Oriole's Nest
September 30, 2022
Avon Middle School South
Email: msattendance@avon-schools.org
Website: https://www.avon-schools.org/mssouth
Location: 7199 East US Highway 36, Avon, IN, USA
Phone: 317-544-5700
Twitter: @avonsouth
ACSC 2022 - 2023 School Calendar
IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES
October 3, 2022 - Fundraiser Delivery of Items Sold
October 6, 2022 - Picture Retake Day
October 10 - 21, 2022 - Fall Break - NO SCHOOL!
November 8, 2022 - E-Learning Day - All students work from home this day
November 23 - 25, 2022 - Thanksgiving Break - NO SCHOOL!
Fundraiser Delivery of Items Sold
Smaller orders that can be sent home with students on the bus will be given to students to take home, larger orders can be picked up at door #28 between 4:00 - 7:00PM.
8th Grade Visit to Area 31
Avon Middle School South will be taking 8th grade students to tour the Area 31 Career Center on October 3rd and 4th. Area 31 is a Career Center located on the Ben Davis High School campus. It provides juniors and seniors from Avon and other surrounding area schools with real-world work experience and prepares students for a high-wage, high-demand career right out of high school OR gives them a head start on a college degree. Students can earn college credits that can be transferred to a two or four year college.
Area 31 students attend career preparation classes for a half-day – either morning or afternoon – everyday. The other half of the day is spent at Avon High School. We are excited our 8th grade students will get to tour this facility and begin thinking about whether or not this is something that interests them as they progress through high school. Please direct any questions to Kasey Baughn, 8th Grade School Counselor (kmbaughn@avon-schools.org).
NOTE: If you would like for your child to opt out of the field trip, please contact Kasey Baughn by September 26, 2022.
You can learn more about the Area 31 program here: https://area31careercenter.com/
Dodge Ball for the Mary Lee Maier Food Pantry
So far we have collected $875 of the $2,700 we are trying to raise for the Avon Schools Food Pantry. We will host a dodge ball tournament after school on Thursday, October 6. Students who want to participate in the dodge ball tournament will need to donate $5 to the food Pantry. Parents will need to pick you up at school at 6:00 pm. Student can sign up to participate in the Dodge Ball Tournament through the link posted in Schoology by Mr. Chapin on Friday, September, 30th.
UPCOMING ATHLETIC EVENTS
Football
7th grade: 10/5 @Avon High School vs. AMS North 5:00PM
8th grade: 10/5 @Avon High School vs. AMS North 6:15PM
Good luck!
Boys' Tennis
10/3 County Round 1 @AMS North vs. Brownsburg East 5:00PM
10/3 Round 2 & Round 3 @AMS North Time: TBD
Good luck!
Boys Basketball Open Gym
Boys Basketball will begin pre-season open gyms on Wednesday's from 8:00 - 9:00AM before school. These workouts are optional and will be held every Wednesday. Please enter door 14.
A physical must have been completed after April 1, 2022 and uploaded to your PRIVIT account. If the student-athlete is not cleared in PRIVIT, they will not be able to participate. The required paperwork can be found by clicking on the links below.
Boys Basketball Try-Outs Announcement
Pick-up at door 14.
A physical must have been completed after April 1, 2022 and uploaded to your PRIVIT account. If the student-athlete is not cleared in PRIVIT, they will not be able to participate. The required paperwork can be found by clicking on the links below.
Girls Basketball Announcement
There will be a call-out meeting on Monday, November 21st for any girl interested in playing basketball. This meeting will be from 4:15-4:45PM.
Try-outs will be Thursday, December 1st, and Friday, December 2nd. Try-outs will run from 4:15-6:00PM.
Coach Staal, the Head Girls Basketball Coach at Avon High School, host workouts for 2nd-8th graders on Wednesday nights. These workouts are from 6:00-7:00 at Avon High School. There is a $5 fee to participate in the workout.
A physical must have been completed after April 1, 2022 and uploaded to your PRIVIT account. If the student-athlete is not cleared in PRIVIT, they will not be able to participate. The required paperwork can be found by clicking on the links below.
STUDENT INFORMATION
Student Laptops
Please remind your student(s) to charge their computers each night.
Order a 2022 - 2023 AMS South Yearbook now!
Yearbooks for the 2022 - 2023 school year are now on sale!
