Ms. Gabbard's seventh-grade Computer Science Foundations students spent this week diving into real-world cybersecurity? They examined the consequences of cyberbullying, researched why unauthorized users try to access personal information, and learned about careers in Identity & Access Management. To top it off, they put their skills to the test in a lively "Cyber Lockdown" card game tournament — teamwork, strategy, and critical thinking all around!

Safe Passage visited South Dearborn Middle School students in the gym recently to talk about safety and healthy relationships.

Students learned how to recognize different types of abuse and unhealthy situations, and why it matters to know where to go for help. These conversations give students tools to protect themselves and to support others.

Thank you, Safe Passage. Anyone who needs help can call their 24/7 helpline at (877)-733-1990.

The assignment: don't just read the article, argue with it!

Mr. Mattox's English students at South Dearborn Middle School read "The Automation Paradox" by James Bessen and closely analyzed its claims and evidence while weighing counterarguments.

Bessen argues that workers who learn to use new technology can have more opportunities, not fewer, and he backs that up with examples from law offices, banks, and grocery checkouts, plus a chart of job growth. Students marked up the text as they read, examined the chart, and considered the counterarguments, building the habit of asking whether the evidence supports the claim.

Dozens of countries, one continent, and a test coming up. Mr. Conner's students at South Dearborn Middle School reviewed Europe by studying its countries, popular sports, geographic regions, landscapes, and notable features.

They paired geography with culture: where a country sits on the map, what its land looks like, and what its people play and celebrate. Putting those pieces together gave students a fuller picture of Europe than a list of names to memorize.

Three stations, three builds, and a lot of marbles on the floor. Mrs. Truitt's 7th-graders at South Dearborn Middle School built roller coasters, marble runs, and magnetic racetracks, tested them, and rebuilt them until the physics worked in their favor.

Along the way they studied force, friction, gravity, inertia, acceleration, and collisions, then carried those ideas right to the Farmers Fair midway. Why does a coaster speed up on the drop? Why do seat belts exist? Thanks to these experiments, they had answers.

Critical thinking, teamwork, and a few failed designs made these lessons stick.

Mrs. Deaton's students at South Dearborn Middle School stood up in front of the class and presented their research on child development, covering different age groups, interests, challenges, and ways to offer support.

It built real research and public speaking skills, and it set the stage for what came next: babysitting and toy design units where they put all of their learnings to use!

South Dearborn Community School Corporation is having an asynchronous eLearning Day today! For more information, please visit the eLearning page: https://www.sdcsc.k12.in.us/page/elearning

Ms. Rainey's students at South Dearborn Middle School turned numbers into pictures, reading and building graphs from real measurements and figuring out which ones actually matched the data.

It's a skill that shows up everywhere outside the classroom, including a weather forecast, an economic growth chart, or charts on the evening news.

What happens to math once you cross zero? Mr. Martin's students at South Dearborn Middle School are finding out this week, practicing problems with positive and negative integers.

It's building the kind of number sense that makes everything from temperatures to bank balances easier to read.

Reminder: The Dearborn County Health Department will be hosting a vaccine clinic available to the South Dearborn community on Tuesday, September 22nd, at 9:00am in South Dearborn Middle School.

South Dearborn Community School Corporation is having an asynchronous eLearning Day today! For more information, please visit the eLearning page: https://www.sdcsc.k12.in.us/page/elearning

Mrs. Stanley's students at South Dearborn Middle School spent the week on a kindness project, finding creative ways to brighten someone else's day: affirmation posters, painted rocks, hidden notes, small surprises left for others to find.

It was a simple idea with a real lesson behind it: a little kindness goes a long way, especially when you don't expect anything back.

Keep an eye out around South Dearborn — you might just find one of their surprises!

The Dearborn County Health Department will be hosting a vaccine clinic available to the South Dearborn community on Tuesday, September 22nd, at 9:00am in South Dearborn Middle School.

South Dearborn Middle School's Student Government and Aurora Elementary School's Student Leadership Team are teaming up for a "Spare Change Challenge" benefiting Dolly Parton's Imagination Library of Dearborn County!

