Cardinal Corner

Aug 5: 6th Grade Schedules/Team Info Sent Home

Aug 16: 6th Grade Orientation/PTA Chill Out, 9:30-11:30am - Students Only Event

Aug 22: 7th and 8th Grade Team Info Sent Home

Aug 26-28: Institute Days - Staff Only

Aug 29: First Day of School - Students Attend

Sept 2: Labor Day, No School

Sept 3: 6th Grade Locker Set Up, 3-4pm - Parents Welcome

Sept 5: 6th Grade Curriculum Night - 6:30-8:30pm

Sept 13: Picture Day - All School

Sept 19: 7th & 8th Grade Curriculum Night - 6:30-8:00pm

Dear South Parents and Guardians:

We hope you and your family are having a wonderful and relaxing summer thus far.

Congratulations to Dr. Perkins on being named principal of Herrick Middle School. We thank him for all his time and effort at South, and wish him the best in his new position.

We went through an extensive hiring process for our new Associate Principal. We had a committee which consisted of 13 staff members, 2 students, and a parent as a part of the interview process. We would like to thank them for their time and professionalism.

We would like to introduce South's newest Associate Principal, Steve Prorok. Steve has extensive middle school experience from Gower School District 62 in Willowbrook, Illinois. He taught six years as a sixth-grade ELA and Social Studies teacher, three years as an Instructional Reading and Student Support Specialist, and spent the last three years as their middle school Assistant Principal. We are excited to welcome him to the Cardinal family.

As we get closer to the beginning of the school year, please make sure you have checked the school supply list, and all of your child's immunizations and doctor appointments have been made. Students who will be trying-out for South's cross-country and girl's basketball teams will need a sport physical on file before they can try-out.

We will be sending out sixth-grade team and Homebase information, schedules, and locker numbers on August 5, 2024. Seventh and eighth-grade students will receive their team and Homebase information on August 22, 2024. There has been much thought and effort in assigning students to teams for the coming school year. Please know that we will not change a student's team due to friendship requests or teacher preferences.

For our incoming sixth-grade students, there is a Sixth Grade Orientation that takes place on August 16, 2024 at 9:30am. Please see the information below regarding this fun event.

If you haven't started the registration process for your child, please do so immediately. Your child will not be considered a student at South until the registration process is complete.

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Disability Pride Month commemorate the passing of the landmark law Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in July 1990, which prohibited discrimination against people with disabilities. Disability Pride Month is an important time to honor the diversity and uniqueness of each person in the disability community and celebrate people who have disabilities.

For more information visit: https://nationalhealthcouncil.org/blog/july-is-disability-pride-month/

Independence Day is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence, which was ratified on July 4, 1776. The Fourth of July has been celebrated as the birth of American independence, with festivities ranging from fireworks, parades, concerts, and family gatherings.

The Islamic New Year, also called the Hijri New Year, is the day that marks the beginning of a new lunar year. The first day of the Islamic year is observed by most Muslims on the first day of the month of Muharram. Muharram is the second most holy month of the Islamic year, after Ramadan.

*Dates change from year to year

We have been busy over the summer hiring new staff to replace those who retired or moved on. On behalf of the Cardinal family, we would like you to join us in welcoming our new staff:

• Steve Prorok - Associate Principal
• Jaime Barajas - 6th/7th Grade Spanish
• Katelyn Sparlin - Physical Education/Health
• Kaitlyn Sears - 6th Grade Resource

On August 5, 2024, 6th grade parents will receive their child's team and Homebase placements, as well as the student schedule and locker information. Please make sure your child brings this information to the orientation.

All sixth-grade students are invited to South Middle School for our Sixth Grade Orientation on August 16, 2024, from 9:30-11am. It will be followed by our PTA's Chill Out from 11-11:30am. These events are for students only. Students will tour the school, find their lockers/Homebase, and have a Question & Answer session as well. Afterwards, students will gather outside the school by the track to listen to music, have an ice pop and participate in a raffle for South Swag.

Please drop your child off by the main entrance using the circle drive and park in the north parking lot to pick up your child at 11:30am. We are looking forward to seeing our new Cardinals!

Here is a link to the 2024-25 School Year Supply List. Please note that to assist students with organizing their materials, we are asking parents to purchase the materials in these colors:

ELA: Yellow

Math: Green

Science: Red

Social Studies: Purple

Health: Orange

World Language/Resource: Blue

Creative Arts: Black/Gray

The reason for the colors is to help your child organize their materials. This color system will follow students throughout their three years at South.

