News from the Principal....

Where has this school year gone?  It is hard to believe we are making end of the year preparations for events and field trips.  The 4th quarter can be a challenging time for middle school students.  The staff and administration continue to stress to the students the importance of making positive choices, especially at this time of the year when it can be hard to concentrate and stay focused.

As always, this newsletter is full of valuable information about what our students have accomplished in the last couple of months, along with a preview of events to come. We remind parents and students to continue to monitor grades and assignments utilizing our Skyward online system. Also, the daily announcements link on our website is a tremendous source of time-sensitive information along with important dates.

With all the negativity that the media inundates us with on a daily basis, I thought it would be nice to highlight some of the positive things our students and staff have done for the community recently:

·         Palos South cares about the Environment: The Palos South Environmental Club, headed by faculty advisers Mrs. Satler and Mrs. Hanley, has been busy, as always. The club sponsored a cell phone drive earlier this year, and recently received a check for $96.75 for all the cell phones that students have recycled. Also, the club has facilitated two magazine drives, recycling well over 2000 magazines. Currently, they are collecting slightly worn shoes for the Share Your Soles Foundation. On April 20th, the group took a field trip to Lake Katherine to rid the area of the dreaded "buckthorn" an invasive species. Somehow the club members find time to take part in a weekly paper and bottle recycling. So far this year we have recycled approximately 18.5 tons.

·         The Student Council shines: On April 15 and 16, under the direction of Mrs. Swan, 19 students attended the Illinois Association of Student Councils Convention. The students represented South with honor at the event. The student council recently raised $168 by selling Jamba Juice. The funds went to Cradle in Evanston. This was part of a larger effort by the IAJHSC that raised over $19,000 for the adoption agency.

·         I.M.P.A.C.T. makes an impact: In January, the I.M.P.A.C.T. Club, sponsored by a faculty advisor Mrs. Segredo, collected more than 100,000 pop tabs to support the Ronald McDonald House. As a follow up, the club members visited the Oak Lawn Ronald McDonald house, toured the facility, and spent the day doing volunteer activities.  In February, I.M.P.A.C.T. also raised $286 for the American Heart Association by selling "heart grams" to the students.

·         Club Action goes above and beyond: The group, headed by Mr. Kouba and Mrs. Partin, recently collected $415 for the American Red Cross's relief efforts in Japan. Additionally, the group has represented three other charity organizations this year: the Crisis Center for South Suburbia, the Animal Welfare League, and the March of Dimes. On April 17, Club Action took part in a walk for the March of Dimes raising almost $1800 for the organization.

·         Way to go Math department: Huge kudos go out to Mrs. Duffy and the rest of the South math department and our students for their efforts in raising money for St. Jude Children's Hospital. Our school once again participated in a math-a-thon to benefit the hospital. 130 students took part raising $8756.  Over the last 6 years, we have collected approximately $70,000 for this worthwhile cause.

We certainly are lucky to have such a talented and caring staff and student body! We look forward to a strong finish to what has been an amazing school year. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact us.

Sincerely,

 Chris Bingen                      Amy Christie
 Principal                              Assistant Principal