Meadowbrook News
November 18, 2022
From Mrs. Sawatzky
Good afternoon Meadowbrook,
In addition to November serving as National Native American Heritage Month, November is also recognized as National Gratitude Month. Thus, I'd like to extend my gratitude to you, our Meadowbrook community; for your support, generosity, and most of all for sharing your amazing children with us.
Remember there is no school next Wednesday through Friday, November 23-25 due to Thanksgiving. Because of the shortened week, I will not be sending a weekly update. For those of you celebrating, I hope you enjoy the time with your family and/or friends.
In partnership
Natalie
Meet Mr. Wilson!
I am excited to introduce the newest member of our Student Support Team to you, Mr. Kenneth Wilson!
You can reach Mr. Wilson at kenneth.wilson@hopkinsschools.org or 952-988-4818.
Community Service Night - November 18th
We’re looking forward to seeing everyone tonight and working on some fun and rewarding service projects together.
5:30 p.m. - 6:15 p.m. Dinner in the Cafeteria
Proceeds from dinner will be donated back into our school through the Meadowbrook Families Fund. The money raised will go to scholarships for Kids and Company, as well as grocery gift cards. If you would still like to donate, but won’t be coming to dinner, please follow this LINK.
6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Service Projects/Stations in the Gym
We will have over 12 stations where families can sort, pack, create, and craft various things to give back to our community.
After attending Service Night, we would love to hear from you. Please use this Feedback Form to share your opinions. Thank you everyone that has donated so far. We have a very generous community here at Meadowbrook!
Winter Gear
The cold and snowy weather has arrived! Please make sure to send your child with boots, snow pants, hats and mittens to school each day with the plan to play outside for recess. The district guideline for staying inside is 0 degrees or wind chill of -10 degrees. If your child needs winter gear, please contact our counselors, Nicole Sobanski and Julie DeGroot. And don't forget to make sure all of the items are labeled with your child's name, making it easier to find if/when lost!
From Nurse Karen
Hello from the Health Office!
Meadowbrook sure has been busy! The question I get every day is “what is going around?” My answer: EVERYTHING! We have seen simple colds with and without fevers, RSV, Influenza A and some cases of Covid 19.
I cannot stress enough to please keep your children home if they tell you they are not feeling well. Telling children to come to the health office if they cannot make it through the school day should be the first sign to keep your student home. Students who have a fever need to stay out for 24 hours after the fever breaks and can return to school once they do not require medications to keep the fever down. If a student is vomiting, they need to stay out 24 hours past the last time they vomited. One last point, I also see children hitting these marks but are physically wiped out after their illness and they should stay home until they can withstand the rigors of their school day.
I am still recommending good hand-washing and lots of water to help our students stay healthy. As always, feel free to call me with any questions or concerns at 952-988-5104.
I wish you all a wonderful, restful and healthy Thanksgiving!
eLearning Support for Caregivers
As you've heard, Hopkins has made a change to our inclement weather policy (sometimes thought of as snow days). Starting this school year, when there is a need to close school due to weather, schools will shift to an eLearning day. If you would like to learn more about how to support your children on eLearning days, please join us on Tuesday, November 29 from 6:00pm-7:00 pm. Childcare will be available.
Together we will:
- Help caregivers understand the expectations for students on eLearning days
- Help caregivers understand their role in supporting their children
- Help caregivers become familiar with frequently used Apps including Canvas and Google Meets
If you are interested in joining us, please complete this form to help us with our planning.
National Native American Heritage Month
As we continue to recognize National Native American Heritage month, it is important to know the names of the tribes that are native to Minnesota. Minnesota's tribal reservations and communities include two tribes: the Anishinaabe (also known as Chippewa and/or Ojibwe) and the Dakota (also known as Sioux).
When we hold community building circles at school we want to honor the tribes whose practices help guide our circles. We begin our circles this way as an act of antiracism and to do our part to avoid cultural appropriation. Below is one example of what we might say.
"We would like to acknowledge that we are gathering on land nurtured by our Indigenous Minnesota ancestors; the Dakota and Ojibwe people. As we begin our talking circle, we give thanks to these and other indigenous ancestors around the world whose practices, philosophies, and beliefs are the foundation of talking circles."
