The Cardinal Way

As a continuation from last week:

In the hallways of Southport High School, every staff member is a teacher, extending beyond the conventional understanding of educators. Our commitment goes beyond subject matter expertise; it encompasses fostering an environment where every student and staff member feels seen, heard, and valued.

The concept of collective teacher efficacy is the driving force behind our educational mission. We firmly believe that by working together as a team, we can positively influence the learning outcomes of all students. This belief is not just a mantra; it's a shared conviction that propels us forward, even when faced with challenges.

Supporting students who may be struggling, emotionally distant, or seemingly indifferent requires resilience and empathy. As a Southport family, we are here for each other. When one of us feels the weight of a challenging day, we rely on our colleagues to remind us of our impact and the importance of our roles in the lives of our students.

It's easy to champion the cause of those who readily engage, but our strength lies in our ability to uplift every student and staff member, especially those who may need it most. We listen, support, and collectively reinforce the idea that every member of the Southport family is crucial to the success and well-being of our school community.

We don't just teach subjects; we teach resilience, empathy, and the importance of believing in the potential of every person. By showing up for our kids and each other every day, we embody the spirit of what it means to Be a Cardinal.

Thank you for all that you do for our students, staff, community, and each other!

Ignite-Connect-Empower

With over 480,000 square feet of building to maintain, Bret Bass is always busy making sure the building is functioning so our students can learn and we can fully function in our daily responsibilities. Sometimes it's changing light sensors, repairing dirty smoke heads, and on really exciting days it's clearing out a foot of water from one of our interior heating systems so it stops leaking into a classroom. Thank you Bret for all that you do behind the scenes for our staff and students!

Congratulations to the 1,180 students on the Honor Roll (A - 364 and B - 816). Students were rewarded with pizza, cookies and a drink during iPass. Thank you to all who supported the students throughout the semester and to everyone who assisted with the honor roll celebration.

Congratulations again to the girls wrestling team for finishing their season as State Runner-Up. It was great to see and feel the support of the students and staff as the team and coaches walked the hallways during iPass on Friday. A special thanks to the band and cheerleaders for participating in the celebration walk as well.

Abbi Bor 115 lbs 8th place

Gelissa Reginald 120 lbs 5th place

Kyla Johnson 125 lbs 4th place

Leah Soots 155 lbs 7th place

AvaLyn Mosconi 170 lbs 1st place

Mercedes Tellechea 190 lbs State Qualifier

Olivia Durham 235 lbs State Qualifier

Team Regional Champions

Team Semistate Champions

Team State Runner Up

Jessica Lyons was in Orlando, Florida this week presenting at the FETC conference. She presented twice about Harnessing the Power of ChatGPT to Create Dynamic Lessons (and one specifically including EdPuzzle). We are excited that Jessica is postively reprsenting SHS and sharing her practices with educators from around the US!

• Hiba Al Awadh, Kelly Harmon, Bob Hoffmann, Anna Long, Amy Peddie, Lisa Stanley, Jake Fritz, Courtney Worley, and district coaches and directors for helping administer the Listening & Reading portions of the WIDA test this week.
• Our study hall staff for taking on extra students during WIDA testing since our EL teachers are testing and unable to have their students in their classrooms.
• Cari Tracy for organizing and running the Honor Roll celebration. A special thanks to all of our counselors, teachers and staff who helped hand out the treats as well.
• Stephanie Schott, the girls basketball coaches and team for organizing the Coach Gray memorial during the game last week. Coach Schott helped organize shirts for our players, middle school players, and the youth program. She has also been supporting the middle school coaches in Coach Gray's absence.
• Sam Hanley & Mike Klopfenstein for taking our publications students to the Indiana High School Press Association day at Franklin College last Friday.

"Don't worry when you are not recognized, but strive to be worthy of recognition."

- Abraham Lincoln

Mr. Wright and his orchestra class were preparing for their solo & ensemble contest this past weekend. Every high school student got a gold in at least one event and every member of the Advanced Orchestra qualified for State in at least one event. If you see any band or orchestra students, ask them about their contests this weekend. They did a great job and positively represented SHS!

The EL department, instructional coaches, and administrators have been busy administering the first two domains of WIDA testing to our 613 EL students. The fun will continue next week with Speaking and Writing domains starting and going through February 9th. The WIDA assessment is what determines each EL student's language acquisition level and their appropriate services for the 24-25 calendar year.

We started the last cycle of PD for the 23-24 school year this week. Teachers in Mrs. Conrad's PD were busy planning their timeline and action research topics. This particular group consists of our EL and sheltered teachers so they are looking forward to the time to learn and grow together.

Mrs. Leach met with all 35 students in the class of 2024 who qualified for the STARS program recognition. The students must have a cumulative GPA of 4.0 or higher after 7 semesters to qualify. Each student will select a Perry Township employee to honor at the STARS program on April 10th.

This past Friday, Ms. Frantz's classes traveled to Homecroft Elementary School to teach measurement skills to the elementary students as part of their PBL unit for ICP.

It is a great way for SHS students to give back to the school community and to provide them with leadership skills along with the science curriculum. ALL of the kids enjoyed the experience!

Would you rather....:

Live in the world of Lord of the Rings - 50%

Live in the world of Star Wars - 50%

Website: https://www.perryschools.org/sh/
Location: 971 East Banta Road, Indianapolis, IN, USA
Phone: 317-789-4800
Twitter: @SHS_Cardinals