogue within our community. We will create a representative search group that will post the position and begin the search for strong candidates. As the next steps unfold we will keep the community informed of progress. Please know that you will have many opportunities for participation in the search process and for giving feedback into decisions. As a community, our work now is to find our next strong leader together.

Karen Anway
kanway@greatriverschool.org
Great River School Board Chair

Community Meetings in the Montessori Classroom

written by Nadine Wetzel-Curtis, St. Croix guide

One of my first impressions of Montessori children at work was fifteen years ago when I got to observe an adolescent community meeting.  Students described a problem that affected the community, several students took ownership of their actions and proposed solutions to move forward.   All this occurred elegantly with very little adult facilitation, and no shaming or blaming. 

I was inspired to learn more.  Conveniently, Larry Schaefer, who helped found GRS, was available to answer my questions. Larry explained students begin practicing how to be in community when they are very young and focus on leading themselves.  Then they can progress to leading others. Larry described some of the key elements of a community meeting: recognizing small and large acts of leadership, compliments and thank yous, using a talking piece, delegating and alternating tasks of time keeper, facilitator, and scribe.  He assured me it is an organic process that requires regular practice and what I witnessed was the result of years of practice. He ended by firmly stating, “It’s one of the most important things we do.” Now, after fifteen years of learning with Montessori children (and adults!), I concur.  

The structure and routines of community meetings vary slightly classroom to classroom.  Here are the community meeting norms practiced in St. Croix River:  

• Everyone must be able to see and hear everyone else in the community.

• We pass a talking piece and give our attention to the person with the talking piece.

• Items added to the agenda must be those that influence the whole community (topics that affect just a few are addressed in a small group)

• Once a problem is correctly identified, we stay focused on suggesting solutions.

• All solutions are considered. 

• We only speak about our experience and don’t mention another’s name unless we have their permission. 

• We set time limits for topics.  Not everything can be resolved at one meeting, sometimes we need to revisit topics at a later meeting.  

As students are learning the norms, there are inevitable slip-ups:  mentioning someone else by name or repeating a problem after it has been thoroughly described.  More often than not, the student who is facilitating the meeting provides a gentle reminder and the meeting continues. 

As I witness the youngest students describe problems and suggest solutions or present an idea for a community celebration, I know this is an authentic opportunity to practice public speaking and develop leadership and agency. As Dr. Montessori stated, “the education of even a small child, therefore, does not aim at preparing them for school, but for life.”  

PSAT Reflection

Congratulations to the 57 Juniors who took the PSAT on October 30th. The results should be mailed to your home address in the next few weeks. Important things to know: this is a standardized test that does NOT determine intelligence or college success. However, you can register at https://www.raise.me/ and earn scholarships for taking the test no matter what your score is. If you have any questions about the PSAT or college, please feel free to contact Teresa Hichens-Olson our Director of College Admissions, thichensolson@greatriverschool.org

Nutrition Happenings - Quarter Two Menu

Our Q2 menu is in full swing and students are loving the new menu items - tostadas and coconut curry were among the favorites in an informal poll in the lunch line today. Other students are thrilled that the original Chicken Thursday is back! To see how Chef Leah and their crew make enough mashed potatoes to satisfy the whole school, check out the video below:

Into the Woods at Great River School

Come see Into the Woods, a fall musical put on by Great River Students on two weekends - December 5th-7th and 12th-14th. Get your tickets now!

The story follows a Baker and his wife, who wish to have a child; Cinderella, who wishes to attend the King's Festival; and Jack, who wishes his cow would give milk. When the Baker and his wife learn that they cannot have a child because of a Witch's curse, the two set off on a journey to break the curse. Everyone's wish is granted, but the consequences of their actions return to haunt them later with disastrous results.

Audiences should be aware that artificial fog will be used and there will be loud noises during the performance.

