Staff Round Up for November 2nd

Team,

What a perfect week to fit right along with this pandemic...... I keep saying to myself, if we can get through this pandemic, we can get through anything, right? Phew....

Please remember to turn back your clocks Saturday night, and that Tuesday is a "Vacation" day for all 10 month employees. Please remind your students. 

We have two new employees that are now on the Ranch!  Natalya Moore, CF, has officially started. Beth Dantonio, English, starts Monday!  Welcome to the Ranch!!!

Thank you so much for working with the students during the power outages. Also, thank you to those who signed up for the listening tours with me. It was a great experience. I am glad I was able to provide as much as possible to the questions or concerns that were brought up.  I will hold one more week of this if anyone else is interested. The upcoming board meeting will hopefully tell us if we move towards bringing back our mots vulnerable. Please stay tuned!  

A gentle reminder that we have made the adjustments to make the Friday faculty meeting optional to watch at that set time, please remember it is still mandatory to watch the recording before Monday morning. Please makes sure you are paying attention as the administrative team is finding questions that were clearly addressed in the meetings. Additionally, I have also moved the SEL portion of the meeting to the end of the meeting to appease those who may believe the positivity feels forced. Therefor the end of the meeting, which will end with SEL, will be SELective positivity. The approach we take is no different that how a teacher initiates a class. If you feel like you do not need to hear any encouragement, the positive things your colleagues are doing, even if you do not want to contribute your amazing talents to assist with the overall growth of the school, you are welcome to exit the meeting when the SEL portion begins. Please know this option is out of respect to your time, and your belief. I hope moving SEL to the end of the faculty meetings eases the anxiety of those who feel strongly about the SEL portion of your meeting.  

Great job with the participation in sharing your PINK for Breast Cancer Awareness! October is the official Breast Cancer Awareness Month, with each year being pinker than the last. Breast Cancer Awareness Month is all about increasing the awareness of the importance of early breast cancer detection. 

EOS Staff Survey 

On Monday, November 2nd, Southwest will administer the Equal Opportunity School's (EOS) Survey for students. Through our work as a staff, we continue to create access and opportunity for all students that express an interest in expanding their opportunities in education. We have seen varying programs support students in their academic pursuits based on their interests and desires. Let's continue that trend! Our goal is to get 100% of our staff AND 100% of our students to complete the survey! We are currently at 32% with our staff surveys. 

If you are a 2nd block teacher, the survey will be administered schoolwide on Monday, November 2nd, during 2nd block classes. The survey link is below and can be posted to your Canvas page on Monday in preparation for your students to take the survey during class. Students will need their student ID to log into the survey. It is important that you explain to your students that this is their opportunity to have a voice and to be heard. When we achieve a higher completion rate, we are provided with the most comprehensive data to outreach to African American students, students of color, and low-income students to invite them into higher-level courses. This work continues and has increasingly impacted students over the past three years here at Southwest. We have done some great work! 

If you are on this e-mail, you will be administering the survey during your class time. Please take note of who is in attendance to take the survey and make the goal 100%. If a student does not show, then give them an opportunity to take the survey the next day. You will complete a Microsoft Form with students that did not complete the survey by Tuesday 

afternoon. I will send that out Tuesday, midday. Please push all students to take the survey and remember the goal is 100%. 

EOS Survey Video 

EOS Student Survey link

Students will need their student ID to log into the survey.

As discussed in the faculty meeting, please refer to the flow charts attached here when it comes to leave while in Covid.

Any questions should be directed to Mrs. Harris in this FORM. 

Please share with your parents if they are not an observer in Canvas:

This video has been used district wide to provide information regarding pairing student and parent accounts in Canvas so parents can access what is due, what has been submitted, graded, etc. You’ll see in the video that one of the key pieces is a pairing code that can only originate from the student account holder. 

From the desk of the CF:

Resources and Curriculum Updates:

Please see the attached document where resources have been gathered for teachers. One Stop Shop SWHS.docx The SWHS Canvas page is also being updated and houses lots of great information, please make sure to check out the “Modules” listed. The SWHS Licensed Teacher Teams page now has a “Curriculum Facilitator News” channel, curriculum updates from the district will be posted and uploaded there in order to cut down on school wide emails.

2020-2021 PLCs

The goals of effective professional learning communities:

·        Increase student achievement

·        Create meaningful and quality task and assessments

·        Establish professional relationships

·        Improve teaching and learning

Effective professional learning community (Links to an external site.):

·        Always Assume Positive Intentions: All members come with the intention to work and assume the same of their colleagues

·        All members focus on increasing student achievement

·        Work to create meaningful and quality task/assignments/projects/assessments aligned with course curriculum standards

·        Understand and prepare to implement the district curriculum framework

·        Unpack the curriculum standards to make constructive instructional decisions

·        Set SMART goal(s) (often connected to the most pressing instructional challenge, service-learning project, quality task, or a skill)

o   Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bound

·        Analyze student data for strengths, weaknesses, and remediation strategies

·        Review concepts and skills necessary to master standards

·        Develop effective lesson plans and assessments

·        Share instructional practices, pedagogical knowledge, and teaching experiences

·        Always end with an action, plan, or solution

This school year, the focus is for your team to use data to drive instruction and increase student achievement. Below, I have attached the fall PLC meeting schedule as well as copies of the data protocol and assessment analysis documents to be used as you meet. A link will be created weekly for you to submit your data protocol/meeting minutes to Canvas. All meeting minutes should be posted by the end of each week by 5:00 pm to Canvas as an attached Word document. 

The PLC documents can be found in Canvas. The agenda is attached to this e-mail and the exemplar can be found in Canvas. 

