South Middle School
Est. 1932...The Spartan tradition continues
JANUARY 2019
Best Wishes in 2019!
In Appreciation at the start of the new year…
- To our South parents for your help, understanding, and support throughout the year!
- To our students and staff for their involvement in a variety of kindness and caring activities. During the month of December, South held an all-school food drive, sponsored an Angel Tree, and promoted other activities that demonstrated “caring.”
- To our South PTO and parents for providing the “12 Days of Treats” for our South staff before the holiday break! This thoughtful gesture was very much appreciated.
- To our parents and staff who helped chaperone the all-school Sunrise Dance in December. The South gym was creatively decorated in the holiday theme, our students and staff were dressed in the holiday spirit, and our students shared their line dancing skills learned in PE classes. This special activity started in the mid 70s and is part of our long and strong Spartan tradition!
- To our South PE teachers, Mrs. Cindy Marhula, Mr. Randy Votava, and Mr. Brian Halvorson, for continuing this special Spartan tradition of the Sunrise Dance that was started more than 45 years ago by their PE colleagues, Mr. Norm Swenson and Mr. John Horpedahl!
- Thank you to our students, parents, and staff for your SPARTAN TEAMWORK!
20th ANNIVERSARY
South's students, families, and staff did an amazing job making things work during a challenging and exciting time. If you were part of this journey, please email or call to share your stories, memories, or pictures of this special time in our South Spartan history.
North Dakota YRBS & YTS Surveys
Our middle school is taking part in the 2019 North Dakota Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and the 2019 North Dakota Youth Tobacco Survey (YTS) sponsored by the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction and Department of Health. The YRBS survey will ask about nutrition, physical activity, injuries, tobacco, alcohol, other drug use, sexual behavior and school climate. The content of the YTS survey includes tobacco questions related to: prevalence (cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, cigars, and pipes); knowledge and attitudes; cessation; environmental tobacco smoke; media and advertising; minors' access; and school curriculum.
Students in grades 6-8 will be asked to fill out a questionnaire that takes about 45 minutes to complete. Doing this survey will cause no risk to students. The survey has been designed to protect student privacy. No student or class will ever be mentioned by name in a report of the results. The results of the survey will help establish trends over time that can be utilized in school planning and curriculum development.
We would like all selected students to take part in the survey, but the survey is voluntary. No action will be taken against the school, you, or your child, if your child does not take part. Students can skip any question they do not wish to answer. In addition, students may stop participating in the survey at any point without penalty.
The survey will be available in the front office for you to preview, if you desire. At this time, if you decide you do not want your child to take part in the survey, we will have you sign the appropriate form attached below. A letter was also mailed home to our sixth grade parents about the ND YRBS Survey. The survey will be given at South on Thursday, January 24, during Spartan Time.
NOTE: If you would like to have an electronic Microsoft Word version of this document emailed to you, please contact Mark Winkelman at mrwinkelman@gmail.com
SOUTH SPIRIT NIGHT - Deek's Pizza Fundraiser
SOUTH GEOGRAPHY BEE
Congratulations to our more than 30 South students who have advanced to the second and final round of South's Geography Bee. The final competition will be held on Wednesday, January 16, starting at 3:45 p.m. in Rm. 402. Parents and families are welcome to attend this competition! Best Wishes to all of our contestants!
DISCOVERY DAY: D-Day
It’s coming…South’s annual Discovery Day, our all-school activity event, will be held on Friday, February 8! The D-Day booklet, describing the variety of activities, was handed out last week. Our students will be registering for activities through their core classes on the following days: Gr. 8 = January 16; Gr. 7 = January 17; and Gr. 6 = January 18.
As part of our South Spartan Code of Honor, respectful and responsible behavior towards self, others, and school will earn students the opportunity to participate in this exploratory day of various activities. Over the years, our South students have earned a reputation of being respectful participants at the various venues in the community and at school. This all-school activity day is considered a regular school day and attendance counts. More Information on D-Day is available on our South Webpage. If you have any questions about D-Day, please call the school office at 746-2345.
STUDENTS OF HONOR
Each month, teams select a boy and girl who exemplify the Spartan Code of Honor: Respect Self, Respect Others, Respect School and are positive role models. These students are given a Spartan Code of Honor T-Shirt, a free ala carte, and their picture is taken for the display case by the office.
Congratulations to the following students for being chosen as our Students of Honor for the month of December!
