Elementary

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FIRST Lego League for Grades 5-8

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Calling interested students and parents! GRS hopes to host 4 lego league teams this fall under the direction of GRS robotics program alum Nick Przybilla.

Teams will practice every Thursday after school from 3:30-5:30, culminating in the all-day tournament in December. The first meeting will be Thursday, September 16.

The fee is $200 (scholarships available--contact bigcanoe@greatriverschool.org). The fee goes towards materials, equipment, competition fees, and GRS staff resources.

Lego League gives students a hands-on technical challenge to solve while working as a team to study the problem and find solutions. We are also looking for a parent or parents who are able to volunteer their time to coach a team--no experience is needed, just a willingness to help guide the kids in their work!

Teams fill fast, so please register soon using this form. You'll receive confirmation and a payment link when teams are confirmed.

Contact bigcanoe@greatriverschool.org with any questions.

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Seeking Substitute Teachers

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Know someone looking for a job? There is a national shortage of substitute teachers and we are no exception here at Great River. Having a good supply of substitute teachers helps us ensure that our faculty can take needed time off - all the more important after the last 18 months.

We are looking to hire:

  • Multiple full-time substitute teachers to work across all levels (benefit eligible)

  • Many occasional substitutes to work as their schedules allow 

Great River offers a competitive benefits package, including free/discounted Big Canoe care and faculty child enrollment preference. For the job descriptions and more information on how to apply, check out our employment page. 

No substitute license? Any adult with a college degree can apply for a substitute license in Minnesota and we will support you in the process. Please share widely with your networks!

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Free Flag Football for Grades 5-8

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Who: Anyone in grades 5th-8th

Where: St. Croix Prep (through our sports cooperative with Twin Cities Academy)

When: 4:20pm-5:00pm on Mondays and Wednesdays
(Monday September 13th through Wednesday October 6th)

What: Wear athletic clothing and bring a water bottle, cleats are not required but recommended

Why: Why Not?! Come out and have some fun, and bring your friends!!

How: How much? FREE!!!!!

Contact: noahdombrovski@stcroixprep.org / St Croix Prep Academy

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Box Tops for Education

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(Holly modeling her excitement over physical box tops, along with our resident therapy dog Petunia)

(Holly modeling her excitement over physical box tops, along with our resident therapy dog Petunia)

Yes - we do collect Box Tops! Yes - they DO contribute to our school!

You can follow the new-ish scanning method (see the how-to for a primer on scanning your shopping receipts) AND we still collect any box tops that you can find that you can still cut from the box. Please give those to Holly at the front desk. She gets so excited!!

Any questions? Email Holly at hbell@greatriverschool.org

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Breakfast and Lunch Ordering

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Hello Great River School Families! 

Our kitchen is excited to produce food for students this year. We have developed safe eating plans for each classroom and are eager to serve our delicious food onsite! Our school meals include an entree, fruit, and milk (or alternative almond milk). Sandwiches and snack trays will be available every day, with “hot lunch” cooked fresh twice a week. 

Please fill out this form to sign up for Breakfast for your child AND/OR if you need almond milk for your child. Thank you!  Breakfast rotates daily and consists of either cereal, a bagel, yogurt & granola, or a granola bar always served with either fruit, yogurt, or hard-boiled eggs & milk. 

Great River uses LunchTime to order and pay for student meals. We are asking that families order onsite meals at least a week in advance. All relevant links can be found on our website at www.greatriverschool.org/nutrition. 

Need more help logging into Lunchtime? Check out this parent help guide! 

With any questions about Free & Reduced Lunch or payments for lunch, contact Syd Tempas (stempas@greatriverschool.org). 

Need more information about the food or want to chat about allergies or food sensitivities? Contact Mel Coombs at mcoombs@greatriverschool.org.

Girls on the Run is Happening this Fall at GRS

What is Girls on the Run? Participating in GOTR transforms lives by helping students increase self-confidence, develop healthy relationships, and feel good about themselves - inside and out. It’s an 8-week, after-school program like no other! Kids of all abilities will have fun, make friends, increase their physical activity levels, and learn important life skills. Each season comes to an end with a joyful and fun non-competitive 5K. This culmination gives kids a tangible sense of accomplishment and the confidence to be the author of their own story.
Learn more about the GOTR 3rd-5th grade program.

