Toughest days of the school year

The next three end up being about the toughest days of the school year. Tuesday and Wednesday are senior finals and Wednesday is the last official school day for the class of 2010. Thursday they have to return for graduation practice but that really doesn't count.

I think it is important to celebrate and enjoy the moment. It does happen only once. Senior awards are Tuesday evening and we want to say lots of good things about lots of seniors. They deserve all the accolades we can pour on. They worked hard. This has been a good group of students. They are caring and supportive of one another. So far we have not lost anyone and it has been a series of good fortune and great successes.

At the same time they are kids. They just don't think it completely through sometimes. What sounds like fun in the middle of the night just doesn't play out that well the next day. What might be fun for a group of six or seven is not the same event in the middle of`two thousand. What some can control and handle reasonably well, some others have not made it that far and it gets out of hand quickly.

So we try to enjoy the hours and understand the enthusiasm. But we also attempt to keep everyone safe and maintain reasonable security. It is always sad to see them on their way. It is an important part of life. We rejoice with them and hope for their continued safety and well being. Another year has made it course. I trust all of us can say we did our best.

Quiet Friday

Humidity is low and light breeze. We are actually getting some ventilation in hallways. I think we are thinking about the three-day weekend. Trust all are safe on the highways as you travel to relatives or the cabin or where ever.

Student Recognition program this afternoon. A great program once a semester to honor students who have made significant improvements. These students are nominated by their teachers and attempts to reward improvements and growth.

Ms. Briskin's English class made a nice presentation 2nd period with her "suitcase" project. How have we changed? Why are we who we are? Presentation written and preformed by the students.

This is the last Friday we will have all four grades in the building. The time moves rapidly. The juniors are already talking about when they are going to take over and how great it is going to be.

Friday before three day weekend

The weather should be wonderful as we slowly move into this three-day weekend. There is no school on Monday to celebrate Memorial Day.

Senior Finals next week. Regular four-day week for grades 9-11. The following week (June 7 and 8) is Finals for grades 9-11.

Summer is almost here. Relaxation, fun in the sun and regroup for what be the next phase of your lives. Summer reading list is out for those wanting to get a head start.

The last few days of a good, rewarding school year.

Spam from Hotmail Account

If you receive a note from me or an email with a link attached with a hotmail address -- DO NOT OPEN.

Just because it says Dr. Smith that does mean is originated from me or the school. This is SPAM and could contain a virus that could harm your software.

That is a major problem with attempting to maintain open communications. It is easy for almost any one to fake one name and make it sound realistic.

I do not have a hotmail.com account and do not use one.

Every Scheduled Day is a Regular School Day

Perhaps a million years ago there was some young person who was older than the rest of his study buddies and said, "let's tell our parents that tomorrow we don't have to tie stones together it is ancient-person skip day." -- ok, so I was moving along until I got to the name of the day --

Friday is suppose to be a really nice day with warm temperatures and low humidity. Seniors are running out of days and finals start next Tuesday and Wednesday.

School is in session tomorrow and we will take attendance and those absent will be unexcused unless there is illness, etc and family verified. That is the official statement and the one we will repeat frequently. If your son or daughter chooses to do something else it is without the permission of the school and is not a school function.

Some of these things have been going on for years. You never were part of any of that I can tell. But school moves along and we make every attempt to continue providing quality education for all children.

Newspaper headlines don't tell it all

The newspaper headlines like to bash public education as much as possible. I do not doubt that there are thousands who will not receive their diploma this June. That is a real tragedy and if read properly is a stain on every person in the state. When are the people going to understand you cannot relinquish responsibility for the education of the young and then complain about the results.

When one gets all excited about the good old days, ask her/him the high school graduation rate in 1950 or 1960 or even 1970. Assuming that person can read or google, the individual is going to be very surprised about how well the public schools are doing in 2010.

