Happy Holidays!

Dear Grainwood Families,

This week there has been an abundance of positive energy floating around the school.  There is anticipation in the air for both kids and adults.  At our All School Meeting on Tuesday, we were treated to a stellar performance from the Grainwood Choir.  Their song about "misletoe" made us all laugh!  We also recognized our C.A.R.E.S. Students of the Month for Responsibility with a new tradition.  The very next day, those students were invited to eat lunch at the NEW C.A.R.E.S. Hero Table (tablecloth, fake candles, decorations and all.. what a HIT!).  Those recognized could also choose to bring a friend! 

This afternoon, class parties put closure to the week in many rooms. In second grade, their annual gingerbread house building brought out smiles and sticky fingers.  There's nothing like a tub full of frosting and an assortment of candy to make a child happy!  He're a student with his creation:

 
May you and your loved ones have a very safe and Happy Holidays!  We'll see all your children back here at Grainwood on Tuesday, January 3rd!  

Patrick Glynn
Principal

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 952-226-0080.

Physical Education News

Our 5th graders here at Grainwood will be going on an all-day field trip to Hyland Hills in Bloomington on Friday, January 6, 2012. To prepare for the trip, a safety presentation will be given to the 5th graders on Tuesday, January 3, 2012. 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. More information has been sent home and must be returned by Tuesday, January 3.

Winter Break

There will be NO SCHOOL from Friday, December 23 through Monday, January 2 for the Winter Break. School will resume on Tuesday, January 3, 2012. Enjoy your break!

Caps for the CAP Agency

In January the 4th graders at Grainwood will be working on a community service project. In social studies we have been planning a “food drive.” We will be collecting money for the CAP Agency to help them restock the food shelf after the holidays. The CAP Agency would prefer money rather than food donations because for every $1 donated, the CAP Agency can purchase $9 worth of food! Grainwood students who bring a dollar on Friday, January 13th to donate can wear a hat all day at school!

Laker Educational Foundation's "Summer Smash"

The Laker Educational Foundation (formerly the PLSA Educational Foundation) is looking for volunteers to help plan their Summer Smash event this summer. The event, being held downtown and featuring The Guess Who, is sure to be a great time and all proceeds directly benefit learners in our community. Grainwood alone has benefitted from over 10 grants from the Foundation. So, if you enjoy planning and organizing events, or just want to meet more involved people in our community, please contact Martha Hoover at the Foundation, mhoover@integra.net to help.

Wolf Ridge ELC

The fifth graders returned this week to their regular classroom after a fun-filled, active and outdoor week at Wolf Ridge Environment Learning Center.  From morning until night, students, staff and parent volunteers were kept busy in classes (many of them outside) learning about science concepts, environmental education and challenging classmates to take risks.  What a great week!  Please enjoy these few photos representing a few of the most popular activities at ELC!

Rock Wall

Rock Wall Support

Orienteering

Wilderness Survival

Ropes Course

Ropes Course in Action

From the Office of the Principal

Grainwood is looking to hire a Noon Supervisor to begin after the new year.  This is a 2-hour position, approximately 11 AM to 1 PM, on days when students are in school.  If you are an interested GW parent or know of someone looking for this sort of position, please apply online here at the PLSAS district homepage.  Contact Principal Glynn with any questions.

A Reminder From Health Services...

As the holidays get closer and guests arrive, please remember to check your student for head lice before and after holiday break. Information about head lice is available on the Health Services website: http://www.priorlake-savage.k12.mn.us/, click on Services, click on Health Services, click on “Is my child ill…” or “head lice”. If you do not have access to a computer, please call the Health office for a hard copy. Have a great Winter Break!

Health Services

Grades 4/5 Choir Concert

Our Grainwood Choir will perform along with the WestWood Choir on Thursday, December 15th at 7:00 p.m. in the WestWood gym. The fourth and fifth grade choir students will entertain family and friends with an evening of music and fun.

A dress rehearsal concert will be held at 1:30 p.m. on December 15th in the WestWood gym. Parents and guests are invited to attend the dress rehearsal if they are unable to attend the evening performance.

