Big Canoe will offer full day childcare from 8 am - 5 pm on November 2, 3 and 4. The cost per day is $90 per child.
There is a 10% off discount for siblings, just use the code SIB10 to get this discount. We do have scholarships available for families who qualify for free or reduced lunch; please Email bigcanoe@greatriverschool.org for more details.
Space is limited. Use this link to sign up.
Dear GRS Families,
As a result of the equity audit conducted by Equity Alliance MN in the Spring of 2022, we have some important work ahead of us and we would like parents to be involved in the process by joining a committee. The committee will be represented by administration, staff, parents, and students. This committee will take part in developing our equity action plan which will be utilized to develop short and long term action items and will also be a critical component in shaping the 5 year strategic plan.
Equity Alliance MN presented the findings to the school board on October 18th and I understand that there were caregivers that could not attend. The Equity Review presentation is attached at the following link:
Equity Review Presentation ppt.
Please contact Jordan Samejima (jsamejima@greatriverschool.org) by November 1st if you have an interest in joining the committee. Meeting dates, times, and frequency will be determined once we have compiled a list of potential committee members.
Thank you for your commitment to Great River as a community.
Our annual IB Theatre Collaborative Performance night is fast approaching! Mark your calendars for this free event (geared primarily toward adolescents and adults) on Tuesday, November 1st from 7 - 8:30pm.
Students have been working in small groups to create new and entirely original short plays as part of an assessment, and now the time has come to perform them for a public audience. There will be four short plays this year, with a talkback session after each group so they can evaluate how well they've met their intentions for their chosen target audience. Below are descriptions of the play to help you decide if this evening of theatre is something you would enjoy:
Light and Shadow
When a girl gets transported into a shadow world. She will have to figure out who is friend and who is foe. A story of lights and shadow.
Launch Break
Launch Break is an adventurous space odyssey following three astronauts, Tim, Phil, and Paul, as they make their way to the planet Caffeterium, but everything may not be as it seems. This short comedy is a fun adventure through the stars.
BroadwayOfficialReviewsOfficially.com: 17/17 Stars
"This show is truly a marvel in theaterism, quantum space theory, and social commentary."
The Tragic Toussaint Tussle
The Toussaints are your typical elitist upper class family, with oodles of old money. After years of separation, the family is brought together once again to mourn their matriarch Eloise Toussaint's unexpected passing. As they celebrate her life and legacy , old grudges, vendettas and greed surface amongst the family. Above all else, the question of whether or not the Toussaints can survive depends on a single piece of paper: The Will.
Three Black Roses
This original production inspired by Carrie Underwood's “Two Black Cadillacs” follows the story of three women as they explore the explosive nature of love and learn that every rose really does have its thorns. Watch as they bowl, dine, dance, and drive the night away and break out their best lipsticks.
Hello Everyone!
We are excited to announce that A.C.E (Achievement, Community and Engagement) will be returning this year for 8th and 9th grade students beginning on Monday, October 24th. Program information is listed below.
What: ACE Afterschool Program
Who: All 8th/9th Grade Students
When: Monday and Wednesday After School from 3:30-5:30pm
Students have expressed an interest in building community with their peers, a goal for which ACE strives. Stacy Ward and Savion Crawford will be leading and supervising the ACE program.
The ACE program will consist of a various activities that include:
-Academic Support
-Student/Staff Check-ins
-Guest Speakers
-Mentorship Opportunities
-Group Activities/Games
-Community Building
-Service Learning
If you are interested in signing up for ACE please complete the form HERE. If you have any questions please reach out to ace@greatriverschool.org.
HS Winter Sports are here! Winter varsity and junior varsity sports registrations will open Wednesday the 19th. Forms will be available online under quick links on the TCA website or you can pick up a packet from Coach V or the main office. Winter sports include: girls basketball, boys basketball, nordic ski, boys hockey, girls hockey, and cheer! Spots are limited and close Wednesday Nov 9th! Go Tigers!
Congratulations to Vivian Rojas Collins (GRS) of our Lady Tigers Soccer team for being selected to the Class A, All-State Team! Vivian is also 1 of only 5 players selected in the state for Class A to be a finalist for Ms. Soccer MN. This award is given to the top girls high school soccer player in the state of Minnesota. Congratulations, Viv!
Go Tigers!
Several GRS Students in Upper and Lower Adolescent are playing on the Tigers Girls Varsity Soccer team tomorrow, Saturday, October 15. For those unfamiliar with the team, it is a combined team with Math Science Academy, Twin Cities Academy and GRS. This is a Tournament Section Semi-final game leading up to State, so a win here means they advance and that is a big deal for the players! Come down to support!
Go Team!
Any and all fan support would be welcome.
When: Kickoff is 4pm, Saturday 10/15/22
Where:
Minnehaha Academy
3100 W River Parkway
Minneapolis MN
Admission : $7.00 and $10.00
Upcoming 7th and 8th Grade Event: Odyssey Night, October 25th 5-7 PM
Who: 7th and 8th Graders, their families, and community members.
What: Odyssey Night
Where: Great River School, Lower Adolescent Wing
When: October 25th, 5-7 PM
Why: This will be a community work share night where families will join for a view into our Odyssey experience and research via the students' special projects.