- Comets 6: Eathan Grant and Rylie Lelm
- Rockets 6: Sebastian Aure and Runxuan "Maggie" Kang
- Challenger 7: Tristan Lemoine and Ava Wray
- Discovery 7: Latrell Rainey and Makenzie Wavra
- Explorer 8: Isaiah Patlan and Megan Behm
- Voyageur 8: Brett Feller and Sacred Luke
NO SCHOOL - January 21 Martin Luther King, Jr., Day
CHARACTER EDUCATION
Each month one of the Six Pillars of Character Education is addressed with our students during Prime Time, South’s advisory period. The Character Education focus for January is RESPONSIBIILITY. We encourage parents/guardians to continue to have these discussions at home with your child. Working together, we can help our youth understand more clearly the importance of making good and responsible choices as individuals and as members of our community. February’s Character Education focus will be FAIRNESS.
SUPERNOVA
Students of Character
Congratulations to the following students for being chosen as “Students of Character” by the Supernova, allied arts, teachers. All of these young adults have shown a respectful and trusting attitude. They are also very helpful, kind, and fair toward their peers and teachers. Their photos are displayed near the front entrance of the school to recognize these wonderful achievements. The students will also receive a coupon for an a la carte item.
DECEMBER
- Grade 6: Aspen Coss and Asher Green
- Grade 7: Nivanthi Wijetunga and Owen Hull
- Grade 8: Maysa Christman and Mohamed Hirsi
DISTRICT CALLING SYSTEM
The GF District uses an automated calling system to notify our parents whenever school is delayed or cancelled due to severe weather conditions. The automated call will occur between 6:30 – 7:00 a.m.
In the event of a two-hour delay, there would be no early morning music classes or athletic practices. Buses would run two hours later. Prime Time classes would start at 10:40 a.m.
MUSIC NOTES
South Band:
The annual Myra Jazz Band Festival will be held on Tuesday, January 29, and Wednesday, January 30, 2019. Area middle school jazz bands will be performing on January 29. The South Jazz Band is scheduled to perform at 10:00 am at Red River High School. Parents are invited to attend. After performing, our guest clinicians will be providing feedback and working with each group on stage for a few minutes.
The high school sands and the Myra Jazz Arts Band will perform on January 30. The Myra Jazz Arts Band is comprised of local educators and musicians to play as a back up band featuring our guest artists. Our clinicians and soloists are Earl Mac Donald on piano, who is a Winnipeg, Manitoba, native and presently the Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Connecticut. Jon Gordon on Alto Sax is a native New Yorker and has performed in many New York City renowned jazz clubs. He currently resides in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and serves as an associate professor of Jazz Saxophone at the University of Manitoba while maintaining a heavy presence in the NYC Jazz scene. Our jazz students from South will be attending this performance to hear authentic jazz performed by some of the very best professional jazz soloists. The concert will be held at 1:00 pm on January 30 in the Red River High School Performing Arts Auditorium and is open to the public.
All City Orchestra Festival:
The annual Electrify Your Strings Concert will take place on Friday, January 25, at 7:00 pm at RRHS. Our students will be in rehearsals at RRHS from 9:00-2:00 pm on Friday. Please call 746-2411 for tickets.
South Choir All-State Honors:
Congratulations to Ashlyn Pinard, Jonah Borth, and Hannah Holte, who were named to the ND All-State Honor Choir. They will participate in the ACDA All-State Choir Festival in Grand Forks during the weekend of February 1-2. Great Job!
South Orchestra All-State Honors:
Congratulations to the following South students who were named to the State Middle Level Honors Orchestra 2019: Gr. 8 = Gabriella Campani, Matthew Moe, Ryan Nordhagen, Megan Schill; Gr. 7 = Morgan Hartze. These students will be participating in All-State Orchestra during the weekend of February 8-9 in Fargo. Super Job to all!
Grade 6 Choir:
The Grade 6 Choir began on January 8th under the direction of Mrs. Becky Mercer. Choir practice is being held on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the General Music classroom from 3:35-4:20 p.m. The 6th Grade Choir Concert will be on Tuesday, February 12, at 7:00 p.m. in the South Cafetorium.
The South Middle School music department always welcomes the donation of instruments and old lesson books. The music department also collects General Mills Box Tops. These box tops may be dropped off in the band room, or main office at any time.
Role Model
means that every time you say something, behave in a certain way, or react to someone or
something, your kids are observing your behavior. From preschoolers learning how to manage
frustration by watching you to teenagers observing how you handle your personal relationships
or work stress, your kids are always watching. The good news is that teaching by example is
often easier and more effective than forcing your kids to obey rules by scaring, threatening, or
bribing them with rewards.
How do I role model? Visit http://www.parentslead.org/
Gr. 8 RR Parent Registration Meeting
The Red River High School Registration Meeting for our eighth grade students and parents will be held on Monday, February 11, at 7:00 p.m. in the South Cafetorium. RR staff members will explain the ninth grade course options. On Thursday, February 14, the RR counselors will be at South to complete the registration process with our eighth graders.