South Central is pleased to have been awarded $221,440 for the Indiana Department of Education's Career Pathways Grant! These grant dollars will help pay for the implementation of the new high school welding program starting in the 2022-2023 school year. We are appreciative of American Welding and Gas and the LaPorte Economic Advancement Partnership (LEAP) who have been partners in this grant.

The Indiana Department of Education awarded a total of 97 schools and community partners with more than $57 million in Explore, Engage, and Experience (3E) grant funding. The grant will aid Indiana schools and local partners as they work to strengthen, expand, and create effective career pathways throughout students' K-12 learning. You can read the full press release on the IDOE website.

Dear South Central Elementary Families,

For the past several years, South Central has partnered with the LaPorte YMCA to offer after-school care for our students. Starting in the 2022-2023 school year, the YMCA will no longer offer after-school care for our students.

Little Dreamers, located at 7407 W. US-30 in Wanatah, has space available for South Central Elementary students who need after-school care. If you utilize Little Dreamers for after-school care, your child will be able to ride the bus from South Central to Little Dreamers on a daily basis. All the details of the program including the cost should be discussed with Sandra Wood, owner of Little Dreamers. The phone number for Little Dreamers is (219) 733-2800. We are very grateful for Sandra and her willingness to host our students for after-school care. If your child will be attending after-school care at Little Dreamers, you will need to let the elementary office know the days your child will be riding the bus to Little Dreamers.

I hope you are all having a great summer!

Sincerely,

Nick Kimmel, Elementary Principal

The South Central Community School Corporation Board of School Trustees will meet on Friday, July 1, 2022, at 3:00pm in the Administration Building, 9808 South 600 West, Union Mills, Indiana, for a public hearing regarding objections to and/or support for the proposed contract of employment for the Superintendent of Schools.

For the first time in school history, a South Central team will be playing in an IHSAA state championship game! On Saturday, June 4th, the varsity softball team defeated Rossville 4-3 in the Class A semi-state game at Frankfort to punch their ticket to the final championship. Earlier in the day, the team downed Cowan 9-4 in 9 innings. 

The Lady Satellites will now take on the Tecumseh Braves in the IHSAA Class A state finals on Friday, June 10th at 4:30pm CST at Purdue University.

South Central High School will be holding graduation for the class of 2022 on Sunday, June 5, 2022 at 7:00pm at the football/track stadium.

• Gates will open on June 5th at 5:30pm.
• Families will be seated directly on the football field. Please bring lawn chairs and blankets for seating which may be set up beginning Saturday, June 4th. Please no tents or canopies.
• Open seating will be available on the football field behind family seating. This will be first-come, first-serve.
• A stage will be set up on the track. Graduates will also be seated on the track next to the stage.
• Graduation will be live-streamed on YouTube by the LaPorte High School Radio & Television class: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-9b6_4HYo4
• A photographer will be on hand to help capture the event.
• The inclement weather date is Monday, June 6th at 7:00pm.

Congratulations to both the varsity softball and baseball teams on winning the 2022 IHSAA sectional tournaments!

The South Central softball team defeated Argos 16-0 to claim their 8th consecutive sectional championship and their 17th overall. Earlier in the tournament, the team also defeated LaCrosse and Triton for a combined score of all three games being 52-0. In the regional tournament, South Central will take on Morgan Township at home on June 1st.

The South Central baseball team defeated Oregon-Davis 10-0 on their home field to claim their 5th consecutive sectional and their 18th overall. Earlier in the tournament, the team also defeated South Bend Career Academy and LaCrosse. South Central will take on Caston in the regional tournament at South Bend Washington on June 4th.

Congratulations to senior Kolten Becker on making it to the IHSAA state track finals in the 800 meter run! With a time of 2:00.28, Kolten placed third at the Valparaiso regionals and will advance to the state finals on Saturday, June 4th at Indiana University in Bloomington.

Dear South Central Community,

The purpose of this letter is to inform you of a leadership change in the Superintendent's position at South Central. Four years ago, the South Central Board of School Trustees offered me the opportunity to serve as the Superintendent for your community school corporation. Prior to my time at South Central, I served as the Assistant Superintendent at School City of Mishawaka.

