Kindergarten LIVE!

Last Thursday morning and evening the district welcomed families of our future kindergarten students to an open house.  Nearly 300 families visited the elementary schools and kindergarten center throughout the district! Students and families had the chance to see the kindergarten rooms in action, tour the school and I had the privilege of reading them a story: A Place Called Kindergarten.  Oh, the excitement on their faces!  The annual Kindergarten Options meeting will be hosted this week, Tuesday, February 1, at Prior Lake High School in the Auditorium beginning at 7 PM.  Kindergarten registration in the individual buildings is scheduled for Tuesday, February 22.  Grainwood's event will begin at 6 PM that evening!

Healthy Snack Program

Beginning Monday, February 28, Grainwood is launching its NEW Healthy Snack Program for students (Grades 1-5) and staff. For a minimal cost, approximately .28 cents per day, your child can choose one item from our Healthy Snack Cart to eat during his/her classroom snack time each day.
This initiative is possible because of a Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP) Grant that Grainwood received last spring. (You may have read about it in my blog.) Through an assessment by Wilder Research, a SHIP partner, recommendations for Grainwood pointed to a healthy snack option to better support the education of good nutrition and healthy snack choices at school. Our Healthy Snack Program will help to encourage a 5-A-Day habit, which research has shown that 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day are the minimum required for good health.

Besides fruits and vegetables, other healthy options will also be offered: cheese, crackers/pretzels, yogurt, applesauce, raisins, granola/cereal bars, eggs and more (most likely 9 different options a day). Because we are purchasing these items in bulk, all savings are passed along to families and reduce the cost per student. During Grainwood’s Family Fun/Literacy Night on Thursday, February 3 (5-7 PM), you will have the opportunity to view a variety of our snack options. Registration will also take place that evening too.

If you would like to register your child for Grainwood's Healthy Snack Program, please fill out the registration form sent home with your child on Monday, Janaury 31, or click on the link HERE to print off a new copy.  The total cost per student is $18.00 for the remainder of the school year and registration will be accepted throughout the month on February.

We hope that you take the opportunity to save a few dollars, enjoy the convenience of a school-provided snack, and allow us the opportunity to provide a “top-notch” nutrition choice for your child at snack time.(Due to already established Kindergarten snack routines this year, Kindergartners will be offered the opportunity to participate starting next fall.)

Celebrate Valentine's Day Early with a Parent's Night Out

The PLHS EcoTeam is sponsoring a "Parent's Night Out" on Saturday, February 12th from 6:00PM - 10:00PM at the McColl Pond ELC, Community Park in Savage.

The funds raised will help support the PLHS EcoTeam student's travel to Belize for educational and service opportunities.

For more information and to sign up, please click HERE.

Show 'em the LOVE!

Do you have a band instrument lurking in your basement, in a closet, or under the bed? If it hasn’t seen use in a while, let a bright-eyed, young, musician-in-training breathe life back into it! By donating that instrument during February’s Show ‘em the Love Instrument Drive you’ll greatly help students, will free up some valuable storage space, and will receive a tax-deductible donation receipt.

Twin Oaks and Hidden Oaks band enrollment is up – way up – and that’s a beautiful thing. Larger instruments such as baritones, French horns, and tenor saxes are not able to be transported on buses for safety reasons and therefore, it is necessary for students and families to make alternative arrangements. And, of course, with current economic stresses for many families, it’s all the more important for the band programs to have instruments available for students.

All band instruments will be lovingly welcomed!

Please bring your instrument(s) to either Twin Oaks or Hidden Oaks main offices, during normal school hours. The building secretaries will receive those donations and handle the receipts.

Community Education February News

To access the Community Education February 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 952-226-0800.

Incoming 6th Grade Parent Information Night

There will be a Parent Information Night for all incoming 6th grade families on Thursday, February 10th at 6:00PM in the Twin Oaks Middle School Auditorium. All families are welcome to attend.

During the week of February 14th, middle school counselors will be attending the 5th grade classrooms to talk about registration for 6th grade. Students will be given registration materials at that time.

Please contact either Twin Oaks Middle School or Hidden Oaks Middle School with any questions regarding registration for next year.

Grainwood 2010-2011 Yearbooks

Remember to order your Grainwood 2010-2011 Yearbook! The deadline to order is Friday, January 28th. The cost of the yearbook is $16.00. Please make payments to Grainwood Yearbook.

