Vision 2023-2024

We are Engaged Learners

We are Diverse and Inclusive

We are Ethical Community Members

We are Southwest...

Because This Is Where We Belong

Mission 2023-2024 (Updated)

In order to develop global citizens, Southwest Guilford High School will provide rigorous, culturally relevant, and equitable educational opportunities using specific evidence that will engage students in a safe, inclusive, student-centered, and collaborative community that will prepare students for post-secondary success.

September 17th - Interim Reports

September 20th - Senior Make-Up Pictures - All-Day Coggins Gym - More information coming on sign-ups!

September 24th - Homecoming Game 7:30

October 9th - Interim Reports

October 1st - PSAT (10th/11th graders)

October 7th - PreACT ( 10th graders)

Ms. Lee is our new Front Office Administrative Assistant. She is available to assist with questions about operations, programs, and procedures, as well as directing calls and handling general clerical tasks. For help, please reach out to her at lees6@gcsnc.com . Soon you will see Ms. Lee greet you as soon as you walk into the the main entrance! She will be able to help our families more quickly and efficiently with your needs as it relates to your student. She will also be able to greet our students that arrive after the bell, get them through the scanners and on to class. This will get them to class in a more efficient manner in the event they have an appointment.

Stay tuned for the change happening soon.

Ms. Taylor is our new Attendance Administrative Assistant. If you need to request early dismissals or submit documentation for excused absences, please contact her via email at taylora13@gcsnc.com. Students can also turn their notes into her. Ms. Taylor will soon be moving to her new spot by the back entrance. She will be able to greet our students that arrive after the bell, get them through the scanners and on to class. This will get them to class in a more efficient manner in the event they have an appointment.

The Homecoming Dance will be Saturday, September 28 from 7:30-10:30. Tickets are $10 on GoFan.com. If you are bringing a guest from another school, you MUST obtain a guest form from the front office. See Mrs. Culler or Mrs. Lovett for details.

We are excited to inform you about our Learning Hub program, which will provide additional academic support for our students. Students will be receiving a letter with details about the program. Please ensure that your child turns in the signed letter by September 11.

Learning Hub Details:

- Days: Every Tuesday and Thursday

- Time: 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM

- Location: At Southwest Guilford High School, D building (Transportation will be provided if needed)

Your support is crucial in helping our students succeed. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Mrs. Curvelo-Velez @curveln@gcsnc.com

All 10th and 11th Graders will be taking the PSAT on Tuesday, October 1, 2024! 9th and 12th graders will be able to access their work asynchronously from Canvas to complete their assignments posted by their teachers. Teachers will capture attendance by using Canvas login information and work submissions. Students will not be called for early dismissal or early checkouts once testing has begun. Students will need to stay in their testing site until school-wide testing is complete.

All 10th Graders will be taking the Pre ACT on Monday, October 7th, 2024 ! 9th, 11th and 12th graders will be able to access their work asynchronously from Canvas to complete their assignments posted by their teachers. Teachers will capture attendance by using Canvas login information and work submissions. Students will not be called for early dismissal or early checkouts once testing has begun. Students will need to stay in their testing site until school-wide testing is complete.

Join us Saturday, Sept. 28th from 8 am to 11 am for our 2nd Annual SW Pancake and Sausage Breakfast in the SW Cafeteria. All proceeds of the breakfast will help support our SW Senior Athletic Scholarship Funds for this year. Tickets can be purchased at SWGHS from Coach Christman, or online at www.gofan.co (Southwest Guilford High School) Please stop by, have some community fellowship and support our athletic program, student athletes and booster club

Back parking lot drop-off prohibited - There is an increased volume of parents picking up in the back parking lot. The back lot is for our driving students and exceptional student buses. As our students learn to navigate their driving skills, we need you to be cognizant and help us to assist in keeping them safe as they learn to navigate with the least amount of traffic in that parking lot. We all have had or will have a new driver. Our goal is to decrease the volume of traffic that they will need to navigate. Please help us help them as they practice their skills. Student drop-off is only to be in the front of the school. To keep the volume down and to support our student drivers, parent drop off will only be in the front parking lot.

