From the Desk of Dr. G Dear Greenwood Families,
When we started the school year, our goal was to stay in the Hybrid Model as long as safely possible. Last night, the School Board approved the recommendation to begin full-distance learning for everyone beginning November 30.
Our staff will be working over the next few weeks to help students prepare for this transition. We will be sharing more information with you over the next few weeks. While we begin our preparations for this transition, I want to provide you with some preliminary information about what to expect.
In closing, I want to say thank you for your patience and partnership.
KICKS Gratitude & Kindness Bingo Event: November 16-24 Gratitude How does someone feel when they achieve gratitude? They feel happy. They feel like they belong.
If you want to make someone else feel gratitude then you can do our Greenwood Gratitude Bingo Board.
Thanks to our wonderful 5th grade KICKS community (Kids in Community Kare & Service), we have come up with a way to show gratitude and make people happy—even during COVID-19.
Here's how it works. There is a Bingo Board. But...it isn't just any regular Bingo Board. Instead of numbers or symbols, each box has something you do to show gratitude.
Every time you finish a task of gratitude, cross it off and keep going to earn a bingo. You can get a bingo by completing five challenges diagonally, up and down, or side to side. Hybrid students can pick up a paper copy of the Greenwood Gratitude Bingo Board from their teacher on November 16 or 17 and Distance students can print the Bingo board.
All students should return their Bingo board by November 24 to the KICKS Bingo Box in the school entryway. We hope you participate in Greenwood's Gratitude & Kindness Bingo event!
Sincerely, KICKS Student Leaders
Grizzly Dash: The Final Lap In working with our PTA, we want to stick to our plan to hold only one fundraiser this school year. After our Grizzly Dash fundraiser (and auctioning off last year's theme baskets) the PTA's net income was around $19,000. (This places that budget at around a $15,000 deficit...even after significant adjustments were made to account for COVID-19 challenges.)
Thanks for your partnership, Brad Gustafson, Principal
Did You Know? Book Fair! Fall book fair is around the corner! An online book fair will take place November 30 to December 13. Please mark your calendar, and look for more information in future Thursday folders.
Reminders No School Friday, November 13 for Elementary Planning Day Friday, November 13 will be a no school day for elementary students as staff will be participating in a planning day. There will be no morning meeting or distance learning work for this day. Wayzata Kids childcare will continue to be available to tier 1 critical workers.
Lost and Found Our lost and found is overflowing. Please take an inventory at home for any missing clothing, contact Kristen Smith to look for missing items for you. Please write your child's name on all winter-gear tags (e.g., gloves, hats, mittens, boots, jackets). You'd be surprised at how easily we can return lost items to kids if names are written on tags.
PTA News "Grizzly Dash: The Final Lap" – this Giving Tuesday (December 1), please support the Greenwood PTA! The Grizzly Dash PTA fundraiser in October came in significantly short of expectations, and we need your help! "Grizzly Dash: The Final Lap" is a one-day, online-only PTA fundraiser taking place on Giving Tuesday – Tuesday, December 1. Watch for more details coming soon, and thanks in advance for your help in keeping our PTA-funded programs alive this school year. Contact PTA President Karin Helmey with questions.
Honoring our Veterans Although Greenwood's annual Veterans Day assembly was not possible this year, our school is passionate about continuing the tradition of honoring veterans for their service.
Led by our music specialist, Brian Westgard, students crafted hand-written messages of appreciation for veterans. Their heartfelt notes were arranged into the shape of an American flag to show their collective appreciation to veterans. The flag display, funded by the Greenwood PTA, was gifted to the Hamel VFW on Veterans Day, November 11.
Families who are interested in seeing the Veterans Day flag display are welcome to view this video created by a Greenwood 4th grader, with her older sister providing the vocals for the background.
Save the Date: Our next PTA meeting is December 3 Join us for our second PTA meeting of the year on Thursday, December 3 at 5:30 p.m. via Zoom. The meeting will kick off with a presentation from principal Dr. Brad Gustafson, who will provide an update on our learning model and COVID-19, followed by a Q & A. The PTA Board will also update attendees on fundraising results, outlook for the remainder of the school year, and other important PTA happenings. All are welcome! Hope to see you there.
Meeting ID: 878 3874 4653 Passcode: 314826
Contact PTA President Karin Helmey with questions.
November PTA Calendar Now Available Along with our vendor, Fun2Raise, the PTA is excited to launch a printable digital calendar for the 2020-2021 school year. With the continued uncertainty around school and event dates, this will give us more flexibility to provide you with up-to-date information, as it will be updated and sent out frequently. Plus, there are lots of great offers from local businesses!
Have you joined the Greenwood PTA? There's still time to join the PTA this school year! Together, we bring dozens of unique programs and experiences to Greenwood throughout the school year to help our students grow and flourish. New this year, our memberships are available online only, for $13 per member. Join today. Contact PTA Secretary Molika Gupta with membership questions.
Box Tops for Education has gone digital! To help raise funds for our school when you purchase Box Tops for Education products, now all you have to do is scan your receipt in the new Box Tops app - no more clipping! Just search for Greenwood Elementary School, Plymouth, MN, and start scanning today!
New, you can also email your digital receipts from grocery delivery directly to receipts@boxtops4education.com to receive credit for your Box Tops for Education online purchases.
Support the PTA all year through AmazonSmile One of the simplest ways you can support the Greenwood Elementary PTA year-round is by selecting us as your beneficiary organization through AmazonSmile. It's super easy! Visit smile.amazon.com today, select "Greenwood PTA - Minneapolis, MN" as your charity of choice, and Amazon will automatically donate a percentage of every purchase you make to our PTA.
Follow us on social media! For the most up-to-date information from the Greenwood PTA, follow our social media.
Volunteer Needs
Around the District November Wayzata Legislative Action Committee Update
Community Ed Destination Imagination More Youth Classes:
Space available in Wayzata Kids Full-Day Preschool Fall ECFE classes are available at the Wayzata Early Learning School Financial assistance is available or call 763-745-5200 for more information.
Calendar School Events District Events Monday, November 16, 2020 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM School Board Meetings |