For more information and to apply, check out our employment page or view the job description here.
Chinook Book Fundraiser
One year digital subscription is a suggested donation of $20 or pay what you can. You can always donate a subscription to a GRS staff member!
The Chinook Book app helps you discover more sustainable ways to live, work, and play through inspiring stories, savings, rewards, and prizes. With mobile offers that can be redeemed online or in-store, plus monthly giveaways of gifts, groceries, and more, you’ll always find a new way to save while helping your community thrive.
Use the QR Code to fill out the google form and pay via Paypal OR fill out the google form and drop your payment at the GRS front desk
A special link with access to your subscription will be emailed to the address you provide.
Funds raised go to support the many wonderful programs that make Great River School such a wonderful place!
Picture Retake Day is November 1st
Picture retake day is next Monday, November 1st. Similar to the first picture day, students being photographed will be distanced from others and have the option of taking their masks for the quick time it takes to take the photograph. If students want retakes to be taken, they should tell their classroom teacher or advisor. Any retake photos will void the original picture and will be used in the yearbook.
Wanting to order photos? You can go online now at inter-state.com, using the school code “60055Z” for pictures taken on 9/27 and “60057F” for photos to be taken on 11/1.
Any questions? Email Stacey Kreger at skreger@greatriverschool.org.
Winter Gear Exchange - Shopping All This Week
***We apologize for the wrong dates being advertised last week! This was a mistake and "shopping" is open this week to not overlap with last week's MEA Break***
As a way of supporting the environment and each other, we are hosting an Outerwear Exchange this October. Our vision is to receive any outerwear that the elementary students in your lives have grown out of (coats, jackets, snow gear, rain gear, mittens, gloves, hats, scarves, boots), organize it, and then make it all available free of cost to others in our school community who are able to give those items a second life this season.
The actual exchange will both happen at the Fath household: 1438 Minnehaha Ave W in Saint Paul, an easy walk or drive from Great River School.
Here's what you need to know:
All items will be out for pick up starting October 25th and ending October 29th. Feel free to stop by, take a look, and take anything that your family will use. Follow the sidewalk around to the west side of the house to find tables and racks with available clothes. You DON'T need to donate something in order to "shop." Plenty of street parking is available!
The outerwear will be out every morning by 8AM the week of 10/25-10/29 and will be taken in each day just before dark. If you need access beyond those times, please let us know. We will not be available during the exchange - think of us just as the family behind the curtain!
Any leftover items will be donated.
We look forward to having you stop by this October! Any questions? Contact parent organizers Theresa Fath (Claude.and.Wilbur@gmail.com) and Kathleen Erickson (kittykaterickson@me.com).
PEG Meeting Happening Tomorrow Night
Come join us at the first PEG meeting of the year, happening Tuesday, October 26th from 7-8pm on Zoom. The meeting link will be emailed to all families tomorrow. Want more info? Check out this announcement from last Wednesday.
Winter Gear Exchange - Shopping Starts Tomorrow
As a way of supporting the environment and each other, we are hosting an Outerwear Exchange this October. Our vision is to receive any outerwear that the elementary students in your lives have grown out of (coats, jackets, snow gear, rain gear, mittens, gloves, hats, scarves, boots), organize it, and then make it all available free of cost to others in our school community who are able to give those items a second life this season.
The actual exchange will both happen at the Fath household: 1438 Minnehaha Ave W in Saint Paul, an easy walk or drive from Great River School.
Here's what you need to know:
All items will be out for pick up starting October 25th and ending October 29th. Feel free to stop by, take a look, and take anything that your family will use. Follow the sidewalk around to the west side of the house to find tables and racks with available clothes. You DON'T need to donate something in order to "shop." Plenty of street parking is available!
The outerwear will be out every morning by 8AM the week of 10/25-10/29 and will be taken in each day just before dark. If you need access beyond those times, please let us know. We will not be available during the exchange - think of us just as the family behind the curtain!
Any leftover items will be donated.
We look forward to having you stop by this October! Any questions? Contact parent organizers Theresa Fath (Claude.and.Wilbur@gmail.com) and Kathleen Erickson (kittykaterickson@me.com).
Share Your Skills with the GRS Foundation
Are you a writer, a designer, a community builder, an organizer, a numbers person, a photographer? Or maybe you like to talk to people or host gatherings or make phone calls?
