Superintendent's Monday Message
May 13, 2024
Dear Southwest ISD Staff,
I hope that everyone had a great weekend. I know that this weekend is a very special one since it is Mother's Day. To all the moms in the district and to all the ones that take on the role of a mother I truly wish you all of God's blessings.
Many know and talk about the importance of building relationships with adults and with students. Research shows and common sense has shown us that there are many benefits to building relationships with others in an effort to have productive working relationships. But at times we are held back in doing this by what someone else might say about a person. It is easy to cloud our minds with others' negative thoughts and judgements. This week I ask you to take time to disconnect from the negative talk, walk away from people that are spreading rumors and don't judge others. Be wise and get to know people and form your own opinion.
Last week, we celebrated Nurse Appreciation Week and School Nurse Day. I want to take a moment to recognize and celebrate all of our amazing dedicated school nurses who work at our campuses, providing love and heart in their work. These nurturing individuals go above and beyond to provide exceptional care and support to students, staff, and the community. I appreciate the hard work and compassion they bring to their roles every day. You are truly appreciated and deserve all the recognition in the world. Our school nurses are loved and were treated extra special last week by staff and students.
This week is National Police Week which serves as a time for the law enforcement community and the public to come together to honor the bravery and dedication of those who serve and protect our communities. It is a time to remember the fallen officers and support their families, as well as to show appreciation for the men and women who continue to serve on the front lines of law enforcement every day. I want to thank our school police officers for all of their efforts in keeping our schools safe.I also want to highlight their emphasis on forging strong bonds with our students. It's important for our students to feel they can rely on a police officer when they need help, and under the leadership of Chief Richard Palomo, our police department is excelling at creating these connections with our students.
We had a very special evening celebrating the years of service of our employees and retirees during the Employee Banquet. Each and every one of our employees plays an important role in the success of our District and we, your leadership team, appreciate all your efforts over the years. When we celebrate the success of our students, we are celebrating you and your contributions to their success. Thank you so much for choosing Southwest ISD. Click here to view pictures from the banquet.
As we prepare to send off our seniors I want to give a big congratulations to Southwest Legacy High School’s Anthony Zapata. I’ve watched him excel in Track and Field and I enjoyed cheering him on as we sent him to compete at the UIL 5A State Track Meet earlier this month. I am proud to report he finished off his high school track career finishing 2nd place with a time of 1:53.17 earning him a silver medal! He turned around later that night and placed 4th in the mile running a 4:13 mile. Both performances were his personal bests. This young man is truly an inspiration and I look forward to hearing about his accomplishments at the University of the Incarnate Word.
I cannot emphasize enough the incredible talent we have among our artists in SWISD. Just this past weekend, Natalia Perez from Southwest High School won second place and earned a $150 scholarship in the Go Public High School Art Contest. Two other students from Southwest High School also won for their artwork, Liliana Antu and Ashley Martinez. In addition, Southwest Legacy High School student Emiliano Moreno also won a spot on the bus for her artwork. All students were recognized during a Go Public Bus Art Reveal event over the weekend. Two VIA city buses will feature the elementary school art winners from the Texas Cavaliers Art Contest and the high school art winners from the Go Public High School Art contest. This year's theme, "Texas Beauty," highlights the rich artistic talent, schools, and art educators within our great state.
We place a strong emphasis on the importance of storytelling with our staff, and it appears that some of our students are picking up on these skills. I am proud to share that a group of students from Scobee Middle School won the best storytelling award at the 90-Second Newberry Film Festival! These students are part of the school's theatre program. The 90-Second Newbery Film Festival is an annual video contest in which young filmmakers create movies that tell the entire stories of Newbery-winning books in about 90 seconds. Well done and congratulations!
Exciting news! Our inaugural Pre-K Signing initiative was a huge hit! We launched this new tradition to spark enthusiasm and energize our parents and the community about kick starting their child’s educational journey with Southwest ISD. From the heartwarming snapshots of adorable children and their families, it's clear that our work paid off! Can't wait to see these young learners blossom into their full potential!
Wishing each of you a very good week. I know that this time of the year is very busy and we all can start to feel drained and exhausted but stay positive and look for the good in life, people and all circumstances.
Sincerely,