Newsletter 12/6/24

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Good Afternoon South Lake Families,

Trimester 1 Final Report Cards are posted in Aeries. This is a valuable opportunity to reflect on your child’s academic progress, work habits, and citizenship. Beyond just the grades, these marks provide insight into your student’s responsibility, effort, and engagement in their learning journey.
 
We encourage parents to use this moment to have a healthy, supportive conversation with your student. Celebrate successes, identify areas for growth, and discuss goals for the future. Asking open-ended questions like, “What are you most proud of?” or “What challenges did you face, and how can we tackle them together?” can foster meaningful dialogue and promote a growth mindset.
 
These conversations not only strengthen your connection but also empower your student to take ownership of their learning. Together, let’s continue to nurture confident, resilient, and responsible learners at South Lake Middle School.
 
On Friday, December 13th is our Winter Dance hosted by our ASB students. In order to attend, students need to purchase a ticket and submit a signed Dance Contract. Ticket sales are at Snack and Lunch. Students with positive school attendance, work habits and citizenship marks are able to attend. Tickets are $5 presale and $7 at the door. Students need to bring their student ID with them to check in. We will have small snacks for sale – cash only. Students must follow our dress code and we do not permit the use of cell phones inside the dance. This ensures a safe and positive space for students to dance and have fun!
 
I will be hosting Pastries with the Principal on Thursday morning from 8-9am in The Reef. This is an opportunity to talk informally about topics of your choosing. Please RSVP and include questions HERE.  


Join IUSD's Student Support Services Department in partnership with Parent and Family Engagement for a parent presentation regarding Hate Motivated Behavior. Parents and Guardians will review IUSD's policies related to hate motivated behavior, hear how incidents are handled at school, and learn relevant strategies for discussing this topic with your own children. Language interpretation will be available through AI tools both in person and on Zoom.
 
Both in person and Zoom sessions will have the same content. Please register at IUSD.ORG/IPEP for the option that best suits your needs.

We’d love to have everyone out to cheer on our Harvest Cup teams this weekend. All three teams play today at the Great Park at 5pm! For the full schedule, please go to https://ocyouthsports.org/tournament/harvest-cup/schedules/. Go Sharks!  
 
We hope you have a wonderful weekend…it’s a great day to be a Shark!
Belinda Averill
Principal

Schedule for the Week of December 9th - 13th
MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFriday

Anchor Day

8:15am – 3:02pm

Bonus Period PE

Anchor Day

8:15am – 3:02pm

Bonus Period PE

 

Odd Periods

Late Start

9:00am – 3:02pm

Shark Night Out

Even Periods

Late Start

9:00am – 3:02pm

Bonus Period PE 


 

 

Anchor Day

8:15am – 3:02pm

Bonus Period PE

Winter Dance

South Lake Information and Resources

PTSA – Shark Night Out: Wednesday, December 11th
Our Shark Night Out this month is at The Stand and Golden Spoon in the Oak Creek Shopping Center. Take a night off from cooking and enjoy this fun night out with other Shark families! Please mention you are with South Lake and a portion of all sales will go directly back to our school. This fundraiser is all day! If ordering The Stand online, please enter the code “SOUTHLAKE” at checkout.
PTSA - Shark Shoppe
South Lake Community we need you!! We need help stocking our Shark Shoppe! The Shark Shoppe is an incentive program for students to use their Shark Cards. The PTSA, along with our South Lake community keep the Shark Shoppe stocked for our students. We would love if you could order or pick some of our students’ favorite treats by visiting our Shark Shoppe on Amazon! Everything will get shipped automatically to school so all you need to do is pick and hit submit. You can also pick things up from your favorite store and drop to the front office. Let’s keep this fun tradition going! Amazon Shark Shoppe
 
PTSA – See’s Candies Fundraiser
It’s that time of year to spoil your family, friends and yourself with some sweet treats! You can help support our South Lake Sharks just by ordering See’s Candies from our South Lake See’s Candies Store. The shop is NOW OPEN for orders and a percentage of all sales will go directly to our Sharks! South Lake PTSA See's Candies Store

PTSA – Sponsor a Spread
Sponsor a Spread by partnering with your South Lake PTSA! Together we will provide snacks, treats, coffee, and much more to our teachers and staff at South Lake for an entire month! Our teachers and staff pour their heart and soul into our kiddos, so we want to keep them fueled and fed. We will shoutout your company throughout the month and direct our South Lake Community to your socials and recognize you in our weekly newsletter. To Sponsoring a Spread, please reach out to our South Lake PTSA President, Jill Pearson at JillKPearson@gmail.com. Please tell your friends, family, doctors, dentists, realtors and small businesses we would love to partner! We want to recognize your business and pump you up to our community because of your generosity!
 
PTSA - Contact Info
If you have any questions regarding your South Lake PTSA or would like to get involved, please don’t hesitate to contact our PTSA President, Jill Pearson at JillKPearson@gmail.com. You can also visit our PTSA Website at South Lake PTSA. Please follow us on social media @southlakeptsa for all the up-to-date information of what’s going on at South Lake!
 
