• March 31st - Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs) for grades 3-5 begins (see schedule below)

• April 5-26 - School Library Fundraiser *see below for more information!
• April 12 - Site Council & Booster Club Meeting starting at 4:15 PM via Zoom
• April 19-23 - Public School Volunteer Appreciation Week
• April 20 - Cafe Zupas Food Night Fundraiser from 5-9 PM - proceeds go to our Social Work Angel Fund
• April 21 - Districtwide Staff Development Day K-12; No school for students

"Inclusion is the Celebration of Diversity Put Into Action."

At Glacier Hills Elementary School of Arts & Science, we value inclusion, diversity and equity in all we do. We are a school community who celebrates the diverse backgrounds of all our students, families and staff. We are committed to providing a safe, supportive and inclusive learning environment for all. We stand united as a school community and do not tolerate hateful language, racism and discrimination of any kind. We uphold a belief that all are welcome and belong within our school community. At GHESAS, we continually work toward empowering our students to reach their fullest potential and value all of our members of our community.

As principal and the instructional leader for GHESAS, I denounce any acts of violence, prejudices, and bigotry toward anyone based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religious and/or cultural background including members of our LGTBQ+ community, individuals with disabilities, and persons of color. It is our work as educators and leaders to promote equitable practices, challenge and dismantle systems of oppression, inequities and injustices, as we encounter them. Our school serves as a safe haven for all and it is my role as the school principal to be the safe-keeper for our students and staff.

Our children, families, and staff continue to navigate the pandemic and other events in the past year that have brought us many challenges.Traumatic events, whether in the school, community, and world, and then covered on the media, can have a negative impact on the emotional well-being of our students. We continue to be here for our students to work through any challenges they may experience. Please reach out at any time if you need support or wish to connect with our administration, teaching staff and/or school social worker.

EVERY MEAL (formerly Sheridan Story) is a food gap program that provides weekly 5lb bags of shelf stable food free to all families

• EVERY MEAL food bags will be available on Wednesdays during materials pick-up, look for the cart outside the front doors.
• Starting Monday, April 5 EVERY MEAL will also be available for in-person students to pick-up a bag at dismissal time as they exit the building. There is no registration and this is free to all families, please let your child know to pick up one bag before they leave if you are interested.
• If you need other arrangements please contact Christine Kroeze, School Social Worker, at (651)683-8570 or christine.kroeze@district196.org

For more information about EVERY MEAL, visit their website here: https://www.everymeal.org/

I have loved re-connecting with students in person as well as continuing to connect with students virtually. I’m looking forward to continue working the students at Glacier Hills throughout the remainder of the school year - check out what we have done in March!

• Kindergartners in-person came to the lab to build and test a tent using different materials to protect their ice cube from the melting “sun”. They will also be visiting the lab right after spring break to take part in a design investigation related to force and motion. They will test things that roll, make a new and improved roller and gather data on how well it rolls. Digital Academy students have worked on a few different challenges: making a balloon-powered vehicle, testing how well things roll on different surfaces, comparing objects that sink and float, and creating a twirly bird. Everyone is working so hard!

• First graders in-person were in the STEAM Room to learn about and drive our 3 robots; ozobots, spheros and dash. The will practice driving in control, tracing a shape, and driving fast. Digital Academy students have worked on a few different challenges: making a balloon-powered vehicle, testing how well things roll on different surfaces, comparing objects that sink and float, and creating a twirly bird.

• Second graders in-person have been coming to the STEAM Room to learn about and drive our 3 robots, ozobots, spheros and dash. They have practiced driving in control, tracing a shape, creating and following a block code, and driving fast. Digital Academy students have worked on a few different challenges: building a pillar system that is strong enough to hold several books, making, testing and gathering data on a twirly bird, testing how well things roll on different surfaces, and comparing objects that sink and float.

• Third graders in-person came to the STEAM Room to learn about and drive our 3 robots; ozobots, spheros and dash. They practiced driving in control, tracing a shape, creating and following a block code, and driving fast. Students will also be back to the lab after spring break to talk about seasons, moon phases and constellations. Digital Academy students have worked on a few different challenges: building a pillar system that is strong enough to hold several books, making, testing and gathering data on a twirly bird, testing how well things roll on different surfaces, and comparing objects that sink and float. Students should be gathering data and sharing what they find out with me on Seesaw.