Our yearbook is planned to include:
1. All color yearbook that vibrantly captures school memories.
2. Sturdy soft cover with protective coating to preserve your keepsake.
3. School name and year imprinted in foil on the cover.

Please get your orders in by Friday, January 28th if you are interested in purchasing a Grainwood 2010-2011 Yearbook!

Grade 1-2-3 Music Program

Grainwood's 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade music program will be held on Friday, February 18, 2011.

If your child is in room 244-Holst, 246-Houck, 270-Kettunen, 272-Pavek, and 273-Kufrin-(3rd graders only) he/she will perform at 10:00AM. If your child is in room 245-Luethmers, 253-Kennedy, 260-Anderson, and 274-Rockler he/she will perform at 2:00PM.

The children have been working hard to get ready for their concert. The theme for the choir concert is Crazy About Critters. We hope to see you there!

Geography Bee

On Thursday, 16 Grainwood fourth and fifth graders participated in our annual Geography Bee. There were seven rounds of questions and each participant was asked one question in each of the seven rounds of competition (much like a spelling bee). Questions ranged from choosing between United State's cities and states, to providing answers related to continents and other countries. Congratulations go out to fifth grader Abby for winning the competition. Abby will now take a written test and the 100 top scorers in the state will advance to a state competition later this year. We wish her the best!

Science Night Live

For the fourth consecutive year, ISD 719 Community Education Services is hosting a series of science related speakers and presentations perfect for the entire family. Possible programs include Energy and Entomology. Presentations run from 7:00-8:30PM in the Prior Lake High School Auditorium. Events are being planned for the following dates: Thursday, January 27th and Tuesday, April 19th. Watch for more information to come home in backpacks, or call Jenny Nagy at 952-226-0085.

Kindergarten Registration

A District Wide Kindergarten Options meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 1st from 7:00-8:00PM at the Prior Lake High School Auditorium.

District Wide Kindergarten Registration will be held on Tuesday, February 22nd. Registration information will be sent in the mail to district families whose children turn 5 years old on or before September 1, 2011. Please notify the Grainwood office if you are new to our attendance area or if you do not receive the Kindergarten information.

NO SCHOOL & EARLY RELEASE

There will be NO SCHOOL on:
Monday, January 17th - Staff Inservice
Monday, February 21st - President's Day

We will have a 2-Hour Early Release on Wednesday, February 9th (out at 1:00PM).

Skiing at Hyland Hills

Today Grainwood physical education teacher John Larson (and staff) took all the fifth graders skiing at Hyland Hills in Bloomington.  All students in attendance took advantage of the beautiful winter weather and hit the slopes.  All students received a lesson from trained instructors early in the day.  As they passed their tests as independent skiers, onto the hills they went!  Here's a little clip of the day!

NEW Grainwood T-Shirts For Sale!

The NEW Grainwood T-shirts are now for sale to all students at the school store, which is open Tuesday and Thursday mornings.  (If you look closely, we have embeded the C.A.R.E.S. theme as new language surrounding the circle.)   T-shirts cost of $5.00 and examples of them are available in the Grainwood office and also hang in the school store window. 

E is for Empathy!

Before winter break, students and staff enjoyed another video lesson from our Grainwood C.A.R.E.S Heros.  Here is our latest video!

E is for Empathy!

Kindergarten Live!...Grainwood Open House

A general Open House for all 2011-12 Kindergarteners and their families will be held at each district elementary school on January 27th from 10:15-11:00 AM and again at 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.

Give Kids a SMILE

Dear Parents or Guardians:

Minnesota dental professionals are concerned about the growing number of low-income children who face barriers to dental care. That’s why thousands of dental professionals come together on the first Friday and Saturday of February to provide free dental care to children in need.

This special event is called “Give Kids a Smile” and is coordinated by the Minnesota Dental Association. The dental care will be available in community-based clinics and private practices in many locations throughout Minnesota.

Click HERE for more information.

EXCITING NEWS!

Prior Lake-Savage Community Education and the Special Education Advisory Council have teamed up to get the word out about requesting reasonable accommodations for students who have special needs and wish to participate in Community Education's exciting offerings. As part of this initiative, they are offering new inclusion classes! These classes are open to all youth in the appropriate age range but will offer an additional special education savvy staff person to assist in meeting the needs of exceptional learners. Just look for the SEAC logo in the Community Education winter catalog. To enroll for these classes or discuss accommodations for other Community Education activities, contact Carrie Dobie at 952-226-0088.