Fabulous Fermentation CAS Recap

by Susannah Sisk

In Charlie’s Fermentation CAS we learned many things, like that many of the foods we eat are fermented, like sauerkraut, kombucha, kimchi, and cheese. Over the three weeks of this CAS we made many delicious foods: Sauerkraut, Hot Sauce, French Fries, and Kombucha. The basic idea of fermentation is that you take almost any food and add salt and water and make sure it’s in an oxygen-free area, and over time it creates a “Tasty Funk.” All the food we made was delicious and very fun!

Swan River Shares Gratitude for Great River

Swan River guide Eric asked students to reflect on gratitude at school - see their answers below:

Madelyn "I am most thankful for the nice community throughout the school."

Gretchen "I like the freedom!"

Pashalia "I am thankful for the teachers."

Zoey "I am thankful for all of the nice people."

Greta "I am most grateful for the cooking we get to do!"

Josie "I am grateful for the many advantages of learning math with Montessori materials."

Gabe "I am grateful for the classroom pets we are able to have."

Dylan "I am grateful for the nice community."

Liam "I am grateful for the good teaching."

Olive "I am grateful for the freedom we have to choose our work."

Emma "I am most thankful for the learning privileges we have!"

Onya "I am thankful for the structure of the school."

Grace "I am thankful for our freedom."

Rowann "I am thankful for the food, trips we get to go on, and for the friends."

Jack "I am thankful that Great River School is a Montessori school."

Teo "I am thankful for the food."

Rayna "I'm most thankful that this school has gender-neutral bathroom."

Ever "I am most thankful for the trips."

Rowan "I appreciate that I am able to do work that I enjoy over and over again."

Sevi "I am thankful for the friends that I have made here and for the freedom to move around the classroom."

Alex "I learn better at Great River School because I get more support."

Leon "I am grateful mostly for my friends. Also, G.R.S. teachers have taught me things I didn't know about."

GSA Goes to Drag Brunch

Written by Ella Tomlinson, GSA student co-leader

On Sunday, October 27th, members of the Great River GSA (Gender and Sexuality Alliance) attended an All-Ages Drag Brunch at LUSH. This was coordinated by the GSA student leaders with support from the faculty advisor. This trip was the third time GSA has attended Drag Brunch, and yet we were still wowed by the spectacular Halloween-themed performance including Victoria DeVille, Kamaree Williams, Kena Derose, and more. We are so grateful to have this opportunity to introduce the beautiful world of drag to our Great River community. A major thank you to show director Victoria Deville and the staff of LUSH for their incredible support of our GSA. Can’t wait for next time!

Harvest Fest 2019 Recap

written by Cate Rysavy, PEG Leadership Team Coordinator

The Great River Community came together for Harvest Festival 2019 with beloved traditions and new and exciting opportunities to connect, learn, and have fun. Most of the activities were held inside due to cold, wet, and windy weather - even the bike rodeo! Only the hearty bouncy house participants, apple cider pressers, and soup cauldron tenders remained outside. Sergeant Fuzz from the St Paul Police was duly impressed by our community's dedication and resourcefulness.

The stone soup seemed to particularly capture the spirit of the day. The soup base was started by adolescent students in our new commercial kitchen. 10th year student Isaiah Curtis prepared hominy from scratch (including burning wood to make ash!) to add to the soup after learning about indigenous foods on his key experience to the Red Lake Nation and wanted to share it with the community. Throughout the day as people came, a variety of ingredients were added to make a beautiful and nourishing blend. And when the fire for the stone soup cauldron was billowing too much smoke inside through the nearby doors, volunteers moved the fire. Safely and skillfully moved a fire. Impressive skills in this community!

Thank you to all the volunteers, students, staff, and families who made this great event happen.

