PRINCIPAL'S
MESSAGE 
Dear
Spartan Parents,
The end of the year is here, and with it come all of the year-end excitement
and planning for next year. This has been a stellar year at South High,
and I would be remiss not to mention first the outstanding work of the
SHS Faculty and Staff. As SHS parents, I want you to be aware of the
tremendous effort the 150 adults on this campus put forth every day.
And even though individual difficulties arise at times, the overall
performance of the teachers, staff, and students is exceptional and
what makes South so special. If you have a chance, a kind word to a
teacher as the year ends gives them such an emotional boost and a feeling
of appreciation for the work they have done.
Congratulations
to Dance Teacher Sacha Bryant, selected by her peers as the
Teacher of the Quarter. Sacha has just successfully completed their
Spring Dance Show, which was a huge hit!
Congratulations to all the seniors and families who will be “graduating”
from South! We hope South has provided the opportunities for a successful
next phase of life for our seniors. For the students and families returning
next year, we look forward to the opportunities for an even better year.
With
that, there are some important reminders:
No Senior Ditch Days/Senior Pranks: To be clear, there
are no approved senior ditch days. Illegal ditch days disrupt the precious
end of year instruction teachers have planned and cost the district
tens of thousands of dollars in lost revenue. This financial loss contributes
directly to increased class sizes and decreased instructional materials
available in classrooms. Senior pranks are also an equally large problem,
and even what appears to be a harmless prank invariably leads to bigger,
more damaging pranks as students try to outdo each other. Students break
at least four laws when participating in pranks (curfew, trespassing,
vandalism, theft), and when caught will be arrested and prosecuted.
The court fines are enormous, the 18 year olds spend the night in jail,
and all participants face the loss of graduation, baccalaureate and
grad night. In addition, the entire senior class faces the loss of senior
activities for the actions of a few. Please, please, please, help keep
your kids home at night and assist us in preserving our campus that
has been your kids’ second home for four years. Thanks so much
in advance.
The Four Biggest and Most Common Mistakes for Seniors to Avoid:
Drinking at Prom, participating in a senior ditch day, vandalizing/trespassing
on campus, allowing their grades to fall to the point of jeopardizing
walking at graduation or maintaining admission to their colleges. I
know I am being repetitive, but Seniors have worked too hard, for too
long for them to make these kinds of mistakes when the end is so close!
Testing – Thank you to the many people who made
testing go so smoothly. GATE/AP Coordinator Nancy Wickstrom administered
a record number of AP exams to our highest achieving students, and Assistant
Principal Chad Mabery, with the help of Franceen Smith, Linda Miller,
Lola Ulrich, Jean Harder and a very helpful faculty, successfully completed
our mandatory California State Testing for all 9-11th graders. Thank
you to all the students, faculty and parents whose efforts reflect so
positively on South High!
Baccalaureate – Everyone loves graduation, but
the hidden gem at the end of the year is Baccalaureate. Let me offer
Baccalaureate on Saturday, June 14 at 2:00 at El Camino College, as
a very enjoyable event for friends and family. There is no charge, and
seating is nearly unlimited. Baccalaureate is a non-religious but very
meaningful ceremony that includes the senior slide show, faculty speakers
selected by the senior class, student performances and student speakers.
In addition, it is a great opportunity to see your graduates in their
caps and gowns in a more intimate setting. Many families hold their
graduation parties or dinners after Baccalaureate, because there is
very little time between the Graduation Ceremony and the departure for
Grad Night. We hope you’ll join us!
Grad Night – A huge thank you goes out to the
PTSA Grad Night Committee who continue to prepare for this enjoyable
event. Students are bussed to a secret location for an overnight, safe
and alcohol/drug free party, and each year the feedback from the graduates
is that it is an event not to be missed. It is the last time the senior
class will ever be together, and each year a handful of students regret
not going. If your graduate has not signed up yet, please encourage
him or her to do so. Last year we had many last minute graduates decide
they wanted to go, and we could only accommodate them up to the number
of remaining seats on the busses.
Prom – As you read this, prom is upon us. Please take this last opportunity to help your son or daughter make good decisions for this very exciting, but potentially dangerous night. No other night during the school year is as tempting for students to engage in alcohol, drugs or sexually risky activities. Please regulate the pre and post prom activities to help ensure prom as an enjoyable, safe and memorable night for our students.
Senior Trips – Please note that South High does
not sponsor, endorse or support any type of year-end trip for Seniors.
These trips are usually to Cancun-type locations and often involve large
amounts of alcohol, drugs and dangerous sexual situations. If your student
is participating in any year-end trip, please know that it is completely
independent from South High School, and it is our opinion that most
of these trips are unsafe.
Progress Reports – Teachers have submitted progress
reports on Parent Connect for any student currently receiving a D, F
or U. With only a few weeks until the end of the semester, right now
is the last chance to help your student do anything about their low
grades. For seniors, this is a very difficult time to stay focused,
and any help from home to assist them in putting the same care into
the last four weeks that they put into the previous 156 weeks can make
a big, big difference. It is TUSD Board Policy that any student who
has not completed ALL graduation requirements will not be permitted
to walk at graduation.
Scheduling – Every student has submitted their
course requests for next year. During the first week of June, students
will be given a copy of their requests and given an opportunity to modify
them, with parent approval. This will be the last opportunity students
will have to modify their course requests for next year, except in cases
necessitated by the completion of summer school courses. Given next
year’s massive budget struggles and large class sizes, I cannot
stress enough the absolute need to select class carefully now, because
there will not be space in anything next year and schedule changes will
be near impossible to complete.
Parent Connect – Speaking of progress reports
and scheduling, I am happy to report that district-wide, all high school
teachers will be using Parent Connect next year. The pilot program has
gone extremely well, and parent feedback has been tremendous, both in
the effectiveness of the tool and in their strong desire for all teachers
to utilize it. Look for more information in your summer registration
packet!
Summer
School – Summer school applications are available from
the counseling office and are due now. South High offers make up classes
for Ds and Fs in the areas of English, Math, Science and Social Studies.
We can only offer fully enrolled courses, so immediate sign ups are
needed to ensure each class is offered. Students who have a D or F from
first semester or who anticipate a D or F in June should sign up immediately.
Congratulations
Nancy Wickstrom, Kathy Kennedy, Elaine Mintzer, Teresa Purdue and Christine
Hanson – Please help me in congratulating our retiring
teachers and classroom aides. As long-time Spartans, they have given
so much to South High and will be truly missed. Thank you for your years
of service to the entire South High Community. Check out the teacher
bios in this newsletter!
Vicki
Hildreth, Socrates Award Winner – Congratulations to
Activities Director Vicki Hildreth, who was selected as this year’s
Socrates Award winner by the student body. Mrs. Hildreth was presented
the award at the May 22nd Spartan Laurels in recognition of her exemplary
teaching of our future leaders, and for her incomparable leadership
of the Activities program that involves our entire student body. In
addition, her work this year in planning the 50th Anniversary Celebrations
and bringing together generations of past Spartans makes this award
ever so timely and so richly deserved. Mrs. Hildreth will also attend
a dinner in her honor sponsored by the Hollywood Riviera Sportsmen Club
in June. Congratulation, Mrs. Hildreth, for the tremendous impact you
have had on our student body!
And finally, here’s hoping that everyone has a safe and successful
end of the school year, and that we all return energized in the fall.
Thank you all for your support of South High, your students, and all
of our programs. We want to be the very best school in the South Bay,
and each year are going to get another step closer! See you in September!
Scott McDowell
