Starting to Gear Up

Hello, friends! How are you?!? Last we left each other, we prayed the Aaronic blessing "May the Lord bless you and keep you" over you and our students. I can't wait to see everyone again and hear about your summer stories and how God has blessed you! I have been asked by several people what the PD week is looking like so plans can be made accordingly. While I'm a little hesitant to interrupt your summer, I would like to share with you what plans we have in place as well as an update on staffing changes that have happened over the summer months.

No worries! It's not time to pack away the beach days yet! 

PD Week
Monday, August 14: 8:30-10:30 K-2 Staff Meeting
Monday, August 14: 11:00-12:30 Preschool Staff Meeting

Tuesday, August 15: 8:00-11:00 Elementary Math Teachers in the High School Media Center
Tuesday, August 15: 11:00-12:00 ESS teachers meet with Katie (she will provide details)

Wednesday, August 16: 8:00-3:00 All Staff (pre-K and aides dismissed at noon) Breakfast 8:00-8:30

Thursday, August 17: Ice Cream Social 6:30-8:00

Friday, August 18: 8:00-11:30 All Staff please. Breakfast 8:00-8:30


Staff Movement
Amy Woods
In pursuit of our reading group (previously known as LLI) teachers being consistent for students every day, we will have one teacher deliver small group instruction five mornings per week and another teacher delivering instruction five afternoons each week. Amy has enjoyed being Grandma to her little Adilynn two days per week. This created a conflict with scheduling. Amy has chosen to step down as a reading para-pro at South Side and be available to be Grandma instead. Oh dear. We will miss Amy! She has been such a blessing to our entire South Side community. For many years Amy has so graciously blessed our children with her loving wisdom and creative instruction. Perhaps God will yet open a door at South Side that will allow her to service our community in a new role. In the meantime, we will miss you and the blessing you are, Amy! 

Karen DeRoo
Karen has provided beautiful support to both individual students at South Side as well as our teachers. She will be supporting students in other buildings next year. Thank you for all of the loving support you have provided, Karen. You are a GIFT! We hope it won't be long and you'll be back in the classrooms of South Side again! 

Rachel Steen
Rachel has accepted the position to support several of our inclusive students in first grade. She will be based in Amanda Bohle's classroom. Rachel also has a little son, Luke, in Amanda's class as well. Welcome to the community, Rachel! 

Lindsay Slager
Lindsay will be supporting a student in Dawn Baker's class this year. Little Jonathon presents some very special, high needs. His degenerative sight and need for hearing aids will impact his learning and play on the playground. Lindsay will support his learning, socializing and emotional navigating of life at South Side. 

Gerrit VanKlaveren
As you may remember, we are excited to welcome Gerrit, Mr. VK, to the South Side team as our new PE teacher. We are excited to make South Side his new professional home. 

Helena Hoogland
Guess what! We are welcoming Helena Hoogland to teach art at South Side and Pine Ridge on Fridays only. If your students have art on Mondays through Thursdays, they will still experience art with Diane Walters. If your students have art on Fridays, they will be taught by Helena Hoogland. Welcome to South Side, Helena!

Tami Schippers
We are welcoming Tami as our new reading interventionalist (previously known as LLI teacher)! She will work with our students who need remedial reading support on Mondays through Fridays from 8:15-11:45. Tami is little Kyla (3rd) and Jaylen's (K) mom! We can't wait to onboard Tami to our South Side family. 

Hillary Klipp Lopez
Hillary will serve this year as our new Spanish teacher. Welcome Hillary! She and her family are moving from out East and will begin teaching toward the end of September. Hillary will teach Spanish at South Side, Pine Ridge and a section at the middle school as well. 

Welcome Back Letters
Students are always so eager to receive a welcome letter from their classroom teacher. This is the beginning of a beautiful, year-long relationship. Many people look back and remember their teachers for a lifetime. Pre-K through 2nd grade teachers, please welcome your children with a "hello" letter. It would be helpful to include an invitation for preschool parent night (preschool teachers only) on August 15, Ice Cream Social on August 17 and first day of school on August 21 (full day). District wide we are planning to send the letters on Thursday, August 10. If you could print your letters, Pat will provide stamps and labels. We would love to put them all in the South Side mailbox on Thursday, August 10 in the morning. This way, all students/families will receive the welcome letters on the same day. 

Preschool Parent Night
Parents will attend the informational meeting with their child's preschool teacher starting at 6:00 on Tuesday, August 15. You may communicate to your own parents how long they should plan to receive the information you would like to share. 

Ice Cream Social Start

Please join me outside at the front doors at 6:20 on August 17. We'll catch parents there and begin our "welcome back" conversations. At 6:30 we'll pray and walk into school together. I'm praying over each of you as you meet your new children and open your hearts to walk alongside families in growing children to more deeply know, see and love our Father God. 

Parent Night

Our format for parent night will be just as it has been in the past. SOME parents will come to school beginning at 7:00. They will visit their classroom from 7:00-7:30. I will chatter at ALL of the parents from 7:30-8:00 in the gym. Then the last batch of parents will visit their classroom from 8:00-8:30. In an attempt to be equitable in terms of timing, we try to alternate teachers each year from "first shift" and "second shift". Here is our schedule for parent night:

7:00-7:30:  Kindergarten-Mrs. Johnson

                       Kindergarten-Mrs. Becksfort

                   First Grade--Mrs. VanMeeteren

                   Second Grade--Mrs. Ritsema

7:30-8:00:  All parents in the gym

8:00-8:30:  Kindergarten--Mrs. Strikwerda

                   First Grade--Mrs. Bohle

                   Second Grade--Mrs. Dreyer/Mrs. Hunderman

Any issues? Please let me know. Otherwise, we'll inform parents of this in our elementary blog post tomorrow afternoon. 

First Day
Please take note, our first day of school is a full day. This is different than last year. August 21 is also the solar eclipse, which is nearly a once in a lifetime event! I've purchased a fun learning pack with multiple license so please feel free to use as you see fit. The pack is attached to this email. What a great way to spend the first day back to school!