Nobel Conference 2019

GRS students had the opportunity to attend the Nobel Conference, a longtime conference linking high school students and teachers with the world’s foremost scholars and researchers in discussion centered on contemporary issues relating to the natural and social sciences. This year’s theme “Climate Changed: Facing Our Future”, asked “What tools are available, what research efforts do we require, and what kind of people do we need to be to conceptualize and address global climate challenges? What will our future climate be like and will it be hospitable to people and other life forms? What will a fossil-free economy look like and how do we transition to it? What kinds of social and political institutions must we create to curb anthropogenic greenhouse gases? What role can and should new technologies play in managing a new global climate? How do we respond to climate change while also alleviating poverty? Whose voices get heard and whose are marginalized?”

“The changes being wrought on the earth’s climate system are vast, without precedent, and of such magnitude and scale as to potentially alter life itself. Nobel Conference 55 asks “What tools are available, what research efforts do we require, and what kind of people do we need to be to conceptualize and address global climate challenges?” Nobel Conference 55 will bring together seven leading thinkers to address climate change from perspectives including paleoclimate studies, climate justice, climate modeling, and climate adaptation. We invite you to join us to grapple with the causes and consequences of climate change and with our responses to the challenges it presents us, as individuals and as a society.”

Wet But Happy

By Simone Wisgerhof

From September thirtieth to October third the sixth bridge class went on their first big class trip, to Buttermilk Farm. At the farm there was a lot to do and lots to see, but because we were late the first thing we had to do was set up tents. For some people it took about two minutes, for others it took . . . longer. It was weird sleeping with two or three people you had only known for a month, but we made it work, well mostly. At night, we would talk for hours and play games and fail to quiet down when the teachers asked. In the mornings people would do different things like make breakfast or milk cows, depending on which group they were in. It rained almost every day, but we didn’t let that spoil the trip. Sometime during the day we would do some sort of activity, like walk to the waterfall and listen to our classmates argue about whether someone would survive if they fell down it. Or we might pick pumpkins, or help Carter with digging a path and building a wall.

People also really enjoyed the animals, eight people went to the Almo training, where we became Almo the dog’s Official Caretakers. We went to build a bridge for the creek—people were giving out orders and cutting down branches and it was hard work, but I hear it came together nicely. (I wouldn’t know, I fell in the creek!) When we weren’t picking pumpkins or taking care of Almo or doing some other important thing, we played games in the field or sat by the fire grabbing sticks and lighting the tips on fire, then blowing on them to make them glow. One particular student who will go unnamed went in a bush to retrieve a ball and came back covered in tiny poky burs from head to toe. Then there was the talent show. All the acts were amazing. One that I think was especially good was the person who sang “Meteor Shower” by Cavetown—and of course who could forget the purple house joke.

This whole trip really brought our class together. I know I can’t make you fully experience what a big deal this trip was for us, but I hope you enjoyed reading about a few of the most memorable parts.

Upper Elementary Key Experiences 2019

The Upper Elementary classes have just finished up their key experiences.  Shingobee, Crow Wing, and Little Elk went to Wolf Ridge while Otter Tail, Blue Earth and Swan went to Widjiwagan.  Both of these are outdoor education centers that run summer camps, field trips and host rental groups. Great River is now too large to send all of our students to Widjiwagan, so half of them go to Wolf Ridge.

A week seems like a long time but days are filled to the brim with hiking and exploring the many beautiful acres near the North Shore and the Boundary Waters.  On these hikes, students learn about the forests of Minnesota, the animals that live there and how to care for, respect and appreciate the natural wonders of our state.  The two centers run their programs a bit differently and they both offer unique classes/experiences so students can share a variety of stories with one another upon return.  

Our goals for these trips include immersing the kids in the wilderness, living in a community, creating lasting memories with classmates, being responsible for your own well-being, challenging them mentally and physically, being unplugged, and gaining a new appreciation for our natural world.  Both of these trips definitely hit all of our goals and student feedback was overwhelming positive! Even the food received rave reviews at both sites. So, thank you for entrusting us and staff at these centers with your student(s) and we look forward to building off of these trips for the rest of the school year!