Below is more information for ordering this years yearbook, there is a flyer and a link to Josten's webpage.
Celebrating Birthday's This Week!
Happy Birthday
to our students celebrating a birthday this week:
Gavin Cook
Sophia Wall
Antwan Payne
Gabriel Richter
Truman Thorell
Timothy Abney
Kaden Mourning
Da'Naye Brown
John Phelps
Landon Byrd
Ryan Richardson
Myles Gray
Morenike Ogundele
Jace Boyd
Brody Moore
NJHS Study Tables
National Junior Honor Society will offer after school study help sessions on Wednesday’s after school from 4:10 - 5:00PM. Students will then go to the front commons area and wait for the late bus or parent pick-up. During this time, there will be a supervisor with the students while they wait for the late bus to arrive. Students that will be a car rider home on these days can be picked up at door 1 at 5:00PM.
If your student will be staying for the study session and they need bus transportation home they must sign up for the late bus in the Guidance Office at lunch that day. For those students taking the late bus home, the bus will leave AMS South at 5:10pm.
TEAM NEWS
Each week your child's team will give an update about the current week or week ahead. Please find your child's team below for that information. In addition, you will find news from our Encore teachers, Media Center, and PE/Wellness teachers.
Cardinals News
Mrs. Dugan, Mrs. Williams, Mr. Schubert & Mr. Uhl
Next week, in Social Studies, we will finish learning about Economies by testing on Tuesday and ending the week with a preview into Ancient Civilizations! In Language Arts, students will continue reading A Raisin in the Sun. They will finish Act I before fall break! Next week, in Science, we will finish out the corner by learning about states of matter and physical changes. In Math, we will be reviewing for and taking the Ch 3 Test. In Pre-Algebra, we will be finishing up graphs, tables, equations, and functions before taking the Unit 3 Test.
Grizzlies News
Mrs. Barnes, Mrs. Boroff, Mrs. Schroer & Ms. Weinstein
Social Studies students will have their economics unit test on Friday 10/7. We will study on Wednesday and Thursday in class. If you are going to be out of school on Friday, please tell Ms. Weinstein ahead of time. Math students will be preparing for their test on rational number computation, the test will be on Thursday, October 6. Pre-Algebra students will be preparing for their test on solving multi-step equations and graphing equation in slope-intercept form, the test will be on Thursday, October 6. Next week in Language Arts, we will be digging into A Raisin in the Sun with our group read-alouds. As we work through this story, we will practice our argumentative writing skills and develop our reading comprehension abilities.
This week in Science, we finished up our Quarter 1 units on the Engineering Design Process and the Scientific Method. We are looking forward to starting States of Matter next week. We’ve done just a bit of a preview this week.
Jaguars News
Mrs. Cassida, Ms. Hatton, Mrs. Ringham & Ms. Schaber
Ms. Costello, Ms. Gawrys, Mr. Thoennes & Mr. Walker
Language Arts
Mrs. Ringham - In Language Arts, students will continue exploring the motivations of the characters in A Raisin in the Sun.
Mr. Thoennes - In Language Arts, we will be starting to read the play A Raisin in the Sun.
Math & Pre-Algebra
Mrs. Cassida - In Math, students will finish up our study of rational number operations with a Chapter 3 test on Wednesday. Pre-Algebra students will have their Unit 3 test over the distributive property and linear equations on Friday.
Ms. Costello - In Math, we will be beginning Chapter 4 on proportions and expressions.
Science
Ms. Schaber - Science students will be introduced to the different states of matter.
Ms. Gawrys - In Science, we will beginning our physical science unit with states of matter!
Social Studies
Ms. Hatton - Social Studies students will be finishing up our economics unit with the Unit 3 test on Tuesday. In the days leading up to fall break, we will be introducing some basics of history like primary vs. secondary sources, BCE and CE, and how to read timelines to prep us for learning about ancient civilizations when we return from fall break!
Mr. Walker - In Social Studies, we will be taking a test over economics next Thursday before fall break.
Foresters News
Mrs. DeBow, Mrs. Mellen, Ms. Tobin & Mrs. Zimmerman
Ms. Costello, Ms. Gawrys, Mr. Thoennes & Mr. Walker
Language Arts
Mrs. Zimmerman - Language Arts classes will continue to read Frederick Douglass.