In early May, the School City of Mishawaka Board reached out to gauge my interest in returning to serve as their Superintendent. That interest ultimately turned into a subsequent offer for the position. I have verbally accepted the position and will be serving as the School City of Mishawaka Superintendent effective July, 1, 2022.

South Central was a great school corporation when I arrived in 2018. In my opening remarks to the staff, I stated that point and simply aimed to make South Central better. I believe that obligation has been fulfilled and I hope you are in agreement. Nearly one-third of South Central students come here as student transfers; meaning they choose to come here. Knowing that we are the school of choice in the area is a large responsibility to maintain, but the credit for that success goes to everyone that works so diligently to make South Central a great place to be.

In closing, the way this community positively supports South Central is unlike anything I have witnessed in previous positions I have held. In addition, in my opinion, the voting public has done a phenomenal job in electing School Board Members that are student-focused. Working with them has been a true pleasure. Lastly, I would like to thank the students, staff, and administration for working toward the common goal of student success. I have been truly blessed to call this my professional home for four years and I wish everyone reading this letter the greatest success in the future.

Thank you for allowing me to serve as the Superintendent of your school and thank you for choosing South Central for your child's education.

Sincerely,

Dr. Theodore Stevens, Superintendent

Have you ever heard the music for "76 Trombones" and wondered where it's from? South Central Drama Club has the answer to your question: Meredith Willson's The Music Man! With iconic songs such as "76 Trombones," "Goodnight, My Someone," "Till There Was You," and "Shipoopi," SCDC brings this classic musical to life. Through large dance numbers, upbeat songs, and all-new costumes, SCDC tells the story of charming traveling salesman (and conman) Harold Hill as he attempts to con the citizens of River City, Iowa into buying his idea of a children's band. The local music teacher and librarian, Marian Paroo, however, isn't falling for his schemes and attempts to bring his con crashing down around him. Does Marian eventually succumb to Harold's charm, or does she succeed in bringing his long-running con to the ground? Does River City gets its children's band? Come see SCDC's production of The Music Man to find out!

The Northwest Health Sports Medicine Program will be offering sports physicals at South Central on June 21st from 5:30pm to 8:00pm in the south gym. There is no cost (donations accepted) for the physicals and they are available to students ages 5-18. See the flyer for more information.

IHSAA Physical Form

South Central Elementary School, through its penny war fundraiser, raised $7,262.70 for Riley Hospital for Children!

The penny war fundraiser was sponsored by Junior Council members and was held during the month of February. South Central Elementary (and the Corporation) will now be designated as a "Red Wagon School/Corporation" for their fundraising efforts! Additionally, a Red Riley Wagon with a customized South Central license plate will be used at Riley Hospital as transportation for many patients.

South Central High School is pleased and proud to announce the Valedictorian and Salutatorian for the Class of 2022!

Jolie Klimczak is this year's Valedictorian. She is the daughter of Stephen and Angela Klimczak. Jolie has earned a GPA of 4.481 on a 4.0 scale at the end of her 7th semester. She will be graduating with an Indiana Core 40 diploma with Academic and Technical honors. In addition to her academic accomplishments, Jolie has been involved in FFA, German Club, and the National Honor Society.

Camryn Young is this year's Salutatorian. She is the daughter of Raymond and Kimberly Young. Camryn has earned a GPA of 4.413 on a 4.0 scale at the end of her 7th semester. She will be graduating with an Indiana Core 40 diploma with Academic and Technical honors. In addition to her academic accomplishments, Camryn has been involved in the National Honor Society, student council, golf, FFA, and is the president of the senior class.

Interested in becoming a substitute teacher? South Central will be hosting a substitute teacher meeting and training on Thursday, March 24th for any individuals interested in becoming a substitute at the school. 

Join us from 10:00am-12:00pm in the corporation board room. If you have any questions, call the corporation office at (219) 767-2263.