A month in the life of lower elementary students:

written by Zumbro guide, Emily Bowar

Wow, have we been busy! Along with the lessons and work of the classroom, students have participated in work share, "going outs", and presenting reports.

It was so wonderful to see so many parents at work share! Students enjoyed showing off their work which included puzzle maps, timelines, the checkerboard, parts of a flower and many, many more.

Have you ever gotten on the wrong bus and gone the wrong way? That’s what happened last week on the way back from Target. Students have a lot of work to do to plan a "going out" (Thank you to everyone who signed up to chaperone!!) Even with all that preparation we are able to learn more. What a great (safe) experience! Students have been able to go to the library, some have gone to the zoo and others to Target. Come check out the "Going Out" mural in the elementary hallway, painted by Jenny Kordosky’s mural camp over the summer.

In lieu of dressing up for Halloween, Zumbro students had "Hero Day" Some of the older students chose a person that they look up to and presented a report in costume. They spent time researching, writing and rewriting reports, painting and binding it all together. They told stories of Sacagawea, Picasso, parents, Abraham Lincoln and others. They shared why these people are good role models and why they chose them to be their heroes. Can you guess the hero below?

Nutrition Update: October 2019

written by Jenny Breen, School Nutrition Educator

Lunch this year started with a bang! In addition to a slew of new menu items, this year the elementary students are going through the lunch line and bringing their food back to the classrooms. This involves daily decision making at the salad bar-an experience that has been both exciting and overwhelming!

The lunch team including Chef Leah, Mel and Julie and Rita are putting out a stellar mixture of whole foods including choices like macaroni and cheese, barbeque sauce smothered chicken and cheesy grits with local kale, a wide variety of scratch-made soups (like Thai coconut sweet potato) and are making all of the incredible salad dressing choices in house!

The lunch line continues to grow, which is a sign of a successful lunch program! It also leads to challenges like those faced by many other schools, so we're exploring solutions to keep things moving while minimizing the wait. We are considering adding another hot and cold line (a significant cost to the school) or pre-plating certain items to help with the flow. Additionally, we're thinking about permanent volunteer jobs that, if filled by parents, could make a huge difference in the efficient flow of lunch (email lunch@greatriverschool.org if you’re interested!)

An important thing parents can do to help is to make sure you pre-order your child's lunch. The less guessing the lunch staff has to do, the more efficient we can be. Also, parents don't forget to pick up your own to-go lunch at our cafe station. We have pre-made lunches all packed and ready to take with you when you drop your child off.

Last, but not least, please consider our Community Lunch Program-it is a way for folks in the community who are able, to support those who have fewer resources so that everyone can have access to our delicious lunches, and also to help grow the capacity of the kitchen to produce delicious food. Learn more here.

Jenny, our nutrition educator, continues to explore ways to bring more education into the kitchen. We are purchasing induction burners so we can have multiple cooking stations in the kitchen, and will begin piloting classes with Big Canoe students. Jenny is working with Big Canoe staff to develop a cooking class series that, if successful, can be replicated for other students and families. Additionally, lower adolescent guide Cate Williams is putting together a folk school curriculum, which will include cooking and other food classes.

Finally, we are beginning to narrow down some areas of focus for the school wellness team. We are hoping to have our first meetings on Weds October 23 at 11 AM, and Thursday November 7 at 4 PM. We're focusing on setting some goals for wellness based education (including, but not limited to nutrition and healthy eating) that will hopefully take place later in the fall and spring.

There is so much going on, it is hard to remember, but also important to acknowledge. Next time you're in school, stop by the kitchen and say hello-let the team know how much you appreciate what they're doing, and remind your kids to do the same.

We look forward to seeing you in the kitchen or cafe soon!

Fall Coffeehouse 2019

Greetings GRS students, families, and friends!

