Trailblazer Family News

Trailblazer Families,

I can't believe it is September!! Where did the month of August go? You might be wondering what is happening at school? I know when I ask my fifth grader that question, she never has anything to say. You might have to get creative with how you word your questions. Example: What was the funniest thing that happened today? What was your teacher wearing today? When they answer those questions, you can get them to answer more!

Staff at South Side would like each and every one of you to feel comfortable about reaching out with any questions or concerns. If you don't have Seesaw (K-4), that is a wonderful platform for not only getting to message teachers, but to see different work that your child/children have done throughout the day/year. If you need help with getting connected to Seesaw, please reach out to us. We would love to help.

We are excited to be able to bring back Grandparent's Day and our Literacy Night. You can see below for more information about both upcoming activities.

We hope you have a wonderful week! Please let us know if you have any comments, questions, or positives for our staff!

Mrs. Erexson

If you are in need of some South Side swag, please shop at this link. They make nice Christmas gifts as well!

We have partnered with Betty Lou's for this order. All proceeds go to "The Trail" (Makerspace room here at South Side).

Upcoming clinics:

• “School Smiles,” the in-school dentist, will be at South Side Elementary on Wednesday, September 7, 2022. They provide dental exams and restorative care to your child right at school! Your child will not be seen by the dentist unless I have a signed consent form. Consent forms went home a little over a week ago. If you did not get one and would like one, please contact me at 260-349-2200 or waumsbaugh@eastnoble.net. You can also sign up online at www.schoolsmiles.com/student-signup.
• The annual Flu vaccination clinic will be held sometime in September/October; date is TBD. Every fall the Noble County Health Department comes to all ENSC schools and provides flu vaccinations. Children WILL NEVER receive any vaccine without parental consent. More details to come about the vaccination clinic.
• I am currently beginning to work on vision screenings. As we all know, our vision directly impacts our ability to learn. Plain and simple, you can’t read and write if you can’t see. The state requires all children in grades K, 1, 3, 5 have their vision screened during the school year. I will be working on this over the next couple of months and will be reaching out if your child does not pass their vision screening.

Friendly reminders:

• Please send a change of clothes in your child’s backpack for those occasional accidents or spills. I will do my best to provide your child with a change of clothes, but if I do not have the appropriate size, I will have to call home and ask for a change of clothes.
• Letters have gone out for those children who are not up to date on immunizations. If you have received one of these letters, please make sure you are working towards immunization compliance.
• Your child must be fever-free, without fever-reducing medication, for 24 hours before returning to school. The same applies to vomiting and diarrhea.

Grandparent's Day is being held on Friday, September 9th. This will be from 12:45-2:15.

If you have more than one grandchild that you would like to see, you may split your time between those classrooms. It might also work for some of you to have one grandparent go with one student and another grandparent go with another student.

If the student will be going home with their grandparent, we will need the signed permission form. If you have any questions, please reach out to Mrs. Erexson: ferexson@eastnoble.net

Hopefully you have heard your student talking about different zones. We have been learning and practicing what colored zone we are in based on what emotions we are feeling. There are four colored zones: blue, green, yellow, and red. When students are in the green zone, they are good to go and ready to be a good learner, friend, and student. When students are in the blue zone, they may need to take a break or rest. Students in the blue zone may be feeling sick, sad, or tired. Students who are in the yellow zone need to take it slow because their bodies are starting to get out of control. These students may be feeling silly, frustrated, or worried. Students in the red zone have lost control of their emotions and their bodies. These students may be feeling mad, angry, or terrified. Next month, students will be learning and practicing ways to reset their emotions to return to the green zone. These are things that you can also work on at home with students. Ask them what zone they may be in or tell them something like, " I can tell you're in the red zone because you're yelling at me. We can talk about this when you get back to the green zone." These are great ways to help your student start to recognize their emotions and work to reset back to the green zone where they are able to make good decisions.

Mark your calendar for September 15th from 5:00-6:30. South Side will be hosting a literacy night. We will have at least three literacy stations for families to participate into.

Car rider line- Please help us with the flow and speed at car rider line. Stay in your car as your child gets in and out of the vehicle. If you must get out, please park in the parking spots and walk your child up to the doors or out to the cars.

South Side Trailblazers are expected to be Respectful, Responsible, and Safe.

You can help reinforce these expectations by having students practice these at home. Saying please and thank you when it is appropriate shows you are being respectful. Picking up toys and games when finished will show responsibility. Being safe is keeping your hands and feet to yourself while at home.

"Let the good times roll! South Side skate night at the Skatin' Station is scheduled for Tuesday, October 18 from 5:30-7:30. PTO is sponsoring the event and covering the cost of admission and skate rental for all families. Concessions will be available to purchase. The Skatin' Station is located at 544 North St. in Auburn. We look forward to seeing you there!"

We post a lot of fun pictures and updates to our school website and Facebook page. Make sure you check it out!

September 5: Labor Day-No School

September 9: Grandparent's Day (12:45-2:15)

September 15: Family Reading Night (5:00-6:30 Dinner provided)

September 30: Staff PD Day; No Student Virtual Learning

October 3-7: Fall Break-No School

October 14: PTO Donut's Delivered (if purchased)

October 18: Picture Retake Day

October 18: PTO Skate Night at Auburn Skatin' Station

October 27: Grades 1 & 4 Music Program 6:00pm

December 8: Grades 2 & 5 Music Program 6:00pm

December 13-15: Santa Workshop Shopping

February 24: Staff PD-No Student Virtual learning

March 16: Grades K & 3 Music Program 6:00p

May 5: PTO Carnival 5:30-7:00

May 12: 5th Grade to Camp Potawatomi

May 25: 5th Grade to Biz Town