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Southside Elementary School

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Southside Family Newsletter

Posted Date: 10/19/26 (04:00 PM)
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What's Buzzing At Southside?

Pic of front of school

šŸHi Southside Bees Families! šŸ

October has been a busy and exciting month at Southside Elementary! From engaging learning experiences in our classrooms to special events and opportunities for families to connect with our school community, our Southside Bees have been making wonderful memories and continuing to grow. As we look back on all that we have accomplished and look ahead to the remaining activities this month, we encourage families to stay connected, check upcoming dates, and join us whenever possible. Thank you for your continued support as we work together to make October a month full of learning, growth, and success!

Celebrations

This month we recognized our custodians during our October School-Wide Morning Meeting for National Custodians Day (October 2nd)!Ā Ā Shoutout to Mr. Gerald, Ms. Christy, and Mr. Charles who make sure our school is clean and safe for our staff and students each day!
A person wearing a blue HES polo shirt, glasses, and a matching cap stands in front of a white cinder block wall.
A person wearing glasses and a blue collared shirt with the letters 'HES' on it stands against a white brick wall.
A smiling man wearing a blue shirt and baseball cap stands in front of a white brick wall.

National Nutrition Service Workers Appreciation & School Lunch Week

What a fun week celebrating National School Lunch Week and showing appreciation for our amazing school nutrition team! Mrs. Elder, Director of School Nutrition, and her wonderful nutrition team treated our students to a special circus carnival-themed menu that made lunchtime extra exciting! Students also enjoyed delicious funnel cakes, bringing a little carnival magic to Southside!Ā 

We were also excited to welcome visitors from the Virginia Department of Education, and our students enjoyed a special treat , freshly popped popcorn, prepared by our awesome Southside office team! šŸæ

A hugeĀ THANK YOUĀ to Mrs. Elder and our entire school nutrition team for the important role you play in keeping our Southside Bees fueled, healthy, and ready to learn each day.Ā 
A food service worker in a red shirt hands a takeout container across a counter to a smiling customer.
A smiling child holds an apple at a school cafeteria lunch line served by friendly staff.
Two smiling women in matching t-shirts stand next to a commercial popcorn machine, bagging fresh popcorn in a school or office room.
Five people sit at a long blue table indoors, smiling and enjoying takeout meals from containers.
A smiling child holds a bag of popcorn in front of a colorful banner that reads "WELCOME TO THE CARNIVAL."
A smiling kitchen worker in a red shirt and black cap holds oven mitts in a commercial kitchen.
Two smiling children hold bags of popcorn in front of a carnival-themed backdrop that reads, 'Welcome to the Carnival.'

šŸ“… Save the Dates

October 21 -Ā Feed More Food Distribution 4:30 - 6:00 pm
October 26th -Ā Teacher Workday (No school for students)
October 28th -Ā 3rd Grade Field Trip to Pamplin Park
October 30th -Ā Fall Classroom Parties (*see below for event details)
November 3rd -Ā Staff Professional Learning Day (No School for Students)
November 4th -Ā Title 1 ParentĀ Ā Advisory Committee (PAC) (*see below for event details)
November 5th -Ā Fire Drill
November 6th -Ā School-Wide Morning Meeting
November 9th -Ā Lockdown Drill (Pre-K & Kindergarten exempt)
November 18th -Ā Pre-K Field Trip to the Valentine Museum
November 18th -Ā Feed More Food Distribution 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm
November 19th -Ā Southside School Spelling Bee
November 23rd - 27th -Ā Fall Break (Schools Closed)

Feed More

Feed More provides free, farmers-market-style food distributions for students' families at Southside. Families can receive fresh produce and pantry staples to help supplement their groceries at home.Ā Ā Requirements: Must have a child that attends Southside.
A promotional flyer for Southside Elementary School's Feed More Food Distribution, featuring a friendly bee mascot and event details for October 21st.
A Spanish flyer for Southside Elementary's food distribution event on October 21st, featuring a green grocery bag filled with fresh produce.
A Feed More poster announces food distribution dates at Southside Elementary School, held from 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM on select days.

Fall Classroom Parties

Our classroom parties will take place onĀ Friday, October 30th, and students may wear costumes that day! All costumes must follow the division dress code. Masks, in addition to, costume accessories resembling weapons, are not permitted. Teachers will share the times for their individual classroom parties with families. Parents are welcome to send in snacks for classroom parties; however,Ā all snacks must be peanut-freeĀ to help keep our students safe. Food items should be brought to the main office for our nurse to review prior to it being delivered to classrooms. Thank you for helping us make our Fall parties fun and safe for everyone!

Title 1 PAC Meeting

A Title I Parent Advisory Council (PAC) meeting is held to give parents and families a voice in how the school uses Title I resources to support student achievement. It is an opportunity for our Title 1 Team and school administrators to share information, gather family input, and work together to improve student learning.Ā Ā Join us at our next PAC meeting!

Parent Teacher Organization (PTO)

We need YOU!Ā Ā Consider joining our PTO!

