GFW Public Schools

Community Education Trip Alert: Just the Way You Are Friday, February 14, 2025 Happy Valentine’s Day! We’re headed for the Ives Auditorium in Bloomington where we’ll begin with an included lunch of honey garlic chicken breast, cheesy potatoes, roasted broccoli & cauliflower, salad, dinner roll, assorted desserts, coffee and hot tea. (Special dietary meals available by request ahead of time.) Then we’ll head to the theater for Just the Way You Are, an array of classic romantic songs from the 60s, 70s, and 80s, featuring hits from Elvis Presley, the Righteous Brothers, the Bee Gees, Carole King, Billy Joel and more. Just the Way You Are showcases your favorite Sidekick Theatre musicians with some of the Twin Cities best vocalists performing such songs as ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’, ‘Wonderful Tonight’, ‘Can’t Take My Eyes off You’ and of course ‘Just the Way You Are’. Enjoy an atmosphere of fun and romance at Sidekick Theatre this Valentine’s Day! Bus will pick up in Fairfax at the old Middle School at 8:30 a.m., in Gibbon on the west side of the building at 8:45 a.m. and in Winthrop at the MS/HS bus loop at 9 a.m.. Bus will return to Winthrop at approximately 5 p.m., Gibbon at 5:15 p.m. and Fairfax at 5:30 p.m. Cost: $106 per ticket

Find the GFW Community Bus in downtown Gibbon on Friday, Jan. 17 from 8-10 a.m. This valuable resource aims to take a way barriers for community members to get resources they need at no cost. Learn more about the bus: https://www.gfwschools.org/article/1907538

Renville County is hosting a community engagement night where parents, teachers, coaches, and community members are invited to watch the streaming of board certified psychiatrist Dr. Amanda Black's presentation on the book The Anxious Generation. It will take place on Thursday, Jan. 23 at the Renville County Government Building in Olivia. Regsiter for the event at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScO_TEMdNXiNKb9UqPcXWeWMsSt2conewi4vmk9h-UgL6Ql7w/viewform

As work continues on the construction project of the new PreK-12 Facility, we will be sharing photo updates on the Facility Updates Page. Check out the latest construction photos! https://www.gfwschools.org/page/building-updates

Teams of staff at GFW Elementary competed in a gingerbread house decorating competition. Students will get to decide the winner!

The students at GFW Elementary did such an amazing job during their winter concert yesterday! The ukulele skills were really impressive!

GFW Community Education Classes for KIDS! Home Alone: Kirsten Dean (Instructor) This class will cover the basics of staying home alone and coming/going from home safely. Topics such as appliance safety, responsibilities, first aid and more. There will be time allowed for questions and answers from attendees. You will feel confident and educated to stay home after attending this class. Take home materials will be handed out. This class is for 4th graders and older. Monday, Jan. 27, 2025 3:30 - 5 p.m. $45 per student GFW Elementary School - Community Ed/ECFE Room Please register by Jan. 17, 2025

Class of 2025 families: Don’t miss the Dollars for Scholars presentation taking place on Wednesday, Jan. 22 from 8:30-9:30 a.m. at GFW High School. The presentation will also feature GFW alumni Megan Jacobsen who will share about her own journey with scholarships. We hope to see you there!

Looking for a fun activity for Dad and children ages 2-5? Get a Dad and Me Take Home Activity from GFW ECFE! A take home build your own snowman project for you to do at home. All supplies included wood, paint, fabric, etc. Cost is $20 per kit. Discounts available for additional children in the family. Please prepay this fee to confirm your kit. Each child will also receive a free book Pick up your supplies the week of Jan. 27. Other times can be arranged.

We are excited to get the new community resource out and about! The GFW Community Bus will be parked in the parking lot across from the old middle school in Fairfax on Friday, Jan. 10 from 8-10 a.m. with free resources for the community including clothes, household items and more. Check it out and read the story for more information on this great community connection: https://www.gfwschools.org/article/1907538

GFW Community Education offers Parent Talk! - a way to help parents get new skills. Register by Jan. 9 for the Jan. 16 class focused on Social Emotional Growth and Tools for Home Big emotions? Confusing stages? New or increasing behaviors? This interactive session will have discussion about social emotional skills and ways that parents can engage with their child to help them grow. We will discuss strategies for all different ages. This session will be available in person and online. Those attending in person will be able to make and take some tools for home. If you join virtually we will arrange a pick up time for you to get the supplies and make the tools at home. Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025 6 - 8 p.m. GFW Elementary School - Community Ed/ECFE Room Fee: $5 for supplies Child Care Provided $5/child