Now at Southwest. Our graduating class is about 350 students. Of that number 8 have not successfully completed the reading and 4 have not successfully completed the writing. Of those number 3 students have not successfully completed both the reading and the writing. That means that 9 different students have not passed the reading and math for completion of their of 2010 graduation requirements as of June. Of those 9 five should be able to complete the requirements this summer.

Looking forward, the students at Southwest have every reason to believe it only gets better.
9th graders – 90% passed writing
10th graders – 86% passed reading
11th graders – 73% passed math

We care about every one of our students. Even with a 99% pass rate we would not be satisfied, but we do need to celebrate the moment.

Remember the current 9th and 10th graders entered Southwest with NO academic requirements.

If I wanted to make a story I would start with caring teachers and staff members. I would talk about supportive parents. I would call special attention to willing students. Somewhere in the story I would talk about a strong curriculum, hours of teacher training and in-service, countless hours of teacher commitment before and after school and in the summer. In conclusion I would attempt to make the point that public education works and works very well. But it must be supported and encouraged and financed.

But then I am biased and who listens.

a good day

The weather cooperated a bit today. It was warm but not near the upper 90s which we experienced that last couple days.

The humidity was down and we had a couple hundred less students (Physics out on field trip) so that made a big difference.

We try to adjust our activities to meet the heat. It looks like the remainder of the week will be okay.

A water bottle helps and a good night's rest. Only a few more and we can call it a great year.

Schedule for next few days.

We finish this final full week out and then Monday is Memorial Day (May 31) and there is no school.

June 1 and 2 are SENIOR FINALS -- regular classes for grades 9-11.

June 3 Thursday is SENIOR GRADUATION PRACTICE in the morning. Out of the building by 11.

Friday June 4 -- NO SCHOOL FOR GRADUATING SENIORS - regular classes for grade 9-11.

Sunday June 6 -- 8 pm Graduation for the Class of 2010.

June 7 and 8 are FINALS FOR GRADES 9 -11

The last day of school is June 8, Tuesday.

Please make sure all textbooks are turned in. Please make sure your student(s) has completed all financial obligations - fines and fees - prior to the end of the school year.

And thanks be to the rain

So today might hit 80. Bring on the jackets and let's enjoy the milder weather for a couple days.

This building does not deal with the heat or the cold well at all. By noon the place is over heating and so are the staff and students. Thanks for the rain and the front that moved through over night. Was not a nice way to finish the Band Concert at Lake Harriet but did result in a more pleasant school day today.

Physics students are off to Valley Fair for a day of application upper level math. I think there is a monetary pool for the total number of up chucks by the days end. Not sure about that one. The cooler weather will be nice for them. That is about 250 students out of the building for the day and it makes a noticeable difference.

Hopefully today is a quiet, wonderful educational day here at the high school.

Return to Normalcy

I continue to chat with our students as they find themselves in awkward situations. I am all for fun and adventure. I am not for causing a major disruption in our school.

I trust that my talk added with your conversations will encourage appropriate behavior through the end of the year.

I want this to continue to be a safe and sane school year.

Thank you for your support.

Drill went well

We finished both our fire drill and our code red experience. Students and Staff responded well to both sets of emergencies. We hope that we will never need these skills. However, it is necessary to review the procedures and maintain our desire for safety.

and the beat goes on

So it all started with a text message. I knew I hated technology for some good reason. So far I have had a "conversation" with several of the children and I will find a couple more this afternoon.

I want this to be a year of celebration and joy. Not one of my being the grouch that my job requires. If I have to bar individuals from future participation in school activities, I will. I think I have a sense of humor but I also care about all of our children.

We are a friendly, family school and I want it to remain that way. If we have to start dictating rules and some regulations of decorum then I guess that is sad but it will have to be that way.

Just because everyone is suppose to be doing it does not justify anything. I do not want to call your house and tell you that your daughter or son has been excluded from school and I will give you the diploma after the 9th of June.

