Parent Letter

August 25, 2022

Hello Parents, Grandparents, and Families,

It is that time of year again. The nights are getting chilly, the smoke is in the air, and the elk will be bugling soon. Almost all of my firewood is in for the year and many of you know how good that feels. I am super excited for the upcoming 2022/2023 school year as we have a new superintendent, Dr. Becky Myer and she is “hitting the ground running”. We are ready to give your students the best of the best this year and we hope you can join us in our efforts.

Safety has been a topic of discussion all summer long. We have a District Safety Task Force (DSTF) that has been meeting every Monday since early July. This team consists of first responders, parents, educators, and people who know how to address school safety. With that said, there are many actions taking place in order to maintain a safe school environment and I will update you soon on a separate email.

Our school meals will no longer be free for ALL students (as they have been for the last two years) and therefore we are asking that EVERY family complete the Free and Reduced Meals Application in order to determine eligibility.

You can complete the application online by clicking the following link School Meals Application OR you can complete the application in person OR at Back to School Night (September 1st: 5:00-6:30pm). If you feel you do not qualify based on the income eligibility chart (see attached letter) simply check the box indicating you do not qualify.

In addition, the application is used to calculate funding for several school programs which are aimed at reducing class size, funding professional development, all day kindergarten, small group instruction, classroom materials, internet services, and much more.

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) is what separates Southside Elementary from many other schools. Our SMARTLab is the “talk of the town”. If you get a chance to stop by, we would love to show you. We are excited for our continued innovations and challenging projects from Ms. Lynette.

I look forward to waving at you or saying hello each morning or afternoon. Our mission at Southside Elementary is to passionately equip all students with the skills needed for a promising future. Please join us as a team so your kids have a promising future. Below is my “Why” behind everything we do. I look forward to a wonderful year.

“I will passionately and authentically empower those around me. I will stand firm in providing students and teachers with a safe, fun, and high level learning environment. I will advocate for those in need and humbly serve everyone around me. I will work for my Why”

Go Eagles!

TJ Clary, Principal Southside Elementary