Meadowbrook News
December 17, 2021
From Mrs. Sawatzky
Good afternoon Meadowbrook,
We had so much fun playing Bingo on Thursday; it was the perfect way to wrap up 2021! Take a peek at some of the pictures below.
Please remember there is no school from December 20th through January 2nd. School resumes on Monday, January 3. During this break, the Meadowbrook office will be closed. Although we will not be in the office, please continue to send any urgent Covid matters via email to me (natalie.sawatzky@hopkinsschools.org). I will monitor the messages, collaborate with Nurse Karen, and communicate with you when needed.
Many of our students will return after Winter Break fully vaccinated! This is exciting as fully vaccinated students (14 days after second dose) who are identified as a close contact will not need to quarantine from school if they are not displaying any symptoms.
To everyone celebrating Christmas during Winter Break, may your family have a merry Christmas filled with love and peace. And, to those celebrating Kwanzaa, I wish you much warmth and togetherness.
In partnership,
Natalie
1st Grade Project Based Learning Unit
First graders have been learning about children and schools around the world and how one organization, Global Village Connect, helps students in Uganda, Africa. We have been using geography skills and terms to understand that people live in different settings. We have researched how rural communities build wells to access fresh water and how farmers grow a variety of crops depending on weather conditions. We have also studied what schools and playgrounds around the world are made of and look like.
Each classroom focused on a topic and presented their findings in posters or videos so the other first grade classrooms could learn more. Our project based learning unit culminated in a coin drive where students brought in and counted donations daily to give to Global Village Connect’s programs. Over $900 was raised by our empathetic and globally minded first graders and our money counting skills are better than ever!
Reminder for Open Enrolled Families:
If you currently have an open enrolled child, you will need to fill out an application if you have an incoming kindergarten student. You can find an application on our website at: https://www.hopkinsschools.org/about/enroll
Applications are due January 18, 2022.
Winter Gear
VirtualEDU (formerly Online Academy)
You can register for the event here.
Interested in joining Hopkins VirtualEDU?
If you would like to enroll your scholar in VirtualED for second semester (which begins January 24), please fill out this information form by January 5. Scholars who enroll should plan on spending the remainder of the year in VirtualEDU. This will be your last chance to enroll in VirtualEDU for the remainder of the 2021-22 school year.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out by emailing VirtualEDU@HopkinsSchools.org or calling 952-988-4050.
Renaming the Fitness Center at Hopkins High School
Hopkins Schools and the City of Minnetonka are asking for feedback from community members on a new name for the fitness center at Hopkins High School. We are now in the third and final phase of this process where we are asking community members to vote on the top four name suggestions generated from Phases 1 and 2. We will bring the top vote(s) to the Hopkins Public Schools School Board for final approval, and then will announce the new name shortly thereafter. Click here to cast your vote: https://hopkinssd.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0jHAOo8fBJa8lpQ
Inclement Weather Policy
When making a decision to close schools for the day, start schools late, or dismiss schools early, we factor in existing and predicted weather conditions as well as road conditions to determine the overall safety of our students and staff. We will notify parents/caregivers of a two-hour late start or full-day school closure as soon as we feel confident in our ability to make that decision. Ideally this would be the night before, no later than 9:30 p.m. If we don’t have enough information to make the decision the night before, we will notify parents no later than 5:30 a.m. the day of a change. Early dismissal from school will be announced approximately one hour before dismissal.
Hopkins Ultimate Frisbee
New to Ultimate? No problem! We will teach you everything you need to know - no experience necessary and EVERYONE gets to play! Ultimate is a fun sport that combines skills from other traditional sports like soccer and football, but is it low contact and is played with a disc (frisbee). It is a sport that is grounded in good sportsmanship, fairness, and respect. The Middle School League is co-ed, so we welcome girls and boys alike.
Need more info? Check out our website: hopkinsultimate.com or reach out to me, Camie Mayer (HURT recruitment) at camiermayer@gmail.com.
Mark your calendars! Hope to see you at the January 6th meeting!
Yearbooks
School is in full swing and we are hard at work on your child’s 2022 Yearbook. We can’t wait for you to see this year’s book! Don’t put it off, order now at the link below.
https://ybpay.lifetouch.com/Order/LookupJob?jobNumber=14465722
Hopkins Public Schools is Hiring!
If you or someone you know would like to be a part of an inclusive school community on a mission to transform what education looks like — we need you! We currently have positions open in transportation, nutrition, event coordination, marketing and communications, teaching, early childhood, special education and more. Ready to get started? View our Careers page.
For additional information about paraprofessional support jobs in special education, please email Heidi Wilhelm at heidi.wilhelm@hopkinsschools.org or call the Special Services Department at (952) 988-4044.
Guest Teachers Desperately Needed
The nation-wide substitute teacher shortage is also impacting Hopkins Public Schools. We are looking for Guest Teachers to help us when our Hopkins Teachers are absent. It is very easy to become a Guest Teacher.
All that is needed is a college degree and a Substitute Teaching License obtained through the Minnesota Department of Education and is very easy to get. Guest Teachers work up to 8 hours per day and we pay $165 per day. Our Human Resources department will help you obtain a Substitute Teaching License if you are interested in serving in this capacity.
We really need you! If interested in working with our amazing students in this role, please contact our Human Resources department at 952-988-4000.
The Meadowbrook PTO has a new website, check it out! This is where you can access the online directory and so much more!
Room Parents Needed
Are you interested in being a room parent this year?
Please let us know which teacher/class you would like to help by completing our form here: https://forms.gle/VBDyZfHtbPBoDbiXA
Restaurant Nights
Join us for our next Restaurant Night:
- Monday, January 10, 4-8pm
- Red Robin in Plymouth: 2669 Campus Drive, Plymouth, MN, 55441
- Online orders, To Go only.
- Mention Meadowbrook in the Special Instructions
- 20% is donated to the PTO!
Any questions? Reach out to us at meadowbrookelementarypto@gmail.com or visit us on Facebook, Twitter, Instragram, or our PTO website
Hopkins Public Schools COVID-19 Dashboard remains live on our website. Please remember to have your child complete a daily health screening every day before attending school. It is very important that you keep your child home if they are experiencing any signs of illness. Thank you for helping us keep our schools operating as normal as possible! You can find updates and information related to our school’s safety plan on our COVID Hub.
COVID-19 Vaccinations
The Mall of America and MDH still have a vaccination clinic going at the mall. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please click here.
Find a vaccination near you here.
Meal Benefits Applications
All student meals are free for the 2021-22 school year. However, you can help our district qualify for important federal and state financial resources to support education by submitting a meal benefits application for your family. Please complete the 2021-22 Free Meal Application for Educational Benefits form.
Paper copies can be filled out and returned to the Meadowbrook office.
Questions? Contact the Student Nutrition Office:
Email Nutrition@HopkinsSchools.org or call 952-988-4060
Important Calendar Dates
December 20-31: No school - Winter Break
January 3: School Resumes
January 14: No School - Professional Learning Day for Staff
January 17: No School in Honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
January 21: No School - Professional Learning Day for Staff
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