Meadowbrook News
March 17, 2023
From Mrs. Sawatzky
Good afternoon Meadowbrook,
This week I learned that our Meadowbrook Mingle is scheduled during the holy month of Ramadan. I sincerely apologize that this important holiday was not considered when choosing a date for the event. I also promise to learn from this mistake and ensure that this does not happen again. With all of our PTO events, our primary goal is to build community. So while you see my smile in the video inviting you to the Mingle, know that my heart is heavy and I'll be thinking of those who are not able to be with us.
This week we had our first school-wide assembly since 2019! Kelley Perotti joined us to speak on the power of kindness. Students were encouraged to spread kindness by 'starting small' and 'being brave'. Thank you PTO for funding this opportunity!
Happy St. Patrick's Day to those of you celebrating! Our 3rd grade students learned an Irish jig during music class this week and it was so much fun to watch them practicing. There were many smiles and much laughter in the room!
In partnership,
Natalie
Meadowbrook Mingle
Next week is Mingle Week!
There are many ways to participate in Mingle Week! Bid in the online auction, join us for the IN PERSON event at Brookview on Saturday, March 25th (childcare available) and/or donate directly to the PTO to help us fund things like visiting authors, Art Adventure, field trips and bussing and so much more!
If we meet our financial goals, our kids win some extra fun this spring. If we raise…
$5,000- Kids win a Pajama Day
$10,000- Our principals will run a 10K at recess
$15,000- The music will be pumping with a DJ at recess
$20,000- Our principals will wear wacky costumes at drop off and pick up
Caregivers, you can win too! By attending the live event at Brookview, not only will you have the opportunity to meet other Meadowbrook caregivers, but every ticket purchased will be automatically registered for a raffle. You could win…
$25 starbucks if we sell 100 tickets
Pizza party from Divanni’s for your student’s classroom if we sell 140 tickets
You could be well caffeinated or adored by a classroom of children, just by the purchase of a ticket! Buy now!
Women's History Month
Each week this month we will be sharing interesting facts about Women’s history month and highlighting some amazing women and their contributions.
Did you know…
The first female state governor was Nellie Tayloe Ross and was elected in 1924 by the state of Wyoming.
Unfortunately, the 19th Amendment did not give Native American, Black, Asian American, and Latinx women the right to vote. The law only allowed white women this right.
The first female astronaut, Geraldyn “Jerrie” Cobb was not allowed to actually travel to space because she was a woman.
In this week's morning announcements, we learned about Malala Yousafzai and Ruth Bader Ginsberg.
Malala Yousafazai is a Pakistani activist. In 2008, Girl’s Schools in her area were being shut down and Malala bravely protested. Her bravery did not come without a cost, in 2012 she was shot. She survived the attack and continues to speak up about the importance of education for girls.
Ruth Bader Ginsberg served on the Supreme Court for 27 years. She worked passionately to fight for gender equality under the law. Along with the knowledge of all women’s hardships, own experiences as a woman in politics helped guide the actions she took towards reform. She is lovingly referred to as RBG and will continue to inspire a movement of change for years to come.
Author Visit At Meadowbrook
On March 28th and 29th, author and illustrator Rick Chrustowski will visit Meadowbrook and speak with our students. Students have the opportunity to purchase one of Mr. Chrustowski's books by completing the order form that was sent home today, and is attached below.
Rick Chrustowski grew up in a large, loud family in northwestern Indiana. He had a blast playing outside in the fields and forests near his home.
Later, he lived on a hobby farm for 20 years raising chickens and horses. But the wild animals that came through his backyard fascinated him the most. They inspired his art and writing. Many of them have made their way into the books he's written and illustrated, including My Little Fox, Big Brown Bat, Hop Frog, and Turtle Crossing.
Rick now lives in an old house in Minneapolis; one of the bedrooms is his studio. He grows as much of his own food as he can in his backyard along with flowers to attract bees, butterflies, and birds.
MCA Testing for Grades 3-6
This spring, students in our district and across the state will be taking the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs). Students with significant cognitive disabilities take the Minnesota Test of Academic Skills (MTAS) instead of the MCA. These assessments are administered as part of federal and state law and are important tools to measure the progress of learning based on the Minnesota Academic Standards.
The MCA results are critical for our work in improving instruction, for supporting equity, and for providing another piece of information about individual students. The MCA results also represent our community to the public.
Although parents and guardians have always had the right to refuse standardized testing, administering the MCA is not optional for the district. A parent refusal form must be on file with the school the week prior to testing. If one is not on file, students will be assigned a test session. As a district, we are required by state statute to administer the MCA to our students. We believe that with strong test participation, we will be better able to equitably serve all of our students and to accurately represent the vitality of our schools.
Testing dates do not interfere with other critical assessments and allow our students to be refreshed for each assessment. There is no need for students to study for the MCAs.
We ask you to support your student's participation in this important test. If you have any questions about MCA testing and/or your student’s needs, please feel free to contact me or our district’s Innovation, Design, and Learning Department. The following link also has more information about the MCA (including translated materials): https://education.mn.gov/MDE/fam/tests/
St. David's Center Partnership
If you'd like to support St. David's or attend their annual gala, it is a very worthy cause. The Annual Make Them Shine Gala is a philanthropic event that supports the 4,000 children and families who benefit from St. David's life-changing early intervention services.