Please explain this carefully to your children.

thank you

Senior Pranks

Regardless of what your senior son or daughter might tell you, senior pranks is not an appreciated activity at Southwest. We make every attempt to end the year on a happy note and one of celebration.

Between 2nd and 3rd period today several of our darlings decided to drop their drawers. Now I know you will smile and say how silly. But I am taking about underwear and tongs and brief pieces of cloth. Didn't know you were raising an exhibitionist.

I am not interested in having this on any tube of you or us or whatever. So now I have to go through the tape and decide which of the adorable children do I see too much of.

If you don't want the em brassing telephone call or have to make the one to grandma about missing graduation, please have a conversation with your senior about finishing the year in a peaceful manner.

Drills

We need to continue our efforts to maintain a safe and healthy environment for all students. Today (Tuesday May 25) we will have a practice fire drill and a lock down. Both are drills.

We want our students, staff and community to be able to respond appropriately to potential dangers. Thus, we practice.

Both experiences today are drills.

Another Hot Day

The heat and humidity is expected to stay with us today and perhaps throughout the week. Yes, we will make every attempt to maintain an regular school environment. We encourage the students to drink lots of water and we do try to get some air moving.

By 1:00 the building is very warm and humid. There are about 2,000 people in the building and they generate a fair amount of heat. It might make for some great stories in those later years but right now it is uncomfortable.

Thank you being patient and your understanding. Only a few days and then the family and suffer in the heat together by the lake or river.

Monday May 31 is Memorial Day and there is NO SCHOOL.

It Is HOT

The building gets extremely warm when it stays this hot and humid. We try the best we can to bring in outside air but that is not much help with these conditions. We encourage the students to drink lots of water. A water bottle would be helpful. We really do not control the weather and we are reasonable people.

If you have concerns about how your child deals with the heat and/or air quality please use your best judgement. Call into the absence line and say you are keeping your child home for health reasons.

We encourage the students to dress for the weather but I also asked some time last week that they do not where less. The weather is hot but there is a point of modesty. You might want to chat with your children about what really needs to be completely covered in mixed, non-family company.

The next few days are going to be uncomfortable. We are going to continue to attempt to maintain a reasonable school day. There are a few left and we are trying to make the best of it.

Whose Job Is It?

WE all have variouis responisibilities and duties. Some of those we choose and asometimes accept. Otheres are placed upon us by others or society or just because.

Being a kid brings abouit numerous sterotypes and generalities -- or jobs. -- Be cute and sweet. Grow up to be honest and caring. Push the envelope as far as you can. When they are little you know if there is a puddle, the little one is going to end up in it one way or the other. That is her/his job. That is part of being a kid.

Once they get tall enough to spell car they want one. That is their job. Do they accept responsiblity for the insurance or the gas or sometime even the sense of safety for themselves and others -- not always.

Parents/caring adults. Somewhere there is a handbook that has all the rules for being a parent or a caring adult. I have not found it but I just think it has to exist. A parent's job is to say no, there is a limit. Yes, it is fun to play in the street but my job is to keep you alive. Yes, running naked through the sprinkler used to be fun but at 16 that is not a good idea.

Sometimes the jobs are fun, sometimes not. Kids say the darnest things (another great TV series idea?). But at what point is it their job to push the envelope and at what point is it the parent job to say that is too far or at least far enough.

Teen-agers will push and go as close to the edge as they think possible. That is part of being a teen-agers. If the parent says that is okay, where is the edge now? When the kid pushes next time, where is the edge? Aren't they cute? -- or if a little older - aren't they funny? When is cute and funny a bit over the edge and maybe not all that bad but awfully close?

The job of kids is to push and test. The job of the parent/caring adult is to protect and balance. When is too far and when is way to close for comfort? Have we blurred the edge so much that kids have no idea what is acceptable or kind? At what point will we be sorry that we did not have that conversation one action ago?

Southwest at the Lake Harriet band shell

Tonight was Jazz.

