Meadowbrook News

Hopkins families should prepare for the possibility of an eLearning day or late start on Monday, March 25 due to significant snow in the forecast Sunday into Monday. We ask families to be prepared for either scenario. Our weather team will meet on Sunday evening. If we feel certain we have enough information to make any weather calls at that time, we will notify families. Otherwise, you will hear from us either way by 5:30 a.m. on Monday morning.

Good afternoon Meadowbrook,

My heart is full after last night's 1st grade concert. This was our first concert since before Covid and it felt great to gather in community to watch our students shine. A big shout out to Kate Sorenson our Music teacher who prepared our students so beautifully for this event. I am looking forward to 3rd and 5th grade concerts after Spring Break!

For families that use Door A for drop off and pick up, please do not encourage your students to cut through the parking lot to come to your vehicle. We instruct students to stay on the sidewalk and only approach your vehicle when you are pulled up alongside the sidewalk (not the grass). Additionally, I ask you to stay off your phones and be mindful of pulling up as close to the vehicle in front of you as possible. If we can refrain from blocking traffic on Turners Crossroad, it is appreciated by the City and local residents.

Next week we will welcome author V.T. Bidania to Meadowbrook. V.T. Bidania is the author of the Astrid and Apollo chapter book series, which is the first children's book series to star Hmong American characters. She was born in Laos and grew up in Saint Paul, Minnesota, right where Astrid and Apollo live! Click here to learn more about V.T. and here to read her article about why representation in children's literature matters.

In partnership,

Natalie

P.S. Order your yearbook by April 15!

Each spring our students in grades 3-5 participate in the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs). 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.

Specific information about testing dates can be found here. Should you decide that you would like your student to not participate in MCA testing, you can complete the linked form above or reach out to me.

An enormous THANK YOU to everyone who has contributed to the PTO Spring Fundraiser so far!! We have raised almost 40% of our $20,000 goal. If you haven’t donated yet, there’s still time! Without the funds raised from this drive, the amount of financial support the PTO can provide to our educators and students next year will be significantly reduced.

Every donation, no matter the size, makes a significant impact on our ability to provide our beloved Meadowbrook community with opportunities for learning, growth, and connection. Every donor will be entered into a prize drawing held at the end of March.

Prizes include:

• Davanni’s Class Pizza Party
• New Hope Aquatic Center Passes
• Brookview Backyard Passes
• Kiddywampus $25 Gift Card
• Science Museum of MN Tickets
• Stages Theater Tickets
• Hopkins Spirit Shop $25 Gift Card
• BLVD $50 Gift Card
• And many more!!

How to Donate: Donate via PayPal (https://www.paypal.com/donate?campaign_id=TGJ55764W3CGL) - or- send cash or check in an envelope labeled “Meadowbrook PTO” to the school office. Please include your name and email address to be entered into a prize drawing.

• Tuesday, April 17: Parent Information Night: 6-7 p.m., This will be a virtual event.

• Friday, May 10: Student Step-up Day: 5th graders at NMS for the day

Stay tuned for more information to follow!

Thank you Hopkins Education Foundation for funding two Meadowbrook Grants! Our RISE Program recieved $1,500 to bring additional items to the classroom which will provide options for physical movement and emotional regulation and Mr. Tesdahl recieved $2,700 for a Project Based Learning unit where students will be designing their own golf courses. We are always grateful for the support that HEF provides our school!

Here is the update of what to watch for here at Meadowbrook:

Strep is still lurking around every corner. I do want to let you all know that if your child has completed their round of antibiotics for strep and after about a week or so complains of a stomachache, please have them re-swabbed for strep. I have seen many cases of tummy troubles show a positive strep without the sore throat aspect.

Our friend Lice is hanging around as well. It's quite a bugger (nurse humor), but treatable. Just know that the entire Metro is seeing this as well. Keep combing and checking your child's hair. If you don't get those pesky, sticky eggs out of the hair, you will have a re-infection. Check with your child's healthcare provider for recommendations if you have to re-treat.

Welcome aboard the stomach bug! This one is unpleasant to say the least. Fevers and malaise (low energy) start this virus and it progresses to stomach pains and diarrhea. Some vomiting as well. Students are out for several days with this virus. I always advise keeping ginger ale and Gatorade on hand to rehydrate. Saltines and bananas will help your child recover. To prevent vomiting when you reintroduce fluids after the stomach bug, a teaspoon of fluid every 20 minutes will rehydrate effectively. Increase the amounts when the child can tolerate it. Good handwashing and cleaning of all surfaces with a disinfectant wipe can help keep the rest of the family members stay healthy. Students can return to school once they are fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medications. If symptoms are severe, please speak with your child's healthcare team!

Stay healthy Meadowbrook!

Measuring a student's ability to decode words is easier - and is more skill-based - which allows more targeted intervention when needed. Language comprehension or vocabulary is more difficult to measure and to intervene upon because the number of words a student may see in reading is almost immeasurable.