We are excited to announce the first Coffee House of the school year on Friday Nov 8, 2019 at 6:30 in the Performance Space! Coffee House is an opportunity for GRS community to come together to celebrate our talented students. In the past we have had lots of music, stand up comedy, dancing, poetry, and juggling. If you know your student has a special talent, please encourage them to sign up! And if you love to bake and are interested in making a donation to our concessions, please contact me by email (zscott@greatriverschool.org). We are always looking for homemade treats, and gluten/dairy free options are appreciated. Admission to Coffee House is free, but we will be accepting donations toward a new monitor system which will allow our singers to hear themselves on stage. Hope to see you all there!

Zack Scott
Music Guide

Lower Adolescent Key Experiences 2019

6B Farm Trip

The farm trip just returned home last week and will have a full report in next month’s newsletter! As Dexter said in his 6B update email this week, “If you don't have a good time, at least you had a time." These are the words of a parent that were shared by one of our students during our community meeting at the farm. It's as if those words buoyed our students through the trying circumstances! They all survived the cold, wet and rough elements of the farm! We are happy that we were able to answer Maria Montessori's call for us to tap into the courage that "lies dormant in the soul of each child."

7/8 Odyssey North

written by Kayla Kronfeld, LA Social Studies guide and co-trip lead

With the school year well on its way, it is so wonderful to see the connections that students are making to their time on the Odyssey! Though an annual experience for the guides (some of us have been on 12!), the students get just a few times to experience the magic of the Odyssey.

When Great River does the Odyssey, we go all in (minus the boats, though we do attempt at least one boat tour for our two-year loop!). We do the Odyssey to create a sense of community--the students learn to support their fellows and thus they feel supported individually, too. It is a time where an adolescent ends the journey of “I cannot, I am not” to “I can and I am”. They learn how to set-up tents and feed fires, they learn how to persevere during rain storms and heat, they learn how to handle being with strangers who become fast friends, and they learn that if they work together, the world truly can be a wonderful place.

The curriculum for this year’s Odyssey set the tone for the school year: Economic Inequality (visiting various cities and experiences), Environmental Concerns (Listening Point and the Duluth Aquarium), and Human Rights (Clayton Jackson McGee Memorial (a memorial to three black men who were falsley accused of rape and thus tortured and murdered in the streets of Duluth) and the Hibbing Mine (where the first legal grounds were set against workplace sexual harrassment). 

These are big things for any human to understand, but it is important for folks to know what happens in the world around them. To keep them from these happenings would be to turn a blind eye to the injustices that happen in our cities and schools. Introducing students to materials and supports does, indeed, allow them to make the world a better place. And with a bit of food and maybe one shower, we do just that on the GRS Odyssey!

9th Grade Farm Trip

Written by Danny Ross, 9th grade SpEd guide and co-trip lead

Following the vision of Montessori's "Erdkinder" (earth-child), 9th-grade students stayed at Great River's partner farm, Buttermilk Falls Farm, in Osceola, WI during the second week of school. Students stretched their physical and intellectual capacities learning various trades, conducting academic seminars on biodynamic agriculture and the psychological principle of "flow," and being general stewards to the land and farm facilities. From building birdhouses and picnic tables, making homemade soap, preserving late summer crops, and rebuilding fences, students gained a variety of practical experiences on this trip and will continue to grow their sense of economic independence as they prepare to sell their goods at the upcoming Harvest Festival.

UE Update: Big Work

Hello and welcome to the 2019-2020 school year.  It is so exciting to walk through the halls of the elementary wing and see so much ‘big’ work happening.  The halls are filled with projects that are too large to do in the classroom, students playing music and the smell of delicious baking projects.  At this stage of development, the classroom is not contained inside four walls, their work is big and can often overflow into the hallways and outside of the building.  We want students going out into the community, whether it be a trip to the library or the grocery store, or to interview a pastry chef or go to the train museum to learn more about the history of trains in Minnesota.  We call these trips a Going Out. We are still looking for volunteers to chaperone these trips, if you are interested please come to orientation on Wednesday October 9th at 5:00 in Zumbro River classroom.

