Teamwork

“If two heads are better than one, then what about double chins? On that note, I will help myself to seconds.” 

― Jarod Kintz

I was looking for a compelling quote on teamwork and found this little number instead. On that note, I hope you enjoyed the wonderful snack offered by our parent team as much as I did today!

On a more serious note, two heads are definitely better than one. When we put our whole SS team together, we get GREATNESS! Thank you for not only attending the meeting today but also for your honesty and openness. We covered a lot today. 

After talking with many of you at various points in the afternoon, there is a lot of wisdom, for a variety of sound reasons, in moving our Maker's Week event to later in the year. Thank you for your willingness to forge ahead into this exciting, albeit unfamiliar, territory. I have great respect for every one of you and the way you pour yourselves into your work. Our students are blessed with phenomenal teachers and staff members who want the best for each of them. I am so appreciative that, if you're going to embark in these projects, you want to be fully prepared with a good deal of support and understanding. Let's move one step at a time. We will postpone our week which was set for January. I will prepare a Maker's Week showcase to allow you to explore, peruse and experiment with a range of projects. Then we will brainstorm and discuss specifically how each project would play out. Our next staff meeting will be January 15. Come ready to explore, make and eat (we'll keep working at that double chin!). 

The rest of the typical weekly updates we covered in the meeting today. Please feel free to ask anything or confirm your thoughts. Thank you!

A Peaceful Pocket

Breathe. Deeply. We're here. It's the most wonderful time of the year...but in order to pull off that most wonderful time off, it can quickly become the most insane time of the year for those of us behind the scenes. As we talked about on Wednesday morning, God chose to send his Son to earth humbly, quietly and without great fanfare. Between lesson planning, parties, gifts, shopping, cooking and event planning, it can be so difficult not to lose the quiet, humble side of God's Christmas message. I continue to pray a prayer of thanksgiving for each of you on this amazing team of loving educators. I humbly ask too that God would walk you to quiet green pastures and still your soul for a few golden moments here and there where you can see, feel and know that our God is here. Immanuel. God is with us. 

Several years ago, The Jesus Storybook was purchased at South Side and I know many have the book in our classroom libraries. This blog details how you can use the Jesus Storybook to walk with children through the advent season with a list of reading suggestions for each day. If you're looking for something different for devotions over the next two weeks, take a peek at The Jesus Storybook with new eyes.

Christmas Tea

We have been blessed with such a supportive, invested parent community at South Side. One expression of their appreciation toward you is the Christmas Tea. Please accept this expression by coming to the staff center as close to 10:00 as you are able on Thursday, December 11. They put in hours of planning and arranging to transform our table into area we can enjoy a pretty snack with a touch of class :) I know it's difficult to accept the "cookie", but, let's acknowledge their extra mile by being present and enjoying this time with them (I've made the mistake in the past of not coming and coming late...I intend to get it right this year!) :) We will manually ring the bell at 10:20, so please notify your students that recess will be a tad longer for them. Win win :)

Week Before Christmas
We pretty much blow the doors off of almost all that is normal and routine around here during the week before Christmas break. Encore teachers, our students' learning schedule will remain in tact for your classes unless you have had specific conversations with teachers. Otherwise, we'll be going strong to the finish with encore schedules.

World Renew
If you haven't already done so, please feel free to send home the paper note notifying parents about our World Renew collection including dates and details. As your students bring money to school, you might consider showing them the catalog online and discussing how life altering each of these items could be to children and families around the world. You can find the catalog here. 

Staff Meeting
Our next staff meeting will be held on Thursday, December 11.

Project Based Learning Opportunity
Please take a peek at this unique learning opportunity offered by the ISD. During this event, my understanding is that teachers are lead through several days of engagement for both learning and experiencing project-based learning. Take a peek and I may be ticking the brains of a few of you to consider looking further into this along with our Rose Park teammates.

