Cardinal Corner
October 16 - 31, 2019
Important Dates
Oct. 17 - Fall Play, 7-9pm (Day performance for students.)
Oct. 18 - Fall Play, 7-9pm (Day performance for students.); IAR Reports Sent Home
Oct. 19 - Cross Country State Meet, 12pm, Normal IL
Oct. 21-24 LMC Book Fair
http://southmiddleschoollmc.weebly.com/uploads/2/7/3/6/27360009/parent_info_flyer.png
Oct. 24 - 25 - Parent/Teacher Conferences (No Student Attendance)
Oct. 24 - Chorus Concert, at 7pm, RMHS
Oct. 25 - End of First Quarter
Nov. 1 - 1st Qtr. Report Cards
Principal's Column
Dear South School Families:
It seems like the beginning of school was ages ago. We have had an eventful first quarter of school. We have had two successful and enjoyable all school assemblies. Students and staff participated in our crisis day events, including a relocation to our safety location. The girl's basketball teams and South's cross country team had successful seasons. Finally, South's fall play will take place this Thursday and Friday evenings. Students and staff will have the pleasure of watching the plays during the morning.
Teachers are looking forward to discussing your child's progress during South's Parent-Teacher Conferences on October 24 -25, 2019.
We would like to thank all of our volunteers for organizing and chaperoning our 7th Grade Activity Night at the Mount Prospect Community Center on October 4th. We really appreciate all that you do for our students. Also, we would like to thank the PTA for bringing the Funkadesi Band to South, who performed for our students on Friday, October 11th. Our students enjoyed learning about the musicians, listening to songs, and learning about instruments from their countries of origin (West Africa, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico), to open conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Please save the date of Nov. 18, 2019, to attend a special viewing of the movie, Angst. This powerful documentary depicts student's struggle with anxiety and depression, along with providing insight and coping strategies that parents and teachers can use to support these individuals. We have been observing an incredible increase in the number of students trying to manage anxiety. This movie will provide you with clues and things to watch for to identify a child with anxiety before it is too late. Please see the section below for further information.
Have a great two weeks,
Dr. Jim Morrison, Principal
South Middle School
Parent/Teacher Conferences Reminder
Conferences are on Thurs., Oct. 24th from 8:30am -7:45pm for individual parent-teacher conferences. As in the previous years, Fri., Oct. 25th is reserved for team-recommended conferences only. Online conference scheduling will remain open through Wed., Oct. 16th at 10pm. Here is the link to sign up for conferences. www.myconferencetime.com/southmiddle
SAVE THE DATE... PLEASE JOIN US FOR A SPECIAL VIEWING OF THE 'ANGST' MOVIE AT 7PM, MON., NOV. 18, 2019
IndieFlix Shines the Light on Anxiety with Must-See Documentary,
“ANGST: RAISING AWARENESS AROUND ANXIETY”
WHEN: Mon., Nov. 18, 2019, at 7pm
WHERE: CMX Arlington Heights Theater, 53 S Evergreen Ave., Arlington Heights
District 25 is dedicated to supporting social-emotional learning to help build the emotional intelligence of our students. We are proud to announce that South and Thomas Middle Schools, with support of their PTAs, are working together to bring the powerful film, Angst, to our school community. This 56-minute film provides insight on the impact of anxiety, the most common mental health challenge in the U.S. Our hope is to help open the lines of communication between you and your child(ren) around this topic.
The middle school staffs at both buildings, will view the film at a staff meeting on Mon., Nov. 18, 2019. At 7pm that evening, we will host a special screening of the documentary for our school community at CMX Arlington Heights Theater, 53 S Evergreen Ave., Arlington Heights.
Stay tuned for information on how to Pre-Register to Reserve Your FREE Seats
Below you will find specifics on the Angst: Raising Awareness Around Anxiety Movie:
Producers Scilla Andreen and Karin Gornick have one goal: to start a global conversation and raise awareness around anxiety. Through candid interviews, they utilize the power of film to tell the stories of many kids and teens who discuss their anxiety and its impacts on their lives and relationships, as well as how they’ve found solutions and hope. The film also includes a special interview with Michael Phelps, a mental health advocate and one of the greatest athletes of all-time. In addition, the documentary provides discussions with mental health experts about the causes of anxiety and its sociological effects, along with resources and tools available to address the condition.
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health challenge in the U.S., impacting 54 percent of females and 46 percent of males, with age seven being the median age of onset, according to the World Health Organization. While anxiety disorders are highly treatable, only one-third of those suffering receive treatment. You will find tools and resources on the Angstmovie.com website.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Jim Morrison, Principal, South Middle School.
Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) Information
New 6th and 7th grade students will be participating in the CogAT assessment on Thurs., Oct. 17th. The CogAT’s measurement of three different content domains ensures that educators receive a balanced view of each child. The CogAT consists of three test batteries: Verbal Reasoning; Quantitative Reasoning; and Nonverbal Reasoning. Testing totals 90 minutes in length and is given in three 30-minute sessions over three days. Results will be sent home in November.
Food Sharing/Food Allergies Policy
Though we understand parents want to help their children celebrate special occasions, including birthdays, we cannot allow it at school, especially by bringing food to share with other students. We have many students with food allergy issues. Sending your student with celebratory food also disrupts the learning environment.
Please do not bring or have your child bring food to share at South Middle School.
