GES May Newsletter

Michelle Hanson has been a dedicated educator for many years and brings both experience and heart to her work at GES. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from SMSU in 1988 and later completed her Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership, also from SMSU, in 2014. Michelle lives by the motto, “Do what you love. Love what you do,” a mindset that shines through in her commitment to students and colleagues alike.

Outside of school, Michelle enjoys baking, reading, and swimming. She also values time spent with friends and family, especially in small, meaningful gatherings. While she says there are too many reasons to fully capture why she loves working at GES, it’s clear that the sense of community plays a big role. One of her favorite memories is the exciting day she, Mrs. Call, and Mrs. Rubner realized they had secured enough funding to order a large piece of playground equipment—a moment that made a lasting impact on the school.

Michelle describes herself as a baked potato—tough and a little salty on the outside, but soft and warm underneath. When it comes to travel, she’s open to going anywhere, as long as she has someone to share the adventure with. If her life had a theme song, it would be “The Climb,” reflecting her steady, determined approach to life and work. Interestingly, Michelle always knew she wanted to be a teacher—ever since she was a third grader at GES—and she can’t imagine doing anything else.

Her photo features her family, including her two grandchildren, Winston (8) and Aspen (6), celebrating Christmas together—though she notes her mom is missing, as she’s usually the one behind the camera

Kalissa Bloom earned both her undergraduate and master’s degrees in Speech-Language Pathology from Minnesota State University Moorhead (Go Dragons!). She is currently in her second year with Alexandria Public Schools, where she supports students’ communication and learning across a variety of school settings. Kalissa lives by the motto, “Believe you can, and you’re already halfway there,” and brings that positive mindset into her work each day. Outside of school, she enjoys spending time outdoors camping, boating, and walking her dog, as well as listening to audiobooks and podcasts, tackling house projects, traveling, and being with family and friends. She loves working at GES because of its strong sense of community, where staff and students are welcoming, supportive, and full of positive energy—something she especially appreciates during the daily schoolwide morning meetings. If Kalissa were a potato, she says she’d be a baked potato—reliable, comforting, and adaptable to whatever is needed! One of her favorite photos captures a special moment hiking in Bayfield, Wisconsin, with her husband, Matt, and their puppy, Boston.

Congratulations to our March Code Kids! The March Code Kids earned a special ice cream treat and game time with the Principal and Dean of Students. Students learned to play GIANT Sorry, GIANT Uno and GIANT Spoons.

Lewin, Beckett, Isa, Lexi, Aspen, Nash, Lauren, Chloe V., Macy, Victoria, Kaiden and Grayson.

Way to go!

Congratulations to the students who recently competed in the 2026 Math Masters Competition!

Kolter Yrjo, Victoria Rieber, Hadlee Gabrielson, Caleb Meischner and Caleb Bruzek

A special Congratulations to Kolter who received 15th in the Fact Drill Competition, and Victoria who received 11th place in Problem Solving. Way to go!!

May 1st - DCD to Douglas County Library

May 1st - SCHOOL DANCE 6-7:00 (PAC Sponsored)

May 4th - Bookmobile

May 5th - Kindergarten Sneak a Peak 4 Or 5:15

May 5th - Showcase Practice 8:25-10:55

May 6th - 5th grade tour DMS

May 6th - 4th Grade - Ground Water Festival

May 7th - 5th Grade Safety Day

May 7th - GMC Showcase - GES performs at 6:15

May 8th - K-2 - To Hemkers Zoo

May 8th - 4th Grade Fishing Trip

May 11th - Ditch Clean Up

May 11th - PAC meeting 6-7 Media Center

May 12th - 2nd Grade to Beckman Farm

May 13th - 5th Grade Track and Field

May 14th - 4th Grade Track and Field

May 14th - 1st Grade to Carlos State Park

May 15th - DCD to Shenanigans

May 18th - 5th Grade to Biztown

May 21st - K-3 Track and Field

May 26th - Ice Cream Social (Sponsored by PAC) 6:30-7:30

May 27th - 5th Grade Peer Teaching Day at MES

May 27th - DCD to Douglas County Library

May 29th - 5th Grade Kickball Parents vs. Students

Simplified Absence Reporting with ParentVue - Eliminate Phone calls and Emails!

If you do not have the ParentVUE app, download it.

When reporting an absence, simply log into your ParentVue app on your phone, select your child's name, and click "Report Absence." Then, indicate the reason for the absence. This convenient online option saves you time and ensures we receive your message promptly, and eliminates call and/or emails.

• For general login questions call Janet, Sarah, or Lori at Lincoln Elementary (320) 762-3320.

• If you don’t see the “Report Absence” option in ParentVue, make sure your app has been updated.

• To reset your password go to https://www.alexschools.org/families and select “Self-Service Password Reset”

• If you are locked out of your account the self-service password reset doesn’t work call extension 3333.

School begins at 7:55 AM and dismisses at 2:25 PM. Students are to arrive no earlier than 7:15 AM and must be picked up by 2:25 PM.

If your child will be late or absent from school, please contact the school before 7:55 AM. Your child's safety is our main concern. If you child is unverified at the beginning of the school day, we will attempt to call parents first. If we do not reach a parent/guardian, we will then contact your student's emergency contacts. If they are unaware of your child's whereabouts, law enforcement will then be notified to help locate your child.

If your child is going home from school a different way, please contact the office by 1:45 to ensure that we can let them know the change. Thank you

Email: tvanorsdel@alexschools.org

Website: garfield.alexschools.org
Location: 303 Sanstead St E, Garfield, MN, USA
Phone: 320-762-3350