South Side Elementary School

The second school I toured was South Side Elementary. It is at the corner of Pine and John Streets just south of Green Street, one block from Prospect.

Southside is the smallest elementary school in the district with less than 300 students. It only has two classrooms at each grade level (a 2-tier system) and touts personal connection with students as being one of its leading strengths. 

I have to admit, I liked it. It felt the way I think an elementary school should feel. It's intimate. Everyone knows everyone, no matter what grade they're in. So if your kid is acting up somewhere in the building as a third grader, chances are more than likely a fifth grade teacher will be able to identify him/her by name and get them on track. Not only that, but the administrator, Mr. Jeff Scott, who gave the tour, talked about how that kind of responsibility extends to the kids as well. That it's not unlikely for a fourth grader to look out for a kindergartner she just met out on the playground at the beginning of the year. 

When I was in the library waiting for the tour, students were clamoring for graphic novels, but one of the teachers apologized and asked them to be patient because they didn't have enough to go around in the school library for every student who wanted one. The librarian, who was very helpful and welcoming to me, said she spends her time between South Side and B.T. Washington. 

I also learned on this tour that all the schools teach the exact same curriculum pretty much on the exact same day no matter what school they're at. And when I walked into the rooms, I saw the same art projects, social studies projects, etc. as I saw hanging at Barkstall when I was there. 

The difference between the two schools so far is that South Side does seem more laid back, more familiar. Teachers here teach in a variety of clothing. Some in jeans and sweaters with hiking boots. Some in dress pants with button down shirts and high heeled shoes. I was also grateful for Scott for taking us in a reading room. We could see the teacher's set up for how she tracks readers in every grade. She had a private coding system, but we could see that about 3/4 of the students were either at expected level or above, and that there were only a few below. 

We spent a lot of time visiting some kindergartners in music class. The teacher had a smart board, which made one of the U of I professor parents a little jealous. :-) One of the kindergartners was using a mallet to manipulate the board so they could alter the songs they were playing on their instruments. Another half of the class were plugged into computers using keyboards and music software. Scott explained that the music teacher was a Fulbright Scholar and had brought back a lot of "World Music" instruments that she introduces to the classes.

Which brings me to the School of Choice Theme, according to the Unit 4 web site and the flyer handed out -- it doesn't appear to have one, which makes me wonder (since it wasn't brought up at Barkstall during the tour but was on the flyer) if this SOC theme business is going away since everyone is working their hardest to meet No Child Left Behind testing standards.

South Side does promote the fact that it has an "award-winning" Parent/Teacher Association, although I have to admit I don't know what that means, other than they must be pretty involved. In addition, some kind of connection with Windsor of Savoy and a Mr. Peter Fox has helped South Side obtain Smartboards for every classroom. Half of them will be installed this spring, the other half in the fall. 

There are computers in each of the classrooms, even in kindergarten. Most of them are PCs, but I did see an old eMac in the music room. Scott also stressed that he has many teachers who have taught for years at South Side, which, to me, shows a commitment not just to the school, but the neighborhood. Although, Scott and the principal have only both been there one year.

We peeked in on the gym class. The gym and the cafeteria are in the same place at South Side. There the second kindergarten class was learning volleyball skills with balloons as they listened to House music. They were adorable trying to learn to set their balloons while their butts wiggled to the beat of the music. 

Lunch averages to around 17 minutes to eat and 17 minutes to play. That seems fast to me, but apparently it's the standard timeframe from other parents I've talked to in the district. I do wish they got more recess. But Kindergartners do get a "chill out" time for 5-10 minutes every day where the teacher turns off the lights and they rest their heads and reset for the afternoon's lessons.

My early ed teachers would also be thrilled to know that South Side has blocks. The big kind. The kind kids can create roads on. They also have centers and their own private locker areas so they don't get overwhelmed by the big kids.

South Side bells are at 8:30 a.m. and 2:45 p.m., and when I left, I felt like this school felt more in line with me personally (in terms of the small school environment). What can I say, I like intimacy. :-) We'll see what's best for X-man when we know a bit more about him in the next couple of years.

Oh, and no air-conditioning in the building (it was built in 1923), but they're on a standard schedule with long summers and short spring and winter breaks. The doors were locked. You had to push a button to get let in. Not welcoming, but secure.