Cardinal Corner

November 17th -

Dear South Parents and Guardians,

As we move into the final stretch of November, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude for our incredible school community. This time of year reminds us how important it is to reflect, give thanks, and celebrate the hard work and growth we’ve seen so far this semester.

We are excited to celebrate the success of our annual South Middle School Food Drive—thanks to the generosity of our students, families, and staff, we collected over 1,800 points of donations for individuals and families in need. A special shoutout to Mrs. Ornduff for organizing the drive and helping Student Council pack up all the donations for delivery. Because our students reached their goal, a few staff members (and possibly some administrators!) will be taking on a TikTok dance as a fun celebration of their accomplishment. Thank you to everyone who supported this meaningful effort!

We’re also excited to share that beginning in December, South will be welcoming our therapy dog, Hope, on select visit days. Hope is specially trained to provide comfort, reduce stress, and support emotional well-being for students. During her visits, students will have opportunities to engage with her in calm, supervised settings designed to promote connection, regulation, and confidence. If you would like your child to participate in any interaction with Hope, please be sure to complete the required permission form: Click Here. Students must have a signed form on file before participating.

As we head into the Thanksgiving holiday, we encourage everyone to unplug, rest, and enjoy quality time with family and friends. We’re so thankful for your ongoing support and partnership in making our school a welcoming, vibrant place for every learner.

Thank you for partnering with us,
South Administration

We are so excited to introduce Hope, our new therapy dog, who will be visiting South on select dates beginning in December.

Why a Therapy Dog?

Therapy dogs like Hope can help reduce stress, support emotional regulation, and boost student well-being. They also encourage positive social interactions, improve focus, and contribute to a calmer, more connected school environment. We are thrilled for our students to experience these benefits during Hope’s visits.

Learn More About Hope

We’ve created a short slideshow to help families learn more about Hope, her training, and how therapy dog visits work at South.
👉 View the slideshow here: Click Here

Permission Required

For your child to participate in any interaction with Hope, we must have a completed permission form on file.

👉 Please click here to fill out the required permission form. Students will not be able to participate in therapy dog activities until this form is completed.

What to Expect

Hope will visit South on scheduled days throughout the year. All interactions with her will take place in safe, supervised settings and will always be optional for students. We look forward to the comfort, joy, and positivity Hope will bring to our school community!

Please reach out with any questions or concerns.

Join Us for the First Arlington Heights Turkey Trot!

The South Cross Country & Track staff is excited to host a community Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning! We will kick things off with a 100m Kids’ Fun Dash at 8:30am on the Matt Ives Memorial Track, followed by a 5K run/walk at 9:00am starting and finishing at South.

A $10 donation entry fee—and any food donations—will go directly to the Wheeling Township Food Pantry. See the attached flyer for more event details, and a list of items the food pantry is in the most need of. Please feel free to share with others. Let’s make this a new Thanksgiving tradition and support our community together!

Support the South LMC by shopping at our school-wide book fair Tuesday, December 2nd through Friday, December 5th. Students will visit with their ELA class, but can also shop from 7:30-7:45 am, at lunch, and from 2:45-3:15. Students can pay with cash, credit/debit, or Apple Pay.

In accordance with Arlington Heights School District 25 Board Policy, any movie or tv show, even shown in short clips, with a rating of PG (Parental Guidance) or greater requires parent permission. Please take a minute to fill out this permission form for your child's team by Monday, November 3.

*Be sure to submit one response for each child.*

November is the month to remember the contributions of Native Americans and Alaska Natives and to honor the unique heritage of our continent’s first inhabitants.

A day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year. Celebrated the fourth Thursday in November, a federal holiday in all states.

South Wrestling Team's season begins right after the Thanksgiving break with the first practice on December 1st. This is a sport that can include anyone in the school! With 20 different weight classes that range between 65 and 275 pounds this sport can be done by students of any size, gender, or age as all grades 6 through 8 are eligible to compete.

