Discovery Days

Report Cards
Thank you for your hard work communicating with parents all that each child has accomplished thus far this school year. Your hearts are ALL OVER these cards. I'm very grateful they can be sent home today and celebrated with each family. You are truly a gift in each child and each family's life!

Prayer for Enrollment
Discovery Night is Tuesday evening, January 31. I was able to attend Rose Park's event last night. It was WONDERFUL! Well attended, energetic and just a really good snapshot of all we offer at Holland Christian for young children and families. If you would like a light dinner, please be in the staff center at 5:00. Otherwise, please be in the staff center at 5:30 for the run down from Courtney. We will be in our spots with typical enthusiasm and warmth at 5:45 ready for action :) Thank you for being so willing to set aside the time to offer families a snapshot of who we are at South Side. Please join with me in giving this enrollment season for the 2017-2018 school year to God in prayer.

Listening to Reading 
Creative Chuck Commeret teaches a "Multi Media Creation" class at the high school. He would like to have students record themselves reading books for our elementary students and make these sound clips available online. Do you have books, perhaps start with 10?, from your classroom library or our media center that you would like to give to him? His students will get started with this project toward the end of February. I will put a labeled box in the staff center to collect these books. Please be sure your name is in your books so we can return them to you as soon as possible.

Sweet Little Caroline
I know you continue to pray for Caroline and for her family in these fragile, raw days and weeks. We don't know what God has in store, but we continue to ask that He makes his presence known and peace that passes our understanding would wash over them as they stand in need. May I remind all of the South Side team of our response if we receive news that Caroline has died:

We will not announce this to our students during the school day. Please wait until you have been informed that parents have been told. Parents will also receive suggested phrasing and scripture passages of comfort in our Risen Savior in that message.

Because this announcement will go to families first, your involvement will take place the following morning. Based on the age/make up of your children, prayerfully use your own judgement when leading your class in devotions that first morning. We want the children to pray for the Kanis family as they will know this family is walking in the valley of the shadow of death. However, they can also be reminded that the family who loves Caroline may fear no evil. For God is with them. We can be used at the rod and staff to support one another in the name of Christ.

Danielle is currently working, in her beautifully artistic way, of penning "For I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever" on a canvas. If completed, we will set this on a table in the hallway near the office for each child to sign. Preschool students may simply put their fingerprint if signing their name is too daunting yet.

Collaboration Days

January???

I think we're in for a warm weekend. I hope you each enjoy the "spring-like" temps. Right, Jenna? ;)

Dawn's Send Off
Please plan to come to the staff center on Wednesday, the 25th during morning recess. We will have fun celebrating with Dawn and thanking her for her many years of love and teaching at South Side.

Stephanie Smit
On that note, I am thrilled to be able to share with you the Stephanie Smit has accepted the vacancy as an aide in Dawn's classroom. She will certainly be a blessing to the children and to Dawn!

Future PREP Programming

Please take a look at this learning/teaching opportunity through the ISD. Check out that stipend! Kaching! ;) AND, it's great learning!

Sundae School (K - 5th Grade): For the Sundae School Program, we will be looking to add new K - 5th grade educators to the program.  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, Design Thinking, and the Skills4Success, (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).

To apply for any of these programs, educators should apply online at the following link:http://webappe.oaisd.org/FuturePrepEnrollment/Application/Teacher  

Discovery Night

At this point, those who are involved have been communicated with. If you have questions, please don't hesitate to ask! Let's pray for a robust turn out so many more children can experience all of the good work you do every day building up God's little crop of kingdom bringers! 

Learning Opportunity
Improving our diversity is one of the pressing goals at Holland Christian. To that end, please take a look at this conference and consider attending if you have the evening available. I have heard many good things about this event:
http://beabridgebuilder.com/

Makers Week
Tim, Rod and I will be shopping for supplies soon. Please list your project and needed items soon. 

2017, Here We Come!

Thank you, Dawn Houskamp

Dawn, how many tears of young, trepidatious children have you wiped over the past decade at South Side? How many stories have you listened intently to (most likely all coming at you simultaneously)? How many children have you helped discover that they have the courage to be independent from Mom and Dad for the very first time? To how many children have you been the hands and feet of Jesus Christ to? How many children has God expressed His great love to through your efforts? We can't count that high! But your students likely can, after having spent a year or more learning numbers from you! Thank you, Dawn. From the bottom of our hearts. You have our profound respect, love, prayers and best wishes. Kids Hope will be so blessed by your heart, patient love for all children and genuine desire to serve our loving God by serving His youngest kingdom bringers. Bless you, my friend, in your new endeavors. 

