Cardinal Corner
February 16-28, 2023
February 16-17: Parent Teacher Conferences, No School
February 17: Girls Volleyball Sweetheart Tournament, 7th Grade, 3-9:30pm
February 18: Girls Volleyball Sweetheart Tournament, 7th Grade, 7am-3pm
February 20: President’s Day, School Closed
February 21: Wrestling Practice, 3-5pm
February 22: Wrestling Practice, 3-5pm; Girls Volleyball vs Plum Grove, 8th/7th, 3:30-5:30pm
February 23: Wrestling Practice @ Winston, 4-6:pm; Girls Volleyball vs Emerson, 3:30-5:30pm
February 24: Wrestling Practice, 3-5pm
February 25: Girls 7th Grade Volleyball Regional Tournament, TBD
February 27-March 2: Girls 7th Grade Volleyball Regional Tournament, TBD
February 27: Wrestling Practice, 3-5pm
February 28: Wrestling Practice, 3-5pm
March 1: Illinois Science Assessment, 8th Grade Only, Adjusted Bell Schedule
March 14-16: Illinois Assessment of Readiness Testing, All Grades, Adjusted Bell Schedule
IF YOUR CHILD IS TRYING OUT FOR A SPORT, A CURRENT PHYSICAL MUST BE ON FILE WITH THE SCHOOL NURSE TO ATTEND TRYOUTS.
Dear South School Families:
Technology plays many positive roles in educating our children. Students use technology to communicate, collaborate, research, and present information. When used correctly, technology allows students to be more efficient and effective.
Along with the good that technology brings, social media has caused students, parents, and teachers all kinds of anxiety, stress, embarrassment, and pain. Students are using different communication applications to present information and communicate with each other. It is important for you to be aware of all social media apps, and continuously monitor your child's use of them. The more you talk with your child about the issues surrounding social media, the safer they will be using them.
Please see the flyers below to get an understanding of popular apps that students are engaging with.
Please make sure you participate in the 22-23 5Essentials Survey for parents. See the information and a link below to take the survey. We need at least 20% of our families to participate for South to be able to receive our complete results. At this point, only 21 (3%) of 845 parents have completed the survey. Thank you for taking the time to complete this important survey.
Please participate in the D25 All-Stars Sock-A-Thon. Half of the proceeds from purchasing of these fun socks supports District 25’s Special Olympics Team. Please see the section below.
Congratulations to our eighth-grade girls volleyball team for winning the Frostbite Invite at Holmes Jr. High and the Sweetheart Tournaments. South beat Thomas for the championship of both tournaments!
The seventh-grade girls volleyball team took second place at the Bolingbrook Tournament. Good luck to our girl's seventh-grade volleyball team in this weekend's Sweetheart Tournament!
Also, South wrestlers took third place as a team, along with several individual first place finishers at the Holmes Invite! Please view the pictures below.
Way to go Cardinals!
Dr. Jim Morrison
Principal
Ms. Sheri Rosen
Associate Principal
Dr. Steve Perkins
Associate Principal
5Essentials Survey - We need your thoughts!
5Essentials Survey | Click here to take it
If you have not already, please take a few minutes to complete the 5Essentials Survey. Your participation in the parent portion of the survey will help us understand the conditions at our school and guide improvement. A report will be generated only if we have 20 percent parent participation.
Survey Link: http://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/survey/parent/
Note: Your identity and survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child.
Student Survey (Grades 4-8 ONLY)
The Illinois 5Essentials Survey will be administered at South Middle School in the near future. For a copy of the questions, click here (survey content hasn't changed since 2022).
If you do not want your child to participate, fill out the information at the bottom of this form (linked here) and ask your child to return this sheet to their teacher.
Websites and Apps to be Aware of: A Cheat Sheet For Parents
The internet and world of smart phone apps are wild and wonderful places that allow us to learn and share at never-before-seen speeds. The problem is, not everything being shared is appropriate for everyone who has access to view it.
Teaching your kids and teens to be responsible about how they behave online is half of the battle. Here are some sites and apps you should be aware of.
1. Ask.fm
Ask.fm is an online social networking platform that allows users to anonymously ask other users questions. The Q&A forum is unmoderated and has led to many instances of cyberbullying, and a series of bullying-related suicides.