Lost & Found
Lost & Found will be displayed on tables in the hallway behind the Multi-Purpose Room during conferences. Please check for your child’s items! Everything leftover will be donated.
Honoring Our Veterans
November 11th is Veteran’s Day, a day to honor men and women who have served in the United States Armed Forces. Many students and parents of the South community know a veteran, or active service member and we want to honor these veterans and thank them for their service. Rather than just celebrate veterans on November 11th, we will be honoring at least one veteran and/or active service member per day throughout the month of November during the morning announcements.
We are asking that any interested families send us either a short video or a photograph with some additional information. Attached is a form to fill out with the pertinent information to be included with the photo. The information on the form should also be completed if choosing to submit a video. If sending a video, please keep it one minute or shorter and try to make mention of all the items on the form. If a video file is too large I can work with the individual families to ensure we receive them so they can be in the announcements. Please email
smsannounce@sd25.org with your photos/videos and information by Oct. 29th. You can have the Veteran/Service Member create the video themselves, or you can create one on their behalf. While we have found the videos to be more powerful, whichever format you choose will be a great way to honor your loved service member.
If the response from staff and students’ families is strong we will feature more than one veteran per day in the announcements. Please let Mr. Perkins know if you have any questions or suggestions at
sperkins@sd25.org.
Sports Physical
Please provide a current physical exam or sports physical to the South health office if your child will be trying out for sports. (These are required to even try out!)
Middle School Outreach Program
We would like to invite the Middle Schools in Chicago NW Suburbs to attend the annual Middle School Outreach Program sponsored by Honeywell UOP and AICHE (American Institute of Chemical Engineers).
The Outreach Program is a one day event for middle schools designed to expose students to chemical and other engineering professions. The program gives students the opportunity to interact with industry professionals and includes presentations from keynote speakers; such as NASA Astronaut Al Sacco and other practicing engineers. Students will be presented current topics of interest, from general engineering practices to developments in green energy projects. The program will also include an interactive game about engineering and will include an open panel discussion which will allow students to ask questions, and directly converse with practicing engineers.
The event is scheduled for Tues., Nov. 19, 2019, 9am – 1pm for Middle Schools. The program is complimentary and lunch is provided.
Attached please find a flyer which contains a brief description of the Middle School Outreach Program, a description about program sponsors AIChE and UOP Honeywell.
Please RSVP if your school is interested in participating in this program. Space is limited and we are accepting school on a first come, first serve basis.
We hope that your school can participate in this year’s Middle School Outreach Program. We hope that you are the right person to contact. If not, it would be great if you can forward our invitation to the right person.
Please contact either Richard Isherwood at Richard.Isherwood@Honeywell.com or me, Kim Diercks at Kimberly.Diercks@Honeywell.com for more information.
Sincerely,
Kimberly S. Diercks
Customer Training Specialist
Honeywell UOP
25 E. Algonquin Rd. Des Plaines, IL 60017
P: (847) 391-3044 | C: (847) 912-9437
Kimberly.Diercks@honeywell.com
Kimberly.Diercks@uop.com
www.uoptraining.com
www.uop.com
Halloween
As Halloween approaches, we would like to inform everyone how we will celebrate Halloween at South Middle School.
Students are allowed to wear costumes only on Thurs., Oct. 31, 2019. However, it is our goal to have an uninterrupted school day while celebrating this fun holiday. We will not be having any Halloween parties during or after the school day, as they may have experienced in elementary school.
For those students who wish to wear a costume to school on Halloween, the following rules must be adhered to:
- Students are not allowed to change outfits/costumes at school;
- SMS Dress Code will be enforced;
- No costumes depicting violence nor costumes that are inappropriate in a school setting;
- No applying make up or hair spray on school grounds;
- No masks that cover the face are to be worn at school, nor full-coverage face paint (a little face paint is ok);
- No props are to be brought to school;
- No inflatable costumes;
- Students are not allowed to bring candy or treats to school.
We plan to have a safe, productive learning environment on this day, while providing the opportunity for those to wear costumes on Halloween. We look forward to seeing the creative costumes that some of our students will wear.
Please contact the South Middle School administration if you have any questions.
Local Unit Honor award
South PTA received a local unit honor award from the Northwest Cook Region PTA. Thanks to all our volunteers who help create a strong PTA, especially last year's executive board -- Mary DeMaria, Jen Strimling, Dolores Georg, and Sarah Theodossopoulos.
South PTA Needs You
Want to get involved in South PTA? We still have openings for this school year for the following committees: ABC/25 Liaisons, Prospect High School Liaison, Rolling Meadows High School Liaison, Juvenile Protection, Legislation, Reflections, School Board Representative, and Volunteer Coordinator.
7th Grade Activity Night
We entertained more than 100 students during our South PTA 7th Grade Activity Night on Oct. 4th. Thanks for all the donations and to our parent volunteers. Special thanks to our chairs, Nicole Escobedo and Tracey Petrusonis.
South Staff Dinner
South PTA will host a staff dinner during parent/teacher conferences on Thurs., Oct. 24th. Look for a SignUp Genius soon to donate your time or food.
Cultural Assembly
On Oct. 11th, South PTA brought the Funkadesi band to all grades. The musicians shared stories, songs, and instruments from around the world to open deeper conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion. Thanks to our chairs, Kim Buck and Dolores Georg, for coordinating it.