Monday will be the choir. Tuesday is orchestra and won ensemble. Wednesday is dance. All the programs start at 7:00 pm.

Put together a picnic (we did the play a couple weeks ago) and enjoy the Southwest Performing Arts programs.

Point of View

The last few weeks are always interesting and a point of contention. The period after spring break is the beginning of the end. The Southwest saving grace is that so many of the juniors and senior take IB and AP tests that they stay kind of serious about school. The 9th and 10th graders know something is different but not sure what.

So thje month is full of projects and presentations and a variety of starts and stops depending on many were in class that day and not testing. Homework becomes an unkind word. Review for the final. Trying to tie the year together and how testing is too much becomes a topic. I get notes about too many tests on the same day, how can a teacher be so creul as to "pile" on the work at this point, and it's
Too much at this time. The next note comes in to say the kids come home and claim yo do nothing all week and everything has stopped and why do I have to go to school.

The teacher tell me the students have stopped and the parents tell me the teachers have stopped. I suspect it really is somewhere in the middle. The truth is who you talk to. The weather is nice and the year is winding down. The older kids do what they need to and the younger continue to be in classes and move along. As teachers we want the time to be valuable. We want to be fair and reasonable. That is not to say that every class period is the same as it was in November. We will continue to make meaningful educational opportunities part of every class. We will continue to monitor our activities and expectations.

I appreciate all your comments and encourage you to continue emailing those to me.

What a beautiful day!

Who in his/her right mind would want to be in a building on a day like today if there was a choice? I will let you think about that for a second.

For the junior and seniors there are some options Lunch is out in the sun. Many have tests scattered between the school and two churches. Some might even find ways to manipulate the system and show up late or maybe miss a few. Now I am not saying that is what your son or daughter is doing but there might be some who do.

But if you are 9th or 10th graders you are stuck. Yes, we make the attempt to have a regular school day even if the sun is shining. Yes, school is in session and kids are expected to attend classes, do school work and even some homework. But it is tough.

So, we fuss and encourage a little quicker movement to classes and a little less attention to that wonderful person of your heart's delight. So you will hear stories of us being grumpy or mean or not understanding or cross. Well they might be true. For the next three weeks we continue to try and educate the leaders of tomorrow while they are behaving like 6th graders.

It is an interesting process which I am sure you remember. Please be understanding also. We want regular attendance. Dressing for the beach is not a good idea. Senior skip day is not a school function. 9th graders do not have days off for adult behavior. That does not mean we don't understand the heat and the need to be a kid. But it also doesn't mean that the have to be horrible days.

Let's have some good memories.

A time to remember

We have a wreck on campus. This morning a tailor pulled in the remains of a car involved in a deadly accident. It is a mess. The front is completely destroyed.

This past several months have just been too deadly involving way too many of our teens. In our community we have been safe (and perhaps lucky) so let's not take chances. Hopefully the sight of the car will remind our young drivers to be carefully and pay attention to what is going on. We do not what their (your) car to be a towed in example for somebody next prom day.

Maybe have that conversation one more time about safety and what your family values and what are your expectations. One more time is better than a life time or sorrow.

Three more weeks

This year is almost a wrap. Plans for next year are in full swing. A summer Bridge program is being rolled out for next year 9th graders. Fliers will go out next week and Ms.Hooper is doing the 8th grade rounds to talk with students and teachers. That will be the week of August 16. For more information contact Ms. Hooper.

Camp 2014 - orientation for incoming 9th graders - is the next week of August 23. The day at Southwest is the 25th. Both program are in the morning with lunch as the last event. Project Success runs Camp 2014 and mailings will be right the home. There is transportation for Camp 2014 but there is not provided transportation for the Bridges program.

All 9th and 10th graders at Southwest are enrolled in the IB Middle Year Program. To support incoming 9th graders next year's program will be the introduction of the 9th grade academy. An academy is a collect of scholars and that describes the incoming 9th graders. The summer reading list and other information will be coming home soon.

