Grainwood CARES Students of the Week

Way to go CARES heroes!

Lost & Found

Missing something? 

Our lost and found is very full!  If you are missing hats, mittens, sweatshirts, etc...please take a moment to look in our lost and found or encourage your child to look during the school day, with their teacher's permission.

Winter Concert

The Grainwood and Westwood Choirs met again for their annual combined winter concert last Thursday. All their hard work and rehearsal time paid off with a most entertaining production!

Hibernation Day - Friday December 20th!

Come to school dressed to hibernate this Friday, December 20th!
Wear your comfy PJ's or lounge clothes.

CARES Students of the Week

CARES Students of the week!

Winter Break

There will be no school from Monday, December 23 - Wednesday, January 1st for Winter Break.
School will resume on Thursday, January 2.  Enjoy your break!

Grainwood Giving Tree

If you're looking for a meaningful gift idea for your child's teacher or special staff member, please stop by the Giving Tree.  Located in our front hallway, it is decorated with special "ornaments" that are unique to each teacher/staff member.  Each staff member has written down a gift idea or item they are in need of on each of their ornaments.  You may take the ornament of your choice as a reminder.

What a meaningful and conveinent way to thank that special teacher/staff member in your child's life!

CogAT Testing for all 2nd Graders

All second graders who currently attend Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools will take the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) with their second grade class during the week of January 6-10, 2014.
The CogAT is a group test which appraises the cognitive development of students and requires students to demonstrate their reasoning abilities in verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning and nonverbal reasoning.
Students will prepare for the CogAT during the month of December and after break in early January.
CogAT practice tests are also available on the district webpage.

The CogAT is one criteria used to determine admission into Gifted and Talented programming, such as the Elementary Synergy program and SAGE Academy - which is a school within a school that provides full-time gifted programming to students in grades 3,4 and 5.

Students currently enrolled in grades 3 and 4 in Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools who are interested in SAGE academy may retake the CogAT if they meet the MAP testing criteria and are recommended for placement by their teachers or parents.

Students who are not currently attending PLSAS schools will also have the opportunity for CogAT testing on Saturday, January 11th at 10:00 a.m. and on Tuesday, January 14th at 10:00 a.m. at WestWood Elementary school.  Please refer to the SAGE Academy website for additional information/forms.

Please contact Pam Winfield, Program Coordinator and WestWood Principle with any specific questions at 952-226-0400.

Early Childhood Screening for 2014-15 Kindergarteners is Required

If you have a child entering kindergarten for the 2014-15 school year, please plan for and schedule their early childhood screening appointment.  The state of MN, as well as the Prior Lake-Savage school district, requires early childhood screenings be completed before kindergarten.  Appointments are required and take place on select Tuesdays and Fridays.  You can call (952)-226-0975 or email ecscreening@priorlake-savage.k12.mn.us to make an appointment.  Children can be screened as early as age 3.

Early childhood screening is a comprehensive review of children in three developmental areas as well as a review of the general health, immunizations, hearing, vision, speech, height and weight.
All screenings take place at Edgewood School, 5304 WestWood Drive, Prior Lake.  The phone number listed above can also be called for exemption information if you are opposed to screening your child.

December Nurse's Note

December 2013

Nurses Note

Please be sure that your child is dressed for outside recess. Remember that Minnesota weather is variable. Proper outdoor attire includes a jacket, hat and gloves. When it snows you will also need boots and snow pants!

Students will always go outdoors for recess unless the “Feels Like” temperature falls below a -5 degrees or it is steadily raining. All elementary schools will use the KARE11 website to determine the “Feels Like” temperature.

                                  5 Ways to Stay Healthy For the Holidays                           

                                               http://www.kidshealth.org

Follow these 5 tips to boost your body's defenses:

1. Fend off germs. Protect yourself: Get a flu vaccine and wash your hands a lot. People can be contagious before they know they're sick, so even just a sip from someone's drink puts his or her germs in your body.
2. Eat healthy and be merry. Holiday foods can be high in calories and low on the nutrition you need to battle germs and boost energy. Make it a priority to eat five or more fruits and vegetables a day (choose the whole fruit instead of juice so you feel full longer and avoid added sugar). Carry an apple or a bag of baby carrots so you always have a healthy snack available.
3. Chill. If you feel stressed out, stop what you're doing for just a moment. Take five deep breaths. Concentrate on each breath as you inhale and exhale.
4. Beat the blues. Holiday depression doesn't just happen in songs. For some people, it's seasonal, brought on by shorter days, longer nights, and colder weather. Other people are going through difficult life events. If you feel down, go outside. Sunlight and exercise are great mood lifters. Try a seasonal activity to put you in the holiday spirit, like ice skating or neighborhood carol singing. And don't hesitate to talk to someone you trust about how you're feeling.
5. Get some Z's. Getting enough sleep each night can help strengthen your immune system, give you more energy, and make you less vulnerable to stress.

