From the Office of the Principal...

Dear Grainwood Families,

I hope winter break was peaceful and relaxing for you and your family!  As we begin 2011, I want to share with you two Grainwood initiatives you will be hearing about this winter. 

1) To begin with, in early December we launched Power Half Hour (PHH) in grades K-3.  PHH is a 25-30 minute block of time carved out of the school day for reading intervention or enrichment.  As part of the district's adoption of the Response to Intervention (RtI) framework, PHH provides "more" reading instruction for those students who need it, while also providing enrichment reading opportunities for students already at or above grade level standards.  The concept of "more" for each of these groups is a best teaching practice, which we are committed to implementing here at Grainwood!  For more informantion about Response to Intervention, click here for the RtI Guide or check out information about RtI on the district webpage HERE!  Also, please do not hesitate to ask your child's classroom teacher specifically about Power Half Hour at his/her grade level.     

2) Very soon your family will be introduced to Grainwood's "Healthy Snack Cart."  This snack opportunity will be available to your child(ren) beginning late February/early March for a reasonable cost.  The cart will be filled with a variety of healthy snacks (9 choices) from which your child can choose one a day to consume during his/her classroom snack time.  This opportunity is a result of a Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP) Grant awarded to Grainwood at the end of last school year.  Through a school health assessment, provided by Wilder Research (a grant partner), an action plan was developed according to their findings and our needs.  More specific information about this option will be available later this month.  We will also be showcasing the snack items at Family Fun Night on the evening of Thursday, February 3rd.  As was quoted in the Star Tribune on December 19 by Ann Hoxie (St. Paul Public Schools) on their healthy food initiatives, "What we model in school is also teaching.  We're trying to set up the best enviroment for kids."  Grainwood is too! Stay Tuned...

New Year's Day Family Fun Event

Want to spend a fun time outdoors with your children over winter break? Come and join the Prior Lake High School Eco Team for their January fundraiser on Saturday, January 1st from 10:00AM-2:00PM!

The funds raised will support Prior Lake High School student travel to Belize for educational and service opportunities. For more information about the fundraiser, please click HERE.

Community Education January News

To access the Community Education January News brochure, please click on the brochure picture link to the right.

For information or to register please visit the Community Education website http://www.priorlakesavagece.com/ or call 952-226-0800.

Building Security

At Grainwood, security and safety are very important. All staff members are required to wear name badges provided by the school district. Please remember that all visitors and volunteers that come into the building must first report to the office, sign in and wear a Visitor or Volunteer sticker. Our staff have been asked to stop any unidentified adult walking in the building and, if necessary, accompany him/her to the office to state his/her reason for being in the building.

All doors to our building remain locked throughout the school day, except for two of the doors at the main entrance, which are monitored by our office staff. Parents who remove students from school are reminded to come to the office to identify themselves and sign their child out on the Student Sign-Out by Parent sheet.

Geography Bee

The Grainwood Geography Bee is quickly approaching! All 4th and 5th grade students are currently completing written qualifying tests in their classrooms. Top scorers will advance to the school-wide Bee which will be held on January 13th. This event is an oral Bee, which is completed in the same style as a Spelling Bee. The winner will have the opportunity to advance to the Minnesota competition later in the spring. Good luck students!

Wolf Ridge 2010

Three classrooms of fifth graders were greeted by some very excited parents last Friday evening as two charter buses returned to Grainwood with their children. We are very happy to announce that all Grainwood fifth graders participated in this year's annual trip to Wolf Ridge Environmental Learnign Center (ELC). From Monday through Friday, students were engaged in learning activities from dawn to dusk (and beyond), with most classes happening outdoors in the Northern Minnesota woods. Classes included: Outdoor Games, Earth Works, High Ropes Course (a blast!), Weather, Seeds of Change, Forest Ecology, Beaver Ecology, Renewable Energy, White Tailed Deer, Rocks, Basic Winter Survival (outdoors), Beginning Orienteering, Trees and Keys, Owl Pellets, Paper Making, Rock Wall Climbing and Skits (a favorite). Students did not participate in all of these classes, but were able to create a weekly schedule according to their interests.

