Meadowbrook News
September 24, 2021
From Mrs. Sawatzky
Good afternoon Meadowbrook,
WOW Meadowbrook - you showed up; literally! What an amazing carnival - it had to have broken all carnival attendance records. It was so great to see you all and have fun with you! I want to give a HUGE shout out to Lindsay Gerten and Jenny Dennis, our carnival co-chairs. Thank you so much for the gift of your time as you planned and prepared for a carnival like no other!
Fall allergies have started at my house and I found myself consulting the Daily Screening Tool this week. It is very helpful for determining whether or not your child should attend school if they are not feeling well. Please use the link and familiarize yourself with the guidance. Additionally, you can always consult with Nurse Karen if you have questions.
Next Thursday is another late start. School begins for students at 11:30am, unless they are part of the Kids and Company program or signed up to be in Late Start Childcare. Forms for childcare are being sent home today, so check your student's backpack if you intend to sign up. Late starts create opportunities for the Meadowbrook staff to engage in professional learning and collaboration. Our time next week will be focused on Project Based Learning (PBL). PBL is a teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging, and complex question, problem, or challenge.
Lastly, we are experiencing a lot of students leaving school early each day. While we understand that there are appointments that cannot be avoided, we want you to understand that this does cause a disruption to our afternoon learning. Additionally, you should know that the parking lot is difficult to navigate from 3:30pm to 4:00pm. We kindly ask you to consider this when making appointments for your children.
In partnership,
Natalie
Meadowbrook Carnival
Thank you to all who attended, volunteered, and sponsored the Meadowbrook Carnival last Friday. It was an incredible evening! The Meadowbrook community showed up in unprecedented numbers and surpassed all attendance projections. You showed patience with long lines, exhibited an all-together attitude by filling more than 200 volunteer positions, and proved how strong our Meadowbrook community can be. We generated more than $14,000 for the Meadowbrook PTO, which will be invested back into our scholars, our teachers and staff, and the materials needed to enrich learning.
This year’s carnival was full of many firsts and we would love to hear from the community to learn what you liked and where we can improve next year. Please take a moment to fill out the attendee survey (if you haven’t done so already).
Our hearts are full and we hope yours are too. Thank you, Meadowbrook!
Lindsay Gerten &. Jenny Dennis
2021 Meadowbrook Carnival Co-Chairs
From Nurse Karen
Happy Fall Meadowbrook Families!
I hope this finds you all well. Keeping our Meadowbrook community safe during this pandemic is the most important thing me and the nursing team in Hopkins is focusing on this year. I certainly did think we would be in a better spot coming into this year, but that tricky virus had other plans for us. I would like to thank everyone for keeping their children home when ill and letting us know if and when you are taking your child in for a Covid test.
We have new procedures this year if a student should test positive. The one thing I want you all to know that if your child has been determined to be a close contact, we will give your family a call and send an email to further explain “what’s next”. If your student is not identified as a close contact, but there is a positive case in the classroom, you will get an email to notify you. Please keep tabs on your Spam and Junk files. I have been made aware that some of our emails may end up there.
Our students are fantastic wearing their masks, and with hand-washing! I do need your help, however. If your child tells you they are not feeling well prior to school, please keep them home. If you are not sure and would like me to consult with you, please give me a call! The current strain of Covid is looking like a cold (sore throat, runny nose, feeling poorly). We also have colds, allergies, and RSV, in the community, making it difficult to identify.
Thanks for doing your part to keep us “Healthy in Hopkins”.
Fall Conferences
We are looking forward to connecting with you during our upcoming fall conferences! Elementary fall conferences are scheduled for Monday, October 18th from 11:00am to 7:00pm and Tuesday, October 19th from 8:00am-4:00pm. Sign up links will be available to you on October 1.
You will have the opportunity to have the conference in person, virtually through Google Meet, or over the phone. It is not expected that teachers schedule alternative conference times outside of the conference days. Thank you for honoring our conference calendar schedule.
Each student is allotted one 20-minute conference slot. For students with two households, we ask that you plan to attend the conference jointly. If there are circumstances that prevent this from being possible, you may divide the 20 minute spot into 10 minute increments.
School Pictures
School pictures are Tuesday, September 28th. We encourage you to order online by going to mylifetouch.com using our picture day ID: EVTG97ZQ9. You can also use this link or use the forms attached below. The website will be available for online orders up to 48 hours after picture day.
Picture retakes are scheduled for Thursday, November 4th from 9:30am-Noon.
For students who are in the Hopkins Online Royal Academy that would like their picture taken, you are welcome to come to Meadowbrook between 10:00am and 3:00pm on either September 28 or November 4.
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
Community Engagement Events
We welcome you to join our Hopkins Public Schools Community Engagement events in late September, early October. We value your thinking to help us answer important questions to help guide Hopkins toward Vision2031 - questions such as learning start times for older and younger students, a year-round elementary school, locations for 6th and 9th grade learning, and creating flexible, hybrid models that become permanent features of our learning system. The next step in this process is gathering input from you!
Please calendar the following dates. Registration encouraged, but not required. Register here.
