THANK YOU!

The marathon is complete! WELL DONE! Conferences, reading celebration, behavior management, report cards, field trips...OH MY! Thank you for your hard work creating engaging learning for your students all through this busy week. Smiling through it all. It is an absolute JOY to work alongside each of you. And now, come away and rest a while. I can't wait to hear your stories upon our return.

The Fridge
So...the fridge looks like one from a busy sorority house. Please swing by on your way out and empty out your goodies. Otherwise, we may need to run a few science experiments on growing mold after break.

Staffing Changes
As you well know, every year our enrollment numbers change a bit. Our staffing is impacted sometimes in small ways, sometimes in bigger ways. This year feels like a big way. I will lay out for you our general education teachers for the 2017-2018 school year:

3-Day kindergarten: Sarah Becksfort
5-Day kindergarten: Sandy Johnson
5-Day kindergarten: Karen Strikwerda

1st Grade: Amanda Bohle
1st Grade: Karen VanMeeteren

2nd Grade: Michelle Dreyer/Sheri Hunderman
2nd Grade: Jenna Ritsema

As you see above, Natalie Sapp and Danielle Snoeyink are missing :(  In an effort to be good stewards with tuition dollars, we have to keep our two sections of K as such, and we will move our three smalls sections of 1st into two classes of 2nd. I would be remiss not to say aloud that we have LOVED and BEEN BLESSED again and again by both of these wonderful colleagues, Natalie and Danielle. It is SO impossible to bid them farewell, but, take heart, they will not be far from us! Both have been offered contracts within HC, just not directly within South Side. Please, shower them with LOVE! Let's have a blast with them in quarter 4! Pray over them as they each transition to a new community for the 17-18 school year. As we well know, they will bring their unique gifts and talents to the new places God has placed them. We will miss you Natalie and Danielle! THANK YOU for all you do for/with us. We love you!

Leading Gently in the Valley

Thank you for sensitively leading your students through a difficult week. I deeply appreciate your protection over the hearts of the children in your class and each of their unique emotional needs. I will bring the canvas to the funeral home today with a card for the Kanis family from all of us. We pray they find comfort in the truth of these words.

For those who would like to attend Caroline's funeral and sit together, I will be at South Side tomorrow morning at 9:20. We will depart at 9:25 for Central Wesleyan. Please feel free to text me if you need to know our whereabouts. 616-510-1593.

Report Cards and P/T Conferences
Cards are being printed, envelopes are being stuffed. They can go home today.

I am eager for our parent/teacher conversations. We have much to celebrate but our work is not done. As you always do, please open in prayer, celebrate the JOYS that each child brings to our community and share with truth and grace how each young one is doing in our "home away from home". Please let me know if I can help you answer questions or pursue solutions.

Data Meetings
As running records have just been completed, we will again hold data meetings to check in on our kiddos. You have been sent an invitation by me if you are a K-2 teacher. If you have a conflict, don't hesitate to ask that we go back to the drawing board to select a new time and day.

Staff Meeting
Our next staff meeting will be Thursday, April 13 over the lunch hour.

Running Records
I have already asked several of you. I'll be asking the rest after spring break. ;) May I attempt to do running records side by side with you when you would authentically give them to your readers? I would like to help us reach consistency with the way with administer running records. In particular as we close the year and prepare to pass this data on to the next grade level. We want accuracy and consistency. More info coming....

Mark Your Calendars! Look at Next Week's Reading Fun!

Monday, March 27 - Michelle is working on an art project that will enrich the story, "Miss Rumphius."  We are hoping that spring lupines will be lining our hallways!  

Tuesday, March 28 - Curiosity Day - We have our very own Man with the Yellow Hat coming to celebrate Curious George's 75th birthday by reading one of his favorite stories of this very curious monkey.  Our sweet Mary Hoffman will be pulling the Curious George books for extra reading if you desire, and we will have a file of activities to choose from if you wish to do some of those activities.  Also, this might be a day to encourage curiosity by having the kids do a Make activity.  

