Beach Day

The 2nd graders are excited about our reading unit! We have been reading informational books and we talked about how we can read about the world God created and learn information about his amazing world, the people from our past, and those in other parts of the world. We have discussed how we are Wisdom Seekers and can find wisdom and knowledge about God in reading.

Homework:

Monday a new reading slip and math homework page will come home on Mar. 9 and be due- March 17 because of no school on Mar. 16. 

*Matthew 28 came home this past Monday. Please practice this beautiful passage as a family!

*Look for the blue paper in your child's Homework Folder with our sight words! 

Library books due on Wednesday!

Hand2Hand:

For the past several years, South Side has partnered with Hand2Hand to help provide food for children facing hunger in West Michigan. Last year, we collected over 200 food items, and we’re excited to support this effort again!

From Monday, March 9 through Friday, March 20, we will be collecting:

3- and 4- year old preschool and Young 5's: Bags of unpopped microwave popcorn (any variety) with an expiration date of September 2026 or later

Kindergarten, First and Second grade: Individual, single-serve bags of trail mix (any variety) with an expiration date of September 2026 or later

After the collection, our second graders will visit Hand2Hand to learn more about their mission and help pack snack bags for neighbors experiencing food insecurity, using the items we donate along with contributions from other donors. 

SPRING CONFERENCES: 

Conferences will be coming up at the end of March (March 26 & 30 from 4-8pm). 2nd grade takes a different twist on conferences in the Spring--they are actually STUDENT LED. This means that your son/daughter joins us in conversation, and he/she leads the conference. We work hard at creating a portfolio and collecting work samples, and it is an awesome experience for you to see how your child has taken ownership of his/her learning this year. This means that all 2nd grade conferences are in person. As teachers and parents, we are able to encourage and pour into your child, as well as find ways to challenge him/her for the last quarter of 2nd grade. This is a very important time together, and you'll want to save the date. Look for a link to be coming soon for sign ups!

Spring Concert

The elementary students Y5-5th grade  at South Side, Pine Ridge, and Forest School will be performing at our Spring concert on Mar. 12. Please mark this date on your calendar! Please have students wear nice school clothes.

• Young 5s through 5th grade students should arrive between 6:00-6:15. They will meet with their teachers in the lobby. Families will head into the sanctuary to be seated by 6:20. 

• Preschoolers should arrive with their families and be seated in the sanctuary by 6:20. They will be called up to the stage to sing part way into the program.

Shoe Box:

Second graders are working on their non fiction writing projects. As a celebration of our writing projects students will build a diorama to showcase the information they wrote in their books. Please send a shoe box to school with your child's name on it by Mar. 13.

Tulip Time
As signs of spring are appearing, we are looking ahead to Tulip Time! First and second grade students will be marching with our school. Students have two options of groups to participate in. Please fill out this survey and let us know which section your child will be participating in. 

Please make sure you fill out one form for each student you have by Monday, March 25th so we can ensure we have the correct props for the parade. If you have any questions, please email Christy. 

March Is Reading Month!

As part of the national celebration of reading month, West Michigan WhiteCaps is providing a free optional Reading Tracker/Ticket Order Form.

1. Students and/or their grown-ups keep track of reading minutes in March. 
2. Those who participate are eligible for 2 free tickets to select WhiteCaps home games.

All information regarding this incentive and how to order free tickets is included on the WhiteCaps 2025 Reading Club Form. These forms will come home Today in your child's Friday Folder.

Reading Rally Week – Our South Side staff is excited to celebrate our growing readers! To recognize March Is Reading Month, we have planned a special week of fun activities (March 30–April 2) to encourage and celebrate reading. Below are the details and ways you can help your child participate in each special day:

Monday, March 30 – Favorite Book Day
Send your child to school with his or her favorite book. The children will create a poster about their favorite book to display around the school.

Tuesday, March 31 – “Pop Open a Good Book” Day
Students will enjoy a popcorn snack while reading with reading buddies.

Wednesday, April 1 – Read-a-T-Shirt Day
Please help your child find a t-shirt with one or more words on it so we can have fun reading each other’s shirts.

Thursday, April 2 – Cozy Reading Day
Students may wear pajamas and bring a blanket and a stuffed animal for a cozy day of reading.

Thank you for encouraging your child to build strong reading habits by reading each night. The time spent practicing now will have lifelong benefits. Thank you for your support! 

Lost and Found

The office is continuing to update our South Side Lost and Found Album as items come into the gray tub in the office. Please check it out to see if any of these items belong to your child. Feel free to email Rachel Steen, to claim your item(s), and we will be sure to get it into your child’s backpack.

IMORTANT DATES:

Mar. 9: Math and Reading Homework due

Mar. 12: Spring Concert

Mar. 13: Bring a shoe box to school

Mar. 16: No school

Mar. 20: Report Cards Live

Mar. 26 and 30: Spring conferences

Apr. 3-10: Spring Break