SWSC News October 23, 2026

Three SHS teams are still playing this weekend. Football hosts Owen Valley in the IHSAA Sectional tonight at 7:00 P.M., Sectional champion volleyball plays North Posey in the Regional at Loogootee on Saturday at 7:00 P.M., and four cross country runners compete in the Regional at Brownsburg on Saturday morning. Details are in the SHS section.

Red Ribbon Week Spirit Days: October 26 to 30

SES celebrates Red Ribbon Week next week! Red Ribbon Week reminds all of us to Be Kind, Make Healthy Choices, and Live Drug Free. Students can show their commitment by joining in each day's dress-up theme:

• Monday, Dream Drug Free: Wear pajamas.
• Tuesday, Team Up Against Drugs: Wear your favorite jersey or sports team.
• Wednesday, RED-y to Celebrate: Wear red.
• Thursday, Sock It to Drugs: Wear your favorite or craziest socks.
• Friday, Say BOO to Drugs: Wear your Halloween costume, just in time for Trunk or Treat!

Trunk or Treat: Friday, October 30

SES Trunk or Treat is Friday, October 30! Decorating begins at 8:15 and the event wraps up by noon. We still welcome volunteers to decorate a trunk and hand out treats, so if you can help, please sign up to volunteer here. That evening, the FFA hosts Fright Night at the FFA Ag Barn from 5:30 to 9:00 P.M.

5th and 6th Grade Boys Basketball Tryouts

Tryouts are Monday through Thursday, October 26 to 29, from 5:30 to 7:00 P.M. in the elementary gym. Players must have a physical on file before attending. Good luck to all of our players!

5th and 6th Grade Girls Basketball

Open gym will be November 3 and 5 from 5:00 to 6:30 P.M. in the elementary gym, with tryouts November 9 and 10 from 5:00 to 6:30. Players must have a physical on file before attending open gym or tryouts, so now is a great time to schedule one if needed.

After-School Activities

• Archery: Practice is every Tuesday and Thursday from 5:30 to 6:30 at Sullivan High School (enter through door 18). New archers only also practice every Wednesday in October from 5:30 to 6:30.
• Homework Help: Tuesdays and Thursdays after school until 4:00 P.M. Contact your child's teacher to sign up. Pick up is at Door #1 (main entrance), and you MUST note the change in Pick-Up Patrol.
• Spell Bowl: Practice every Tuesday after school until 4:00 P.M. Pick up at the main entrance; put the change in Pick-Up Patrol.
• Dartettes: Practice every Wednesday after school until 4:00 P.M. in the SES gym.

SES Reminders

• Daylight Saving Time ends Sunday, November 1. Turn your clocks back 1 hour Saturday night.
• Check the SES Facebook page every Friday for the Lost and Found post, and claim items in the comments.
• Follow the Sullivan Elementary School PTO Facebook page to stay up to date on PTO events for students, teachers, and staff.
• Outside food must come in a lunchbox or lunch sack, not in restaurant packaging (McDonald's, Burger King, Dairy Queen, Subway, etc.). Full menus are on the Nutrislice app.
• Coming up: Veterans Day Program Wednesday, November 11 at 8:45 A.M.; Thanksgiving Break (no school) November 25 to 27.

Get ready to read, discover, and explore! The SES Fall Book Fair runs Monday, October 26 through Friday, October 30, and students will shop during their Library Specials time. Visit the SES Book Fair page at www.scholastic.com/bf/sullivanelementaryschool2 to preview books and set up an eWallet before the fair.

• eWallets: Scholastic's eWallet lets your child shop without carrying cash. New this year, unspent funds stay in the eWallet, you can transfer funds between children, and eWallet funds can also be used to shop online with Scholastic, including Book Clubs.
• Share the Fair: No kid should leave the Fair empty-handed! Families and community members can contribute to Share the Fair, Scholastic's giving program that helps SES students who need support buying new books.

First grading period report cards were posted in Harmony on Wednesday, October 21. If you haven't had a chance yet, please log in and review grades with your student and talk about goals for the second grading period.

