Greetings SWA Families,

We are heading into an exciting and important week at Southwest Academy, where our students are truly Heroes in the Making! Please take a moment to review this week's key updates:

• Testing Incentives: Students will have the chance to participate in fun incentives, including our Masked Singer event!

• MCAP Testing Schedule:

  • Grade 6 ELA – April 28 and April 29

  • Grade 8 Math – April 30 and May 1

• Honor Roll Celebrations: Invitations will be shared soon.

  • Grade 6 Honor Roll Assembly – May 7 at 8:30 AM

  • Grade 7 Honor Roll Assembly – May 8 at 8:30 AM

  • Grade 8 Honor Roll Assembly – May 12 at 8:30 AM

• Athletics Events: Saturday, May 3

  • Track Meet at Woodlawn High School

  • Tennis Match at CCBC Catonsville

  • Allied Softball Game at Southwest Academy

Important Reminder:
Please ensure your child arrives on time each day, especially during MCAP testing. A strong, prompt start helps our heroes show their best work. Thank you for reinforcing the importance of punctuality and readiness at home!

We appreciate your ongoing support as we continue to empower our students to rise as Heroes in the Making!

With appreciation,

Mrs. Bomar

Starting Monday, April 28, our 6th grade students will begin ELA MCAP testing, an important opportunity to show what they’ve learned and how much they’ve grown this year.

We are proud of the hard work our students have put in, and with your support, we know they will rise to the challenge! Here are a few ways you can help your child feel confident and prepared:

✅ Make sure they get a good night’s sleep
✅ Provide a healthy breakfast each morning
✅ Ensure they arrive on time and ready to focus
✅ Offer words of encouragement—let them know you believe in them!

At Southwest Academy, we know our students are Heroes in the Making, and this is just one more opportunity to shine. Thank you for being our partners in helping every child succeed.

Let’s go, Tigers! 🐾

📚 April is School Library Month! 📚
Let’s celebrate the heart of our school—the library!

This month, we recognize the vital role our school library plays in empowering students, supporting teachers, and nurturing a lifelong love of reading and learning. Our library is more than a place to check out books—it’s a space for exploration, creativity, collaboration, and discovery.

We’d like to give a special shout-out to our dedicated Media Center Specialist, Dr. Love, for curating engaging collections, leading innovative programming, and creating a welcoming environment where all students can thrive.

Throughout April, we’ll be highlighting student book recommendations, hosting fun library challenges, and showcasing some of the exciting resources available to support both academics and personal interests.

Encourage your child to visit the library this month, pick up a new book, and thank Dr. Love for being a champion of literacy and learning at Southwest Academy!

📖 “The only thing that you absolutely have to know is the location of the library.” – Albert Einstein

Students have been working hard to earn Tiger Bucks through positive behavior, academic effort, and showing SWA pride. They were able to cash in on exciting rewards!

Please continue to encourage your child to earn and spend their Tiger Bucks—the more they earn, the more awesome items they can shop for! Let’s keep up the momentum and make this a fun, rewarding experience for our students.

Thank you for your support in making Tiger Trove a success!

#SWARewards #TigerTrove #EarnItSpendIt

*SAVE THE DATE:

May 14, 2025- PTSA General Meeting & Elections (6:30pm)

*Please see the attached fliers for information on afterschool Flag Football and Soccer registrations.

*FOR PARENTS OF HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS:

2024-25 PTA Council Scholarship Applications are now available!

The PTA Council of Baltimore County offers scholarships to Baltimore County Public Schools high school seniors with no restrictions on the selection of the college, university, or technical school. Please see the attached document for scholarship requirements.

That is all for now, if you have any questions or need more information, please email swaptsa@outlook.com OR call me at 443.799.5708. Thank you and have a wonderful evening!

Our February staff heroes of the month are..... *DRUMROLL PLEASE*

• Dr. Love
• Mr. Hidar
• Mr. Leslie
• Ms. Parker
• Mr. Ridley
• Ms. Thomas

Our February student heroes of the month are..... *DRUMROLL PLEASE*

6th grade: Danna Martinez Galeano, Kaiden Turner

7th Grade: Aariz Abas, Sumera Khandaker

8th Grade: Kidus Woldegiorgis, Sarahi Rodriguez

Congrats to this month's winners!

Please click the link: Focus Parent Portal and within you account, there's a Schoology link which allows you to view your child's current grades. Progress reports will be available this Friday, Sept. 27th.

Download the Talking Points app for quick and easy communication with your student's teachers.

We have having an increase in students not coming to school in uniform. This week, we plan on doing uniform checks and items not adhering to the policy will be confiscated, returned at the end of the day and your student will receive detention.

Please ensure that your student adheres to the dress code policy. If you have any questions, feel free to contact your child's grade level administrator.

Students will also be permitted wear Southwest Academy shirts.

Beginning next school year:

All Southwest Academy students will be required to wear grade-level colored uniform polo shirts and khaki bottoms. Khaki bottoms must be knee-length or longer and may not be shredded or ripped. Students may not wear jeans, leggings, or jeggings. T-shirts, sweatshirts, Hooded sweatshirts or hooded sweaters will not be allowed. Sweaters must be solid and match the grade-level color. Headwear, scarves, and hats will not be not allowed.

Consistent attendance is key to academic success! When students come to school every day, on time, and ready to learn, they build strong habits, stay on track with their learning, and set themselves up for success.

We need your partnership to ensure that every student is in school, every day. Here’s how you can help:

✅ Encourage daily attendance – every day counts!

✅ Establish a routine to help your child arrive on time.
✅ Communicate with us if challenges arise—we are here to support you!

Let’s work together to Engage, Empower, and Excel by making attendance a priority. Thank you for your support in helping our students thrive!

If you need assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

#SWAHereEveryDay #AttendanceMatters #SuccessStartsWithShowingUp

We have partnered with BSN/Sideline Sports to offer merchandise options for students and staff. Order now and get an additional 20% off of your purchase. Use the link below to purchase.

For the 2024-2025 school year, there will be an intense focus on cross-curricular vocabulary instruction. In core content classes and on the morning announcements, students will be introduced to a word and given the opportunity to make connections with the word within their content, with the expectation of greater comprehension as well as increased MAP reading scores.

Help us reinforce this focus by asking your student what word is for the week and having them use the word at home. Practice doesn't make perfect. Practice makes progress.🙂

Apr. 28 and Apr. 29

• MCAP ELA Grade 6

Apr. 29

• Masked Singer Grade 6

Apr. 30

• MCAP Math Grade 8

May 1

• MCAP Math Grade 8
• Masked Singer Grade 8

May 7

• Grade 6 Honor Roll Awards Assembly @ 8:30am

May 8

• Grade 7 Honor Roll Awards Assembly @ 8:30am

May 12

• Grade 8 Honor Roll Awards Assembly @ 8:30am

Our 8th grade students had an amazing time at the dance! They danced, laughed, and made wonderful memories together. We are proud to share that our students were well-behaved, respectful, and truly represented the spirit of Heroes in the Making. Thank you to our staff and families for your continued support in making events like these so special!

Website: https://southwestms.bcps.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southwest.academy?igsh=NmdmZGc2ZmFtczZq