Meadowbrook News
April 21, 2023
From Mrs. Sawatzky
Good afternoon Meadowbrook,
Eid Mubarak to our families celebrating Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan. On Thursday we had many excited students in anticipation of family gatherings. I hope you have a blessed feast!
April 22nd is recognized as Earth Day - a day to not only enjoy our planet, but engage in activities which help preserve it. There are many free activities around the state for you and your family to enjoy: park clean up parties, nature center events, and state parks to visit. You can find ideas on how to celebrate Earth Day with your family here.
This week our registration for Run Meadowbrook Run opened! I hope you'll consider joining me at Brookview Park for our annual 5K race or 1 Mile fun run. Registration information can be found below.
In partnership,
Natalie
Autism Acceptance Month
April is Autism Acceptance Month and Autism Acceptance Day was on April 2nd. It is important to bring attention to topics that affect people with Autism and their families with the goal of shifting perceptions of Autism to a more accurate and positive view.
What is Autism?
“At Reframing Autism, we think of Autism as a brain difference that is basic and fundamental to who we are. This means that Autism is an important part of who we are and the way we are in the world (reframing Autism 2023).
Reframing Autism is a site that focuses on uplifting the voices of people with Autism. It is important to learn about Autism from Autistic people.
Click HERE to hear the book All my Stripes: A Story for Children with Autism
Resource:
About autism - reframing autism. Reframing Autism - Celebrating and Nurturing Autistic Identity. (2023, March 24). Retrieved April 14, 2023, from https://reframingautism.org.au/about-autism/Meadowbrook Plant Sale
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.
Plant Sale Volunteers Needed!
Friday, May 6: https://tools.ptoffice.com/Signups/Balloons22493146
Saturday, May 7: https://tools.ptoffice.com/Signups/Balloons46051674
Questions? Email us at MBPlantSale@gmail.com.
Run Meadowbrook Run
Registration is open! Register by May 8th to ensure a T-Shirt!
- 5K Race: 8:00am
- I Mile Fun Run: 9:00am
Where: Brookview Park
Not a runner? We need volunteers to make Run Meadowbrook Run a success - you can sign up to volunteer here.
For more information visit: https://www.runmeadowbrookrun.com
Hopkins Education Foundation Hosts Royal Family Fun Day - Sunday, April 30, 1-3:00PM!
HEF's Royal Family Fun Day is BACK! And it's FREE. Sunday, April 30, 1-3PM at Eisenhower Community Center Gym.
Save the Date for an afternoon of kid-sized fun. Children aged 3yrs through 6th grade are welcome, accompanied by their adult(s). Play games with Mathnasium, try out musical instruments with Bach to Rock & conquer the inflatable obstacle courses....don't miss out on the FUN!
Register now for this FREE event at Hopkins Education Foundation
Make their Day! Hopkins Education Foundation Gratitude Gifts Available Now!
Celebrate Spring and finish the school year with a shout out to amazing Hopkins staff. For just a $25 donation to
Hopkins Education Foundation, which funds future grants to staff and students, we will deliver a personal message
along with this year's exciting NEW Gratitude Gift which includes the following:
- $25 Gift Card from BLVD Kitchen & Bar
- A mini loaf of bread from Breadsmith
- Certificate from Breadsmith for a future loaf of bread
Thank you to BLVD Kitchen & Bar and Breadsmith for partnering with HEF to acknowledge our fabulous staff.
Order your Gratitude Gifts HERE by Friday, May 19.
HEF Volunteers will personally deliver the gifts to staff on Thursday, May 25.
VirtualEDU offers two unique pathways - online learning and blended
We’re thrilled to announce a new pathway in our K-12 online school, VirtualEDU. Starting next year, VirtualEDU will be the first fully-accredited online public school in Minnesota with both a blended (in-person + online) learning model and a fully-online option. Both learning models use a curriculum that is research-driven and cutting-edge. If you or someone you know may be interested in this learning model, please click this link for more information.
