South Lake Newsletter 11/22/24

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Good Afternoon South Lake Families,

This week, your child took a big step towards their College and Career Readiness with CaliforniaColleges.edu! Our 7th graders learned about different learning styles and how they best absorb information, and explored tips and tricks to improve their study habits and academic success. This will help them discover their strengths and find ways to make learning more effective. Our 8th graders discovered their interests through the RIASEEC framework (Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, Conventional) and explored potential career paths that align with their top RIASEEC scores. This early exploration allows them to start thinking about their future goals and find their perfect career fit.
 
CaliforniaColleges.edu is a valuable resource that students will use throughout their middle and high school journey within IUSD to explore colleges, scholarships, and more. We encourage you to explore the platform with them! 
Here are some resources for you:
 

We're excited to see your child take charge of their future!

Here is a message from Nurse Kat…Friendly reminder that it is that time of the year when respiratory illnesses start to show up with force, especially as we gather with family for the holidays. Please remember to follow the IUSD Guidelines for School Attendance and keep your student home if they have excessive congestion, excessive coughing, difficulty breathing, or until they have been fever-free without any medication for 24 hours. This helps prevent illnesses from spreading in our school!
 
Here is a message from Ms. Byars for 8th Grade parent/guardians…would you like your child’s 8th grade baby photo featured on our 8th grade baby photo page in the yearbook? If so please email your child’s baby photo with your child’s name to Ms. Byars at MikaylaByars@iusd.org. Deadline for submission is Friday, December 20th.
 
Please save the date for Pastries with the Principal. This is an informal platform to learn about topics related to your child’s academic, social, and emotional growth here at South Lake.

Lastly, as we approach Thanksgiving, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for our South Lake community. Each day, I am reminded of how special it is to be part of a school that values collaboration, kindness, and the shared commitment to our students’ success. From our dedicated teachers and staff to our supportive parents and PTSA, and of course, our incredible students, South Lake truly feels like a family. Thank you for all the ways you show up for one another and for our school. Wishing you a joyful and restful Thanksgiving filled with gratitude and togetherness!
 
We hope you have a wonderful holiday…it’s a great day to be a Shark!
Belinda Averill
Principal

Schedule for the Week of December 2nd - December 6th
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

Even Periods

Late Start

9:00am – 3:02pm

Bonus Period PE 


 

 

Anchor Day

8:15am – 3:02pm

Bonus Period PE

Harvest Cup

South Lake Information and Resources

PTSA - ASB Spirit wear – DEADLINE THIS WEEKEND!
We have South Lake Spirit wear available for order now! You can order your South Lake Cares Spirit wear today on our PTSA website. Deadline to order Spirit wear is November 25th. Sweatshirts are available in grey and teal for the price of $30. Spirit wear will be delivered to your student at school in December. ORDER SPIRITWEAR
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.

UHS Lacrosse Camp
Uni Boy’s Lacrosse Program is hosting a camp on November 23rd. From 9-10am they will be hosting an open practice, which means anyone is welcome to watch the Varsity team practice and see how the game is played. The camp itself will run after our practice, from 10am-12pm.
 
See the Uni Youth Lacrosse Camp flyer for our event and registration link HERE.  

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
November 22nd – Deadline for purchasing South Lake Spirit Wear
November 25th – 29th – Thanksgiving Break
December 6th – 7th – Harvest Cup
December 12th – Pastries with the Principal
December 13th – School Dance
December 20th – Minimum Day