Wednesday, March 29 - A special treat for all students will be to hear Pam Krikke, grandmother to Kellen Eldean, share about her book, "Gracie Brave."  We will be meeting in the library by grade levels for this event.  K students at 12:45, 1st students at 1:15, and 2nd graders at 2:00.  She is so excited to come here from Florida just to share her story with our kiddos!

Thursday, March 30 - Sandy is working on securing a movie as a special treat for our hard working students.  K teachers will be able to view after lunch recess and 1st and 2nd graders will be able to view it at the end of the day, 2:00-3:00 (ish).

One other thing we would like to promote throughout the week, is DEAR time.  We thought it would be really sweet to have a few children from each class announce this event each day from the office.  Our thoughts were to have it at consistent times each day:  8:35 and 11:15.  (We are open to other view points.)  This is the schedule of announcers that we were thinking:

Monday, 8:35 - Strikwerda

              11:15 - Johnson

Tuesday, 8:35 - Sapp

               11:15 - Becksfort

Wednesday, 8:35 - VanMeeteren

                   11:15 - Dreyer

Thursday, 8:35 - Snoeyink

                11:15 - Ritsema

Zipping Toward Spring!

Devotions

We had a conversation about finding a day of the week for our staff devotions that perhaps isn't quite so overloaded as Wednesdays tend to be. If you would like, would you please provide feedback on this form regarding your day-of-the-week preference for staff devotions? I'll let you know our results and we'll take it from there. 

Report Cards

Report Cards are due March 23, please. We'll get them printed and stuffed into labeled envelopes. Children can take them home on Friday, March 24. 

Conferences

Will be from 4:00-8:00 on Monday and Wednesday evening, March 27 and 29. 

Staff Meeting

Our next SS staff meeting will take place on Thursday, April 13 over the lunch hour.

City Vu
An self-appointed, impromptu "party planning committee" decided that whoever can make it, please stop at City Vu after school on Thursday, March 23 to hang out and laugh together for a short time.

Reading Incentive Week

Look at the week our reading incentive team has put together!!! Thank you, wonderful ladies! 

Monday, March 27 - Michelle is working on an art project that will enrich the story, "Miss Rumphius."  We are hoping that spring lupines will be lining our hallways!  

Tuesday, March 28 - Curiosity Day - We have our very own Man with the Yellow Hat coming to celebrate Curious George's 75th birthday by reading one of his favorite stories of this very curious monkey.  Our sweet Mary Hoffman will be pulling the Curious George books for extra reading if you desire, and we will have a file of activities to choose from if you wish to do some of those activities.  Also, this might be a day to encourage curiosity by having the kids do a Make activity.  

Wednesday, March 29 - A special treat for all students will be to hear Pam Krikke, grandmother to Kellen Eldean, share about her book, "Gracie Brave."  We will be meeting in the library by grade levels for this event.  K students at 12:45, 1st students at 1:15, and 2nd graders at 2:00.  She is so excited to come here from Florida just to share her story with our kiddos!

Thursday, March 30 - Sandy is working on securing a movie as a special treat for our hard working students.  K teachers will be able to view after lunch recess and 1st and 2nd graders will be able to view it at the end of the day, 2:00-3:00 (ish).

One other thing we would like to promote throughout the week, is DEAR time.  We thought it would be really sweet to have a few children from each class announce this event each day from the office.  Our thoughts were to have it at consistent times each day:  8:35 and 11:15.  (We are open to other view points.)  This is the schedule of announcers that we were thinking:

Monday, 8:35 - Strikwerda

              11:15 - Johnson

Tuesday, 8:35 - Sapp

               11:15 - Becksfort

Wednesday, 8:35 - VanMeeteren

                   11:15 - Dreyer

Thursday, 8:35 - Snoeyink

                11:15 - Ritsema

Ahhhh....."Normalcy" Returns!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! For an amazing week of Make in the classroom. What a joy to see children stretched and challenged in new ways! But, I know, it takes A TON of extra effort, energy and space to pull this off. I will pack away many of these pieces and parts above the bulkhead in the laminator room. Please do continue to infuse this mode of learning in your students' learning opportunities!