Have a happy and safe holiday!

CARES Students of the Week

Way to go Grainwood CARES Heros!

Outdoor Weather Policy

Students will be going outside for recess unless the "Feels Like" temperature falls below a -5 degrees or it is steadily raining.  All elementary schools will use the KARE 11 website to determine the "Feels Like" temperature.

Students must have snow pants and boots on in order to play in the snow at school.  Students without snow pants 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.

Emergency School Closings

For information on emergency school closings or delayed starts, tune into WCCO radio (830 AM) and WCCO 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.

Grades 4 & 5 Choir Concert

Our Grainwood Choir will perform along with the WestWood Choir on Thursday, December 12th 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 1:00 p.m. on December 12th in the WestWood gym. Parents and guests are invited to attend the dress rehearsal if they are unable to attend the evening performance.  If you are planning to attend the dress rehearsal at 1:00 p.m., please remember to check in at the WestWood office before going to the gym.

We hope to see you there!

PTC Giving Tree

Are you looking at getting your child’s teacher a gift for the Holidays and don’t know what to get?  The PTC has organized a Giving Tree for the teachers at Grainwood.  Ideas on the tree include items the teachers

would like for their classroom; such as, books, school supplies, gift cards, etc.  The tree will be located in the front entrance to the school beginning Dec. 9th.  It will have colored tags hanging on the branches.  Each grade has a unique color and each teacher has a different shape.  If interested, all you have to do is take the tag with the item of your choice on it.  Happy Holidays from the GW PTC!

Reminder - Student Directory Forms Due This Friday

This is a friendly reminder that student directory permission forms are due this Friday 12/6.  If you need another copy please contact our office or follow the link below. 

It is the district's policy not to distribute student information without permission.  However we realize that there are many circumstances where you might want to communicate with other students - playdates, Birthdays and homework help to name a few.  The Grainwood student directory will soon be available to meet these needs for a cost of $2.00.

Click HERE for a digital copy of the permission form.  This form will also be available on the sidebar of our blog through December 6th.  If you have more than one child at Grainwood, please complete a form for each child.  Forms need to be returned to school by Friday December 6th, with payment attached.

Snowy Fun at Wolf Ridge

More fun pictures to share from Wolf Ridge!

Greetings From Wolf Ridge!

Looks like they're getting a lot of snow and having a great time!

Toys for Tots at Grainwood

Toys for Tots will be running December 2nd-13th.  Donations can be for all ages.  There is a large drop off box in the main hallway where you can put your unwrapped gift.  Thank you for helping families in need - you do make the difference in the life of a child!

Honor a Teacher or Staff Member in December

                     Gratitude Greeting!

If you have been wondering how to send thanks to your child's teacher or special staff member this Holiday Season, click HERE for an idea to consider.  You can express your appreciation to that special person along with contributing to the Laker Educational Foundation, which promotes innovative and creative educational initiatives that benefit citizens of all ages in our community.

Greetings and gift certificates will be hand delivered to the person of your choice on Thursday, December 19th and Friday, December 20th.

Kindergarten Thanksgiving Feast

Grainwood's Kindergarten students participating in their annual "Thanksgiving Feast."

Happy Thanksgiving!

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 2nd - 6th.  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.

Please take some time to review the following and contact your child's teacher as soon as possible with any questions.

• Wolf Ridge is December 2nd - 6th
• Please be at Grainwood between 6:15 - 6:30 AM on the 2nd.  The bus leaves at 6:45 AM sharp!  Bring a sack lunch and snacks for the trip!
• If your child is ill on the morning of departure, call the school between 6:00 AM - 6:30 AM at 952-226-0300.
• Please plan to pick up your child at Grainwood Elementary School parking lot at approximately 5:00 PM on Friday, December 6th.  The phone tree for each homeroom will be started when the group's bus leaves the rest area near Forest Lake.  The bus would then arrive in Prior Lake approximately 45 minutes later.  If you are not part of the phone tree, plan to be at Grainwood at 5:00 PM.
• If your child is taking medication please be sure that your authorization form is on file with the school.  Put the medication in a plastic bag with instructions for its use.  The bag must be given to your child's teacher when you arrive on December 2nd.
• Please check your child for head lice before December 2nd.  The Wolf Ridge policy is any student with head lice must leave campus as quickly as possible.
• Last of all, in case of emergency, the phone number at the ELC is 1 (218)-353-7414.

