Local Girl Scouts Clean Up On Day of Service

Girl Scouts from Meadowbrook Elementary School, Glen Lake Elementary School and Xin Xing Academy worked to rake leaves and mark sewers during the River Valleys' Centennial Day of Service.

After Oct. 13, Golden Valley's streets were a little cleaner thanks to volunteer work around the community. Not only was last Saturday Midy Tidy Clean-Up day, but it was also the Centennial Service Day for the Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys. According to the Girl Scouts' website, River Valleys Girl Scouts engaged in an environmental project of enormous scale. In total, scouts prevented 20,000 pounds of phosphorus from entering bodies of water by raking and bagging leaves and grass. About 45 Girl Scouts raked roughly 30 bags of leaves in Golden Valley's Brookview Park in order to keep organic matter from entering Minnesota's lakes and streams. Scouts also spent time labeling 50 local storm drains, reminding residents …

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Meadowbrook, Mayor Harris Celebrate New Flag Pole

Mayor Shep Harris and Meadowbrook Principal Greta Evans-Becker raised the flag on a new flag pole last week.

On Oct. 2,  Golden Valley Mayor Shep Harris and Meadowbrook principal Greta Evans-Becker raised the flag for the first time up their new flagpole in front of the Ronald B. Davis Community Center, attached to the elementary school.  The golden-tipped pole represented collaboration between Meadowbrook Elementary and the city of Golden Valley. The two parties share the Community Center - Meadowbrook using the facility during the day and the city mostly using it in the evenings. During the ceremony, Mayor Harris gave a short speech to the sea of students and faculty about the significance of the pole. He addressed the students, "Every time you walk by this flag, definitely think about yourself...but also think about your community...it's about…

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From Waste to Plate at Meadowbrook Elementary School

Golden Valley students are gardening through Hennepin County’s Organics Recycling Program.

More than two dozen young gardeners, along with some school officials, got their hands dirty Tuesday morning at Meadowbrook Elementary School as part of a project seven years in the making. Organic waste including food scraps and non-recyclable paper collected in the fall provided the compost for the school’s garden. Students and staff planted a plethora of vegetable seeds—beets, onions, carrots, cucumbers, celery, broccoli and zucchini. Louise Miller, who started the eco-friendly initiative, wanted to "close the loop" from waste to plate, "so kids could really understand what the purpose of the program was in the cafeteria.” Public schools in eight districts are participating in Hennepin County's Organics Recycling Program. “This is meant…

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Whiz Kids

Whiz Kids: Girl Scouts Celebrate 'Thinking' Day

Several troops, including one from Meadowbrook Elementary, gained some global perspective at Saturday's event.

Know a great kid volunteering in your community... or did your local soccer team take the championship? They may be our next Patch "Whiz Kid" honorees.  Let us know.  This week, our Whiz Kids are some local girl scouts.  Way to go, girls! You didn't need a passport to travel the world with some local girl scouts at First Presbyterian Church in Minnetonka on Saturday.  In the middle of a global village built by the Hopkins/Glen Lake Girl Scouts, ‘Thinking Day’ was on. This year's Thinking Day theme was ‘Art Around the World.’ Each troop picked a country and created a display featuring that country's crafts, food, artwork or interesting facts. “Thinking day is a world wide event or day celebrated by the Girl Guide and Girl Scouts world wide…

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Video: Golden Valley School Celebrates Diversity

Meadowbrook Elementary School uses the power of food and games to teach students about different cultures.

A cornucopia of culture in the form of games, food and dance brought more than 150 people to Meadowbrook Elementary School in Golden Valley Tuesday, Nov. 30 for the Culture Club. "About seven years ago, there were parents who got together and felt it was necessary for us to build some community amongst one another to kind of honor the diversity in our school," said Erika Charlesworth-Seiler, a Meadowbrook teacher. Those parents came up with an event that honors the school's diversity and allows students to explore cultural differences.  "Well, I think diversity is the spice of life," said Bobbi Chopp, a Meadowbrook parent. Chopp is a recent transplant to Minnesota, and she says it's important for her daughter to have exposure to people of …

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Video: Meadowbrook Elementary Looks to Gain from Ballot Referendums

Hopkins School District voters say "yes" to school technology and safety.

Voters in the Hopkins School District—which includes parts of Golden Valley—made their way to the polls Nov. 2 and approved two referendum proposals to fund education. This vote means people in the district who own a home valued at $250,000 will have to pay an extra $51 a year in property taxes, but some say it's money well-spent. The Minnesota Secretary of State's office showed the Capitol Projects Levy passed with 13,923 yes votes (52.81%) and 12,439 no votes (47.19%); while a Capitol Bond passed with 14,039 yes votes (53.57%) and 12,167 no votes (46.43%). Hopkins School District officials say the Capitol Projects Levy will generate $6.5 million a year for the district and helps replace aging technology, textbooks and classroom equipment…

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