Please complete ourĀ PTO Interest FormĀ to let us know how you would like to participate. Together, we can create a buzz of success! šŸ

The purpose of a Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) in a school is to build a strong partnership between families, teachers, and school administrators to support student success and create a positive school community.

For Southside Elementary, a PTO can be a valuable partner in strengthening family engagement, supporting school initiatives, and creating meaningful experiences for students.

What does a PTO do?

1. Builds relationships between families and the school
  • Encourages communication and collaboration between parents, teachers, and administrators.
  • Creates opportunities for families to become involved in school activities.
  • Helps families feel welcomed, valued, and connected to the school community.

2. Supports school events and activities
  • Assists with family nights, book fairs, fall festivals, and holiday celebrations.
  • Organizes volunteers for school events.
  • Helps create memorable experiences for students and families.

3. Raises funds and provides resources
  • Conducts fundraisers to support school needs.
  • Purchases instructional materials, classroom supplies, and student incentives.
  • Supports teacher appreciation activities and special student opportunities.

4. Supports student achievement and school culture
  • Helps provide enrichment opportunities for students.
  • Encourages positive behavior and school spirit.
  • Partners with the school to support initiatives that benefit students.

5. Gives families a way to contribute
  • Invites parents to share ideas, talents, and resources.
  • Provides opportunities for parents to take leadership roles.
  • Helps families work together toward shared school goals.

Stock the Hive

Help us show our appreciation for our amazing staff throughout the month of November! šŸ’›šŸ
A "Stock the Hive" staff appreciation flyer with a bee and honeycomb theme, detailing snack drive ideas for school families.
A colorful Spanish flyer with a bee theme, titled "Reconocimiento al Personal Ā”Abastezcamos la Colmena!" asking for November snack donations.

October Highlights

Take a look at all the learning, laughter, and memorable moments happening at Southside Elementary this October! šŸšŸ’›Ā Ā From exciting classroom lessons to special events, our Southside Bees have been busy learning, growing, and making memories together. Weā€™re excited to share a few highlights from our wonderful month!

Read with Malcolm Mitchell Assembly

Our Southside Bees enjoyed an exciting and inspiring reading experience with a special visit from Malcolm Mitchell, former NFL player and passionate literacy advocate! šŸˆšŸ“š Students had the opportunity to celebrate the joy of reading, discover the power of books, and learn that success both on and off the field begins with dedication, perseverance, and a love of learning.
A man in a black jersey and a girl holding a book stand on a stage before an audience.
A man wearing a jersey with "M. MITCHELL 26" throws a football to a child in a school gym.
Three children in red jerseys stand attentively on wooden stairs next to a blue curtain and a flag.
Students sit on a school auditorium floor, reading books while peers and a guest stand on stage beneath a blue curtain with yellow letters 'SES'.
Four children sit in the front row, each proudly holding a copy of the book "My Super Duper Me" by Malcolm Mitchell in a school setting.

Title 1 Literacy Night & Book Fair

Thank you to all of our Southside families who joined us for our Title I Literacy Night! We loved seeing our families come together to celebrate the joy of reading and support our studentsā€™ literacy journeys.

Our Book Fair does more than put books into the hands of our students! Purchases help support our schoolā€™s literacy efforts and provide opportunities to grow our collection of books and reading resources. Thank you for supporting our Southside Bees and helping us build a community of readers!
A woman assists students seated at blue cafeteria tables with school supplies and kits.
Visitors arrive at an event through double doors, passing a table with organizers sitting behind it.
Two children sit side by side on a yellow curb outside, quietly reading books.
Tubs of pink and blue cotton candy are neatly arranged on two school desks in a classroom.
A smiling woman stands in a classroom behind a large box of tortilla chips.
A large pile of Smartfood White Cheddar popcorn bags rests on school desks.

Exploring the Phases of Matter

Mrs. Williams' 2nd grade class had a blast exploring matter when they created a gas by mixing baking soda and vinegar to blow up their balloon.

They also had the opportunity to explore the phases of matter when they shook heavy whipping cream until they were left with butter when the solid and liquid separated for a yummy snack!
A diverse group of elementary students and a teacher perform a science experiment with balloons in a bright classroom.
A teacher guides students through a science experiment with a yellow balloon and bottles on a table.
A diverse group of elementary students gathers in a brightly lit classroom, holding paper crafts.

Fine Motor Skills

Students in our Bright Stars Program practiced their Fine Motor skills!Ā Ā The objective was to catch the floating ball only using the tongs.Ā Ā This activity builds hand-eye coordination and encourages the use of the muscles in their little hands, building strength to learn to properly hold utensils like pencils, crayons, and scissors! They also practiced picking up other objects in the classroom with their tongs.
A teacher and students sit on a colorful numbered carpet in a classroom, clapping together during an activity.
A teacher sits on the floor with students in a colorful classroom, holding a pink air pump.
A child uses plastic tweezers to sort colorful counting toys at a table with mats.
Children sit at a table sorting colorful plastic animal counters into matched colored circles.

Community Shoutout

A huge THANK YOU to Petersburg Trading Outlet Center for generously donating beautiful mums to brighten the outside of Southside Elementary!