South Shades Crest Elementary

Dolphin Echo
“Learning for Life”

October 2009

From the Principal

SSC Parents,
We are off to a very strong start. Students are in a routine and are excited about learning. It is won-
derful to see the great accomplishments of your children in the classroom. I wanted to share a few re-
cent changes at SSC this year:

We have revamped the Lost and Found. For many years the Lost and
Found has been located by the elevator in plastic tubs. It was noted
last year that there must be a better way to display items to make
them easier to find. We purchased a rack similar to what you might
find in a department store and the items are neatly displayed across
from the Media Center (playground side). A special thank you goes
out to the Public Service Announcement Team of 5 th Grade students:
Hannah, Hattie and Emily for writing, taping, and editing the Lost and
Found commercial for Broadcast.

In addition, I am proud to let you know about an Eagle Scout

Project completed by former SSC student, Garrick Moultrie.
He remembered the basketball courts being an issue with
rocks from the playground and students slipping on the
rocks. We met and discussed possibilities. He developed a
fantastic plan that creates a taller barrier between the two
areas and went a step further by placing a composite board
on top to double as a bench. The project was completed at
the end of September by Garrick as well as other former
SSC students. Our students now have a safer and a more
restful place to play on the upper grade playground.

How you can help: Please update School Messenger with all your contact information as well as email. We pull
from this data base for emergency dismissal as well as email messages that need to get home. We would also like
let you know when the latest Dolphin Echo is posted by email. Please visit https://
contactme.schoolmessenger.com/index.php to make the updates.

Secondly, please make every attempt to have your child at school before 7:45am. Any student arriving after
7:45am must be signed in by a guardian (students transported on the bus are exempt).

www.hoover.k12.al.us/ssces
PTO News City Schools Enrichment Program
DIVE INTO PTO!!
th
October 27 will kick off our
2009 Boosterthon FunRun! Start
planning now to get your child con-
nected! Think of creative ways
between now and then to save a
few cents a day so that you can
sponsor your child! Be EXCITED
about the positive role models
your child will be exposed to
through the “Boosterthon Guys”.
What an exceptional group of
young men! Ask your child each
day about the character trait
your child is learning each day as
they are challenged to STAND UP
and make a difference. Get up
with your child and EXERCISE!
What a perfect opportunity to
make a healthy plan with your
child as they prepare to run laps
for our school. Your child can run with a cutting project, sit for a
35 Boosterthon laps! Could you? teacher planning meeting, come to
COME OUT on NOVEMBER 5th Open House. You are appreci-
and CHEER for your child! What ated!!
child doesn’t need mom and dad or It’s never to late to join PTO if
Grandmom or Granddad cheering you haven’t already!
for them? Don’t be fooled into
EVERY Parent + EVERY Teacher =
thinking your contribution doesn’t
Excellence for EVERY Child
matter. Every penny MAKES A
DIFFERENCE for our school. Debbie Beckmann
EVERY POSITIVE ATTITUDE PTO President
makes a difference in the life of
your child! See you on November
5th!
Keep sending in your Box Tops,
Campbell Soup Labels, Capri Sun
pouches and using your Publix
Cards! It all adds up!
Thanks to all those PTO Moms and
Dads who volunteer in the class-
rooms, listen to a child read, help

EQUAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

(Board policy, File: JAA) No student shall be denied the benefits of any educational program or activity on
the basis of race, color, handicap, ability, creed, national origin, immigrant status, English-speaking status,
or sex. All programs offered by schools within the school district shall be open to all students consistent
with statutory and judicial requirements. Admission of students to special and advanced programs or activi-
ties shall be based on appropriate criteria. Inquiries regarding compliance and complaint procedures can be
directed to:
Dr. Barbara Mayer, IDEA Coordinator
Kimberly Worley, Section 504 Coordinator
Dr. Deborah Camp, Title II Coordinator (grades K – 5)
Ron Dodson, Title II Coordinator (grades 6 – 12)
Dr. Barbara Mayer, Title III Coordinator
Carol Barber, Title IX Coordinator

