Meadowbrook News
April 15, 2022
From Mrs. Sawatzky
Good afternoon Meadowbrook,
Brrrr! Thank you so much for sending your children with warm outdoor gear this week. Looks like the they will need it again for the first part of next week too, but then the warmer weather begins!
Mr. Lawson and I had more fun this week competing against Mrs. Sobanski and Mrs. Kornmann in an obstacle course challenge for the Meadowbrook Mingle. Join us for the Facebook Live Mingle event on Wednesday of next week to see which team walked away with the bragging rights!
To our families who will be celebrating the beginning of Passover, the Easter holiday, or continuing the celebration of Ramadan this weekend, may your families be filled love and hope.
In partnership,
Natalie
P.S. Students in 3rd through 6th grade will take their MCA tests next week and will need headphones!
Meadowbrook Mingle
The countdown has begun to the Meadowbrook Mingle. Join us THIS MONDAY, April 18 for a week long celebration.
MONDAY: Auction opens!
Bid early, bid often! Auction website (https://Meadowbrook.cbo.io) opens on Monday, April 18.
WEDNESDAY: Celebration
Mid-week celebration, Wednesday, April 20 at 7:00pm for Facebook Live Kahoot Trivia. Get your dance, Disney and things that are gross trivia party hats on!
Kids bring their iPads home for trivia, caregivers log in to the Facebook Live event (https://www.facebook.com/events/304344261805315).
New silent auction items dropped during the event. Lots of laughs guaranteed!
FRIDAY: We've met our goal!
By Friday, we celebrate that we have raised $40,000 for Meadowbrook. High fives all round!
NEW THIS YEAR:
Invite your Grandparents!
Tell Grandparents they can fund a popcorn party for all the kids in the school. All they have to do is log on to the auction site and donate!
REMINDERS:
- Milestones
Let's reach our fundraising milestones. Choice time, DJ at recess, a principal dance competition are just a few “wins” for our kids.
- Doing good for Meadowbrook
Do good, donate by participating in the Fund-a-Need campaign. Thank teachers, beautify the school and fund educational items.
RSVP for the event: https://www.facebook.com/events/304344261805315
Learn all about the Mingle at: www.meadowbrookmingle.com
Run Meadowbrook Run
Save the date for our 6th annual Run Meadowbrook Run!
When: Saturday, May 21
- 8:00am for 5K Run and 9:00am for 1 Mile Fun Run
Where: Brookview Park, Golden Valley
Registration is open! Visit RunMeadowbrookRun.com for more information.
Volunteer Here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084BA8A92BA4FC1-rmrvolunteers1
Come run with us!
Plant Sale Pick up and Volunteers
Our beautiful spring plants will soon arrive! If you have not yet signed up for a time slot to pick up your plants, please do so here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4DA8AD28AAF8C70-2022
We also have a need for more Plant Sale volunteers on Saturday May 7th & Sunday May 8th; morning and afternoon shifts are available. Help spread Springtime cheer! You can sign up to help here: https://tools.ptoffice.com/Signups/Balloons4605
Staff Appreciation Week - May 2-6
Help us celebrate Staff Appreciation Week (May 2-6, 2022) by nominating a Meadowbrook staff member who has made a difference in your life!
Appreciation Week is an opportunity to express our gratitude for all the ways the Meadowbrook staff show up each and every day. Please tell us about a staff member who has gone above and beyond to support you or your child this school year. A classroom teacher, para or administrator, someone in the halls or lunchroom, maybe a specialist? All nominations are welcome and will be read by the Meadowbrook Staff Appreciation Team.
We look to spotlight as many dedicated staff members as possible during Appreciation Week with shoutouts on the morning announcements. Plus, every nominated individual will be entered into a daily gift card drawing!
How to show your appreciation:
Choose one of these two easy options to submit a nomination for consideration:
1) Online: Submit a nomination using our online form here. OR
2) Email the following information to mbappreciation@gmail.com:
- Your Name:
- Name of staff member you are nominating:
- How has this staff member made a difference in your school year?