Find out how to fulfill your 20 volunteer hours by volunteering for the GRS Foundation, which raises funds for our tuition-free public school. We need people who are willing to share their time and their skills (and get to know other parents too!) in support of Great River School. Join us for a Foundation Info-Social so you can get to know the volunteer needs of the GRS Foundation and see where you can help out.
GRS Foundation Volunteer Info-Social
6:30-7:30 pm, Monday, October 25, via Zoom
RSVP here!
Questions? Email us! Foundation@greatriverschool.org
GRS is Hiring a Kitchen Production Assistant
For more information and to apply, check out our employment page or view the job description here.
Fall Fundraising
Fall is the time to give to Great River School!
Your contributions help provide the unique learning opportunities and life-changing experiences that define the Great River education. This year, fundraising dollars are helping create outdoor learning and dining spaces so that kids can spend more time outside.
If you are able, now is the time to give. Click to donate.
First PEG Meeting of the Year - October 26th
Come Join us at the PEG Meeting!
Learn about upcoming volunteer needs and connect with others in the school community.
Tuesday October 26, 7-8pm via Zoom (the meeting link will be emailed to families next week).
The guiding principle for PEG (Parent Engagement Group) is to be Welcoming Ambassadors with a Whole School vision to Cultivate Strong Partnerships. We focus on three main priorities:
Recruit volunteers for school events
Build connections between families
Welcome new and transitioning families
Volunteer for the GRS Foundation from the Comfort of Your Home
Connect with other parents passionate about supporting GRS programs and mission! The Great River School Foundation needs people who are willing to share their time and their skills (and get to know other parents too!) in support of Great River School. Join us for the Foundation Info-Social so you can get to know the volunteer needs of the GRS Foundation and find out more about how we raise funds to support our tuition-free public school.
GRS Foundation Volunteer Info-Social
6:30-7:30 pm, Monday, October 25, via Zoom
RSVP here!
Questions? Email us! Foundation@greatriverschool.org
Fall Conferences Coming Up on November 4-5th
Conferences this fall will be held on Thursday, November 4th and Friday, November 5th. There will be no school these days.
This fall, we will offer a hybrid model of conferences for those families with an increased need for COVID-19 protection. If you are vaccinated, comfortable and able, we request your presence for an in-person conference (everyone must wear a mask and be COVID-symptom free). Should you need a virtual conference over Zoom, you will have that option. We ask that all unvaccinated caregivers sign up for a virtual conference.
Students in grades 5-12 are with the student, caregiver, & the student's advisor or classroom guide.
Students in grades 1-4 are with caregiver and the guide only.
If you require an interpreter for conferences, please email office@greatriverschool.org with the language required so we can set that up.
Sign up Here with your student's advisor (adolescent) or classroom guide (elementary). Unsure who their advisor is? Ask them! Or you can email office@greatriverschool.org and we can look it up for you.
Multiple Households/Families - if your child splits time between two households and both caregivers want/need to attend the conference, please schedule it together. If this is not possible, exceptions can be made by emailing the Program Director of your level.
If you have specific concerns that you want to discuss with a guide who is not your student's advisor, please contact them directly to discuss via phone or email, or set up a meeting before or after conference days. All guides will be able to talk with you about students' overall academic standing. Guides will be booked all day on both days in conferences with their own advisees.
More than one child at GRS? Sign up early to maximize your chances of getting back-to-back appointments!
Reminder of MEA Break This Wednesday Through Friday
Great River School will be closed for Teacher PD & MEA Break this Wednesday through Friday, October 20th-22nd. No classes or activities will be held.
Big Canoe Care - October 20th
Wednesday, October 20 is a professional development day at GRS.
Big Canoe will offer care and workshop activities from 8 am - 5 pm. The cost is $60 for one child, with each additional sibling $40. To sign up, fill out this form, then click on the link to make payment. Registration is complete when payment is made. Space is limited!
Off Campus Mountain Bike Trail Ride - Tomorrow
Derek Damron (Elementary Program Assistant) is inviting *all ages* to come ride mountain bikes at Carver Lake Park on Sunday, October 17th at 2pm (weather permitting).
