Great Happenings this week in East Grand Schools.

• Fraser Valley Elementary fifth grade has implemented Genius Hour every Thursday afternoon, in which the students choose a topic that interests them to study, research, or try. Some great projects we’ve seen this year include designing a water park, researching Egyptian gods and making trading cards, presenting on avalanche safety, and many more. It’s been really fun, and most students work hard and are proud of their projects.

• Last week, Alivia Martin and Logan Glancey interviewed a WWII veteran over Google Meet. George Pelligrini served in the Pacific toward the end of the war, and he happens to be Alivia’s great-grandfather. He is 95 years old and sharp as a tack. He was very inspiring. When asked what he wants people to know about his time in the war, he said: “I want people to know that America was then and still is a great country. We are truly peacemakers. With all the privileges given me by my country, when the time came, I had to defend it.”

• Fifth-graders at Fraser Valley Elementary have been reflecting on the best part of themselves. This project is inspired by a book called, “The Best Part of Me” by Wendy Ewald. The fifth-graders talk about their best parts in pictures and words. Another project came out of this one and it’s called, “The Best Part of Grand County.” What is your best part?

• Last Friday, 164 staff members from East Grand School District received their second vaccine and 22 staff received their first shot. A huge thank you goes out to GCPH and all of the volunteers that make a mass vaccination event possible. With these vaccines our staff is safer and it will help keep us open. We hope to host more vaccine events for our community in the near future.

• This week the East Grand Middle School PAC awarded $4,200 to East Grand Middle School teachers. Two things for you to know … one, we have some really, really supportive parents and two, EGMS staff have so many great ideas for engaging, student-focused learning. Grants were awarded for the following items:

– A metronome and keyboards for music classes, food and new crepe pans for French classes, food/supplies for life skills class, trout monitoring technology for science classes, food & some new kitchen supplies for Spanish classes and equipment for tchoukball for PE classes. Thank you, EGMS PAC!!

• This week second grade students at Granby Elementary School participated in a Winter Sports Bonanza field trip staged at the Fraser Valley Ice Box ice rink. Students rotated between three stations: ice skating, snowshoeing and cross country skiing.

For most students, this was their first ice skating and snowshoeing experience with a lot to learn and an excellent opportunity to cross country ski on a trail different from the one at school.

Once again our wonderful Grand County community came together to make this experience a fun and rewarding day for our students! Big thanks to the Fraser Valley Ice Box for donating ice time and skates; Austin Degarmo for planning; Justin, Gretta, Peyton and Chase Fosha for planning and coaching; Gail and Emma Bendrat and Carter Conroy for coaching, and Headwaters Trail Alliance and their groomers; Maire, Shean and Mike! It’s amazing how our community supports the development of our youth!

• Check out the Colorado Department of Education’s Read with Me (https://readwithme.today) website for reading resources over spring break. This includes apps, hands-on activities, and educational websites that all support the growth of young readers in Colorado.