South Spartan News

Dear Spartan Families,

I hope this letter finds you well and that you’ve enjoyed a restful summer. As we embark on a new school year, I wanted to take a moment to share my excitement and pride in the incredible journey that lies ahead for our students at South.

The beginning of the school year is always a time of fresh starts and renewed enthusiasm. Our teachers and staff have been working diligently to prepare engaging and enriching experiences for your children. We are eager to build on the strong foundation we’ve established and to continue fostering an environment where every student can thrive.

I am continually inspired by the dedication and support of our South Middle School community. Your commitment to your child’s education plays a vital role in their success, and for that, we are profoundly grateful. It is through our collective efforts that we are able to create a nurturing and dynamic learning environment that empowers our students to reach their full potential.

As we move forward into the school year, I encourage you to stay involved and engaged with the school. Open communication between home and school is crucial, and we welcome any questions or concerns you may have. Should you need assistance or have any inquiries, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our administrative team. We are here to support you and ensure that the school year is a positive and productive experience for your child.

Thank you once again for your unwavering support and for being an essential part of the South Spartan family. I am looking forward to a wonderful year ahead, filled with growth, achievement, and many memorable moments.

Warm regards,

Brian Loe
Associate Principal
South Middle School

Busing information can be found here or at:

https://valleybusllc.com/grandforksroutes/

Caulfield Studios will be taking pictures on Friday, September 20th in the morning. All students will have their pictures taken for the South year book. Students wishing to purchase individual packets must bring their money on the day pictures are taken, or you can purchase your student's photos on Caulfield Studio's website. Picture packets will be sent home the week of September 9th.

Hello Spartan Families!

We hope you are off to a great start to the school year! Here is a little update from PTO! We have added some new board members and they are going to be a great asset to our South Spartan PTO. We would like to introduce the following people:

Co- Presidents - Chris McEntee & Kari Vien

Secretary- Theresa Ostgarden

Treasurer & Fundraiser Coordinator- Lindsey Geer

Please welcome these amazing parents to the team, and a Spartan Salute to them! 👏

A few reminders:

• We are still currently running our South Swag fundraiser through Impressions! Snag some south swag here (LINK)
• 9/16- Ole & Lena’s pizza extravaganza kicks off! This was a huge fundraiser in supporting the students at South last year! We hope to bring it in again! The winning team will receive snacks or ice cream from PTO for most pizzas sold as a whole! (Look for additional information coming 9/13)
• Teacher meals for conferences have been set! We will be looking for parent donations in the coming weeks for this! We will send out a sign up genius in two weeks.

You can find our South Middle School PTO Facebook here: this will give you the most to date information and happening at South Middle School!

https://www.facebook.com/spartanPTO?mibextid=LQQJ4d

South Middle Schools' Annual Title I Meeting:

South Middle Schools' annual Title I meeting will be held on October 1st at 5:15 PM in the South Media Center. This will coincide with the PTO meeting.

Title I services are used to support effective, evidence-based educational strategies that close the achievement gap and enable the students to meet the state's challenging academic standards. Title I funded schools are either Targeted Assistance or Schoolwide Program schools. South is a schoolwide Title I school.

At this meeting, administration will present information about Title I and what it looks like at South Middle School.

Orchestra rehearsals have begun and it’s been great to hear everyone come together! 6th grade Orchestra meets Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays, 7:50-8:35 AM in room 604. 7th & 8th grade Orchestra meets Tuesdays & Thursdays, 7:50-8:35 AM in room 604. Orchestra students should arrive between 7:30-7:45 so they are ready to start class at 7:50 AM. The main entrance is unlocked at 7:30 AM for band, orchestra and breakfast students.

Orchestra classes are open to any student with previous string instrument experience. Beginners with a strong desire and commitment towards playing a string instrument may start with school lessons until they are ready to join the class. To get started, email Mrs. McFarlane.

