Northside January Newsletter

Did you know that regular attendance is one of the most important factors in your child’s success at school? Every day offers unique opportunities for learning, building friendships, and developing routines that set the foundation for lifelong success. Even a few missed days can add up, making it harder for your child to catch up on learning.

We understand that illnesses or unavoidable circumstances happen, but we encourage you to make daily attendance a priority. Morning routines are hard to develop; if you would like ideas for making getting ready for school smoother let us know. Together, we can help your child develop great habits and make every day count!

These students had perfect attendance for the Fall Semester. That is a huge accomplishment for them and their parents.

Daniel Hernandez (Kindy), Emma McDaniel (Yeager), Diego Montes (Gonzalez), Catalina Phizema Auguste (Miller), Joshua Reyes (Cypert)

Empathy is a social emotional skill that is at the heart of self regulation and relating to the world in an appropriate manner. Empathy wires the brain for self-control, allowing children to access higher cognitive processes.

We use the “Wish Well” routine to give children the structure for learning how to access empathy and when this should be done. At school we use these steps in our classrooms to help students learn the process.

• Put your hands over your heart

• Take a deep breath in

• Pause and picture something precious in your mind

• Breathe out while opening your arms and sending good thoughts to the person you are wishing well.

We first teach this in relation to students/staff who are absent. This is a concrete concept that students can easily relate to. We then teach them to wish well to others who may be having big feelings of upset.

Developing empathy is at the heart of emotional intelligence. It opens us up to the realization that relationships are based on mutual esteem and communication.

Mary Grayson, our Library Media Specialist and Hannah Rowland, the Library Paraprofessional have created a fun environment for students to learn about books and begin the love for reading! Kindergarten students visit the library once a week and PreK students have special opportunities throughout the year to enjoy the library.

Library lessons are aligned with Arkansas State Standards and are developed to help our youngest learners build foundational skills while having fun. Some of these skills include identifying the parts of a book (spine, cover, title, etc.), story elements like setting, plot and characters and author and illustrator studies. Discussions about stories develop comprehension skills through predicting, re-telling, sequencing and drawing conclusions.

Recently, Mrs. Grayson read The Mitten by Jan Brett. This is a favorite story about a little boy who lost his mitten in the snow. Several woodland animals find the mitten and crawl inside and the mitten stretches to fit them all! Ask your child to tell you which animals were included in this adventure. We love seeing our students’ excitement as they discover the joy of reading and the world of knowledge and imagination it opens.

Celebrate the success! Our students are working hard! Teachers will send information about the skills your student is making progress in and any areas needing improvement.

Students with Perfect Attendance in the month of December will participate in an attendance dance party in the gym.

Enjoy the day with your kiddos!

Come join us for this fun event! See information below for the special night your child's class will participate.

Playing games as a family is more than just fun—it’s an opportunity to connect, learn, and grow together! Board games, card games, and other interactive activities help build essential skills like problem-solving, communication, and teamwork. They also teach valuable lessons about patience, turn-taking, and resilience. Beyond the skills, game nights create lasting memories and strengthen family bonds. So, come enjoy some quality time that benefits the whole family!

These students represented Northside at the Siloam Springs School Board meeting last month and led us in saying the Pledge of Allegiance and the Panther Pledge. They were chosen because of the PAWS they use in class and around the school. They did a fantastic job! As a school we say these together each morning along with hearing morning announcements and learning a new vocabulary word with Mrs. Fox and Ms. Taylor.

Jackson Bedor (Yeager), Hollis McReynolds (Mathe), Lela Whitley (Skaggs), Jaxon Garcia (Stumbaugh), Ezra Ventura (Stokes)