• January- Perfect Attendance Challenge! (See Flyer Below)

• 1/27 Academic Restart Starts Back!

• 1/28 8th Grade High School Scheduling Cards Due to Student's Math Teacher

• 1/29 Boys Basketball vs Beaumont @ SMS

• 1/31 Kona Ice--CANCELED---Will return in February!!!

• 2/1-2/2 Lafayette 5 Star General Archery Tournament

• 2/3 Boys Basketball vs TCMS @ Tates Creek Middle

• 2/3-2/7 Beta Club Winter Gear Drive (See Flyer Below)

• 2/5 Boys Basketball vs Morton @ Morton Middle

• 2/7 Love Shack School Dance 6:00-8:00 PM (See Flyer Below)

• 2/6 PTSA Meeting 4:30 PM

• 2/10 Boys Basketball vs EJ Hayes @ EJ Hayes Middle

• 2/12 Boys Basketball vs LTMS @ SMS

• 2/14-2/15 Woodford County Archery Tournament

• 2/17 No School

• 2/18 Multicultural Night at SMS (See Flyer Below)

• 2/19 Boys Basketball vs Wiburn @ SMS

• 2/20 SBDM

• 2/20 Boys Basketball vs Jessie Clark @ Jessie Clark Middle

• 2/22 Fayette County Archery Championships

• 2/24 Boys Basketball vs Leestown @ SMS

• 2/25 6th grade band concert on February 25th. Students arrive at 6 PM and the concert starts at 6:30 PM. Guest Feature of our incoming 5th graders from Veterans Park and Southern Elementary.

• 2/26 Boys Basketball vs Bryan Station @ Bryan Station Middle

• 2/28 Kona Ice

• 3/1 Innovation Showcase for FCPS Special Programs 10AM-2PM @ Tates Creek High

• 3/14 No School

• 3/20 SBDM

• 3/21 Spartan Family Breakfast at SMS
  

• 3/21 SPARTAN DAY!

• 3/26 Wellness Night at SMS

• 4/7-4/11 SPRING BREAK
  

• 4/17 SBDM

• 4/25 Kona Ice

• 5/20 No school

• 5/26 No School

• 5/28 LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!

Beta Club is sponsoring a "Share the Warmth" drive February 3rd - 7th to benefit The Nest Family Home and Kentucky Refugee Ministry. We are collecting new Winter Hats, Scarves, and gloves. Students can drop off items in the front hallway before school from 8:35 - 9:05 AM.

Tates Creek High School schedule cards need to be returned by Tuesday, January 28, to your student's math teacher. If you have any questions, contact Ms. Vanzant at molly.vanzant@fayette.kyschools.us

• If you received a BounceBack letter with your student's report card, please return it ASAP. This will begin on Feb 3rd. If questions, email jennifer.pack@fayette.kyschools.us

• Track Tryouts March 10th! Physicals are located on the school webpage. Start running!

  Any questions, please contact stephen.gerken@fayette.kyschools.us

• FCA will be Fridays 8:00-8:35 AM in the Gym.
  

• Latina Club every Friday at 8:35 AM in Sra. Davis' Room (102).

• GSA is every Friday at 8:35 AM in Ms. Chinn's Room (24).

• ONE Way Bible Study group is on Wednesday Mornings from 8:00 - 8:30 AM. Students should wait at the front doors until 8 am.
  

• The Academic Team will be meeting on Wednesday's after school until 5:30 PM and on Friday mornings at 8:00 AM each week.

• The Student Council will meet on Thursdays at 8:00 a.m. weekly in room 505 until further notice. Please check emails for updates and reminders!

• Chess Club is Tuesdays after school, 4-5pm in Room #202.

• Track try-outs will begin in March. Time to plan for getting the updated physical.

• *RESTART WILL BEGIN BACK JANUARY 27TH!*We will be offering Academic Restart, our after school tutoring program, each week Monday-Thursday. Students do not need to sign up. It is a drop in program. There is no cost. It will be in Ms. Pack's room (406). Mr. Payne will announce when he dismisses the car riders to the drop off loop to go to "Academic Restart". Students need to come with something to work on. Rides need to be here by 5 or students can walk home. If you have any questions, please reach out to Ms. Pack at Jennifer.pack@fayette.kyschools.us

• Please join our PTSA! Please click http://southernms.memberhub.com/store?limit=21&live=true to become a member for $5! They do so much to support our students and staff!