The Fall Choice Application Season is fast approaching, marking the commencement of preparations for the Choice Showcase. Our commitment to offering innovative educational choices ensures that students will always find a path, a place, and tremendous potential. Ready to embark on this journey?

Choice Application Window: October 9th – November 22nd

• Tuesday Tours (10/22, 10/29, and 11/12).

As a reminder, our doors are locked during the school day as an additional safety measure for the school community. If you need to enter the campus to pick up your child, you will be required to buzz in, have identification ready and state your purpose for entering the building. All visitors must check in with our front desk Office Support and she will identify your need and assist you.

Check-outs will need to be done by 4pm. This will allow our staff to call your student out in a timely fashion and get them to you safely while understanding surrounding movement and traffic in the parking lot as we prepare for buses and dismissal. For pick up, please see our Front desk office support

Parents, if you could assist us in reminding your students about a couple of dress code policies that we are seeing take away from instructional time:

Dress Code: We are seeing a high volume of crop-top shirts and holes above the knees. While we know it is warm outside, with our new and improved HVAC work from the summer, the temperature in the building is just fine. If a student has on a crop top or holes above the knees, they need to have something under their garments. Please remind your student of this so that they are able to stay in class and not miss instruction to change.

Cell Phones: We have a no-cell phones policy in class so that instruction is happening for the duration of the class. If a teacher uses it for instruction then it is upon their discretion. Otherwise, phones need to be put away. They are able to use them during transition and during lunch. Please assist us with ensuring that instruction is the most important part of your child's day. Our teachers don't want to stop their delivery of instruction to ask your child to put their phones away. Please see this Cell Phone Policy below in this blog.

Tardy Sweeps - We began Tardy sweeps for students that are not in class on time. We need students in class and ready to learn when the bell rings. If students are tardy, they are missing instruction.

Classroom Environment

• Communicated, posted, and agreed upon classroom norms to include technology and tardy policy

Academic Focus

• Clearly posted and visible standard and skill that is being addressed in the class session.

• Essential Question visible for that class session

• Evidence of student discourse and collaboration

• Evidence of rigorous task(s) aligned to the standard for the day

Guilford County Schools has updated its Student Code of Conduct. Two important district policy updates on technology from last school year are:

SWHS 2023-2024 Technology Policy

I-6 - Technology Violation: Students may not use any electronic device or personal entertainment device during instructional time unless authorized by the classroom teacher or other school personnel with supervision responsibilities during instructional time. With this, during the instructional time at Southwest, students will have technology put away while they are in class and engaged in instruction. In addition to other interventions we have in place, any device used in violation of this policy may be confiscated and only returned to the student's parents/caregiver.

I-9 - Technology Violation - Students are prohibited from taking photographs, videos, or other media of any other student or school personnel without permission. Students are further prohibited from posting any such media or images in public spaces including online or via social media platforms. This rule includes but is not limited to posting videos of fights or other disruptive conduct where permission is not granted for the posting of each person’s image, and posting pages including images designed to make fun of or negatively target a particular student or staff member without their permission.

Students may have technology during transitions and during lunch, however, the instructional time will be protected as your student's engagement in lessons and content is important to us as we know it is to you. If students do not follow the policy and it disrupts instructional time, their phone can be confiscated. We want to focus on instruction while our students are in front of us.

Please remember that daily attendance is vital to success in school. We will be monitoring student attendance closely. Please make sure your student is at school before 9:15 to get to class on time and please send notes if your child must be late or absent from school.

Attendance Policy (Updated 2022-2023)

4:30: Halls should be clear of ALL students. By 4:30, all students should be under the supervision of a coach or a club sponsor being supervised. We do not want students unsupervised in the building as this present a safety concern for students.

No Outside Food Allowed

Food deliveries to SWGHS will be turned away. Students are not allowed to order food at school. There is no outside delivery from Door Dash, Uber Eats, or any other type of service. It remains a safety concern to have strangers come to our campus to drop off food and/or for your child to exit the building to go outside to pick up food. Additionally, students are not able to receive outside food, i.e. McDonalds, Chic-Fil-A, from parents, siblings, or family members. Students are welcome to bring their lunch to school, but their lunch should arrive when they arrive at school. Should your child need lunch, we are now a CEP school and all students can eat breakfast and lunch at no cost.