Teacher of the Year

Congratulations to 5th grade teacher, Michele Perkins, for being selected as Grainwood's Teacher of the Year! Michele has taught 5th grade in the Prior Lake-Savage School District for 13 years, and she also taught 1st and 3rd grade at Belgrade Brooten-Elrosa School District for 8 years. Her time in the Prior Lake-Savage School District has allowed her to teach 5th grade at Westwood and now at Grainwood. She received her undergraduate degree in education at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She received her master's degree at St. Scholastica.

Michele has served on a variety of committees during her time with the school district. Some of her past and present committees include PBIS, RtI, Report Card, Sunshine, and Student Council Supervisor. She is also the Prior Lake High School Assistant Cross Country Coach.

Michele lives in Lakeville with her husband, Troy, and her daughters Jaya, who is a freshman at U of M-Crookston and Taylor, who is a junior at Lakeville North High School. She enjoys all sports, reading, and spending time with family.

It's a Boy!

Congratulations to Mrs. Dunham, Art teacher at Grainwood, and her husband Tad on the birth of their baby boy, Austin Peter Dunham, who was born on Friday, November 4th!

Early Childhood Screening

Do you have a child that will be entering Kindergarten in the 2012-2013 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.

SPAN (Synergy/SAGE Parent Action Network)

SPAN (Synergy/SAGE Parent Action Network) will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, January 31st at 7:00 p.m. in the WestWood Media Center. Superintendent Sue Ann Gruver and Curriculum Director Jeff Holmberg will be in attendance to discuss and hear feedback about education of high ability students in our distirct. Please contact Apryl at span@mchsi.com for more information or to be put on the SPAN email list.

December 2011 Nurses Note - Fitness for the Whole Family

If you want active kids, be active yourself. Set a good example! Take the stairs instead of the elevator or park the car farther away from your destination. Talk about physical activity as an opportunity to take care of your body, rather than a punishment or a chore.

To keep your kids interested in fitness, make it fun.

1. Be silly - Let younger children see how much fun you can have while being active. Run like a gorilla. Walk like a spider. Hop like a bunny. Stretch like a cat.

2. Get in the game - Play catch, get the whole family involved in a game of tag or have a jump-rope contest. Try classic movement games such as Simon says or red light, green light. If you don't remember the rules, make up your own!

3. Count your chores - You might even make it a friendly challenge. Who can pull the most weeds out of the vegetable garden? Who can collect the most litter in the neighborhood? Who can shovel the craziest path in the snow?

4. Try an activity party - For your child's next birthday, schedule a bowling party, take the kids to a climbing wall or set up relay races in the backyard.

5. Put your kids in charge - Let each child take a turn choosing the activity of the day or week. Batting cages, bowling and fast-food play areas all count. What matters is that you're doing something active.

More Healthy Lifestyle Tips can be found on the Health Services website:
http://www.priorlake-savage.k12.mn.us/1684104191658790/blank/browse.asp?A=383&BMDRN=2000&BCOB=0&C=67274

Original Article: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fitness/FL00030

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 the week of January 9-13. This event is an oral Bee, which is completed in the same style as a Spelling Bee. The questions cover many areas including physical and cultural geography of the United States and the World. The winner will have the opportunity to advance to the Minnesota competition later in the spring. Good luck students!

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.

Turkeys Turkeys Everywhere!

Grainwood students and staff participated in our annual all-school TURKEY BINGO event yesterday. As Mrs. Wendt and Mrs. Buck called bingo over the school intercom system, students "gobbled" down the hall to get their prize in the office! Kindergarten students also participated in their annual "Thanksgiving Feast" (traditions are a part Kindergarten Social Studies curriculum). Students made and wore pilgrim or Native America hats, produced butter, sampled a variety of traditional Thanksgiving foods and hosted a feast in their grade level hallway. A big thank you to parents who helped prepare and manage the feast! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

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 a.m. 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.

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 5th-9th. 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!

