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South Lake Newsletter - August 11, 2023

Hello
Belinda Averill

Hello South Lake Community,

I am thrilled to introduce the Sharks joining our staff and community for this upcoming school year. We are welcoming to our Shark family a new Assistant Principal, two Science teachers, Librarian, and Education Specialist. Each of our Sharks has prepared an introduction for you:  Peter Wang – Assistant Principal. “My name is Peter Wang, and I am excited to join SLMS as your Assistant Principal this coming school year! I was born in Taipei, Taiwan, and when I was 9 years old I moved to San Gabriel Valley (LA) with my family. In my spare time, I enjoy eating good food, watching K-dramas, reading, playing basketball, and dabbling in video games. I became an educator initially because of my interest in history and helping people, but my commitment to education deepened because I witnessed the resilience and compassion of our students. Teaching at SF International High School, a brilliantly diverse community that serves exclusively newcomer multilingual students, has been such an empowering experience for me and taught me the value of collaborating across differences. It is with great excitement that I look forward to developing authentic partnerships within this community and building meaningful relationships with our students, staff and families. Every day, I continue to be motivated by the creativity and growth of our students, and I am delighted to join South Lake Middle School in this meaningful work.”  Daisy Hufford – Education Specialist for Autism Specific Program. “I was born in Seattle, WA, and moved to CA when I was 4 and I've lived in different places across Orange County and LA County ever since. This is my 22nd year working in the field of Special Education, and I love it! I started as a 1:1 behavioral therapist and worked my way up from there. This is my 4th year teaching with IUSD. I am obsessed with birds, we have 4 at home, so if anyone has birds please come tell me all about them! I also love live music and traveling with my family. I am excited to be here at South Lake and I am looking forward to meeting everyone!”  Mikayla Byars – Librarian and Photojournalism Teacher. “My name is Mikayla Byars and I am so excited to join South Lake Middle School this year! I was born and raised in Southern California. I went to Cal Poly SLO and earned my degree in Graphic Communications before completing my Masters in Teaching from Pepperdine University. After graduation, I moved to WA state where I have been teaching elementary school for the past 6 years. I am excited to join middle school and share in my love of books and reading with the students. In my free time you can find me reading, painting, cooking, walking my dog, or at the beach. I look forward to an amazing year and getting to know this community!”  James Nguyen – Science Teacher. “My name is James Nguyen and I am thrilled to join South Lake Middle School as your new 8th grade science teacher. Over the past three years, I had the privilege of teaching high school students, but now I'm excited for this new adventure with all of you. When I'm not in the classroom, you can usually find me out frolicking in the fields with my dog Theodore, catching the sun rays and waves at one of our many beautiful beaches along the California coast, or swinging away on the tennis courts. During my time teaching in high school, I helped my community gain access to healthy organic fruits and vegetables by creating a community farm. I also had the privilege of creating and growing an esports program which allowed students to explore their interests and talents in the world of gaming. I extremely excited to help build the esports program here at South Lake. Now, I'm here to make science engaging, accessible, and most importantly FUN! I can't wait to embark on this learning journey together and discover the wonders of science. Let's make this a memorable and enriching school year!”  Logan Bretz – Science Teacher. “My name is Logan Bretz and I am excited to be joining the South Lake team teaching both 7th and 8th grade Science. After attending college at Bowling Green in Ohio, where I earned my Bachelor of Science, I was eager to return to California. I have been teaching middle school Math and Science since 2019, most recently at Grassroots Academy in Laguna Nigel. I have a lot of energy and enjoy all things fitness related. I am looking forward to a great year ahead and joining such a warm and welcoming community at South Lake!”  We are also excited to open our doors next week and welcome students to campus during Shark Week. Shark Week is our unique way of welcoming students to South Lake. Please note that this is not a registration event. Students are encouraged, but not required, to attend and there are no make-up sessions.  Shark Week for 8th grade is at South Lake is from 8:30am - 12:30pm on August 18th.  We have an exciting event planned for students to reconnect with their classmates and have some fun together. Ninja Nation will be coming to provide some fun and competition. There is an online waiver that is required for all students to participate. Please access the waiver at https://www.waiverfile.com/b/NationalMobile/Waiver.aspx?id=1c61b0a3-e186-488b-9799-cbcfaf63851d  Shark Week for 7th grade is at South Lake August 16th and 17th. We have two days of fun for incoming 7th graders to get to know each other, our staff and our school, so we hope your student attends! For grade specific groups organized by birthday – see the dates and times below. Please direct specific questions about Shark Week to our Shark Week Coordinator, Coach Doan at vincedoan@iusd.org.  
 