Here is a link to the trail map - check it out if you have never been there before! We will meet at the skills area to warm up for a bit, then divide into groups for some trail riding! Plan to be there for a few hours. Bring your own snacks, water bottle, bikes, helmets, etc. We will have some tools, a floor pump, first aid, and water in case anyone needs them!
Please reach out if you have any questions about what bikes would be appropriate for this activity. If you NEED a bike in order to join us, please reach out to ddamron@greatriverschool.org and we can try to figure something out. Hope to see you there!
Harvest Fest TOMORROW - Food and Craft Features Written by Lower Adolescents
Hello friends and families of Great River School!
We are the leaders of the kitchen microeconomy class and we are eager to tell you about the soup, bread, and craft options we are preparing for Harvest Fest, happening TOMORROW, October 16, 2021 from 2-5pm (looking for more Harvest Fest details? Scroll to the bottom of this email!).
Here we will feature the food that the Q1 Lower Adolescent Culinary Arts Creative Expression has prepared for you!
Stone Vegetable Soup
The first item on the menu is vegetable stone soup made by the 7th and 8th grade students of the kitchen! The soup will be mainly of vegetables and beans and will be the primary food item of Harvest Fest because we've been making it every harvest fest for years! It is a tradition at Great River School. For the soup, you need to bring your own bowl/cup and spoon for every person in your family in order to get served the soup. Feel free to bring vegetables to add to the soup as well! You will have to bring it to the people at the front counter by the soup pot!
Ingredients: it will be a vegan soup with all sorts of vegetables brought from many different families of the school! If you are concerned about what is in the soup due to allergies, ask one of the people at the soup pot what there is!
Pumpkin Bread
The sweet bread that is being baked is pumpkin bread! This is NOT gluten-free or vegan. The students have practiced making sweet bread over the last couple weeks and are excited to have you all try it! The students will even roast a pumpkin and gut it to make the pumpkin bread! We hope you enjoy it!
Ingredients: Eggs, pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, white sugar, flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, ground ginger, salt
Gluten-Free Bread
It’s a free yeasted bread, the gluten-free bread will also be made into a baguette shape! It’s dairy-free and coconut free and there will be the same amount of it as the yeasted bread! We're glad we could make gluten-free bread for gluten-sensitive people.
Ingredients: gluten-free flour, yeast, salt, water, tapioca starch, and baking powder
Yeast Bread
It is a simple recipe that is vegan. It will be shaped into a loaf and cut into slices at Harvest Fest! It is the main item that will go with the soup and is made with ingredients from the school itself. There will be a lot so there's no need to bring bread to the harvest fest! This is one of the first things the students learned to make so it should be good. Thank you!
Ingredients: flour, yeast, salt, and water
Other Craft Items
There will be student-made items for sale, including:
Nature dyed yarn
Hand-woven hangings
Beeswax wraps
Hand-sewn hot/cold packs
and much more!
All funds raised with food/craft sales will go to support the programming and work of Great River School.
Sarah Hansen with a bag of student naturally-dyed yarn
Harvest Fest TOMORROW Saturday, October 16th - COVID-19 Protocols and More
Harvest Fest is this Saturday, October 16th, from 2-5pm! We are excited to bring back this annual tradition to campus. ***The bouncy houses have been shifted to inflatable obstacle courses. To see more details, check out the COVID-19 safety plan linked below!
PEG has drafted and the Pandemic Advisory Team has approved a COVID-19 safety plan for the event. Please read before attending and make sure to bring your face mask!
We need lots of volunteers to make the event a success. Adolescent volunteers are welcome! You can donate items, keep the soup fire going, and more!
Interested in performing at our Outdoor Coffeehouse open mic? Sign-up for a time slot here!
We’ll be accepting used winter gear donations for our Elementary Winter Gear Exchange. Look for the marked donation bins at Harvest Fest!
Mayyadda Performance - 2pm
GRS is excited to announce that Twin Cities singer-songwriter Mayyadda will be performing at Harvest Fest on Saturday at 2pm!
"Mayyadda is a singer-songwriter from Minneapolis who aspires to use her music to make people slow down, find themselves in another perspective, and feel their way towards individual and collective healing. With an eclectic mix of neo-soul vocals, folksy guitar, pop-style piano with trap beats sprinkled in for flavor, she likes to refer to her genre as, “BlackGirlMagic.” She has been active as a recording artist since 2015, releasing four projects since then: most recently, TRY&REMEMBER, released in October 2021."
