Menu Change!

The Nutrition Team is switching things up! Starting on May 15th, we will be offering Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Curry with brown rice, instead of the Palak Dal. This curry is gluten-free and vegan, just like the Palak Dal, and brings some new flavors to our lunch offerings. The Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Curry does contain coconut milk.

A quick note: On May 8th we will be serving the Palak Dal, even though the menu says Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Curry.

If you have already pre-ordered the Palak Dal, we have changed your orders in EZ Lunch. If you want to try the new curry, make sure you order now! Click here to access EZ Lunch.

Questions

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

More Information about Using EZ Lunch

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


Nutrition Event: Documentary Discussion 5/14

Hello families!  Questions and confusion about nutrition, healthy eating, and parenting seem stump us.  How do we engage our kids in choosing and understanding healthy foods, take care of ourselves in our own pursuit of wellness, and do our best as parents in ways that are good for us, our community and the planet, without breaking the bank or taking all our time?

We're inviting folks to watch the movie "Fed Up" at your convenience, and then to join us for a discussion led by GRS Nutrition Educator/chef Jenny Breen which will address (and maybe even answer) your nutrition and food questions.  This will be followed by a simple cooking activity for the whole family where we’ll help prepare and then share a delicious, scratch cooked meal.

Tuesday, May 14 6-8 PM. We'll meet in the cafe area at GRS

Please RSVP to: jbreen@greatriverschool.org

Lower Adolescent Spring Dance

Attention 7/ 8 Parents and Students!

This Friday, May 10th, 7/8 will be having a Spring- themed dance! It is from 5:30-8pm and will be in the Gym.

The fee is $5 this time since it has been brought to Leadership’s attention that people do not want to buy snacks and rather have them free. Snacks will be available and the only dress code rule is that your child does not wear any provocative pieces of clothing that either has curse words, nudity, etc.

All students must be picked up by 8:15. This is to ensure that all student and chaperones arrive home safely and at a decent time. The DJs are Izzie and Tsiory and the band is still TBD but we will inform you once decided.

Also, we are looking for food donations for the dance and if you are interested in helping buy and donate food such as soda, chips, cupcakes, cookies, etc. or if you have any questions or concerns, please email me at jle@greatriverschool.org

*please note* the dance is allowing kids from outside from GRS but we are limiting it to people in 7th or 8th grade and only one person per guest.

Best,
A1 Leadership

Summer Staff Spotlight: Ellen Brand

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This week’s summer staff spotlight is on Ellen Brand. Ellen is a lower elementary classroom assistant at Great River and is leading a variety of pottery/clay camps this summer. She is looking forward to sharing her passion with camper’s of all ages. Here is a quote from Ellen:

“I love pottery and clay and am excited to share that with you! We are going to get messy, play with texture and forms and make some awesome mystical creatures from my favorite medium!” 

Ellen is leading Lovely Clay Days--July 15-18--AM & PM; Clay-topia--July 22-25--AM & PM; Let's get Messy with Clay--Jully 29-Aug 1--AM & PM; and Basics Throwing of Pottery--Aug 5-8--AM & PM.

To look at our brochure for more camps or to register, please go Here. We hope to see you this summer!

Summer Camp Spotlight: Ultimate Frisbee

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This week’s summer camp spotlight is on our Ultimate Frisbee camps! We have lots of choices to choose from for all skill levels. We have a full-day Ultimate camp for 7-12 year olds on June 24-27, one for 12-16 year old (girls only) from June 24-27, and multiple full-day coed camps for 12-16 year olds on June 24-27, July 8-11 and July 22-25. We also have an afternoon ultimate camp for 12-16 year olds on July 29-August 1.

Ultimate players will learn the basic rules of the sport, spirit of the game and the fundamentals including: throws, basic offense and defensive structure, stacking, and students will gain the experience of participating in a team sport, students will have FUN and get good exercise.

To see our brochure or register for camp, go Here. We hope to see you this summer!

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Spring Dance - May 10th

The 7th & 8th grade spring dance is next Friday, May 10th, from 5:30-8:30pm in the gym.