From Monday, September 14th through Friday, September 18th, students at both schools will compete — grade vs. grade at SDMS, class vs. class at AES — to raise the most spare change, with a prize for the top group at each school.

On Friday, September 25th, students and staff at both schools are asked to wear pink for Dolly. That afternoon, SDMS Student Government will visit AES to read with PreK–5th graders and present the funds raised to the Imagination Library.

Bring your change, wear your pink, and help put books in the hands of Dearborn County's youngest readers! 📖

What does it take to become a doctor? Ms. Gabbard's eighth-graders at South Dearborn Middle School are finding out in PLTW Medical Detective — measuring vital signs, collecting bacterial samples, testing antibiotics, and diagnosing patients, switching roles between doctor, nurse, and patient.

It's building real clinical thinking and teamwork, and opening their eyes to just how many different careers exist in healthcare.

The book fair made its way through South Dearborn Middle School this week, giving students the chance to discover new titles, dig into their interests, and find a few new favorites to bring home.

Thank you to the students and families who made it a great week for reading! 📚

Band and choir directors Mr. Pallada and Mr. Francis are working with South Dearborn Middle School students on the fundamentals — posture, embouchure (the way a musician positions their lips, teeth, tongue, and facial muscles to play a wind or brass instrument), scales, and musical articulation. It's the kind of practice that builds real control, rhythm, and confidence as musicians.

Come out and support the SDMS and SDHS bands and choirs at their performances this year:

August
- Saturday, August 29th — Music on the Front Porch, 2:00pm, Aurora Public Library — Choir

September
- Friday, September 18th — Home Football Game — Marching Knights
- Saturday, September 19th — Band Competition, Taylor HS (Cleves, OH) — Marching Knights
- Friday, September 25th — Homecoming Home Football Game — Marching Knights
- Saturday, September 26th — Band Competition, Batesville HS (Batesville, IN) — Marching Knights
- Wednesday, September 30th — Farmers Fair — Choir

October
- Saturday, October 3rd — Farmers Fair Parade — Marching Knights with 7th & 8th Grade Bands
- Saturday, October 3rd — ISSMA State Prelims, Whiteland HS (Whiteland, IN) — Marching Knights
- Friday, October 9th — Senior Knight Home Football Game — Marching Knights
- Saturday, October 10th — Band Competition, Mason HS (Mason, OH) — Marching Knights
- Friday, October 16th — Middle School Band Knight Home Football Game — Marching Knights with 6th, 7th & 8th Grade Bands
- Saturday, October 17th — ISSMA State Finals, Franklin Community HS (Indianapolis, IN) — Marching Knights
- Sunday, October 25th — Band Competition, East Central HS (St. Leon, IN) — Marching Knights

November
- Saturday, November 7th — MidStates Championships, Miamisburg HS (Miamisburg, OH) — Marching Knights
- Thursday, November 12th — Bands of America Grand Nationals, Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis, IN) — Marching Knights
- Wednesday, November 18th — Fall Concert — Choir
- Friday, November 20th — HS Variety Show — Marching Knights & Opening Knight
- Saturday, November 21st — HS Variety Show — Marching Knights & Opening Knight

December
- Saturday, December 5th — Dillsboro Hometown Christmas — HS Bands
- Wednesday, December 9th — Music Department Winter Concert — All Bands and Choirs

Ms. Heffelfinger's South Dearborn Middle School students are building a cheat code for big words: Greek and Latin roots.

Students are making posters, writing definitions, and using new vocabulary in sentences, all built around word parts that show up again and again, like "bio" or "tele."

Once you know "bio" means life, you can take a decent guess at "biography," "biology," or any word you've never seen before.

South Dearborn Community School Corporation is having an asynchronous eLearning Day today! For more information, please visit the eLearning page: https://www.sdcsc.k12.in.us/page/elearning

South Dearborn Community School Corporation is having an asynchronous eLearning Day on Monday, August 24th! For more information, please visit the eLearning page: https://www.sdcsc.k12.in.us/page/elearning