OneCard is the Guilford County School's student identification and access card. One Card provides many functions including school attendance, identification, media center checkout, public library access, and more. Students will need to have their OneCard to enter the building at any time of the day.

OneCard

• In addition to fostering a safe learning environment and enhancing school safety and security One Card creates a feeling of unity among students; boosts school identity and pride; and assists with building community partnerships.

• OneCard Distribution

  OneCards will be distributed within the first couple of weeks of school once we receive them. If a student is new to GCS or does not have a picture on file, we will ensure that the student's picture is taken in order to get a OneCard issued as soon as possible.

• All students who are car riders, bus riders and student drivers will be expected to enter the building through designated entrance areas using their One Card. It is expected for students to have their One Card visible throughout the school day and will need it to enter the building at anytime of the day.

• Students who lose their One Card will have to pay $5.00 for a replacement card.

Evolv Body Scanners

Students and staff have done a fantastic job adapting to our processes. Please continue to understand and share with your students the importance of these processes and procedures upon entry to the school.

• Every person, student & visitors, entering our building will travel through the body scanner.
• The body scanning system highlights and locates material that is deemed to be in question on our school grounds.
• If there is a ping from the body scanner, the administration will locate and identify the item in question.
• Body scanners are located at the main entrance of our building and near the student parking lot entrance.
• Students will walk through the body scanners and navigate to the OneCard machines prior to going to classes each morning as part of our daily safety protocols.

(Items to watch for a ping: magnetic closing eyeglass cases, large barrell spiral notebooks, or larger laptops with a metal barrell on the spine) If these items ping, we have a protocol to check for these items and students may pass these items through instead of having them in their bag as they walk through.)

GTCC-CCP

Please remind students that upon entry they need to have their OneCard. They will be able to check in, go through the Evolv scanner protocol and then proceed to class. If they have any of the items that cause a "ping," they will be subject to search as we follow the same processes as early morning entry. Please speak with your counselor or GTCC contact if you have questions or concerns.

Ryan Schnaith-Ivan – 9th Grade (*Counseling Department Chair)

Brenadette Bruce – 10th-12th Grades A-D

Denesha Horton – 10th-12th Grades E-L

Syreeta Williamson – 10th-12th Grades M-R

Nakesha Varner – 10th-12th Grades S-Z

There will be a Senior Night on October 8th, please plan to attend. Representatives from Herff Jones will be there to help you with orders for senior items. College and career representatives will also be present to meet with students and parents about life after high school. Various other personnel will be available to provide additional information about senior year and preparing for what comes after graduation. Please mark the date on your calendar for October 8th and plan to attend.

Youth Leadership Greensboro (YLG), a program of Greensboro Parks and Recreation, is now accepting applications from high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors for the 2024-2025 school year. Applications are due Friday, September 20.

YLG offers high school student a chance to gain an in-depth look at local issues and hot topics in our community over the course of the school year. Participants will visit businesses and local organizations to meet with experts and influencers and serve the community and advocate on a community topic throughout the year. Participants will become better advocates and problem-solvers, and build a network of emerging leaders interested in working together to improve our community.

The program fee of $100 is required for those accepted into the YLG program; financial assistance is available. The application is attached and also available at www.greensboro-nc.gov/ylg. For more information on YLG, call 336-373-2734 or email ylg@greensboro-nc.gov.

Youth Leadership Greensboro

Thank you all for your patience and understanding with everything regarding students’ schedules for this school year. Schedule requests have now all been reviewed and addressed. The last day for schedules could have been adjusted was September 9th, and therefore all students’ schedules are complete at this time.

• We want to remind our parents of an important requirement for students who are in the 12th grade this year.

12th-grade students are required to receive the booster dose of the Meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV).

• GCS is legally required to exclude students who do not have documentation showing they received the required vaccinations within 30 calendar days of the first day of school (Aug. 26, 2024, for schools on the traditional calendar), or their first date of enrollment.

• Appointment cards are not accepted as proof of documentation.

• Please remember this requirement when you are scheduling your child’s yearly check-up and make sure you get proper documentation. Summer vacation is a great time to schedule an appointment for the vaccines.

• We encourage you to get your child vaccinated now before the deadline.