The dance is being organized by the student leadership committee and will be chaperoned by GRS teachers. A student band will be playing at the beginning of the night, with a student DJ to follow!


New Bike to School Day (May 8) Meet Up Spot Added

Bike to School Day is Wednesday May 8th. The Great River School community is encouraged to meet up with other students and parents to ride to school at locations outlined below.

Here’s how:

1) Pick your meet-up spot. 2) Contact the group leader for your preferred meet up spot. Let them know that you plan to ride with them so you don’t get left behind and can get updates in the event of changes. 3) Check your bike tire pressure, brakes, and chain so you are ready to ride. 4) Helmets required.

Horton Park, Hamline Avenue at Engelwood Avenue. Contact Susan Sochacki, susan.sochacki@gmail.com or 651-775-7166.
McMurray Fields/Como Pool, near Como Avenue and Lexington. Contact Nate Solas at homebrewer@gmail.com or 612-220-1102.
Newell Park, Hewitt Avenue and Wheeler Avenue. Contact Abram Shapiro at ashapiro@greatriverschool.org or 651-829-9363.
Martinson’s House, 1618 Laurel Avenue. Contact Kelly Martinson at kelly@ksquarre.us or 651-621-0511.
**NEW STOP** Longfellow Park (GRS bus stop) East 34th Street and 36th Avenue South. Contact Randy Lewandowski at RandyLewandowski@gmail.com or 612-250-5001.

Parents can support all riders by joining the group ride, especially if your student is a novice rider or needs extra attention. Families must arrange after-school pick up.

Rain date is Wednesday, May 15th. If you can be a Ride Captain from an additional meet up location contact Susan Sochacki, susan.sochacki@gmail.com or 651-775-7166. 

LA PARENT SOCIAL THIS WEDNESDAY!

Just a reminder, all LA parents (7 - 9th grade) are invited to a get-together at Burning Brothers Brewing (1750 Thomas Ave W, St. Paul) May 1st, 7 - 9 pm. After the bike trip orientation and 9th grade info night, you may have questions. We will do our best to answer them, and get you all excited about volunteering to make the bike trip a success. We hope you can make it!

-Rhona, Heather and Etta

GRS Foundation Fundraising Brainstorm and Work Session

Interested volunteers - please join us next Wednesday May 1 from 4:45-6 for a work session on 2019-2020 fundraising for our school. The meeting will be in the science room to the right of the main entrance (behind bathrooms).

Our first priority is to create a plan to increase the level of sustaining donors (monthly recurring) to the annual fund through a variety of outreach and educational messages. (Currently less than 10% of our families are set up as sustaining givers.) Once we achieve that goal, we'll move on to efforts for the school outdoor learning environment and other initiatives. 

Volunteers can share ideas and participate at a variety of commitment levels and on a variety of efforts, from writing to strategy to events.

For questions, contact Julie Lunn at lunnjulie@gmail.com.

Summer Staff Spotlight: Ocean Jurney

This week’s summer staff spotlight is on Ocean Jurney. Ocean is the Spanish Guide at Great River and is leading a number of different camps this summer. Below is a quote from Ocean:

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“I'm excited to lead bilingual and arts-based camps this summer! I'm a lifelong Spanish-speaker, poet and painter, and I came to many of my skills and loves through youth-programming just like this. As a camp guide, there's nothing I like more than learning through doing — if we're going to learn about history, let's grab costumes and do a simulation! To learn about art, let's go outside and make it! With breaks for silliness and for meditation, I can't wait to see what happens as campers connect in and out of the activities and learn about themselves, their crafts, and the broader world! Summer's an incredible time for relaxation and fun, and learning is never better than when joy is at its center.”

Ocean is leading Camping and Campfire Stories—June 17-20; Teatro de Una Palabra--June 24-27; ¿DÓnde estoy?-Great River Summer, that’s where!--July 8-11; ¡HUELGA! (Strike!)--July 15-18; Poetry in Motion--July 22-25; Wearable Paintings--July 29-Aug 1; Teatro de Una Palabra--Aug 5-8--AM; and Zine Machine--Aug 5-8--PM. To see our brochure or register for camp, go Here. We hope to see you this summer!