Please bring your families outgrown or unwanted gear (clean!) to our gear swap and check out what might be there that could be useful to your family this year. Welcome coats, rainwear, hats, matching gloves, etc. Clean out those coat closets and up-cycle your stuff for the good of our community and our planet! Unclaimed items can be collected at the end of Harvest Fest or will be donated. As well, PLEASE check all LOST AND FOUND locations (Elementary, South Entrance and Adolescent) for your families lost things! Those will also be donated after conferences if not claimed!
Come join the GRS community for the beloved Harvest Fest from 2-5 this Saturday. There will be lots of good things to eat like stone soup cooked over a fire in a giant cauldron, caramel apples & more! The adolescents will be selling delicious food from the kitchen & wares they made. There will also be a bounce house, face painting, open mic entertainment & more! It’s not too late to volunteer or donate items like apples. We need help minding the soup & apple cider press, painting faces & more! Adolescent students can help, too! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0d49a4a62babf94-20222
Dear Montessori Community,
Larry Schaefer passed away peacefully on September 29, 2022. He lived 91 years (was in his “92nd year” as he lovingly told his family), and words can’t fully describe his remarkable life and impact on others.
Larry’s professional accomplishments as an educator are far too numerous to catalog, but include founding Lake Country School with his wife of 62 years, Pat Schaefer, which is and will remain a model and influential Montessori learning environment for children ages 2-14, in South Minneapolis. He was one of the visionaries and founders of Great River School, a Montessori Elementary, Junior High and High School in Saint Paul. He earned a PhD and MA in history from Fordham University, as well as BA and MA in education from Fairfield University. He served in the US Navy as an officer from 1955-1958.
Larry became an influential global leader in Montessori education and devoted his professional life, which extended to the day he passed, to Montessori education and, in particular, the unique needs and potential of the adolescent. His reach and influence extends throughout the world, as he taught and lectured throughout North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, New Zealand, and
Australia. His legacy in Montessori education will endure and live on in the hearts and minds of thousands of educators and students he taught, mentored, and inspired.
Visitation Thursday, October 20 from 4:00 to 7:00 pm at Roseville Memorial Chapel (2245 N. Hamline Ave, Roseville). Funeral Mass at 10 am on Friday, October 21 at the Basilica of St. Mary (88 N 17th St, Mpls), with additional visitation at 9 am. The family asks that all attending take appropriate COVID precautions, wear a mask, be vaccinated, test as needed, and join via the livestream, https://mary.online.church, if feeling unwell.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Lake Country Scholarship fund or the Lake Country Land School. Details at www.lakecountryschool.org.
Please join us for a Special GRS Board meeting to review the Equity Audit. Come see the results of several years of work that involved hundreds of people!
Tuesday, October 18th, 2022
6:30 - 8:00 pm
Equity Alliance will be presenting their Equity Audit findings, and that presentation will serve as the official kick off of our year-long strategic planning project.
This event will take place via webinar at:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81527951759?pwd=UUhsNitObHVjUEV3a25GMEZ6V3B1QT09
Webinar ID: 815 2795 1759
For more information, please email Equity and Inclusion Facilitator, Jordan Samejima at jsamejima@greatriverschool.org.
Come join the GRS community for the beloved Harvest Fest from 2-5 this Saturday. There will be lots of good things to eat like stone soup cooked over a fire in a giant cauldron, caramel apples & more! The adolescents will be selling delicious food from the kitchen & wares they made. There will also be a bounce house, face painting, open mic entertainment & more! It’s not too late to volunteer or donate items like apples. We need help minding the soup & apple cider press, painting faces & more! Adolescent students can help, too! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0d49a4a62babf94-20222
BIPOC caregiver meeting TONIGHT, Thursday Oct 6th at 7:45pm via zoom. Any caregiver/s who have students who identify as BIPOC, please come. Email adean@greativerschool.org if you need the link to the meeting.
For future BIPOC caregiver meetings, please email adean@greattiverschool.org if you would like to attend.
Join us for the first official Parent Engagement Group meeting this Tuesday, October 4 from 6-7:30pm. All are welcome to come and learn about PEG, meet ambassadors and other free range volunteers and talk about what fun things we want to plan for the year including Harvest Fest coming up in 2 weeks! We hope to see you there! Any questions please email peg@greatriverschool.org.
Dear GRS students, families, and faculty,
Welcome to the 22-23 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:
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!
In case of urgent communication, you will receive an email directly from David Núñez, Stacey Kreger, or Great River School with more information.
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 October 3. If you do not receive these messages, reach out to office@greatriverschool.org to make sure your contact information is updated!
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!
Who: Any current GRS student
What: Design a fresh logo for Great River School that reflects community themes such as the heron, goats, chickens, water/rivers, our spaces and/or our experiences
Why: To use on limited-edition spiritwear to raise funds for Great River
How: To enter, please send a photo or scan of your design to: kanway@greatriverschool.org by October 24, 2022
Winner will receive a special prize from Holly Bell’s tote AND a free T-shirt with YOUR LOGO!
Hello GRS community,
Over the past month, many of you have added books to the BIPOC reading list below. Thank you so much for your contributions. The BIPOC caregiver group would like to invite you to take some time over the summer to read and explore the stories on this list. You may also continue to contribute to the list, as you read over the summer and desire to share a book that touched your heart, mind, and soul. Below is the book list itself and also a link to add more books to the list. Hope you have a wonderful summer.
Again the purpose of this book list is for the GRS community to share books that they have read about the BIPOC experience.