Getting Home Safely

Winter road conditions are here! As the icy roads make driving the buses more of a challenge to the drivers, it's time to review the bus safety procedures.

Each student received training from their classroom teacher and the drivers themselves. Each student took a bus safety test (which State Law requires each to pass). The test and their lessons demonstrate that they understand:

1. Transportation is a privilege and not a right.
2. Danger zones surrounding a school bus.
3. Procedures for safely boarding and leaving the bus.
4. Procedures for safe street and road crossing.
5. School bus evacuation and emergency procedures.

Also with the winter road conditions, it becomes even more important that students monitor themselves so that everyone can have a safe and timely ride to and from school. Thank you for your support and reinforcement of these procedures with your child.

Follow the GRAINWOOD GAB via EMAIL!

As I stated in an earlier post, if you would like to receive all blog information via email, just enter your email address into the field in the upper left corner of the blog homepage titled, "FOLLOW BY EMAIL." Every time an article is posted from school, it will send you an email of that article to keep you most up-to-date on Grainwood information.  (I have been using it for a few weeks now as a test pilot on my own email and it works wonderfully!)  When you sign up, a confirmation email will be sent to you.  Within that email, you must accept and activate the service with one simple click...Easy!

Patrick Glynn
Principal

Teaming Up Against Substance Abuse

In honor of Chemical Health Week, Grainwood students and staff celebrated "Team Jersey Day."  Here's a picture of our weekly C.A.R.E.S. hero ticket winners with their jerseys (and gobbling for the picture)! 

Community Education December News

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

For information or to register please visit the Community Education website at http://www.priorlakesavagece.com/ or call 952-226-0080.

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.

No School

There will be NO SCHOOL on Wednesday, November 23rd, Thursday, November 24th and Friday, November 25th for the Thanksgiving Break. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Parent's Night Out

The winter holidays are just around the corner and many of us still have things to do. Still looking to go out and buy a few presents? Or simply want a Friday night out? National Honors Society will be hosting a Parent’s Night Out at Prior Lake High School on December 9th at 6pm to 10pm. Parent’s Night Out is open to children in kindergarten and up. Pre-registered, your first child’s care will cost $15 and each additional child’s care will cost $10. Pre-registration is due to your child’s school by December 1st. If you miss the pre-registration date, you can sign up at the door. The price will be elevated to $20 for the first child and $15 for each additional child. Have students bring permission slips and money into school. Permission slips can be found on the Prior Lake Website, through emails, and are going home with each child. Happy Holidays!

School Closing

For information on emergency school closings or delayed starts, tune into WCCO radio (830 AM) & TV (channel 4), KARE 11 TV (channel 11), KSTP-TV (channel 5), KMSP/FOX TV (channel 9) and also KCHK radio (1350 AM).

The announcement would indicate that all Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools are closed or beginning late. If for any reason school would need to close early, the message would be similar. Officials attempt to make this decision as early as possible in the morning. The message will also run on the school district website, http://www.priorlake-savage.k12.mn.us/, parent emails are sent and phone calls are made to parents via our rapid-dial phone system.

Grainwood School Lunches Go Homemade & International

Grainwood food service staff has been spicing up the lunch menu to familiarize students with ethnic foods and homemade meals. We make a variety of ethnic meals throughout the month. For the past two years, we have rolled out new meals using Indian, Thai, Persian, Mexican, Italian, Greek and many other recipes. In addition to all the recipes above, we are very excited to introduce our students to Russian food in the month of November. Please join us for lunch Friday, November 18, for Russian Borscht Soup and Piroshky Potato Bread. We also encourage parents to come join their students for lunch anytime. Keep checking the menu for new and old favorites!

Report Cards

The first quarter ended on Thursday, November 10th. Teachers will complete report card work on Friday, November 11th, which is not a school day for students. Student Report Cards will be posted to Family Access on Wednesday, November 16th.

1. To access the report cards, go to the District or Grainwood web-site, click on Family Resources and then click on Family/Student Access. You must have your username and password to log in and view the report card for your child. If you are new to the system or have forgotten your username and password, there is a link to assist you.

