PTSA - Shark Shoppe
Our next Shark Shoppe is coming up on Friday, March 28th, and we need your help to stock it for all our students! Our Shark Shoppe, led by the amazing Mr. Dharman, is an incentive program where students can use their Shark Cards to "shop" for rewards. The PTSA, along with our South Lake community, works hard to keep the Shark Shoppe stocked year-round, and we’d love your support.
Here’s how you can help:
- Shop on our Amazon Shark Shoppe Store: Visit our South Lake PTSA Amazon storefront and order items directly. Everything you order will be delivered straight to the school, making it easy for you to contribute!
- Drop off Donations: Pick up some of your students’ favorite treats at stores like Costco, Ralphs, Target, or wherever you love to shop! Then, simply drop off your donations at the front office. With over 150 students visiting the Shark Shoppe every time Mr. Dharman hosts the event, we need plenty of goodies to keep up!
Current Hot Ticket Items:
- Food: Takis, chips, cookie packs, etc.
- Drinks: Gatorade, sports drinks, etc
- School Supplies: small pencil sharpeners, pencils, erasers, etc
- Mini Sports Supplies: mini footballs, mini basketballs, mini soccer balls, etc.
- Plushies: Little plushies (mini Squishmallows, mini plush animals, etc)
- Or anything your kids love at home or school!
We are so grateful for your support, South Lake Community! Let’s make this Shark Shoppe a huge success! Thank you for helping us make a difference for our students!
PTSA - Next Shark Night Out – Tuesday, March 25th from 4pm-8pm @ Board & Brew
Mark your calendars Shark Families! Our next Shark Night Out will be March 25th at the new Board & Brew Irvine (5643 Alton Pkwy) from 4pm-8pm. More info to come as the date gets closer
 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!
March Madness
Our March Madness Attendance Challenge is underway, with the goal of boosting student attendance. Each week, Homerooms will be competing in a tournament style bracket for the highest percentage of student attendance. The winning Homerooms will earn a fun BBQ extended lunch.
Consistent attendance is crucial for academic success, ensuring students don't miss valuable learning opportunities. We understand that illnesses and emergencies happen, but we want to emphasize the importance of consistent attendance for your child's learning. This challenge is a fun way to reinforce those positive habits and build a strong sense of community within our Homerooms. Let's work together to make this challenge a success and reinforce the importance of daily attendance for all our students…go Sharks!
7th Grade Parent/Guardians
You should have received an email notification about Health Education for next trimester. Please see this Parent/Guardian Notification Letter 2025 for more information.
After School Tutoring
We have free after school tutoring in Math and Science. See flyer below for more information. All students are invited to attend and NEED to bring their Planner and Chromebook.
Mental Health & Academic Supports
IUSD Family Counseling Center
The IUSD Family Counseling Center (IFCC) offers short-term, evidence-based mental health services provided by licensed mental health therapists for IUSD K-12 students and families.
Care Solace
To better serve our students, families, and staff, IUSD has partnered with Care Solace, which offers free and confidential services to connect families to outside mental health providers. Care Solace provides concierge services to assist families in navigating mental health services in the community.
Hazel Health
IUSD has also partnered with Hazel Health, a telehealth behavioral health company that provides one-on-one counseling from a professional therapist at no cost to IUSD students. A parent/guardian may refer their student through a link found on the IUSD website, or a referral can be made by the student’s school counselor, elementary resource counselor, mental health specialist, school psychologist, or administrator at their school. Students must have parental permission to enroll for services unless they are 18 or older.
Academic Supports
Khan Academy and Paper Tutoring provide students with avenues for academic assistance, alleviating some of the stressors that may impact their mental well-being.
For families seeking more information on IUSD mental health supports, please visit the Mental Health and Wellness website.
E-Bike Safety Presentation
Mr. Vasquez, our Campus Supervisor, coordinates our E-Bike registration. If you would like to schedule a time to participate in the Safety Presentation in order to register your student’s E-Bike, please contact him at orlandovasquez@iusd.org.
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.
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. |
2nd Annual Spring Carnival – Just two days after 8th Grade Family Night, we’ll be hosting our Spring Carnival. We’ll have a special presale ticket price at 8GFN for incoming 8th grade families. We’ll have flyers to drop off at your school in a few weeks, but I am attaching a digital version as well in case you want to include it in any upcoming newsletters. More carnival information is available here: https://woodbridgehigh.iusd.org/springcarnival.