If you have other pix and have time to share 3 or 4, I'd love to add them to our celebration slide show! Please email them my way! 

Tulip Time Helpers
First and Second grade teachers, do you want PR helpers in the parade? If so, please contact Pat by Friday (tomorrow).

Years of Service
On the white board in the staff center you will find a "years of service" document. Please Confirm with an "OK" that what is reflected is accurate. If you don't write the "OK" or indicate a correction, you'll likely be hunted down starting Monday.

Report CardsI know....this is a busy season of the year. UGH! Hang in there....I see spring break on the horizon! Report card "grades", if you will, are due on Thursday, March 23. We will send them home on Friday, March 24 (3-day K on the 23rd). 

ConferencesParents will begin signing up for their times on March 17 at 8:00 am. They will be prompted via powerschool. You won't have to alert parents on that day. 

Schedule:Our conference times are from 4:00-8:00 on Monday, March 27 and Wednesday, March 29. 

Field Day 
...is schedule for Tuesday, May 30

Time Cards
...are due tomorrow for hourly employees.

It's Make Time

Take a tub...

...and do some shopping!

Our materials are beginning to arrive from our Rose Park friends. Those of you in need of materials, please feel free to take a tub and fill it up! You may gladly shop for items needed and save the receipt. Or email me and I'll go find it! I'll be here on Saturday morning touring a new parent as well as setting up my session in the music room so let me know if I can help! Let's do this! :D

Makers Details
Per our discussion, we will hold Makers sessions Monday through Thursday, March 6-9. Students will come to their "home room" each morning to begin the day. By 8:30, we will start the shuffle to the "make session" classroom. At 8:30 you can begin the introductions with the students gathered in your space and describe the "problem" or "project" students will be engaged in. Following the schedule we have used in the past, students will work from 8:30-9:45. Recess will be held from 9:45-10:00. Wednesday's recess will be 9:45-10:05. I will cover morning recess duty throughout the week. Students will return to their "make session" classroom after recess and stay until 10:30. At 10:30, they'll travel back to their "home room" classes.

Friday's celebration will take place at 11:00 in the gym. I'll try to collect stories to share at the celebration. If you have awesome moments to share or capture with your phone, please don't hesitate to share them with me. We'll enjoy all that was experienced together in the gym from 11:00-11:30. 

Accreditation
Man, there's a lot going on. Please keep in mind the three ways we'll primarily be impacted at South Side:

• Visitors will descend upon us during Makers Week. Keep on keeping on. Be your awesome self! 
• We will have a brief meeting with breakfast served at Pine Ridge on Tuesday morning at 7:15. 
• We have been requested to attend the briefing at the high school on Thursday at 4:00. 

Report Cards

I know....this is a busy season of the year. UGH! Hang in there....I see spring break on the horizon! Report card "grades", if you will, are due on Thursday, March 23. We will send them home on Friday, March 24 (3-day K on the 23rd). 

Conferences

Parents will begin signing up for their times on March 17 at 8:00 am. They will be prompted via powerschool. You won't have to alert parents on that day. 

Schedule:

Our conference times are from 4:00-8:00 on Monday, March 27 and Wednesday, March 29. 

Yearbook Photo’s Needed: We are in need of 10 snapshots per classroom at 300dpi minimum. Also If you have any special event photo’s to share. There will be folders set up in Google Drive to share your photo’s, Please put them in the appropriate folder… PODS, Wacky Days, Makers’ Week, classroom, etc.

**LINK: The Folders have been set up in Drive for our teachers to share pictures for the yearbook.  Please have them use the appropriate folders that I have set up:)  It should be a simple drag and drop :).. let me know if you have any difficulties : )

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B2sofAbPWkaEcW03SmZoT1NMOTQ?usp=sharing