

The Mustang Memo
We/Me. We are South. We are Mustangs. We are Family.
Parent Newsletter, April 2025
Mrs. Kayla Plyler
Congratulations, Mrs. Plyler, 8th Grade Social Studies!
Mrs. Anna Massey
Congratulations, Mrs. Massey, Bookkeeper!
Mrs. Addison Edling
Congratulations, Mrs. Edling, Math Intervention/8th Grade Math!
Testing Season is HERE
Benchmark Testing
Tuesday 4/1: ELA Day 1
Wednesday 4/2: ELA Day 2
Thursday 4/3: Math
Friday 4/4: 6th Grade Science
MAP Testing
Tuesday 4/8: Reading Day 1
Wednesday 4/9: Reading Day 2
Monday, 4/14: Math
SC Ready
Tuesday 5/6: Writing
Thursday 5/8: Math
Tuesday 5/13: Reading Day 1
Wednesday 5/14: Reading Day 2
Friday, 5/16: 6th Grade Science
It is important to make sure your student gets a good night's rest and has a healthy breakfast before testing. Students and teachers have worked so hard and set high goals, help your student to have all the tools to show how much they've grown this year!
Mustangs Lead the Way
Boot Camp is Here
Your student will spend the next month in Boot Camp, gearing up for testing and SC Ready! Ask your child how they are preparing and how they earn their way up in rank!
Did You Know? South Middle is a...
Strategies to Help Build Stronger Readers at Home:
From NWEA Parent Guide: Reading and writing don’t take place only at school. They are essential activities in everyday life. And they involve skills that we develop over time with purposeful support from teachers.
Your official job title might not say “teacher,” but you are a huge influence in your child’s life—and that makes you a teacher. These family strategies for reading and writing don’t require special training, only that you and your child spend some quality time talking, reading, and writing together. You’ve got this!
Family time is learning time. Did you know that kids learn most of their vocabulary outside of school, through conversations with family and friends? Or that drawing pictures during play time lays the foundation for reading and writing, even for the youngest of learners?
Families have always been an active part of the teaching and learning process, and they became (and continue to be) even more crucial during the pandemic.
The following research-based ideas are intended to be manageable, interactive activities you and your child can engage in to help develop their reading and writing skills, motivation, and confidence. Some of these strategies target specific age groups or grade levels, while others apply to kids of all ages. You’ll see them categorized accordingly. Try out two or three of them and make them a part of your family’s other important routines, like brushing teeth.
General reading and writing improvement strategies that will help kids of all ages
No matter your kid’s age, several factors influence their reading and writing growth, including attitude, motivation, access, and exposure.
This year is “Our Year” at South
Click on this link to check out the SMS School Pride Shop. Purchase a T-shirt, hoodie, or even your own South basketball or football jersey in honor of our undefeated champions!
Call Me Beauty Mentoring Program
Call Me Beauty Mentoring Program will be hosting conferences this year for girls ages 9-18 to help them explore exciting and enjoyable ways to enhance both their physical and mental health. Girls will discover useful skills in self-care, physical health, healthy eating and mental health that can fit into their everyday lives. These conferences will be held on March 15th at the Buford Recreation Center, July 26th at the Lancaster Recreation Center, and at the Kershaw Recreation Center on a date to be determined. Please see Ms. McDaniel for more information.
Lancaster County School District Expectations for Using IXL in the Secondary Classroom 2024
IXL is a supplement and support for the ELA and mathematics classroom for grades 6-12 and the science classroom for grade 6.
IXL is available to all secondary ( grade 6-12) students within the Lancaster County School District and usage is encouraged, although not required.
It is required that all students using IXL be required to complete the Diagnostic Test prior to skill plans being pinned. The diagnostic data is needed as a baseline for each student to show and to work on growth for individual plans to be built according to student need. Additionally, this data will be collected by the Department of Secondary Education to assist in evaluating student growth and should be completed by the last school day of September for fall courses and the last school day of January for spring courses.
Teachers should pin the SC standards, (and when applicable) the SC Ready Test Prep Skill Plan as well as NWEA MAP Growth Plan.
Teachers should monitor student data on their dashboard weekly and use it to discuss student progress in PLC meetings as necessary.
IXL practice is individualized to meet students where they are, therefore, teachers may only record grades from IXL when assessments have been generated using the Quiz feature.
Students should work to reach the proficiency level for no more than two skills each week (one per content area).
The goal is always 80 as the Smartscore. As soon as a student reaches an 80 Smartscore, the student’s data registers as proficient. Students should not be required to work to achieve a 90 or 100. The Smartscore is never to be used as a numeric grade.
