October Marathon Week

Oh boy! Rest well this weekend, friends. Report card assessing and reporting is behind us. Next up is the parent/teacher conference marathon. I'll be praying wisdom, joy and energy over each of you! It's a looooong three-school-day week. I pray God blesses each of you with health and stamina to make it all week! Enjoy your weekend! 

Online report cards

Our report cards will be made available to parents online today! No more printing and packing and hoping they survive the trip home! 

During your parent/teacher conversations next week, if you have a few conversation into which you could work in a gracious question, might you be willing to help collect a bit of data? We certainly NEED these report cards to be accessed and read by parents! That's the point!!! I'm not confident that a google survey will provide us with the most accurate feedback. If you could work in the question graciously, "the report cards were offered digitally this year. We're just taking a moment during conferences to collect your feedback. Were you able to access the information about your child's progress? If so, WONDERFUL and thank you!" ...feel free to move right along with your conference. If not, could they BRIEFLY share why and the response met with a good deal of compassionate understanding. Please don't let this grow into a full conversation. The point of conferences is each child's growth and development as well as the celebration of our partnership! But this face-to-face meeting is our best chance to gather data on the effectiveness of our reporting tool in an online format. If you could tally the responses, I'll collect this after your meetings from you, please, and we'll make the determination if this mode of communication if effective for our parents! Thank you! 

Please ask me questions or email if this too much. I'll find a different way to connect with families and gather this data! 

Parent/Teacher Conferences

This is an oldie but goodie. Our conversations are truly celebrations of the gift of each child's life! Please begin with each parent in prayer of thanksgiving, celebrate the joy they bring to your classroom environment and share a tidbit that parents could support from home if that would be helpful for the child's growth. Here is a graphic with a few suggestions as you navigate the conference time togehree:

I will be in the office at Rose Park for part of the time as well as at Forest School for some of the time. I'm ready to help support or connect with anyone if that is a help to you. Text me to find me if it looks like nobody is home! 

I will be in prayer for each of you during these evenings. It takes a GREAT deal of stamina to remain engaged, enthused and energetic after teaching ALL day. Thank you for sharing your heart, stories and passion for each child. Please let me know how/when I can support you! 

CEA Days

Parking:

Where will you park at the CEA convention next week?

This video will show you.

If you are an exhibitor, a presenter or if you have 3 or more in your car

you may park at Grand Rapids Christian High School at 2300 Plymouth St SE, Grand Rapids, MI.

Plan now to meet some friends at school and carpool to the convention.

If you have 2 or less in your car you may park at:

Burton Baptist Church - 2010 Plymouth Ave SE

Grand Rapids Christian Middle School - 2036 Chesaning Dr SE

Plymouth Heights CRC - 1800 Plymouth Ave SE

There will be a bus to shuttle you to the high school from these parking lots.

Eagles Ice Center - 2600 Village Dr SE

You can walk through the football stadium to the high school

Please leave EXTRA EARLY and give yourself EXTRA TIME for parking.

We begin at 9:00 in the auditorium at Grand Rapids Christian High School on Thursday, October 21.

Register for session HERE! 

Swimming

This announcement will go out to parents in our next elementary blog. Please do not sure the information yet. This is just for your planning purposes. 

Traditionally our elementary students have participated in the community swim program offered graciously by the Holland Aquatic Center. This year, as we do not know what the year will entail regarding loss of instructional time due to illness and potential quarantines, we will not be using school instructional time to participate in the swimming lessons. The Holland Aquatic Center offers swim lessons for young children which we do endorse and feel is important to the safety of our young ones who live in close proximity to bodies of water. We will reexamine this offering in the future. 

Miska Rynsburger

Erin Wyma

Dinah Pereira

Autumnal Beauty

 We are nearing the quarter one mark in our school year, friends! You have been faithful, creative, flexible and joy-filled while creating a loving space for each one of your learners! What a joy to hear the stories, journey together to create success and watch you FLOURISH in this calling of growing the newest generation of those who will partner in God's work restoring the Kingdom! This is big stuff, friends! Sleep well and enjoy creation this weekend as you are able! 

Student Engagement

One of the critical elements in a highly effective lesson is student engagement. As you heard from Doug earlier this year, student engagement will be one of the areas we'll focus on this school year. Many of you already employ MANY creative and high-energy strategies to keep your students actively engaged. Before we begin looking for these strategies in documented walk throughs this year, take a peek at this helpful video that happens to be linked with PBIS (because we all know that when students are engaged in learning they are less likely to engage in behavior issues...typically) It's a feature length film so please don't feel like you need to make the time to view the whole lesson. The helpful components and model lesson begins around 7:21

See you tomorrow morning for devotions!!! 

October is Here!

Forest School Discovery Night

...is moved. Rather than a Saturday, we'll host families on November 18 from 6:00-7:00. This evening works for Kenzie and Ron. Emily and Angie, if you have a schedule conflict, we'll work it out! I'll share more details as we get closer. 

Instructional Schedule

Angie and Emily, would you please send me your weekly schedule? Any format will do. A photo of an old school planner, your calendar, a template you've created. However you keep your rhyme and rhythm straight, would you please send me a copy? Thank you! 

Forest School Aides

We have a wonderful staff at South Side who never feel sure they have all of their students from Pine Ridge and Forest School for After School Care each day. Sometimes kids get picked up from a different family member rather than taking their typical ride over to After School Care. Other times kids are home sick. Forest School teacher assistants, would you please call the SS office with the names of the students who will be attending After School Care? This is being asked of all teachers at Forest School and Pine Ridge. Unfortunately this is a task that would need to be completed each day. However, this will help ensure that staff knows exactly where children are and whether or not a bus was missed or a child should be tracked down. The South Side office phone number is 616-820-3535. THANK YOU! 