The broadness of language is why rich vocabulary development is so important. The more knowledge and academic vocabulary students hear, the more likely they are to recognize it in print. One of the best ways to build vocabulary is to read to and with your child. Another way is to talk to your child a lot - explaining what you see and do, what things are and why things happen, and using rich language in descriptions. "Strive for five" is a structure often used by teachers but is a great home language-building structure as well.

(Strive for Five, David Dickinson, 2003)

For students, it’s important to become curious about words they don’t know. Modeling when you don’t know a word or how it is being used and then investigating the meaning together is a great way to model learning vocabulary. As students become older, helping them understand the nuance between words that are synonyms: content vs. joyful vs ecstatic or anger vs. rage vs. irritation. Kids love learning “big words” - it makes kids feel older, more mature, and smarter - and they learn new words faster than at any other time in their lives. Students with lower vocabulary struggle in all areas of school, not just reading, so building a strong vocabulary is critical to academic success.

Understanding Vocabulary: Why It's Critical to Your Child's Reading

Book Recommendations:

Stacey’s Extraordinary Words by Stacey Abrams

Stroll and Walk, Babble and Talk by Brian P Cleary

School is in full swing and we are hard at work on your child’s 2024 Yearbook. We can’t wait for you to see this year’s book! Don’t put it off, order now at ybpay.com!

The Meadowbrook ID Code is: 14465724.

Restaurant Nights

• Upcoming Dates:
• April 17: Chipotle from 4-8pm (515 Winnetka Avenue N)
• May 6-12: Culver's of Golden Valley

• What are Restaurant Night funds used for? The sales from Meadowbrook Restaurant Nights are used for PTO funds. These funds provide many opportunities for all students and teachers. This includes, but is not limited to field trips, equipment for classrooms and the media center, artist residencies, and transportation costs for events and field trips.

• How much has Meadowbrook family's contributions to Restaurant Nights made so far? We have raised a total of $1,567.13 for the Meadowbrook community! As you can see, these nights are of great benefit to the students and staff at Meadowbrook, and each time you dine to donate it is greatly appreciated.

Online Student Directory

Visit HopkinsMeadowbrookPTO.org for access to the Online Meadowbrook Student Directory.

To sign up:

• Current Users: If you had a log-in from the previous directory, visit the website. Click the “Forgot Password” link to reset your password and gain access.

• New Users: Visit the website. Click the “Sign up” button. To create your account, enter your full name and email address, and create a password. Including your full name will help staff verify that you are a Meadowbrook caregiver.

How to Help The PTO:

• Volunteer - Complete this form to express your interest: https://forms.gle/4G39cpzZQ8kddGXs7

• Download the Box Tops for Education app and scan your receipts after shopping. Any qualifying purchases will go directly to Meadowbrook PTO- no need to 'clip' anymore!

Any questions? Reach out to us at meadowbrookelementarypto@gmail.com or visit us on Facebook , Twitter, Instragram, or our PTO website

Registration for Camp Royal is open now! Camp Royal offers a variety of camps for students entering Kindergarten to 5th grade. We offer half-day or full-day camp options as well as supervised time from 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., 4:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., and over lunchtime. All camps take place at the Eisenhower Elementary.

Freedom School is a transformative vision of summer education that Hopkins has participated in since 2022. In partnership with the Children's Defense Fund, Freedom School helps children generate more positive attitudes toward education and connects their families with needed resources in the community. Scholars entering grades 4-9 can join us from June 17 to July 26 in a space that gives them freedom to express themselves and build a love for learning. There is no cost for participating in the program. Families who commit to participate also commit to weekly Parent Empowerment sessions. We hope to see you there!

Learn more and register at https://tinyurl.com/3z6ywxhd

Golden Valley Little League 2024 Regular Season BaseballRegistration is Open!

Player Evaluation Day for 7-12 year olds is March 16!

Practices begin in April at local Golden Valley fields.

Games are played in May & June.

There are 4 levels of regular season play. Players are assigned to a league based on their baseball ability. GVLL Levels of Play are: Rookie (ages 5-7), Minor B (ages 7-9), Minor A (ages 8-11) and Majors (ages 10-12).

Registration Details Visit http://www.goldenvalleylittleleague.org for details.

At the December 12 School Board Meeting, the Hopkins School Board approved the 2024-25 calendar. Over the next few weeks, we will add these dates to our digital calendar and provide a printable PDF.

April 1-5: No School, Spring Break

April 10: No School, Eid al-Fitr

April 16: 5th Grade Music Concert 6:00pm

April 17: Middle School Parent Information Night (Virtual) 6:00

April 17: Restaurant Night - Chipotle from 4-8pm

April 18: 3rd Grade Music Concert 6:00pm

April 19-21: Barnes & Noble Book Fair

May 6-12: Restaurant Week - Culver's

Main Office Line: 952-988-5100

Attendance Line: 952-988-5110

https://meadowbrook.hopkinsschools.org/families/attendance

Online Student Directory: https://hopkinsmeadowbrookpto.org/

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