On average, it takes approximately 20 minutes of focused time for a learner to reach proficiency as a middle or high school student. If a student has been working for 30 minutes and still has not reached proficiency, students should take a pause and seek additional support for that particular skill.
Smartscores:
100= Mastery
90= Excellence
80=Proficiency
In order to provide expanded opportunities in the learning platform, students can also access IXL practice at home using a variety of devices including smartphones, tablets, laptops or desktop computers. Students should NOT, however, be required to use IXL at home.
Each week, students are encouraged to select their two lowest skills from their individualized skill plan from which to work to achieve proficiency. Teachers should, however, use their professional judgment and additional classroom data in helping to determine which skills need specific instruction, practice and refinement for their students.
Upcoming Dates
April Calendar of Events
Monday, March 31 - A Day
Tuesday, April 1 - B Day, ELA Benchmark Day 1
Wednesday, April 2 - A Day, ELA Benchmark Day 2
Thursday, April 3 - B Day, Math Benchmark
Friday, April 4 - A Day
Monday, April 7 - B Day
Tuesday, April 8 - A Day, MAP ELA Day 1,
Wednesday, April 9 - B Day, MAP ELA Day 2
Thursday, April 10 - A Day
Friday, April 11 - B Day, Special Olympics, ML Breakfast and Tour
Monday, April 14 - A Day, MAP MATH
Tuesday, April 15 - B Day, LCSD Board Meeting @ 7:00
Wednesday, April 16 - A Day, Cheer Try-out, Progress Reports Issued, Spring Pictures
Thursday, April 17 - B Day, Cheer Tryouts
Friday, April 18 - A Day, Last Day of 21st Century
Monday, April 21 - Friday April 25 - SPRING BREAK
Monday, April 28 - B Day, SIC/PTO @ 5:30
Tuesday, April 29 -A Day,
Wednesday, April 30 - B Day
Thursday, May 1 - A Day
Friday, May 2 - B Day, 8th Grade Dance 6-8 pm
Want to Know What Your Child is Learning?
Check out these Family Friendly Standards for each grade level!
Mustang of the Month
September
6th Grade:
1. Otoniel Valdivia Argueta
7th Grade:
1. Aniya Tidwell
2. Kianna Thompson
8th Grade:
1. Karlei Starkey
2. Alexya Donnelly
October
6th Grade:
1. Gabrielle Watts
2. Messiah Strain
7th Grade:
1. Kaylan Stover
2. Cheyenne Broughton
8th Grade:
1. Tayziya Wright
November
6th Grade:
1. Catherine Campos-Perez
2. Rasean Wilson
7th Grade:
1. Emmaly Clark
8th Grade:
1. Alexi McCorkle
December
6th Grade:
1. London Benson
2. Alexis Medina
3. Jacob Waller
7th Grade:
1. Ariana Murcia Rodriguez
8th Grade:
1. Makenzie Blackmon
February
6th Grade:
1. Darrien Kirkland
2. Vyron Baskins
7th Grade:
1. Jadasha Sanchez-Cervantes
8th Grade:
1. Aiden Bryant
2. Kelashia Allen
Car Rider Announcements
Updated Cell Phone Policy Information
Parents, please remember the LCSD dress code policy:
Clear Bag Policy
Metal Detectors will also be used at the gates.
April Lunch Menu
Spring Updates
Dear Parents/Guardians,
We want to emphasize the importance of keeping your child home from school, if they are experiencing symptoms of illness. Schools are seeing an increase in cases of flu and stomach viruses. If you are unsure if you should send your child to school, please contact the school nurse for guidance. If your child becomes ill during the school day, we will contact you to pick them up. Schools must have current, up-to-date contact information on file for your student. Please do not send your child to school if he/she is experiencing:
Fever
Chills, body aches,
Cough, runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, headache and /or muscle aches
Vomiting and/or diarrhea
Your child may return to school once:
he/she is fever-free for 24 hours without use of a fever-reducing medication and
is well enough for routine activities and
all exclusion criteria have resolved
he/she must stay home from school for at least 24 hours after the last episode of vomiting and/or diarrhea before returning to school
* If you are unsure if you should send your child to school, please contact the school nurse for guidance.
To help prevent the spread of illness:
Stay home if you are sick
Encourage frequent handwashing.
Teach children to wash hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water. Alcohol based hand sanitizers are an alternative when soap and water are not available, but not as good as hand washing.
Cover coughs and sneezes. Teach children to cough/sneeze into their inner elbow or a tissue. Always wash hands after coughing or sneezing.
Join our PTO/School Improvement Council
Email Rosa.Hudson@lcsd.k12.sc.us for information on how to join our PTO/SIC. Get involved at SMS today!