"Sundae School (K - 5th Grade): For the Sundae School Program, we will be looking to add 12 new K - 5th grade educators to the program (We would love 1-2 to come from Holland Christian).  Teachers that participate in the Sundae School Program will (1) engage in 6 days of exploration (one day of which will occur during the school day) around Project-Based Learning, the Skills4Success, and the Creative Sequence, (2) work in the 4-day, summer Sundae School Program, (3) develop units of instruction for their classrooms, (4) receive a $2,000 stipend, and (5) receive State Continuing Education Clock Hours (SCECHs)."

Teacher Application

More about I Challenge U

Dates For Your Blogs
December 17 World Renew Chapel
December 20-January 4   Christmas Break
January 5             All classes resume
January 19           No school (MLK/Records day)

February 16         Winter break day

World Renew

God is our loving King who pursues us. We are his lukewarm bride. Thank you, Dawn, for the reminder that we serve an ever-loving, ever-forgiving, patient, pursuant God. Let's continue to encourage each other to respond to His great love with our lives.

As was mentioned in devotions, one of the privileges and responsibilities of teaching in a Christian school is allowing children to see and understand how loved they our by God. Each child is uniquely gifted and blessed by our Creator. What a humbling and exciting role to be called by God to unpack those abilities and develop the gifts and skills each child is capable of. 

World Renew

By engaging in the World Renew gift program, we can partner with our families to help children understand they too have been called to reach out in God's loving name and help others. As this weekend's blog will be the final one leading up to our short week next week, please let your parents know that we will be partnering with them to reach out to those in need as a South Side community. In order to raise money for the World Renew collection, let's encourage our parents to have children work special jobs and dig into their own piggy banks to give to the class collection. We will collect money for World Renew from December 1-December 12. By December 12, please give your classroom total to the office as well as how your students have decided to allocate the funds raised. We will have an all-school chapel time on Wednesday, December 17, during which we will formally give our gifts to World Renew. Please, if you have questions or ideas to make this even more meaningful, bring it to the table. This is a meaningful time for our children to help other children around the world. 

Makers Week

Still considering this as a possibility? Can we briefly meet on Wednesday the 26th during afternoon recess to keep stirring the creativity pot? Or is that a tricky time as we're trying to wrap up before the Thanksgiving Break? I'll touch base with each of you next week. In the meantime, I've placed a few ideas on the table in the staff center. I don't recommend getting too close to that tall tower. Clearly, I'm not gifted in the realm of engineering! 

2,879 Tabs Open

Thank you for meeting, thinking, discussing, volunteering and helping to make South Side a place where everyone is stretched and grows.

Meredith Sybesma will be coming to school tomorrow (Friday) to help put anyone's printed ebooks into a binder if you have one lying in wait. Please feel free to bring your printed ebook for Bible, ELA or math to the office and she'll hole punch the pages and place them in a binder.

Photo ID
Please stop in the office to help identify your students' photo ids on a sticker set Pat has at her desk. We know of several errors and need help making corrections, please.

Here's our recap from the meeting today:

Title 1 
Any takers for Joy on Monday afternoons from 12:30-3:00. If not, do you need support for you class at a different time?

Classroom Visits
Please talk to me about who you would like to partner with or visit and I'll help make it happen. It really is a fantastic growing experience for both parties.

Focus Groups
Thank you to everyone for always going above and beyond the call of duty to make HC the best possible environment for our students.

Math: Sandy Johnson
ELA: Amanda Bohle
Bible: Sheri Hunderman
Social Studies: Jenna Ritsema
Media Center: Karen VanMeeteren

Christmas Party
December 6 with our Pine Ridge party partners! More details will be coming.

SPARK
Thank you for picking up the loose ends on this program and fitting it into your children's experience. Eagle College will replace Community Action House. Preschool arrangement can be made with Maplewood or our own classes. Neighborhood blessing is dependent on your creativity, unit of study, or neighborhood news you may be aware of. Ideas were letters to a policeman/fireman, coffee for bus drivers, hot chocolate kits delivered for neighbors. If you run blank for ideas, please ask around, we'd love to brainstorm this experience together.

Calvin Visits
I will keep you informed when I hear further information. 80 classrooms have been randomly selected and they will visit classrooms for 40 minutes.\

Playground Policy
No toys from home on the playground (except Wolfie is welcome).
Until further notice, bushes may be played in.

