South Lake Newsletter - January 12, 2024

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Good Afternoon South Lake Community, 

The IUSD Annual Survey is open through Friday, February 2, 2024.  I would like to encourage you to take a moment to complete this important survey.  Your responses provide feedback about our school’s climate and where resources that benefit South Lake are focused through the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) process. 
 
About the Annual Survey
The Annual Survey tells us what is important to our families, students and staff. Your feedback is essential in helping identify areas where we are excelling and areas for improvement so that we continually improve how we serve our students and families. Survey topics include parent/guardian engagement, the teaching and learning environment, bullying, homework, student stress levels, school climate, and your child’s overall educational experience, among other topics. This interactive process helps IUSD identify annual goals, act on those goals, and measure progress on academic achievement, school climate, and parent engagement as part of the 10-month LCAP process. Your survey responses help our school meet the needs of our community.  They are also reviewed by the Board of Education, the Superintendent’s leadership team and District staff.
 
The survey is available in multiple languages.  Responses are anonymous and it only takes a few minutes to participate. South Lake has used survey feedback to adjust our homework and grading practices, address school climate issues, and strengthen the great work we do around building strong connections with students and creating engaging instruction. 
 
To take the annual survey now, click here. Thank you in advance for your participation. Your engagement and feedback are important and greatly appreciated. 
 
I hope your 2024 is off to a great start Sharks! Please see important announcements and information below.

In kindness,
Belinda Averill
Principal
Schedule for Week of  1/15 - 1/19

Monday 

Tuesday 

Wednesday 

Thursday 

Friday 

No School  

MLK Holiday 

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 
Shark Night Out MOD Pizza

Anchor Day 

8:15am – 3:02pm

Bonus Period PE

 

 

South Lake Announcements and Information
PTSA Information 
Stay informed on all SLMS PTSA information by subscribing at PTSA LINKS and here for our Year-At-A-Glance PTSA Calendar
SLMS GEAR: Get your SLMS GEAR and stay cozy while showing your school spirit! PERFECT GEAR FOR CHILLY WEATHER! ORDER HERE
ASB SPIRIT WEAR: We have a limited supply of ASB spirit wear being sold on our webstore and all proceeds go to ASB. ASB Spirit Wear
SHARK NIGHT OUT: Join us at MOD PIZZA on Thursday, January 18th for our first Shark Night Out of the year! This is an ALL-DAY fundraiser, so stop by for lunch or dinner! Tell your family, friends and co-workers. Show the attached flyer or order online using CODE: MODGIVES25 at MOD PIZZA ORDERS
SHARK SHOPPE:  Our next Shark Shoppe will take place on Friday, January 26th. We are looking for donations to stock the Shoppe with snacks, candy, and drinks.  Please order from our Amazon link SHARK SHOPPE WISHLIST or purchase from any store and drop off in the front office.  We appreciate any and all donations. This is a great incentive for our students, so please consider donating.
Chromebook & Charger Reminders
Welcome back! We have seen an increase in missing/lost chargers and lost/damaged Chromebooks during the past couple of months. Just a reminder that Chromebook insurance only covers damage and does not cover lost chargers or lost Chromebooks. The fine for a lost charger is $25 and a lost Chromebook is $225. It is part of your child’s responsibility to charge their Chromebook each night and keep their charger at home. If you have any questions please reach out to our librarian Ms. Byars at mikaylabyars@iusd.org.
 
e-Bike Safety Presentation
Mr. Vasquez will be holding 2 e-Bike Safety presentation sessions for those students who would like to ride and park their bike on campus. Students must attend with a parent/guardian and will be required to complete the Registration form after to obtain a parking sticker. 
Session 1 – Wednesday, January 17th at 8:00am in the Media Center
Session 2 – Thursday, January 18th at 3:05pm in the Media Center
 
7th Grade Parent-Guardian Notification Letter
Yesterday all 7th grade families should have received an email detailing the upcoming Health Unit for all 7th grade students. Please make sure to read the 2023-24 Parent-Guardian Notification Letter as it contains all information about resources and what will be covered. For specific questions please reach out to your students 7th grade Science teacher or Principal Averill.
 
Guys’ Singing Fest
Guys' Singing Fest will be on Friday January 26th, 4:00-8:00pm, at Woodbridge High School! Join 5th- 12th grade trebles, tenors, baritones and basses from across the district to sing together, with a focus on unchanged, changing and changed voices! You don't need to be enrolled in your school's chorus class to take part, and you don't have to audition or prepare anything in advance. $10 per student, which includes dinner and snacks. For more information, and to register, visit bit.ly/GuysSingingFestThis event is being hosted by Mrs. Montgomery (Jeffrey Trail MS) and Mr. Blackett (Woodbridge HS).
 
Youth Mentorship Program
Middle School Program through the city is offering an incredible opportunity for youth mentoring. This program is free. We have heard from about 16 of your students who participated that this was a really positive and valuable experience so we would like to expand this to more of our students. Students meet on Thursdays, currently the dates are 2/1, 3/7, 3/28, and 5/16. MSP Staff will pick students up here at South Lake to then head over to Northwood Community Center and then dropped back off at South Lake by 6pm. Please reach out with any questions, and/or go to YourIrvine.org and register with code #96739.

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
  • Galentine’s Day – February 9th 
  • The Lion King at Segerstrom Center for the Arts on February 23rd, 2024
  • 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 TutoringPaper 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
January 15th – MLK Holiday
January 17th – School Site Council Meeting 
January 18th – Shark Night Out at MOD Pizza
January 26th - Shark Shoppe
January 27th – Winter Bowl 
January 31st – PTSA Meeting
February 2nd – School of Choice Request Window Closes