We are excited about the 2010-11 school year and know you will be also. As always we are confident the the new school year will be fun and rewarding for all. We continue to inspire excellence in the arts and academics!

Need to hear from you

Feedback is an important part of the learning process. Every service attempts to secure from its community a reaction to the delivery of its services. This coming week every student at Southwest will have the opportunity to compel tee a survey that questions some of the basic conditions around the school. A question will ask about feeling safe, another will ask about hours doing homework. These surveys are then compiled and in a few weeks we see the results.

These are through the eyes of the students. They are very important to us and we use the results for planning in the coming year. But we need your thoughts as well. Whether you are a parent, community member or alumni you have some perception about Southwest and its service to the students, families and community. SW is a learning institution and we are proud of our efforts to empower fantastic and well prepared students. You can help us.

How do you think we are doing at teaching your son/daughter? What one thing should we review/change for next year? How can we do better at preparing your daughter/son to take his/her place in this society, this world?

Emails work and you can dicta it to Bill Smith. Bsmith@mpls.k12.mn.us


Please take a couple minutes and think about this year and how we can continue to improve.

Looking for piano

Looking for a home for that piano collecting dust and taking up too much floor space? The Southwest music department is looking for a couple decent uprights to replace the way too old ones currently in use.

For more information contact Nathan Knoll at nathanknoll@mpls.k12.mn.us or Sally Centner at scentnre@hotmail.com

Your donation to the school is tax deductible

Bright sunny day

Educators are probably part of the few that request rainy cloudy days through the first week in June. Bright sunny days with temperatures in the 70s and 80s do not lead themselves to great study days. The month of May is tough enough with all the AP and IB testing. Then some weather and the teacher are ready to stare into the sun -- and so are the students.

The building does get warm in the afternoon. There are almost 2,000 people in the building and it was never built for personal and human comfort. There is minimal ventilation and the sun pouring through the windows is hot as well as inviting.

Many of our girls have been dressed for warm weather since winter break so the heat of the afternoon is not a problem for them. But for the more modest or reasonably dressed, layers work. It is chilly in the morning and by 1 it is hot and humid.

Four more weeks. We will make it through.

Make sure you vote for the Pepsi Challenge every day in May

We need your votes. Now is the time to come to the aid of the party -- that is the Southwest scoreboard party.

www.refresheverything.com/southwestfootball

Please vote once every day during the month of May.

Winning this will result in new scoreboards in the gym and at the stadium. These are used almost by every athletic team in the school.

Please Vote today and everyday in May.

Thursday and more tests

The month of May is one of rains and blooms and today some booms. However, in our school world it is also the month of tests. With all of the AP and IB tests we have kids all over the place (using three different sites) and moving through lots of locations. At one point our AP testing coordinator was thinking of using the locker room for a testing site.

The kids are in the middle of a tough month. It is mostly juniors and seniors but effects the entire building. We can feel the tension and just the nerves of bouncing all over the place - different places, different times and different subjects. We have some students moving less than 15 minutes between tests and in a couple cases they overlap.

That makes for some strange classes and some odd days. We do out best to maintain a regular schedule but that is difficult. Even our freshmen and sophomores are involved in the MCA-II Science test so they are in the mix. Testing is a part of our lives now. Our kids certainly will have the experience of taking high stake tests and they continue in life.

You may have one of those who took two or three today. Maybe a little R and R is okay.

Besides it is raining. Take the night off and come see Picnic on the main stage starting at 7 pm

Artist Honored at Board of Education Meeting

Southwest Senior Jane Lee was honored at the Minneapolis Board of Education Meeting. Her painting was selected as the first piece to be mounted in the Dawn Mennes Permanent Art Collection at the Board of Education Offices.