We are so excited to be offering evening events for parents this year.  Our first event was Montessori 101 on September 26th. If you were not able to attend, but would like some basic information, here is an article.   We will continue to offer more parent education events throughout the year, including Healthy Relationships, Practical Life and the work of the home, and Montessori math.

We look forward to parent observation starting for Lower Elementary on October 15th, and Upper Elementary November 7th. Click here to read the full communication on our announcement blog. If you need an alternate time, please reach out directly to me or Derek and we will try to accommodate your schedule.

Upper Adolescent Key Experiences 2019

Tenth Grade Red Lake Trip

written by Sarah Garton, UA Social Studies guide and trip lead

Boozhoo! This year the tenth graders were invited to visit Red Lake Tribal Nation as part of their unit on "Indigenous Histories and Futures." Students were asked to consider tribal history, food sovereignty and their role as guests on the reservation. We camped on the powwow grounds, visited the Red Lake Nation Tribal College, and observed Wasabiik Ojibwemotaadiwin, an Ojibwe language immersion preschool. We also spent one day harvesting at the Four Directions Development Garden and toured the Red Lake Nation Foods warehouse as well as the Fishery. We heard from noted scholars Anton Treuer, Brenda Childs and Winona LaDuke, as well as local Constitutional Reform Initiative Project and their Economic Development office, learning about their recent groundbreaking for new housing in South Minneapolis. Students also had the option to stay an extra day and experience hands-on food demonstrations as part of the Red Lake Nation Food Summit.

We all came home with full bellies and new knowledge and are very grateful to our hosts at Four Directions for coordinating such an amazing trip! Please check out all the work linked above and talk to Sarah Garton, UA Guide, if you have any questions or ideas about how GRS can continue the work of centering Native voices + sovereignty in our curriculum.

Eleventh Grade Northstar Quest

written by Laura Machacek, Ceramics guide and trip lead

On the 11th-grade Key Experience, North Star Quest, we spent four days exploring and learning about different colleges. Each night we also camped out and cooked dinner together (sometimes in the rain). This second week of school key experience truly helped develop strong relationships within the students as well as with the guides. 

On Monday, our first stop was at the mid-sized public University of Minnesota Duluth where we attended a presentation by the admissions office then went on a self-guided tour of the campus. Along the tour we even sat in on a presentation at the Planetarium. That night, we camped out near the Boundary Waters and fell asleep to the sound of rain on our tent flys. 

Tuesday morning we woke early, packed up our wet tents, and boarded the buses to spend half a day at the Ely Folk School. Students had the opportunity to try out a few folk crafts such as wild rice processing, fire making, Huichol style beading, traditional pastie making, birch bark canoe building, and blacksmithing. A small group of students even helped install a window at a sustainably built home a few miles away from the folk school. After the folk school experience, we headed to Ashland, Wisconsin to spend the night camping (not in the rain) at Prentice Park. 

Wednesday morning, we packed up our tents again and boarded the buses to go on a beautiful morning hike to Houghton Falls with an outdoor education professor and current outdoor education students from Northland College. As a group, we paused at the end of the trail along the blustery, exhilarating shores of Lake Superior to reflect on the sounds and sights of the natural world. After the hike, we drove through the woods to Northland College for an admissions presentation, guided tour of the environmentally-friendly campus, and on-campus lunch. Afterward, we spent the night back in Minnesota at Nerstrand Big Woods State Park.

On the final day of the key experience, the 11th graders chose between touring Carleton College and St. Olaf College, both based in Northfield, Minnesota. Both groups experienced an extensive campus tour, admissions presentation, and on-campus lunch before returning back to Great River School. Overall, the students enjoyed the trip as a way to visit a variety of different colleges to not only jump-start the process of planning for post-secondary opportunities, but also for a way to build stronger relationships with other students (while trying to stay warm and dry in the rain).