Birthday Range

Times

7th Grade Dates

Group A

January 1 – June 30

8:30am  - 10:00am

August 16th & 17th

Group B

July 1 – December 31

10:30am – 12:00pm

August 16th & 17th

Ex. a 7th grader with a birthday in September attends on the 16th and 17th from 10:30-12:00 pm

  Everyone is invited to attend our Shark Week Family Social on August 17th from 12 – 2pm at South Lake. PTSA will be raffling off a great welcome basket and is bringing food trucks for you and your family to grab some lunch, hang out, play some games and get to know each other. 

We hope to see you all there and want to encourage you to join our PTSA. South Lake PTSA is a great opportunity to stay connected and support our school and community!

We look forward to seeing everyone during Shark Week...go Sharks!

Be well,

Belinda Averill
Principal
South Lake Middle School 
Schedule for Week of 8/14 - 8/18

Monday 

Tuesday 

Wednesday 

Thursday 

Friday 

Summer Break

Summer Break 

Front Office Opens

Summer Break

7th Grade Shark Week

Jan 1 – June 30 @8 – 10am

July 1 – Dec 31 @10:30 – 12pm 

Summer Break  

7th Grade Shark Week

Jan 1 – June 30 @8 – 10am

July 1 – Dec 31 @10:30 – 12pm

Shark Family Social 

12pm – 2pm 

Summer Break 

8th Grade Shark Week

8:30 – 12:30pm

All 8th attends at the same time 
South Lake Announcements & Information 
Online Registration (Data Confirmation)   Complete Online Registration by going through all the Data Confirmation steps on the Parent Portal at https://my.iusd.org. Please refer to the Online Registration (Data Confirmation) Instructions  for steps to complete. Instructions include how to access your student contacts, links to important documents for the school year, and permission for required authorizations.   Donations and Optional Items for Purchase are part of this process which can be completed online through https://www.myschoolbucks.com or submitted by your student with cash/check at the start of the school year. Please see Instructions for Setting up an Account to set up your MySchoolBucks account. Items for purchase include Planner, Yearbook, PE Clothing etc. 
  • Please note, we are implementing a schoolwide Planner expectation that we will be reviewing the materials within the Planner with students during the first few weeks of school. All students will need to bring their Planner to school each day. 
  • The Physical Education Department requires all students to dress out for PE. You can purchase South Lake PE clothing at MySchoolBucks or in person via cash/check on the first week of school. We have a new design this year and encourage all students to purchase a new shirt. Students are able to bring in their own athletic clothing and/or shirt from last year to use if they prefer. Students will be issued a PE locker by their PE teacher after the start of the school year. 
  • We strongly encourage donations to our academic, athletic and technology programs to support class activities. All donations go directly to the classroom to provide materials, equipment and other items much needed to allow for enriched learning. 
  • Online Re-Registration (Data Confirmation) must be completed by August 24th.
e-Vehicle Registration  To help support the safe and responsible use of e-vehicles (e-bikes, e-scooters and e-skateboards), Irvine Unified School District middle and high schools have partnered with the Irvine Police Depart and will host safety presentations as part of IUSD’s new mandatory e-vehicle registration program. Middle school students who travel to and from school using an electric vehicle are required to attend one of the following e-Vehicle Safety Presentations by the Irvine Police Department. Middle school parent/guardian attendance is required to learn the rules and expectations of using e-vehicles safely and responsibly.  As our vital partners, your support is critical to helping keep students safe.  Students will learn:
  • About the different e-vehicles
  • Rules of the road and e-bike laws 
  • Helmet safety
  • Rules for e-bike passengers
  • How to avoid distracted operation of e-vehicles
  • Safety concerns
  • IUSD’s mandatory registration program and school procedures
Safety Presentation Dates