Thank you for your support in this program!

If you wish to write to your child while they're away, the address is:

Your Child's name

c/o Teacher's name and Grainwood Elementary

Environmental Learning Center

6282 Cranberry Road

Finland, MN  55603

Parent's Night Out

The winter holidays are just around the corner and many of us have a lot to do!  Still looking to go out and buy a few presents? Or simply want a Friday night out? Prior Lake High School's National Honor Society will be hosting a Parent’s Night Out at Prior Lake High School on Friday, December 13th from 6:00pm to 10:00pm. Parent’s Night Out is open to children in kindergarten thru 6th grade. 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 Monday, December 9th. If you miss the pre-registration date, you can sign up at the door for $20 1st child, $15 second child. Have students bring permission slips and money into school.  There will be crafts, games, healthy snacks, and more.  Permission slips can be found on the Prior Lake website, through emails, and have also gone home with each child.  If you need additional permission slips, please contact our office or your child's teacher. Happy Holidays!

CARES Students of the Week

Grainwood CARES Students of the week!

New AM Drop-Off Procedure (NEW SIGNS!)

Dear Grainwood Families,

For those who transport their children to school each morning, or on occasion, please notice the new NO PARKING signs posted in the grass near the curb.  This should assist in creating a space (possibly 6-7 car lengths long) dedicated for student drop-off each morning.  Please utilize this area for drop-off by pulling over to the curb and letting your child off.  DO NOT pull into the yellow or handicap areas in front of the building for drop-off or stop your vehicle in the street.  Both of these choices creates unsafe traffic patterns, especially when vehicles attempt to drive around those stopped in the street.  Dropping off at the curb, between the signs, will create the safest drop-off scenario for all!  Thank you for helping establish a new drop-off routine in the morning.

Patrick Glynn
Principal

WCCO and National Weather Service Meteorologists visit Grainwood

Recently second graders had two opportunities to learn from two different meteorologists.  James Taggart, from the National Weather Service visited last week.  He showed students many different weather tools.

Then, second graders met WCCO channel 4 news weekend meteorologist, Lauren Casey.  Students learned about forecasting on television!

Thanks James and Lauren, for sharing your expertise with our students and answering their questions!

Box Tops

Recently the collection of box tops gathered from our front entryway
were submitted for redemption and Grainwood received over $400!!
Thank you families, for sharing your collections with us.

Click HERE for printable collection sheets and more information on collecting box tops.

Please pre-group your box tops in groups of 10, this is how they need to be organized when redeemed.  Also, don't forget to put your child's teacher's name on all donations.

Keep those collections going!

Getting Home Safely

Winter road conditions will be here before we know it!  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.

From the Office of the Principal...

A HUGE thank you to those Grainwood families that participated in "Give to the Max" Day last Thursday!  Grainwood raised over $300, all of which will be dedicated to the purchase and installation of a smart board for our media center.  This is the first year our school has promoted #GTMD13, which is Minnesota's largest one day fundraiser for non-profits.

Secondly, our PTC has recently launched their own blog, which can be found at the link below.  Instead of hosting PTC items on our home webpage, families can check for updates and receive information directly from our PTC by adding their email to the blog database in the upper lefthand corner.  (Make sure to put the link your favorites too!) The next PTC meeting is Tuesday, December 3 from 6:30-8:00 PM in the Grainwood Conference Room.  Please join us!

http://www.grainwoodptc.blogspot.com

P.S.  New morning parking restrictions and a student directory are on their way. Stay Tuned!

Patrick Glynn
Grainwood Principal

 

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 "Feels Like" temperature falls below a -5 degrees or it is steadily raining. All elementary schools will use the KARE 11 website to determine the "Feels Like" temperature.

CARES Students of the Week

Grainwood's CARES Students of the Week 

Safe Spaces

Dear Parent/Guardian,

We will be having a guest speaker from Safe Spaces, a non-profit agency, in each classroom next week on the 18th, 19th and 21st.  She will be speaking to our students about personal safety and violence prevention.  This will involve discussion around making appropriate choices and understanding personal safety issues.  It is important that each child feels emotionally and physically safe when he/she comes to school.  It is also helpful for all children to be taught a basic awareness of personal boundaries and appropriate behaviors related to good/bad touch.

