Cardinal Corner

Nov 1-2: Dia de los Muertos

Nov 3: Election Day, School Closed

Nov 4: 6th Grade Speech Showcase, 6:00PM

Nov 5: Girls Basketball @ Hawthorn South, 4:00PM

Nov 6: 7th and 8th Grade Speech Showcase, 6:00PM

Nov 8: Diwali

Nov 9: Boys Basketball vs. Emerson, 3:30PM

Nov 11: Veterans Day

Boys Basketball @ Plum Grove, 3:30PM

Nov 12: Girls Basketball vs. Thomas, 3:30PM

Nov 13: End of Hexter 2

Nov 14: ILMEA Junior Band Festival, College of Lake County, 9:00AM

Nov 16: Boys Basketball vs Sundling, 3:30PM

Nov 18: Girls Basketball vs. Springman, 4:30PM

Boys Basketball @ Springman, 4:00PM

8th Grade Band Festival @ RMHS 5:30 - 8PM

8th Grade Band Meeting @ PHS 6:30 - 8PM

Nov 19: Virtual PTA Meeting, 6:30PM

Nov 21: 8th Grade Band Clinic @ PHS 10:00AM - 12:00PM

Nov 23 - 27: Schools Closed

Nov 26: Thanksgiving

Arlington Heights Turkey Trot (see flyer below)

Boys Basketball @ Barrington Prairie, 4:30PM

Dear South Middle School Families,

It is hard to believe that the first quarter of the school year has already come and gone! The weeks have flown by, and it has been wonderful to see our Cardinals grow, learn, and build connections throughout the building. We are proud of the positive start our students have made and the strong sense of community that continues to develop at South.

We would like to extend a sincere thank-you to all of our families who took the time to attend Parent-Teacher Conferences. These conversations are an important opportunity to celebrate student successes, discuss areas for growth, and strengthen the partnership between home and school. Your involvement and support make a meaningful difference in helping our students reach their full potential, and we appreciate the time you invest in their success.

As we begin Quarter 2, we look forward to building on the positive momentum established during the first quarter. We encourage students to reflect on their progress, set goals for the months ahead, and continue developing strong habits around organization, responsibility, and engagement in their learning. Families can continue to support these efforts by checking PowerSchool and Schoology regularly and maintaining open conversations with their students about their academic progress and overall school experience.

Thank you for your continued partnership and for being such an important part of the South Middle School community. We are excited to see what the next quarter brings and look forward to continuing a successful school year together. Let’s keep up the great work, Cardinals!

Warmly,

The South Administration Team

Congratulations to our Quarter 1 CARDS Award winners! Each quarter, teachers select students who exemplify one or more of our CARDS traits: Caring, Achieving, Respectful, Dedicated, and Serving.

These students represent the positive character, hard work, and commitment to our school community that make South Middle School such a special place. We are incredibly proud of our Cardinals for demonstrating these traits and serving as wonderful role models for their peers. Keep shining, Cardinals!

The South Spirit Wear Store is open! Please make purchases between Monday, November 2nd and Sunday, November 8th. Items will be shipped directly to your child at school. The store will not be open again until April so please get those orders in now. Questions can be sent to Christina at spiritwear@southpta.org.

Kick off your Thanksgiving morning with a run (or walk) for a great cause! Join the South Middle School Cross Country team for our 2nd Annual Arlington Heights Turkey Trot on Thursday, November 26th! The event will start and end at South Middle School, with a Kids Fun Run at 8:30 AM and the 5K starting at 9:00 AM. All ages and abilities are welcome, and proceeds will benefit the Wheeling Township Food Pantry!

Don't miss out! Register today, invite your family and friends, and help us make a difference in our community this Thanksgiving!

Register here: https://runsignup.com/Race/IL/ArlingtonHeights/ArlingtonHeightsTurkeyTrot

Reflections is a national PTA creative arts contest for students. Simply create original artwork in one of six categories based on the current theme. This year’s theme is What My Culture Means to Me, and art categories include visual arts, photography, literature, dance choreography, film production and music composition. Visit the following link for official contest guidelines: Craft an Entry, and be sure to complete and include an SMS Entry Form.

This year’s deadline is Thursday, November 12th at 5 pm!'

Artwork must be completed and submitted to South’s Reflections Chair, Karen Radek (karenradek@gmail.com). Contact for additional info or with any questions.

Looking for a fun way to connect with your child and be part of the South Middle School community? We are inviting parents of 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students to join us as lunchroom volunteer supervisors throughout the school year. Even if you’re only able to help for one day, we would love to have you!

This is a great opportunity to see a part of your child’s school day and support our students in a meaningful way. If you are interested, please email chumbert@sd25.org and let her know which day and lunch period you would like to help. Our lunch periods are:

• 6th Grade: 11:09–11:49 a.m.
• 7th Grade: 11:53 a.m.–12:33 p.m.
• 8th Grade: 12:37–1:17 p.m.

We hope you’ll consider joining us!

Please use the following links to access important information for the school year:

• South Middle School Website
• District 25 Student/Parent Handbook
• School Supply List
• “In’s and Out’s” and procedures of South Middle School

Both our girls and boys cross country teams delivered outstanding performances at the State meet! The girls team earned an impressive 9th-place finish overall, with two All-State runners! Maria Bollweg placed 12th with a time of 11:54, while Lydia Leffelman finished 17th in 11:59. The boys team also had an incredible showing, finishing 6th overall. Sam Pagnatto earned All-State honors with an outstanding 4th-place finish and a personal record of 10:48!

We are incredibly proud of all our runners and their hard work, dedication, and perseverance throughout the season. Congratulations to our athletes and coaches on an unforgettable season. It was a great weekend to be a Cardinal!

Congratulations to our South Middle School girls basketball teams on a strong start to the season! Our 8th grade team is off to a 3–1 start, while our 7th grade team has an impressive 3–2 record. We are proud of our Cardinals for their hard work, teamwork, and dedication. Keep it up, ladies! Go Cardinals!

Thank you to Cassie Hrtanek and Kari Beyer for your help with the Teacher & Staff Conference dinner! You are appreciated!

The South Spirit Wear Store is open! Please make purchases between Monday, November 2nd and Sunday, November 8th. Items will be shipped directly to your child at school. The store will not be open again until April so please get those orders in now. Questions can be sent to Christina at spiritwear@southpta.org.

In case you did not know, South PTA has an Instagram page now! Check it out: @southmiddleschoolpta

Have you heard the great news? Your South PTA now has a newsletter sent to your email box once a month, usually around the 15th. Be on the lookout for 'The Chirp' and stay up to date with the latest PTA information. Do you have community news that will benefit South families? Send it to president@southpta.org and we will share it in the newsletter.

Our next general PTA meeting will be on Thursday, November 19th at 6:30. This meeting will be online and the link will be shared closer to the meeting date.

Thank you to all of our families for your continued support of the PTA so far this school year! We truly appreciate everything you do to support our students and school community.

Mark your calendars for our next PTA meeting on Thursday, November 19th @6:30pm through Google Meet. We hope to see you there!

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

Note that each D25 school’s PTA is independent.

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