Meadowbrook News

Good Afternoon Meadowbrook,

It’s been a chilly week, and it’s a great reminder to send your child to school with warm outdoor gear every day. If you need assistance purchasing winter gear, please don’t hesitate to reach out to a member of our Student Support Team at the contact information provided below—we’re here to help!

Looking ahead to Friday, December 20th, we’re anticipating a higher number of early pick-ups as families head into the holiday break. To help manage the day effectively without disrupting our school-wide bingo event, we’ll be using a new system:

• Early pick-ups will only be available at 12:00 PM or 3:15 PM.
• Students will only be released at these designated times to ensure a smooth and organized process for everyone.
• If you plan to pick up your child early on December 20th, please notify the school office in advance. We will have your child ready for pick up at Door A at either 12:00 PM or 3:15 PM.

Speaking of bingo, we’re looking forward to playing from 2:50-3:15 on Friday, December 20. We are looking for volunteers to help run this exciting event! If you are available on Friday, December 20, from 2:30 to 3:30 PM, please email Lauraarucker@gmail.com to volunteer.

Lastly, if you’re visiting Meadowbrook, please remember not to use the accessible parking spots unless you have a permit. We want to ensure that all members of our community can visit and access our school comfortably.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we prepare for a festive end to 2024!

In partnership,

Natalie

P.S. Submissions Golden Valley Martin Luther King Jr. Contest are due Monday, December 16!

• Open-enrolled families (families who live outside the Hopkins School District): if you have a fall 2025 kindergartner, you will need to complete an Open Enrollment Application for your child by January 15, 2025.
• Hopkins School District resident families: please submit a K-12 Student Enrollment form for your fall 2025 kindergartner — even if you are already attending Hopkins Preschool.

If your child is in need of winter gear, please contact any member of our Student Support Team:

Nicole Sobanski, School Counselor (Kindergarten)

nicole.sobanski@hopkinsschools.org

952-988-4443

Alex Wyss, School Counselor (1st-2nd Grade)

alexandra.wyss@hopkinsschools.org

952-988-4818

Julie DeGroot, School Counselor (3rd-4th Grade)

julie.degroot@hopkinsschools.org

952-988-5113

Suzanne Pakenham, Student Success Advocate (5th Grade)

suzanne.pakenham@hopkinsschools.org

952-988-5099

Ready, set, play! Meadowbrook is pumped to partner with Dave & Buster’s for our Arcade Power Card Fundraising Campaign. When you purchase a Dave & Buster’s Power Card from our fundraising page, 50% of your order directly supports Meadowbrook Elementary PTO!

Whether it’s classic arcade thrills, action-packed racing, or multiplayer challenge, enjoy endless gaming fun at any Dave & Buster’s location nationwide when you purchase your Power Card at the link below.

Don’t forget to share it with friends and family to join in the fun: Buy your D&B’s Arcade Power Cards here!

For every bag sold of this Special Edition Meadowbrook Roast from Kinder Coffee Lab (a local roaster from St. Cloud, MN), our Meadowbrook PTO will receive 35% donated back! That's $7 a bag! Coffee comes in Light, Medium, Dark, and Decaf roasts in whole bean or ground. Buy 2 bags or more and get FREE SHIPPING ANYWHERE!

How it works: 1. Purchase online via our campaign page. 2. Choose your roast. 3. Enjoy delicious coffee while your gift goes to our school community! Click here to buy Kinder Coffee to support the PTO!

Art Adventure is still looking for classroom volunteers for the following classrooms:

1st Grade: Carreras

4th Grade: Mach

4th Grade: Treiber

If you have a scholar in one of these rooms or if you are interested in volunteering in a class room to create and learn about art as a Picture Person, please email mbartadventure@gmail.com right away!

It’s time to order your yearbook!

This year, the PTO won’t be able to provide a yearbook for each family, so please be sure to place an order if your child would like one in the spring.

Visit ybpay.com and enter code 14465725 to order. All orders must be placed by April 12, 2025.

Monthly Newsletter

• September
• October
• November

Restaurant Nights

• 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. Since September, restaurant nights have helped bring in $1,923 to the PTO!