As the parent/guardian, you can play a key role in talking to your child in a supportive, encouraging atmosphere and answering any questions he/she may have.

These presentations have been well received and are very age appropriate for K-3 graders.  The presentations for 4th and 5th grade classrooms are a bit more involved, and the discussion time is longer since these students are nearing adolescence and there are many issues that come up for that age group.

Safe Spaces classroom visits are paid for through a grant and are presented in all District 719 elementary schools.  If you have questions, please feel free to contact the Safe Spaces presenter (Claire Neuman) at 612-210-2179, visit their website at www.safespacesmn.org, or you may contact Patrick Glynn (Principal) or Cheryl Wendt (School Social Worker) at Grainwood.

Building Security

At Grainwood, safety and security are very important.  All staff members are required to wear name badges provided by the school district.  Please remember, all visitors and volunteers that visit Grainwood must enter through the office, check in, put a visitor badge on and sign out when they leave.  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 the building remain locked throughout the school day, except for one front door and the door leading into the office.
Parents who remove students from school early are reminded to check them out in the office.

Thank you for your cooperation!

Give to the MAX is almost here!

Dear Grainwood Families,

This Thursday, November 14, is the statewide event known as Give to the MAX Day (#GTMD13)!  As presented in an earlier post, Give to the MAX is a one-day fundraiser for individuals, businesses and their employees to donate to their favorite, charitable organizations.  (Over $16 million dollars was raised in 2012 by over 53 thousand donors.)  We appreciate you thinking of Grainwood on this day and all donations can be collected at the following link, hosted on our NEW Grainwood PTC Blog page.  Check it out here:

http://grainwoodptc.blogspot.com/2013/10/welcome-to-grainwood-ptc-website.html

All funds raised from this event will be dedicated to the purchase and installation of a smart board for our media center!  Check out the video here of two Grainwood students promoting the event:

Oct/Nov CARES Update

In October, the CARES Heroes and classroom teachers recognized students throughout Grainwood who demonstrated the essence of "Take a Stand, Lend a Hand!"  These students earned the October "Students of the Month" recognition and their pictures, like all other Students of the Month, are placed on a bulletin board outside the gym and on the blog as a slideshow. Students of the Month also receive a certificate and are recognized at our all school meetings.  For October and November, our focus is on the Bystander.  When incidents of bullying or poor choices arise, the CARES Heroes goal is to empower the bystander to show assertion and make a difference!

Veterans Day at Grainwood

On Veterans Day, Monday November 11th Grainwood Students will be honoring those who have served our Country.

Fourth grade students will be putting together a "Remembrance Table" in our hallway as a way to honor Veterans.  Teachers will be reading "America's White Table" to their class and having a discussion after which will help students to further understand the meaning of the Remembrance Table.  The 4th graders will also be making an all-school announcement over the PA system in which they will share more information about Veterans Day.  Finally, all students will receive a yellow ribbon sticker to commemorate and remember all those people who have fought for our freedoms.

We are inviting any student who can to bring a picture of a Veteran that they would like to share with their class as well.

Limo Ride and Pizza Lunch Winners!

Congratulations to the Grainwood students who sold 25 items or more in the Chip Shoppe Fundraiser!  They were treated to a Hummer Limo Ride and pizza lunch yesterday and had a fun time!

CARES Students of the Week

Grainwood's CARES Students of the Week for November 4-8

Minnesota Chemical Health Week

Chemical Health Week is November 11th-15th, and once again Grainwood has activities planned to help students understand how to make positive and healthy choices for their bodies and friendships.  Our theme this year is "Friends don't let friends bully or do drugs."  Students will be learning and talking about how we can demonstrate C.A.R.E.S when it comes to drug use prevention and bullying prevention.  We have students that will be making a daily announcement, and classroom activities throughout the week that will focus on saying no to drugs and bullying and what healthy habits look like.  We appreciate your support as we raise awareness on these important topics!

Tuesday, November 12th - Wear a Grainwood CARES T-Shirt if you have one

Wednesday, November 13th - Wear red today

Friday, November 15th - Dress up like a friend today

MCGT (SPAN) "Beyond Ability: What it Really Takes to Be Successful" Presentation

The Prior Lake-Savage chapter of MCGT (SPAN) will host Dr. Richard Cash at our Monday Nov. 11 meeting.  The talk is described below and will take place at 7pm in the WestWood Elementary Media Center (5370 WestWood Dr. SE; Prior Lake, MN  55372). 
No childcare will be provided, but we will have teacher CEU certificates available.