• Fourth graders in-person walked to Patrick Eagan Park to make observations. They found the same location we visited in the fall and compared what was similar and what was different while writing and drawing. Students are also visiting the lab to learn how to drive and block code our ozobots and spheros. Digital Academy students have continued to work on engineering challenges at home. They have compared things that float in the air, made and tested a twirly bird and paper airplanes.

• Fifth grade students in-person visited the lab to learn about simple machines and build a Rube Goldberg machine. They used a variety of tools and materials to create a machine that transfers energy at least 5 times and that completes the goal of landing a ball in a cup. Digital Academy students have been participating in hands-on demonstrations or investigations around the topics of force and motion as well.

Let’s continue to build, create, and explore together!

~ Ms. Hosek, Science/STEM Specialist

Last spring, the Booster Club planned on dedicating our Spring Carnival proceeds to making major improvements to the Glacier Hills Library/Media Center. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our Carnival had to be cancelled and the Library/Media Center did not receive any funding. Book Fair sales, which also support Library/Media Center initiatives, are also down this year due to conferences and events not being in person.

The Library/Media Center is in great need of replacing existing popular books, as well as supplying new titles that our students LOVE TO READ. Books like the Harry Potter series, Mo Willems titles, graphic novels and more have broken bindings and torn pages from excessive use and are not able to be checked out any longer. This fundraiser will specifically help us update our Media Center/Library materials and purchase new books for ALL OF OUR STUDENTS to enjoy for years to come.

The GH Booster Club is kickstarting this campaign in two ways. First, all proceeds from the four Food Nights in 2020-21 ($1,226.34) are going directly to the Library/Media Center Campaign! Second, the Booster Club has agreed to match dollar-for-dollar the first $2,000 raised by our families! That way your donation has DOUBLE THE IMPACT!

Visit https://www.titlewish.com/1093761
Type in Glacier HIlls Elementary in the search bar or enter campaign number 1093761.

To read more about the titlewish program and our campaign, please visit the GH Booster Club website at http://bit.ly/titlewish.

This coming month, GHESAS will host 7 classroom residencies (Digital Academy and In-Person Classrooms) in partnership with 1000 Petals/MoveMindfully. GHESAS has a long-standing partnership with 1000 Petals in supporting our school community with movement, calming strategies and breathing exercises that help create a peaceful learning environment. GHESAS has been the recipient of grant funding through the Dakota County Shipt Grant making it possible to cover the costs of the residencies for the 2020-21 school year. The residency will allow individual classrooms to host a virtual instructor trained in MoveMindfully as a way to encourage self-regulation, calming and health/wellness. Techniques can be used at home and during the school day - almost anywhere! See diagram below for some of the movements we are learning. We encourage students to share their learning with their friends and families!

Thank you to all who participated in our GH Food Night at Panda Express on February 24. We made $237.25 for the Booster Club that night! Proceeds for school-wide food night events this year will be going toward library book purchases for the GHESAS media center.

A tremendous heart-felt thank you to our families who donated for our teacher assessment meals. Your generosity was AMAZING!

Many thanks to our Art Adventure volunteer team who is working hard to bring our classrooms Art Adventure this spring: Lee Ann Pomplas (Art Adventure Chair), Theresa Plaunt, Jennifer Williams, Jenny Casper, Chris Haffely, Tina Handberg, Kelly Deichler, Jae Cody and Talia Campbell.

We are collecting pictures for our social media and yearbook. Please send pictures to glacierhillspics@gmail.com and include your student(s)’ name and teacher!

Our next Site Council/Booster Club meeting is Monday, April 12, at 4:15 p.m. via Zoom. If you would like to attend, please email glacierbooster@gmail.com for the meeting information. All are welcome!

Interested in serving on the Glacier HIlls Site Council or Booster Club in 2021-22?

Applications will be accepted starting in mid April. For more information about the two groups and the application process, please contact Lisa Mushett at glacierbooster@gmail.com.

