March 2012 Nurse's Notes

Concussions

“A concussion is a type of brain injury that changes the way the brain normally works. A concussion is caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head. Concussions can also occur from a blow to the body that causes the head and brain to move rapidly back and forth. Even what seems to be a mild bump to the head can be serious.” (CDC, “Heads Up to Schools: Know your Concussion ABCs”) Symptoms may occur immediately, hours or even days after the injury (CDC). Please take the time to peruse the CDC website and the fact sheet below.

Sources: CDC, http://www.cdc.gov/concussion/pdf/Fact_Sheet_ConcussTBI-a.pdf

March is National Nutrition Month

Below are interactive nutrition games the kids can play!

http://www.eatright.org/NNM/content.aspx?id=5334

No School

** REMINDER **

NO SCHOOL for KINDERGARTEN ONLY on Thursday, March 1st and NO SCHOOL for K-5 on Friday, March 2nd.

There is also NO SCHOOL for K-5 on Friday, March 30th and April 2-6 for Spring Break! Enjoy your break!

Camp Invention®

Camp Invention® Returns to Prior Lake!

CALLING ALL INVENTORS! The Camp Invention® program will let your child's imagination soar with our Envision Program on July 9-13th from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm.

Please click HERE for more information on the Camp Invention® program and how to sign-up.

Free Event @ the Science Museum

General Dynamics, along with the Society Of Women Engineers – Minnesota Section is sponsoring a free event at the Science Museum of Minnesota February 26th from 12 – 4 PM. It’s in honor of Engineers Week (Feb 20-24). Please click HERE to see the flyer for more details.

SPAN

The next SPAN meeting will take place on Tuesday March 13 at 7pm in the Prior Lake High School auditorium. We are excited to be hosting a MN Council for the Gifted and Talented CHAT night, titled “College Planning for High-Ability Kids.” Valerie and Donna from College Connectors (www.collegeconnectors.com ) will be our facilitators; they have a wealth of knowledge about colleges from around the country as well as in Minnesota and have guided many students as they look toward college. The discussion will certainly be appropriate for middle and high school parents, but it’s never too early to look ahead, elementary school parents! Please contact Apryl at span@mchsi.com with questions.

Spring Parent/Teacher Conferences

Spring Parent/Teacher Conferences at Grainwood are scheduled for:

Thursday, March 1st (3:30PM-7:30PM)
Friday, March 2nd (7:30AM-11:30AM)
Tuesday, March 6th (3:30PM-7:30PM)

Your child's conference schedule will be sent home listing your conference time. This is an important opportunity to discuss your child's academic and social progress. We look forward to seeing you at conferences in March.

There will be NO SCHOOL for Kindergarten ONLY on Thursday, March 1st and NO SCHOOL for K-5 on Friday, March 2nd.

February Physical Education News

Our 5th grade ski trip to Hyland Hills was a success. The kids were ready for the weather and were able to have a lot of fun on the slopes. Thanks to all for your efforts with this; it was a great experience for the students.

The Physical Education department at Grainwood will be working on their rope jumping. On February 15th the kick-off for the American Heart Association's "Jump Rope for Heart" with the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th graders doing a community service activity raising funds to donate to the American Heart Association. We will be jumping the entire periods for the grades involved at the finale on March 13th. A big thank you in advance to those that helped or will help in one way or another. Please look for information coming home with your student if you have a student in one of the grades participating that would like to participate. We will be trying to encourage the kids, if possible, to do this online if they choose to join in the project. The information provided has simple (even for me) steps to follow to get this going and make a nice web page for helping to do this service project. For more information, please click HERE for the Grainwood Parent Letter and click HERE for Grainwood's Save the Date Online Instructions.

Floor hockey is a major part of February with games for all ages and a tournament for grades 4 and 5 at the end. The tournament is on Friday, February 17th. In Physical Education we will also be talking about the Spring Fitness Test, which will be coming up in April.

Check out the Physical Education's web page to find information that may be helpful to you if you have any questions. Pictures are also posted, along with a calendar for activities happening in Physical Education. Calendar activities are subject to change at a moment's notice. Just a reminder to have the tennis shoes for Physical Education classes.

From,
Mr. Larson, Your Physical Education Teacher

Pennies for Patients

Grainwood's Pennies for Patients drive was a HUGE success! Our school collected $2,230.14 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. With Leukemia being the most common form of cancer in children and young adults less than 20 years old, our school wanted to give to the youth in need. Thank you families, students and staff for giving to this service learning collection. A special congratulations to Mr. Strait's 5th grade class for collecting the most coins, totaling $274.17.

NO SCHOOL

There will be NO SCHOOL on Monday, February 20th for President's Day.