2. Select Report Cards from the left-hand column under General Information.

3. You can open or save the report card as a PDF for viewing or printing.

Any families who do not have access to e-mail or internet will get a paper copy sent home with their child on November 16th.

Please call the school with any questions or concerns at 952-226-0300.

Notes from the Office...

ATTENDANCE
If your student is absent or going to be late, please be sure to call our 24-hour Attendance Line in the morning: 952-226-0301.

STUDENT PICK-UP
When students are not getting picked up in a timely manner at the end of the school day (3:00PM), they will be taken to Kid's Company for supervision. Our work day ends at 3:30PM and the office staff and teachers end their day at that time. The child's parent/guardian will need to sign them out at Kid's Company and will be responsible to pay a fee for their child's attendance.

WINTER IS COMING...
Please talk with your child about the importance of coats, hats and mittens to stay warm in this frozen tundra that we live in. You would be surprised how many attempt to go without their outerwear at recess and when heading to the buses.

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

PTC Update #2

The Grainwood PTC had its 2nd meeting of the year last month. There was a Fall fundraiser update, coordinator reports, and the third grade teachers were present to share an update on what had been going on in classrooms.


The Chip Shoppe fundraiser was again a success and the funds raised will go to benefit the students, staff, and activities at Grainwood. Thank you to all who participated and picked up your items during Math Night on November 3rd.

As reported earlier, a few of the other elementary schools were in discussions about the possibility of organizing a “mini” version of the PTC Carnival. A decision was made by the Grainwood PTC to explore other ideas for a spring fundraiser for this year and revisit the carnival idea for next school year. A possible idea is to have a Walk-a-Thon and more discussion will occur over the next few months on this possible fundraiser.

Our next meeting will be held Tuesday, November 15th from 6:30-8pm in the Grainwood Conference Room. We invite you to join us to hear about what is happening at Grainwood from the principal, the teachers and the parents, as we all strive to meet the needs of Grainwood's students.

Erin Penne
Grainwood PTC Vice-President

Minnesota Chemical Health Week

The week of November 14th-18th we will be recognizing Minnesota Chemical Health Week (MCHW). This is an annual event that focuses on the effects of using drugs and alcohol. Throughout the district, different schools will be participating in various activities related to this event in order to heighten the awareness of substance abuse. At Grainwood, students will have the opportunity to participate in short classroom activities related to chemical health. The theme for Grainwood's Chemical Health Week is..."Team Up Against Drugs."

Below are happenings for the week:

Wednesday, November 16th is Wear Red Day. Students and staff are encouraged to wear red on this day.

Friday, November 18th is Team Jersey Day. In honor of Teaming Up Against Drugs, everyone is encouraged to wear their favorite sports jersey.

American Education Week

American Education Week is the week of November 14th-18th. We have wonderful teachers here at Grainwood! Celebrate their dedication to your child/children by sending them a note, letting them know they are appreciated. Thank you teachers for all of your hard work!

From the Office of the Principal...

Greetings Grainwood Families,

I want to thank the 73 students and the additional family members who participated in Math Night last Thurday evening.  (The pictures are from the event.) There were primary games in the cafeteria (with Mr. Larson at the helm of the popcorn machine), intermediate level games in the conference room and bingo in the art room.  Thanks also to the teaching staff for coordinating this event and collecting take-home bags for all participants.  We hope you found it convenient to participate and pick-up your student's fundraising products for delivery too!  (A big thanks goes out to Kim Frantz, GW parent, for coordinating the fundraiser this year!  Thanks Kim!)  Both events were purposely planned together to make things easier for everyone.  Lastly, congrats to our student raffle winners.  25+ math games were given away for prizes to student attendees Friday Morning! 

There was also a tremendous turnout of Grainwood families at Davanni's this past Monday night.  Thanks to those families who found time in their busy schedules for a dinner night-out.  A special thanks to the GW students who helped clear tables, deliver food, put together pizza boxes and even make announcements.  With the recent "Grainwood Day at Edelweiss" raising $200 (Thank you Mark Bowles for all your support), all proceeds from both events will go towards the GW Healthy Snack Program! 