Great River Summer Camp Highlight: Robotics

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Welcome to our first summer camp highlight! This week’s featured camps are our robotics camps. We are offering Lego Robotics for 10-14 year olds on June 17-20 and June 24-27 and one just for girls on July 8-11. Our other robotics camp (FTC) is for 12-16 year olds and runs from July 15-18.

Lego Robotics:

FIRST LEGO League camps teach STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills in a fun and hands-on camp setting. These camps are the perfect way for kids to start learning more about coding, program and robotics. During this camp you will learn the basics of building and programming a Mindstorms EV3 Robot. You will also work as part of a team to complete fun & exciting robot challenges. Each team will have mentors from the GRS Mythical robotics teams, NoMythic, Mythic & Athena, to guide you through the exciting world of LEGO. This camp will give you a jump start in getting ready for the next FIRST LEGO League competition season!

FTC Robotics:

Work with a team to design, CAD, 3D print, build, and program a robot in this exciting robotics camp! This camp is a great way to see what FIRST® Tech Challenge is all about and get a head start on learning how to build and program your robot. Each day students will learn about a different facet of the FIRST® Tech Challenge season. Each team will have multiple mentors from the GRS Mythical robotics teams, NoMythic, Mythic & Athena, to guide you through the build process. The final session will include a match where teams will compete to have the highest scoring robot. Students with all levels of experience are encouraged to register.

To see our brochure or register for camp, go Here. We hope to see you this summer!

JOIN US FOR BIKE TO SCHOOL DAY MAY 8

Meet up with other students and parents to ride to school at locations outlined below.

1) Pick your meet-up spot.
2) Contact the group leader for your preferred meet up spot. Let them know that you plan to ride with them so you don’t get left behind and can get updates in the event of changes.
3) Check your bike tire pressure, brakes, and chain so you are ready to ride.
4) Helmets required.

Horton Park, Hamline Avenue at Engelwood Avenue. Contact Susan Sochacki, susan.sochacki@gmail.com or 651-775-7166.

McMurray Fields/Como Pool, near Como Avenue and Lexington. Contact Nate Solas at homebrewer@gmail.com or 612-220-1102.

Newell Park, Hewitt Avenue and Wheeler Avenue. Contact Abram Shapiro at ashapiro@greatriverschool.org or 651-829-9363.

Martinson’s House, 1618 Laurel Avenue. Contact Kelly Martinson at kelly@ksquarre.us or 651-621-0511.

Parents can support all riders by joining the group ride, especially if your student is a novice rider or needs extra attention. Families must arrange after-school pick up.

Rain date is Wednesday, May 15th. If you can be a Ride Captain from an additional meet up location contact Susan Sochacki, susan.sochacki@gmail.com or 651-775-7166.

If you or your student needs accommodations or extra assistance to participate, please contact Brad Wildman at bwildman@greatriverschool.org.

PEG HOSTED COFFEE SOCIAL MAY 8/BIKE TO SCHOOL DAY

Parents are invited to mingle at school for a coffee social on Wednesday, May 8th. Ride your bike to school with your student if you can. Or just join us for coffee at school starting at 8:00am. Don’t forget to bring your reusable mug!  

Contact Karen Solas, ksolas@gmail.com or 651-334-0793 for more information or to help host.

Conferences Day - Homework Room

There will be a homework room available 11am-4pm during our make-up conference day this Wednesday 4/24 in room #155! There will be computers available and staff to help with homework, but please be aware that the homework room will be a phone-free zone for the day.  All adolescent students are welcome to participate in the homework room.

Wellness Committee Meeting

The Wellness Committee will be meeting on April 25th at 10am in the Cafe area. We will be discussing more lunch program support, the role of the wellness team in wellness 'education' and planning a food/nutrition and wellness educational program/event planned for May.

With any questions, email Jenny Breen at jbreen@greatriverschool.org.

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!