Finally! A "normal" week! What a gift!

This has been floating around social media. I thought it was kind of funny.

If you accept collaboration days, inaugural Wellness Wednesday, first rounds of observations, smiling students starting our days on WZZM, etc. a normal week....then let's celebrate! Praise God for the growth that we have observed in our children throughout the first quarter and we trust in Him for the wisdom and guidance as we lead our classes in all the learning we have planned in quarter two!

Guess what! 

Assessment Day = DONE

Report Cards = DONE

CEA = DONE

Data Meetings = DONE

Parent/teacher Conferences = DONE

Collaboration Days = DONE for 2/3 :)

What do you want to talk about? ;) GREAT work, staff, supporting each other, cheering each other one another on and demonstrating that you glorify God by giving your best to ALL the tasks at hand. Amazing work has been accomplished. Acknowledge and celebrate that. 

Lunch and Learn

Monday, November 9 please ask for a parent volunteer to cover your class over the noon hour. We will delve into the next chapter of Love and Logic together. 

Unwrapping the Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp

A copy of this beautiful book is en route for each classroom. We spoke about this last year. If you would like to use Ann's book as a way to step through the advent season with your students, keep it in mind as a possible resource. 

Learning Labs

Sarah and Jenna will be leading our cohorts in our two Learning Labs experiences on Thursday, November 12. We're eager to grow together.

For your blog

Please copy and paste this note in your classroom blogs:

For many years South Side has partnered with JW Greenhouses from South Olive in the sale of poinsettia flowers during the Christmas season. Our school keeps the profit of that sale and allocates the funds directly for the needs and educational experiences of our students. If you are planning to purchase a poinsettia plant or two, please consider making your purchase through our sale which will run from November 9 to November 30. Your child will take home an order form soon in their Friday folder. Thank you, as ALWAYS, for your continued support and prayers. We appreciate you!

Life Together

What a week it's been. How is it possible to walk through dark days and yet feel filled with warmth, love and peace? How is it possible to feel exhausted from the hard work and yet feel energized by all who surround you? GOD makes this truth possible! I hope you have felt Him permeate the week too. When talking with Gretchen and Stacia at Dave's visitation, I saw God's strength and providence pouring out of both of them, even in the midst of grief. Let's commit to continue to hold Dave's entire family in our prayers particularly as the busyness of this week subsides. Thank you for being so loving and supportive for her and our students this week.

Staff Meeting Slides

Makers Week
Begin to kick around your project idea and list it here.

Individual Problem Solving Team
As we talked about in today's staff meeting, when the need arises, please initiate the pre-referral process for a student. Lia will support you with documentation and reminders of the process. Meeting times to discuss the observations will take place on Mondays from 11:30-12:30.

Library on Wellness Wednesdays :)
If you have readers that you've recently conferred with who would benefit from reading in a new space or students who need a fresh supply of books, please feel free to send them to the library on Wednesdays between 9:00-11:00. We're experimenting with utilizing the library space in a new way. Ideally, students would be able to access our resources therefore allowing the library to directing support reading workshop. It's at your service!

Thank you!
Thank you for the special gift today. Please know, it is just a JOY to serve here at South Side! I love this place because I love you, the people! I do not deserve to be singled out, especially with the "b" word ;) But I accept the gift and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for following God's call and serving Him here with our littles!

Grand Blessings on Grandparents Day!

Such a beautiful celebration of love this morning. Thanks be to God for using these blessed children to channel and bear witness to His graciousness and love to all generations! Thank you to each of you for your work, creativity and thought put into this event. It was so good to have more student involvement this year!

Conferences
Dinner will be served on Tuesday, October 20 at 6:00. Will you please block out if you'd like 20 or 40 minutes? I have received feedback that some prefer 20 minutes while others prefer 40 minutes. No judgement! Just please block what you wish before parent sign up begins, please.

Report Cards Due Thursday, October 15
Please complete your grade input by Thursday, October 15. We'll get them printed and stuffed into envelopes in time for your Friday folders.

Basketball Team Visit on Monday, October 12
Nothing required of you. Just good to know!

Kevin Kammeraad on Wednesday, October 14 at 10:30
Again, nothing required just good to know (and maybe show up for)

Data Meetings
Because we'll have assessments under our belts by conference time, it makes sense to hold our data meetings right away as well so we can address needs and tweak plans as needed. You should have received an invitation to your grade level meeting sent to your calendar. Please let me know if you did not receive this invitation.

Collaboration Days
Please note that Collaboration Days will be Oct. 29 and 30. Details will be available after the admin meeting which takes place tomorrow. I'll keep you posted!

Congratulations Amanda, Chris and August! Welcome little Harrison!

We thank God for beautiful little Harrison!

What a special gift fresh from heaven this sweet little one is. And praise God that the whole birth experience went well and Amanda is doing well. We'll continue to pray for you Amanda. May you simply enjoy your boys during these weeks at home. We'll miss you, but we're handling things AOK at school! Bless you, friend!

Thank you, team, for the all of the hard work you put into assessing our students today! The kids had a good, productive morning and I hope each teacher was able to move through your list of individualized assessments more quickly than if we each did this alone. THANK YOU to Lia, Michelle and Danielle for wrangling in the crowd and keeping the masses busy. It was a good day!

Pastor's Breakfast
Wednesday morning will be the Pastor's breakfast event. For us, this means that our morning recess will be adjusted to 9:50-10:10. Pastors have been invited to visit classrooms from 10:10-10:30. This might be a good time for a snack and story so that it's easy to handle any visitors that may be stopping by. If you would like to have a few students make a poster to hand to a guest pastor, please feel free. Otherwise, a simple welcome is very appropriate.

Grandparents Day
Thank you for the wonderful practice Wednesday morning. We'll do the same next Wednesday morning, October 7 from 8:30-9:00. As we have in the past, grandparents will visit classrooms on Thursday, October 8 from 10:15-10:45. We will begin our praise and worship together in the gym at 11:00. Please send the reminder in your class blogs.

Lunch and Learn Staff Meeting
Due to Grandparents Day, we will move our meeting to October 15.

Data Meetings
Our grade level data meetings will take place on Thursday, October 15 and Friday, October 16. Second grade and kindergarten will meet in the staff center during planning time on Thursday. First grade will meet during planning time on Friday.

Vision and Hearing Screening
On Wednesday, November 4 our students will be screened for vision and hearing. Any students who are not screened on Wednesday will be called out of the classroom on Thursday, November 5.

Library
Our library is now ready to take students who need new/additional reading materials on Wednesday mornings between 9:00-11:00. We are trying to move toward a more "open feel" to our library allowing students to come and go as needed. Baby steps! :) Thank you, Mary, for allowing us this access.