One last thing...As you shop this holiday season or regularly throughout the year, I wanted to pass along an another opportunity for families to contribute to GW.  Check out the link www.btfe.com/marketplace to earn eBoxTops as part of the BoxTops for Education program.  It is another way to collect and dedicate BoxTops to Grainwood!  Sign-up is easy.  Just follow the directions on by clicking on the link!  Thank you for your support of Grainwood! 

 

P.S.  If you would like to receive blog posts via your email, just enter it in the field in the upper left corner of the blog page titled, "FOLLOW BY EMAIL."  What an easy way for families to receive blog posts via email the moment they are posted!

Wolf Ridge ELC

For those of you who have 5th graders, it is no surprise that they are headed north for a terrific week long field trip from December 5th -9th. All 5th graders, their teachers and parent chaperones will head north along the beautiful North Shore to Finland, MN to Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center for a week long experience.

As the 5th graders are busy getting ready for their exciting trip to ELC, if you have any items you wish to donate such as winter boots, long underwear, sweatpants, sleeping bags or other items for those who do not have the supplies needed, please contact Cheryl Wendt, our Social Worker, by Tuesday, November 22nd at 952-226-0367.

NO SCHOOL - FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11th

This is just a friendly reminder that there is NO SCHOOL for K-5 students on Friday, November 11th as it is a Staff Day for teachers to prepare report cards. Enjoy your day off!

The Limo Ride!

Students Grades K-5 who sold 25 or more items for the school fund raiser qualified for a limo ride and pizza lunch today. The limo transported three different groups of students around town.  Here are few pictures of students enjoying the ride!

Daylight Savings Time

Don't forget to "Fall Back" your clocks on November 6th - Daylight Savings Time Ends!

Synergy/SAGE Parent Action Network (SPAN)

SPAN (Synergy/SAGE Parent Action Network) will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, November 29th at 7:00 p.m. in the WestWood Media Center. Middle school principals Dan Edwards and Sasha Kuznetsov will be in attendance to discuss and hear feedback about Middle School Advanced Programming. Please contact Apryl at span@mchsi.com for more information or to be put on the SPAN email list.

REMINDER - 2-Hour Early Release

** REMINDER **

Wednesday, November 2nd is a 2-HOUR EARLY RELEASE for K-5 students. All students will be released at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 2nd.

November 2011 Nurses Note

In June of 2011 the federal government revealed its new food icon MyPlate. It was designed to help consumers make healthier food choices. The MyPlate logo emphasizes the vegetables, fruit, protein, grains and dairy food groups. The Obesity Task Force identified that consumers needed simple, actionable advice. MyPlate replaces the old Food Pyramid with an easy to understand visual symbol. You can go to http://www.choosemyplate.gov/ for some more practical, user-friendly nutrition information.

Another great Nutrition resource for parents is Parenting A-Z. Check out this website for “Trusted parenting resources and activities to help your child grow, develop and learn from birth through high school.” http://parentsknow.state.mn.us/parentsknow/gradeK_8/topicsAZ/PKDEV_000471

(Sources http://www.choosemyplate.gov/, http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/MyPlate/PressRelease.pdf, http://parentsknow.state.mn.us/parentsknow/index.html)

Reminder - If your child is not feeling well, please keep them home for the following:

1. If the student has had a fever of 100 degrees or more, the student should stay home for 24 hours after the temperature returns to normal without medication.
2. If the student has vomited or had diarrhea, he/she should stay home until 24 hours after the last episode.
3. If the student has any rash that may be disease-related or the cause is unknown, check with your health care provider before sending him/her to school.
4. If the student has open/draining skin sores, or inflamed/draining eyes or ears the student should stay home until seen by your health care provider.

For information on additional childhood conditions, please check “Is My Child Ill?” on the Health Services website.

A Little Fall Harvet Dress-Up FUN!