This Week at SMS

• Thursday, October 22: Beta Club fundraiser orders were delivered. Thank you for supporting our Beta students!
• Friday, October 23: 8th grade vision screenings
• Thursday, October 29: Student Council meets during Arrow Academy

Mark Your Calendars

• Friday, November 6: The Arrows Stop opens after school, with pop, candy, and chips for students to purchase. It is open the first Friday of every month.
• Wednesday, November 11: Donuts with Veterans. We look forward to honoring the veterans in our students' lives.
• Friday, November 20: School-wide field trip to Sullivan High School to watch the SHS play.
• November 25 to 27: No school, Thanksgiving Break

Archery

Middle school archery practice is Tuesday and Thursday from 6:30 to 7:30 P.M. for returning archers and Wednesday for new archers. Enter through Door 18 at the high school (the corner closest to the SAC).

Earning the Next PBIS Celebration

To take part in the PBIS celebration at the end of each grading period, students must meet these expectations for the entire grading period:

• 0 suspensions
• No more than 4 behavior referrals
• No failing grades due to missing assignments
• No more than 3 unexcused absences

Clubs and Organizations

• Arrow Homework Hub: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 3:00 to 4:00 P.M. in the Library.
• Beta: Meets every Friday during Arrow Academy.
• FCA: Meets every Wednesday at 7:45 in the Multipurpose Room.
• Dartettes: Practice every Wednesday from 3:00 to 4:00 in the SES gym.
• PTO: Interested in joining the SMS PTO? Use this sign-up form. We'd love to have you!

SMS Reminders

• Attendance: Parents may call in or excuse up to 5 absences per semester. After the 5th absence, additional absences must have documentation to be excused.
• Phones: Southwest School Corporation maintains a bell-to-bell cell phone policy. The SMS school day is 8:05 to 2:55.
• Lunch Money: Bring lunch money to the office between 7:45 and 8:15 A.M. Money turned in later is posted the following day.

Red Ribbon Week: October 26 to 30

Red Ribbon Week celebrates healthy, drug-free choices, and Carlisle has a fun dress-up day planned for each day:

• Be a Hero Monday: Wear your favorite superhero shirt or a cape.
• Career/College Tuesday: Dress as your future career or wear your favorite college gear.
• Rally in Red Wednesday: Wear red.
• Throwback Thursday: Show off a throwback look from past decades.
• Hallo-fun Friday: Bring your costume for the parade. No masks or weapons, please.

6th Grade Halloween Band Concert

Join us for the 6th Grade Halloween Band Concert on Friday, October 30 at 10:15 A.M. Our young musicians have been working hard, and this festive performance is a perfect way to kick off Hallo-fun Friday!

Word of the Week

Congratulations to Blakely McCammon, who submitted an excellent definition for last week's word, Alliteration: “The repetition of the same beginning sound in nearby words.”

This week's word is Civics: the study of the rights and duties of citizens and how government works. Students can scan a WOW QR code around the school and use the word correctly in a sentence for a chance to win a prize!

Birthday Grams and Contact Information

To request a Birthday Gram or for Carlisle questions, please contact Debra McCrary at 812-398-3851 ext. 2402 or dmccrary@swest.k12.in.us.

The Carlisle Student Council is hosting the middle school Halloween Dance tomorrow, Saturday, October 24, from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. The dance is for Carlisle Middle School students.

• Admission: $5 per person. Drinks and snacks are free!
• Photos: $1 per picture, so bring a little extra to capture the night with friends.
• Costumes: Costumes are optional, but prizes will be awarded for Most Original, Scariest, and Funniest costumes!

Thank you to the Student Council for planning a fun, safe night for our middle schoolers. We hope to see lots of creative costumes!

Fresh gear, big school spirit! Show your Indian pride and support our 8th graders as they raise money for their end-of-year trip. Carlisle spirit wear is available in adult and youth sizes, and every order helps our 8th graders.

Shop online at carlisleschool2026.itemorder.com. Orders are due by Wednesday, November 11 at 11:59 P.M., and items are expected to arrive shortly after Thanksgiving. Thank you for supporting Carlisle students!

Wrestling Sign-Ups

Any boys or girls interested in high school wrestling can still sign up using the SportsYou codes in the main office.

