Dear Parent/Guardian,

I hope this letter finds you well! It's hard to believe we're already to the end of the 1st grading period. The beginning of the year has flown by! We've had a fantastic start to the school year here at SC, and we appreciate your partnership and support.

The purpose of this letter is to provide information on our virtual learning and eLearning days this school year. We have two virtual learning days built into the school calendar for teacher professional development days. Those are November 1st and March 5th. On those two days, teachers and students will be on live Google Meets in the AM from 9:00-12:00, while the afternoon will be for teacher meetings and training. The building principals will send out schedules and information very soon specific to those two days.

For inclement weather, we'll potentially utilize eLearning days, virtual learning days, and snow make-up days. We are only allowed to use up to three (3) eLearning days in a school year, per Indiana Code. eLearning days would be our "old fashion" days where lessons are posted on Canvas (grades 5-12) or Google Classroom (grades K-4) by 9:00am, and students can complete their work at any time throughout the day. Assignments are due by 11:59pm, unless otherwise directed by the teacher. For virtual learning, students are required to be on live Google Meets for at least 50% of the school day in order for it to count as a day. So those days we will use our 2-hour delay schedule like we have in the past, and live Google Meets will begin at 10:00am. The JH / HS will operate on the 2-hour delay bell schedule. The elementary school will provide a live instruction schedule for each grade level that will also begin at 10:00am.

If we would happen to use up our 3 eLearning days, we'll then plan to use 3 virtual days with live instruction. While I certainly hope we don't have that many inclement weather days, if we would get past those 3 eLearning days AND 3 virtual learning days, we'll utilize the built in snow make-up days. Snow make-up days are built into our calendar on January 20th, February 14th, and May 2nd.

We understand that this is somewhat confusing, which is why I wanted to provide this letter as a reminder and to clarify the differences. Please do not hesitate to reach out to the school office if you have any questions or for further clarification!

Thank you for your continued support!

Ben Anderson, Superintendent

Dear Parent/Guardians,

It's hard to believe, but the 2024-2025 school year is right around the corner! Summer FLEW by once again! I hope you were able to relax and recharge with your family. We are gearing up for another fabulous year at SC! We can't wait to see students in just two short weeks.

Our summer has been incredibly busy with our building project/renovations and other projects going on here at the school. We are excited for you to see the progress! Some renovations/updates will be completed before school starts (several restrooms, casework in elementary classrooms, track resurfacing, etc.), while several will be completed within a few weeks of school starting (library/media center, additional restrooms, locker rooms), and some will be later in the school year after Christmas break (elementary classroom addition, high school classroom addition, student activity center). Don't forget that you can track progress with the weekly updates on our website (https://www.scentral.k12.in.us/building-project)!

Our maintenance staff has done a wonderful job this summer, and overall the building looks GREAT!! But you'll have to please excuse the dust in some areas as construction inside the building continues.

I wanted to REMIND you that due to legislative changes from the Indiana General Assembly last year, families will not be charged for textbook rental, Chromebooks, or class fees as you have been in the past. If your child is in band, they'll still need to rent or provide their own instrument. If your child is in welding, they'll still need to have their own personal protective equipment (PPE). Also, please note: students/families will still be responsible to pay for lost or damaged textbooks and Chromebooks.

We do still ask that students bring in their typical supplies (pencils, paper, crayons, folders, etc.). If you need assistance with school supplies, please let us know!

Enjoy these last couple weeks of summer! Please don't hesitate to contact the school with any questions or concerns.

Go Satellites!

Ben Anderson, Superintendent

Athletic passes for the 2024-2025 seasons are now on sale in the high school office during school hours. You can also see Mr. Wilhelm, athletic director, at any home event to purchase a pass. Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions.

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Beginning Monday, July 29th at 9:00 am, South Central will open online registration via Harmony Family Access. We would like to remind you to check your demographics, update phone numbers, update emergency contacts and their phone numbers, update your email addresses, and your home/mailing address. There are also some registration forms that will need to be electronically signed. Some forms will need to be signed annually when you register online. The forms are listed in the online registration section in Harmony Family Access. It is important that you update your Family Access account with your most current information for bus routing purposes and so the school can contact you with important updates throughout the school year.

If you have already registered your pre-k and/or kindergarten student, you will not have to come into the school for new student registration BUT you will need to log into your Harmony Family Access account to update demographics and fill out the consent forms. You will receive an email with your student's registration code on Friday, July 26th.

All new students are required by the state to provide proof of residency. Any returning students who have moved to a new address from the one listed in Harmony are also required to provide proof of residency. Your proof of residency should be one of the following documents: Current (within the last 60 days) utility bill, bank statement, or rental/lease agreement. A driver's license and mailed advertisements do NOT meet the residency verification requirements set forth by the Indiana Department of Education.