Her art teacher Cecily Spano joined her at the presentation. The Fine Arts District Coordinator Patricia Teske presented Jane and Ms. Spano to the Board and presented Jane with a plague honoring the occasion.

Dr. Green, the current Superintendent, selected the piece from all those selected and shown in Viva City last month. Art work from all the school in the district were exhibited in that show.

Each year a new piece will be selected by the Superintendent and placed in the Permanent Art Collection.

Teacher Bashing

Well the season is in full swing. Let's see how many ways we can say that if they would only teach my kid right, all would be well with the world. Interesting concept. Unlike fixing a flat tire, you just can't do it to the subject and all is perfect. A tire gets a nail in it. It deflates. You take it to the shop, pull the tire, remove the nail, patch and inflate. Assuming some other factors are in place the tire is repaired and off you go.

But let's say you're slightly (OK so not so slightly) overweight. You go to your local gym - or doctor and say - "Fix it." Using the tire analogy I guess the trainer or doctor could poke you with a pin and deflate your spare tire and off you go -- "fixed." Now you know that being over weight is a little more involved then that.

Let's suppose the trainer at the gym puts out an excellent weight reduction program. Shows you diagrams and pictures of exactly what it is all suppose to look like. Provides you with step by step instructions on how to get from where you are to where you want to be. Walks you through each exercise in small steps appropriate to your skill and strengths. Moves slowly through your monthly menus and food consumption needs.

To celebrate your new life style you stop by the ice cream shop on the way home and have your favorite daily double super sized.

The fact that you are not losing weight is obviously the gym trainers fault. Or maybe the owner of the gym since he/she hires a trainer so useless. If the trainer was doing her/his job properly you would be down to your swim suit size almost over night.

Maybe that is too simple of an example. But I think perhaps you get the point. When we don't want to face the real issues we go after something. After all it has to be someone else's fault.

If you had (or have) a teacher that you think is doing a decent job and not worthy of all this bashing for the sake of changing the focus - drop an email and just say so.

Now and end of the year

Time for reflection - review - planning

In the next couple weeks we will be asking many of you to share your thoughts and ideas with us. We understand that this educational process is a shared responsibility. Working together makes it successful. Thus, it is important to hear and understand your successes, challenges and frustrations.

Some of you will be asked to share by being part of the Quality Review family focus group on the 19th. If you are interested and have not been asked, please call Joan, volunteer coordinator at 612-668-3072.

Some of you will share by volunteering to be part of one our action committees through our site-counsel - Academic Performance, Climate, Co-curricular and Communications. If you are not currently on one of these groups and would like to be, please email me or call Joan for more information.

The District is mailing a survey right to your home starting the 12th. Please complete the survey and return it in the addressed, postage paid envelope. We will receive the results from the District.

I have and continue to request your input. You can call or email as you review our year. Email works as it give me a written record to work with.

We want to hear from you. We mail, email, publish and telephone lots of information. If it is not helpful, we need to know what would be. As we review this school year, your voice is important.

What is your child's education worth?

The famous Picasso painting Nude, Green Leaves and Bust sold yesterday for $106.5 million. Now I like art and am not exactly a fan of it all, but do appreciate the different views of the world and all its rhythms, sounds and beauty.

But...... $106.5 million. I could operate this entire school for nine years on that kind of money. Why didn't the buyer ask me where to invest his/her money?

Right now there are over 1,700 kids in the school. If all 1,700 graduate from high school (and we expect them all to do so), that is a value to our society of over $2,040,000,000 - over two billion dollars.

If say 75% get their bachelor's' degrees that would a value of over $2.7 billion and if only 35% of those go on to a masters' that would be a value of over $1,2 billion.

So if you total it up - 1,700 students - 25% finish with a high school education. 75% go on and finish the bachelor's' degree and of that 35% finish their masters' -- that is a value to our society in today's dollars of over $4.4 billion.

So for 1/10th of the cost of the Picasso painting a society could invest in 1,700 of its children and all of that could result in a return on investment of over $4.4 billion. Not bad.