Christmas 
Parents may purchase a gift valued at $3 for a classroom gift exchange.
December 18 - I'll take Sarah's kids at 12:45
December 19 - I'll take Kinders at 12:45
December 19 - I'll take 1 & 2 at 2:00

Did I get that correct?

Maker's Week
Thank you for being willing to entertain this out-of-the-box idea. I'll continue to dig for ideas/projects and samples. I envision this that each teacher would "run" one project in their classroom 4x during the mornings of Maker's Week. If you're willing, let's keep talking and thinking.

Walking with God

As we mentioned in devotions, may you always walk closely in this life with God. Rest in Him and be carried by His strength.

World Renew
The falling snow is a great reminder that Christmas time is just around the corner. We will again be participating as a whole school in the World Renew project. More details and dates will be forthcoming. It may be good to alert parents to the idea that we would appreciate their participation at home by encouraging children to work on chores or special jobs to earn money they can contribute to World Renew. I'll detail this in the South Side News Blog as well.

Our Old Laminator
You can't teach old dogs new tricks and apparently it's tricky to get the old laminator to fire up and do his job. We're keeping that beast around for those 'just in case' moments, as in "just in case you really don't need your lamination to stick" ;)  Seriously, it seems that if you run that guy as hot and slow as possible, it can get the job done. So, in a pinch, think "hot and slow" for that thing....you feel free to make up your own jokes here. It's too easy. I'm backing out!

Poinsettia Forms
Need to go home on Friday with the Friday folders.

Staff Meeting
Thursday the 13th at 11:45. We'll all have 3rd bell and I will alert the yellow vest accordingly. I'm excited to share some fun ideas with you!

SPARK
We're starting to roll. Our "event" date will always aim for the second Wednesday of each month. Wednesday because it's a long day. Second because it might be easier to remember as we organize and plan events. If you need to make exception to your event, please alert Pat, particularly if a bus is involved. Those have already been reserved. I apologize that we had delays getting the wheels up on this program this year. I'll talk through specifics with each of you individually and there will be time at our staff meeting to iron out some wrinkles and answer questions you may have as well.

Swimming Lessons

Please remind your families that swimming lessons will begin on Monday, November 10th. Your bus pick-up and drop-off times are in your mailbox.

Dates for your blog

November 10-21         Swimming lessons

November 27-28         Thanksgiving Vacation

12/20-1/4   Christmas Break

1/5             All classes resume

1/19           No school (MLK/Records day)

2/16           Winter break day

Guide My Feet

So grateful that we don't run this race alone!

The 2014 CEA Convention. Such an incredible experience. I was challenged, stretched, affirmed, blessed, and I grew! I hope you found enrichment as well. We've worked hard to get to this point in the school year. You communicated so well with parents through report cards and parent/teacher conferences. Thank you for putting in sooo many long days leading up to these events that are so critical to the growth of our students. Having these events behind us, I found it such a great time to spend praising God, praying with and for our colleagues and learning together. I hope God blessed, refueled and refreshed you as well!

Sister School-Eagle College

Now that we have conferences/report cards behind us, I wonder if you may be able to find time to have your students write a card or pen pal style letter to a student in our sister school, Eagle College. The students at this Christian school live in a world with a great deal of violence, and we were told they hold very little hope for their future. The teachers who visited South Side hope that by our children reaching out to their children, we may be able to offer a glimpse of God's love, grace and hope for a bright future. They may be able to enrich our children with language and culture details along with reciprocating this budding relationship. Please remember to pray for these children and their teachers as well. 

SPARK 

SPARK is finally taking shape! When the contacts have been finalized, we'll send you a schedule of events for your class. I'm eager to get this train out of the station, particularly in a year when we are unpacking "Love Does". 

Shall We Vote?

November 4th we are voting for governor in the state of Michigan. Shall we hold a mock election here at South Side in the art room? Can we flesh out the details tomorrow?

Dan's Visit

Dan will be visiting South Side on Monday. He's hearing loads of awesome stories about all the great learning that's been going on in our classrooms. Please, don't stress about preparing a dog and pony show! Let's show him the great things we do every day! 

