Ithaca South Elementary

***TIME CORRECTION!!! Cookie dough orders need picked up by 4:00pm TODAY! North side of Hearthstone.

Kindergarteners read a book about a family moving from one house to another in STEAM lab and were challenged to build houses with our architect kits. Check out the creations these budding architects came up with!

🌞 Mornings Matter 🌞
A strong day starts with showing up. Daily attendance builds confidence, friendships, and focus. Share your morning hurdles. We will problem-solve with you.

Need support or want to learn more? Visit fewerthan5.com for family resources. Funding for Strive for Fewer than Five is supported by the Region 5 MiFamily Engagement Center.

Since its November, that means Thanksgiving is right around the corner! Turkey Tom doesn’t want to become Thanksgiving dinner so the kids have disguised their turkeys so they won’t be eaten! So far we have no turkeys here at South!

It’s the last week to participate in Coins for a Cause! Don’t forget to have your students bring in spare change. All of the money raised goes to Hope Works Mid-Michigan to support their homeless shelter. The classroom that raises the most will win a special treat!

This past weekend, Ms. Stec and Mr. Pendell attended the Harvest Moon Auction at the Opera House in Alma. Over $43,000 was raised for Mentors in the Mitten of Gratiot County, which benefits our Jacket Buddy Program! To top off the night, the Mentors in the Mitten board awarded Ithaca with their School Partner of the Year Award!

There are approximately 140 matches across school districts in Gratiot County. Ithaca's Jacket Buddy Program account for over half of those matches! That is an amazing testament to the dedication, patience, and compassion of our Ithaca High School youth mentors that spend time with South and North students every single week.

Thank you, Mentors in the Mitten, for recognizing our Jacket Buddy program!

We are officially 50 days smarter!! We celebrated the 50th day of school at South on Friday. Students were treated to some yummy ice cream and staff dressed up in their best 50s outfits!

During the month of November, South Elementary is partnering with United Way of Greater Central Michigan to raise money for Hope Works Mid-Michigan! United Way is committed to matching all funds raised (up to $5,000) so now’s your chance to double your donation! Please send your coins in with your student before November 13, thank you!

We celebrated our "Awesome Attendance" award winners earlier this week. Congratulations to all our Junior Jackets! Thanks for bee-ing on time and ready to shine each day! 🐝

These Kindergarteners recently read the book “Leaf Man” and then made their own leaf man out of different types of leaves! There were many unique and creative ideas 🍁🍂

South Elementary Dress-Up Day: Friday, November 6th!

🎒 Small Steps, Big Results 🎒
Packing the backpack tonight, setting a calm bedtime, and planning the morning helps your child arrive ready to learn. Tell us what would make routines easier. We will help.

Need support or want to learn more? Visit fewerthan5.com for family resources. Funding for Strive for Fewer than Five is supported by the Region 5 MiFamily Engagement Center.

Halloween in Music! This week, our students have been getting spooky in Music! Kindergarten and 1st grade performed "the Halloween Looby Loo," a spooky version of the Hokey Pokey. 1st Grade practiced their moves with dance scarves to Beethoven's 5th Symphony, and 2nd Grade learned the song "Old Mother Witch," and continued practicing their rhythms and the new note value "too."

Second graders read a story about ice cream "vanishing" in STEAM lab, then used their science skills to create puppet shows explaining that the ice cream actually changed from a solid to a liquid because of the sun's heat! They had fun being both actors and audience members.

November is National Homelessness Awareness Month and we’re excited to be partnering with United Way of Greater Central Michigan to raise money for Hope Works Mid-Michigan through a coin war challenge called Coins for a Cause! Start saving and collecting your coins to send with your student! The classroom that raises the most amount of money wins cupcakes! 🧁

Congratulations to our October students of the month at South Elementary! Students this month were nominated for their 'Creativity'.

Thank you to the parents that joined us for "Raising Resilient Kids" with Tracey Galgoci on Tuesday evening. It was a great discussion around parenting kids during a tech-filled generation. Everyone who attended received a free copy of the bestselling book "The Anxious Generation" by Jonathan Haidt, as well.

Kindergarteners in Mr. Whitford's classroom are busy getting prepared for Halloween!

📞 Stay Connected With Us 📞
Call, email, or message us if your child is absent or late. Share what is getting in the way. We will work with you on a plan.

Funding for Strive for Fewer than Five is supported by the Region 5 MiFamily Engagement Center.

Second graders read a story about a skeleton who kept falling apart in STEAM lab. After watching how his friends used their STEAM skills to help him solve his problem, they were challenged to create their own skeletons!