SW PLC AGENDA

 

HOSA has planned to serve the community through various activities that we've been doing the past years.

 These events will occur in the Media Center parking lot. Masks, social distancing MUST be utilized. 

       Oct. 31st - "Trick or Can" students will collect can goods during Halloween in their own neighborhood.  Out of the Garden can pick up collected goods on Monday - Nov. 2nd

      November 20th - "Cover the City" - collecting slightly or new blankets for the Homeless and Urban Ministry.  A representative will come to collect the blankets this day. 

       December 18th - "Rylie's Blessings" - collecting new or slightly used toys to be donated to Wake Forest's Pediatric Unit playroom.

We know that wearing a cloth face covering is one of the best tools we have for reducing the spread of COVID-19. I know I speak for our staff when I say we want our students to return. However, until our community, particularly the 2765 zip code area, steps up and plays a role in protecting themselves and others, very little will change.  Our zip code along with only other other zip code has the highest risk of transmission in all of Guilford County. As competitive as I am comparing our school and community against others, this is something I believe many of you would agree with me that this is not an area we want to be on the forefront of. Thank you in advance in being part of following the health and safety protocols recommended to us.  

Counselors' caseloads are as followed: Ms.Graves A-D 10th-12th, Ms.Campbell E-L 10th - 12th, Ms. Graham M-R 10th - 12th, Mrs. Hudgens S-Z 10th - 12th, Ms.Compton 9th grade counselor

Have you left your mark at SWGHS? Buy a Legacy Brick to commemorate your time as a Southwest Cowboy, and make a contribution to your sport, band or chorus to help fund critical equipment and uniform purchases and fees! AND get a great deal RIGHT NOW! The first 21 seniors/senior families to purchase a Legacy Brick this year will get 21% off the price of the brick! That's $21 off the $100 brick! Click here to order your brick, and enter 212021 in the promo code field to take advantage of this deal! 

Please support our SW Athletic Dept. and Booster Club by promoting and giving to a wonderful cause!   It is a simple process.  Just click on the QR code and the paypal link below.   

https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=LASEJ3ZFD3DKC

Also check out this awesome video that our Women's Soccer athletes took part in! 

Attention- Tryout/First Official Dates of Practice for XC and Volleyball

 Dates:  Nov. 4^th, 5^th and 6^th

Check-in Location:  SW Gym

Volleyball- Group A 3:45, Group B 4:30 PM

XC- 4:15 PM

Note- We are still looking for 9^th-12^th boys and girls to join our XC team this fall. Please reach out to Coach Patrick or Coach Baker at mtbpatrick@gmail.com or bakerp3@gcsnc.com

 

Upcoming Return to Play Sports:

Nov. 9^th- M/W Swimming              Times/Dates: TBA            email Coach Byrd: Byrdd2@gcsnc.com

Nov.9^th – Men’s JV/V Soccer        Times/Dates:  TBA           email Coach Manley:  manleyw@gcsnc.com

Nov. 9^th- Men’s Lax                        Times/Dates: TBA            email Coach Kanowicz:  mitchell.kanowicz44@gmail.com

 

M. Soccer- Nov. 10^th/12^th 4 PM check-in (Gym Parking lot)            Conditioning- SW Elementary School field         Practice Ends:  5:15/30

 

Practice Schedule for Nov. 2^nd- Nov. 6^th

 Monday- 3:45 Volleyball, 3:45- W. Basketball, 5:15- M. Basketball, 4:30-XC, 4:45-Cheerleading

Tuesday- 3:45 Volleyball, 3:45- W. Basketball, 5:15- M. Basketball, 4:30-XC, 4:45-Cheerleading

Wednesday- 3:45 Volleyball Tryouts (Pod 1 Jr/Sr- 3:45, Pod 2 Fr./So.- 4:45 PM), XC- 4:15 PM

Thursday- 3:45 Volleyball Tryouts (Pod 1 Jr/Sr- 3:45, Pod 2 Fr./So.- 4:45 PM), XC- 4:15 PM

Friday- 3:45 Volleyball Tryouts (Pod 1 Jr/Sr- 3:45, Pod 2 Fr./So.- 4: PM), XC- 4:15 PM

*Note- Nov. 4, 5, and 6 is a Dead Period.  Only VB and XC are allowed to practice.

UPCOMING DATES

Saturday, October 31st

 "Trick or Can" students will collect can goods during Halloween in their own neighborhood.  Out of the Garden can pick up collected goods on Monday -Nov. 2nd

Tuesday, November 3

No School

       

Thursday, November 5th 

Decision on re-entry

Wednesday, November 11

Veteran's Day - No School for Staff or Students

Wednesday, November 18

2nd quarter - 1st interim report

Friday, November 20th 

"Cover the City"

Wednesday November 25th - 27th

No School for Staff or Students (Thanksgiving)

Monday, December 14th

2nd interim report for the 2nd quarter

Friday, December 18th 

"Rylie's Blessings"

Wednesday, December 23rd

Staff workday - No School for Students

Thursday December 24th - Friday, January 1st

Winter Break - No School for Staff or Students

Monday, January 4th

Mandatory workday for staff - No School for Students

Friday, January 15th

End of 1st semester

Monday, January 18th

MLK Holiday - No School for Staff and Students

Tuesday, January 19th

Mandatory workday for teachers - No School for students

Wednesday, January 20

Current plan for re-entry for HS on 50% capacity - A/B day model

1st day of 2nd semester starts

Thursday, January 28th

Reports cards distributed

We are in it it together. We got this. We are... Southwest!

Enjoy your weekend!

Mr. Hettenbach