Speaking of Greatness...

Some of the best professional development we can experience is just by observing each other working in our sweet spot: the classroom. There is such a wide variety of gifts each of you bring to your students, I'm eager to help you glean gems from each other. In the next few days, please reach out to a friend/teacher who you have very seldom seen. Let's get both of you into each other's classes. I'll sub in your rooms and let you see the beauty that is happening in the walls of South Side. If you don't reach out to someone, we'll draw names from a hat :)

Paper/Digital

During conferences, you asked parents if they preferred paper or digital report cards. Would you please send your data to me so we can make an informed decision reporting to parents as we go forward? 

Thank you!

Love Doers

Sandy led us in devotions on Wednesday morning by sharing the beautiful life story of a Love Doer: her mom. Sandy's mom lived her life being the loving hands, feet, smile and heart of Jesus right here in this broken world. Where she saw sadness, she brought joy. Where she saw loneliness, she brought friendship. Where she saw hunger, she brought food. Where she saw lice, she brought shampoo and a vacuum cleaner. Where she saw hurt, she brought love.

From Matthew 25

34“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

Sandy humbly went on reflecting on her own life and wondering if she offers enough love to the world as her mom's whole life had exemplified. I'd like to remove my South Side "worker" hat and replace it with my South Side "parent" hat, if I may, as I attempt to answer that question. Sandy and our entire South Side staff, YOU ARE LOVE DOERS to our children, to our families and to our greater community. THIS is your mission field. South Side needs YOU to bring the best of your gifts. God has gifted each of you richly with the knowledge and ability to develop children's academic abilities, but he has also blessed each of you with HUGE, SOFT hearts for young children. You have responded to God's call in your life. You hug children in celebration, and you hug children in tears. You read with children who are excelling, and you read with children who are still stretching. You play with children in a group, and you play with children who are all alone. You greet children excitedly who enter our building full of confidence and excitement, and you greet children gently who enter our building full of anxiety and uncertainty. You pray over our children, you pray over our families, you pray over each other. YOU ARE LOVE DOERS! 

Cameron came into the office at the end of the day on Friday wearing this note around his neck. Now, mind you, I've been passing plenty of these notices out and they are nothing new to me. But, let me tell you, to see one around the neck of my own child who proudly shared the story that his teacher had observed, I was overcome with emotion, proud of my boy and we felt LOVED by his school and by his teacher. At that moment, Cam's 'God Glorifying' tag trumped anything and everything I would have found in his Fun Friday Folder. As a parent, I thank God every day that YOU are partnering with TJ and me in raising and loving our children with our eyes and hearts on God. As a teacher, I thank God every day for the relationships that go beyond mere friendships, but take on the role of a true extended family. As a principal, I thank God every day for a staff who pours their hearts, time, efforts and willingness to make sacrifices all over the place to love and grow our children. I pray that God would give you the strength needed to plow through the wonderful/tiring week that lies ahead. Please take this cookie because it's important. You are answering God's call to work in this mission field. YOU ARE LOVE DOERS! 

Speaking of the week that lies ahead

First and Second grade teachers, please send home report cards with students' Friday Folders. We'll already have your envelopes stuffed with the paper cards and the question prompts for your families. If they ask, the cards are available online via powerschool as well. 

Conferences

Please note that first and second grade will be giving parents the Discovery scores. Remind parents that if there is a discrepancy with the Discovery score and the work and assessments you are observing and recording in the classroom, these scores are one piece of the picture of the whole child. Please refer further concerns to me. I like it under the bus from time to time (kidding-I do welcome the questions and conversation).

New this year, please ask your parents (again, only for first and second grade teachers) if they prefer to receive the report cards digitally or on paper. Rather than responding to the squeaking wheels, it's wisest to gather some feedback and data. This is not meant to be a conversation so you may need to curb the discussion back toward the students' work and growth if the parents wants to convince you one way or the other. This is asking for only simple feedback. This data will be helpful in how we deliver the quarterly growth statements in the future.  