HEF Partners with Great Harvest Bread Co. for Gratitude Gifts!!
Gratitude Gifts are a wonderful way to wrap up an extraordinary year. Send your thanks to ANY Hopkins staff member.
Gratitude Gifts generate many smiles from grateful, hard-working, innovative, and adaptive staff. For a $25 donation to HEF, we’ll deliver a sleeve of delicious cookies from Great Harvest Bread Co. in Minnetonka, along with your personal message.
Place your orders by Friday, May 20. Gratitude Gifts will be delivered on Thursday, May 26.
To order now, visit www.HopkinsEducationFoundation.org
HEF's Royal Family Fun Day
Don't miss out on the FUN! Join HEF for this FREE event for Hopkins Public Schools students on Sunday, May 1, 1-3PM at Eisenhower Community Center Gym.
Children aged 3 yrs. through 6th grade are welcome, accompanied by their adult(s). There will be two big awesome inflatables, musical instruments to try, games and prizes, balloon animals, and delicious snacks.
For more details or to register for the event, visit www.HopkinsEducationFoundation.org. Thank you to our generous sponsors Aldi and Great Harvest Bread Co. Minnetonka!
Wolf Ridge Summer Trip
Hello Hopkins Families,
For 35 years, Hopkins Community Education has offered an opportunity for students to take a 5-day summer trip to Wolf Ridge ELC in Finland, Minnesota. Covid has made this trip impossible over the past two summers. The change in the Covid landscape has made this summer possible, but we know the clock is ticking towards summer.
Our summer program is an overnight camp for students entering 5th through 12th grade. Often, students return from year to year. Our program is staffed by Hopkins teachers from our elementary school buildings. Scott Stillman from Glen Lake is the lead teacher. While there is a considerable cost to this program, this is a break-even cost for us to provide this camp. Also, scholarship funds are very limited this year.
Please complete the following survey as soon as possible. Based on responses, we will either start planning or just wait until next summer.
Our dates for this year would be June 27 to July 1. The cost would be $575 and there would be a limit of 45 students. Also, please know we would need to reach 40 students to make this summer happen.
Once we know more information, we will reach out to families who are able to attend this summer.
Lego League
Royals Athletic Center
Hopkins Public Schools and City of Minnetonka announce new name for the high school athletic center!
Multi-age Survey Feedback
To our multi-age families: Thank you for offering your feedback on the multi-age experience. Our site’s data specialist has compiled an executive summary of the results, which can be found here. We will use this information to improve the multi-age experience at Meadowbrook along with other innovations.
VirtualEDU
MCA Testing
Beginning in April, 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. 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.
If you have any questions about MCA testing, your student’s needs, or would like to opt out of testing, please feel free to contact Keshan Singh, Meadowbrook Data Specialist (keshan.singh@hopkinsschools.org) or Natalie Sawatzky, Meadowbrook Principal (natalie.sawatzky@hopkinsschools.org).
The following link also has more information about MCA testing (including translated materials): https://education.mn.gov/MDE/fam/tests/
Thank you for partnering with us in your student’s education.
Spring Student Surveys
At each of our sites, we will be administering two completely anonymous surveys to our students in April (this means there is no way for us to identify your students’ responses). Additional information on the two surveys are listed below. You can opt out of either or both surveys via this form.
Youth Truth Survey
We provide the YouthTruth Student Survey annually to our 3rd-12th grade students. It is a nationally recognized survey used in hundreds of schools and districts across the country, surveying hundreds of thousands of students. The survey asks students about their experiences in the school and with their teachers, including how engaged they are at school, the rigor of their coursework, and their preparedness for the future. Our school, other schools, and researchers may use such information for developing plans to help schools and teachers improve. For information about this survey, please visit http://youthtruthsurvey.org, or speak to a school administrator. Although we want to hear from all students, participation in this survey is voluntary.
