Graduation Reminders:

We have 221 seniors who have booked an appointment to pick up their commemorative graduation box as of this writing. We have 261 primary enrolled seniors total who will be receiving a box. For the seniors who have not made an appointment, please do so as soon as possible with the link below. When making an appointment please include the student’s name so we can align their appointment with their box.

https://outlook.office365.com/owa/calendar/SouthAnchorageHighSchool1@asdk12ak.onmicrosoft.com/bookings/

Box pick up will occur curbside in the front circle near the front entrance. The photo stations will be located in the lower lot near E Hall. Please see the following map for an overview of the process:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CXf4Q53eq1zRo8a-tQgLCowifYSuHqNd/view?usp=sharing

The Short Form Graduation Video containing a slide show of graduating seniors along with speeches will air beginning this Friday May 15th and continue through the weekend.

1. First/Second showings: KTVA on May 15th at 6 pm with second run on May 18th at 5 am.
2. Third showing: KYES on May 17th at 10:30 pm.
3. iHeart Radio South High School Spotlight Day: May 27th,

Full schedule of all graduations here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_E1Qs_8SkApAJ1x0Lems6LVJj97rj0Ou/view

For a fuller explanation of the graduation process please see the previous newsletter post on this blog.

Semester Grade Reporting & Summer Learning Options

Students who have logged into each of their courses throughout fourth quarter and have completed assignments in each of their classes will be given either their semester two or third quarter grade, whichever is higher.

Students who have not logged into their courses and have not made progress will receive their semester grade.

Students who fail their second semester courses will automatically be recommended by their teachers for the summer extension, which will run from June 1st through the 26th. Parents will be contacted to confirm the student’s interest in making up their credit during the summer extension window.

Students who would like to replace a grade or make a first attempt at a course may do so free of charge on iSchool this summer, which will take place throughout June and part of July.

Football Boosters Offer

South High School’s football boosters have put up an online store to help raise money for the upcoming season. A South face mask is included if you’d like to show your South spirit while helping to protect yourself and others. Please use the link below to order:

http://south.alaskaswag.com/

Remaining Belongings and Underclassmen Yearbooks

If you did not get an opportunity to pick up your belongings last week, we will store them until next fall. All students’ belongings were bagged, labeled, and put back into their lockers. They will remain there and be waiting in the fall when students return.

Seniors who did not pick up their pre-ordered yearbooks will receive them when they pick up their graduation box. For underclassmen, we will hold onto those yearbooks until next fall, and distribute them then.

Parting Thought:

One of Ernest Shackleton’s leadership strengths was his ability to remain optimistic despite facing almost insurmountable obstacles. His balance of optimistic thinking while staying grounded in reality was one of the reasons he was able to return from the Antarctic with all of his men. Dennis Perkins, author of Leading at the Edge, analyzed how Shackleton was able to balance optimism with stark reality, and in doing so he claims:

The first step in cultivating optimism is to pay close attention to what you say to yourself. If you are aware of this inner dialogue, especially during times of adversity or setback, you will be conscious of the messages you are sending yourself about failure of success. The right messages are energizing.

Perkins, p. 48

One way Shackleton did this was by reciting parts of one of his favorite poems, Prospice, by Robert Browning. It reminded Shackleton that even when reality is grim, it is important to maintain hope. The poem reads, in part,

I was ever a fighter, so—one fight more,
The best and the last!

let me taste the whole of it, fare like my peers
The heroes of old,

For sudden the worst turns the best to the brave,
The black minute’s at end.
And the elements’ rage, the fiend-voices that rave,
Shall dwindle, shall blend,
Shall change, shall become first a peace out of pain,
Then a light,…

Although we are not on a 19th Century Antarctic expedition with our only ship trapped in pack ice, Browning’s ideas seem more applicable than ever. His lines about facing adversity until we see it dwindle, and persisting through hardship until it fades to peace and light are both good reminders that despite the current losses we feel, there is still hope to be found. One way to do that is to remember to capture the small moments of lightness each day and remember them when times get tough.

Have a great week South!