Hoedown for Down Syndrome

The month of October is Down Syndrome Awareness month. We'd like to celebrate the MANY special people we have in our lives with Down Syndrome. We have a new baby sister, a high school sister, a little brother and even a student with Down Syndrome who add so much sunshine and joy to our lives. It's also helpful for our children to learn about and become comfortable with the fact that we are ALL created differently and Down Syndrome is one of the many ways we are created uniquely. 

How about a Hoedown for Down Syndrome! 

We're hoping you are able to push this special event into your schedule. How about from 1:45-2:45 on Wednesday, October 20? We'll meet together on the lawn of Rose Park and celebrate with many special friends from the high school's inclusion program as well. We'll have a country line dance lesson led by many special friends. Some musicians will be there helping provide the jam and even tables of autumn treats are planned! Wear your cowboy/cowgirl gear! More details will be forthcoming and we hope to make this an annual celebration for our children! We hope this fits into your schedule! 

Feeling Autumn

We're charging the hill, friends, like second grade Forest Kids!!! 

Conferences 

Parent/teacher conferences are coming up! We will offer them in person unless any parent would prefer an online conference. Mark your calendars now for October 18 and 19. We'll get those logistics figured out soon. 

CEA

All teaching faculty have the opportunity to attend CEA convention in person this year! The convention will be held at Grand Rapids Christian on Thursday and Friday, October 21 and 22! I can't wait to grow with you during these learning days! 

Collaboration

Please note your grade level collaboration times: 

Report Cards

WHAAAAT?!?! Yep. We're blazing our way through quarter one already. Report cards will go home on Friday, October 15! Take a peek at these dates so there are no surprises upcoming ;) 

Discovery Night

We're already in kahoots to plan our Discovery Nights. Please take a peek at this document. Click on the school tab at the bottom to see how you served last year. If this works with your calendar, let's mark it in, please. If you need to make a change, please let me know! 

 

Walk a thon JOY

Wasn't it a JOY to come together with ALL of the elementary and middle school kids and celebrate our supportive community? Thank you for making the trek over to the track! Go Maroons!!! 

JOY! 

Data Meeting

Almost everyone has completed those NWEA MAP tests! 🙌  Emily and Angie, would you please kick a convenient time for you to meet and talk about our learners? Let's start talking about progress and intervention plans! 

Collaboration Days

They're coming:

Continuing Education

Just a reminder for you, if you are interested in receiving some financial support for coursework you are pursuing, please complete this form. The deadline has passed but this year is all about grace periods. The grace period is OPEN! 

Beauty in Rhythm

We're starting to find a beautiful rhythm, friends! It was a bit of a bumpy start with the mask mandate being imposed so last minute before the year launched, but we're finding our rhythm and this is a beautiful thing! We've been entrusted with loving our children, developing their skills and helping them understand the grace given and love overflowing of our Good, Good Father! THAT is what you are faithfully providing every day! Thank you for this faithful work, friends! 

Security Questions

Saugatuck Public Schools had an incident in their high school parking lot two weeks ago. There was an attempted abduction of a high school student. At the end of this past week, a vehicle of similar description was in the high school parking lot near the tennis courts and a man exposed himself to a high school student from HC. You may notice an increase in police presence around the high school. Some parents received a notification from Saugatuck Public Schools that stated an HC student was also the victim of an attempted abduction. This piece is not accurate. There is nothing required of you other than feel free to pass parent questions on to me. The vehicle in question is an older model white Ford Explorer. If you see a questionable car around Forest School, don't hesitate to call Rob Westfall at 616-593-1277

Data Meetings

We're going to hold data meetings to talk about each of our students. To ensure students do not "fall through the cracks" we will talk about the progress each child is making. We'll take a look at each child's running record as well as their MAP data. Emily and Angie, is it possible to input the running record score for each child on these data sheets, please? Once these scores are in, let's arrange a time to talk about progress and interventions to help our budding skills. 

1st Grade Data

2nd Grade Data

Rest from your Labor

Matthew 11 rings true a bit after this start to our school year! "Come to me all who labor and are weary. I will give you rest." It's a long Labor Day weekend. You have served well and faithfully these past few weeks. We've had a plethora of emotions. Thank you for your faithfulness, your smiles and your willingness to choose to see the big picture! Rest well this weekend, my friends! Cooler temps and brighter days are ahead! 

Walk a thon

Our walk a thon packets have gone out. Your only responsibility at this point is to remember to collect the envelopes from children on the 10th. Hold the afternoon of the 15th open. We'll be bussed for our annual fun at the track that afternoon! 

Tuesday

I will spend the day in the Forest on Tuesday!!! WooHoo!! That is a rare treat! My hope is to collect names from you of children whose parents have told them they should not wear a mask. That's not my favorite reason to spend the day in the Forest. But we'll get through this together. I had many good conversations with Rose Park parents on Wednesday and every one of the conversations resulted in increased understanding and renewed trust. We are also starting a task force for stakesholders from throughout HC and including the spectrum of perspectives. We hope to learn together for the sake of our children and make recommendations to the school board as we navigate COVID related protocols. We already have some Forest friends from both perspectives volunteering to serve with this group! I'm SO grateful for our gracious community who LOVES their children passionately and desires to serve God with their best!