Minnesota River News Letter

Greetings MN River Families!

We had a great week this week, with a lot of calm and good work.  It's amazing how calm things can get with 11 children gone with the flu!  It's been a hard week that way, with both Patrick and I also succumbing for a brief time.  To all of you who took care of sick children this week, we offer you our appreciation.  We know it's been a rough time for health!

One development this week is our initial work on the MCA math testing, for the third years.  For this event, we spend a time reviewing old knowledge and looking at some new skills, to prepare for the test.  The results of the test (i.e. "how the children score") is not important to us necessarily, but we want to help them feel confident about taking it.  We are well aware that these tests do not indicate the progress of the whole child, and this whole child is whom we educate at Great River.  The test is a very narrow window on who the child is, and even that window is distorted by the medium by which the data is gathered.

Nevertheless, we do some preparation, and we encourage the children to work their hardest and do their best on the test.  Placing pressure on them to do well would only result in anxiety.  If they ask you about it, please do not make it a big deal.  Perhaps ask them how they feel about it, and discuss whatever feelings they have.  The most important thing is for them not to feel that the results of the test will reflect who they are as a person.  The results will certainly not!

Please let us know if you have any further questions about the test.  The reading test will be given on March 5, with the math to follow later on.  I'll let you know when I have that information.

Here are academic lessons from the past few weeks:  The students are finishing their poetry unit with some impressive work and have begun a new unit on the function of words.  Math is still an individualized curriculum so please ask your student what they have been working on lately.  First years continue their sensorial exploration of geometric shapes while the second years are learning more about angles and transverals.  Third years have begun their study on the seven quadrilaterals of reality.  The first years have finished their maps of the USA!  What a great work! Second years are finishing their biome unit and third years are working with a new pin-map material of North America.  For the other areas of cultural science, the first years continue to study how the year is organized into parts and the second years will be studying the fundamental needs of a foreign culture while the third years are intensely studying the timeline of humans!  All the students continue their botany studies and will be moving to zoology in the coming weeks.

Lastly, a request.  If anyone could pick up paper napkins, paper plates, paper towels, and / or kleenex over the weekend, it would be extremely helpful.

Thank you so much!

Erik and Patrick

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Erik and Patrick

Co-Guides Minnesota River Classroom

Great River School

St Paul, MN

Sheridan Story: a message from Saleha Erdmann, school social worker

Hello Minnesota River Families!

Below is a message from our school social worker, Saleha Erdmann.  She asked us to forward it to you.

Greetings elementary families!

I'm writing to let you know about a food assistance program called Sheridan Story that we will  begin partnering with in March.  Sheridan Story sends food home with families on Friday afternoons so that families have enough food over the weekend.  I have worked with this program in the past and appreciate how they respect confidentiality and provide quality food.  If you are interested in participating, read on!  

In your children's backpacks this week you will find a lime green half sheet that describes the meals that Sheridan Story can provide.  On the other side is a registration form that you can sign and return to school in order to sign up.  No other documentation is needed.  Please return this form to me or your child's guide.  

We hope to be able to sign up all families that are interested.

Sheridan Story will begin providing food in mid-March.  On the day of the delivery food will be placed in your child's backpack to come home at the end of the day.

You are welcome to contact me with any questions either by email (serdmann@greatriverschool.org) or by phone (651-305-2780 x36).  Thank you!

Best,

Saleha Erdmann

Elementary School Social Worker

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Erik and Patrick

Co-Guides Minnesota River Classroom

Great River School

St Paul, MN

Regarding February 14

Hello MN River Families!

On February 14, we will not be doing any giving or receiving of Valentines, nor (as on any other day) will candy be allowed at school.  We will be doing craft activities in the afternoon, and perhaps a bit of storytelling, to explore the meaning of the people and things that we love in the world.

Thank you!

Erik and Patrick

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Erik and Patrick

Co-Guides Minnesota River Classroom

Great River School

St Paul, MN

Dodge Nature Center on Monday! Here's what your child needs...

Hello Minnesota River Families!

We sent home information in our last newsletter about next Monday's field trip.  This is just a reminder that all children must bring:

• a bag lunch (no school lunch will be provided)
• very warm and complete outdoor gear (boots, snowpants, winter jacket, hat, and gloves)
• a water bottle

It should be a fun day!

Best,

Erik and Patrick

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Erik and Patrick

Co-Guides Minnesota River Classroom

Great River School

St Paul, MN

Minnesota River Newsletter

Dear Minnesota River Families,

Happy February to you all!  We wish you well.

The big news this week is our upcoming field trip to Dodge Nature Center.  We'll be bussing there on February 12 for our annual all-day event, with both indoor and outdoor learning.  Here is the itinerary for the trip.  The bolded items are the outdoor classes.

First Years: Animal Tracks AND Reptiles and Amphibians

Second Years: Meet the Milk Makers* AND Life in the Cold (Adaptations)

Third Years: Bones! (Owl Pellets) AND Season's Hike

Thank you for all the offers to help with chaperoning.  I wish we could take all of you along!

The life of the community has been full of excitement and enthusiasm over the past few weeks.  The room is literally full of work during the day, and we're all getting better at tiptoeing around work rugs as we walk through the room.  A number of children have begun projects of their own device, and it's wonderful to see them turning out.  We are giving "special lessons" geared specifically to particular students, to supplement the regular curriculum.

Here are the academic lessons given over the past two weeks:  All levels have been working on a poetry unit with the first years looking at rhyme and the different types of rhyme.  Second years have been learning about structured vs.free verse poetry and rhyme scheme.  Third years have been learning about alliteration, assonance, simile and metaphor.  Math is still being done in a highly individualized way, so ask your student what they have been working on.  For Geometry, the first years continue to explore how triangles make all other shapes.  Second years are learning about the relationships of angles and third years are finishing up their in depth study of triangles. The first years have been identifying the states of the different regions of the USA for geography and the second years have started a unit on biomes.  Thirds years are reaching the final stages of their research paper on a country of their choice.  Biology includes the study of stems for the first years, names of the leaf shapes for the second years and parts of seeds and seed dissection for the third years.  Finally, for history, the first years are learning about the different ways the calendar year is divided, the second years are beginning their study of the fundamental needs and the third years are studying the timeline of humans.

A closing request: If anyone has a knack for repairing book bindings, we have some well-loved books that could use some TLC.  Also, some students are requesting shoe boxes for dioramas.  If you have some to donate, please send them with your student.

Thank you all so much for your continued support!

Our best to you,

Erik and Patrick

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Erik and Patrick

Co-Guides Minnesota River Classroom

Great River School

St Paul, MN