Student at Capitol to Support Dream Act.

Good morning and welcome back,

I had the pleasure of accompanying 4 SW students for two days to the state capitol over break.  I was so proud to observe our youth as they learned first-hand the ins and outs of politics and how a bill becomes law in our state.

Itzel Alvarado, Vicente Fernandez, Edwin Inda-Valdez, and Ben Valdez-Hempel played the roles of state legislators at a mock-hearing, quickly learned the details of the bill that directly effects their and their friends' future, met with legislators, wrote personal notes to legislators who wouldn't take the time to meet with them, and sat through lengthy testimony on proposed higher education budget cuts before they could hear their fellow DREAMers' testify.  (Photos are attached.  Sorry for the poor quality.  Check out Emma Paskewitz, SW alum '05 and former SW Student Council President, who is still leading and training high school students, too.)



This took much courage and tenacity.  Let's honor them by emailing or calling Rep. Pelowski, Rep. Lien and Rep. Nornes this morning.  They are debating the Dream Act/Prosperity Bill at 12:30 today.  Our goal is for it to be included in the Omnibus bill.  The bill doesn't cost the state anything, but will give hope and access to higher education to our students who were brought here at a very young age and know only Minnesota as home.



All it takes is a couple of minutes.  Thank you, Linnea Valdez

Rep. Ben Lien

651-296-5515 or 800-657-3742
E-mail: rep.ben.lien@house.mn<mailto:rep.ben.lien@house.mn>



Rep.  Gene Pelowski

651-296-8637 or 888-681-8226
E-mail: rep.gene.pelowski@house.mn<mailto:rep.gene.pelowski@house.mn>



Rep. Bud Nornes

651-296-4946 or 800-336-8017
E-mail:rep.bud.nornes@house.mn<http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/sendmail/mailtomember.aspx?id=10467>

And, for the Spanish speakers/learners on staff,  I'm working on getting the link to Univision's interview with our students, which aired Saturday morning on Channel 13.







Here's more information:



Education Reform

Minneapolis, MN - April 6th, 2013 -
On Monday April 8th the House of Representatives' Higher Education Committee will debate bill HF 875, at 12:30pm in Room 5, State Office Building.
The MN Prosperity Act would allow Minnesotan undocumented youth - the DREAMers - access to private scholarships and statewide financial aid for higher education.

We Need Action!
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Ask the House to include HF 875, MN Prosperity Act (the Minnesota DREAM ACT) in Higher Ed. Omnibus bill. We need to insure that we have two more votes in the Higher Education committee. Please contact the targeted representatives: Ben Lien, Jeanne Poppe, Bud Nornes, and Gene Pelowski. Ask them to support education for Minnesota's workforce. Take action by calling, emailing, and/or visiting your representatives. They hold the key to Minnesota's future.
To find the complete list of membership for the House of Reps. Higher Ed. Committee, please visit:
http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/comm/committeemembers.asp?comm=88016



Why we need this?
In Minnesota and nation-wide, undocumented high school and university-age students who came to the United States with their parents often before they were five years old, have been fighting to gain access to higher education for more than a decade. To assure access, the local Minneapolis-based community organization Tamales y Bicicletas organized over one hundred youth over the last week, as well as many state legislators, to pass legislation targeted at young undocumented immigrant youth.
The bill would increase diversity in all colleges in Minnesota by providing young undocumented youth, many of who come from low-income families, the financial ability to attend state universities. If law, the Prosperity Act would also open universities to young people who would gain skills that would benefit the Minnesotan economy overall. The legislation is particularly oriented around undocumented youth who have been raised and will continue to live in Minnesota; recipients of financial assistance need to have graduated from Minnesota high schools they've attended for a minimum of three years. Financial assistance will only be available for youth that are Minnesota residents.




Linnea Valdez

ELL Teacher and Coordinator

Southwest High School

Minneapolis Public Schools

Student Fall Registration Begins

Student fall course registration will begin this week.  We wanted to inform you of the process and expectations.  Students will be meeting with their counselor during the month of April.  Hopefully, all students have taken the time to reflect on their coursework choices and how it impacts their educational pathway.  Student registration information can be found at www.southwest.k12.mn.usboth on the homepage and under the “academics” tab.

Counselors will review various topics when meeting with their students which include:
Academics
•Review student transcripts, graduation status, online course requests
•Discuss student course requests
•Review teacher recommendations
•Recognize and discuss rigor vs balance: time management
•Finalize fall course selection
•Summer School determination
Counselors will identify all students who need to attend summer school to recover required graduation credits.  MPS summer school information can be found at www.mpls.k12.mn.us.   Summer school notification will be mailed home in May 2013.  Students will have the opportunity to accept or decline their invitation to summer school on their student portal site.

