Featured News

Transportation Department at Southside Teaches Students About Bus Safety

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The Transportation Department at Southside ISD always views safety for our students as their number one priority. That’s why Transportation Director, Jesse Berlanda and Bus Driver Trainer, Corina Speer took a trip to Menchaca Early Childhood Center (MECC) to give a “Bus Safety” presentation to all PK3, PK4, and Kinder students. Students were able to learn about bus safety, emergency exits, and even did a practice evacuation. Students were able to board school buses to practice expectations on the bus: how to sit in the seats, buckling and unbuckling seat belts, voice levels, and more. The drivers, who are all trained in bus evacuation practices, showed the students how each exit can be opened and explained the importance of staying calm and following directions in the event of an emergency. “Of course, we hope our students never have to put any of those skills into practice, but it was a great experience for students who are usually car riders and have never been on the bus before,” said Brittany Vincent, Instructional Coach at MECC.

Menchaca Revitalizes Outdoor Learning Environment with Community Help

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Longer days and warmer weather give us the chance to get outside and focus on creative ways to bond with loved ones and selflessly serve others. Menchaca Staff, students, family members, and other volunteers helped put together raised garden beds, cleaned and painted tires, moved soil, and planted bare root plants, seeds, and bulbs. We’re so grateful to Nurse Heather Siebert for spearheading this outdoor learning environment update and gardening opportunity for students. Help was provided by Nurse Stephanie Guerra, Receptionist Meranda Zapata and her daughter MECC student Arya, Receptionist Rebecca Llamas, Principal’s Secretary Veronica Davalos, Pre-K teacher Adrienne Ortiz, student Jonah Huerta and his mom. Dual Language teacher, Mrs. Vanessa Guerra-Ledesma and her husband spent the day carefully sanding and then painting the wooden spools to become tables.

 

The goal of the area is to enhance the outdoor learning environment for our students. Students will still be allowed and encouraged to play in the area, but are learning to be mindful and respect the gardens and plants. Menchaca ECC will have vegetables, grapes, raspberries (thornless), blackberries (thornless), and all kinds, colors, shapes, and sizes of flowers. Phase 1 was just completed. There’s a dinosaur garden, a pollinator’s garden, a Dr. Seuss garden, and Gabby Del Angel‘s garden are all underway.
Additionally, just like it takes a village to raise a child, it takes many to help maintain our outdoor learning area. ECSE teacher Katrisha Arocha and para Wendy Villarreal took out their students to help water and tend to the garden beds. Experiential learning in a garden teaches children memorable and valuable lessons as they learn how to plant, tend to, harvest, and taste their very own fruits and vegetables. This opportunity equips our students with the very skills they can then take home to help their parents learn. The opportunity for our students to learn and then teach others about it is an opportunity many their age do not receive.
This wouldn’t be such a success without the generosity of many! The Bexar County Extension Office provided several plants. Burning Bush Landscaping provided soil. Menchaca students, Alessandro and Xenovia Hernandez (and family) donated tires. Robert’s Tree Service provided tree stump stools. The family of MECC student Ivan Martinez Villeda and Head Start Monitor and MECC parent, Laura Turrubiates, also gave wooden spools for outdoor tables. The San Antonio Chapter of the Virginia Tech Alumni Association generously volunteered their time and gardening tools.