South Side Area School District

To all South Side Elementary School Families,

We hope this letter finds all of you still enjoying the final weeks of summer before school starts. We have been
uite busy preparing for the upcoming school year trying to remain cutting edge all the while offering the best
services our !ittle "ams deserve. We are e#cited to share some of these changes with you.
Curricular Changes:
$ur !ittle "ams will be e#posed to a new STE% &Science, Technology, Engineering, and %athematics'
curriculum as supported through a well(known and respected nonprofit organi)ation called *+roject
!ead The Way., -ll students will be engaged in two units throughout the year which will be in addition
to our current Science curriculum.
Enrichment as we have known it here at SSES will be altered as to offer more opportunities for all our
!ittle "ams. Students in grades .(/ will have enrichment class embedded in their specials rotation.
Students in grades 0(1 will have enrichment programs running concurrently with intervention. 2f not
receiving intervention, students will cycle through 0 week, non(graded mini courses designed to enrich
e#isting curriculum.
South Side Elementary is partnering with *"eading "ecovery, ( a nationally recogni)ed reading
intervention program implemented with our first grade students. -dditionally, some students in grades
0(1 will be e#posed to a new reading program that we are piloting which offers rigorous curriculum
aligned with the new +- 3ore Standards.
Staffing Changes:
%rs. 4eidi %artin has been named our SSES5 technology coach. She will be working directly with our
teachers on how to incorporate technology to enhance instruction and meet the demands of our ever
changing world.
%rs. Erin Sypien has taken a job with the Seneca 6alley School 7istrict. We wish her well as she moves
closer to her family. $ur music services will now be delivered by all three 7istrict music teachers 8 %r.
Shawn Sisler, %rs. .im 9erance, and %rs. 3arly Wa)enegger.
%rs. +eggy 3o# will be one of three Title one reading teachers as well as our lead *"eading "ecovery,
teacher. She will be servicing students in grades .(1.
%s. !auren %c3onahy will be one of our three first grade teachers.
%r. +aul Elliott will be our gifted:enrichment teacher.
%r. %ichael ;aker will be our STE% coordinator and instructor.
4949 State Route 151 Hookstown, PA 155 Phone: !"4#5!$#95%1 &a': !"4#5!$#""!$
South Side Area School District

Procedural Ad(ust)ents:
+lease see attached note e#plaining the change in parent pick(up at the end of the day.
2n an effort to continuously monitor our visitor procedures, our 7istrict has invested in *6isitor E#press,
which is a system that will be utili)ed in all building entryways. 6isitors will be reuired to show a
driver5s license or some form of 27 for entrance into the building. +lans are underway for the system to
be uick and efficient. This procedure will be in place for entrance into the building, not end of day pick
up.
<oin SSES on *"emind, for school information pushed to your mobile device. 7ownload the "emind
app and enter code =>?>@Ac.
!ittle "am "eview will be going *paperless, every Thursday. 3onsider liking us on Face;ook &please
go to our website for the link', following us on Twitter &=ssesrams', joining us on "emind, or
bookmarking our elementary webpage &httpB::es.sssd.k@/.pa.us:'. 3ontinue to receive the same useful
information 8 now at your fingertips.
Schedule Ad(ust)ents:
To utili)e our classroom instruction time more efficiently, we have altered our morning bell scheduleB
CBAA SSES doors open and students will be directed to the cafeteria. ;reakfast will be served to those
who are interested. &not a change'
CB/1 Students will be dismissed to their classrooms and buses begin to arrive. ;reakfast will continue
to be served to those arriving on buses. &not a change'
CB01 Warning bell for students to begin getting to class. &change'
CB>A School starts* Students will be considered late after this bell rings. &change'
DStudents arriving close to the bell will still have an opportunity for a *grab E go,
breakfast.
We look forward to seeing all of our !ittle "ams back on Tuesday, -ugust /F
th
. +lease mark your calendar for
Thursday, September >
th
from FBAA(CBAApm for our annual Elementary $pen 4ouse.
Gours in Education,
Tim Strader -ndrea Welch
4949 State Route 151 Hookstown, PA 155 Phone: !"4#5!$#95%1 &a': !"4#5!$#""!$