We Are South, We Are One!

Email: msattendance@avon-schools.org
Website: https://www.avon-schools.org/mssouth
Location: 7199 East US Highway 36, Avon, IN, USA
Phone: 317-544-5700
Twitter: @avonsouth

Sept. 26 - 27 - Parent/Teacher Conferences - more information to come

Oct. 14 - 25 - Fall Break - NO SCHOOL!!!

Scott Adams - Athletic Director

Joni Johnson - Athletic Trainer

9/16 HOME vs. Brownsburg East 5:00PM

9/19 HOME vs. Danville 5:30PM

Good luck!

9/17 AWAY vs. Brownsburg West 5:15PM

9/21 HOME vs. Conference 10AM

Good luck!

9/16 HOME vs. Plainfield 5:30PM

9/19 HOME vs. County 5:00PM

Good luck!

9/16 AWAY vs. Brownsburg West 5:30PM

9/18 AWAY vs. Center Grove 6:00PM

9/19 HOME vs. Brownsburg East 5:30PM

Good luck!

9/19 HOME vs. Tri-West 5:30PM

Good luck!

Avon Middle School South will be offering an online ticket option for all athletic events. Online tickets will be available for purchase on the platform EventLink. These tickets will become available for purchase ten days prior to the date of the event. We encourage you to download the EventLink application on your mobile device from the App Store or Google Play Store.

All athletic tickets cost $5. Children between the ages 0 and 5 years old will be free in addition to adults who are 62 years old and older. When purchasing a ticket online through EventLink, there will be a service fee included.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU:

Adam Lowery

Caleb Stallard

Gabby Gramaglia

Zachary Persun

Devyn Davis

Ghotai Muktar

Brooklyn Wilson

Aliyah Onibudo

Caleb Ferman

Arsema Abishu

Navya Dutta

Alec Gent

Sydney Styles

National Junior Honor Society will offer after school study help sessions on Wednesday’s after school from 4:10 - 5:00PM, starting the Wednesday, Sept. 18.

During this time, there will be a NJHS teacher sponsor with the students while they wait for the late bus to arrive. Students that will be a car rider home on these days can be picked up at door 1 at 5:00PM. Students will then go to the front commons area and wait for the late bus or parent pick-up.

If your student will be staying for the study session and they need bus transportation home they must sign up for the late bus in the Guidance Office at lunch that day. For those students taking the late bus home, the bus will leave AMS South at 5:10pm.

Each week your child's team will give an update about the current week or week ahead. Please find your child's team below for that information. In addition, you will find news from our Encore teachers, Media Center, and PE/Wellness teachers.

Ms. Costello, Mrs. Dugan, Mrs. Williams & Mr. Uhl

Next week in Social Studies we will begin learning about Mesopotamia as we begin our ancient civilizations unit. Math will be learning about calculating tax and tip. Pre-Algebra will be reviewing proportional relationships and taking the Unit Test on Thursday (9/19). In Language Arts, students will take their Act 1 quiz and begin reading Act 2. They will continue analyzing the text through their writing and discussions. Next week, in Science, we will start to uncover how geologic processes impact the distribution of natural resources and how human consumption only exacerbates the issue. Students will partake in a mining activity where they will evaluate their environmental impact due to mining and see the relationship between extraction of materials and availability.

Mrs. Barnes, Mr. Blackmore, Mrs. Boroff/Ms. Cintas & Ms. Weinstein

In Social Studies this week, we will starting our new unit on Ancient Civilizations! We will begin leaning about the beginnings of civilization in ancient Mesopotamia and the first set of written laws (Hammurabi’s code). Students will even get a chance to become scribes and write in ancient cuneiform on blocks of clay! In Science, we will be completing our end of unit project for the rock cycle. Details for the project will be posted and available to view on Schoology. Students will have 4 days in class to complete this project. ALL projects are due at the beginning of class on Wednesday, September 18th. ALL missing assignments related to rocks, plate tectonics, etc. are due by Thursday, September 19th. After this date, they will not be accepted for a grade. The remainder of the week, we will begin our next Earth Science unit on Natural Resources. In Math this week, the students will be taking their Unit 2 test over rational numbers. They will also be taking the I-learn practice test. All late assignments are due by tomorrow, September 11th. Next week, the students will start learning about percents and how to calculate them. They will also take the I-learn Checkpoint in math. In Language Arts students will be continuing their work with Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun. Last week we were able to wrap up Act 1, Scene 1 of the play, so this week we'll keep working our way towards Act 2. Additionally, we will be starting work over Stems List #4 in class! Remember that this will be checked IN CLASS on FRIDAY! Students should be ready for a quiz over Act 1 of the play on Friday!

