Parent Night Thank You!

Parent Night 2015! Awesome job showcasing all you do in your classrooms, how much you love your students and tangibly demonstrating that is it God's call in your life that has brought you to South Side. So many parents have commented on what a special place South Side is to their family. This is not because of our building (although it's beautiful, Todd...than you!), books (although the collection is extraordinarily supportive, Mary!) or plans (although you all do this so well!). The unconditional love that you bring and share with your families is what makes South Side so special. Thank you for who you are! It is a joy to live and work this life together with each of you!

Staff Meeting 
For your calendar: Thursday, September 10 from 11:40-12:30

Swimming Lessons
Please begin to inform your parents that swimming for 5-day K through second grade begins Monday, September 14 and will commence for two weeks. This may seem early to parents and we want them informed well in advance.

School Pictures
Students pictures will be taken the 17th and 18th. Classes will be assigned to a date soon. Please plan to have our staff photo taken noon on September 17 at the front doors.

Before/After School Care
We are excited to partner with parents in offering supervision for their children both before and after school. The after school program will run very similarly to last year. The only impact you may have from the before school care is that if a child comes to your classroom before the start of the day, they are welcome to come to Tammy's classroom, room 2, if it's before 7:45. If you are yellow vest assigned for the before school morning slot, please be ready to report to your post at 7:50. You'll have kiddos (and likely Tammy ;) ready!) Thank you!

Epi Pen Training September 10 at 3:30
Hendrina would like to offer a short refresher course on Epi-pen training on Thursday, September 10 at 3:30 in the staff center.

Pastor's Breakfast
Mike VerKaik is organizing a community-wide Pastor's breakfast during Pastor Appreciation month. This will take place on October 7. The pastors from all the churches represented at HC will be invited to a breakfast at the high school and then invited to visit children from their church families in the various HC campuses, including South Side. How cool! To accommodate their schedule for the morning, we will push back our recess that day by 10 minutes. Recess will begin at 9:50 and end at 10:10. I envision teachers will be engaged in read aloud with their students while children are eating their snacks from 10:10-10:30. This might be the simplest activity that can be disrupted without losing learning time, but please feel free to do otherwise if that works best for your class. We will work through the finer points of this morning in the near future, but please plan on an alternate recess time for the 7th of October and a few visitors during that 20-minute window of time.

Grandparent's Day
Our grandparents will again be invited to celebrate their grandchildren on our Grandparents Day celebration in the morning. We will talk through the finer points of this event at our staff meeting. Currently, we are planning to hold grandparents day from 10:15-11:30 on the morning of October, 8th.

Jean Day Friday! 
Nuf said ;)

Welcome Back!!!

Welcome Back!!!!

I've been so excited to see many of you and hear about the adventures God brought you on in the summer months. I once again hear laughter in our South Side hallways!! I spent a good deal of the summer at school and you'll be relieved to know that I didn't laugh to myself in the office. So needless to say, it was quiet, dark and uncharacteristic of South Side. So it's SO good and right to hear your joy and fresh ideas again. That said, I know that your to-do lists feel almost endless at this time of year. The following poster sums up the work at this time of year very well:

That said, this is a labor of love. It's thrilling and inspiring to hear about the new ideas you're intending to bring to your students this year. Every one of us, students and staff, are learners. This is what keeps us passionate and makes every day an adventure (well, that and the kid who pukes in the middle of the classroom does add a bit of an unpredictable twist in the day). The following poster celebrates why you do what you do and do it so well! It is a privilege, joy and honor to work alongside each of you. Thank you for using your God-given gifts in this mission field at South Side!

If you haven't already, please plan to send the welcome letter home to your students early next week. We want to get our littles excited about this upcoming school year and help them understand how they will love, learn and laugh every day with you. 

Next Week

The plans and events next week involves only our new staff. Let's hear it for our new staffers!!! Natalie Sapp (1st grade), Danielle Snoeyink (Aide in Karen Strikwerda's class) and Tabitha Tolsma (4s Preschool), we are blessed to have you join our South Side family. 

Monday, August 17

We will have a staff meeting at South Side from 8:30-11:00. We'll share stories and celebrate all we have to look forward to this school year, we'll work through our next session of Love and Logic and I'll fill you in on all that has happened at HC over the summer months of work that will impact your work this year.

Tuesday, August 18 

Our all-staff retreat will be at the Fish and Game Club again from 8:00-4:00. Breakfast, lunch and snacks will be provided. We'll hear the results of the HC Story project, meet Dirk (MS) and Darryl (HS) and do some brainstorming with all staff. You will need only bring your hungry self.  

Wednesday, August 19

8:00-9:00 Abuse reporting training in the middle school auditorium. 

The First Aid training has been cancelled. The trainers bailed so we did too. We'll wrestle that beast next year. It's a free day of prep in your classroom. PHEW!

Thursday, August 20

We'll meet at the high school at 8:00 for Dan's inspiring message as well as a few nitty gritties followed by some work time focused around discipleship practices. We'll close this time by 11:30. 

Stop by the middle school sometime between 11:30-4:30 for your new staff ID photo, please.

The ice-cream social will be Thursday evening from 6:30-8:00. So exciting to meet your new little learners! 

Friday, August 21

Education committee will meet from 9-11. Learning Lab facilitators will be trained Friday afternoon from 12:00-3:00. This will make more sense after our Monday staff meeting. Only if I have spoken with you will you need to attend this training. Otherwise, the time is yours for all the last minute prep pieces. 

Convocation

NO Sunday convocation this year. I will explain those details at our staff meeting, but no need to make plans to attend convocation this year on Sunday afternoon. 

Tuesday, August 25, parents will be attending our Parent Information NIght from 7:00-8:30. Please note that you are only expected to be in your classroom during these allotted times: 

7:00 pm            Kindergarten - Mrs. Johnson

            First grade  - Mrs. Van Meeteren

            First grade - Miss Sapp

Second grade - Mrs. Ritsema

7:30 pm            General Assembly in the gym with me

                       

8:00 pm            Kindergarten – Mrs. Becksfort and Mrs. Strikwerda

            First grade - Mrs. Bohle

                        Second grade - Mrs. Hunderman

Discipleship Practices Bandanas (a.k.a. as we like to tease Rod "hankies")

Just an FYI as your rooms are not entirely completed yet. Rod and David have worked tirelessly in rolling out the discipleship practices. They will provide more details on Thursday, August 20. However, please know that classroom teachers will be receiving a set of colorful bandanas for display in all classrooms at HC. I'm no interior decorator, but if you haven't already filled that top area of the monster bulletin board, you might choose to leave that or any other wide and narrow wall space open for these bananas to make their home in your classroom for the school year. 

Please don't hesitate to ask questions, raise great ideas and alert me to conflicts. It's going to be a fun week to grow together as we're ramping up to the highway. Again, thank you for all the hard work, time and effort you are already putting in to make this 2015-2016 a stellar year for our children!