This is also a sport where no prior experience is needed. South Wrestling has had athletes go from never being on a wrestling mat in their first year to becoming Sectional and State qualifiers. It teaches student athletes the value of putting work in to get results, while also fostering a team culture in a sport where the athlete has to be in a match individually.

If a parent or student is interested, please reach out to Coach Bingaman (jbingaman@sd25.org) or Coach Burdi (dburdi@sd25.org) and have the permission form and medical forms ready for your student to join when the season begins.

The annual ArtExpo takes place in November this year. This art show was hosted by District 214 with local sender middle schools including District 25. Twelve South artists were chosen to represent the Visual Arts Program at South Middle School this year.

The students representing South are:

* Adelina P - 6th grade

* Katarina M - 7th grade

* Lia M - 7th grade

* Liam B - 7th grade

* Lily N - 7th grade

* Mallory T- 8th grade

* Prox K - 8th grade

* Seunga C - 8th graade

* Charlie P - 8th grade

* Claire M - 8th grade

* Eva K - 8th grade

* Finnley C - 8th grade

Our South Speech students competed at the State Area Speech Contest at St. Mary School in DeKalb, along with hundreds of students from seven other schools. We had a great turnout and some fantastic results!

Division Rankings (I = highest)

Division I:

• Leona R (6) – Solo Acting, Original Script

• Greyson E (6) – Solo Acting

• Leila D (6) – Poetry

• Kinsey P (8) – Poetry

• Claudio R (8) – Storytelling

• Joey M (6) & Ella F (6) – Duet Acting

• Obi E (6) & Mikey P (6) – Duet Improv

• Laura J (7) & Alexa M (7) – Duet Acting

• Cece F (7) & Leah B (7) – Duet Acting

• Nora P (7) & Colette S (7) – Duet Improv

• Shaher S (7) & Archie K (7) – Duet Improv

• Ella D (7) & Arya B (7) – Duet Improv

• Maya P (7) & Katelyn G (8) – Duet Improv

• Stella F (8) & Bea P (7) – Duet Improv

• Farrah R (8) & Angie P (8) – Duet Acting

• Elan P (8) & James R (8) – Duet Improv

• Claudio R (8) & Silas G (8) – Duet Improv

• Evelyn U (6), Ellie D (6), Kristina S (6), & Leila D (6) – Small Group Acting

• Nora P (7), Laura J (7), Alexa M (7), & Colette S (7) – Small Group Acting

• Mikey P (6), Archie K (7), Henry S (7), Shaher S (7), & Claudio R (8) – Team Improv

• Cece F (7), Leah B (7), Eleanor Z (7), Alexa M (7), & Laura J (7) – Team Improv

Division II:

• Archie K (7), Shaher S (7), & Henry S (7) – Small Group Acting

• Mikey P (6) – Storytelling

• Arya B (7) & Ella D (7) – Duet Acting

Division III:

• Nora P (7) & Eleanor Zi (7) – Duet Acting

Judge’s Choice Awards

• Claudio R (8) – Storytelling

• Leona R (6) – Solo Acting

• Mikey P (6), Archie K (7), Henry S (7), Shaher S (7), & Claudio R (8) – Team Improv

Honorable Mention: Archie K (7), Shaher S (7), & Henry S (7) – Small Group Acting (ineligible due to Division II timing rules)

Congratulations to all of our talented speech students on a job well done!

Thanks to our amazing South Middle School community, we collected over 1,800 points in our Food Drive! Special thanks to Mrs. Ornduff and Student Council for organizing and delivering the donations. To celebrate, a few staff members will show off their moves in a TikTok dance!

Remember to join South PTA during your student’s registration to support all our student, family, and school programs.

The SMS Office is open Monday-Friday, 7am-3pm.

Address: 400 South Highland Avenue, Arlington Heights, IL 60005

Twitter: @AHSD25South

Main Line: (847) 398-4250

Absence Line: (847) 506-6999 x7300

Fax line: (847) 394-6260