In honor of our famous custodian Manny, today staff dressed as him!  What a treat!  He was very surprised!

The Giving Tree

During the month of November, Grainwood will be collecting items for the many children of need attending an elementary school in Brooklyn Center. In our foyer we have a Giving Tree that is strung with paper leaves that have needs written on them. These needs include mittens, tennis shoes, snowpants, boots, etc. New and gently used are accepted, and mainly younger ages are needed. Classrooms will choose a leaf and then are asked to bring in their donations by Nov. 23rd. Over Thanksgiving break, the items will be brought to the contact person at the school and distributed before December. Thank you ahead of time for any contributions you are able to make.

Chip Shoppe Delivery

Chip Shoppe delivery will be on Thursday, November 3rd from 3:00-7:00 p.m. in the gym.

CLIMB Theater

CLIMB Theater will be coming to Grainwood on Monday, November 7th. There will be two different plays being performed for the students:

(1) "The Huggertree" will be performed for K-2 students
(2) "Claudia Verses the Trashinator" will be performed for Gr. 3-5 students.

The plays concern the environment and examines the concepts of conservation, reducing, reusing, and recycling.

Click HERE to view "The Huggertree" flyer to learn more about the play.
Click HERE to view "Claudia Verses the Trashinator" flyer to learn more about the play.

Pumpkins Pumpkins EVERYWHERE!

The fifth grade annual "decorate a pumpkin" event is on at Grainwood again this year. All sorts of unique themed pumpkins line our main hallway for display to students and staff. Opinions and comments have been plentiful and very respectful. If you do not have a chance to see them in person, please enjoy the following attached pictures. What a simple way for students to show their creativity!

Grainwood Day at Edelweiss

Grainwood Elementary invites family members and friends to Edelweiss Bakery for year number two of "Grainwood Day at Edelweiss." 10% of all in-store sales of any menu items purchased on Saturday, October 29 will be donated to the Grainwood Elementary Activities Fund and Healthy Snack Program.

Come out and see classmates and Grainwood families while enjoying the delicious Edelweiss bakery goods. A big thank you to Mark and Julie Bowles, owners of Edelweiss, for their support!

REMINDER - Picture Retake Day on Wed., Oct. 26th

** REMINDER **

Picture retakes will be on Wednesday, October 26th. The student's packet of unwanted pictures must be returned on retake day if you would like new pictures taken.

If your student was absent on our first picture day, please let your child's teacher know, so a packet of picture options can be sent home for you.

The photos taken will also be used in our annual yearbook.

Raz-Kids

Hello Grainwood Families!

Students in 1st through 5th grade are excited to now have access to a wonderful world of books through www.raz-kids.com. Grainwood has subscribed to the online library of exciting reading materials so students can access these materials from school and from home. Raz-Kids helps students improve their reading skills as they listen to a book read for modeled fluency. Then, they can read the book to themselves or aloud for practice. Interactive quizzes at the end of each book help check for student’s understanding of the content. Completing each activity earns stars that students use in an animated Raz Rocket room of their own. Teachers whose students’ worked with Raz-Kids last year reported that students found it engaging and motivating.

After students have the opportunity to practice using this program at school, your child’s classroom teacher will send home an introductory letter and a copy of your child’s username and password. Many teachers may have done this at conferences. For those who have not, it should be coming home soon. We want to encourage families to log on and count time on www.raz-kids.com as independent reading minutes.

For individual questions about Raz-Kids please feel free to contact your child’s classroom teacher. Happy reading to all!

Family MATH Night

Family MATH Night at Grainwood is happening Thursday, November 3rd, from 5:00-7:00 p.m. Come spend time playing math games with family members or other students. The games, an important component of our Everyday Math curriculum, help sustain and enrich math skill development for your child. Prizes, popcorn and take-home materials will be available. Join the fun and pick-up your fundraising orders in the gym on the same night!

NO SCHOOL - REMINDER

This is just a reminder that there will be NO SCHOOL for K-5 from Wednesday, October 19th to Friday, October 21st for MEA break. Enjoy your time off!