Mr. Leach, Mrs. Miller, Mrs. Ringham & Mrs. Schaffer

Mr. McDonald, Ms. Schaber, Mrs. Shambaugh & Mr. Thoennes

Language Arts

Mrs. Ringham - In Language Arts, students will finish reading Act 1 and taking a closer look at how conflict among the characters adds interest to a story.

Mr. Thoennes - Students will be continuing to read A Raisin in the Sun by Loraine Hansberry and will have a quiz over Act 1.

Math & Pre-Algebra

Mrs. Schaffer - Math 7 students will continue Module 2 where students will solve problems involving percent of increase and decrease. In Pre-algebra, we will finish Module 1 on ratios, rates, and proportions, and test on September 18.

Mrs. Shambaugh - Students will work on calculating percents, including percent of change, tax, tips, mark-ups, and discounts.

Science

Mrs. Miller - Science students will be finishing up our Rock Cycle Projects. These projects will be due Tuesday September 17, 2024. We will also begin our second unit talking about Natural Resources.

Ms. Schaber - Students will be finishing up our unit over our dynamic earth! They will be completing their first CSA by Wednesday, September 18. We will then be beginning our unit over natural resources!

Social Studies

Mr. Leach - In Social Studies, students will begin learning about ancient civilizations in Unit 3. All late work for unit 2 will be due one Monday 9/16.

Mr. McDonald - Students will begin learning about Ancient Civilizations.

Mrs. DeBow, Mr. Goson, Mrs. Mellen & Mrs. Zimmerman

Mr. McDonald, Ms. Schaber, Mrs. Shambaugh & Mr. Thoennes

Language Arts

Mrs. Zimmerman - Students will officially start Unit 8C and begin reading the graphic novel version of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, which was illustrated by Gris Grimly.

Mr. Thoennes - Students will begin reading Masque if the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe to prepare to read the graphic novel version of Frankenstein.

Pre-Algebra & Algebra

Mrs. DeBow - Algebra students will learn to simplify monomials using exponent rules. Pre-algebra students will begin to investigate linear relationships by representing them as situations, rules, tables, and graphs.

Mrs. Shambaugh - Students will use rules and patterns to make predictions and solve equations.

Science

Mr. Goson - In Science, we will be discussing the final section of our human impact unit: Greenhouse gasses. Afterward, we will review for our unit test on human impact. We will take the test on Friday, September 20. Please have students complete their study guide and use their notes and the Blookets on Schoology to study over the week. Biology: We will wrap up our ecology unit and take our unit test on Friday, September 20th. Please have your child study their notes and review their study guide to review for the test.

Ms. Schaber - Students will be finishing up our unit over human impact! We will be reviewing and gearing up for our test on Friday, September 20.

Social Studies

Mrs. Mellen - Next week, we will be starting Unit 3. We will be studying Ben Franklin, the French and Indian War, and the Causes of the Revolution.

Mr. McDonald - Students will begin reading King George: What Was His Problem?

Mrs. Warthan, Ms. Kegley, Mr. Casey & Mr. Osen

In Science, students will conduct water pollution labs and testing over our Human Impact unit on Friday 9/20. Biology students will begin their Ecology part 2 unit and will be studying human populations effect on the ecosystem. In Pre-Algebra, students have ILEARN Checkpoint #1. Students will begin working with tables, graphs, and equations. Algebra classes have ILEARN Checkpoint #1. Students will work with properties of exponents. Social Studies classes will analyze how the French & Indian War impacted the 13 colonies. In Language Arts, students have ILEARN Checkpoint #1. Students will be practicing reading a graphic story and then beginning Gris Grimley/Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.