There will also be NO SCHOOL on the following days:
Thursday, March 1st (No School for KINDERGARTEN ONLY)
Friday, March 2nd (No School for K-5)
Friday, March 30th (No School for K-5) - Staff Day
Monday, April 2nd - Friday, April 6th (No School K-5) - Spring Break

Kindergarten Registration

District Wide Kindergarten Registration will be held on Tuesday, February 21st. Parents interested in the half-day Kindergarten program should attend registration at Edgewood School at either 4:30 or 6:30PM. Registration for the Grainwood's extended day Kindergarten program will take place in the Grainwood gym at 6:00PM.

Kindergarten registration packets and parent information were sent out in January. If you did not receive one or know of any neighbors who did not receive this mailing, please notify Edgewood School at (952) 226-0900 so their name may be added to the mailing list.

In addition to the registration forms, parents will also need to bring a copy of their child's birth certificate, immunization record and proof of preschool screening to Kindergarten registration. (If preschool screening took place within our district, a copy of the screening should already be filed with us).

Registration deadline to ensure that we can best provide for family and student needs is March 9, 2012. All registrations must be on site at a district building or be postmarked by March 11, 2012. Extended-Day Kindergarten registrants will be notified of tuition procedures and scholarships on or before April 13th.

Kindergarten early entrance applications are due on or before June 1st. Forms are available in the elementary school offices and at the District Services Center.

We look forward to seeing you on February 21st!

NEW Grainwood T-Shirts for Sale at Family Fun/Literacy Night!

Our NEW Grainwood CARES t-shirts will be for sale at Family Fun/Literacy Night on Thursday, February 9th! The cost of the t-shirt is $7.00. Please stop by Room 253 if you are interested in a Grainwood CARES t-shirt!

MCA Testing

Students at Grainwood Elementary will be taking the required Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs) on the following dates:

February 21 - March 1 - Grades 3 through 5 - Math Testing (Online) Round #1
March 26 - April 20 - Grades 3 through 5 - Math Testing (Online) Round #2
April 16 - April 20 - Grades 3 through 5 - Math Testing (Paper)
April 23 - April 27 - Grades 3 through 5 - Reading Testing (Paper)
April 30 - May 4 - Grade 5 Science Testing (Online)
May 7 - May 18 - Grades 3 through 5 - Math Testing (Online) Round #3

Classroom teachers will be communicating the specific times and dates of the testing schedule to parents and students in the upcoming days. Please arrange appointments so your student is present for testing on these dates. THANK YOU!

Family Fun and Literacy Night

This is a REMINDER about Grainwood's Family Fun and Literacy Night on Thursday, February 9th from 5:00-7:00PM. It will be a Beach Party Theme again this year with inflatables in the gym, games, prize drawings, face painting, pictures, book-making, pizza, cookie and drink ($3.00 a person), a SURPRISE guest reader at 5:30PM (you won't want to miss it!), and much more! The NEW Grainwood t-shirts will also be on sale for $7.00 per shirt. Hope to see you all there and do not forget to wear your Hawaiian clothing to school during the day!

We are looking for volunteers for our Family Fun and Literacy Night on Thursday, February 9th. If you are interested in helping out, please click HERE to sign-up for a time to volunteer. Your help is greatly appreciated!

Parking for Family Fun and Literacy Night - Please use the parking lot in the back of Grainwood. The back door by the playground will be open for you to enter the building. Thank you!

2-Hour Early Release - REMINDER

** REMINDER **

Wednesday, February 8th is a 2-Hour Early Release day for students. Students will be released from school at 1:00PM. Please plan accordingly. Thank you!

Middle School Registration

Sixth grade registration will take place this month. During the week of February 13-17, middle school counselors will be attending the elementary classrooms to talk about registration for sixth grade. Students will be given a registration sheet to fill out and bring back to their 5th grade teacher. Registration guides are also posted on both the Twin Oaks and Hidden Oaks Middle School websites.

There will be a parent information night for families on Monday, February 6, 2012 at 6:30PM in the Twin Oaks Middle School auditorium. All families are welcome to attend. In May, when building placement for sixth grade has been determined for students, the fifth graders will be provided with a tour of their middle school for next year. There will also be an additional parent information night at your child's 6th grade Middle School building.

February 2012 Nurse’s Note

Are you in need of medical or dental services? Are you interested in Healthy Lifestyle Tips? Come check out our Health Services webpage!

http://www.priorlake-savage.k12.mn.us/1684104191658790/site/default.asp

Here are just a few of the great resources available:

* Mobile Health Clinic - Through an exciting, unique partnership with the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, Scott County Public Health has started to provide adult and child health screening, preventative health care, health information and assistance with connecting to ongoing health care and other local resources.

* Ronald McDonald Care Mobile® Dental Clinic

* Give Kids A Smile 2012

* Where to go for care