Community Ed Cooking Class for Grades 5-12 Join us after school and learn new cooking skills with the cooks from the high school. Grades 5-12th grade $15 per class 3:30 - 5 p.m. Limit 12 kids GFW MS/HS Kitchen Winthrop There are lots of opportunities coming up! Jan. 14 - Snack Mix Day - make chex mix, puppy chow, granola bars Jan. 28 - Chocolate Day - Chocolate covered strawberries, chocolate covered frozen bananas, chocolate pudding pie Feb. 25 - Pie Day - Apple Pie, Peanut butter pie, ice cream, whipped cream March 11 - Pizza Day - homemade pizza and garlic sticks April 15 - Dinner Day - homemade rolls, mash potatoes, chicken nuggets, Banana bread

Have you shared your thoughts on what you would like to see in the next Superintendent of GFW Public Schools? The survey will close on Friday, Jan. 10. Visit the Superintendent Search page to learn more and take the survey: https://www.gfwschools.org/o/gfw-schools/page/superintendent-search

Looking for a fun father/child activity in the new year? Check out Lego Building with Dad from GFW Community Education! *inclusive of fathers, stepfathers,grandfather, uncles, brother, foster fathers, father-figures and male role models Dads can spend quality time with their child doing themed Lego projects and simple programming that make their project react to the environment. The Lego set connects with bluetooth to an iPad and students can control motion with a motor, add sound effects and senses its surroundings using the motion and tilt sensors. Age Level : Kindergarten to 3rd grade Tuesday, Jan. 7 and Jan. 14, 2025 from 6 – 7 p.m. Cost - FREE GFW Elementary School Library, Gibbon

Before the break, students at GFW Middle School and High School got to hear a special holiday song from some of the incredible international teachers serving our schools. We are thankful for amazing teachers who work so hard to provide the best educational experience for all of our students!

Check out this week's issue of the Standard-Gazette & Messenger to read about the accomplishments of the GFW Robotics team consisting of GFW, Sibley East, and home-schooled students who were supported by Team Advisor Bix Baker and GFW Staff members Chris Santos and Amy TenEyck. https://sgmnews.com/content/gfw-robotics-teams-explore-ocean

GFW Elementary School got a visit from a Grinchy special guest last week before break!

A huge thank to the Transit Trailblazers 4-H club who collected hats and mittens for GFW Elementary School after a request from President Ellie W. Thanks to Aubree, Brady and Mitchell for dropping them off with Principal Thompson!

A popular ECFE tradition returns on May 2! Come and enjoy time at Carlson’s Llovable Llamas with us! We will get a tour of the farm, we will play in the pen with the baby llamas, trail walk with your own llama and brush and help feed the llamas. What a fun day! When: Friday, May 2, 2025 Time: 10:30 a.m. Bus leaves Fairfax @ 9 a.m. Gibbon @ 9:15 a.m. Winthrop @ 9:30 a.m. Cost: $14/child $5/adult Pack a lunch and we will eat at the farm! Registration is required by April 24. We will leave the farm at 12:45 p.m.and be back to Winthrop by 1:30 p.m., Gibbon 1:45 p.m. and Fairfax 2 p.m.

Join us for another Community Education Trip! We’re headed to the Ives Auditorium in Bloomington where we’ll begin with an included lunch of creamy chicken breast with roasted red potatoes, glazed carrots, coleslaw, dinner rolls, assorted desserts, coffee or hot tea. (Special dietary meals available by request ahead of time.) Then we’ll head to the theater for Perfect Wedding: A Riotous Comedy and Touching Love Story About The Big Day That Goes Hilariously Wrong! A groom wakes up on the morning of his wedding day with a hangover and a strange woman in his bed. Mix in the bride, her mother, the best man, and a maid that knows too much, and you have a recipe for disaster. Wedding bells or running for the hills? Their big day will be far from a piece of cake! Bus will pick up in Fairfax at the old Middle School at 8:30 a.m., in Gibbon on the west side of the building at 8:45 a.m. and in Winthrop at the MS/HS bus loop at 9 a.m. Bus will return to Winthrop at approximately 5 p.m., Gibbon at 5:15 p.m. and Fairfax at 5:30 p.m. Cost is $106