Please enjoy the slideshow on the front page of the blog and the video below. The slideshow is a compilation of pictures of students, parents, ELC staff and Grainwood staff participating in the events hosted at Wolf Ridge. Thanks to all the parents and staff who contributed to this collection. The video, on the otherhand, was produced by aspiring videographer and Grainwood fifth grader Cole Greenlee. Thanks Cole sharing your perspective and talents.

ELC Video-Fifth Grade Style!

Temperatures hovered in the teens to single digits all week and the scenery was breathtaking. With Lake Superior in the background (very visible while on the high ropes course) and trees blanketed with snow, the site was very much a winter wonderland. Thanks again to all parent chaperones who took time out of their very busy lives to support their own children and all the fifth grade students at Grainwood. This trip could not happen without your help!

Physical Education News

Our 4th and 5th grade volleyball tournaments will be completed by the end of the week.

Our 5th graders here at Grainwood will be going on an all-day field trip to Hyland Hills in Bloomington on Thursday, January 6, 2011. To prepare for the trip, a safety presentation will be given to the 5th graders on Monday, January 3, 2011. At that time they will be talking to the kids about expectations and etiquette while at the ski hill and on the slopes. The kids will be expected to complete the different skill stations before using the chair lift and going to the top of the hills. All of the 5th graders will be expected to attend the field trip for the day. No question about having enough snow this year for our trip! A permission letter and more information will be sent home soon and must be returned by January 3rd.

We are still trying to put Fall fitness scores on Family Access for parents to see. I will keep you informed of the progress.

In January we will be having basketball for all ages and doing some jump rope. Our annual service project for the American Heart Association is coming up in February, "Jump Rope for Heart." Also coming up in late January will be floor hockey. Dressing for the weather will be important in January and February. If Physical Education needs to move from the Gymnasium for some reason, sledding or snowshoeing outside will be the option.

Winter and the Playground

Students will be going outside for recess unless the temperature drops below zero degrees Fahrenheit, calculated using the Windchill Temperature Index.

Students must have snowpants and boots on in order to play in the snow at school. Students without snowpants and boots are limited to playing on the blacktop area.

Keeping track of hats, gloves, boots and even coats can be challenging for our students. It would be very helpful if you could please write your child's name on their outdoor clothing.

If you are missing any items, please remember to check the "Lost and Found" benches in the entryway at school. There are many items in the Lost and Found, so please take a look when you are in the school and claim your lost items.

Getting To School On Time

Please make sure that if you are dropping your child off at school that you do everything to make sure they are on time. Students arriving late are missing out on important learning opportunities. The beginning of the day is an important time when the teachers are setting the stage for learning. It is understood that occasionally there will be times a student may be late. However, please support school expectations by scheduling other activities for your child outside of these hours. According to our elementary attendance procedures, five unexcused tardies are equal to one day unexcused absence.

Please note that your child should not be dropped off at school in the morning before 8:20 AM. Our staff have meetings and classroom preparations and are not available to supervise students who arrive before this time, unless previous arrangements have been made with the staff member.

Grainwood School Store

The school store is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30-8:45AM. Items we sell are very inexpensive, so students should not need to bring any more than $2.00 from home. Students should always check in with their teacher before going to the school store.

To view the price list, click on the school store price list link located to the right of the Grainwood Gab homepage under Grainwood Links.

"DOGGIE-LICIOUS" YUMMY TUMMY SUPREME Dog Biscuits

The students and helpers from Room 262 are selling "DOGGIE-LICIOUS" YUMMY TUMMY SUPREME dog biscuits for the holidays. Quantities are limited, so place your orders as soon as possible. We have a display item in the office along with order forms and information regarding the pick-up date. Please complete the order form and return it to the office along with your $3.00 donation. One order form per bag. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

For a copy of the newsletter, please click HERE.

Toys for Tots

Grainwood Elementary is joining the Prior Lake High School Junior Optimist Club in the annual Toys for Tots drive. The drive will be held at Grainwood Elementary the week of December 6th-10th. Your donations of new, unwrapped toys and games can be dropped off any day during the drive. Toys for all ages will be appreciated. Thank you for your generosity!