State of Illinois Certificate of Health Examination (AKA physical form)

• Due by October 15, 2024 (or first day of cross country practice if your student participates in this sport)

• All sports physicals are due BEFORE TRY-OUTS and must last for the entire season-NO exceptions

• Examination must be performed on or after 8/29/23 and must be on the state of IL form

• Includes Meningococcal (MCV4) and Tdap vaccines

Dental examination – Proof of Dental Examination Form

• Due May 15, 2025

• Examination dated November 15, 2023 or later

• Please do not drive through the bus lane.
• Pull as far forward as possible in the drop off lane, prior to exiting the car.
• Please have your child use the designated crosswalks and sidewalks, and not between cars for their safety.
• Seventh grade students enter the doors on the track side, eighth grade the two front entrances, and sixth grade at the far end of the building.
• On rainy days, students can enter any door; please pull all the way forward and your child can enter the nearest door.

• Please do not drop off in the staff parking lot.

• If interested in registering for bussing or determining if you are eligible for bussing to South please visit: https://www.sd25.org/transportation.

• Questions: District Transportation specialist is Laura Comastro lcomastro@sd25.org.

• School Messenger: Email, phone, text—make sure your contact information is up to date.

• Schoology: Student platform that hosts your child's classroom information.

• PowerSchool: If you're not able to access, reach out to SouthCLC@sd25.org.
  

• South Webpage: Daily Announcements and general information.

• Twitter: @AHSD25South

The District Student Dress Code is located in the Student-Parent Handbook, as well as in South's Ins and Outs document.

STUDENT APPEARANCE: Policy 7:160

Dress Code

Arlington Heights School District 25 student dress code supports equitable educational access and does not reinforce stereotypes or increase marginalization or oppression of any group based on race, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, household income, or cultural observance. The district does not prohibit hair styles historically associated with race, ethnicity or hair texture. We expect that all students dress in a way that is appropriate for learning. Student attire should not interfere with the health or safety of any student or contribute to a hostile or intimidating atmosphere for anyone. The District believes that the responsibility for a student’s attire resides with the student and parent/guardian(s). Any restrictions must be necessary to support the overall educational goals of the school and must be explained within this dress code.

Students Must Wear:

• A Shirt: fabric in the front, back, and sides under the arms (faces must be visible to school staff and dresses are acceptable), AND

• A Bottom: pants/sweatpants/shorts/skirt/dress/leggings/skorts AND

• Shoes: Covering the bottom of the foot including, but not limited to sandals, gym shoes, flip flops, and boots. Anything with wheels or blades are not allowed.

Basic Principle: Certain body parts must be covered for all students at all times. Clothes must be worn in a way such that genitals, buttocks, breasts, and nipples are covered with a non-transparent fabric. As used in this set of guidelines, the word “clothing” includes accessories.

Except as Required in class or extracurricular program, students cannot wear the following items in school:

• Violent language or images.
  
• Images, language depicting, or promoting drugs or alcohol or any illegal item or activity.

No student should be disproportionately affected by dress code enforcement because of gender identity or expression, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, cultural or religious identity, body size, body maturity or household income.

Student athletes may follow IESA guidelines when athletic dress conflicts with the contents of the dress code.

Summer is around the corner, and we are excited to announce the 2024 D25 Middle School Suggested Summer Reading List. All incoming sixth, seventh, and eighth graders should read one of the suggestions on this year’s list or choose a book on their own to read this summer.

Just keep reading Cardinals! You can find a printable flier and program preview video on the South LMC website. Please contact Mrs. O’Kelly with questions: kokelly@sd25.org

We will be starting the Cross Country Season shortly! If you have a child interested in participating in Cross Country this fall, please view this link to our first Newsletter, which has important information regarding the start of the season.

If you have any questions or concerns please reach out to Coach Stordahl (tstordahl@sd25.org), Coach Radzak (kradzak@sd25.org), or Coach Evans (tevans@sd25.org). We hope to see your athlete at practice soon!

Here is a link for information regarding the 2024 South Middle School Golf Club which begins before school begins.

Remember to join South PTA during your student’s registration to support all our student, family, and school programs.

Note that each D25 school’s PTA is independent.

The SMS Office is open Monday-Friday, 7am-3pm.

Address: 400 South Highland Avenue, Arlington Heights, IL 60005

Twitter: @AHSD25South

Main Line: (847) 398-4250

Absence Line: (847) 506-6999 x7300

Fax line: (847) 394-6260