Great Happenings this week in East Grand schools.

• The long awaited MPHS football game this Saturday against Pagosa Springs will be live streamed on Facebook for all fans who are unable to attend. Look us up as “Middle Park” on Facebook (or go to http://www.facebook.com/MPHSPanthers) and tune in for the game starting at 2 p.m. Saturday. We will have limited attendance, and if you have not received a ticket in advance you will not be allowed to enter the game.

• The Fraser Valley Elementary fifth-graders have taken a leadership role to share videos each week that highlight SOARing behaviors.

The videos are shared during our Thursday Google Meet announcements from Dr. Chamberlin.

• East Grand Middle School has begun a three-week intramural program for flag football. It is exciting to see 45 middle school boys and girls participating after school.

• FVE fifth-graders took inspiration from professional baseball to create 3D recreations of themselves to fill our classroom for our virtual Back to School Night. Not only did it allow parents to see where their child sits, it gave them a glimpse into the creativity each of our kids has to share.

• The cookout last Thursday led by Student Council, EGSD Food Services and sponsored by Mountain Parks Electric was a big success and they have cooked about 250-300 burgers for students and staff to celebrate during the school year thus far. (Video: bit.ly/34HpYzA)

• FVE art teacher Mrs. Peeters has been taking her art classes outside! First and second grade have been doing photo scavenger hunts as they learn to look closely and observe the world around them. Third and fourth grades have been inspired by the artist Andy Goldsworthy. Students worked together to create nature art by using materials found at the Old Schoolhouse Park.

• In Granby Elementary music, Mrs. Veraldo had a puppet dance party with Kindergarten, first, and second grade students. The kids were showing their moves while exploring rhythm.

The third-graders are working really hard on their ukuleles and learning more each day.

Fourth-graders are thriving on their keyboards.

Fifth-graders are working on building their ensemble, getting great at the bells, and being great leaders.

• During our Word Generation unit that focuses on the guiding question of “Should everyone be included?” and the following vocabulary words: require, integrate, dependent, encounter, isolated, and controversy, fifth-graders at Fraser Valley Elementary read about and discussed the Puritans and their relationship with the Native Americans in early America, a deaf community in Nicaragua who created their own type of sign language, Sudanese refugees integrating into a new school in the United States, and inclusion programs for students who are learning a new language.

Dr. Chamberlin came into each of our classrooms to deliver a lesson entirely in Spanish. Students worked collaboratively to determine what they were supposed to do in the lesson. Our bilingual Spanish-speaking students eventually modeled the lesson. After the fifth-graders reflected on the challenges of learning in a new language. Students concluded the unit with a debate.

• Second-grade students at GES created leaf monsters and wrote a story about them.

The stories and creations are very creative and cool!