• December Restaurant Night: The Local will host our December restaurant night on December 10th. Mention Meadowbrook and our PTO will receive 10% of sales.
• Can't make it on the 10th? This year Meadowbrook is partnering with the Local in the West End; every Tuesday, mention "Meadowbrook PTO" and a portion of the proceeds will be provided to the Meadowbrook!

How to Help The PTO:

• Volunteer with us! Click here to learn about our many volunteer opportunities. There is something for everyone!

• Visit the PTO website, MeadowbrookPTO.weebly.com for current info on all things PTO!

• Sign up for the PTO’s monthly newsletter to stay in-the-know on all PTO events, activities and opportunities. Sign up here!

Any questions? We’d love to hear from you! Reach out to us at MeadowbrookElementaryPTO@gmail.com or visit us on Facebook , Twitter, Instagram, or our PTO website.

The Hopkins School Board invites you to a virtual budget community engagement session on December 18, 6–7:30 p.m.

This session will feature Krista Kaput, a nationally recognized expert in public education funding, who will provide insights into the complexities of school funding and its impact on Hopkins and districts across Minnesota.

The event includes a 60-minute presentation followed by a 30-minute Q&A session. Community members can submit questions in advance or during the event. Look for more details on our website.

Purpose:
If you are a caregiver of a student with a disability, you are invited to join us for our SEAC (pronounced seek) meetings. We will share Hopkin's Special Education Department updates with you and create space for you to advise us on how to best serve you and the community. https://www.pacer.org/parent/parent-leadership/seac/

Dates:
Tuesday, January 21, 2024, from 5:00 - 6:30 pm
Tuesday, March 18, 2024, from 5:00 - 6:30 pm

Location: Eisenhower Community Center, Board Room #233

If you have any questions, please email Ryan.Simenson@Hopkinsschools.org

Are you the caregiver of a child who transcends traditional binary gender roles? We are offering a supportive, ongoing group for parents and caregivers to ask questions, share ideas, and support one another. Some children may identify as transgender, gender fluid, non-binary, gender queer, gender expansive, or simply move through the world in a much more gender-free type of way.

This is for parents and families from all of Hopkins schools -- and from all grade levels (elementary, middle, and high school, and beyond). Laura Jensen, Hopkins Schools LGBTQ+ Community Liaison will facilitate the meetings. This is not a group to debate the issue, rather for parents looking to support their child.

North Middle School, 5-6:30 p.m. Room 506 (use side parking lot, Door R)

Questions? Email Laura.Jensen@hopkinsschools.org

The Golden Valley MLK Human Rights Contest provides a path for children and youth to follow as they grow. Quotes from Dr. King and the over-arching themes give children and youth a starting point on the path to understanding Dr King's message to the world. Students may submit any kind of original work that exemplifies the themes, including artwork, essays, poetry, songs, raps, videos, and more. Students are encouraged to base their entries on these specific prompts:

• Quote: “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
• Quote: “The time is always right to do what is right.”
• Quote: “Life’s most persistent and urgent questions is, ‘What are you doing for others?’.”
• Quote: “Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality.”
  

The contest is open to students in grades Pre-K-12 who live in Golden Valley, attend a school in Golden Valley, or attend a Robbinsdale Area District or Hopkins District school. Prizes will be awarded to two students in each of the following grade groupings: Preschool-Kindergarten, 1-3, 4-7, and 8-12.

Submissions are due by Monday, Dec 16, 2024, 4 pm, to Seth Kaempfer, 7800 Golden Valley Rd, Golden Valley, MN 55427 or skaempfer@goldenvalleymn.gov.

The contest is sponsored by the City's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commission. for more complete entry information about entering, visit www.goldenvalleymn.gov/DEIC

December 20: School Spirit Friday

December 20: Schoolwide BINGO 2:50-3:15pm

December 23 - January 3: No School - Winter Break

January 20: No School - Martin Luther King Jr. Day

January 23: Student Showcase Night

January 24: No School - Grading Day

January 31: School Spirit Friday

Main Office Line: 952-988-5100

Attendance Line: 952-988-5110

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

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