Beginning Wednesday, July 24th, the junior high and high school will be scheduling appointments for NEW STUDENT registration which is on Tuesday, July 30th (9:00-11:30 and 1:00-2:30), Wednesday, July 31st (1:00-5:30), and Thursday, August 1st (9:00-11:30 and 1:00-2:30). Please call the school to schedule an appointment. New students in the elementary school do NOT need to schedule an appointment time but should come into the elementary office during the registration times listed. On those days, we also welcome families who cannot register from home to come to the school to register students. Please call to schedule an appointment. Also, bring your username and password with you.

If you have forgotten your password to Family Access, you will need to click the "forgot my password" link and Harmony will send an email. We are unable to retrieve usernames and passwords at the school.

We are looking forward to a great school year ahead!

Thank you,

South Central Schools

The Indiana Department of Education has announced that South Central Elementary School is now newly certified as a leader in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education! In a partnership with EES Innovation, the South Central STEM leadership team consisting of teachers and administrative staff met regularly to work on programming and goals that would follow the Indiana STEM Education requirements. They also worked with community members and businesses. The school completed a rigorous application and review process that included an onsite visit with IDOE staff. The certification lasts for five years and the entire process must be repeated every five years to remain certified. Visit the school's STEM website for more information.

Congratulations to our leadership team and our teachers/staff on accomplishing this school goal!

Dear Students, Parents/Guardians, & South Central Community,

It's hard to believe it's already May and the end of another school year is approaching! Where does the time go? We've had another very successful school year at SC. There are always bumps in the road, but I'm grateful to be a part of an incredible school community. South Central is a special place, and that's because of our students, staff, and community!

As you may know, South Central's Board of School Trustees, administration, and staff have been working carefully and diligently on a plan for additions, renovations, and improvements to our school building and campus. Those improvements will begin this summer! It's important to note that this project is completely tax neutral, and will NOT change the school corporation's debt service tax rate. So you will NOT see an increase in your taxes because of this project. We are working within the parameters of the school corporation's existing debt structure. The proposed project will be a total bond issuance of $12.15 million but will be broken up into a series of two bond issues. The board of trustees hired Tonn and Blank Construction out of Michigan City to be the construction manager for the project. Elevatus Architecture out of Ft. Wayne is the architect.

Last June, we convened a committee of 14 stakeholders (board members, admin, teachers, and parents) to identify needs and wants for the additions, renovations, and improvements. Through that process, we came to the addition of classrooms to both the elementary and jr-sr high schools, renovations of ALL restrooms in the building, renovating the library/media center, renovating the locker room area, constructing an activity center building, replacing an old chiller, and more. Please visit the new page on our website for more detailed information and pictures. We will also post construction updates as the project advances.

https://www.scentral.k12.in.us/building-project

The Board of Trustees and administration will be hosting an informational meeting on Tuesday, May 14th at approximately 5:30pm for anyone that would like to learn more about the project. The regularly scheduled board meeting is at 5:00pm with the informational meeting to follow.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, administration, and staff, I thank you for your continued support of South Central Schools.

Go Satellites!

Ben Anderson, Superintendent

Save the date! The Northwest Health Sports Medicine Program will once again be offering sports physicals at South Central. The physical night will take place on June 18th from 5:30pm to 7:30pm.

South Central Elementary School, through its penny war fundraiser, raised $20,022.80 for Riley Hospital for Children!

The penny war fundraiser was sponsored by Junior Council members and was held from March 4th to the 22nd. 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.

Dear Satellite Families, 

As you are likely aware, we will experience the phenomenon of a total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8th. While the total solar eclipse is an exciting event for some, it does also bring some safety concerns to consider. After discussing this event with the Board of Trustees, LaPorte County Emergency Management, and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, we do feel that we need to make a slight change to our schedule on April 8th. We will dismiss students early; elementary car riders beginning at 12:20pm and Jr.-Sr. High School at 12:30pm.

The timing of this rare event is what drives this decision. It occurs near regular dismissal time. LaPorte County is in the path of 96% totality of the solar eclipse, which will occur at 2:08pm. The partial eclipse begins approximately 12:52pm and will last until 3:23pm, according to LCEM and IDHS. 

I understand that this decision will be met with mixed reactions. We are making this change in the best interest of safety though, as viewing the eclipse without proper eyewear can cause permanent damage to your eyesight. South Central purchased approved safety glasses for students a few weeks back and we hope those will arrive in time to provide those, should parents/guardians want to view this event with their child. 

We sincerely appreciate your understanding regarding this change, and always appreciate your support of South Central Schools! 

Yours in education,

Ben Anderson, Superintendent

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 March 4th to March 22nd 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.

• First Goal: $2,000 = Pajama Party
• Second Goal: $3,4000 = Movie Day
• Third Goal: $6,000 = Board Game Day
• Fourth Goal: $8,000 = Ice Cream Party
• Final Goal: $10,000 = Fun Day