Tuesday, October 18...Book Fair LAST DAY!

Just a reminder that the Grainwood Book Fair's last day is tomorrow, October 18. The Media Center will be open for sales from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Thanks!

Fall Harvest Activities - October 31st

As the end of the month approaches, classrooms will be preparing for their annual Fall Harvest Celebrations. We ask that District guidelines are followed regarding students who choose to wear costumes. Costumes are not allowed that depict violence, have weapons, blood, etc. Costumes also need to be culturally sensitive. Please no hair dye or face paint too!

Specific information regarding costumes and classroom activities will be communicated by each classroom teacher.

Alternative activities will be provided for students if parents find any of the Fall Harvest Celebration events to be objectionable. If you wish to have alternative activities prepared for your child, please send a note to your child's classroom teacher ASAP. This will allow him/her to plan accordingly. Thank you!

Disability Awareness Day - October 25th

On Tuesday, October 25th, students at Grainwood Elementary will have the opportunity to meet and take part in a book reading and presentation by local author Barb Kavan. Barb is the Special Education Coordinator and currently on leave from Prior Lake Schools. Barb and Stefan's book is based on a true story and is an inspiring book for all. Trainman was awarded an Honorable Mention in the 2010 New England Book Festival contest.

Trainman can be purchased for $16.00. Barb and Stefan will happily sign the book for your child. Checks can be made out directly to Barb Kavan and turned in to the Grainwood office.

To view the Trainman flyer, please click HERE.

Kindergarten Live!...Grainwood Open House

A general Open House for all 2012-13 Kindergarteners and their families will be held at each district elementary school on Thursday, November 17th from 10:00-10:45 AM or 6:15-7:00 PM. Tours and information will be provided as well as an opportunity for children to experience story time and the Kindergarten classroom. Please help us spread the word to families of incoming Kindergartners who may be wondering what Grainwood or our other elementary schools have to offer. We look forward to seeing our future students and families.

For more information regarding Kindergarten Live, please click HERE.

Parent/Teacher Conferences

Parent/Teacher Conferences are scheduled for:

Thursday, October 13th - 3:30-7:30PM
Friday, October 14th - 7:30-11:30AM
Tuesday, October 18th - 3:30-7:30PM

A reminder notice indicating the time of your conference will be sent home.

The purpose of this fall conference is to gather information regarding your child's educational strengths, interests and needs. Then, appropriate goals will be identified for your child so he/she can have the best year possible.

Frequently Dialed Extensions

Attendance (24 Hrs).....................................226-0301
Main Number.................................................226-0300
Health Office...................................................226-0306
Community Ed...............................................226-0080
Kids Company................................................226-0090
P.L.A.Y............................................................220-6055
or http://www.playinfo.org/
District Office.................................................226-0000
Transportation...............................................226-0050
Bus Dispatch...................................................440-1166

You may access the Grainwood website at http://www.priorlake-savage.k12.mn.us/
Go to: Schools then Grainwood
Information includes: Teacher Web Pages, e-mail addresses, lunch menus, and much more.

October School Breaks

There will be NO SCHOOL on the following days in October:

No School for KINDERGARTEN ONLY - Thursday, October 13th
No School for K-5 - Friday, October 14th
No School for K-5 - October 19th - 21st (MEA Break)

Grainwood's Book Fair

The Book Fair dates and times are:

Thursday, October 13th (8:30 a.m. - 7:15 p.m)
Friday, October 14th (8:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.)
Monday, October 17th (8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.)
Tuesday, October 18th (3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.)

Students and families will also be able to purchase books through an Online Book Fair beginning September 28th and ending October 18th. To access the Online Book Fair please go to http://www.scholastic.com/schoolbookfairs/2882368. Check out Grainwood's new Book Fair homepage at http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/grainwood to learn more about it.

We are still in need of parent volunteers to help. If you would like to assist with the fair, please click on the Scholastic picture at the top of the Grainwood blog page to sign-up. Thank you to Becky Bartusek, Book Fair Coordinator, for making volunteering so easy!

