August 24: Cross Country St Viator Invite @ St Viator, 8am

August 26-28: Institute Days — Staff Only

August 28: Cross Country Prospect Invite @ Prospect High School, 3:45pm; Golf, 5:30-7pm

August 29: First Day of School (for students); Cross Country Dual Meet, South vs MacArthur @ South, 3:45pm

August 30: Back to School Assembly; No Activity Bus

September 2: Labor Day — No School

September 3: Sixth Grade Locker Set Up, Parents Welcome, 2:45-4:15pm; Cross Country Dual Meet, South vs Cooper, @ Cooper, 3:30pm

September 4: Golf, 5:30-7pm

September 5: Sixth Grade Curriculum Night, 6:30-8pm

September 6: Crisis Drills, 7:45-8:15am; Cross Country Prairie Stampede Invite @ Besse Park, 4pm

September 9: Eighth Grade Girls Basket Ball Open Gym, 2:45-4:30pm

September 10: Superintendent Open Door, 2-4pm; Seventh Grade Girls Basket Ball Open Gym, 2:45-4:30pm

September 11: Eighth Grade Girls Basketball Tryouts, 3-4:30pm; Seventh Grade Girls Basketball Tryouts, 4:30-6pm; Golf, 5:30-7pm

September 13: Picture Day, 8-10:45am; IAR Test Results Sent Home

September 18 & 19: NWEA Fall MAP Testing

September 19: Seventh & Eighth Grade Curriculum Night, 6:30-8pm

Dear South Parents and Guardians:

The 2024-25 school year is approaching quickly and SMS administration and staff are very excited about the coming school year. Please remember, the first day of school for students is Thursday, August 29, 2024.

Please be mindful that many parents drive their students to school on the first day, which increases traffic and slows down normal student drop-off. Please pull up as far as you can in the drop-off zone to move the traffic quickly through the drop-off zone area. Have your child prepared to exit your car efficiently. Note, your child does not need to bring all the required materials on the first day. When leaving, please do not turn left out of the front circle drive. This will only cause traffic issues for parents waiting to drop off their children.

Once your child has exited your car, please immediately and safely, drive away. We ask you not to double-park or stay idle at the side of the street. Be aware that students may try to move between cars. Parent cooperation is imperative for the proper safety of all students. The area directly in front of the building is designated as a fire lane. Therefore, there should be no unattended vehicles parked in that area. Please do not drop-off or pick-up your child(ren) in the North Staff Parking Lot, nor the bus lane.

Also, according to Public Act 96-0131, it is illegal to use cellphones while driving your vehicle in school zones. This was enacted to help ensure the large amount of students entering and exiting the building at the start and end of the school day are seen by drivers, to keep them safe. We greatly appreciate your cooperation in providing a safe environment for all of our students.

Morning Arrival Locations

• 6 East: Door #3, South End of Building
• 6 West: Door #4, South End of Building
• 7 East & 7 West: Door #10, Northside Near Track
• 8 East: Door #1, Main Front Entrance
• 8 West: Door #2, Middle Front Entrance

Each morning there will be several staff and administrators outside to help guide students. Students line up at their team's door and enter the school at 7:43am. Students need to be in Homebase by 7:50am. Please remind your child if they are riding their bike to school that they need to walk their bike or scooter while on campus for safety purposes. In addition, please make sure your child has a lock for their bike or scooter to prevent it from being lost or stolen.

On the first day of school, students will spend an hour in the morning and 33 minutes in the afternoon in Homebase to organize their materials, find and work on their lockers and prepare for the coming school year. Homebase/Advisory at South Middle School is an important component of our overall school program, and will always be their first period of the school day.

After Homebase, students will follow their regular scheduled classes. The times of the classes have been modified. Please view the First Day Schedule which is located below.

Please make sure your child is prepared for Picture Day, September 13, 2024. This picture will be used as the composite photo in South's yearbook. Please check the sections below for further information.

The beginning of the school year is always exciting. Please help your child to start getting back into the routine of going to bed early, and waking up and eating a healthy breakfast before coming to school. Neuroscience shows, that middle school children need around 8-10 hours of sleep to perform at their best. Thank you for helping support your child as they prepare to come back to school.

We are looking forward to seeing our 2024-25 South Cardinals!

Ukraine Independence Day takes place on August 24 and it marks Ukraine's declaration of independence from the U.S.S.R. in 1991. The day is celebrated with great enthusiasm and is the most popular day of the year for Ukrainians around the world.

For more information, visit: https://www.state.gov/ukraines-independence-day/

Established by Congress in 1971 to commemorate the 1920 passage of the Nineteenth Amendment granting women the right to vote, and to encourage the ongoing efforts for women’s equality in all areas of American life.

A legal holiday in all states and Canada observed the first Monday in September. Labor Day is an annual celebration of the social and economic achievements of American workers.

A day to honor the victims who lost their lives in the attacks on September 11, 2001. On this day, we remember the victims at the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Virginia, and passengers of United Flight 93 in Pennsylvania.

A month to celebrate the rich heritage of Hispanic Americans and the many contributions they have made to American culture.