Questions?  Contact Apryl at wlmailhtml:span.priorlake@gmail.com .

Beyond Ability: What it Really Takes to Be Successful
Many people believe that being smart is a critical component of success.  However, while aptitude and strong content knowledge may be requirements for advanced level courses in high school and in post-secondary, the new world of the 21st century places less emphasis on "books smarts" and more emphasis the skills of creativity, critical reasoning, collaboration and communication.  This shift in direction toward the encouraging student's drive, passion and fortitude is of extreme importance for our gifted learners.  The more our children apply themselves in difficult situations the more likely there are to become successful in the 21st century.  Join Dr. Richard Cash, an internationally recognized expert in gifted education, as he shares real and practical strategies that can assist you in enhancing your child's schooling and life experiences to prepare them for their future.

Dr. Cash is the past Director of Gifted Programs for the Bloomington Public Schools.  During his 13 years with the Bloomington schools, he realigned the serves for gifted students as well as developed the Dimensions Academy and Elements program for highly gifted students, in grades 2-8.  Dimensions Academy and Elements have become a model for gifted programming around the state and nation.  After 25 years in the field of education, Richard recently transitioned to a private consultant for school districts around the US and internationally.  His passion is in developing educational systems that nurture and encourage students to advanced levels of thinking and learning.  He is the author of Advancing Differentiation: Thinking and Learning for the 21st Century, and the co-author with Dr. Diane Heacox, a widely respected expert on differentiation and gifted education, on the newly released book Differentiation for Gifted Learners: Going Beyond the Basics. Richard may be contacted through his website at: www.nrichconsulting.com <http://www.nrichconsulting.com/

Kindergarten Live - Full Day Kindergarten Informational Tour

Please click HERE to learn more about upcoming informational tours regarding free all day kindergarten for the 2014-15 school year.  The tours will take place on Thursday, November 21st at either 10:00 AM or 6:00 PM.  They will include a tour of the school, story time and exploring a kindergarten classroom.  Your child will take home a free book!

Optimist Club Honorees

Each Fall, the Optimist Club of Prior Lake recognizes
a few students from each school in the community for, "demonstrating sincere devotion to the welfare of others through their service to fellow students, school, community or city" during their annual Youth Appreciation Week.

This year, Mary and Savanna were chosen as Grainwood's Fifth Grade Honorees!

Congratulations girls and congratulations to all the other Honorees!

Help Enhance our Media Center on Give to the Max Day!

Did you HAIR the big news? 

November 14th is "Give to the Max Day" - a one-day fundraiser for individuals, businesses and their employees to donate to their favorite, charitable organizations.  In fact, it's become one of the world's largest, one-day fundraiser!  Grainwood, like most schools, qualifies as a recipient! Take a look at the below link and share with your employer (don't forget to check out the video starring 2 Grainwood students!).  Funds raised from this event will help enhance our media center.

Click HERE to view this initiative and donate.

Chip Shoppe Delivery

Chip Shoppe items will be available for pick-up Thursday, November 7th from 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM in the gym.  Your child brought home a yellow reminder slip of this on Monday.  Please make arrangements to pick up your order at that time.

Thanks for your support of Grainwood!

SPAN - Synergy/SAGE Parent Action Network

SPAN (Synergy/SAGE Parent Action Network) will hold its next meeting on Monday Nov. 11 at 7pm in the WestWood Media Center. Please note the date change.   Dr. Richard Cash (Educational Consultant, see www.nrichconsulting.com) will present: Beyond Ability: What it Really Takes to Be Successful.  Attendees will learn about real and practical strategies that can assist in enhancing a gifted child's schooling and life experiences to prepare them for their future.   The talk is aimed at an audience of both parents and teachers. Teacher CEU certificates will be available.  Please email Apryl at span.priorlake@gmail.com with questions or to be placed on our email list.

November 2013 Nurse’s Note    

The cold and flu season is upon us.  If you haven’t already done so, please consider getting your flu shot to protect yourself and those around you.  Frequent hand washing is also a strong defense in preventing illness.  If your child does become ill, please remember the following before sending them to school:

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.

If the student has vomited or had diarrhea, he/she should stay home until 24 hours after the last episode.

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.

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.

