Southridge Middle School
February 2016
February has been an exciting month at Southridge Middle School in many ways. Even though the groundhog said that we would have an early Spring, Old Man Winter has kept us in suspense of what he will give us next. More weather delays and snow days have turned even the best plans awry.
Besides all of the weather news, please keep reading as we highlight some very impressive accomplishments by our students.
Mission Statement
And the W-I-N-N-E-R Is.......
Jaffet Cruz, pictured below as he accepted his award for being the Southridge Middle School Spelling Bee winner last December, exhibited his spelling prowess again on February 13, 2016. This time, however, Jaffet was declared the winner of the Tri-State Spelling Bee at Ivy Tech Community College in Evansville, Indiana. Jaffet achieved this honor by correctly spelling the word "degradation" in the 28th round of the competition. Jaffet outlasted Charu Jain of Casey Middle School in Mt. Vernon, Illinois. This was the second time that Jain finished as runner-up in the competition.
In a newspaper interview, Jaffet admitted that he hadn't really studied very much before the competition. He just considered himself lucky. Lucky or not, Jaffet's talent for spelling words correctly has earned him a trip to Washington, D.C. on April 30 to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. CONGRATULATIONS AND GOOD LUCK, JAFFET!
Don't Try to Stop Me.......
At the beginning of the school year, teachers and staff were given information concerning one of our new sixth graders. This year we would have a blind student.
All sixth graders usually come to Southridge Middle School with mixed emotions. There are new classmates to meet, new teachers to adjust to, a different building to get lost in, new schedules to figure out, and the list goes on. For the average student, these changes can cause a few uneasy moments.
Enter, Drew Meece. From the moment Drew came through our doors, there was no doubt that he had everything under control. Drew knows what he wants and how he wants to do it. There is no stopping this young man, although some have tried. On Saturday, February 13, Drew traveled to Indianapolis to compete in the Indiana Braille Challenge. He has won his age division for a least the past three years. And even though the results of this competition will not be known until May, he seems very confident that he did well again this year. Good Luck, Drew!
Extra! Extra! Read All About It!
Headline News! Word has been received that the winners in the Indiana Braille Challenge have been announced. In the Sophomore Group, Southridge Middle School sixth grader, Drew Meece, place FIRST.
In the Apprentice Division, Kaylei Carie, place third. Both students did very well, and we want them to know how very proud of them we are.
21st Century Scholar Program
College Tuition! Need to start thinking about the cost of College for your son or daughter! 21st Century Scholars is a program where you could get some or even all college expenses paid for.
"The 21st Century Scholars program is a national model for providing students financial assistance to access higher education in combination with the support they need to be academically prepared and successful once they get there," Indiana Commissioner for Higher Education Teresa Lubbers said.
Students apply for the 21st Century Scholars program in Grade 7 or 8 and take a pledge to avoid drugs, alcohol, and criminal activity and to maintain a GPA of at least 2.5.
To learn more about Indiana's 21st Century Scholars program and to get an application, go to http://www.in.gov/21stCenturyScholars.
School Motto
FEBRUARY Student of the Month
ISTEP Testing
This is just a reminder that ISTEP Testing begins next week. Southridge Middle School will be testing students in grades 6 thru 8 beginning on Tuesday, March 1. Testing will continue thru Friday, March 4.
Students are reminded to get plenty of rest and to eat a good breakfast each morning to ensure that they are alert and ready for testing.