Week of August 19th

Hello Ranchers!   

It is hard to believe that we have one week to go before we see our students walking the halls. It feels like yesterday that I was just wishing you a great summer. We have a busy week ahead of us, so please see the schedule below. There may be more info out there than what I am listing related to your departments so please check with your chair. 

Last year, Southwest Guilford High School began work on addressing the achievement gap (opportunity, suspension and academic), continued with data analysis, increased safety and security practices as well as equipment. We added programs such as ARC to 9^th and 10^th grade, EOS (Equal Opportunities in Schools), and restructured the In School Suspension environment to better serve students and staff.   We did extensive Professional Development with Teaching Tolerance focusing on social justice, critical conversations, and implicit biases. Multiple staff members stepped up and led the charge in implementing or teaching practices that would provide us with either a more efficient way of operating or delivering an understanding of practices that would positively affect our students. Your Leadership Team Department Chairs have already received a look at this past year’s data and an overview in which we need to navigate. AP teachers, you now have great data to look at with the Instructional Planning report found on the College Board report. Each AP teacher should access this and address any needs but also celebrate their accomplishments. AP students will be asking their AP teachers to share a join code to access AP classroom resources. This is extremely beneficial. 

    

With continued efforts of working together and focusing on what is in the best interest of all students, we will continue to be one of the areas strongest and most sought after schools (ask your local real estate agent).  With a projected enrollment of 1600+ students, we will continue our reputation as a school with high expectations and prioritizes the best interests for students while maintaining a safe and civil school environment.  Thank you up front for your hard work in making this a reality. 

  

One of the biggest changes as we approach the school year, GCS made a change to out start and end time and confirmed it on the evening of August 6^th.  Student start and end times will now be 8:10-3:15. Staff should arrive no later than 7:55 and may leave at 3:25. Once transportation starts on tutorial days (Tuesday and Thursday), tutorials will run from 3:30-4:30, The purpose of this bell change was to assist with the serious traffic/congestion issue we deal with on Barrow and Southwest School roads. Moving forward, there are multiple optional and mandatory workdays coming up that were scheduled on the GCS calendar which was finalized back in the spring. Southwest High School will have a full day staff meeting on Tuesday, August 20th.  The meeting will last from 8:30 am until 3:00 pm. There will be a very light breakfast as well as an enjoyable lunch.

Last, we need ALL staff to continue accessing the parking in the front (bus side), or behind the new gym – not blocking the dumpsters, the fire lanes, around the mobiles or in front of the cafeteria (except cafeteria staff).   

Once again, congratulations again for our successes…there are many.  I hope each and every one of you enjoyed your summer and are prepared for an exciting school year!

Please refer below to the calendar of events for August and the Teacher Workdays. Please remember to sign in on all workdays at Southwest (8:00 to 3:30). Please understand that any dates not listed below may have been communicated through an e-mail or calendar invite by either the district representative or a SWHS employee.

Saturday, August 17^th      Building will be open from 10-3 (door in between Ms. Silvas' room and the media center (the connector hall) will be unlocked. 

Sunday, August 18^th         Church is on site – building is always open every Sunday from 8am – 1pm

Monday, August 19^th        Mandatory Workday - school based (8:00-Noon for those working open house)

                                            Staff training on educator’s workbook (Mrs. Barnum will provide                                              more details)                       

                                            Staff Picture – Coggins Gym – 10:30am – please wear SW                                                    shirt or colors

Open House (Mandatory 5-7, please be on site by 4:30)                  

Tuesday, August 20^th       Mandatory Workday - school based (8:00-3:30)

Staff Meeting - 8:00 – 3:30, meeting starts at 8:30 sharp. Light breakfast and lunch provided

Wednesday, August 21^st  Mandatory Workday - district based (follow department schedule and location)

Thursday, August 22^nd     Mandatory Workday - district based (follow department schedule and location)

Friday, August 23^rd           Optional Teacher Workday (8:00-3:30)

Saturday, August 24th      Building will be open 10-5

Sunday, August 25th        Church is on site – building is always open every Sunday from 8am – 1pm

                                   

Monday, August 26^th        First day of school (8:10-3:15, students dismissed to class at 8:05)