How much is the education of your child worth? Does your legislator know that?

Input and feedback -- request

I try and get out into the community as much as possible. I talk with many of you throughout the school year. Many of you talk, call or email as you think of things or have ideas - or complaints. I listen to it all and store it in memory comparments and at different times I use what bits and pieces I hear as I continue to strive to provide a quality education for all our students.

Well, I ask for more. If you have thoughts, ideas, concerns, well wishes or statements of frustration, please email me.

bsmith@mpls.k12.mn.us

I can do nothing about things I do not know. That is not a promise that I will take care of things I know. Quality education is what we want and expect. I do not believe I am perfect and do not expect perfection for you or your children. What I do expect is repect of self and others, continued hard work to reach our dreams and concern for ourselves, our families, our neighbors, our country and our world.

If you have spepcific questions I will answer or point you in directions that can produce answers. Being average takes no work. But you do not have average kids and I am not interested in just getting by.

What's own your mind? I believe in continuous feedback and we all are involved in this process of making this a better place. The leaders of tomorrow are in our classes today. What do we want them to learn and how do we expect them to learn it?

And so it is May

Maycomes in like a lion every year around here. This is the month of AP and IB exams. If it stands still we are going to test it some way. Juniors and Seniors tire quickly of the various days of testing while still involved in day to day classes.

The 9th and 10th, not directly involved, get caught up the general mood. For many that is a mood that this is the beginning of the end. So we get a bit excited and a bit silly. School still tries to move on in some routine but that is continually broken by this test or that. Two kids are gone today and 15 tomorrow.

Yes, we still have regular school and everyone is schedule to be here and in class each day and each period. But reality is that for some, the testing days take their toil and it makes for a strange set of days.

And we still have a few to go.

Assistant Principal change for next year.

It is that time of year. Change happens and we move through it and with it. Southwest has been fortunate to have a stable and solid administrative team for several years. I trust this has been seen as an advantage to all of the staff and families
.
I regret to inform you that Dr. Deb Gunter will be reassigned to North High School starting August 1st. I appreciate her service to the school, her hard work with and for our students and her counsel throughout these years. It has been my pleasure to work with her. We wish her well.

At the same time we welcome another experienced administrator into our school to be a part of our staff. Ellen Stewart is being assigned to Southwest to fill the role of Assistant Principal. She will begin her duties here on August 1st. I know you will welcome Ellen as she makes her way into Southwest this fall.

For Ellen, coming to Southwest is full circle. Words from Ellen “I started my coaching/teaching at Southwest now I am back. I am excited about the change. I welcome the change for both personal reasons (my family, young children) and professional experience. I will miss North!"

Good Luck Deb! Welcome Ellen

Testing Procotors needed

If you have a few hours to volunteer to proctor AP or IB tests in the next couple weeks that would be greatly appreciated. We are in need of several hours of volunteer proctor hours. Your support would be greatly appreciated. Call Mary Costello or Tory Quiggle at the main office number for more information.

Don't be confused about Pepsi Challenge

Long story -- but please vote every day for the Southwest $50,000 Pepsi Challenge. Yes, it says Football equipment. But what it was submitted for was scoreboards for the gym and the field. Almost all of our teams use those scoreboard, soccer, wrestling, gymanstics, football, basketball, LaCrosse. They need replaced and the $50,000 would go a long way in making that a dream come true.

Vote Pepsi Challenge every day in May!

Vote once a day in the Pepsi Challenge

It's time to vote - once a day, every day in May for Southwest to receive a $50,000 grant from Pepsi.

Supply new scoreboards for gym and field -- all sports benefit Southwest High School, Minneapolis | Pepsi Refresh Everything

http://www.facebook.com/l/73ffc;www.refresheverything.com/southwestfootball

Vote for the most refreshing ideas to win Pepsi Refresh Project grants for Neighborhoods