REMINDER-Fundraising Orders are DUE!

Just a reminder that Chip Shoppe fundraising orders are due to the Grainwood office by Tuesday, October 4th. This is the final return date, for orders will be placed that afternoon. Thanks a million to the parent volunteers who have been here already preparing the orders! This is Grainwood's largest fundraiser of the year and goes directly to students supporting activities, interventions and enrichments. Thank you for participating!

Watch School Board Meetings on the Web

Our webcasting technology provides parents with convenient access to live and archived streaming of school board meetings through its website. For more information: http://bit.ly/ergIf2

Baby News...

Congratulations to Mrs. Worm and her husband, Phil, on the birth of their new baby girl, Hadley Jennifer! Hadley was born on July 22, 2011. She weighed 9 lbs. and was 21 inches long.

October 2011 Nurses Note

Seasonal Flu - Find a Flu Clinic
Go to http://www.health.state.mn.us/cgi-bin/idepc/fluschedule/fluclinic_search.cgi or Scott County Public Health for the walk in immunization clinic http://www.co.scott.mn.us/HelpingPeopleHealth/PublicHealth/Pages/Immuniz%20%20Clinic%20Flyer%202010.pdf

Screenings
Screenings will begin soon and continue throughout the school year. This year, vision screening will be done for 1st and 4th grade; hearing screening for 1st and 3rd grade; and 3rd grade students will have weight and height measured and BMI (Body Mass Index) calculated (once BMI's are completed parents may then access this information via Family Access). Please call your school's health office if you have concerns or questions regarding screening, if you do not wish to have your child screened, and anytime you have concerns about your student's health.

Head Lice Information
As always please remember to check your student for head lice periodically throughout the year. Information about head lice is available on the Health Services website: http://www.priorlake-savage.k12.mn.us/, click on Services, click on Health Services, click on Head Lice Information and Head Lice Q & A. If you do not have access to a computer, please call the Health office for a hard copy.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Grainwood's Media Center Change Drive

The Media Center will be running a Change Drive October 3-7. The class that collects the most change will get to use that money for books for their classroom. In addition to this, the winning class will get to check out one additional book from the library all year. If they normally are allowed two books, they'll be able to take three all year! The rest of the funds collected will go towards books that everyone can enjoy in the Media Center. This program is part of the Scholastic One for Books promotion which matches the money we collect and donates it to organizations such as Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. Please contact Jo Abraham at 651-214-8348, with any questions!

Grainwood Picture Day-REMINDER

Just a friendly reminder that picture day at Grainwood is scheduled for Friday, September 30th.

Picture Retake Day at Grainwood is scheduled for Wednesday, October 26th. We will also be offering spring pictures and yearbooks for sale later this school year.

Synergy/SAGE Parent Action Network (SPAN)

SPAN is the Synergy/SAGE Parent Action Network. SPAN hosts meetings throughout the school year with speakers and discussions focused on supporting gifted and talented children. Please see the district calendar for our meeting schedule. All are welcome! Our first meeting will be on Tuesday, October 25th from 7:00-8:30 p.m. in the WestWood Media Center. Please contact Apryl at priorlakesavage@mcgt.net with questions.

Volunteers for Creating Green Spaces Needed

No 'green thumbs' necessary! Did you know Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools are leaders in the state for Environmental Education? Did you know that we are also leaders in the state for green spaces and outdoor classrooms? We are so fortunate to have all that we do, but this isn't possible without folks like you!

We need help with many random tasks including (but definitely not limited to) cutting trees, removing buck thorn, spreading wood chips, weeding gardens, building dock sections, prairie maintenance, building displays, and so much more... We'd love help from individuals, student groups or adult groups. Every school has different needs. If you are interested in assisting us with these projects, please contact Cara Rieckenberg, Environmental Education Coordinator at 952-226-0031 or crieckenberg@priorlake-savage.k12.mn.us.

Community Education October News

To access the Community Education October 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.