South MS Friday Blast

The third marking period wrapped up on Monday and we are now sailing through the start of the fourth marking period with the end of the school year in sight. This week we celebrated our fabulous teaching assistants and personal care assistants who give their all to support our teachers and students every day. It was a fun week with a different Autism Awareness Week spirit theme each day, and a field trip to The Linc, as we prepare for the Autism Awareness Walk next Friday, April 11th. We close out the week with our spring dance/activities from 3:00-5:00PM today and a jazz band competition at North MS at 6:00PM tonight. Have a great weekend!

• April 4 - Spring Dance 3:00-5:00PM
• April 4 - Jazz Band Competition
• April 5 - Mini-Thon Community Hour (see info below)
• April 10 - Choir Spring Concert 7:00PM @ Central
• April 11 - Autism Awareness Walk, 11th period
• April 11 - Reports cards in PowerSchool 4:00PM (anticipated)
• April 14 - 8th grade Museum of the American Revolution Field Trip 8:00-2:00PM
• April 17 - Student Early Dismissal (MS 11:45AM)
• April 18 & April 21 - Spring Break/Offices Closed
• April 22 - Earth Day
• April 23-25 - ELA PSSA Testing
• April 28-29 - PSSA Math Testing
• April 30 - PSSA Science Testing (8th grade only)
• April 30 - Student Council applications are due

8th grade STEM students in Mrs. Scholz classes have been hard at work creating hydraulic judo bots. After doing some research about hydraulics and types of manufacturing, the engineers put their knowledge into practice, building robotic arms that can be remotely controlled using two simple hydraulic systems. After customizing their bots, the 8th grade students battled to see which bots would reign supreme.

• Period 1 - The finals came down to Tiller, Hunter, and Mitchell vs. Liam and Liam. This class was very supportive and invested in the battles. It was a careful and calculated match, with the teams using similar strategies. In the end, Tiller, Hunter, and Mitchell were victorious.
• Period 3 - The finalists were Ellie, Elle, Violet, and Rylee vs Jake and Malcolm. Period 3s battles were much more chaotic than Period 1. With some swift moves, Jake and Malcolm were able to knock out the competition and become champions.

South's Autistic Support classroom had a fun day at the Linc this week. They toured the complex, got to walk on the turf, and were able to experience the sensory room! It was a very fun trip!

Spring has arrived and the autistic support classroom (room 109) is getting excited about our Autism Walk! Remember - if a student has purchased a t-shirt, it will be their ticket for the Autism Walk on Friday, April 11th, 11th period. For students who have not purchased a shirt, they may still join the walk by making a $1 donation.

Spring sports are in full swing! You can access the game schedule here: sports schedule. Parents/guardians of seventh and eighth grade baseball, track, softball, and lacrosse team members are reminded where home games are played:

• Baseball - James Memorial Park (1027 Ridge Rd., Sellersville)
• Lacrosse - Poppy Yoder Field at South MS
• Track/Field - Pennridge High School track
• Softball - Pennridge South MS softball field (on the east end of Poppy Yoder field)

Additionally, keep in mind that spring weather is quite changeable and games are sometimes cancelled at the last minute due to weather conditions. Thank you!

South MS and the South Communication Network thank the following families/business for their donations to the South MS Gaga Pit Fundraiser:

The McBride Family

The Davis Family

Dr. Bonnie Becker

Spring break is almost here! This is a reminder that Thursday, April 17th is an early dismissal day for students. Middle School dismissal is at 11:45AM. No lunch will be served to students on early dismissal days. School and offices are closed on Friday, April 18th, and Monday, April 21st. Classes resume on Tuesday, April 22nd. Have a great spring break!

PSSA testing is coming up at the end of April. Parents/guardians can find everything you need to know about PSSA testing here.

• April 23-25: 6/7/8 English/Language Arts testing
• April 28-29: 6/7/8 Math testing
• April 30-May 1: 8th grade science testing
• May 2: make-up testing

Join Pennridge Performing Arts for our Spring Musical production of

Les Miserables: School Edition.

Performances 4/24 - 4/27

Click on the picture above for more information

Parents/guardians are invited to check out our new homework snapshot quick links. Click on your student's grade level to see a summary of weekly homework assignments:

• 6th Grade
• 7th Grade
• 8th Grade

Parents/guardians who are interested in volunteering for school events must have current clearances on file with our district office. If you are new to volunteering in our schools, click here and scroll down to Volunteer Clearances for all the information you need to obtain the required clearances. For your convenience, the district office is offering extended hours for volunteers to drop off their paperwork from 3:30-5:30PM at the district office on the following dates:

• April 28th
• May 12th
• June 16th

If you want to make a donation to Rachel's Closet, you can drop off donations at South's main office lobby or purchase items from our Amazon Wish List. To learn more about ways you can help our students, please see our flyer here. Thanks for your ongoing support of this much-needed service to our South community.

1. Please remind students to charge their laptops every night.
2. Please remind students of the importance of listening carefully to AM and PM announcements for up-to-the-minute information that might affect their school day schedule.
3. If your child is going to be absent from school, please call the school office at 215-257-0467 to inform us of the absence, or e-mail us at SMSattendance@pennridge.org with your child's name, grade, and reason for absence (illness, family trip, etc.).
4. If your child is being dismissed early for any reason (dentist appt, doctor appt, family trip, etc.) please call the school office at 215-257-0467 or e-mail us at SMSattendance@pennridge.org with your child's name, grade, and reason for early dismissal.
5. If your child is going to be arriving late to school, please call the school office at 215-257-0467 or e-mail us at SMSattendance@pennridge.org with your child's name, grade, and reason for tardiness (overslept, not feeling well, etc.) to inform us of the late arrival.
6. Notification of absence, early dismissal, or late arrival will help us notify your child's teachers why the student is not in class. Thank you!

Website: https://southms.pennridge.org/
Location: 610 South 5th Street, Perkasie, PA, USA
Phone: 215-257-0467