More Harvest Fest Details:
What should I bring?
a mess kit (bowl, spoon for eating the soup)
prepared vegetables or a small stone to add to our soup (bring pre-cooked veggies or tender greens that cook quickly - make sure they are chopped small or pre-sliced for the soup! Stones should be small & clean)
an attitude of hospitality
What will be happening?
all free of charge:
Inflatable obstacle courses for fun leaping and bounding!
Body art for wonder and whimsy!
Coffee House open mic style music
Caramel Apple stand
Leaf Crowns
Bird feeder making
Stone soup making
A chance to buy from student micro-economies (student-made crafts, foods, etc)
Harvest Fest This Saturday, October 16th - COVID-19 Protocols and More
Harvest Fest is this Saturday, October 16th, from 2-5pm! We are excited to bring back this annual tradition to campus. ***The bouncy houses have been shifted to inflatable obstacle courses. To see more details, check out the COVID-19 safety plan linked below!
PEG has drafted and the Pandemic Advisory Team has approved a COVID-19 safety plan for the event. Please read before attending and make sure to bring your face mask!
We need lots of volunteers to make the event a success. Adolescent volunteers are welcome! You can donate items, keep the soup fire going, and more!
Interested in performing at our Outdoor Coffeehouse open mic? Sign-up for a time slot here!
We’ll be accepting used winter gear donations for our Elementary Winter Gear Exchange. Look for the marked donation bins at Harvest Fest!
More Harvest Fest Details:
What should I bring?
a mess kit (bowl, spoon for eating the soup)
prepared vegetables or a small stone to add to our soup (bring pre-cooked veggies or tender greens that cook quickly - make sure they are chopped small or pre-sliced for the soup! Stones should be small & clean)
an attitude of hospitality
What will be happening?
all free of charge:
Bouncy Houses for fun leaping and bounding!
Body art for wonder and whimsy!
Coffee House open mic style music
Caramel Apple stand
Leaf Crowns
Bird feeder making
Stone soup making
A chance to buy from student micro-economies (student-made crafts, foods, etc)
GRS is Hiring a COVID Testing Coordinator
The COVID Testing Coordinator is responsible for coordinating our COVID-19 testing program on campus this school year. This position will order and administer saliva tests and ship samples back to the lab. The Coordinator will serve as a liaison between the testing company and the school community. This position is 30-40 hours per week and benefit eligible.
Click here for a direct link to the job description.
To apply, send a resume and letter of interest to jobs@greatriverschool.org.
Winter Gear Exchange - Donations Open and New Shopping Dates
***To avoid MEA conflicts, we are moving the “shopping” dates to the next week, October 25-29th. We are still accepting donations this week at the Fath household, the front office, and Harvest Fest.***
As a way of supporting the environment and each other, we are hosting an Outerwear Exchange this October. Our vision is to receive any outerwear that the elementary students in your lives have grown out of (coats, jackets, snow gear, rain gear, mittens, gloves, hats, scarves, boots), organize it, and then make it all available free of cost to others in our school community who are able to give those items a second life this season.
Donation drop-offs and the actual exchange will both happen at the Fath household: 1438 Minnehaha Ave W in Saint Paul, an easy walk or drive from Great River School.
Here's what you need to know:
Donations will be accepted between October 11th and October 15th. You may leave them at our front door and there is no need to ring the bell; we will go out periodically and grab any items that are out there. You can also drop off donations at the front office or bring items to Harvest Fest on 10/16 and we will transport them to the gear exchange!
All items will be out for pick up starting October 25th and ending October 29th. Feel free to stop by, take a look, and take anything that your family will use. Follow the sidewalk around to the west side of the house to find tables and racks with available clothes. You DON'T need to donate something in order to "shop." Plenty of street parking is available!
The outerwear will be out every morning by 8AM the week of 10/25-10/29 and will be taken in each day just before dark. If you need access beyond those times, please let us know. We will not be available during the exchange - think of us just as the family behind the curtain!
We are looking for freestanding clothes racks to use the week of October 25th. If you have one that we could borrow, please email and let us know!
Any leftover items will be donated.
We look forward to having you stop by this October! Any questions? Contact parent organizers Theresa Fath (Claude.and.Wilbur@gmail.com) and Kathleen Erickson (kittykaterickson@me.com).