2. Snapchat
Snapchat is a mobile app that allows users to take pictures or videos and send them to a list of followers. Followers can only view the videos and photos for a set amount of time before they are supposedly “destroyed”. This app has been popular for “sexting”, as the sent image cannot be saved onto the recipient’s phone. However, it is unclear whether or not the image is actually destroyed permanently from Snapchat’s server, and users are able to take screenshots of the image or video, as well as replay it. This app has been associated with numerous sexting cases that have led to bullying. However, Snapchat has recently become more teen-friendly, with the addition of texting and use entertaining filters to share.
3. KiK
Kik is a mobile messaging app that allows users to anonymously chat with other users. The app offers free and unlimited texting through a wifi network, so parents are unlikely to know about it. The app has been used in multiple cases of attempted kidnapping, murder and sexual assault.
4. Information Hiding Apps
There are multiple information and photo hiding apps available for web-enabled devices, including smart phones, tablets, and computers. These apps may mimic harmless tools, such as calculators or note-taking functionalities, but their intention is to hide selected information (i.e. pictures, texts, and other compromising items). Some apps include: Vaulty, Hide It Pro, and Calculator%, among others.
5. Qooh.me
Qooh.me is another social media site that allows users to ask other users anonymous questions. Individuals do not have to login to ask questions, so anyone can ask a user anything. There is also no online moderator and adult profiles are mixed in with those of teens and children.
6. Tumblr
While tumblr can be a place for kids and teens to connect with one another and share their “fandoms” (post about the shows or movies they like), tumblr also allows explicit content like porn, pro-anorexia (pro-ana) posts, pro self-injury posts, and other content that might be unsuitable for kids or teens.
7. Reddit
Reddit.com is a large forum where individuals can anonymously post content. The content is grouped together in different threads, on which other users can comment. Reddit can be great for information and obscure interests, but it is unfiltered and home to offensive and graphic content. Users can also direct message other users and bully others. However, recently Reddit has taken steps to ban certain communities that promote graphic content.
8. 4chan
4chan.com is similar to Reddit, in that it is a large user-run forum, but it is known for being even more subversive and offensive. Many topics on 4chan are inappropriate for kids and teens.
9. Pro-Ana Websites
“Pro-ana” websites or forums are websites devoted to promoting anorexia and sometimes bulimia. These websites typically have “tips” for how to starve yourself and prevent hunger. The forums also allow individuals to post anonymous comments and compare the progression of their weight loss. These websites can hinder recovery from an eating disorder or trigger disordered eating.
Taken from: https://www.mhanational.org/websites-and-apps-be-aware-cheat-sheet-parents.
Sunrise Lake Seventh Grade Field Trip Initial Info
We are very excited to inform you that this spring our seventh grade students will have the opportunity to attend a day trip to Sunrise Lake Outdoor Education Center in Bartlett, Illinois. The purpose of this field trip is to incorporate science and social studies curriculum into outdoor activities that contribute to a sense of togetherness and instill teamwork within our students.
Each seventh grade team will attend the field trip on their own individual day:
- 7 WEST will attend on Thursday, May 11, 2023
- 7 EAST will attend on Friday, May 12, 2023
The trip will take place during the school day (7:45am- 2:45pm) and students can take regular transportation to and from SMS that day. More information including permission slips will be emailed out via School Messenger in the near future.
Author Visit
Thanks to the generosity of AHML, the sixth graders at South will have the opportunity to attend a visit by author, illustrator, and cartoonist, Maria Scriven on Thursday, March 2, 2023. Her best-selling graphic novel series, Nat Enough, is widely popular with middle-grade readers and we look forward to her visit.
You can order Maria Scrivan’s popular graphic novels here through The Book Stall until February 27, 2023. Books will be delivered to South, signed by the author, and then distributed to students by Mrs. O’Kelly.
SMS Book Drive, February 6-24, 2023
Please help the South Student Council by donating story books, chapter books and board books that are in excellent condition to help Bernie’s Book Bank in their mission to make books accessible to all children. They have been serving the Chicagoland area since 2009. Please send in books that are appropriate for children 12 and under that are in excellent condition from February 6-24, 2024. Bernie’s does not accept nonfiction, young adult, or adult books
Thank you, Mrs. Vassos!