Hoover City Schools 2810 Metropolitan Way Hoover, AL 35243 (205) 439-1000

South Shades Crest Elementary School

Counselor’s CornerCounselor’s Corner
Dear SSC Families,
It has been a wonderful
start to the beginning of
this school year. In August
and September, I was able
to see your students in
guidance class twice each
month. This year we are
continuing and building
upon the program entitled
Too Good For Violence.
This violence/character
education program is devel-
oped for k-12th grade by
the Mendez Foundation.
The goals of this program
include teaching students
conflict resolution, anger
management, respect for
self and others, and effec-
tive communication. These
are skills students can
practice with their siblings,
classmates, and even with
their peers on into adult-
hood. The guidance lessons
News From The Nurseunselor’s Corner
Please send a change of clothes for your children to keep in their backpack or classroom.
Please do not send your child to school sick. If they have fever, they may not
return until the fever is gone for 24 hours without Tylenol or Ibuprofen.
Thank you.
Andrea McCoy, RN
South Shades Crest Elementary
teach peaceable attitudes spectful way. When chil-
and life skills through ac- dren feel angry, it is best
tivities and stories. for them to see that they
have choices and can use
For the first few months,
self control to choose to
our kindergarten students
“Be Cool” and handle their
will be working on basic so-
emotions in a safe and
cial skills and learning
healthy manner. All grades
about friendship making
will focus on the Too Good
skills in guidance. 2nd and
For Violence curriculum
4th grades have been work-
this year along with the
ing with the Be Cool pro-
other traditional guidance
gram in how to develop
lessons. Thanks for sharing
their conflict resolution
your wonderful kids with us
and anger management
each day. We appreciate all
skills. Students identify
you do in making the most
the three ways we can han-
of the “teachable mo-
dle the strong emotion of
ments” in your home.
anger-HOT-losing our tem-
per, name calling, hitting,
yelling, or COLD-crying, Sincerely,
whining, pouting, giving up
Leah Fenton
without standing up for
SSC School Counselor
ourselves, or COOL-staying
lfenton@hoover.k12.al.us
calm, thinking through the
consequences of the situa- (205) 439-3022
tion, standing up for our-
selves in a safe and re-
South Shades Crest Elementary School
 Notice of Nondiscrimination for all Mass-Distributed Publications
Effective July 2009

EQUAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

(Board policy, 6.6) No student will be unlawfully excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits
of, or subjected to discrimination in any program or activity offered or sponsored by the Board on the
basis of race, ethnicity, color, disability, creed, national origin, sex, immigrant or migrant status, non-
English speaking ability, or homeless status. All career and technical education opportunities are of-
fered to all students regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, or disability.

Dr. Barbara Mayer, IDEA Coordinator

Dr. Tara Ferguson, Section 504 Coordinator
Dr. Deborah Camp, Title II Coordinator (grades K – 5)
Ron Dodson, Title II Coordinator (grades 6 – 12)
Dr. Barbara Mayer, Title III Coordinator
Carol Barber, Title IX Coordinator
Hoover City Schools
2810 Metropolitan Way
Hoover, AL 35243
(205) 439-1000

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

(Board policy, 5.13.1) The Board is an equal opportunity
employer. Personnel actions and decisions will be made without regard to factors
or considerations prohibited by federal or state law (as such laws may from time
to time be amended), including but not limited to race, gender, age, disability,
national origin, citizenship, and religious preference. Subject to the limitations set
forth in 4.6.2, the general complaint (grievance) policy (4.6.1) may be used to
present any complaint alleging unlawful discrimination or harassment. Inquiries regarding compliance
and complaint procedures can be directed to:

Mary Veal, Equal Opportunity Employment Coordinator

Hoover City Schools
2810 Metropolitan Way
Hoover, AL 35243
(205) 439-1000

South Shades Crest Elementary School

 Classroom Connection
Third Grade has com-
pleted our unit of study
on plants. We have
cross-pollinated our
flowers using bees and
observed the life cycle
of our Wisconsin fast
plants. During this
month we are in the
beginning phases of
multiplication. We are
now counting things in
groups, skip counting,
and investigating multi-
plication with lots of
fun games. We all
agree that multiplying
is a more efficient strat-
egy! To highlight our
study of space and to
celebrate the 40th anni-
versary of the landing
on the moon, we are
going to see the Ala-
bama Symphony per-
form “Symphony in
Space “ at the Alabama
Theatre on Wednesday
Oct. 14th.
Library News
Scholastic Wimpy Kid Mini
Book Fair Oct 15 & 16
Volunteers needed
Visit us on the web!
SSC catalog: http://
destiny.hoover.k12.al.us
Library wiki: http://
ssceslibrary.wikispaces.com/
Quest hall has been
transformed into a magi-
cal fairytale land! We
have been studying vari-
ous fairytales, comparing
several versions of the
same fairytale and per-
Music Notes from Mrs. Vines and Mrs. Gray forming some readers
theater. We have re-
South Shades Crest has a school choir this year! They searched castles, and we
sound beautiful and have the enthusiasm to go with constructed our own Cin-
it! It is not too late for your fourth or fifth grader to derella castle! The sec-
join choir. All practices are held during school ond grade classes have
hours. Fourth graders will come for half an hour once a even tried their hand at
week, and fifth graders come during the enrichment hour writing some of their own
on Tuesdays. You will be receiving a letter soon tales.
about a December performance to share what we’ve
learned with parents. This will be held on Thursday, De- Come by Aldridge Gar-
cember 10 at 9:00 – 9:30 a.m. in the lunchroom. dens to check out our
entry in the scarecrow
On November 6, at 8:00 a.m., south shades Crest is fortu- contest. Our inspiration
nate to have the Bumpus Choir and Show Choir perform came from our favorite
for the entire school in the gym. We are always excited fairytale book The Jolly
to see former students singing at Bumpus. Postman!
On November 9, at 8:30 a.m., all third, fourth and fifth October will bring a fun
graders will meet in the lunchroom to have a brief Vet- start-to-finish unit. We
eran’s Day Observance. An Essay Contest is coming will visit an apple orchard,
soon and a few of those essays will be shared at this pro- pick apples, and use them
gram. The choir will be singing, as well as Mr. McAfee to make a product to sell
from Hoover High School will play “Taps”. This program or trade! Happy Fall!
is for students only.
All Students at SSC are busy playing xylophones and
drums, singing, moving, tapping, clapping, and finding
those singing voices. It is never too late to match pitch
and learn to sing! So many adults say they cannot
“The first grade classes
sing, but it can be learned. Sing with your kids at home
have studying about ap-
(or in the car!) if you don’t already, or ask them to sing
ples and the rainfor-
for you.
est. They are also busy
working on getting back
into the swing of being
back in school. We are
counting down the days
until our 50th Day of
School celebration.
South Shades Crest Elementary School
 CAPRI SUN DRINK
POUCHES
As you might have seen,
the school now earns
money for every drink
pouch we collect. Please
send your drink pouches in
a zip lock bag with the
straw removed. If your
child brings a capri sun for
snack or lunch they can
leave them in the container
in the lunch room or the
container in the hall by the
elevator.
Community Service Club- Our goal for first semester is to see
if we can add 100 gumballs to the Community Service Gumball
Machine
Check out our newest members-each student who participates
in community service will be highlighted on the “Gumball
Bulletin Board” with their picture on a gumball and de-
scription of their service activity.
Feel free to pick up a community service club form or return
a completed form to this area.
All students and families are encouraged to become involved
citizens in our wonderful community. Feel free to let us
know how your student is joining in to make our world a
better place!

Attendance Reminder
Illness, doctor/dentist appointment,
death in family and absences pre-
approved by the principal are consid-
ered excused absences. Requests for
pre-arranged absences must be sub-
mitted in writing by completing the
Prearranged Absence Form which can
be obtained from the front office.
This form must be submitted to Mr. October Character Trait- Individuality Animal representing
Lawry prior to the first day of the monthly trait: Zebra
absence.
Individuality-discovering who you are meant to be so you can make a
All students should be in their class-
difference. The zebra represents individuality because while all ze-
room by 7:45am each day. Any student
bras have stripes, no two zebras have the same pattern. A baby zebra
not in their classroom at this time will
or foul can scan the pattern or imprints on the mother’s unique mark-
be sent to the front office to sign into
ings and add it to memory. It is always able to decode this zebra mes-
school as tardy. Parents bringing stu-
sage from the hundreds of similar ones that crowd around it.
dents to school at the time of the
7:45am bell or after this bell rings, *Special Thanks to Chick-fil-A for sponsoring the
must walk their child into the building
and sign the student in at the front Core Essentials Program
office.

South Shades Crest Elementary School