Orchestra performance dates for this school year are listed below (all are required for the grades listed unless noted with an * for optional). Students typically need to arrive 20-minutes prior to an evening concert.

• Tuesday, November 19th • Fall Orchestra Concert • grades 6-8 • 7:00PM • South Cafetorium

• Monday, December 2nd • Holiday Orchestra Showcase • grades 8-12 (South, Schroeder, RRHS) Orchestras • 9:00-11:30am • RRHS Performance Hall

• Thursday, January 23rd • All City Orchestra Festival • daytime rehearsals (grades 6-8) • 7:00pm CONCERT (grades 6-12) • RRHS Performance Hall

• *February 14-15 • ND State Middle Level Honors Orchestra • *Optional for grades 7-8 by audition • 2:00 Concert Saturday Feb 11 • Red River HS Performance Hall

• Tuesday, April 29th • Spring Orchestra Concert • grades 6-8 • 7:00pm • South MS Cafetorium

• Friday, May 9th • MS Orchestra Solo/Ensemble Festival • grades 6-8 • 9:00am-1:00pm

Please read the South Orchestra Handbook for further details, including a supply list and grading information. A paper copy of the handbook was given to students during the first week of orchestra. Please return the last page to Mrs. McFarlane by Friday, Sept 13.

The Device Protection Plan (insurance coverage) is optional device insurance and available to families that wish to protect themselves from damage expenses for their student’s school-issued iPad or Chromebook. The Device Protection Plan covers 100% of all accidental damage, fire, flood, natural disasters, power surge, and vandalism to your child’s school-issued iPad or Chromebook with a $0 deductible. The Device Protection Plan will provide coverage on school grounds, at home, on the bus, and anywhere your child may travel. Insurance coverage is available for purchase through MySchoolBucks (When logged in to MySchoolBucks, select “School Store” – and then “Browse All Items”). You can also send a check with your student to school - $20 per student/device; $10 per device for students qualifying for free/reduced meal status.

We will have our annual flu shot clinic on September 16th in the afternoon. If you are interested in signing your child up, please use the following link for more information:

https://storage.googleapis.com/pt04-2/messages/attachments/0b50cb78ad87eb245d9891dfd8ccbb48/GF_schools_flu_shot_scheduling_communication_2024.docx.pdf

Intramural Football will begin for 6th graders on Tuesday, September 3rd.

Fill out the form below and watch your email and our website for more information regarding practice times and game schedules. Cost is $12.50. Payment can be made through the my school bucks app or in the front office with exact change or check made out to GFPS.

Sign-up

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Dq4HldkGuUVWBL3D1XPrye_dsGBGSpMCqAQsX24MB0E/edit

Payment:

https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/getmain.action

South Spartans Athletic Calendar

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nYKCiftAGHIOkUboeMmAUgh1tQiM64oq/view?usp=sharing

DOORS OPEN: The main entry door, Door #1, opens at 7:30 AM for band, orchestra, or early morning athletic/music practices. Students who arrive earlier than 7:30 AM will be expected to wait outside.

MORNING ARRIVAL: Students who arrive before 8:30 AM will have the following options:

• CAFETORIUM: The cafetorium opens at 7:30 AM. Your child may choose to work on homework or eat breakfast in the cafetorium. Breakfast is served in the cafetorium every morning from 7:40-8:30 AM.

• EARLY MORNING QUIET STUDY: The South Media Center is open every morning from 8:10 to 8:30 AM for quiet study. Students have the opportunity to work on assignments in a quieter area during this early morning study period. Students are expected to sign in.

• 6th Grade Hallway: 6th graders will have the option to sit in the 6th grade hallway before school starts.

• Gym: Students will be able to use the gym on a rotating basis.

AFTER SCHOOL PICK-UP: Please pick up your student no later than 3:45 PM.

Allowable Dress & Attire

The district recognizes that students have a right to express themselves through dress and personal appearance; however students shall not wear apparel deemed disruptive or potentially disruptive to the safe and orderly operations of our schools, nor discriminatory or disrespectful in nature. Students must wear tops, bottoms, and shoes.