Dear Parent/Guardian,

The purpose of this letter is to provide the most up-to-date information pertaining to COVID-19 protocols as it relates to school bus transportation. On Friday, February 25, the CDC released guidance that removes the facemask requirement on school buses. Specifically, the updated guidance stated the following:

Effective February 25, 2022, CDC is exercising its enforcement discretion to not require that people wear masks on buses or vans operated by public or private school systems, including early care and education/child care programs. CDC is making this change to align with updated guidance that no longer recommends universal indoor mask-wearing in K-12 and early education settings in areas with a low or medium COVID-19 Community Level.

The full text of the CDC's recommendations can be found here: CDC Travel Mask Guidance

Therefore, effective Tuesday, March 1, 2022, South Central will no longer require masks on school buses. We appreciate everyone's support as we work through the updated protocols. With the removal of several protocols recently, please remember that we need everyone's assistance to continue to operate South Central as safely as possible. If your child feels ill, please have them stay home. If you are an individual that tests positive for COVID-19, you are still required to quarantine for 5 days and must wear a mask upon returning on days 6-10 in school and on the bus.

We will continue to provide updates if further recommendations change. Thank you for your continued support and for choosing South Central for your child's education.

Sincerely,

Dr. Theodore Stevens, Superintendent

Dear Parent/Guardian,

The purpose of this letter is to provide the most up-to-date information pertaining to COVID-19 protocols and quarantine requirements for students/staff at South Central. As you may know, the Indiana State Department of Health is recommending that schools no longer contact trace. Please find the two pages of the presentation that specifically speak to that point as well as the full informational packet from the IDOH at the following link: Indiana K-12 Guidance for Isolation and Quarantine

Therefore, effective Tuesday, February 22, 2022, South Central will no longer contact trace student or staff positive cases. South Central will remain a mask optional environment with the exception of school buses where the federal requirement is still active. As a reminder, if you feel ill, please stay home. If you are an individual that tests positive for COVID-19, you are still required to quarantine for 5 days and must wear a mask upon returning on days 6-10. Please note that your student will not be provided with a certified absence unless they receive a positive test result from a physician or COVID testing site (home tests will not be accepted for certified absences). 

South Central Drama Club is proud to present Jane Austen's acclaimed work, Pride & Prejudice! This original adaptation is unique to SCDC and includes all of Austen's beloved characters, as well as several lovely ball scenes. This stunning cast of characters brings Jane Austen's renowned work to life, leaving you laughing, crying, and falling in love over and over again. Watch as iconic literary characters Lizzie Bennet, Jane Bennet, Mr. Darcy, and Mr. Bingley learn to stand up for themselves and overcome their own prejudices to find their true loves. This story of family, friendship, sisterhood, love, and what it means to be truly happy is sure to touch your heart and remind you that happiness is found in the most unlikely of places - if only we can overcome our own pride and prejudice.

SCDC's premiere production of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice will run on February 25th at 7:00pm, February 26th at 7:00pm, and February 27th (senior night) at 2:00pm. An original adaptation by Kaylee M. Allen and Alexandria Ingram.

Congratulations to the #1 ranked and undefeated South Central varsity girls basketball team on winning the 2022 Class 2A IHSAA Sectional 34 Tournament! The Lady Satellites beat 13th ranked Rensselaer Central 41-38 on their home court to claim their fourth sectional title in program history. Earlier in the tournament, the team also defeated North Judson and North Newton.

The South Central Elementary Junior Council will be sponsoring a penny war fundraiser between grade levels to help benefit Riley Hospital for Children. The fundraiser will take place from February 9th to February 25th with prizes for the most money raised by grade level and for reaching the school goal. Details on this fun way to raise money can be found in the attached flyer.

On January 29, 2022, South Central Jr.-Sr. High School choir students participated in the Indiana State School Music Association's (ISSMA) Vocal Solo & Ensemble Contest. Led and accompanied by choir director Maria Koontz, the junior high and high school choirs performed ensemble pieces and solos. All eleven soloists received a gold medal rating on their performances! Emily N. and Lacie C. also earned gold ratings at the most difficult level which qualifies them to perform at the ISSMA state level on February 19th in Indianapolis.