South Lake Newsletter - November 17, 2023

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Good Afternoon South Lake Community, 

Today is the last of the trimester. Our teachers will be finalizing grades after Thanksgiving Break and report cards will be available December 5th. Please refer to your student’s Aeries gradebook in the meantime to get a sense of their accomplishments. We will also be using student’s grades, and marks for Work Habit and Citizenship to identify any intervention and/or supports we might need to provide for specific students.    On Monday, your student will receive their schedule for 2nd Trimester. We WILL be balancing out some classes, so schedules might change, because we are adding two periods of Writer’s Workshop back into our course offerings for the rest of the year. We have had an increase in enrollment and as a result added this elective option. We will do our best to keep students with their current teachers for core classes, however, this does not always work out. Please know that this a common practice and every trimester we look at making sure our class sizes are optimal. We appreciate your support with this!   We have our first dance of the school year coming up on December 15th…ASB is busy planning a fun event! Students interested in attending will need to purchase a ticket and complete a permission slip. These will be distributed after Thanksgiving break. Students will need to have 3’s and 4’s for their Work Habit and Citizenship marks to attend.    Lastly, 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.    Please note the schedule for next week...we have Thanksgiving Break, Wednesday through Friday and we have a Minimum Day on Tuesday.  Have a great weekend Sharks! Be well,Belinda Averill Principal
Schedule for Week of  11/20 - 11/24

Monday 

Tuesday 

Wednesday 

Thursday 

Friday 

Anchor Day 

8:15am – 3:02pm

Bonus Period PE

Minimum Day 

8:15am – 12:30pm

Bonus Period PE

Thanksgiving Holiday

Thanksgiving Holiday

Thanksgiving Holiday 

 

 

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. Our next PTSA meeting is on November 29th at 9:15amVisit 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.MINTED: Everyone wins with this fundraiser! The holidays are right around the corner! 😬 Save 20% on all holiday photos, cards, and/or gifts when ordering through MINTED. Use our code FUNDRAISESOUTHLAKE and receive 20% off of your entire order AND Minted will give 15% to our PTSA. These funds are used for student activities and programs! WIN- WIN!SEE'S CANDY FUNDRAISERSouth Lake PTSA needs your sweet support! We're selling yummy See's Candies for our latest fundraiser.SHARK SHOPPE is an incentive program for our students to use their Shark Cards. PTSA helps to keep it stocked. Our Shark Shoppe Amazon wish list has been updated with non food items. Shark Shoppe Wish ListWinter Guard at WHS Middle School Guard auditions are coming up to be a part of the award-winning South Lake Winter Guard. No experience is necessary! Auditions are December 5th – 7th from 4:30pm – 7pm at Woodbridge High School.Yearbook Photos - 8th graders In this year’s yearbook we will have a section dedicated to our 8th grade students. We will be collected baby photos to feature on an “8th Grade Baby Photos” spread. If you would like your child featured on the 8th Grade Baby Photos spread in this year’s yearbook please email a digital copy of your child’s baby photo to mikaylabyars@iusd.org by Dec. 15th. Thank you!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.    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. Te new 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
November 20th – First day of Trimester 2November 21st – Minimum DayNovember 22nd– 24th – Thanksgiving HolidayNovember 29th – PTSA Meeting November 29th – School Site Council