Upcoming School Events
Tuesday, Sept. 22 – Board Meeting, 6:30 pm Via Zoom. To attend follow this link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/71186977208?pwd=V2ppU0p3bTljVDBGQ3J4Q1BCb1RBdz09
Friday, Oct. 16 – Early Release, 12:00 pm
Monday, Oct 25 to Oct. 30 – Early Release – Conferences, 12:00 pm
Tuesday, Oct. 26 – Board Meeting, 6:30 pm
Announcements
Bus delivery and pickup schedules:
| Core Routes for midweek delivery of meals | |
| Please allow 5 minutes either way | |
| 8:15 | Cole Road Park & Ride |
| 8:25 | Lynch Rd @ Phillips- Fire Station |
| 8:36 | Cook Plant Farm |
| 8:46 | Mill Creek Rd |
| 8:55 | Dickenson @ Dickenson Court |
| 9:00 | Arcadia @ Evans |
| 9:02 | Arcadia @ Red Barn |
| 9:05 | Binns Swiger Loop @ Stroud |
| 9:13 | Binns Swiger Loop @ McTurnal |
| 9:15 | Arcadia Rd @ Noble Glenn Fire Station |
| 9:25 | Gosnell @ Snider |
| 9:28 | Arcadia @ Morgan |
| 9:40 | Southside school |
| 11:05 | Arcadia near Alder |
| Core Routes for First & Last Day of the Week delivery of meals and study materials
Please Allow 5 minutes either way |
|
| 8:15 | Cole Road Park & Ride |
| 8:26 | Lynch Rd @ Phillips Fire Station |
| 8:37 | Cook Plant Farm Rd |
| 8:51 | Mill Creek Rd |
| 9:01 | Cascade @ Ridge |
| 9:05 | Dickenson @ Dickenson Court |
| 9:10 | Arcadia @ Ridge |
| 9:12 | Arcadia @ Evans |
| 9:14 | Arcadia @ Red Barn |
| 9:15 | Binns Swiger loop @ Stroud Road |
| 9:21 | Binns Swiger Loop @ Picadilly |
| 9:24 | Binns Swiger Loop @ Fireweed |
| 9:30 | Binns Swiger Loop @ McTurnal |
| 9:34 | Arcadia @ Noble Glen Fire Station |
| 9:40 | Gosnell @ Snider |
| 9:45 | Arcadia @ Mell PULLOFF |
| 9:50 | Arcadia @ Alder |
| 10:10 | Old Arcadia @ Shady Lane |
| 10:12 | Old Arcadia @ Bayview |
| 10:15 | Southside School |
August 28, 2020
Dear Southside Families,
Welcome to the start of the 2020-2021 school year.
Yes, school is starting next week for all of our students in a remote fashion. Due to the circumstances, there will be no Open House or beginning of the year pictures during this start. We will be making a brief introductory presentation that will be available for viewing during the second week. Please work with your child to help him/her understand that while we wish they could be here at school, students will be working from home until we can safely bring staff and students back to the school.
Southside staff have been working very hard in training for remote learning, technology, and our new curriculum. All of this is in addition to preparing lesson plans for the next two weeks and setting up programs for record keeping. Schools will be taking attendance and grading students on learning demonstrated.
The state has continued to give much consideration for attendance during remote learning. We will still be required to take daily attendance. Your child will count as attending each day if they do one of the following:
1. Log into Google Classroom or add to their Google Form Checkoff
2. Interact with a staff person via zoom, email, phone, or by appointment in-person.
3. Participate in a task or assignment. Completion of weekly assignments will support attendance for the week assigned.
The state has also provided consideration for excused absences for students related to Covid-19 circumstances.
Students will be graded on evidence they provide by demonstrating understanding of learning on the variety of assignments or tasks given. Staff have a great amount of time that they will be available to respond to students and parents with any questions or support needed. Our intent is to work collaboratively with parents to maximize the learning opportunity for all of our students. We appreciate the efforts of all and understand that every family and student is having different experiences and needs during this unprecedented time.
