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South Lake Newsletter - December 22, 2023

happy new year 2024
Belinda Averill

Good Afternoon South Lake Community, 

Have a wonderful Winter Break Sharks! I hope you have a restful and joyful holiday break and bring in the new year with cheer. May 2024 be healthy, peaceful and filled with light! My wish for all our families is that your holiday is healthy, happy and filled with time making special memories with friends and family. Resources for Families over Break While this is a wonderful time of the year, it can also be busy and stressful. If needed this winter break, please visit our Prevention and Intervention and Counseling webpages. Both sites provide mental health and wellness resources and links to community services, including Care Solace, a free and confidential service that connects families to outside mental health services. These sites also include information about the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System, the 988 crisis text and phone hotlines:
  • Teen Crisis Hotline 1 (800) 448-3000
  • Crisis Text Line text HOME to 741741
  • OC Warm Line 877-910-9276
  • OC Links and OC Navigator 855-625-4657
Here are some other quick resources for your reference: Let’s make this a great holiday season for everyone…take care of yourself, each other and our community! In kindness,Belinda Averill Principal
Schedule for Week of  1/8 - 1/12

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

Late Start 9:00am - 3:02pm Bonus Period PE

Minimum Day 

8:15am – 12:30pm

Bonus Period PE

 

 
South Lake Announcements & Information 
PTSA Information  Stay informed with all the latest news! Click here and subscribe for ALL PTSA LINKS and Year-At-A-Glance Calendar at PTSA Calendar. Visit our shop to pick and choose your favorites and buy your candy online. It's that easy! Shipping has begun! Share this with family, friends, and co-workers! Social media too! Happy shopping, and thanks for your support.SHARK SHOPPE is an incentive program for our students to use their Shark Cards. At the moment we are SOLD OUT of all items! PTSA helps to keep it stocked. Our Shark Shoppe Amazon wish list has been updated with non food items. Shark Shoppe Wish ListBike Donations Should you have any bikes, scooters or helmets that you are no longer using, we would love to take them off your hands! Please contact our Campus Supervisor, Mr. Vasquez if you need to coordinate drop off at orlandovasquez@iusd.org or drop them off at the front office…we would be so grateful! He is also the best contact if you need to participate in our e-Vehicle Safety training to be able to register an e-bike. Middle School Program (MSP) at South Lake If you are looking for great after school activities for your students, there are several events and classes to get involved with through our Middle School Programs hosted by the city of Irvine. Please contact Site Coordinator Karley Abeyrama at (949) 724-7190 or at KAbeyrama@cityofirvine.org for information.   
  • Youth Action Team at South Lake – Mondays and Wednesdays
  • The Lion King at Segerstrom Center for the Arts on February 23rd 
  • Disney’s’ Aladdin at Segerstrom Center for the Arts on May 10th, 2024 
Paper – Free Tutoring As your student is getting going with their academics, please know that IUSD offers Paper Tutoring, a free resource, giving your student 24/7 access to chat with tutors for live help and assignment support. Paper helps parents and guardians avoid the cost, time, and stress of having to relearn geometry and poetry or hire a private tutor to help their child with classwork. Paper can provide support with homework help, writing feedback (i.e. editing essays), and study support. Help is available in English, Spanish, Mandarin, and French. Students can access Paper Tutoring directly from their class Canvas Page. Some additional resources are this informational video on Paper Tutoring: Paper for Parents & Guardians and Paper Website: Unlimited Tutoring, Anywhere & Anytime.    Student Attendance It is important to make every effort to have your student in school and on time. While attendance and success in school are positively correlated and directly linked, there are times when a student should stay home and absences are necessary.
  • Illness - Please keep student home when they have any of the following signs and symptoms of illness: Fever (temp > 100.4), excessive runny nose, excessive cough, two or more episodes of vomiting in the last 24 hours, or an unexplained rash.
  • Mental health – a new California law states that absences for the benefit of the pupil’s mental or behavioral health shall be excused (Ed Code 48205). After 5 absences, a doctor’s note will be required. 
  • Doctor appointments
  • Court appointments
  • Funerals for immediate family members
We want to honor and support the mental and physical health of our students, and we also need to prioritize the importance of attendance both for student success and to ensure that IUSD receives critically important state funding for our schools. Please know that the School Attendance Review Board (SARB process) will be initiated, when a student accumulates 3 unexcused absences or truancies. If you have concerns about extended absences or if you have any questions about attendance, please don’t hesitate to call. We appreciate your partnership in supporting the health, happiness, and academic achievement of our students. OCTA Youth Ride Free Program  The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) is excited to announce the continuation of their “Youth Ride Free” promotional bus pass program.  This free youth pass allows youth ages 6 to 18 to ride all OC fixed-route buses every day for free. The purple/orange Youth Ride Free passes are valid now through September 30, 2024 and require a new Parent Request Form for each recipient.  For more information regarding the program visit: OCbus.com/YouthRideFree. 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 form to the front office to be issued a purple/orange youth bus pass for the 2023-24 school year. Parent Request Form: OC Bus Ride Guide – How to Ride: 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. 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
December 25th– January 5th – Winter Break January 8th – School ResumesJanuary 12th - Minimum DayJanuary 15th - Martin Luther King Jr Holiday January 27th - Winter Bowl