The Cub Chronicles

Dear Cub Family,

Welcome back! I hope each of you had a restful and enjoyable Spring Break filled with time to recharge and reconnect. We are excited to have our students back in the building and ready to finish the school year strong!

As we return, we are officially in the final push toward SC READY testing. Our teachers and students have been working hard all year, and now is the time to stay focused, build confidence, and sharpen those skills. Over the next several weeks, you will see continued emphasis on reviewing standards, practicing strategies, and reinforcing key concepts in both ELA and Math.

You can support your child during this important time by:

• Ensuring they are present at school each day and arriving on time
• Encouraging a positive mindset and confidence in their abilities
• Making sure they get plenty of rest each night
• Providing opportunities for reading and practicing skills at home

Additionally, please take time to review our Annual Report to Parents, which is shared in this newsletter. This report highlights important information about our school’s progress, achievements, and goals.

We are incredibly proud of the growth our students have already demonstrated, and we are confident they will continue to rise to the occasion. Together, we can make this final stretch a strong and successful one.

Thank you for your continued support of Southside Middle School.

Educationally Yours,

Ms. Greene

The Florence 1 Schools Parent and Guardian School Climate Survey is now open, and we encourage all of our families to participate! This important survey, developed by the SC Department of Education, helps us better understand your perceptions of your child’s school experience and climate.

How to Complete the Survey:

You have 2 easy options:

Log in through the PowerSchool Parent Portal (computer)

Use the PowerSchool Mobile App or scan the QR code

If you have multiple students, please be sure to complete a survey for each child.

Need help accessing your PowerSchool account? Contact the school for assistance with your login information.

Your feedback matters and helps us continue to grow and improve for our students and families. Thank you for taking a few minutes to share your input!

Apr. 14 - Title I Spring Parent Night @ 5:30pm

Apr. 15 - 3C Club Meeting @ 3:45-5:00pm

May 6 - SGA Meeting

May 8 - 8th Grade Mardi Gras Prom 6-8:00pm

May 12 - 3C Club Meeting @ 3:45-5:00pm

May 22 - 8th Grade Promotion Ceremony

All school fees must be paid before purchasing a ticket.

• Instructional time is 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM.

• Students arriving after 8:30 AM are tardy and must be signed in by a parent or guardian.

• Breakfast will be served daily until 8:25 AM.

• The latest time for signing a student out is 3:00 PM.

• Anyone signing a student out will be required to present a valid Driver’s License or ID and must be listed on the student's emergency contact list.

Students must follow the school and F1S dress code:

• If leggings are worn, there must be a shirt to cover the student’s bottom.

• No rips or holes in pants that are above the student’s fingertips when hands are by the sides.

• If there are rips and holes above the fingertips, tights or shorts must be worn under the pants to cover the skin. This is for males and females.

• Shorts need to be the appropriate length for both males and females.

• Skirts must be worn at the appropriate length (must not be above the fingertips when arms are by the sides).

• No tank tops or sleeveless tops, unless there is a jacket or sweater worn over the tank top or sleeveless top.

• Absolutely no strapless tops.

• No onesies.

• No clothing that promotes violence, gangs, drugs, tobacco, etc.

• No head scarves, hats, du-rags, hoods, or any other type of head coverings are permitted inside our building at any time.

The purpose of Title 1, Part A is to help local educational agencies (LEAs) improve teaching and learning in high-poverty schools and help children failing or most at-risk of failing meet challenging state academic standards.

Please click the links below to access our Title 1 information.

As a parent of a student enrolled in one of Florence One Schools, you have the right to know the professional qualifications about any teacher of their child. Under federal law, parents have the right to know:

• whether a teacher has met state qualification and licensing criteria for the grade levels and subject areas in which the teacher provides instruction

• whether a teacher is teaching under emergency or other provisional status through which state qualification or licensing criteria have been waived

• the baccalaureate degree major of a teacher and any other graduate certification or degree held by the teacher, and the field of discipline of the certification or degree

Teacher qualifications can be accessed at Educator Qualification Search.

For any questions relating to our Title I plan, please email Ms. Greene at bgreene@fsd1.org.

Robby Peed, President

rpeed1@gmail.com

Rita McInville, Vice President

The Southside APT is always welcoming new members. The fee to join is $10.

Please contact your child’s school counselor to schedule teacher conferences.

For issues that require you to speak with an administrator, please email your child’s grade-level administrator. Please allow 24 hours for a response.

SSMS is a proud ABC certified school.

This project is funded in part by the South Carolina Arts Commission which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

The mission of Southside Middle School is to cultivate confident, compassionate, and innovative leaders by inspiring creativity, fostering academic excellence, and nurturing a lifelong passion for the arts through rigorous academics enriched with dynamic fine arts.

The vision of Southside Middle School is to empower growth, drive progress, & achieve success.

SSMS: Every Cub, Every Day!