Additional support may be provided to students from other staff members such as administrators, educational assistants, social workers, other teachers, etc. They will identify themselves as Southside staff and their purpose in making contact should they reach out to students and families.
Your child’s teacher will be contacting you by Monday with information regarding the start of the school year in their class . In order to minimize students overlapping with siblings for Zoom Time and to support internet connectivity needs, the staff have designated zoom times for larger groups. They have much more contact time available to work with families or small groups during the remaining hours. All families will have the option of working through the hard-copies provided. If you have internet service, there are opportunities to participate on-line regarding the material being covered.
We will be starting diagnostic testing during the second week of school. Once we have collected all of the data, staff will have a better idea of how to proceed to best meet student’s needs. All students that have an IEP will be contacted and be asked to attend a conference to update all IEPs based on assessment results and parental input. This should all be completed by the end of September.
Students and families will be receiving our regular Student Handbook, a Remote Covid Learning Handbook, and the Opening Packet which includes a variety of information including an Internet Use form that must be signed and returned. These should be completed and returned as soon as possible.
We will be offering “Grab and Go” breakfasts and lunches for our students. You will need to sign up for them. We will deliver to bus stops for in-district students and will have them available for pick-up for students who are out of district. Interested families must follow the same procedures for purchasing as they would do if they were at school in-person. More specific information will be coming forward.
Sometime soon you will be getting information about a Qualtrics app that can be used for attestations that will be required for students to attend school. If you are not able to utilize the app, we will develop alternatives such as a phone call or paper form that must be used to clarify the daily health status of students and staff coming on campus. More information will be sent at a later date.
Thank you for continuing to work with us to get through this unique time. We care about all of our Southside families and staff and believe that by continuing to work together we will be doing what is best for our students. Contact us with any questions or concerns at 360.426.8437.
Best Wishes,
Doris Bolender
August 11, 2020
Dear Southside School District Family,
Thank you for completing the family surveys. Your input has been very helpful. We have considered the input from our families, staff, community members, Mason County Department of Health, Center for Disease Control, decisions from neighboring districts, and from state and federal officials in both planning and making decisions. Southside District’s primary focus is on the health and safety of our students, families, and staff as we plan for reopening school. After careful consideration of numerous sources of information, the increasing COVID-19 cases in Mason County, and the clear concerns expressed by our Public Health Officer, the Southside School Board made a unanimous decision to start school with our Remote Continuous Learning 2.0 model where our students will be in 100% remote distance learning in Fall 2020.
The Remote Continuous Learning 2.0 model will be strongly focused on quality learning for all students and may include options for small group onsite instructional intervention with adherence to the Washington State Department of Health requirements. We will be providing a much improved model with increased opportunities for connections with students and families and greater levels of support. We have been given quality feedback on what worked and what did not work. We will focus on the essential standards for each grade level with a common program from which students and families can gather their assignments and communications. Connections will be coordinated so that families do not have all students trying to zoom at the same time. There will be increased requirements for student involvement and participation as well as targeted and increased communication efforts. Our goal remains to provide a successful learning experience for all of our students. The remote learning model will be in place through the first trimester or until we can safely transition our students to a hybrid or traditional face-to-face learning model.
Detailed information regarding enrollment, schedules, attendance, course completion, and grading will be provided soon. You will be receiving a letter from your child’s teacher with specific information prior to the start of school on September 1. We appreciate your patience and support as we move forward with our reopening plan and please know the heartfelt decision-making that went into selecting what we believe to be the healthiest and safest models for each member of our Southside family and community.
Sincerely, Doris Bolender
Principal/Superintendent
Southside School District
School reopening Mason County Dept. Health
Reopening information from the State of Washington Office of the Superintendent regarding reopening Washington schools:
Vision & Mission
Welcome to Southside School District- Best School Around. Celebrating 116 Years This Year.
“The mission statement of the Southside School District, as a small, community-centered school, is to inspire lifelong learning and to empower students of all ages to become knowledgeable, contributing citizens by meeting the diverse needs of the whole person in a safe and nurturing environment.”