• Tdap and MCV are available at your health care provider’s office or by appointment at the Guilford County Division of Public Health offices, located in Greensboro (1100 E. Wendover Ave.) and High Point (501 E. Green Dr.)

• To schedule an appointment for your child please call (336) 641-3245. Students may also receive vaccinations from their healthcare provider.

All students who park a vehicle on campus must purchase a student parking permit and pay online through K-12 payment center, located on our website and the GCS website. The cost is $50.00. Students and a parent/guardian must complete a permit application found in the literature rack by the door into the front office beginning on Tuesday. Students must bring their completed application, registration, receipt from the K-12 payment center, proof of valid NC Driver's license, and proof of insurance to Mr. Philpott or Mrs. Karant to receive their parking pass. The cost of a replacement parking permit is $50.00. Mrs. Karant is available in the front office before or after school for verification.

Students are not allowed to go to their cars during the day without permission from an administrator. Students who leave campus without permission will lose the privilege of driving to school. Students who are chronically late to school will lose parking privileges.

Be aware, that the pass must be visible at all times!

CEP stands for Community Eligibility Provision. All students will be able to eat breakfast and lunch for free. We encourage all students to go through the breakfast and lunch line. We want to ensure that all students are able to eat. Due to our CEP status, parents will not need to complete an application.

To facilitate seamless communication and timely updates about your child's transportation, we encourage all parents and guardians to claim their PowerSchool Parent Portal account. The PowerSchool Parent Portal will serve as a valuable resource to access essential transportation information for your child. By activating your account, you will have access to bus route details and detailed information about your child's designated bus route, including pick-up and drop-off times, bus numbers and route stops.

To get started with the PowerSchool Parent Portal, please follow these simple steps:

1. Visit www.gcsnc.com/Page/17246

2. Click on the "PowerSchool Parent Portal" link.

3. Follow the instructions to create your account or log in if you already have one.

4. Access the "Transportation" section to view your child's bus details.

In addition to the PowerSchool Parent Portal, we highly recommend downloading the "Here Comes the Bus" app, available for both iOS and Android devices. This user-friendly app will provide you with real-time tracking, allowing you to monitor your child's bus location and estimated arrival time conveniently from your smartphone, and will be available for tracking on August 28.

To download the "Here Comes the Bus" app, please follow these steps:

1. Go to the App Store (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android).

2. Search for "Here Comes the Bus."

3. Install the app on your device.

4. Sign in using the same credentials as your PowerSchool Parent Portal account.

We are committed to ensuring the well-being and security of all our students during their daily commute. If you encounter any difficulties or have questions regarding the transportation process, please feel free to reach out to our Transportation Call Center at (888) 511-4GCS (4427) or your child’s school for assistance. Thank you for your partnership in making this school year a successful and enriching one for our students.

Parents, we are looking to build our Staff Appreciation Committee. This committee LOVES to find creative ways to shower the staff and remind them how much they are cared for. Please consider joining. You can meet Tanya Stewart, the lead on Tuesday night or e-mail her at tanya@tstewart.com.

Please support our student-athletes throughout the seasons. We have an incredible athletic program with experienced coaches and skilled athletes! As a reminder, we want to ensure that we support students and coaches with positive words of encouragement during games and competitions. We want to continue to model the excellence that we expect out of our students.

Check out our new SW Athletic Webpage:

https://southwestguilfordathleticzone.com/

Also, download the new App on your phone for all your game day schedules, tickets, new, and scores @ Rschools Activity Scheduler

Winter/Sport Athletes:

Make sure you have a Dragon Fly account with uploaded physical, health forms, and your NCHSAA Gfeller/Waller Concussion Form. All forms must be signed by your parents. Go to www.dragonflymax.com to set up your account.

As I close out on this final Sunday S'more to you as my community and what has been family for me since 2016. I am thankful and appreciative to you for allowing me to lead and serve the families of this Southwest community. I continue to believe that every student and faculty that comes to Southwest brings a uniqueness like no other. It is a place of spirit, excellence, belief in people, and learning and listening to each other's experiences to get us to our goal. I believe we are all a beautiful surprise of who we encounter everyday. It is simply a place where people belong. And as I sign off as our proud principal always remember: We've got this and I've got you because this is where we belong!"