We would like to thank Mrs. Sophie Vassos for her hard work and dedication for creating, organizing and managing the Sweetheart Tournaments for the past 8 years. These tournaments allowed students to participate in the game they love.
Eighth Grade Girls Volleyball Champs
Congratulations to South's eighth grade girls volleyball team on winning the Frostbite Invite at Holmes Jr. High as well as the Sweetheart Tournament at South. South played Thomas to win the championship at both tournaments!
Seventh Grade Girls Volleyball
Congratulations to the seventh grade girls volleyball team who took second place in the Bolingbrook Tournament on February 4, 2023.
South's Wrestling Team
Congratulations to South's Wrestling team finishing third at the Holmes Invite on February 4, 2023.
South's Jazz Band at the 25th Jazz Jamboree
D25 All-Stars Sock-A-Thon
Our D25 All-Stars Sock-A-Thon is underway! If you would like to support our D25 Special Olympics Team, please CLICK HERE and buy some socks! Half of the proceeds will go to support the D25 Special Olympics Team, the D25 All-Stars.
Then, you can rock your socks on March 21, 2023, for World Down Syndrome Day and to support our All-Stars! *Sale ends March 3, 2023.*
Eighth Grade Important Dates
Graduation - June 1, 2023
Graduation will be at Rolling Meadows High School on Thursday, June 1, 2023. Our goal is to have an outdoor ceremony in the football stadium, weather permitting. We will monitor the weather that week to determine if we will have an indoor or outdoor ceremony.
Additional Important Dates
- May 30, 2023: Eighth Grade Great America Field Trip
- May 31, 2023: PTA Sponsored Eighth Grade Picnic, 12:30-2:45pm
Teacher Appreciation Feedback Wanted!
South teachers and staff work so hard to support our students' learning and well-being. You are invited to fill out the form below if you would like to recognize a staff member or team for their positive efforts. We will be sure to pass along the good news. Thank you in advance for sharing your encouraging words.
Recognizing South Graduates
We are looking to honor South graduates who have made significant accomplishments/achievements by displaying them on a TV monitor that is located in our school entrance. We are asking you to please complete this form and provide us with a picture of the graduate.
Free COVID-19 Testing Kits
Free COVID-19 testing kits are now available at South Middle School. If you would like one or more for your family, please come by South Middle School and simply request them with our front office staff!
South Yearbook Chair Needed
South PTA is looking for a chairperson to organize the purchase and distribution of yearbooks this school year. Much of this work starts at the end of February.
Yearbook chairperson responsibilities:
- Work in conjunction with staff advisor.
- Work with contracted printer.
- Inform staff and students of yearbook publication, purchase price, and purchase dates.
- Work with membership chair and treasurer to keep accurate records of yearbook sales and money collected.
- Submit all money received and expenses incurred directly to PTA Treasurer along with Expense or Deposit Vouchers.
- Distribute yearbook at end of school year.
If you know anyone who might be interested (including yourself!) please reply to Brian Wolf or Jenny Skidmore.
Eighth Grade Picnic Chairperson Needed
The PTA is still looking for someone to Chair the Eighth Grade Picnic Committee. Our graduating class had a rough introduction to Middle School due to COVID; let's give them a terrific sendoff this spring.
Anyone interested please contact Brian T. Wolf by email sms.pta.presidents@gmail.com or by phone 847-943-9653. Sixth and seventh grade parents are welcome too!
The next PTA meeting is March 16, 2023, 6:30pm on Zoom.
Volunteers Needed
The South PTA still needs volunteers! Please fill out the attached form to let us know how you can help. Day, evening and at-home jobs are available. The PTA relies on your help to make things happen! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Tj3mihaJZDe6fzIJBaywH2M6_gTvHy5YwkWTem7MzMo/edit
Office Information
The SMS Office is open Monday-Friday, 7am-3pm.
Address: 400 South Highland Avenue, Arlington Heights, IL 60005
Twitter: @AHSD25South
Main Line: (847) 398-4250
Absence Line: (847) 506-6999 x7300
Fax line: (847) 394-6260