  • August 22, 6:00pm at Portola High School – Performing Arts Center
  • August 29, 6:00pm at Northwood High School – Performing Arts Center
  • September 5, 6:00pm at Irvine High School – Performing Arts Center
  • September 12, 6:00pm at Woodbridge High School – Performing Arts Center
  • September 14, 6:00pm at University High School – Multi-Purpose Room
Proof of Attendance and Parking Permit At the end of the presentation student attendees and their parent/guardian will fill out a digital verification of attendance form, which will be sent to their middle or high school of attendance. Students and their parent/guardian must also complete and submit a Student e-Vehicle Registration Form provided by their school during registration to obtain a parking permit sticker. Students are required to have a parking permit to park their e-vehicle on campus.Materials  Textbooks & Chromebooks will be checked out to students during the first full week of school. Returning 8th graders will need to bring their charged Chromebook to school with them. We will be checking out Chromebooks to incoming 7th grade students at school. We do not publish a specific school supply list. There will be some minimal supplies suggested by specific classes like a binder, pen and pencils which will be indicated on the syllabus for the class. Student Schedules Student schedules will be available Tuesday, August 22nd. Please know that we have made every effort to enroll students in their top elective choices during one of their three trimesters. Students who did not fully complete their elective registration in the spring have been enrolled into electives randomly. We are also using recommendations for the previous school year for placement in our Intervention classes. We will not be able to make changes unless it’s for an 8th grade student in a repeat elective, and we ask that you model a growth mindset for your student as all our electives are great! Shark Time Shark Time assignments will be shared during Homeroom on the first full week of school.  Students are assigned based on student need and interest. Students will learn more about what they will be doing in their Shark Time on their first day of Shark Time on September 6th.  Parent Orientation  Parent Orientation on August 24th is highly encouraged for all parents to attend. Principal Averill and Assistant Principal Wang will be reviewing essential information about South Lake to assist you in setting up your child for success. 
    • 4:00 pm - 4:45 pm - 8th Grade Parents 
    • 5:00 pm - 5:45 pm - 7th Grade Parents  
Join Zoom Meetinghttps://iusd.zoom.us/j/85205816356?pwd=NWtsR2l5Ynhxais4V1o3K0d5ZjlVQT09 Meeting ID: 852 0581 6356 Passcode: 9YxCDQ   Bell Schedule  The 2023-2024 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. New Programs to South Lake  We are excited to be offering some new programs this year at South Lake. We will be launching AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) at South Lake and have our first 8th grade group participating in this college and career readiness program. This national program is new to IUSD and we are excited about the opportunities this program will afford so many students in our community. In addition, we are going to be launching our first English Language Development Program for Newcomers to the country. We are going to be able to target language acquisition and development through our ELD 1 and 2 courses. Lastly, we are expanding our Autism Specific Program and opening another class to support the unique needs of students in our community.  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. 
Upcoming Events
August 16th & 17th - 7th Grade Shark WeekAugust 17th - Shark Week Family SocialAugust 18th - 8th Grade Shark Week August 24th - Online Registration (Data Confirmation) Due August 24th - First Day of School for 7th grade students - Minimum DayAugust 24th - Parent Orientation on Zoom August 25th - First Day of School for 8th grade studentsSeptember 1st - Picture Day - students take their school pictures during PESeptember 1st - Minimum DaySeptember 4th - Labor Day (No School) September 7th - Back to School NightSeptember 8th - Minimum Day