· Tops and bottoms must meet while standing and tops be connected over the shoulders

· Clothing must cover undergarments and private areas, and must not be see-through

· Hoods and hats are not allowed as student faces must remain visible to staff

· Clothing and shoes must be suitable for all scheduled classroom activities including physical education, science labs, wood shop, and other activities where unique hazards exist

· Specialized courses may require specialized attire, such as sports uniforms or safety gear

The Student Dress Code Policy FFH may be found on the Grand Forks Public website at https://www.gfschools.org/school-boards/policies.

- No outside foods/drinks (Starbucks, pop, breakfast foods from restaurants etc…) will be allowed into the building. A water bottle is fine.

- If your child comes to school with a beverage, snack or food item they will need to eat it prior to coming inside of the building.

- Breakfast is available in the cafeteria from 7:40 – 8:30 AM. No food can be taken out of the cafeteria during breakfast.

- Once your child arrives at the school they will not be allowed to leave. You are entrusting us with their safety so they are not to get dropped off at school and then walk to another location.

- If you bring your child back from an appointment and you have purchased lunch for them, they will need to have eaten the food prior to coming back into the building. They can not bring their outside purchased food or drink into the cafeteria to eat lunch. Please plan accordingly so that they have time to eat the food you buy them prior to returning to school.

Students are expected to be on time and be prepared for school. If a student is late for the start of school at 8:40 AM, then he/she must stop in the office for a tardy slip.

This policy covers but will not be limited to: arriving late to school in the morning, arriving late to class during the day, not checking in with teachers prior to attending meetings, lessons etc. Below we have outlined the detention policy that will be followed:

-Tardies include EVERY class period and not just PrimeTime, our goal is to make sure the students are getting the most out of their class period starting by arriving on time.

-Every 5 tardies is equal to 1 detention.

-After 10 tardies, a student will be unable to attend activities after school such as: sports practices, sporting games, activity nights, until the missed time has been made up. Students are expected to make up their missed time within one week of the notification being sent home.

-You will be notified from the school once your student has reached the mark 5 tardies resulting in a call/email/letter home from our social worker.

-Detention times are served either from 3:30-4:00pm or in the morning before school from 8:00-8:30am.

-Lunch detention will only be used in cases where your student is unable to sit before or afterschool.

In an effort to decrease distraction and increase student learning and personal connectivity, all Grand Forks Public secondary schools will restrict student cell phone use. This includes add-on devices such as ear buds, smartwatches (notifications must be turned off), and other related devices.

Middle School students who choose to bring their cell phones to school will:

• Leave their cell phones with their advisory teacher at the beginning of each school day.

• Advisory teachers will secure student phones in locked storage containers until the end of the school day when students will be dismissed in time to retrieve their devices.

• No cell phones will be allowed in classrooms, hallways, bathrooms, or locker rooms.

• Each school office will communicate a procedure for students who leave school early for appointments, competitions, family related events, etc.

Each 6-12 student will be issued a Chromebook which will provide educational access to the district’s online resources deeming cell phone access unnecessary.

Each school’s office staff will happily get a message to your student during the day if necessary. Students will also be allowed to use the office phone to make important calls during the day.

Middle School Consequences

• First Offense: the phone is taken to the office and released to the student at the end of the day; parent / guardian notification. Expectations reinforced with the student.

• Second Offense: the phone is taken to the office; parent / guardian picks it up in the office. Student serves detention.

• Third Offense: the phone is taken to the office, parent/guardian picks it up. Student serves detention and their phone must be turned in to the office daily at the beginning of the day for the remainder of the semester.

Middle and high school students who do not comply or refuse to turn over their phone may be subject to additional consequences which may include but are not limited to detention, in-school suspension, and/or suspension.

School cancellation and Postponement Procedures can be found here:

https://south.gfschools.org/families/resources/school-cancellation-and-postponement-procedures