The St. Paul Youth Bike Team is trying to attract more female riders into the sport and have a "Try it out" session planned with our coach Sara Martin on Saturday, May 18th. Interested girls should pre-register with Coach Martin at sara.l.martin@me.com.
REMINDER: Annual Campus Clean-up! April 27th
Join us for our annual campus clean up! Details upcoming for projects but we will always have a big pile of woodchips to spread, gardens to tidy and something that needs building. It's a wonderful opportunity to get involved and give back to the school and the earth!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0D49A4A62BABF94-49283581-earth
GRS Gear Swap is another part of Earth Day upcycling practices. Start keeping a bag or bin of outdoor clothing and gear that's been outgrown and plan to pick up something new to you.
NOTE: Please get through the lost and found before then as we'll get ready to donate any and all leftovers! Thanks much:)
BHB Auction Item Pick Up will be in the staff lounge from 10-2
Bike Maintenance 101 - Nick Beerman (Adolescent Program Director) will be helping teach bike maintenance. Bring your own bike or you can learn on one of the GRS Bike Shop's bikes. Volunteers wanted~all family welcome! Bring gloves, shovels, buckets and water/snacks:)
Congratulations! MN Dept. of Labor and Industry Youth Skills Training Grant Recipient: Lindsey Weaver and GRS IB
For immediate release:
April 16, 2024
Labor and Industry announces 2024 Youth Skills Training grant recipients
Seventeen partnerships across Minnesota will receive funding to develop and expand programs to offer meaningful career exposure and paid work experience for students 16 years of age and older.
The grants are part of the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry’s (DLI) Youth Skills Training (YST) program that was signed into law in 2017 with bipartisan support to create and provide employment training for student learners ages 16 and older in high-growth, high-demand occupations.
“These Youth Skills Training partnership grants will help high school students throughout Minnesota find pathways to high-growth, high-demand occupations and allow them to participate in safe, meaningful work experiences in their community,” said Nicole Blissenbach, DLI commissioner. “Thank you to everyone who has supported this program.”
YST grants will be awarded to the following 17 partnerships, which will receive and split $1.5 million in funding to be used for programs operating from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2026. The partnerships will offer safe, meaningful work experience in advanced manufacturing, agriculture, automotive, health care and information technology.
Albert Lea Area Schools
Bemidji Career Academies
Cambridge-Isanti Public School District
Detroit Lakes Public Schools
Fergus Falls High School
Great River School (St. Paul)
Hennepin West Consortium
Hermantown Community Schools
Itasca Area Schools Collaborative
Minneapolis Public Schools – Camden High
Minneapolis Public Schools – Wellstone International High School
Moorhead Public Schools
New Prague Area Schools
Parkers Prairie School District
Perham Schools
ROCORI School District
Staples-Motley School District
Grants can be used to create programs, recruit students and employers, provide training, transport students and pay for industry-related student certifications. An eighth round of grant applications will open in winter 2024.
For more information about Youth Skills Training contact Rich Wessels, program manager, at 651-284-5184 or rich.wessels@state.mn.us; Jo Daggett, program consultant, at 651-284-5354 or jo.daggett@state.mn.us; or Faye Blough, program specialist, at 651-284-5341 or faye.blough@state.mn.us; Learn more online at dli.mn.gov/YST.
Media contact: James Honerman at 651-284-5313 or james.honerman@state.mn.us.
Spring Formal, May 16th, 2024
All 7th & 8th grade students are invited on Thursday, May 16th from 7:00pm-9:00pm to the Spring Formal Dance which will take place in the gym here at Great River School.
Garden Party is the theme and there will be snacks, drinks, and music!
Dress code is Formal and Admission will cost $3 for entry.
Spirit Award - Towards the end of the night everyone will vote for two winners of the dance Spirit Award, which will be whoever you think brought the most spirit and good energy to the dance!
Winners will receive a crown and will each get to request a song to play.
Don't vote for a student outside of 7th or 8th Grade.
BE KIND! It's not a competition so don't bring yourself or anyone else down!
VOLUNTEER HELP! This dance is being planned by students and is not possible without the help of our caregivers and community members! We need your help! Sign up to volunteer or donate here! We are counting on you!
Brought to you by LA Student Leadership
One Acts are approaching fast!
Student-directed one-act performances are on Saturday, May 11th at 6pm! Come see 2 one act plays directed by grs students, sophomore Honesty Oliver and Senior Jackie Le! Come support the grs theater program!
10 Ways to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse by Don Zolidis (Honesty Oliver, director)
It's the end of the world and hordes of rampaging zombies are about to kill you. What do you do? Try your hand at kung fu against the undead? Attempt to reason with creatures that would rather eat brains than use them? Turn to this handy and hilarious guide to survive the apocalypse! (Hint: sacrifice the weak is step number one.)