While we are not currently able to provide in-person volunteering or events at Glacier Hills, there are a number of ways you can help support our school. Here are a few ways to help:

• Amazon Smile: Go to https://smile.amazon.com. Under organization select Glacier Hills Booster Club. Bookmark and shop through smile.amazon.com every time you place an Amazon order. You can even use Amazon Smile through the Amazon app!

• Join our Facebook Parent Pages: Join now to connect with other parents at Glacier Hills. Simply search for your student(s) class page on facebook below, and request to be added. Facebook Parent Pages are managed by GHESAS Parent Groups.

Current 5th Graders: Search facebook groups for "Glacier Hills Class of 2028 Parent Group"

Current 4th Graders: Search facebook groups for "Glacier Hills Class of 2029 Parent Group"

Current 3rd Graders: Search facebook groups for "Glacier Hills Class of 2030 Parent Group"

Current 2nd Graders: Search facebook groups for "Glacier Hills Class of 2031 Parent Group"

Current 1st Graders: Search facebook groups for "Glacier Hills Class of 2032 Parent Group"

Current Kindergartners: Search facebook groups for "Glacier Hills Class of 2033 Parent Group"

Due to COVID-19 and contract tracing efforts schools are required to do at this time, we are temporarily pausing on allowing students to ride a school bus who are not regularly scheduled. For example, students wishing to coordinate an after school play date, sleepover, scout meeting, or other extra curricular activities, etc. will need to arrange for other transportation. In an emergency situation where you may need to have your child ride a school bus, please contact the school office at 651-683-8570 so we may assist you.

Thank you District 196 Teachers and Staff!

If you have been looking for a way to show support to our hard-working teachers and staff, now is your chance! Please join The District 196 Foundation in spreading gratitude throughout the district by displaying a (free!) yard sign.

Complete this form to reserve your sign. You will receive a follow-up email with information on where and when to pick up your sign. Sign quantity is limited; signs will be distributed according to order of response. Thank you for helping us recognize teachers and staff this spring!

About District 196 Foundation

District 196 Foundation is dedicated to eliminating barriers to learning across ISD 196. We’re an all-volunteer organization that focuses on ensuring students have consistent access to food, providing books to keep kids reading during the summer months, and restoring used instruments so more students can participate in band. In response to Covid-19, we shifted our priorities to better address rising food insecurity, technology needs, and personal protective equipment for District 196 teachers and staff.

CAHOOTS math and language arts in one book … a great value!

Parents, Community Education is pleased to again be offering CAHOOTS, a K-5 summer math and language arts correspondence workbook program.

The program is portable, flexible and designed to closely match our district curriculum through an engaging and reflective approach to learning. After completing each lesson and checking answers online, students complete an assignment reflection and send to a CAHOOTS Buddy who will send a written response back.

• Families received a letter which includes enrollment instructions the week of March 1. Cost is $43. Contact our school if you need information.
• Final registration is due April 2.

It is recommended students work on the grade level they will be entering in the fall (i.e. 1st grade is a review of kindergarten), to review and reinforce skills learned during the school year. Please discuss with your child’s teacher, if you feel another level may be more suitable.

CAHOOTS should not be considered a replacement for participating in summer school, if your child qualifies. CAHOOTS is not intended to replace regular reading for enjoyment or math activities that strengthen your child’s fluency and love for math.

Thank you to our families who submitted boxtops. We did not receive many this year but have raised $93 dollars for the year so far. We need your help to raise more money through the box tops app - if you haven’t downloaded the app do it now! Download the “Box Tops for Education” app on your smartphone, and under settings you can select “Glacier Hills Elementary.” You can see what items earn box tops, scan your receipt, and earn without cutting a thing! You can even email grocery pick up orders through programs like Shipt, Instacart, and Target Drive-up! If you’re unsure of how it all works, please visit boxtops4education.com.

Email: GH.Attendance@district196.org
Website: https://gh.district196.org/
Location: 3825 Glacier Drive, Eagan, MN 55123
Phone: 651-683-8570
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GlacierHillsArtsandScience
Twitter: @GlacierHills