If you'd like, here is a suggested outline that all elementary teachers will use as a reference to guide our conferences:

Kevin Kammeraad

As has been South Side's tradition, we try to get in a "brain break" for everybody in the midst of the parent/teacher conference flurry. Kevin will be here to delight and enrich our students on Tuesday, October 21 at 10:30. He should wrap things up around 11:15. I will be in an admin meeting so Amanda Bohle will open and close the assembly. Thanks, Amanda!

CEA

Don't forget to sign up for lunch on the white board in the staff center. Enjoy the opportunity that we can eat more than an apple in two bites and force it down the gullet with a splash of water. 

Also, please note that after closing ceremonies on Friday early afternoon, you are free to begin your well-deserved report card-free, post-parent/teacher conference weekend!!!! Can I get an AMEN!

Dates for your blog:

Upcoming Events

October 21 - Kevin Kammeraad @ 10:30 All are welcome!

October 21 - Parent/Teacher Conferences, 4:20-8:40 PM

October 22 - Parent/Teacher Conferences, 3:00-8:40 PM

October 22-24 - No School - Conferences/CEA Convention

October 30 - Picture Retakes

November 27-28 - Thanksgiving Vacation

Sheri!!! We're praying for you, Sister!!!!

Praise Him, Praise Him All Our Little Children!

Be still my heart! So much love in this faces and energy in these waving hands! That we have been called to spend our day growing these special little people, as whole children and as children of God, is humbling, exciting and exhausting. Thank you for coaching and leading our students through another heartfelt Grandparents' Day! 

There's not a lot of new information to share with you this week (did I just hear a sigh of relief? ;) 

Report Cards

We will begin printing report cards on Thursday, the 16th, so please try to complete your class's cards by 8:00 on Thursday morning.

Varsity Basketball Players Visit

As your students are eating lunch on Tuesday, the 14th, we will be visited by the high school basketball team to invite students to join the Little Maroons. This will require nothing of you, other than an unsurprised look on your face when the basketball team overtakes your room at lunchtime for a few minutes.

Upcoming Events

October 21 - Parent/Teacher Conferences, 4:20-8:40 PM

October 22 - Parent/Teacher Conferences, 3:00-8:40 PM

October 22-24 - No School - Conferences/CEA Convention

October 30 - Picture Retakes

November 27-28 - Thanksgiving Vacation

This, That and the Next Thing

Need a binder for that ebook? Enough said! ;)

Grandparents Day Practice:
Next Wednesday, October 8 at 12:30 (second grade, we'll need you to have 2nd bell...sorry!), we have one more Grandparents' Day practice. In this final practice, we'll put the whole beautiful program together. If it's raining, we'll be on a pretty tight schedule to get in and out of the gym in time for HC2 to take over at 1:15. We'll try to run through the practice from beginning to end before 1:15.

Park at Maranatha
So that we can maximize parking for our grandparents on Thursday, the 9th, please plan to park your car at the Maranatha Church parking lot on the 9th. This will free up at least a few more spots for our fleet of Grandparents that morning.

Kevin Kammeraad: Tuesday the 21st at 10:30 Kevin will be coming with his team to South Side. This program will last about 45 minutes.

EpiPen Training
Hendrina, our school nurse, is required to give us a refresher course on epi-pen use. She'll only need about 15 to demonstrate the pens and allow us to practice. Please mark your calendars for October 27, Monday @ 3:30 for a 15-minute epi-pen training.

Monday and Tuesday
I will be out of the building next Monday and Tuesday, October 6 & 7, to learn more about a potential accreditation process for HC. I'll keep you posted on that front.

Our Story

Joshua 4:6-7 "In the future your children will ask you, ‘What do these rocks mean?’ 7 Tell them the water stopped flowing in the Jordan when the Ark of the Agreement with the Lord crossed the river. These rocks will always remind the Israelites of this.”

We are a group of God’s children who have been assembled here at South Side for such a time as this. God has placed children in our care. Children who need understanding, nurturing, patience and love. God is willing to use us: our arms to hug, our hands to hold, our mouths to smile, our lips to tell His story to teach about His world, and our hearts to share His joy and love with these children and their families.