Good Cop Bad Cop by Ian McWethy, Jason Pizzarello (Jackie Le, director)
A catastrophic street sign switcheroo has two rookie detectives grilling a motley crew of suspects and witnesses. Everyone from the high school mascot to a guy who may be Super Mario is pumped for information...and while these suspicious characters are combative, ridiculous, and downright incompetent, none of them seems guilty. With the clock ticking and their jobs on the line, can this good cop and bad cop collar a suspect before it's too late?
Annual Campus Clean-up! April 27th
Join us for our annual campus clean up! Details upcoming for projects but we will always have a big pile of woodchips to spread, gardens to tidy and something that needs building. It's a wonderful opportunity to get involved and give back to the school and the earth!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0D49A4A62BABF94-49283581-earth
GRS Gear Swap is another part of Earth Day upcycling practices. Start keeping a bag or bin of outdoor clothing and gear that's been outgrown and plan to pick up something new to you.
NOTE: Please get through the lost and found before then as we'll get ready to donate any and all leftovers! Thanks much:)
BHB Auction Item Pick Up will be in the staff lounge from 10-2
Bike Maintenance 101 - Nick Beerman (Adolescent Program Director) will be helping teach bike maintenance. Bring your own bike or you can learn on one of the GRS Bike Shop's bikes. Volunteers wanted~all family welcome! Bring gloves, shovels, buckets and water/snacks:)
REMINDER: BIPOC Caregiver Meeting, April 25th
BIPOC Caregiver Committee Meeting
Please join us on Thursday, April 25th, from 5:30-6:30 for the BIPOC Caregiver Committee meeting. It will be held virtually via Google Meet. You can access the meeting link HERE.
Blue Heron Bash Thank you!
Donors, sponsors, volunteers, those who attended, and others who bid online…
Thank you for participating in the 2024 Blue Heron Bash!
Together we raised more than $33,000 for our school!
Important Reminders
***Auction Winners: Please pick up your item(s) Thursday April 25, 4-6pm or during the Earth Day Clean Up on Saturday, April 27 from 10am-2pm.
***We still need volunteers this week to organize auction items, assemble thank you letters and help with auction item pick up. Volunteer
***Great Gatherings and Fund A Need are still available plus a few auction items.
Reminder: Ultimate Frisbee Fundraiser April 24th
The Great River School Ultimate Frisbee teams are hosting a fundraiser to participate in tournaments this Spring. This event is April 24, 4-8pm at the Midway location on Hamline Ave & University in St. Paul.
When ordering in the restaurant, mention GRS. Online orders use "GIVING25" in the Coupon Code line at checkout.
Noodles & Company
470 Hamline Ave N, St. Paul, MN 55104
GRS Track and Field Highlights! Congratulations!
This Spring our GRS students have been putting in hard work and running into great success in Track and Field. Read more below about just a few of the amazing things our students have been up to this spring:
In the 110 Hurdles: Oskar R and Emmet G both ran great times for their first time doing the hurdles. They also ran the 300 Hurdles where Oskar is 4th in school history and Emmet is 10th in school history. Congratulations!
In his first ever 1600 meter run, Alexander Jacobson ran a 6 minute 44 second race in very tough weather conditions. Amazing time and perseverance!
In the girls 400, Onya Vandarcia ran a 1:10.14 400 (one time around the track) she is 2nd in school history and is only 4 seconds off the school record which she will hit when the weather is nicer. Onya also ran a very solid 200 meter dash as well.
Ever the go-getter, Jamal Randle had a busy day on the track running the 100, 200 and the 4x4 relay. Jamal is a key part of the tigers roster as he is known to run and fill into any event asked of him (no more than 400).
In her first Varsity meet ever, Aliyah Randle found success in the throwing events where she not only beat juniors and seniors, but also broke the 8th grade school record in the shot put! This is a huge accomplishment for her!
Last but not least, Asata and Aima Portwood will be competing in next week's battle for the school record. What sister will get the record? And Desirae Pederson will make her Track and Field Debut on Thursday, April 25th so come out and cheer her on!
To come out and support the Track team, take a look at the schedule below!
Thank you all for your support and continued cheering for the track and field athletes.
Blue Heron Bash is tomorrow!
Blue Heron Bash To Dos:
Get tickets bit.ly/GRSBHBTICKETS24
Volunteer https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0D49A4A62BABF94-under#/
Start bidding bit.ly/GRSBHBTICKETS24 Saturday, April 20, 6pm–10pm, at GRS. (Tomorrow!)
See you there!
P.S. Here are a few tips:
Bring cash if you wish to play the wine pull (as a game of chance by law must be paid for using cash). If you can’t attend, you can still participate in the online auction by registering at bit.ly/GRSBHBTICKETS24 Childcare is free! Limited availability for ages 5-12. Sign up today
SAVE THE DATE: Great River School Board Elections 2024 - 2025
Board Elections for the 2024-2025 school year are coming up! Thank you to everyone who applied to serve on the board! Voting will start Monday, May 6th at 8:00am. Voting will end Friday, May 10th at 11:59pm. All parents, faculty, and current board members are able to vote. Voting will be open digitally from Monday through Friday of that week! Election results will be shared the following week.
Questions? Email executive@greatriverschool.org.
