Annual SHMS PTO Festivus
Welcome to Southern Hills Middle School
Southern Hills is a John J. Irwin School of Excellence Award winning neighborhood middle school located in South Boulder.
Southern Hills offers personal attention and a closely knit community based on the "Cougar Values" of Participation, Responsibility, Integrity, Determination and Empathy. Southern Hills has accelerated classes in mathematics, language arts and foreign language along with a wide array of electives. With strong programs throughout the school, Southern Hills prides itself on meeting the varying needs of all students. There are also many opportunities for students to participate outside of their school day through many student activities, clubs and athletics.
School Calendar
School News
This newsletter is an outcome of the collaborative effort between our administration and our Parent DEI Committee. Follow along here as we communicate our efforts to build a stronger sense of community, belonging, and inclusion for all students at SHMS.
Daily announcements are shared over the PA system every day of school except on late-start Wednesdays. These announcements share school-wide programs, the lunch menu, fun facts, and updates about what's happening at school. Make sure to check this daily to stay up-to-date on all things SHMS.
District News
As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone in the Boulder Valley School District.
Emily Gaud, a Special Aide Para, is a crucial part of Halcyon School, one of the Special Education Programs in the Boulder Valley School District. This unique school serves students from 1st to 12th grade who are referred through a district and Individualized Education Program (IEP) process, primarily dealing with serious emotional disabilities or requiring mental health support. Gaud’s role as at Halcyon exemplifies her belief that “no student is beyond help; sometimes it takes more effort, but every kid is worth our time.”
After 16 years as Boulder Valley School District’s director of enrollment, it's hard to imagine Mike Wilcox in any other job. It was a long and winding path to the position he has today, which facilitates all of the district’s enrollment processes, from students that are registering in their neighborhood school or the many that choose to apply for the lottery for the chance to move to another school in the district.
Thanks to the advocacy and partnership with parents, the Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) implemented a change that ensured all parents with students on an Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) have the opportunity to receive a written translation of the draft IEP in their native language five days prior to the student's IEP meeting.