With the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, today's read aloud is Squanto's Journey - The Story of the First Thanksgiving by Joseph Bruchac. You can follow along with this retelling of the First Thanksgiving as told from the perspective of Squanto. I encourage everyone to listen to the author's note at the end, which explains that the author, Joseph Bruchac, himself is Native American, and how he took to heart the responsibility of telling this story by speaking to many living native tribes to help in this telling.
And finally, you can click HERE to learn about Northland Visions, a Native American owned business located in Minneapolis. They sell beautiful art, grommet food and other products made by Native Americans from the midwest.
Join Us at the Meadowbrook Book Fair!
Get some holiday shopping done while supporting the Meadowbrook PTO and a locally-owned, independent bookstore! Refreshments will be available to purchase. Shop new and used books, gifts, puzzles and games and 10% of sales will be donated to the Meadowbrook PTO. Or shop online now at books.creamandamber.com and use code MEADOWBROOK to make sure 10% is donated to Meadowbrook.
Thursday, December 8
4:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Cream & Amber, Downtown Hopkins
6th Grade End of Year Celebration Planning
Although it feels like we just started the school year, we know the last day of 6th grade/Meadowbrook will come all too quickly. A small group of us have started planning the end of year celebration for our 6th grade grads and would love your help! The celebration will take place on the last day of school. We're looking for as many people as we can to help with the following committees: Slideshow, Website, Food, Music and Activities. We cannot do it all without your help - it will truly take a village to make our students’ last day at Meadowbrook memorable. We plan to have an informational meeting on Wednesday, December 14th at 7PM. It will be a virtual meeting. If interested, please contact knemgar10@gmail.com to get the zoom link.
eLearning & Equitable Internet Access
Important: Open-Enrolled Families with Incoming Kindergartners!
Have an upcoming fall kindergartner? Even if you have students already enrolled in Hopkins Schools, you will need to submit an open enrollment form for your new kindergartner. Submit your Open Enrollment application by January 17, 2023, to be included in the first lottery. Find Open Enrollment forms online at HopkinsSchools.org/enroll. Questions? Please email Enrollment@HopkinsSchools.org or call 952-988-4110.
Yearbooks
Feedback needed for superintendent engagement sessions
Hopkins Beds for Kids
Did you know there are children in our area that do not have their own bed to sleep in at home? The Hopkins Police and Fire Departments, in conjunction with Hopkins and Minnetonka Rotary, are honored to be able to provide beds to families in need. If you or anyone you know is in need of a bed, please contact Jake Moser at 952-935-7556 or jmoser@hopkinsautobody.net.
Supporting Gender Expansive Kids Parent and Caregiver Group
Are you the parent or caregiver of a child who transcends traditional binary gender roles? Hopkins Schools offers a supportive, ongoing group for parents and caregivers to ask questions, share ideas, and support one another. Click here for more information.
Meadowbrook PTO
Please visit our website for all things PTO!
Volunteer
If you would like to be a room parent in your child’s class or help in a variety of other ways this school year, let us know! Complete the volunteer interest form here: https://forms.gle/AZiPf7kamK6Z317Q7
Online Directory
To connect with other families at Meadowbrook, please register with our Meadowbrook Online Directory. *Please note this is different from the forms you completed for your teachers! This directory will allow you to search for other MB families, and for others to find your information if you choose.
Any questions? Reach out to us at meadowbrookelementarypto@gmail.com or visit us on Facebook , Twitter, Instragram, or our PTO website
Lost & Found
Important Calendar Dates
November 18: Community Service Night 5:30pm-7:30pm
November 23-25: No School - Thanksgiving Break
November 29: Caregiver eLearning Event 6:00pm-7:00pm
December 12-14: Restaurant Days @ Ice Dreamzzz in Plymouth
December 16: No school - Professional Learning Day
December 22-30: No school - Winter Break
Meadowbrook Elementary
Main Office Line: 952-988-5100
Attendance Line: 952-988-5110
https://meadowbrook.hopkinsschools.org/families/attendance
Online Student Directory: www.meadowbrookpto.ptoffice.com
Email: natalie.sawatzky@hopkinsschools.org
Website: https://hopkinsschools.org/schools/elementary-schools/meadowbrook-elementary
Location: 5430 Glenwood Avenue, Golden Valley, MN 55422, USA
Phone: (952) 988-5100
Facebook: facebook.com/HopkinsMeadowbrook
Twitter: @MeadowbrookGV