Laker Spirit Wear

Once again, Grainwood will be taking orders for Laker Spirit Wear (click HERE to view the order form).  Coordinated by our PTC, Laker Spirit Wear is offered as an opportunity for students and staff to purchase Laker items at a reasonable cost.  Laker Spirit Wear forms will also be available at Back-to-School Night on Wednesday, August 29th.  Please make sure all order forms are returned to the Grainwood office by Friday, September 14th.

SPAN (Synergy/Parent Action Network)

SPAN (Synergy/Parent Action Network) is the Prior Lake/Savage chapter of Minnesota Council for the Gifted and Talented (www.mcgt.net).  SPAN hosts meetings throughout the school year with speakers and discussions focused on supporting gifted and talented children.  Please see our website at www.mcgt.net/priorlake; we will be posting our meeting schedule for the school year soon.  Our first meeting will be on Tuesday, October 23 at 7pm in the WestWood Media Center and will focus on our plans for the year as well as how the needs of gifted kids are being met at the elementary schools.  Elementary principals will be in attendance.  Please email Apryl at span@mchsi.com with questions and/or to be included on the SPAN email list.

Grainwood T-Shirts for Sale at Open House

Our Grainwood CARES t-shirts will be for sale at Back-to-School Night this Wednesday! The cost of the t-shirt is $7.00 and examples will be hanging in the gym at the spirit wear table. T-shirts will be on-sale for the entire school year until they are sold out. 

Synergy

Synergy is excited to begin with a new school year upon us. Students, who were identified last spring, received a letter inviting them to participate in Synergy for this school year. Identification is completed district-wide using established criteria. There are two Synergy Specialists working at the six elementary schools. Jane Balow will be working at Five Hawks, Jeffers Pond and Redtail Ridge. Greta Soleim will be covering Glendale, Grainwood and WestWood.

Students will be able to participate in classes such as Word Masters, Math Olympiads, News Currents, Mock Trial, the Stock Market Game and an Engineering class. While these are challenging they are also a good avenue to work with students on the social and emotional aspects of being gifted and talented. In addition, Synergy Specialists will be working with students in math and language arts groups giving them additional challenge connected with their curriculum. These flexible groups are formed primarily through MAP testing performance. Synergy Specialists will also be there to support teachers with differentiating materials. We are looking forward to a fantastic year!

Community Education September News

To access the Community Education September News brochure, please click HERE.

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

New Woodchips are Here! New Woodchips are Here!

The carpets have been cleaned, the bushes and trees trimmed, the office painted and the new woodchips have arrived for the playground.  Cleaning and tidying is almost complete here at Grainwood!  See everyone at Back-to-School Night on August 29!   

Volunteer at the Grant Gunderson Benefit!

Help is needed to fill a few more volunteer positions at the benefit for Grant Gunderson, Grainwood Fifth Grader, this coming Sunday, August 19.  If you are able and willing, please click on following link and sign-up to volunteer!

Volunteer Sign-up HERE

Grant Gunderson Benefit Information HERE

From the Office of the Principal...

As many of your children may be wondering, Teacher Assignment Letters will be mailed to families the week of August 20.  In the mailing will be numerous forms (as in years past).  Please take a moment to fill them out and return to your child's classroom teacher at Back-to-School Night (Wednesday, August 29 from 4:00-6:00 PM) or the first day of school. 

As we approach the beginning of the school year, here is a list of the Grainwood classroom teaching staff and the grade he/she will be teaching in 2012-13:

Kindergarten - Jessica Pocrnich and Lisa Deile
First Grade - Brenda Houck and Annette Peterson
Second Grade - Karen Kennedy, Susan Anderson and Mary Jo Luethmers
Third Grade - Jill Kufrin and Kelly Floden
Third/Fourth Combo - Andrea Swanson
Fourth Grade - Andrea Zack and Jaime Worm
Fifth Grade - Quinn Strait and Michele Perkins

Enjoy the remainder of August!