Career Post Secondary
•Discuss future plans (grade level appropriate)
•Review My Life Plan (MLP) requirements in student Naviance account
•Complete outstanding MLP milestones after counselor meeting concludes

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

George Mountin
Counselor (L-Q)
Southwest High School

SW Haiku Poets Earns Awards from Emperor of Japan

Every year the emperor of Japan selects a theme for haiku poets.  This year’s theme was "harusaki" which translates in English to " beginning of spring ".

Ibaraki, Minneapolis’s sister city in Japan, sponsors a haiku contest.  Southwest High School was notified that they placed with eight winners in the citywide contest.  That means we won all honors in the 9th grade -12th grade category again this year.  

A presentation of awards will be held on Sunday, April 14th, 2013 from 2 p.m. at the Minneapolis Central Library downtown.   Please congratulate these talented students when you see them! 

9th grade -12th grade Category

 1st Place : Jackie Vo,  (Ms. French)

2nd Place :  Logan Schade,  (Ms. French)

3rd Place :  Emily Peterson,  (Ms. French)

Honorable Mentions :  

              Diego Baumann  (Ms. French)

              Andria Obermiller  (Ms. French)

              Anna Moskowitz  (Mr. Reeds)

              Rhiannon Aldrich  (Ms. French)

              Megahn Trudeau  (Mr. Reeds)

Adult Category    Honorable Mentions :   

              Mary Doyle  (parent)

              Megan Morrissey   (parent)

After Spring Break

Spring has an official starting date.  Most religions and faiths across the globe have some significant event on, about or after the start of spring.  Poets use spring as the beginning, new opportunities, new possibilities, growth, awakening and love.  Spring is one part of the cycle of life but frequently associated with beginning, the start, new.  And so is the cycle of a school experience.

Monday is the first day of the fourth quarter of this school year.  It is the last quarter and the first.

Five years ago I watched these young people enter the auditorium and swore to myself that there was no hope.  They were too young and immature.  They clinged to their parents way more than necessary.  They were just too small to be ready for high school.  I see that at the same time I stopped that morning to talk with one of them sitting at the locker with iPad and text book.  Routine morning greetings were exchanged and how is it going leads to "I got into ....."  My reply is great!  In my head I rejoice and congratulate the system on another success.  It is wonderful when nice happen to nice people.

Yes, that was one of those who five years ago I figured would take six years to remember his locker combination or how to find his way to 218 from the East gym.  They enter as 9th graders with wide eyes and full of fear, hope, surprise and promise.  Especially boys cannot walk down a hall without punching the boy next to him, running into a locker or stumbling. After spring break that stops, 9th graders have moved into high schools responsibilities,  even the boys.

The years pass too quickly.  I say hello and rush by.  I sit in a classroom and nod to him.  I watched him participate in ......   I shook his hand at some assembly.  I talked to him waiting behind a curtain.  We chatted once about college options and opportunities.  How did you grow up so quickly?

Spring Break.  Winter is full of requirements and applications, and exams, and activities and deadlines.  We take a week off and we get back and out there is the world.  What do I want to be?  What are my parents going to do with my room?  I am leaving all my friends.  I just got here.

On that I agree.  I wish I would have answered your question differently.  I wanted so much to tell you I was proud.  I watched you grow into a young adult and didn't take the time to notice.  Even when I fussed with you I cared and hurt with you.  Maybe you will forget that one. It was only yesterday.  How can it be time to go?

How did it get to be after spring break already?

Registration for Current Grades 9 - 11

Fall Registration for Current 9th, 10th, and 11th grade
The following dates are in place for student registration:
Class of 2014: April 10th and April 12th-2013
Class of 2015: April 15th and April 18th-2013
Class of 2016: April 19th, April 22nd, and April 23rd
Students will be coming to the media center through their SOCIAL STUDIES CLASSES to meet with their counselor and select coursework for the 2013-2014 school year.

Students participated in course fair earlier .  Students have the registration cards.  Hopefully, students and families have discussed the various options and opportunities.  If you have questions talk with your student's counselor.

Video of Southwest Spoken Word Finalist

If you are interested I have attached a link to a video that includes some of our spoken word students and a picture of 11 of the 12 finalists including Laresa, Fatima and Nazeem.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSuyNwKYWO8



Caroline Hooper
NBCT Social Studies
Southwest High School

Five Southwest students in Haiti are blogging on the site Sanneh Foundation Haitian Initiative. They even have a pic with the SW logo.  They are representing their school proudly during their senior spring break.  - Thanks for the info, Shari Seelig

http://www.thesannehfoundation.org/archives/2781

Southwest Seniors : Nick Bither, Ben Kursch, Maya Lassiter, Charlotte Manning and Anna Schwartz