When & Where? Tuesdays & Thursdays Sept. 14 through mid-November, 3:15-4:45 p.m. at Great River School. We’ll meet outside, stay physically distanced and wear masks. An outdoor, but covered area at GRS has been secured so we can still meet outside if it’s raining, or in the gym in case of severe weather.

While the name of the program is Girls on the Run, non-binary folks are welcome to participate. We'll refer to participants by name or as "runners" or "athletes" rather than "girls" to be more inclusive of non-binary participants.

Fall GOTR Registration is the link for families to register - cost is $125. If you need a scholarship, just indicate in your registration. No runner is turned away! Also, there are options to support other runners.

Anna Sharratt is the communications point person for GRS’s team this fall. Please reach out to her if you have questions  anna.lindall@gmail.com, 612-619-5093

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LIST Soccer for Grades 5-7

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Soccer for grades 5-7 will begin September 8 and run through mid-November.

Our first practice is scheduled for TOMORROW, Wednesday, September 8, after school!

Practices will be at Griggs Park Mondays and Fridays after school until 4:45pm. Parents can pick up at Griggs Park at the end of practice.

Games will be scheduled Wednesday afternoons.

We will follow the GRS sports COVID protocols (linked in our safe learning plan).

Cost is $135 (league and coach fee, includes T-shirt). Scholarships are available; contact bigcanoe@greatriverschool.org for more details.

Sign up here to register, and click on this link to pay the registration fee.

--Karen

bigcanoe@greatriverschool.org

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BIPOC Caregiver Committee - Surveys For Families

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The BIPOC Caregiver Committee is a group of caregivers who meet the first Thursday of each month to talk about ways that the school can be more inclusive for BIPOC students while also focusing on encouraging everyone in the school to explore their identity.

We put together a survey to see what activities students and family would like us to focus on so we have more voices of what the community is desiring to see this year. We are inviting all students & caregivers to fill out the below forms, to gather information and ideas of what activities students would like to do this year to explore their own cultural identity and the cultural identity of others in the community.

We are also inviting all community members to participate in a GRS cultural activities and recipe cookbook. There is a survey link below to share a recipe contribution or a specific cultural activity:

Want to join the BIPOC Caregiver Committee? Email office@greatriverschool.org to get connected!

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Welcome to the Announcement Daily Digest

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Dear GRS students, families, and faculty,

Welcome to the 21-22 school year! Great River knows that some of the most equity-focused work we can do is ensure that our community feels well-informed about happenings at the school. 

We will regularly communicate using the following channels:

Announcement Blogs & Automated Daily Digest Emails

Our Announcements Blog is hosted on our website at www.greatriverschool.org/announcements. We will regularly update this page with non-urgent school announcements (upcoming events & activities, volunteer opportunities, etc). 

This year, we will use an email service to send new announcements daily (you are currently reading this!). All families will be opted into these level-specific announcements and will receive a daily email digest of any announcements.

If you don’t want to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe using the link at the bottom of the daily digest.

You can always check what is being posted by going straight to www.greatriverschool.org/announcements or by checking the level-specific links below: 

If you are not receiving these updates, email office@greatriverschool.org to troubleshoot. It’s possible we don’t have the correct contact information for you in Powerschool! 

Direct Emails

In case of urgent communication, you will receive an email directly from David Núñez, Stacey Kreger, or Great River School with more information. 

Family Newsletters

GRS sends a monthly community newsletter, usually on the first Monday of the month (with some exceptions, depending on the school calendar). These newsletters are to feature student accomplishments and events at the school.  The first newsletter of the year will come on September 20th. If you do not receive these messages, reach out to office@greatriverschool.org to make sure your contact information is updated! 

Social Media:

GRS maintains our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages. 

We do not maintain or supervise the GRS family Facebook pages listed below, although they are good resources for connecting with fellow families. 

We’re looking forward to a great school year together!