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month

To learn more about Diabetes and see if you are at risk, check out the websites below:

http://ndep.nih.gov/am-i-at-risk/index.aspx

http://diabetes.webmd.com/features/november-diabetes-awareness-month

http://www.cdc.gov/Features/LivingWithDiabetes/

Daylight Savings

Don't forget to "Fall Back" your clocks one hour before going to bed tomorrow, Sunday November 3rd.  Enjoy the extra hour of sleep!

Internet Explorer - Compatibility View Issues Troubleshooting

If you are experiencing compatibility viewing issues with Internet Explorer regarding PLSAS's new website, please click HERE for troubleshooting options.

Thank you.

Report Cards

Student Report Cards will be posted online and available through Family/Student Access on Wednesday, November 6th at 12:00PM.  Please go to the Prior Lake-Savage website where you can review and print your child's first quarter report card.

Follow these steps to access your child's report card:

1.  Go to  http://www.priorlake-savage.k12.mn.us/parents

2.  Click on Family/Student Access.

3.  Enter Login & Password (if you need help accessing your username or password, there is a link to assist you)

4.  Select Report Cards on the left.

5.  Select the report card for 11/6/13 to view and print your child’s first quarter report card.

If you have questions, please contact your classroom teacher.

Thank you!

Grainwood Davanni's Night

On Tuesday, November 5th, Davanni's in Savage is hosting an evening for Grainwood families and friends from 4:00-8:00 p.m. This is a partnership between Davanni's and the local area schools. For our participation, we receive a portion of their revenue that evening and dedicate all those funds towards our Healthy Snack Program.  

 Tickets are being sent home this week to all students.  Please bring this ticket with you and present it when ordering.  If you need additional tickets, please call the Grainwood office at 952-226-0300. Thank you for your support!

Prior Lake - Savage Area Schools Launches New Website

We recently launched our new website! When accessing our site, please use Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Safari for best viewing. If you do not know what browser you’re using, please visit this website: http://supportdetails.com. To learn more and/or download any of the aforementioned browsers, click one of the following links:

Google Chrome

Mozilla Firefox

Safari

For quick access, please set your browser’s homepage to http://www.priorlake-savage.k12.mn.us

For information on how to access day-to-day items, such as Schoology, Skyward Family/Student Access, lunch menus and more, please watch one of our video tutorials listed below:

Parents: http://youtu.be/jpX4k8X5Yc8

Parents have access to Schoology, Skyward Family/Student Access and more via the Parent portal at the top of our site: http://www.priorlake-savage.k12.mn.us/parents. This portal does not require a log in.

Students: http://youtu.be/XKnFbeqXxFo

Students have access to their Schoology accounts, along with Google Apps for Education and more via the Student portal: http://www.priorlake-savage.k12.mn.us/students. Students must first login to our website with their computer username and password. Please make sure they do not use @plsas.org after the username. All letters in the password must be lowercase. Once they’re logged in, they have direct access to their Schoology account by clicking on the Schoology link in the right column.

If your student is having trouble logging in, please contact his or her classroom teacher or media specialist.

Media Specialists- 952-226-0369 

Kelly Iverson-Egge- kiverson@priorlake-savage.k12.mn.us

Anne Dauer - adauer@priorlake-savage.k12.mn.us

Reminder - upcoming early release and no school dates

Please mark your calendars for the upcoming early release and no school dates:

• Thursday, Oct 31 - Early Release (school is done at 1pm)
• Friday, Nov 1 - No School

Contact the office with any questions, thank you!

CARES Winners

Our CARES winners for the week of October 21st!

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!

Watch School Board Meetings and Other School Events on the Web

Our webcasting technology provides convenient access to live and archived streaming of school board meetings through the website.

Residents can review board agendas and minutes posted alongside the video player for live and archived meetings.  Archived meetings are indexed, allowing viewers to select agenda items that interest them instead of watching a meeting in its entirety.

To learn how to watch School Board Meetings and other school events on the web, click HERE

November's Community Education Parent Newsletter

Click HERE to view November's Community Education Parent Newsletter.
Questions can be directed to the Community Education office at 952-226-0080.

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. (unless they are having breakfast, which begins at 8:15 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.

Reminder - Spirit Wear Orders Due this Friday, Oct. 25th

Lakers spirit wear order forms came home with your child 2 weeks ago.  Click HERE to view a color version of the flyer.

If you'd like to see examples, or look at sizes, please stop by the school office.

Spirit Wear orders are due Friday, October 25th.  Please make checks out to Grainwood PTC.  Thank you!