Security Upgrade

You will notice a new contraption at our front door. This little doo hickey (I believe I read that on the box somewhere) is a camera. Our visitors will push a little button on the doo hickey, Pat will identify them with a screen at her desk and temporarily unlock the door to let them in. Your key card can bypass this process...unless you're in the mood to pester Pat, then feel free. Otherwise, staff will realize no changes. Our visitors will appreciate the increased security. 

MLK Jr Day

Thank you for being willing to provide experiential learning for our students on MLK Jr Day. I'm very excited for our students to live into the meaning of Martin Luther King Jr's dream: people's value is found in the content of their character. The outside packaging is just aesthetics. Follow this link for a reminder of the projects and day's schedule. 

Would you notify parents about the gist of the day as well as ask them to bring a bag labeled with their child's name to collect the products of their learning on Monday? If you'd like, you may simply copy and paste this blurb:

"Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. All of the South Side teachers have collaborated and prepared a day of meaningful learning for your child. Our desire is to come together as a school and spend the entire day living into the meaning of Dr. King's famous "I Have A Dream" speech. We hope to bring these words to life and offer experiences that will help our young children understand his hope for our future. We want our children to be inspired and excited to carry on the mission of this dream. These young children are the hope of our future, a vibrant future. If we equip them well, perhaps they can build a brighter, more inclusive future for all of God's children, better than we have been able. If you could, please send a bag, labeled with your child's name, to school on Monday. He/she will be busy collecting and creating a good deal throughout the day." 

Wacky Wednesdays

Wacky Wednesdays are nearly upon us. Here are the dates and themes:

January 18- Sports Team or School Pride Day

January 25- Backwards Day

February 1- Crazy Hair Day

February 8- Pajama Day

Math/Reading Data Meetings

Kindergarten and first grade: we're working to reschedule! 

Second grade on Friday, January 20 from 12:45-1:45

Chapel on January 18

We will FaceTime with the children of Beautiful Gate in Lesotho, Africa on Wednesday, January 18. Their chapel time begins at 3:30, which translates to 8:30 our time. Please plan on our chapel at 8:30. Due to HC2 in the gym, we will need to meet in the music room. It'll be tight but we'll make it work. We will sing one song. We will listen to them sing a song. Then we will sing one song together. I will practice our songs with the kids during praise on Friday morning (thank you for being so accommodating and allowing me this time, Michelle. I really had to twist her arm! ;) 

Discovery Night
Plans for Discovery Night are underway! Thank you for setting aside the evening of Tuesday, January 31 from 5:30-7:30 to return to school. Prospective parents will visit South Side from 6:00-7:30. The flow of the evening will be just a little different than last year. I will communicate the details to each grade level soon. 

Winterim Class In the Library
Have you noticed Chuck taking some high school kids to poke around our library? They are bringing their fresh eyes and big dreams to rethink the layout and spacial organization of the library (I don't believe they're reinventing the Dewey Decimal system, however). They will propose their ideas at 10:00 on Friday morning. I'm excited to share their thoughts with you! Mary is eager to hear their plans as well. 

Preschool Staff Meeting
We're working to reschedule! We will go through the finer points of Discovery Night as well as do some problem solving to enrich afternoon enrichment (see what we did there? ;) )

K-2 Staff Meeting
Our K-2 folks will gather to think and learn over the lunch hour on Thursday, January 19. Please plan to read the next portion of The Differentiated Classroom. We will allocate a bit more time to discuss with our groups than we were able last month.

Report Cards
POOOOF! That's me breathing out. You as well I would imagine! Report Cards are up and running again. The format that parents access and/or we print is working! Just by way of review, as a minimum, please plan to include individual comments in the math, reading and writing content areas. In the other content areas it is sufficient to provide a general comment. However, as the report card is meant to be a communication/growth tool for parents, please use this time as an opportunity to celebrate growth and/or communicate the need for further assistance for the child at home.

Microphone/Speaker Systems
In an effort to equitably equip our classrooms, five new sound systems have been installed at South Side. We want to keep these machines humming happily (is that what they do? Do they hum?) To that end, please only use the rechargeable batteries, which have been provided, with your unit. I believe they might implode if you try to stuff them with old fashioned Duracell.

Ho man! Are you still with me? That was a load. Shall we talk about picking a date for City Vu again?