Teacher of the Year

Congratulations to Kindergarten teacher, Jessica Pocrnich, for being selected as Grainwood's Teacher of the Year! Jessica has taught Kindergarten in the Prior Lake-Savage School District for eight years. Her time in the district has allowed her to teach Kindergarten at Pond's Edge, Westwood, and now Grainwood. She has enjoyed teaching both half-day and extended-day Kindergarten. She received her undergraduate degree in education from the College of St. Benedict in 2002.

Jessica has served on a variety of committees during her time with the school district. Some of her past committees include SAT, F.I.T., Building Staff Development, and Sunshine. She currently enjoys being a part of the Problem Solving Team and PBIS at Grainwood. She enjoys finding new ways to teach to engage all of her students, often pulling in technology. Her favorite thing about teaching Kindergarten is being a part of each student's growth as they blossom into readers and writers.

Jessica lives in Shakopee with her husband Mike and daughters Abigail (7) and Anna (3). She enjoys traveling with her family and spending time at the family cabin.

Middle School World Language Survey

For parents of current 4th and 5th grade students:

Beginning in the 2011-2012 school year, 6th and 7th grade students will have World Language options to choose from as a result of the new 6-period day schedule. To plan for these changes, we are collecting parent input to help determine which World Language courses should be offered in the future.

Please take a moment to fill out this short, online survey before December 10th: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LBCMKXQ

Grainwood's Choir Concert

Dear Grainwood Choir Families,

I wanted to touch base with all of you regarding our work this fall and our UPCOMING CONCERT!!

It has truly been a pleasure working with all the students this fall. They have arrived each Tuesday morning eager to learn and to sing, what more can a choir director ask for! We have been hard at work plugging away at the basics of learning how to read the music they see each week. For the most part we have spent our time preparing five pieces you will hear at our concert on Thursday, December 16th at 7:00PM in the WestWood Gym. We will be joined by the choir from WestWood and perform two pieces together!

Here are the important details you need to know:

1. Our dress rehearsal will be on Wednesday, December 15th at 1:30PM at WestWood. If you are unable to attend the evening concert on the 16th, please feel free to come for our dress rehearsal. Please check in at the WestWood front office and then proceed to the gym.
2. Have your students dropped off at WestWood on Thursday, December 16th at 6:45PM in the Music room. Make sure they have used the restroom and that they have taken care of any other last minute details beforehand. You may then go and find your seat in the gym.
3. We like the students to dress up a little for the concert. They seem to take it more seriously and we find that when they look better, they perform better. To that end we ask that students wear a dark bottom (i.e., black or navy - no jeans) and a white top. Please do not feel you need to purchase something just for the concert; simply do the best you can.
4. Finally, please join us for some light refreshments following the concert in the WestWood cafeteria.

Please do your best to have your student at these last two morning rehearsals. It is important that the students feel really prepared so they can do their best at their performance. While the 5th graders are at ELC next week, the 4th graders will still rehearse on their own.

I will send home our new schedule starting in January before we leave for winter break. Students will also be receiving their T-shirts in January which we will be wearing at our spring concert. The spring concert will be held at Grainwood with WestWood choir as our guests.

Thank you for giving your student the opportunity to be in choir. Education in the arts is a vital part of a well-rounded education for your children, and music education is one of the most enriching curriculum for all students. BRAVO to you for encouraging their efforts!

See you at the concert!

Musically yours,
Jennifer Jungwirth and Monique Rupp (WestWood Director)

Early Childhood Screening

Do you have a child that will be entering Kindergarten in the 2011-2012 school year? Start preparing for this now! The state of Minnesota, as well as District 719, requires that early childhood screening be completed prior to entry into Kindergarten. Appointments are required for the screenings that take place on selected Tuesdays and Fridays. If your child has not been screened, call (952) 226-0975 to make an appointment. Please feel free to leave a voice message and the early childhood screening scheduler will return your call to assist you in making an appointment. You may also email the screening office at ecscreening@priorlake-savage.k12.mn.us.

Early childhood screening is a comprehensive review of children in three developmental areas as well as a review of their health, immunizations, hearing, vision, speech, height and weight. The actual screening process takes place at Edgewood School, 5304 WestWood Drive, in Prior Lake. The early childhood screening phone number (952-226-0975) may also be called for exemption information if you are conscientiously opposed to screening.

Call or email Early Childhood Screening today!