Mr. Thoennes - In Language Arts, we will be continuing to read about Frederick Douglass and injustices in a slaveholding society.
Pre-Algebra & Algebra
Mrs. DeBow - Next week, Pre-Algebra students will learn to recognize the growth and starting point of patterns from a table, graph, and rule. Algebra students will begin to write and solve systems of equations.
Ms. Costello - In Math, we will be continuing Chapter 4.
Science
Ms. Tobin - Science will be conducting a project where they can create their own organism.
Ms. Gawrys - In Science, we will be learning about classification of organisms and doing a project!
Social Studies
Mrs. Mellen - In Social Studies, students will be studying the Declaration of Independence.
Mr. Walker - In Social Studies, we will be wrapping up their Causes of the Revolutionary War Unit with a test this Friday the 30th then next week going to Area 31 to discover different career opportunities.
Greyhounds News
Mrs. Warthan, Ms. Kegley, Mr. Casey & Mr. Osen
Science classes will be taking a classification test. In Biology, students will be taking an ecology test, part 2. Algebra classes will be solving systems of equations with subtraction and graphing. In Pre-Algebra, students will be solving y=mx+b and making connections between multiple representations of linear relationships. In Social Studies, students will begin to analyze the Declaration of Independence. Language Arts students will be continuing read Frederick Douglass and studying literacy among slave holding societies.
Greyhound Team Information:
One more week until fall break!
Panthers News
Mrs. Hood, Mr. Rodgers, Mrs. Taylor & Mr. Williams
In Pre-Algebra, students will be finding slope, graphing lines, and writing equations from multiple representations. We also have a weekly IXL assignment of 10 diagnostic questions and 4 skills moved to 90. All skills need to be at the 8th grade level or higher. Algebra classes are continuing our unit on exponents and exponential functions. Students continue to investigate the rules for exponents and will begin to explore graphing and writing exponential functions. In Language Arts, students will be working on writing using the ToSEEC method. They will take a quiz over Chapters 1-4 of Frederick Douglass. They will end the week by reading Chapter 5. In Science, we will continue to learn about how life is classified and end the week building a make-believe beast. In Biology, we have a test on 10-5 over the second part of Ecology. A study guide was given last week. Extra copies are available on schoology. We will end the week exploring what we learned in Ecology and relate it to the movie, “Lion King.” In Social Studies, students will be introduced to the French and Indian War and the causes of the American Revolution. We will begin our book study; King George: What Was His Problem?
Encore News & World Languages
Señora Barker (Spanish), Mrs. Hauptmann (Japanese), Mr. Parr (Computer Science), Mrs. Leonard (Art), Mrs. Gleissner (FACS), Mr. Hamsley (Engineering and Technology), Mr. Wolf (Robotics) and Mrs. Snyder (Flight & Space and Medical Detectives)
Spanish
Students will be working to express likes and dislikes and prepare a short presentation on Friday.
Japanese
In Japanese, students are continuing hiragana and kanji characters; as well as numbers for ordering food.
Art
7th Graders will create a mandala painting with radial symmetry.
8th graders will create slab built mugs with a handle. We will use them on the last day of the quarter for a root beer float pitch-in.
Computer Science
7th grade: With the start of a new quarter, 7th grade classes will be learning about Sprites.
8th grade:
With the start of a new quarter, 7th grade classes will be learning about basic computer functions.
7th & 8th grade FACS
7th and 8th grade FACS will cover classroom procedures and expectations. 7th graders will begin the Interpersonal Relationships unit and 8th graders will begin the Financial Literacy unit.
7th grade Engineering and Design & 8th grade Gateway to Technology
With the start of a new quarter, we will be doing Lab safety in both 7th and 8th grade classes next week.
Flight & Space
Welcome to Flight & Space. We will be using this week to discuss procedures and expectations for this class. Please review the syllabus with your child and let me know if you have any questions. Thank-you.
Medical Detectives
Welcome to Medical Detectives. We will be using this week to discuss procedures and expectations for this class. Please review the syllabus with your child and let me know if you have any questions. Thank-you.
Robotics
Students will be introduced to robotics and the engineering design process.
