Southside Primary School
Southside Primary is located approximately five miles east of Selma just off Highway 80. We house approximately 385 students in grades K-2.
Southside Primary School has one major objective that all faculty, staff, students, and parents are committed to attaining. The objective is that 100% of our students will be reading at or above grade level before leaving second grade. This goal is being met by using a variety of innovative and motivational programs that meet the individual needs of the learners. The children are rewarded for their hard work toward our goal and are provided individual tutoring and encouragement sessions to aid them in meeting our goal.
Southside teachers are Alabama Reading Initiative trained and the school has been recognized as a Literacy Demonstration Site. The Reading Initiative is the primary tool used to meet our literacy goal. Southside also offers students the opportunity to attend four Literacy Booster Labs: A+ Computer, Literacy, Literature, and Science during the week. These labs extend reading into the content areas. The students also participate in weekly counseling and media center activities.
Two reading labs are available to students who are identified as having gaps in their reading ability. The students are both formally and informally assessed to identify their specific strengths and weaknesses. A program is then developed to help eliminate their specific weakness so that all students can be successful readers.
The most motivational reading program that our students participate in is the Accelerated Reading program. Each grade level sets a reading goal for the quarter. During the quarter students are rewarded for making steps toward the ultimate goal. Every student who achieves his/her quarterly goal is allowed to participate in a day of celebration. These celebrations have taken students on imaginary trips to Disney World, complete with games, prizes, and Mickey Mouse ears, Outer Space, Mexico, Hawaii, Wild Wild West, and Holly Jolly Christmas.