• Did you know you can attend SBDM meetings? (Site Based Decision Making Council). There is a public input portion on the agenda, and you can bring any concerns or questions you have to the council. The council can either offer feedback or choose to put the input on the next agenda- but it is a chance to have your voice heard! All SBDM meetings take place in SMS Library. If you cannot attend an SBDM meeting and have input, you can also email to kevin.payne@fayette.kyschools.us.

• Dress Code Reminder- Students can only wear pajama pants on Fridays if they have maintained their eOS employability. Pajama pants are not permitted any other day than Friday unless a Spirit Week theme. Holes above the knee are prohibited.

• *ATTENTION CAR RIDERS* You may only use the car loop in the mornings and afternoons to pickup/drop off your students. Using the staff lot creates a safety issue for our kids.

• Procedure for Student Absences due to Illness and/or Appointments: If your student is absent, please have them bring an excuse note/doctor’s note to Ms. Cornett as soon as they return. Notes need to be returned within three days of the absence. Parents/guardians can also email a note to cari.cornett@fayette.kyschools.us

• Parent notes must be HANDWRITTEN and have the date you wrote it, include the student's first and last name, date of dismissal and/or absence, the reason for early dismissal or absence, and a signature.
• Doctor’s notes can’t be handwritten, they need to come from the doctor’s office your student was seen at. The note needs to include the student’s first and last name and date(s) of service.
• Notes can also be faxed to 859-422-9957 Attn: Ms. Cornett

Our Nationally ranked Spartan Archers are in the fourth year of chasing a competitive season on the road to States! The season started out with a 2nd place win at TCHS Commodore Challenge earning them a rank of 2nd in the state of Kentucky. Several Medalists from the tournament included: Jasmine Kovash, Tristan Kallio and Issac Jewell. Spartans came home with a solid 3rd place finish competing against 8 other schools at the Henry Clay Winter Classic.

We still have a few positions available on the archery team for any boys or girls interested in joining. Please text Coach Wood 859.559.8070. Come root for our archers in the new year at one of our upcoming state qualifiers!

Fayette County Public Schools wants to help students explore their talents and refine their career interests before they graduate. That’s why we offer more than 30 magnet and school programs designed to foster skills in art, music, automotive maintenance, carpentry, emergency medical services, welding, engineering, and more.

If your student would benefit from these programs, we encourage you to attend our Innovation Showcase on Saturday, March 1, 2025 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Tates Creek High School. Showcase participants can browse resource tables and talk with teachers and staff from each of our available programs.

Applications for our magnet and school programs open on March 1, 2025 and must be completed by 11:59 p.m. on March 17, 2025. To learn more about our application process, visit our website. For general questions, please email Vee Pryor or call 859-422-0071.

Important Dates

• March 1 - Applications open
• March 17 - Application deadline
• March 31 (high) & April 1 (elementary and middle) -- notifications to families

Every week your student receives a social-emotional learning lesson during their Academic Leadership class. The lessons will differ by grade level. Second Step is the program utilized and it helps students build social-emotional skills- like nurturing positive relationships, managing emotions, and meeting goals. This helps our students thrive in school and life.

MAKEUPS DUE TO SNOW/NTI DAYS

January is National Mental Wellness Month, a time to focus on mental health and well-being. It's a time to break the stigma around mental health and encourage people to seek help.

Why is January a good time to focus on mental health?

• It's a time to recover from the holiday season and start the new year with a focus on self-care

• The transition from the holidays to the new year can bring feelings of emptiness or sadness

• The return to work or school, cold weather, and goal-setting can contribute to feelings of low mood

How can you improve your mental health?

• Exercise: Regular exercise can help manage stress

• Eat well: Eating a balanced diet can help improve your mental health

• Sleep well: Getting 7-9 hours of sleep each night can help improve your mental health

• Practice mindfulness: Slow down and focus on the present moment

• Spend time with friends: Human connection is important for mental wellness

• Practice self-care: Schedule time for activities that help you relax and recharge, like yoga or meditation

• Seek help: If you're struggling, talk to someone you know or reach out to a mental health professional

If you or someone you know needs help, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.

Valerie Morrison, District Mental Health Specialist

valerie.morrison@fayette.kyschools.us

*Please note. Our new school phone number is 859-422-3582. Our former number 859-381-3582 will ring to the district office and eventually will be discontinued. Change your contact for us, please. Thank you!*

Email: kevin.payne@fayette.kyschools.us
Website: https://southernmiddle.fcps.net/
Location: 400 Wilson Downing Road, Lexington, KY, USA
Phone: (859) 422-3852
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernmiddleschoolfcps
Twitter: @southern_middle