PE/Wellness News
Mrs. Fair, Mrs. Lucas & Mr. Jackson
We are looking forward to welcoming new students to PE this quarter. We will go over expectations and begin activities this week. Students that don’t already have a PE locker will be given a locker so that they can change clothes. Students will need to change every day. They are required to have socks, tennis shoes, a gray t-shirt, and black shorts. We will be posting the grading scale and information regarding PE on Schoology as well as sending it via Parent Square.
Music Department News
Mr. Abbey (Band), Ms. Szymkow (Band), Mr. Zimmerman (Choir) & Mr. Miller (Orchestra)
Band
Pep Band and Jazz Band will not meet next week in preparation for Fall Break. ALL students are encouraged to take home their instruments to practice over Fall Break. PBIS points are awarded for students who take their instruments home over weekends and breaks; 3 points if the instrument goes home on Friday, 10 points if taken home over Fall Break!
Choir
Both 7th and 8th grade will have all of their holiday concert songs started before Fall Break. New sightreadingfactory.com assignments will resume and be due on Friday, October 7th.
Orchestra
All orchestra instruments need to go home over break. Thank you!
Media Moments with Ms. Sever
Media Center
Ms. Sever
Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15th to October 15th each year. In the library and on Sora, we have a variety of books written by Hispanic authors and featuring Hispanic characters and culture. This week, I would like to highlight a book about sports, friendship, and starting over called Falling Short by Ernesto Cisneros.
Isaac and Marco already know sixth grade is going to change their lives. But it won’t change things at home—not without each other’s help. Jewish-Mexican Marco is small and book-smart, while Isaac, who is also Latinx, is a gifted and hard-working basketball player who struggles to manage his homework. This year, star basketball player Isaac plans on finally keeping up with his schoolwork. Better grades will surely stop Isaac’s parents from arguing all the time. Meanwhile, straight-A Marco vows on finally winning his father’s approval by earning a spot on the school’s basketball team. But will their friendship and support for each other be enough to keep the two boys from falling short?
– Provided by HarperCollins Publishers
To learn more about Isaac and Marco, check out a copy of Falling Short by Ernesto Cisneros from the AMS South library!
OFFICE PROCEDURES
AMS South's Attendance Policy & Early Dismissal Proceedures
ABSENCE PROCEDURE
If a student is absent from school, the PARENT must call the school by 10:00 A.M. to report the absence. If no call is received, the automated school system will make an effort to contact the parent, but if NO PARENT CALL has been received by 3:00 P.M. the day following the absence, the student will be charged with an unexcused absence. You may also send an email to us to notify us of your child's absence at msattendance@avon-schools.org.
EARLY DISMISSALS
** Please be advised that we cannot take early dismissal information over the telephone. **
If your child needs to leave school early during the school day please send a note in with your child to bring to the office first thing in the morning or email us at
msattendance@avon-schools.org with all the necessary information: students name, date and time picking up, and the name of the person picking your child up if someone other than a parent or guardian will be picking up. This email will go directly to the front office secretaries and they will be able to get your child an early dismissal pass so that they can be in the front office when you are ready to pick them up. If you are unable to email us we will need you to come into the office with your valid ID, once we verify it is a parent/guardian picking up we will be able to call the student down for dismissal.
If someone other than a parent or guardian will be picking up your child we MUST have this information in writing from a parent/guardian. Please include his or her name on the note or email. Once we verify their photo ID then the student can sign out and leave.
If leaving early for a doctor/dentist/orthodontist appointment, please provide verification note from the appointment to the main office to ensure that the absence is excused.
Using this email will ensure your child will get a pass out of class to be in the office. Please do not use Parent Square to send a message to your child's teachers as we cannot guarantee that this message will get to the front office to get your child a pass. Our teachers are very busy throughout the day and may not be able to check Parent Square often, or if the teacher is out that day we would not get that message in the front office in time to get your child an early dismissal pass.
We want to make sure that your information is getting to the right person in a timely manner, and hopefully prevent any miscommunication or missed messages.
Pre-Arranged Absences
It is our belief that students can best achieve academic success by being in school every day. We also understand that a student may occasionally have an opportunity to experience extraordinary opportunities that may result in a missed day of school. The principal or designee may grant a pre-arranged absence, if the absence provides an extraordinary opportunity for the student and/or family. The request must be submitted at least five school days in advance of the requested absence. The student will be required to complete all missed work upon his/her return to school.