Mrs. Cadle, Mr. Garrison, Mrs. Hood & Mr. Williams

In Science, students will be investigating how a carrying capacity affects a population. They will also learn the impact of a greenhouse effect on a small scale as well as a large scale. On Friday, 9-20 students will be taking the Human Impact Test. A study guide has been given and extra copies are on Schoology. Biology classes will be investigating the types of succession and comparing and contrasting the two. We will also be finalizing our radish lab results and graphing it. On Friday, 9-20 students will be taking the Ecology Part 1 Test. A study guide has been given and extra copies are on Schoology. In Language Arts, we will be reading and analyzing a graphic novel version of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death." In Social Studies, students will be starting Unit 3: Causes of the American Revolution. They will be creating group presentations on of the acts passed by Britain. Pre-Algebra students will begin Chapter 3 looking at how to represent patterns with equations, tables, and graphs. On Tuesday, we will be taking the ILEARN Checkpoint! Algebra students will begin Chapter 3, exploring the rules of exponents. On Tuesday, we will be taking the ILEARN Checkpoint! I have recommended skills for them in IXL to review material from Pre-Algebra to help them prepare for the first Checkpoint. The IXL skills are not for a grade, just a resource.

Señora Barker (Spanish), Mrs. Hauptmann (Japanese), Mr. Parr (Computer Science),

Mrs. Leonard (Art), Mr. McFarlin (Engineering and Technology), Mr. Wolf (Robotics),

Mrs. Snyder (Flight & Space and Medical Detectives),

and Mr. Tarnowski (Digital Literacy & Communication)

Spanish

Students will continue practicing with weather in Spanish and have a quiz on Wednesday. They will be prepping for a unit test after. More information on that to come via Parent Square.

Japanese

The Japanese class topics will be: hiragana K group, reading words written in hiragana, ordering food and drinks.

Computer Science

7th graders will be starting their final project where they get to create their own video game from scratch.

8th graders will be starting the presentation portion of the Shark Tank project!

Art

In art, we are working on a monochromatic landscape painting project! We will be using tempera paint, which is easier to wash from clothes, but I would be mindful of what students wear to school just in case. After our painting projects are completed, we will be creating monoprints.

7th grade Engineering and Design & 8th grade Gateway to Technology

7th grade- Students will be starting the final project which is the Airblaster car project. Students will be asked to make a car out of wood and build it with aesthetic and aerodynamics in mind. We will have a tournament the final two days of the nine weeks to see who's car is the fastest car in the class.

8th grade - Students will be building their final project for the nine weeks the Airblaster Crash Car. Students will be building a car out of wood and adding items from home to the car to protect an egg from cracking during a wreck. Students will race these cars on the final two days of the nine weeks.

Digital Literacy & Communication

This week in Digital Literacy, 7th grade is putting together their Shark Tank Speeches and PowerPoints so they're ready to present next week. 8th grade is practicing giving opening statements and examinations, then preparing their cases for next week's Mock Trial.

Robotics

Robotics 1 – Students will finish coding testbed projects and will be introduced to spinning billboard project.

Robotics 2 – Students will finish constructing and coding the elevator project.

Flight & Space

Students will be working on their final projects-Mission to Mars. Students are very excited because they will be creating a Mars lander (aka an egg drop) that will be dropped off the roof.

Here a couple of pictures of Flight and Space doing their water filtration lab. They had to turn dirty water into clean water.

Medical Detectives

Students will be working on their final projects. They are to figure out what toxin is making a town sick, then film a news broadcast to let the civilians know the information they discovered.

Here are pictures of the students dissecting the sheep brains.

Mrs. Lucas, Mr. Jackson & Mr. Van Winkle

Students will continue their current units of flag football, soccer, and fitness this week. Their final unit assessment will be on Friday. The following week will include fitness tests and a final exam as we complete the first quarter of PE. All study guides are posted on Schoology.

Mr. Basso (Band), Mr. Miller (Orchestra) & Mr. Nelson (Choir)

Band

Thank you all for an amazing job with our Music Department Fundraiser!!!! Items will be delivered on Wednesday, September 18th.