Monday, September 27, 4:00-5:30pm (Virtual)
Wednesday, September 29, 6:30-8:00pm (In-person, Eisenhower Community Center, Rm. 233)
Monday, October 4, 4:00-5:30pm (In-person, Eisenhower Community Center, Rm. 233)
Thursday, October 7, 6:30-8:00 (Virtual)
Legislative Action Coalition
Our mission is to identify and advocate for the education issues that affect Hopkins Public Schools and other districts across Minnesota. Working with input from our school board, administrative leaders, and local advocacy groups, we create an annual working document: the State Education Platform. Our legislators look forward to this Platform and refer to it throughout the session as bills are presented.
The LAC meets every Friday that school is in session, using a virtual format for the 2021-22 school year. These weekly meetings include updates from local education advocacy groups, invited legislators, school administrators, plus group input on Platform development.
If you are interested in how legislative action affects our schools, we encourage you to join us! Please send an email to lac@hopkinsschools.org to receive the virtual link to the meetings which began on September 10, 2021. Check out the LAC webpage for calendar dates, legislator information and more.
The Meadowbrook PTO has a new website, check it out! This is where you can access the online directory and so much more!
PTO Meeting
Join us for our first meeting of the year this coming Tuesday, September 28 at 7:00pm! We will be hosting our meeting virtually; to join our zoom meeting:
- https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8864150562?pwd=OElVMCtBb1hMR1pRUDROZUx2L2IvUT09
- Meeting ID: 886 415 0562
- Passcode: 12345
Meeting Agenda:
I: Introductions and PTO background
II: Update from Principal Natalie Sawatzky
III: Introduction and Q&A with candidates for Hopkins School Board
IV: What is a Restorative Circle? Let Suzanne Pakenham teach you all about it!
V: Upcoming events and needs
Spirit Wear
This will be the last opportunity to order Meadowbrook Spiritwear for this school year!
Get your orders in by October 1st, orders will be delivered through the school by the end of October. https://greenboybrand.com/meadowbrook-fall-2021
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
Our first Meadowbrook Restaurant night is approaching next week!
- Papa Murphy's Pizza Thursday, September 30, 11am - 7:30pm.
- 8525 Golden Valley Road, Golden Valley 55427
- Online orders expressly appreciated over walk-ins
- Use code ‘GIVE’ to have Papa Murphy's generously donate 20% of the sales amount to the PTO
Get involved with the PTO!
If you have even 1 hour to give this school year, we would love to have you. All families at Meadowbrook are automatically a member of the PTO, and we can't do it without your help. To share with us your areas of interest, please complete the form here: https://forms.gle/VBDyZfHtbPBoDbiXA
Any questions? Reach out to us at meadowbrookelementarypto@gmail.com or visit us on Facebook, Twitter, Instragram, or our PTO website
Community Education
Registration for Community Education fall programs is now open! Pre-season wrestling, after school art classes, Home Alone Safety classes, chess club, online classes and many more offerings are available. Register online at hopkins.ce.eleyo.com
COVID-19 Updates
Please remember to have your child complete a daily health screening before attending school. It is very important that you keep your child home if they are experiencing any cold or flu symptoms.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 Dashboard is now live
Hopkins Public Schools COVID-19 Dashboard is now live. The 2021-22 dashboard shares the level of transmission rate of the virus in our community and also the number of positive cases and quarantines among staff and students. The dashboard will be updated Fridays at 12 p.m.
Free At-Home COVID-19 Testing for Hopkins Scholars
While supplies last, Hopkins Schools will offer weekly COVID-19 testing for all scholars, beginning Monday, Sept. 13. Upon request, we will provide Vault, saliva test kits on Mondays for scholars (regardless of vaccination status) to pick up from the school health office, to take home and complete. The saliva samples need to be returned to the school nurse by noon on Tuesday for mailing. Vault’s COVID-19 at home testing instructions can be found here. Vault will email results to the participant within 48 to 72 hours. In addition, all families may order free home testing kits from this MDH program at any time. If you'd like to test more frequently or suspect you’ve been exposed, we recommend having these test kits on hand.
Additional Vaccination Information
Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is safe and easy. Everyone in your family 12 years old or older is eligible for vaccination. Anyone may sign up with the State by using the Vaccine Connector online or over the phone at 833-431-2053. Translations are available in Spanish, Hmong, and Somali. You may also sign up with the County by registering here: COVID-19 Registration Form. Many healthcare providers and retailers with pharmacies also now provide vaccinations. They include Cub Food, Hy-Vee, Thrifty White Pharmacy, and Walmart / Sam’s Club. The state has expanded its vaccination services by offering vaccinations at the state fairgrounds. For more information, please see this MDH website.
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
September 28: School Picture Day
September 28: PTO Meeting at 7:00 pm
September 30: Late Start - School Starts at 11:30am
September 30: Restaurant Night at Papa Murphy's Pizza
October 18 & 19: No School: Caregiver/Teacher Conferences
October 20: No School: Staff Development Day
October 21 & 22: No School: Education Minnesota Convention
October 26: MB Restaurant Night - Noodles & Company
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