Dear Southwestern Community,

With Thanksgiving approaching, I wanted to take a few moments to reflect on things to be thankful for.

First, I am thankful for our students. We are about 12 weeks into the school year, and there are already so many things to celebrate. Our fall athletic season is over, with lots of things to be proud of; participating in extracurricular activities such as school sports teaches lifelong lessons beyond the traditional classroom. We have also had high school students volunteering in classrooms, elementary students created a “Trojan Way” motto, and middle school students helped tidy up the lost and found area. Every day, we see examples of our students working hard and doing the right thing. Below are some highlights of students participating in winter sports and our early Spring musical. Way to go, Trojans!

Second, I am thankful for our families and community. Our parent participation is outstanding. For instance, during the Halloween season, we had so many families participate in the “Trunk or Treat” festivities at the elementary school, willing to pivot at the last minute and set up displays indoors due to inclement weather. In the Middle School, our families and staff volunteers chaperoned and sponsored an evening Halloween carnival. Over 70% of our middle school students enjoyed good old-fashioned fun and treats thanks to everyone who pitched in. Finally, our high school students were surprised with cider and donuts thanks to the generosity of our high school PTO. The connection between home and school is stronger than ever at Southwestern! And thank you to our local businesses that open their doors to our students to gain valuable work experience; we are so lucky to partner with you.

Finally, I am so thankful for our staff. There are countless instances of our staff going above and beyond for our students and colleagues every single day. Whether it’s volunteering to chaperone an event, coaching our sports teams, helping students after school, or providing extra “TLC” for a student who may need it, we can count on our staff to work tirelessly for our students’ best interests at heart.

I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. Thank you for everything you do to make Southwestern great!

Yours in Education,
Molly Moore
Superintendent
Southwestern CSD