Blue Heron Bash is on Saturday!! Buy your tickets now!
Bike Tune-ups
Safety is the top priority in preparing and executing the bike trip. A large part of this requires all individuals to have properly operating bikes. All students MUST have their bike tuned-up by the Great River Bike Shop or another bike shop before the trip. Sign up for a tuneup at the GRS Bike Shop Here This is a long-standing policy that keeps everyone safe. If you have questions about getting your bike repaired, please e-mail Johnny Wakefield: jwakefield@greatriverschool.org
Come out to support GRS students on the Boys Volleyball Team!
We have 5 awesome Great River School students competing on the spring Boys Volleyball team this year! Justin (12th), Soren (11th), Finnian (11th), Zack (10th), and Sam (9th). We would love for our community to come cheer us on!
Here is our match schedule: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1y77Y9z07tzZTOxUjRaSS3xFfS3Bk3Rtkg1ITtcg_uQo/edit?usp=sharing
GRS Music Program "Celebrates the 90s!" at the Amsterdam on May 2nd
GRS is excited to announce the Spring Music concert “GRS Celebrates the 90s” featuring songs from your favorite 90s music artists such as No Doubt, Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys and more! A passionate and talented group of student musicians in grades 8 - 12 have been jumping in to learn some nostalgic tunes over the past few months and are excited to share their work with you!
Amsterdam Bar and Hall on Wed May 2nd at 7:00pm.
All Ages show
Student tickets are $10 now / $15 at the door and general tickets are $15 now / $20 at the door.
This is a fundraiser for our music program to help purchase much needed equipment! Donations are welcome at the event as well. See you there!
Tickets available at the following link: https://www.amsterdambarandhall.com/Tickets
Blue Heron Bash Auction is OPEN!! Check it out!
The Auction is open with Items from our Generous Donors, including:
Plus, there’s a Maker’s Market featuring handmade goods (pottery, knitting, jewelry, woodworking, baked goods, and more) from Great River family artisans!
And, a special Goats & Grounds Fund A Need, with donations going toward a new goat enclosure and an expanded elementary play space and garden area.
Last but not least, you’ll get a sneak peak at all the Great Gatherings that will be available at the Blue Heron Bash on April 20th.
BIPOC Caregiver Meeting - New Date, April 25th
GRS Community,
Earlier this month we had to reschedule the monthly BIPOC caregiver meeting. This meeting has been rescheduled and will be held virtually on Thursday, April 25th, from 5:30-6:30 and can be accessed by clicking the link below.
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/ecc-bhoc-erk
Or dial: (US) +1 646-632-2630 PIN: 548 875 991#
Please contact Jordan Samejima with questions.
Join us for the SEAC Committee Meeting, Monday, April 29th; 6pm
There will be a SEAC (Special Education Advisory Council) meeting on Monday, April 29th at 6pm.
All parents / guardians of students currently receiving special education services are invited to attend and share constructive feedback.
The meeting will be in the media lab at Great River School. If you are unable to attend in person, you can attend via Zoom. Please contact Jeremy Sartain for a Zoom link at sartain.jeremy@gmail.com or 612-414-5224. If you arrive late and can't get into the building on the day of the meeting, call or text Jeremy Sartain at 612-414-5224.
What Is A SEAC?
A SEAC (pronounced “seek”) is an acronym for Special Education Advisory Council, which is a group that provides input on special education issues to its local school district. Its purpose is to advise and advocate, not to decide policy. Minnesota law requires each school district in the state to have a SEAC although it does not specify how the groups should be organized or what duties they should perform. As a result, each SEAC may have a unique mission and structure.
(Source www.pacer.org)
Why Might I Want To Participate On A SEAC?
Parents give many reasons for joining a SEAC, including these:
I may be able to help other families and children with disabilities in my school district.
I can share what I’ve learned since my child began his education.
I can support the school professionals in my district.
I will be a good role model for my child.
I feel good when I make a contribution to this community.
I will learn information and skills that may help me work more effectively with my school district.
I will meet others with similar goals, both parents and school professionals.
I may build positive relationships with others in my district.
I will become more knowledgeable about special education.
By sharing my unique perspective and insights as a parent, I may help the school district work more effectively with families and improve outcomes for children.
(Source www.pacer.org)
Some background information about Jeremy Sartain:
”I am currently the Board Chair for Great River School. One reason I joined the Board is to assure special education (staff, caregivers and students) had representation. My wife, Jennie, and I are organizing SEAC meetings this year (with help from Brad and Lindsey). “
Blue Heron Bash Auction STARTS at 5pm TODAY!
The Auction Starts Today with Items from our Generous Donors, including:
Plus, there’s a Maker’s Market featuring handmade goods (pottery, knitting, jewelry, woodworking, baked goods, and more) from Great River family artisans!
And, a special Goats & Grounds Fund A Need, with donations going toward a new goat enclosure and an expanded elementary play space and garden area.
Last but not least, you’ll get a sneak peak at all the Great Gatherings that will be available at the Blue Heron Bash on April 20th.