This week, we'll be working on music for our Fall Concert!

Please be sure to read the band newsletter Mr. Basso sends out on Sundays!

Choir

In choir, we are finishing preparation for our first performances combined with the High School in the coming weeks. We will be introducing our holiday concert music soon!

Orchestra

For All Orchestras:

-FUNDRAISER is now complete. Thank you to all families who supported us as well as donations! Fundraiser delivery will be Wednesday, September 18th. If you know your students sold many items, we will be asking you to pick them up after school the day of the delivery.

7th Grade Orchestra: We have a few instruments without shoulder rests. Please check ParentSquare for preferred shoulder rest purchase. Our first playing test will be on September 24th on Dragonhunter. Students will record and submit on Schoology or if late, play live in class for me or for our student teacher. Keep encouraging your students to practice at home and play for you! Our orchestra concert for 7th grade and 8th Grade is Thursday, October 3rd at 6:30pm. Students should arrive by 5:45 at the latest. They need their polo shirts, black dress pants and black dress shoes.

8th Grade: Our orchestra concert for 7th grade and 8th Grade is Thursday, October 3rd at 6:30pm. Students should arrive by 5:45 at the latest.

Chamber Orchestra: Our combined Chamber Orchestra Concert is on Tuesday, September 24th at 6:30pm. Students should arrive at AMS North, door 8 by 5:45pm. Please continue to encourage your students to practice and play for you at home!

Mrs. Sever

Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15th to October 15th each year. In the library and on Sora, we have a variety of books written by Hispanic authors and featuring Hispanic characters and culture. This week, I would like to highlight a book by Pablo Cartaya called The Last Beekeeper, a futuristic dystopian novel.

In a future shaken by climate disasters, Yolanda Cicerón knows that nature is something to be feared. While life in the Valley is brutal and harsh, Yoly dreams of leaving her farm to live in Silo—the most advanced town for miles around. But first, Yoly will need to prove she belongs in a place where only the smartest and most useful are welcomed. Between her razor-sharp smarts and sheer determination, Yoly is well on her way until she discovers her family can no longer afford her schooling. When forced to take matters into her own hands, the closer she gets to securing her future, the more she uncovers the dangers lying inside Silo’s walls—ones that threaten the entire Valley. As she cracks long-guarded secrets, Yoly, along with those closest to her, is put in grave peril and the only chance of surviving may lie in the rediscovery of a long-extinct species—the honeybee. Can the last surviving beehive be the key to pulling the Valley out from under Silo’s thumb, or will they destroy what remains of Yoly’s future? – Provided by PabloCartaya.com

To read about Yoly and the last surviving beehive, check out a copy of The Last Beekeeper by Pablo Cartaya from the AMS South library!

ABSENCE PROCEDURE

If a student is absent from school, the PARENT must call the school by 10:00 A.M. to report the absence. If no call is received, the automated school system will make an effort to contact the parent, but if NO PARENT CALL has been received by 3:00 P.M. the day following the absence, the student will be charged with an unexcused absence. You may also send an email to us to notify us of your child's absence at msattendance@avon-schools.org.

EARLY DISMISSALS

Please be advised that we cannot take early dismissal information over the telephone.

If your child needs to leave school early during the school day please send a note in with your child to bring to the office first thing in the morning or email us at

msattendance@avon-schools.org with all the necessary information: students name, date and time picking up, and the name of the person picking your child up if someone other than a parent or guardian will be picking up. This email will go directly to the front office secretaries and they will be able to get your child an early dismissal pass so that they can be in the front office when you are ready to pick them up. If leaving early for a doctor/dentist appointment, please provide doctor/dentist verification to ensure that the absence is excused.

If someone other than a parent or guardian will be picking up your child we MUST have this information in writing from a parent/guardian, please include his or her name on the note or email. Once we verify their photo ID then the student can sign out and leave. If you are unable to email us we will need you to come into the office with your valid ID, once we verify it is a parent/guardian picking up we will be able to call the student down for dismissal.