No more than three days of pre-arranged absences will be approved each year. Pre-arranged absences may not be granted during the following circumstances:
- I-Learn
- During semester exams
- When the requested absence would push the student’s attendance record into excessive absence status or if the student has surpassed the allowable number of absences.
AMS South Visitors Policy
For Visitors to our Building
Avon Schools require all visitors to check-in at the front office using our visitor management system, Safe Visitor. This system requires visitors to scan their driver's license or state identification card for a check of their record. A temporary badge is provided to all visitors to wear while in our buildings. As our visitors leave school, they scan and return that badge to front office staff.
Entering the Building
Anyone entering our building beyond the front office will need to have a valid photo ID with them so that they can be checked in through our Safe Visitor Solutions system. You will be given a badge to wear while in the building so that you are identified as a visitor. When leaving you will return to the front office so that we can check you out of Safe Visitor Solutions and take your badge.
Visiting Students during Lunch
At this time, we are allowing parents/guardians to have lunch with their child during their specified lunch time in our commons area outside of the cafeteria. Parents must follow our policy for entering our building listed above; present a valid photo ID and be checked into our Safe Visitor system. Please take note that this process may take a few minutes to get you checked into our system so please allow for a few extra minutes for that process.
**If someone other than a parent/guardian would like to have lunch with your student, we MUST have that information in writing in advance from a parent/guardian. You can either send a note in with your student to bring to the office when they arrive at school in the morning, or you can email our attendance line with the information at msattendance@avon-schools.org
BUILDING ACCESS
Please be prepared to identify yourself, provide a valid photo ID, and provide a reason for your visit when you arrive. Thank you for your patience in adapting to the updated and more secure system.
21st CENTURY SCHOLARS
7th and 8th grade parents: Your children may be eligible for a college scholarship!
View the form below for more information.
STUDENT LAPTOP RENTAL INSURANCE
Worth Ave. Group Laptop Insurance
Avon Community Schools has chosen Worth Ave. Group as the vendor of choice to insure school-issued laptops rented by students. Insurance with Worth Ave. Group will protect the device against: Accidental Damage, Theft, Fire, Flood, Natural Disasters, Power Surge and Vandalism. This insurance policy will provide full replacement cost coverage and will protect the item worldwide (on and off school grounds). The policy is also transferable to a replacement unit. Insurance plans may be purchased online.
- Coverage Term: July 18, 2022 - July 18, 2023
- It is up to you to renew yearly.
- Deadline to Purchase Coverage: September 5, 2022
- Yearly Insurance Rates:
- 6th-12 Grade: Lenovo 11e Laptop $45.00
- Costs are prorated for enrollment after September 5.
STUDENT HANDBOOK
COMMUNITY NEWS
Avon Education Foundation Upcoming Events
Homework Hotline
Need help with Math and Science homework?
Call the Homework Hotline
1-877-ASK-ROSE
Click below to visit their website
Avon High School Athletic Events
The Avon High School Athletic Administrators asked us to pass along the following information regarding middle school students attending football games. Please read carefully as students must purchase tickets online prior to showing up at the stadium.
Students must have a digital ticket or All Sport Pass for entry. Tickets are $7 this year for Varsity events. To expedite entry, the ticket should be purchased ahead of time via the link with a credit card. Ticket info for purchasing online single event tickets and/or All Sport Passes (which will be sent to the purchaser’s phone) can be found at https://websites.eventlink.com/s/avon-high-school/Tickets. Tickets can be purchased on the link provided for Home and Away events throughout the school year.
K-8 STUDENTS ATTENDING FOOTBALL EVENTS AT AVON HIGH SCHOOL - It is highly encouraged that all elementary and middle school students be accompanied by a paid adult. Unsupervised students will be required to sit in the middle school section on the SW corner of the Football Stadium and will not be allowed to wonder around. Backpacks, shoestring bags, and sports equipment (footballs, frisbees, etc.) are not permitted at AHS athletic events.
Mary Lee Maier Community Pantry Information
The Mary Lee Maier Community Pantry is available to Avon school families and employees.
Every Thursday from 5:00 - 6:00PM (when school is in session)
at Avon Intermediate School East
Please do not arrive before 4:30PM due to AIS bus/school traffic
Enrollment is simple. Please complete your 2022 - 2023 enrollment before you shop. Below you will find more information for enrollment, please click the link below.