The Grove Newsletter
December 2, 2025
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Growing Together: Social Emotional Learning
Dear Groves families,
The Groves Academy aspires to build a sense of belonging, sharing, and support within its community of students, faculty, and families. One way to achieve this is through social-emotional learning. In response to this mission, we have adopted the Second Step curriculum for implementation this school year. Second Step is a research-based program designed to improve students’ human skills, including building self-awareness and self-advocacy, goal-setting, emotion management, empathy, and problem-solving. Each division is dedicated to delivering weekly, structured activities to promote these essential skills.
Social-emotional learning in schools provides essential support for children with neurodiversities by helping them build the emotional, social, and self-management skills they need to thrive. SEL teaches students to understand their emotions, recognize their strengths, and communicate their needs—skills that are especially valuable for children who may experience challenges with regulation, communication, or social interactions. By fostering a supportive, predictable, and inclusive environment, SEL empowers neurodiverse learners to build confidence, develop meaningful connections, and more fully participate in both academic and social aspects of school life.
Please reach out to me, your student’s teacher, or our school counselors to learn more about Second Step.
We appreciate your partnership.
Sheila Flanery
Dean of Students
Looking for a fun way to connect outside of school? Our Student Council is hosting an optional social event for Upper School students at Sky Zone Edina. It’s a great chance to move, laugh, and spend time together before winter break kicks into full gear. All Upper School students are welcome! Jump in and join the fun.
Upper School Students
Date: Sunday, December 14
Time: 2:00–4:00 PM
Location: Sky Zone Edina, 7625 Cahill Rd, Edina
Parents Social at Wooden Hill Brewery Company
Date: Sunday, December 14
Time: 2:15-3:45 PM
Location: Wooden Hill Brewery Company, 7421 Bush Lake Road, Edina, MN 55439. Located in the industrial area of Southwest Edina on the North side of I-494 and West of Hwy 100.
Cost: We’ll provide some appetizers. Drinks and additional food are pay-your-own. No purchase necessary to attend.
What’s happening: Meet and mingle with fellow Upper School parents, build your circle, and share stories while the kids play.
RSVP: Strongly encouraged. Not required.
Questions?
Contact Emily Groebner, GPO Chair, at [email protected] or 612-459-3054
Lower School Taste of Nations Is Almost Here, and This Year’s Lineup Is Incredible!
Right after Thanksgiving, we burst into one of our most joyful traditions: Taste of Nations, running December 1-19. For three festive weeks, our school becomes a global village, alive with discovery, creativity, and the irresistible aroma of foods from around the world.
Each class chooses a country to explore, then dives deep. Students watch videos, research fascinating traditions, take notes, and craft their very own reports or summaries to share at our celebration. They create art, design projects in science, and even bring pieces of the culture to life at home. And yes… every Home Science class prepares an authentic dish from their chosen country. It’s a feast for the senses.
And this year? Our students are traveling everywhere. From Ecuador, Thailand, and Scotland, to Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, and Kenya, over to Lebanon, San Marino, and Japan, down to Chile, New Zealand, Guatemala, and Panama.
Every classroom has become a new corner of the world, and every student is part of the journey. Taste of Nations isn’t just an event. It’s how our students learn to honor cultures, celebrate differences, and see the world with open eyes and open hearts. Get ready. Get curious. And come hungry, knowledge and flavor are on the menu.
Keep the Celebration Going, Join Us for the Taste of Nations Family Luncheon! After our halls wrap up another unforgettable Taste of Nations, we’re inviting all Lower School families to continue the joy together.
Join us for a relaxed, come-as-you-are Family Luncheon at Park Tavern in their cozy enclosed PERGOLA space.
Date: Friday, December 19
Time: 11:30 – 2:00 PM, after Taste of Nations
Location: Park Tavern, 3401 Louisiana Ave. S, St. Louis Park
This is an easy, family-friendly way to unwind after the excitement of Taste of Nations, no program, no pressure, just good company and a warm meal. Families are responsible for their own food and drinks, and an RSVP with the number attending is strongly encouraged so we can ensure enough space for everyone.
If you have questions, reach out to our GPO Chair, Emily Groebner, at 612-459-3054 or [email protected]
Inside the Classroom:
Bringing The Great Gatsby to Life
Our 11th and 12th-grade readers are stepping back into America of a century ago as they dive into The Great Gatsby. To deepen their understanding of the novel’s themes, plot, and Jazz-Age setting, students have been curating an evolving classroom art wall, our shared space to “show what we know.”
In this week’s snapshot, students are hard at work creating the wall’s centerpiece: a bold, hand-designed title poster for the book. It’s been a meaningful way for them to process the story visually, reflect on Fitzgerald’s world, and connect literature to lived experience. The result? A vibrant, collaborative celebration of learning that continues to grow week by week.
