Dear Southwestern Community,

I hope everyone had a nice Spring Break. When we return in mid-April, the school year seems to rapidly speed up. There are so many things to celebrate with end-of-year activities

. Our elementary school has several fun and educational field trips planned, middle school students are enjoying a day of healthy activities at the ice arena this week, and our high school students are involved in many activities around campus, including music competitions and our famous “Pops” concerts. Spring sports continue to have fantastic participation; our track program has the largest number of participants ever! Included is a graph of the spring sports offered to students in grades 7-12.

Spring also brings end-of-year testing for our students in grades 3-8. These assessments are used to evaluate each student's strengths and weaknesses in grade-level skills and are one of the data points we use to determine who may need interventions the following school year. We also use this data as one of our checkpoints to evaluate instruction at Southwestern. In the high school, Regents and Advanced Placement exams will begin soon. You may have heard on the news that New York State is “doing away” with Regents exams, and that’s not exactly true. The state is moving forward with pathways and options for students to graduate, but Regents exams are a mandated requirement right now for students in high school. We encourage all students taking exams to show persistence and grit to do their best during exams!

The administrative team has been analyzing and discussing the results of the Culture and Climate Survey completed by families, staff, and students in grades 5-12. Please stay tuned for a communication campaign highlighting areas of strength, as well as actions we are taking to address concerns such as bullying, consistent and fair discipline strategies, and social-emotional learning and support. As always, if any of you have concerns about a student or situation happening at Southwestern, I urge you to reach out to me or someone in the school. The connection between home and school is vital for students, and we will continue to do all that we can to foster positive working relationships with our families and community.

The annual Spotlight about the upcoming budget and Board of Education election will arrive via mail in the next few weeks. Information will also be on our website, swcsk12.org, in about a week. The Budget Hearing will be held May 12th at 6 pm in the District Board Room and will include details about the proposed budget and capital project. Information about the candidates running for school board seats will be available on the website and through a QR Code in the Spotlight. Finally, the budget and board of education vote is on Tuesday, May 19th, from 7-9 am and 2-8 pm in the High School Multipurpose room. While you’re on campus, please consider enjoying the Middle School “Pops” concert in the evening or attending the track meet in the late afternoon (weather permitting). I look forward to a great end of the year. Go Trojans!

Yours in Education,
Molly Moore
Superintendent