2016 Southwest Athena Award Winner

Senior Softball Captain Emma Nelson has been selected as the 2016 Athena Award Winner.  This is an award for the most outstanding senior female athlete.

She will be recognized at an awards ceremony on May 6th with all of the other Minneapolis Area Winners.

Congratulate her if you see her around.

Ryan Lamberty

Athletic Director

Southwest High School

Soutthwest Foundation Fund Rasier April 14 at 1010

You are invited to: the Southwest Foundation's  4/14 @ the 1010  Party! Thursday, April 14th 7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. at the great 1010 party space of our hosts: Dawn & Tim Prinsen 1010 W. Lake Street Minneapolis, MN 55408 Please join all Southwest parents, alums, and staff  for this fundraiser to benefit the  Southwest Foundation.  Last year's party was so much fun--don't miss it this year!   Like last year, we'll have great food, drinks, conversation and music; a chance to meet our principal, Dr. Bill Smith (who will speak about 8 o'clock); and time to play PacMan and pool and eat popcorn.  All while learning about how the  Southwest Foundation supports excellence in education  at Southwest High School.  The Foundation's mission is supporting academics, athletics, and the arts at Southwest and it is the only organization fundraising for academics at Southwest. Your donation to the Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, will impact the education of every student at Southwest.  Help us raise our goal of $15,000! Every family's involvement is important --  if you are wondering if you've given to our annual campaign this year (July 1, 2015 - June 30, 2016), please check our list of wonderful donors HERE.  Thank you to all our donors! Thank you to our co-hosts: Christa Anders & Tom MacLeod Una & Eric Edwardson Dan Froehlich Nikki & Erik Lindberg Tricia & John Marden Mary & Brett McCabe Jill & Brad McLemore Mona & Rick Patterson Janice & Mark Peterson Kathy Jo Peterson Kate & Scott Raver Nancy Rose Pribyl Allison Rubin & Jeff Forester Kim & Dave Schoenecker Rebecca Skoler & Steve Stovitz June Thiemann & Dan Bartholomay Erin Ungerman Connie & Tom Walsh Hope you can join us! Logistics:  The entrance to the underground 1010 West Lake party space is on Lake Street under the CVS in Uptown. Please don't park in the CVS lot! There is parking nearby at the Calhoun Square lot or Loop Parking lot at 1422 W. Lake--or on the street. RSVP Here! OR email RSVP to ellen@southwestfoundation.org Can't attend the party? Contribute Now! Forward this email STAY CONNECTED

Great Graduation Gift!

Honor a special grad or favorite teacher with a SW auditorium seat plaque!

Looking for a special graduation gift to honor your Southwest senior?  Want to pay tribute to an amazing teacher? Make a lasting impression with an engraved seat plaque in the Southwest auditorium!  

Seat plaques are available for a one-time donation of $200, which goes directly to Southwest’s Auditorium Fund.  

This fund is used to maintain and upgrade the auditorium. 

Go to http://southwesttheatre.org/support for more information and order form. Or, contact auditoriumseat@gmail.com .​

Southwest Students Return from Visit to French Sister School

We´re heading back tomorrow! Kids had a great time in Paris these past two days and the weather was mostly cooperative! We´re not excited to hear about the snow back home, I´m worried some of these kids might try and run off to avoid it. Thanks to all of you for your support and help organizing this, it was definitely a process but I think the experience these kids had while here in France is priceless. See you all Monday!

-Sarah Hallaway

French Teacher

Southwest High School

SW Abukar and Aden Advance to Nationals Spoken Word

After many rounds of competition across the Twin Cities, both Harun Abukar and Yasmin Aden (pictured 3rd and last below) will represent Southwest as two of six students from Minnesota competing in the Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Slam, at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC this July!!!

This is a huge honor, so please if you see them congratulate them and ask them about their craft. They are very talented writers and orators, who have a passion for social justice and are such an inspiration to me. 

(More info below if you are interested in learning more about the festival and process).

More information here:

http://youthspeaks.org/bravenewvoices/festival/

"The 19th Annual Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Slam Festival will convene the most outstanding and outspoken youth poets from around the world for 5 days of workshops, slams, showcases, community service and civic participation events."

Southwest Students Report From France

Today the weather has been phenomenal for our visit to Fourvière hill, the site of Lyon´s Basilica and the ancient roman theatre next door. Based on their reactions I think this has been their favorite day so far! The Basilica is very detailed on the inside which was fascinating for the kids and it offers excellent views of the city below. Nearby are the ruins of a roman amphitheater that could seat somewhere between 10,000-15,000 people. After spending about 2 hours on the hill we descended for sandwiches on the bank of the Saone river and had the chance to feed some swans. Tomorrow is our last day in Lyon, I think everyone is amazed how quickly time flew by. We head off to Paris on the T.G.V. at 8am Friday morning! As always, I will attach some photos from our day!


-Sarah Hallaway
French Teacher
Southwest High School

Sebastien Children's Defense Fund Scholarship Recipient

ST. PAUL, Minn. - For more than 20 years, Children’s Defense Fund-Minnesota has recognized extraordinary young people who have overcome tremendous adversity in life to achieve academic excellence, demonstrate leadership in their communities, and aspire to attend college.

The above traits are exhibited by recipients of the Beat the Odds scholarship.

Southwest senior selected to receive Children'Defense Fund scholarship. Sebastien Lannelongue

This year, six of the most deserving Twin Cities-area high school students have been selected to receive a $5,000 scholarship.

This year’s scholarship recipients are: Christopher Oquist, Roosevelt High School, Minneapolis; Domenic Johnson, North Community High School, Minneapolis; Hennessey Carlbom, Takoda Prep, Minneapolis; Sebastien Lannelongue, Southwest High School, Minneapolis; Shamaria Jordan, Edison High School, Minneapolis; and Mela Nguyen, Great River School, St. Paul.

What does it mean to beat the odds?

"To me, it means that you overcome big obstacles in your life," said Lannelongue, who's family lived in Mexico. His father died when he was 6, immigrated to the U.S. with his mom and brother when he was 12, and then things got worse.

"The end of my sophomore year my mom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer," Lannelongue said. 

"One of the biggest barriers I've had is finding a space that I was very welcome to," said Oquist, who, at 4 years old, was taken away from his biological mother. She was selling drugs in hopes of making ends meet. 

Both Oquist and Lannelongue have a common career goal - wanting to help others.

CDF-MN will recognize the six students at its annual Beat the Odds awards celebration on Saturday, April 9 at McNamara Alumni Center in Minneapolis.