Using this email will ensure your child will get a pass out of class to be in the office. Please do not use Parent Square to send a message to your child's teachers as we cannot guarantee that this message will get to the front office to get your child a pass. Our teachers are very busy throughout the day and may not be able to check Parent Square often, or if the teacher is out that day we would not get that message in the front office in time to get your child an early dismissal pass.

We want to make sure that your information is getting to the right person in a timely manner, and hopefully prevent any miscommunication or missed messages.

If your child will be absent from school due to a virtual doctor appointment, whether leaving early or coming to school late, to ensure that the absence is excused we will need you to provide written documentation of the appointment from the doctor. Please be sure to ask your doctor to email you a note to provide to school for the appointment. You can either print the email out and send to school with your child to bring to the office, or you can email it to our attendance line at

msattendance@avon-schools.org.

It is our belief that students can best achieve academic success by being in school every day. We also understand that a student may occasionally have an opportunity to experience extraordinary opportunities that may result in a missed day of school. The principal or designee may grant a pre-arranged absence if the absence provides an extraordinary opportunity for the student and/or family. The request must be submitted at least five school days in advance of the requested absence. The student will be required to complete all missed work upon his/her return to school.

No more than three days of pre-arranged absences will be approved each year.

Pre-arranged absences will not be granted during the following circumstances:

• NWEA and ILEARN testing
• End of Quarter Assessments
• Last three days of a semester
• When the requested absence would push the student’s attendance record into excessive absence status or if the student has surpassed the allowable number of absences.

You can either print this form out and complete the information requested and send into school with your child to bring to the front office, or you can fill it out and email it to our attendance email address at msattendance@avon-schools.org

For Visitors to our Building

Avon Schools require all visitors to check-in at the front office using our visitor management system, Safe Visitor. This system requires visitors to scan their driver's license or state identification card for a check of their record. A temporary badge is provided to all visitors to wear while in our buildings. As our visitors leave school, they scan and return that badge to front office staff.

Entering the Building

Anyone entering our building beyond the front office will need to have a valid photo ID with them so that they can be checked in through our Safe Visitor Solutions system. You will be given a badge to wear while in the building so that you are identified as a visitor. When leaving you will return to the front office so that we can check you out of Safe Visitor Solutions and take your badge.

Visiting Students during Lunch

At this time, we are allowing parents/guardians to have lunch with their child during their specified lunch time in our commons area outside of the cafeteria. Parents must follow our policy for entering our building listed above; present a valid photo ID and be checked into our Safe Visitor system. Please take note that this process may take a few minutes to get you checked into our system so please allow for a few extra minutes for that process.

**If someone other than a parent/guardian would like to have lunch with your student, we MUST have that information in writing in advance from a parent/guardian. You can either send a note in with your student to bring to the office when they arrive at school in the morning, or you can email our attendance line with the information at msattendance@avon-schools.org

Avon Community Schools has chosen Worth Ave. Group as the vendor of choice to insure school-issued laptops rented by students. Insurance with Worth Ave. Group will protect the device against: Accidental Damage, Theft, Fire, Flood, Natural Disasters, Power Surge and Vandalism. This insurance policy will provide full replacement cost coverage and will protect the item worldwide (on and off school grounds). The policy is also transferable to a replacement unit. Insurance plans may be purchased online.

• Coverage Term: July 18, 2024 - July 18, 2025
  • It is up to you to renew yearly.
• Enrollment Deadline: September 6, 2024
• Cost is prorated for policies purchased after September.

Need help with Math and Science homework?

Call the Homework Hotline

1-877-ASK-ROSE

Click below to visit their website

www.askrose.org

The Mary Lee Maier Community Pantry is available to Avon school families and employees.

Every Thursday from 5:00 - 6:00PM (when school is in session, see district calendar for these dates) at Avon Intermediate School East, southside of building enter door #13.

Please do not arrive before 4:30PM due to AIS bus/school traffic

Enrollment is simple. Please complete your 2024 - 2025 enrollment before you shop. Below you will find more information for enrollment, please click the link below.

Please click on Community Flyers below to take you to the ACSC web page of all the Educational Flyers and Community Events Flyers happening in our community.