High School Archery

High school archery practice is 7:30 to 8:30 P.M. on Tuesday and Thursday for returning archers and Wednesday for new archers, through November 4. After that, Wednesday practice will be 3D and Tuesday and Thursday will be Bullseye.

Service Hours: FFA Fright Night

Looking for service hours? Email Ms. Goeppner if you would like to help with FFA Fright Night on Friday, October 30.

Free After-School Tutoring

• Tuesday: Room 101, Mr. Obryan
• Wednesday: Room 221, Mr. Simmons
• Thursday: CRC room, Mrs. Couch

Clubs and Opportunities

• Beta Club: Check SportsYou for important state convention information, including the extended registration deadline, testing and submission windows, and competition assignments. Be sure to scroll through the page for all new posts.
• NYC This Summer: Interested in visiting New York City this summer? See Mrs. Hollis or email her as soon as possible.
• Key Club: Anyone interested in Key Club or the food drive should watch for ACT meetings in the Library.

Help Us Celebrate Our Teams

SHS wants to recognize our sports and club teams' accomplishments. Coaches, parents, and players who would like to share game updates can email Mrs. Knowles at sknowles@swest.k12.in.us. Golf and soccer coaches have been sending updates, and we would love for this to grow!

Sullivan cross country had a big day at the IHSAA Sectional on Saturday, October 17, at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute. Competing in the Terre Haute North Vigo Sectional, four Arrows earned individual tickets to the Regional:

• Girls: Jillian Page and Leilyn Kern

• Boys: Jordan Piatt and Jace Camden

Only the top 5 teams and the top 15 individuals from non-advancing teams move on from the Sectional, so qualifying as an individual on one of the state's premier courses is a major accomplishment. Congratulations to these four runners on extending their seasons, and thank you to every Arrow who ran Saturday and to the families who came out to cheer on the team. Regionals, here they come!

The Lady Arrows volleyball team is bringing a Sectional championship trophy home to Sullivan after a dominant run at West Vigo. Sullivan dropped just one set in three postseason matches:

• Opening round, Thursday, October 15: Sullivan 3, Eastern Greene 0
• Semifinal, Saturday, October 17: Sullivan 3, North Knox 0
• Championship, Saturday, October 17: Sullivan 3, South Knox 1

After back-to-back sweeps to reach the final, the Lady Arrows took care of South Knox 3-1 Saturday night to claim the title. Rachel Eslinger continued her habit of posting huge stat lines, finishing the championship match with 39 assists, 27 digs, and two aces. Rigley Goodman was another difference-maker, anchoring the back row with 32 digs and adding three assists.

The Sectional title pushed Sullivan's record to 23-8 and extended the Lady Arrows' winning streak to nine straight matches. Congratulations to the players, coaches, and everyone who packed the West Vigo gym to cheer them on!

The postseason comes to Sullivan! The Golden Arrows host Owen Valley in the IHSAA Football Sectional tonight, Friday, October 23. Gates open at 6:00 P.M. and kickoff is at 7:00 P.M. Tickets are $8.00. Cash is accepted at the gate, or buy digital tickets in advance through Eventlink.

Please note: SHS and SWSC Corporation passes do not work for IHSAA postseason games. Wear your purple and gold and pack the stands for Friday Night Lights!

The Lady Arrows' next stop is the IHSAA Regional at Loogootee (Jack Butcher Arena, 201 Brooks Ave., Loogootee) on Saturday, October 24. Sullivan faces North Posey at 7:00 P.M. EDT in a matchup of two of the area's hottest teams, with both squads riding winning streaks and coming off a week of rest.

General admission tickets are $10.95 through Eventlink. Make the trip to Loogootee and help the Lady Arrows keep the streak alive. Go Lady Arrows!

Congratulations to Jillian Page, Jace Camden, Jordan Piatt, and Leilyn Kern, who advanced out of the Terre Haute North Vigo Sectional at LaVern Gibson on October 17! They compete in Regional 3 at Brownsburg High School (Brownsburg Championship Cross Country Course, 1250 Airport Rd.) on Saturday, October 24. The girls race starts at 10:30 A.M. EDT and the boys race at 11:15 A.M. EDT. General admission tickets are $10.95 through Eventlink. Good luck, Arrows!