August 26^th – August 30^th   Schedule changes (Counselors will focus on new enrollees on days 1 and 2, changes on 3-5)

                                            Homerooms  Day 1-3, 8:10-8:30

 New bell schedule

Students arriving before 7:40 should wait in the:

Freshmen – Freshmen gym

Upper classmen – front atrium

(Note: this is a safety reason)

At 7:40, a bell will ring and allow students to swipe in to the one card pass system

Students are released to 1^st block class  8:05

             1^st Block           8:10 to 9:50

             2^nd Block         9:55 to 11:25

             3^rd Block         11:30 to 1:35

             1^st lunch          11:30 to 11:55

                           12:00 sweep bell for 9^th graders

             2^nd lunch          12:03 to 12:28

             3^rd lunch          12:36 to 1:01

             4^th lunch          1:10 to 1:35

              4^th Block         1:40 to 3:15

3:30 – Halls should be clear of ALL students

4:30 – dismissal from tutorials to get on after school buses on Tuesdays and Thursdays (once tutorials needing transportation starts).

Counseling Info and  Assignments

Anna Compton - Freshmen - comptoa@gcsnc.com

Galissia Graves - A-D - gravesg3@gcsnc.com

Shelli Campbell - E-L - e-mail forthcoming

Kendra Graham - M-R - e-mail forthcoming

Janet Hudgens - S-Z - hudgenj@gcsnc.com

If there are schedule change requests, a scheduling change request form must be filled out and turned in. The first two days of the school year are dedicated to scheduling new enrollees and working with students who have a repeated class on their 1st semester schedule, a class out of order (level 2 before taking level 1), or a hole in the schedule. Days 3-5 will be focusing on all other scheduling changes. 

Dress code (you can click on this link to the left) - please check the dress code on the Southwest Guilford High School website for very minor adjustments. Let's be consistent with enforcing all the school rules this school year.

Please support your colleagues (coaches) and your students participating in athletics. As you see below, our week is full with something every day. Please join me in supporting our student athletes.  Go Cowboys!!                                      

As it relates to athletic schedules, please visit the SWHS Athletics page  

at 

www.cowboysports.org

Special Announcement: We are looking for 2 to 3 girls to join our women’s golf team.  Currently, practice is at 6 PM at Jamestown Park.  Please contact Coach Christman at christb2@gcsnc.com 

Upcoming Sports Schedule

Monday, August 19

6:00 PM Womens Varsity Tennis High Point Christian Academy Home

7:00 PM Mens Varsity Soccer OPEN DATE Forsyth Cup @ East Forsyth or Bishop Away

Tuesday, August 20

4:30 PM Womens Varsity Tennis Trinity High School Away

5:30 PM Womens Junior Varsity Volleyball Mc Michael High School Home

5:30 PM Mens Junior Varsity Soccer OPEN DATE Forsyth Cup @ Glenn HS Away

6:00 PM Coed Varsity Cross Country Rumble at the Ranch Home

6:30 PM Womens Varsity Volleyball Mc Michael High School Home

7:00 PM Mens Varsity Soccer OPEN DATE Forsyth Cup @ East Forsyth or Bishop Away

Wednesday, August 21

3:30 PM Womens Varsity Golf Wesleyan Christian Academy Away

4:30 PM Womens Varsity Tennis High Point Central High School Away

5:00 PM Womens Junior Varsity Volleyball Northern Guilford High School Away

6:00 PM Mens Junior Varsity Soccer Bishop Mc Guinness Memorial H S Home

6:30 PM Womens Varsity Volleyball Northern Guilford High School Away

Thursday, August 22

4:30 PM Womens Varsity Tennis Asheboro High School Home

5:00 PM Womens Junior Varsity Volleyball Wheatmore High School Away

5:30 PM Mens Junior Varsity Soccer OPEN DATE Forysth Co. @ East Forsyth or Bishop Away

6:30 PM Womens Varsity Volleyball Wheatmore High School Away

7:00 PM Mens Varsity Soccer OPEN DATE Forysth Co. @ East Forsyth or Bishop Away

Friday, August 23

7:30 PM Mens Varsity Football R J Reynolds High School Home

We are... Southwest!