Do you have a strong mathematics thinker or lover of mathematics in grades 5, 6, or 7 looking for a challenge?
The University of Minnesota offers a program called the University of Minnesota Talented Youth Mathematics Program, or UMTYMP. If you’d like your student to assess for entrance into this program, please use this link to learn more. Round 2 test opportunities begin in two weeks and sign-up is required!
Hopkins Kindergarten Bridge
Hopkins’ Kindergarten Bridge is a great opportunity for caregivers to learn about strategies to prepare for their child’s kindergarten experience. During the discussion, incoming kindergarteners will have the opportunity to play with other children and possibly explore a kindergarten classroom.
Registration is required and space is limited. This event is for families who have a child enrolled in kindergarten at Hopkins Public Schools for the 2023-24 school year. You can register here.
- Alice Smith: May 18, 2023, 6:30-8 p.m.
- Eisenhower: May 25, 2023, 6:30-8 p.m.
- Gatewood: May 11, 2023, 6:30-8 p.m.
- Glen Lake: May 9, 2023, 6:30-8 p.m.
- Meadowbrook: May 16, 2023, 6:30-8 p.m.
- Tanglen: May 23, 2023, 6:30-8 p.m.
HOPKINS DANCE TEAM
HOPKINS DANCE TEAM tryouts for Winter competition season are coming up the week of May 15! Open to all interested dancers and athletes who will be in grades 7-12 for the 2023-24 school year. Learn more about our program at hopkinsdance.org Contact Head Coach, Marit Green, with any questions. marit.sletten@gmail.com
Information Open House
Thursday, April 27
6-7pm
Hopkins High School Cafeteria
Come anytime within the hour to learn about the Hopkins Dance Team, meet the team & coaches, get your questions answered and feel more comfortable for tryouts!
Tryout Prep Clinics
April 24, 27, May 8, 11
4:30-6pm @ HHS Dance Studio
Come and learn more about what we do at dance team! Wear shorts, T or tank, jazz shoes and tennis shoes. Bring a water bottle!
Tryouts
May 15-18 @ HHS Old Gym & Dance Studio
Clinics: May 15-17 from 4:30-6:30pm
Tryout: May 18 starting at 5pm, groups will be assigned during the week
Have fun this summer with Hopkins’ Summer Programs!
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.
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 are making some great progress but the work is not yet over. We still need your help and donations to ensure that our celebration is a success.
Please visit our website, https://mbgrads2029.weebly.com, to DONATE and to learn more information about the day. Your donation will contribute to food, activities, busing and a class gift for your student. We recognize that not everyone can contribute and that's totally OK! For those that are able and willing, we would accept a little extra donation if you feel so inclined. We would also love for you to donate your time on the day of the event, June 7th. Please watch for more communication around volunteering.
Lastly, please don't forget to submit your photos for the slideshow! 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
Are you a parent or guardian of a student on an IEP?
Hold the date of April 26th for the annual Special Education Parent Advisory Committee (SEAC) meeting. If you have any questions about the meeting, please email Kyra in the Special Services department: kyra.berggren@hopkinsschools.org
Black and African Diaspora Scholars Advisory Council
Somali, Hmong, and Latino Parent Advisory Councils
Are you a caregiver of a Somali, Hmong, or Latino scholar? Be a part of one of our advisory councils! These affinity groups give parents and caregivers the opportunity to connect with other parents, shape and influence district policies and programs, and address needs and opportunities as a community. Please contact one of the following engagement specialists for more information:
- Somali Parent Advisory Council: Deeqa Barkhadle, deeqa.barkhadle@hopkinsschools.org, 952-988-4069
- Hmong Parent Advisory Council: Panou Xiong, panou.xiong@hopkinsschools.org, 612-282-2632
- Latino Parent Advisory Council: Elisa Dorfman, elisa.dorfman@hopkinsschools.org, 952-988-4211
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.
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.
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
Important Calendar Dates
May 19: Family Movie Night
May 20: Run Meadowbrook Run
May 29: No School - Memorial Day
June 7: Last Day of School
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