WHS Winterguard
Winterguard is an excellent way to get connected to high school now...please see information about auditions below.

Language and Accessibility Resources for Families
As part of IUSD’s and our school’s ongoing commitment to making important information, resources and services accessible to our diverse community, we want to remind families that they can adjust language and accessibility preferences on the platforms used for school communications. Whether through ParentSquare, the Parent Portal or the IUSD website, it is easy to set your preferred language, ensuring you receive updates, notifications and resources in the language that works best for you.
 
CLICK HERE for resources, in multiple languages, to show how you can select your preferred language and accessibility features on ParentSquare. With ParentSquare, you can set your language preference to receive notifications, messages and updates directly in the language of your choice. 

IUSD Parent and Family Engagement
IUSD has many great workshops and presentations set up for the parents/caregivers of Irvine students. Below you will find the links to workshops and other district wide parent/guardian presentations. Irvine Parent Education Programs (IPEP) are FREE seminars and educational workshops offered to Irvine parents/caregivers throughout the school year. Our goal is to empower parents/guardians with the skills and strategies necessary to become active participants in their student’s education. 
 
We invite you to register for one or more of the IPEP Parent Workshops.
Click here for a full list of November's offerings.

Middle School Program (MSP)
If you are looking for great after school activities for your students that build community, have service components and are just plain fun…there are several upcoming events and classes to get involved with through our Middle School Programs hosted by the city of Irvine. Each of the flyers linked below have information about registration, cost and contact information. For more information, please contact Site Coordinator Karley Abeyrama at (949) 724-7190 or at KAbeyrama@cityofirvine.org
Youth Action Team - Fall
MSP Fall Registration

Attendance Matters
As we move through the school year, I want to emphasize the crucial role that regular attendance plays in your student’s success. Every day of learning matters, and consistent school attendance is one of the most important factors in achieving strong academic outcomes and fostering a sense of belonging at school. Here’s why:
 

  • Improved Academic Performance: Students who attend school regularly are more likely to keep up with daily lessons and assignments, leading to better grades and a deeper understanding of the material.
  • Building Positive Habits: Consistent attendance helps students develop responsibility, time management, and perseverance—skills they will carry with them long after middle school.
  • Social Connections: Being in school allows students to participate fully in group work, social activities, and extracurriculars that are vital for their emotional and social growth.
  • Strong Foundations for Future Success: Studies show that students with high attendance rates are more likely to graduate and pursue higher education or career opportunities with confidence.

We understand that occasional absences are unavoidable due to illness or emergencies. However, I encourage you to do your best to schedule appointments, vacations, and other non-urgent activities outside of the school day to minimize disruptions to your child's learning. 

OCTA Transportation Information 
The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) is excited to announce the continuation of their “Youth Ride Free” promotional bus pass program.  This pass allows youth ages 6 to 18 to ride all OC fixed-route buses every day for free.  Last year’s purple/orange Youth Ride Free Passes expire September 30, 2024; the new blue Youth Ride Free Passes are valid now through September 30, 2025, and require a new Parent Request Form for each recipient. To participate in the program complete a new Parent Request Form, available using the below links, printed forms are also available in the front office. 
Return the completed and signed Parent Request Form to the front office to be issued a blue youth bus pass for the 2024-25 school year. 
Parent Request Form:

OC Bus Ride Guide – How to Ride:

For more information regarding the program visit: OCbus.com/YouthRideFree.  OC Connect is another option for students. This is a free shuttle service that runs every 20 minutes between the northern end of Irvine and the Irvine Train Station.  This route drops off at Woodbridge High which is a short walk from here. The IrvineCONNECT webpage may be accessed through this link:  https://www.cityofirvine.org/transportation/irvine-connect. On the webpage there is a link to track the shuttles in real time, which can be used in a similar way to watching for an Uber to see how far out it is.
Bell Schedule
The 2024-2025 Bell Schedule includes all the minimum days and special schedules for the year.  Please make sure to review the start and end times for these schedules.  

Stay Connected
Stay connected by checking your email for communication from South Lake and IUSD.  South Lake is also on Instagram @southlakemiddleschool and our website is at www.southlake.iusd.org

Nondiscrimination Statement 
The Irvine Unified School District is committed to equal opportunity for all individuals in education. District programs and activities including membership in student clubs shall be free from discrimination based on race, color, ancestry, nationality, ethnic group identification, age, religion, actual or potential parental, family, or marital status, or the exclusion of any person because of pregnancy or related conditions, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, or genetic information; the perception of one or more of such characteristics; or association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics. The District does not discriminate in enrollment in or access to any of the activities and programs available. Admission to these programs is based on age appropriateness, class space, interest, aptitude, and prerequisite coursework where applicable. The lack of English skills shall not be a barrier to admission to or participation in the District’s activities and programs. The Irvine Unified School District also does not discriminate in its hiring or employment practices.

Upcoming Dates to Calendar
December 6th – 7th – Harvest Cup
December 11th - Shark Night Out
December 12th – Pastries with the Principal
December 13th – School Dance
December 20th – Minimum Day