Minnesota Student Survey
The MSS is conducted in schools across our state every three years. Our school district is asking students in Grades’ 5, 8, 9 and 11 to participate in the 2022 survey. Questions on the survey are about many topics relating to young people’s lives. The survey asks about how well school is going, future plans, out-of-school activities, physical and mental health, relationships, substance use, and more. This useful information about their thoughts and behaviors helps communities and schools develop effective programs and provide better services. More information can be found at https://education.mn.gov/mde/dse/health/mss/
Ready Set Kindergarten
Do you have a 5-year-old at home who didn’t attend preschool this past year? Ready Set Kindergarten is a 3-week summer program offered through HopDina, a joint partnership between Hopkins Public Schools and Edina Public Schools. The program is for incoming kindergarten students for the fall of 2022. You can send completed applications to Emily Acker at Alice Smith Elementary. Applications must be received by May 27th to be eligible for the lottery.
When: Monday-Friday, July 18th-August 5th 8am to 12pm
Location: Alice Smith Elementary, 801 Minnetonka Mills Road, Hopkins, MN 55343
**This program is tuition-free.
**Families living in the Hopkins or Edina School Districts will have access to transportation.
**Lunch will also be provided.
2022-23 Calendar Approved
Non-School Day Child Care
With the 2021-22 calendar changes for elementary students, Kids & Company will be offering an option to register for full-day child care.
If your student is currently registered in Kids & Company and will need care on these additional non-school days, please log into your account and register for the additional days.
If your student is not currently registered for Kids & Company, please register HERE. Please note: registration does not guarantee a spot for child care. Availability is based on space and staffing. You will receive confirmation at least one week prior, when your child’s spot has been secured.
Please take note of the following registration dates:
- Child Care for May 6 - registration deadline of April 22
Limited financial assistance is available upon request. Please reach out to our Kids & Company Account Manager Monica Baran at (952) 988-4080.
COVID-19 Updates
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.
Masks now strongly recommended, not required
Hopkins moved to masks strongly recommended in all buildings and on school buses beginning Thursday, March 17. As the Mitigation Team shared at Tuesday’s Board Meeting, all of the district’s key indicators support relaxing the masking policy. Case rates among staff and students are extremely low, Hennepin County’s transmission rate is currently at a low level, and there is a strong vaccination rate among staff and students. More information
Weekly Testing and Rapid Testing
As of February 7, we shifted our weekly testing schedule from Mondays and Tuesdays to Wednesdays and Thursdays. Test kits now go out on Wednesdays and will need to be back by noon on Thursdays.
Please note, your school has rapid tests available for Hopkins scholars with symptoms or known, specific exposures / close contacts. If you are in need of a test kit for your child, please reach out to your school who will be able to assist you.
New Vaccination Clinic
In conjunction with its cultural festival on April 28, Gatewood ES will also host a mobile vaccination clinic provided by Children’s Minnesota. It will be there from 2:00pm to 6:00pm. We will welcome the entire Hopkins Public Schools community. While walk-ins are possible, Children’s prefers that families sign up at this link.
The Meadowbrook PTO has a new website, check it out! This is where you can access the online directory and so much more!
The PTO needs your help next school year! The 22-23 school year will be the final year at Meadowbrook for our current Co-Presidents and Treasurer. We are looking for a few people to work with us next year to learn the tasks of these roles to take over the following year. PTO can’t happen without YOU! Please email if you would like further information about these open positions - meadowbrookelementaryPTO@gmail.com.
To view other open positions for the 22-23 school year, please visit our website: https://meadowbrookpto.weebly.com/who-we-are.html
Any questions? Reach out to us at meadowbrookelementarypto@gmail.com or visit us on Facebook, Twitter, Instragram, or our PTO website
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.
Important Calendar Dates
April 18-April 22: Meadowbrook Mingle Week
April 20: Meadowbrook Mingle Facebook Live Event 7:00pm
May 6: No School: Professional Learning for Staff
May 6: Spring Fling Event
May 7-8: Plant Sale Pick Up
May 9-15: Culver's Concrete Mixer Fundraiser - Golden Valley Culver's
May 17: Kindergarten Bridge 6:30pm
May 21: Run Meadowbrook Run Event at Brookview Park
May 30: No School: Memorial Day
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