Celebrated September 15- October 15

www.hispanicheritagemonth.gov

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:

• Jaime Barajas: 6th/7th Grade Spanish
  
• Heather Mau: Paraprofessional
• Maureen Madden: French
• Deb Manka: Paraprofessional
• Angela Milazzo: Paraprofessional
• Steve Prorok: Associate Principal
• Katelyn Sparlin: Physical Education/Health
• Kaitlyn Sears: 6th Grade Resource
• Ashley Taylor: 8th Grade Resource

Here is a link to our District 25 Student/Parent Handbook. It features important information that all families should review prior to the start of the school year.

Here is a link to view our “In’s and Out’s” and procedures of South Middle School. This document reinforces key information in our Arlington Heights School District 25 Handbook, along with information and procedures specific to South Middle School. Families should review both the District Handbook and this document to begin each new school year. This information will also be reviewed with all students during Homebase to start the school year.

We have included our daily bell schedule as well as our extended Homebase schedule. Morning drop-off and supervision begins at 7:30am. Student dismissal is at 2:45pm. While our school day start and end times will always remain the same, we will follow a revised first day bell/period schedule to allow students and teachers more time together.

Sixth Grade Curriculum Night: September 5, 2024, 6:30-8:30pm

• Click Here for INFO - 6th Grade Curriculum Night

Seventh & Eighth Grade Curriculum Night: September 19, 2024, 6:30-8:15pm

• Click Here for INFO - 7th & 8th Grade Curriculum Night

We are looking forward to seeing all of our South Cardinal Families!

• 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.

Closer to the students’ first day of school, the District 25 Business/Transportation Office will send a separate mailing home to families who registered online for transportation confirming bus assignments, routes, procedures, etc. You can find information for the Business/Transportation Department on the District 25 website.

A parent or guardian MUST drop off all medications at the beginning of the school year during school hours between 7:30am-3pm. This includes EpiPens and inhalers. Students are NOT allowed to drop off their medications.

All medications must be verified and accepted by the nurse.

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

We are always looking for ways to enhance home/school communication. See below for some of the most immediate ways for families to be connected to South Middle School to start the year.

Through the online registration process, we should have your most up-to-date contact information, including email address, etc. We do many communications through our School Messenger system, sometimes automated phone messages/text messages but primarily email. It is important to keep the school office regularly updated with your preferred contact information by emailing chumbert@sd25.org.

Our main tool of communication for our South Families is the Cardinal Corner, which comes out twice a month around the 15th and 30th with all important information about South.

Additionally, we will continue to update our main South web page featuring: Announcements, electronic flyers/forms, staff contact information, calendar events, videos, etc. Families can also follow us on X/Twitter @AHSD25South.

Before coming to school on the FIRST DAY, Thursday, August 29, 2024:

• PLEASE turn on your Chromebooks and connect to your home wi-fi.

• PLEASE allow your Chromebook to charge.

This will ensure that your Chromebook has the latest date/time.

South Theatre and the SMS Theatre Booster Club invites all students and parents of students interested in participating in our extracurricular Drama, Speech, and/or Improv groups to join us in the MP Room after school on Wednesday, September 4th from 3-4pm for our 24-25 Kickoff/Informational Meeting! Upcoming events we will discuss include the Fall Variety Show, Speech Team, Cardinal Players’ South Middle LIVE, the Spring Musical, and more.

Come learn about everything our nationally recognized program has to offer and how you and your student can get involved! Email Mr. Skym at wskym@sd25.org with any questions.

All students participating in band and jazz band this year need to be registered for the program here. You can find more information about the band program here.

Please note that breakfast service will not start at South until the second full day of school, Friday, August 30th.

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.

• 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

Where can I view the school lunch menu? Click Here

How do I pay for my child’s meals? Click Here
How do I apply for free & reduced meals? Click Here

The CTE Teachers at RMHS are excited to share information about the Next Generation of Engineers (NGE) class for the Fall of 2024. Registration is live through September 3, 2024 and the course starts on September 10, 2024. We hope to have a diverse group of students equally represented by all of our feeder middle schools!

Each semester, RMHS runs this course after school as an opportunity for 7th and 8th-grade students to explore career paths in engineering and design. This is an excellent opportunity for middle school students to become acquainted with their future high school, gain hands-on experience with the software and equipment available in the CTE department, work alongside future Mustangs from other schools and current high school students, and discover if they are interested in CTE, Engineering, and design before entering high school. This is a very popular course that usually fills up quickly. The course is designed for students of all levels and interests, and students will apply problem-solving skills in a fun and hands-on environment.

Below, you will also find the link for the Google application form.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScQ8gWzXq6mzAr2QAgZZcqo1xsj4T2VERgJ936032AbEcHXAg/viewform?usp=sf_link

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!

LET'S WELCOME BACK OUR AWESOME TEACHERS: Help us start the year off right by stocking the Teacher's Lounge with snacks and goodies to keep the staff fueled throughout the day.

South staff is very grateful for all the donations so SIGN UP TODAY! You can drop off items in the front office whenever you purchase! Thank you!

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