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SOUTHWEST SCUTTLE - October 2024

~NO SCHOOL ON MONDAY SEPTEMBER 30TH!!!~

PICTURE RETAKES 10/1

Picture retakes will be on Tuesday, October 1st right away in the morning. Students who did not have their picture taken at the open house must come and get one taken.

If you wish to order pictures please visit www.strawbridge.net and use code FM440693.

PARENT/GUARDIAN/TEACHER FALL CONFERENCES

This year all district 241 schools will have fall conferences on November 4th from 11:00am-7:00pm. We are looking to gather parent/guardian feedback on how you would like our fall conference to be run at Southwest. Please take a moment to fill out either the English or Spanish form. We will share out the results and an outline of how our fall conferences will work in our next newsletter.

2024-2025 Parent/Teacher Conference Feedback Form

Formulario de comentarios de la conferencia de padres y maestros 2024-2025

ParentVue? TigersUnite? Google Classroom?

How can I help my student when I don't even know what these apps are?!?

Have you ever had this thought? Then you may want to consider coming to one of our first annual Parent/Guardian Tech Engagement Night here at Southwest.

Southwest will be offering three different sessions in the month of October, one for our Karen speaking families, one for our Spanish speaking families, and one for our English speaking families.

Who: Any Southwest parent/guardian who would like to learn more.

What: Each session there will be Southwest staff present to show families the most commonly used apps by our students at Southwest, how to navigate them, and to help families install any of the apps and answer any questions.

Where: Each session will be hosted in Southwest’s media center.

When: Each session will be from 4:00-6:00pm. Families can come whenever it works for them. At 4:00pm and 5:00pm there will be a general overview of the apps, what they are used for, and how parents and guardians can navigate them with confidence.

Light refreshments and snacks will be provided.

If you are interested in attending please RSVP by filling out this Google form so we know how many to plan for.

If you are unable to attend there is a section in the Google form to put feedback on days/times that work best for you for scheduling future meetings.

Parent/Guardian Tech Feedback Form (English)

Comentarios técnicos de padres/tutores (Espanol)

CALLING ALL MATH ENTHUSIASTS!

Southwest is currently looking for a long term substitute teacher for our seventh grade math while Mrs. Stegman is on maternity leave. This involves teaching four sections of pre-algebra and one section of algebra. Anticipated dates are 10/30/24-2/3/25.

A math teaching license is preferred, but not required. Feel free to reach out to Principal Johnson at tyler.johnson@alschools.org with any questions.

You can apply by clicking on the link here:

ATTENDANCE MATTERS

When students miss 10% of the school year, whether through excused or unexcused absences, they are considered to be chronically absent. This year there are 169 student contact days, which means that if a student misses 17 school days or more they are considered to be chronically absent. The table here shows Southwest’s student population who have been chronically absent each school year since 2017-2018. Note the two years during Covid have been excluded from this.

Here are 5 key statistics on the effects of chronic absenteeism among middle school students. These statistics highlight the far-reaching consequences of chronic absenteeism, not only on academic success but also on social, emotional, and future employment outcomes.

Lower Academic Achievement: Chronically absent students are 7.4 times more likely to drop out of high school compared to their peers who attend regularly.
Widening Achievement Gap: Absenteeism disproportionately affects students from low-income backgrounds, contributing to a wider achievement gap due to fewer resources and academic support at home.
Risk of Future Unemployment: Students who are chronically absent during middle school are at higher risk of unemployment as adults, with research showing a strong link between poor attendance and lower job stability.
Impact on Social-Emotional Development: Chronically absent students are more likely to struggle with feelings of isolation, which can affect their mental health, social relationships, and engagement with peers.
Chronic Absenteeism Across Grades: Students who are chronically absent in 6th grade have a 75% chance of continuing to be chronically absent in later school years, perpetuating academic struggles.

Engaging parents through monthly updates, meetings, and collaborative efforts to monitor student attendance helps families stay informed and actively involved in their child's school progress. Each month we will share the following information with our families:

% of Students who are on pace to be chronically absent (missed 2 or more days of school in a month)
% of Students who are chronically absent (have missed 17 days of school)

ATTENDANCE REMINDER

STUDENT ATTENDANCE:

If your student will not be in school you MUST call the attendance line @ 507.379.5312.

PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT TEACHERS INSTEAD OF THE ATTENDANCE OFFICE.

Our attendance line is available 24 hours a day and IS checked throughout the school day.

If you need to take your student out of school early during the day, please call the attendance secretary directly at 507.379.5243 OR jane.beighley@alschools.org.