-Laura Machacek, NSQ Trip Lead 2019

Senior Canoe Trip

Written by Caroline Miesle, Music & Theater guide and co-trip lead

During the second week of school, our senior class ventured into the north woods of Wisconsin to test their canoeing endurance on the Namekagon River. Over the course of 72 hours, students paddled 46.5 miles, cooked, and camped in the rain and shine. One of the highlights of this river trip is the “Senior Olympics,” which takes place in the middle of the week. Canoe groups compete against the staff in a series of events, ranging from artistic to minute-to-win-it to feats of strength. Taking them indoors this year (thanks to the rain) didn’t lessen the fun, and the competition was stiff! With days of paddling and nights of reflection around the campfire, the senior class is ready to tackle their final year at GRS.

Lower Elementary Update

Hello and Happy Fall, Lower Elementary Families!

Now that we’re past the initial start to the year, we wanted to take a moment to share some highlights from lower elementary...

Lunch!

Wow! What a delicious lunch we have the opportunity to enjoy from our lovely and competent nutrition team! From Mac n’ Cheese to Chana Masala, we are seeing a lot of enthusiasm for the delicious dishes coming for the kitchen. Thank you for helping your child have a healthy lunch each day, and if they bring it from home, think of giving them the opportunity and responsibility to prepare their own healthy lunch. Preparing food is a skill that we encourage the students to practice here at GRS.

Recess!

For the first 15 minutes of recess, Brent Cummins, our Outdoor Education Guide, has been organizing fun activities for the students to enjoy together in small groups. These are cooperative games where the students have to learn each other’s names and work together to meet a common goal. The purpose of this big work is to help the students learn about their peers and to learn fun, collaborative games! Ask your child if they have a favorite game that they’ve learned so far.

Classroom Beliefs!

At this point, each of the elementary classrooms has had the chance to meet as a community and build their classroom beliefs. Each classroom had a discussion about what their ideal classroom would look like, sound like, feel like, and this discussion helped the students create beliefs about how their classroom should be run. You will notice common themes of peace, kindness to one another, working on big work together, and taking care of our environments in each classrooms’ beliefs. See if your child has a belief they feel strongly about or if there is a belief they might find challenging to follow. Throughout the year, we will use our beliefs as a way to reflect on what is important to our communities, and we will work together to make appropriate changes if the community asks for it.

Workshops – Art, Outdoor Education, and Physical Expression

As an elementary community, the students will have the opportunity to take classes in art, outdoor education, and physical expression once a week (on either Monday or Tuesday). In art with Amanda, your child might have the chance to create a zine! In Physical Expression with Eric, your child might navigate through an obstacle course or complete a quest…as an elf! In outdoor education with Brent, your child will get to go to the park and learn about different plants, animals, and learn tricks for surviving outdoors! We spend three weeks doing a specific workshop and then we rotate to the next workshop. We just completed our first round of workshops and have just started our second rotation and we are so grateful for our expert guides running these workshops.

“The Great Lessons”

Many of our classrooms are still in the thick of telling engaging and impressionistic stories about history that Dr. Maria Montessori coined, “The Great Lessons.” These lessons and stories explore:

• The Story of the Universe

• Life comes to Earth

• The Story of Humans

• The Story of Numbers

• The Story of Language

Again, these are told in the form of a story to capture the students’ imagination, curiosity, and sense of wonder. They act as touchstones for the work we will do together in history, geography, science, math, and language. They’re a blast to tell and they spark a lot of incredible questions and fun work!

These are just a few of the highlights happening in lower elementary. Enjoy a few snapshots as well! Until next time!

In partnership,

Jessy Eaton Fabel
Lower Elementary Guide in Spring Brook

Last Day of School Ceremony 2019

Photos courtesy of Michael Williams