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.

From the Office of the Principal...

Dear Grainwood Families,

I hope winter break was peaceful and relaxing for you and your family!  As we begin 2011, I want to share with you two Grainwood initiatives you will be hearing about this winter. 

1) To begin with, in early December we launched Power Half Hour (PHH) in grades K-3.  PHH is a 25-30 minute block of time carved out of the school day for reading intervention or enrichment.  As part of the district's adoption of the Response to Intervention (RtI) framework, PHH provides "more" reading instruction for those students who need it, while also providing enrichment reading opportunities for students already at or above grade level standards.  The concept of "more" for each of these groups is a best teaching practice, which we are committed to implementing here at Grainwood!  For more informantion about Response to Intervention, click here for the RtI Guide or check out information about RtI on the district webpage HERE!  Also, please do not hesitate to ask your child's classroom teacher specifically about Power Half Hour at his/her grade level.     

2) Very soon your family will be introduced to Grainwood's "Healthy Snack Cart."  This snack opportunity will be available to your child(ren) beginning late February/early March for a reasonable cost.  The cart will be filled with a variety of healthy snacks (9 choices) from which your child can choose one a day to consume during his/her classroom snack time.  This opportunity is a result of a Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP) Grant awarded to Grainwood at the end of last school year.  Through a school health assessment, provided by Wilder Research (a grant partner), an action plan was developed according to their findings and our needs.  More specific information about this option will be available later this month.  We will also be showcasing the snack items at Family Fun Night on the evening of Thursday, February 3rd.  As was quoted in the Star Tribune on December 19 by Ann Hoxie (St. Paul Public Schools) on their healthy food initiatives, "What we model in school is also teaching.  We're trying to set up the best enviroment for kids."  Grainwood is too! Stay Tuned...