Good Afternoon South Lake Families,
This week, we spent a lot of time teaching students what it means to be a Shark and South Lake Cares: Take Care of Yourself, Take Care of Each Other, Take Care of Our School. Middle school students are going through a tremendous amount of changes – they are developing cognitively, socially and emotionally. We go over strategies for how to manage themselves, how to navigate relationships and interactions with peers and adults, and how to best represent our community. Ultimately, our goal is to create a positive school culture, where students feel they belong and that starts with how we treat one another, care for our community and show respect and kindness. Here are some of the expectations we went over with all students:
Take Care of Yourself | Take Care of Each Other | Take Care of Our School |
-Bring Chromebook to school charged everyday -Cell Phones are not permitted to be used at school and will be confiscated if they are out -Use inclusive language…Hate Speech is never permitted -Use the Planner effectively -Maintain physical boundaries -Get lots of sleep! -It’s okay to make a mistake as long as we learn from it! | -Use inclusive and positive language with each other both in person and online…Hate Speech is not permitted -Cyberbullying is not acceptable -Keep physical boundaries with one another so that you are safe -Welcome new students to our campus -Be responsible online and using respectful language
| -Keep our campus clean including our bathrooms -Represent our school well in the community -Accept redirection from all adults on campus -Where a helmet and follow guidelines for riding an e-Bike
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Thank you for reinforcing South Lake Cares with your Shark so that together, we encourage students to be their best selves and know that when we fall short, it is okay! We will continue to teach and reinforce these throughout the school year.
Thank you for Parent/Guardians who attended our Orientation earlier this week. We were able to review our instructional program and practices, our behavior and work habit expectations, and tips to support your student. Here are some of the tips we shared:
Your Child Needs Firm Boundaries:
- Students should not sleep with their phone/Chromebook in their room.
- Know who they are hanging out with and where they are.
- Have access to their social media and monitor closely.
Your Child Needs Check-ins:
- Provide a safe space for them to vent…be a good listener!
- Keep tabs on their progress and check their Planner routinely.
- Help them size the problem—understand that not everything is BIG.
Your Child is Growing their Independence:
- Be a listener, not a problem solver.
- Encourage them to advocate for themselves.
- Build their confidence—it's okay to make mistakes!
Additional Tips:
- Ensure they get lots of sleep.
- Stay connected with your child.
- No need to match their emotions – stay calm!
- Attend school and avoid extensive absences.
Next week, we have Back to School Night on Thursday, August 29th. For parents with students in Bonus Period PE, we will begin at 5:40pm. At 6:00pm, all parents will begin in their students Homeroom class. Your student will be creating a locator card for you to use. Your student’s schedule is also on Aeries. We strongly encourage parent/guardians to attend to learn about your student’s classes and meet their teachers. This is not time to share personal information, please contact teachers directly to share.
You will notice that we DO NOT have a Late Start on Thursday, August 29th. Instead we have an Early Out so that our teachers can get prepared. School is over at 1:30pm. There is also a Minimum Day on Friday, August 30th before the Labor Day Weekend. Students will take their school pictures on Friday. The information for purchasing pictures through South Coast Photography is HERE. The schedule for the week is listed below.
It is going to be an amazing year Sharks!
In kindness,
Belinda Averill
Principal
| Schedule for the Week of August 26th - August 30th |
Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
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 NO Late Start 8:15am – 1:30pm Bonus Period PE Early Out Back to School Night | Minimum Day 8:15am – 12:30pm Bonus Period PE Picture Day |
| South Lake Information and Resources |
PTSA Information OCTA Transportation Information
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. e-Vehicle Registration Bell Schedule |
Membership and our Direct Donation Drive is happening now. Please visit our South Lake PTSA website by clicking here 