The water shifts around us. Sometimes, the sand we stand on feels loose and unsteady. But we place this rock in our midst to remind us that our work belongs to God. He has placed us on this path and we are answering His call. He has called us to work here today, to deliver Holland Christian’s mission to the best of our ability with our children. It takes perseverance. It takes patience. It takes willingness to see the big picture. It takes forgiveness. It takes offering help and sharing guidance to one another. It takes identifying and using the strengths that God has blessed us with. It takes God’s mighty strength and hope living in us. But we are doing it. We are growing His children for Him.

So with this rock, we tell our story. If children ask, what is this rock for? We can tell them, we are standing on God’s solid foundation and growing YOU! Teaching you that God loves you so much, he sent his only Son to die here on earth to forgive our sins. He is using us to teach you and show you that you are His child and that you are dearly loved!

This is our story. This is our rock!

The following is our agenda for Monday:

8AM-11:30AM Report Card Work (snacks provided during the morning)

• Talk and decide as a grade level, what are 2-4 questions (mission-related) per grade level to send home with report cards for parents to consider and prepare for conferences? These are suggestions to get your wheels turning, edit, and use, as desired:
• How does your child feel about coming to school
• How is your child doing socially?
• Are there particular subjects that are favorites or not?
• Anything going on at home that I should know to effectively teach your child?
• What is a typical night like at home?
• How have you seen your child grow since the start of the school year?
• How has your child’s faith grown since the start of the year?
• Has our theme focus made it home in specific actions and words?

• Discuss and walk away with any common content-specific comments that can be copied and pasted into your students’ report cards.
• Begin entering any specific comments or data you may already have for any of your students on report cards.

11:30-12:45 LUNCH

• We insist that you take a lunch break after working so hard in the morning, and anticipating more good work in the afternoon. You have the freedom to go wherever you like with whomever you like.

12:45-3:00PM Reading Workshop and Rubicon

• Take a look back over your first unit of Reading Workshop and discuss one essential question that demonstrates an intentional faith integration into the unit. When you have decided, please enter it into your Rubicon map.

• Discuss your next unit teaching points, faith integration essential question, and plan and enter into your Rubicon map.

• We will be doing Report Cards with comments for Quarter 1 (all but K).

• Report Cards are due for completion by October 16, 8AM when we will print all report cards for you from the office (even though quarter end has been pegged for October 31).

• Report Cards will go home with students on Friday, October 17 so that parents have the weekend to examine them before conferences.

• Part of Monday's PD day next week will be designated for some report card conversation and preparation at grade levels, for writing some of the curricular "what students have been learning this quarter in...." comments, as well as preparing any other segments of your Report Cards that you desire. Dan Vos will also be present and available for any refreshers or training any may need for accessing and preparing Report Cards. Dan will also be sharing, likely today yet, a screencast of how to begin your Report Card work again this year so that you can begin as soon as you desire.

Report Cards
We want the best possible experience for parents, students, and staff for effective, timely, and helpful communication affirming our partnership with parents all year long, but especially during this critical time of parent/teacher conferences. 

• We will be doing Report Cards with comments for Quarter 1 (all but K).
• Report Cards are due for completion by October 16, 8AM when we will print all report cards for you from the office (even though quarter end has been pegged for October 31).
• Report Cards will go home with students on Friday, October 17 so that parents have the weekend to examine them before conferences.
• Part of Monday's PD day next week will be designated for some report card conversation and preparation at grade levels, for writing some of the curricular "what students have been learning this quarter in...." comments, as well as preparing any other segments of your Report Cards that you desire. Dan Vos will also be present and available for any refreshers or training any may need for accessing and preparing Report Cards. Dan will also be sharing, likely today yet, a screencast of how to begin your Report Card work again this year so that you can begin as soon as you desire.

Dates for your Blog:

Sept. 29: No School: Staff Development Day

October 9: Grandparents' Day

October 21 & 22: Parent/Teacher Conferences

October 22: No School

October 23& 24: No School: CEA Convention

Please know, my door is always open...I may not be there, but it's nice to know the door is open ;)