On March 11, 2023, Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan and 500 guests will attend the 34th Annual St. David’s Center Make Them Shine Gala held at the McNamara Alumni Center. Tickets are available – visit St. David's website for more information.
Hopkins Schools Transportation now has live GPS information through My Stop
We are excited to share that Hopkins Public Schools is now able to offer caregivers and students access to live school bus GPS information through My Stop. My Stop is a web-based application that families can use to track their child’s bus in real-time. This service will be especially useful during days when winter weather has slowed transportation. You can access My Stop at this link or on our transportation webpage. Parents can sign in to MyStop with their child's district username (which is their school email address before the @sign) and district password (which is their initials in capital letters and the last four digits of their school id).
Student’s Username is first4 of LN followed by first4 of FN followed by last 4 of their school id e.g.: WhitAile1234
Student's PW is their FN&LN initials followed by their 6-digit lunch PIN e.g.: AW987654 PW is case sensitive
If you need support, contact the Hopkins technology help desk at 952-988-4111. You can also download the My Stop App on Apple or Android platforms. Tech Support: For all questions regarding My Stop, please contact IT at mystop@hopkinsschools.org. Do not contact the transportation department, as they cannot answer questions regarding My Stop. Please send any feedback to mystop@hopkinsschools.org regarding your experience with the application. We will forward that information to the technicians.
5th and 6th Grade Caregivers
Please help us make this yearbook special for your kids by providing one picture of your child from their Kindergarten year. Use their first and last name as the file name, add 5th or 6th grade (accordingly) to the subject line, and email the image to: MBYearbook5430@proton.me.
Images must be received by March 31, 2023.
6th Grade End of Year Celebration Planning
Thanks to everyone who has already expressed an interest and/or offered to help with the planning for the 6th grade celebration! We have been able to fill some committee spots and have heard a lot of great suggestions. If you are interested in helping or learning more, please visit our website, https://mbgrads2029.weebly.com, for more information. We cannot do it all without your help. Please consider joining a committee, volunteering on the day of or providing a donation for the students.
Additionally, we are looking to put together a slide show featuring all the kids of this class for their graduation party. In order to make that happen, we need your help. All you have to do is find two pictures of your child from their time at Meadowbrook that you want in the slide show, you can go to the link below to find out more information and where to upload them. Thanks so much. https://mbgrads2029.weebly.com/slideshow.html
5th Grade Year-End Celebration Planning
This is our 5th graders last year at Meadowbrook. Who else is crying already? We've kicked off planning to help our almost-middle schoolers mark the end of their time in elementary school. On Wednesday, June 7th, the last day of school, we hope the weather will cooperate so the kids (and any caregivers who want to tag along) can have a day of celebration!
We will be hosting breakfast in the morning, along with a slideshow from our student’s years at Meadowbrook. Buses will then take the kids to Brookview Park for a day outside together. A DJ will be playing, and a catered lunch will be served. Around 3pm we will head back to Meadowbrook for popsicles on the playground!
To pull this off, we need your help.
- Do you have experience with video editing to create a video or slideshow to showcase photos of our kiddos over the years?
- Do you have yard games or other activities for the kids to do while at Brookview? We will need help in sourcing the games, and with supervision the day-of.
- Join the planning committee to make sure no details are missed.
- Come along on Tuesday June 6th to celebrate with your child and help as needed.
Donations! We will not be able to host most of this day without donations. We will need to raise at least $3500 (still finalizing our budget) to provide the students with breakfast, lunch, a DJ at Brookview, t-shirts, bussing, and popsicles. To donate, please visit our planning website: mbgradpicnic2030.weebly.com or donate directly here: https://www.paypal.com/donate?campaign_id=G8U7MNEXBBZMA
One last request for all 5th grade caregivers: start looking through photos of your 5th grader. We'll be asking for up to three pictures of each student at Meadowbrook - one baby photo and two of them at school events (focusing on photos from school events will give us a more inclusive video). Once you find these photos, you can email them to mb5thgrade2023@gmail.com. Be sure to include the name of your student and their teacher.
If you want to get more involved in the planning process, please email meadowbrookpto@gmail.com or check out our planning website here.
Are you a caregiver of a Black or African Diaspora scholar?
Meadowbrook Plant Sale
Place your order today!
To place an order visit our Meadowbrook Plant Sale website.
Please look for a confirmation email after ordering to verify that your order has gone through. If you do not receive an email, please email us at MBPlantSale@gmail.com.
Details
Pick-Up: Saturday, May 7, from 9:30am-5pm & Sunday, May 8 from 9:30am-3:30pm.
Location: Meadowbrook Elementary Front Entrance.
Sign-Up: Select your pick-up time through the SingUp Genius link in your confirmation email.
*All plants subject to availability.* We are not able to guarantee plants due to supply chain issues, but will do our best to fill all orders. We will contact you if your order cannot be filled.
Questions? Email us at MBPlantSale@gmail.com.
Yearbooks
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!
April 'Restaurant' Night
Corporate Caterers take home meals
- Order online by Saturday April 15 at noon at https://tinyurl.com/Spring2023takehomemeals
- Pick up Thursday April 20, 4:15-6:15 in Meadowbrook's parking lot A (by main office)
- 15% of orders to be donated to the 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
Important Calendar Dates
March 20-25: Meadowbrook Mingle Week
March 31: No School - Professional Learning Day for Staff
April 3-7: No School - Spring Break
April 21: No School - Eid-al-Fitr
Lost & Found
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