Principal's weekly updates for the weekly of January 2nd...

Good evening Southwest community!

Starting on January 3rd, we will start 5 minutes early. Nothing else will change in the schedule other than students being guided to class at 8:30 and the late bell being 8:35 instead of 8:40. 

The 1st semester exam schedule has been finalized.

Due to all the inclement weather days this fall (2 hurricanes and a week of snow), the fall semester currently has only 81 days compared to 91 for the spring semester. There have been 9 student days lost this Fall with 2 of those days being made up on November 1 and January 18; this still leaves 7 lost instructional days in the fall semester.

To provide more balanced semesters and to allow more instructional time for the fall semester, it has been decided to move the last day of the fall semester from January 18 to January 25. The 5-day test window will now be January 18-25, 2019. These five days must be used for administering EOCs and NCFEs for first semester block schedule courses. The teacher workday/parent-teacher conference day originally scheduled for January 22 will be moved to Monday, January 28. 

Exams will be given the last 8 days of the semester...

Day 1 - January 15th, Tuesday - Full Day for all students, normal bell schedule - Teacher made exams (part 1) if approved by Mr. Hettenbach

Day 2 - January 16th, Wednesday - Full day for ALL students - slightly modified bell schedule - 1st and 3rd block teacher made exams ONLY - class times will be extended for blocks 1 and 3

Day 3 - January 17th, Thursday - Full day for ALL students - slightly modified bell schedule - 2nd and 4th block teacher made exams ONLY - class times will be extended for blocks 2 and 4.

Day 4 - January 18th, Friday - 8:35 - 1:30 - Block 1 CTEs, EOC and NCFEs; Afternoon schedule – EC Extended Time Testing

January 21st - HOLIDAY

Day 5 - January 22nd, Tuesday - 8:35 - 1:30 - Block 2 CTEs,EOC and NCFEs; Afternoon schedule – EC Extended Time Testing, Multiple Test Day Accommodations & Block 1 Make Ups

Day 6 - January 23rd, Wednesday - 8:35 - 1:30 - Block 3 CTEs,EOC and NCFEs; Afternoon schedule – EC Extended Time Testing, Multiple Test Day Accommodations & Block 2 Make Ups

Day 7 - January 24th, Thursday - 8:35 - 1:30 - Block 4 CTEs,EOC and NCFEs; Afternoon schedule – EC Extended Time Testing, Multiple Test Day Accommodations & Block 3 Make Ups

Day 8 - January 25th, Friday- - 8:35 - 1:30 - only for students who are needing to make up excams - EOC and NCFE make up exams

January 28th, Monday - Mandated workday - Parent Conference Day - please request a conference with any teacher if necessary. 

The OneCard system has now been through 5 days. We have seen a great improvements in such a short time. Please reinforce to your student to be wearing the card at all times. We want the students in the habit of displaying the cards at all times, blue lanyard around the neck, not in the pocket, not inside the shirt, etc. As I have mentioned before, this is a safety and security layer that has been added to the school and we greatly appreciate your support with this project. 

We now have 9 days until teacher made exams start, and 11 until state testing begins. 
As we have very little time left in the semester, every minute of every class is crucial. Please reach out to your child's teachers with any questions and/or concerns. Also, please reinforce the importance of finishing up strong, especially with such little time left in the semester. 

As it relates to athletic schedules, please visit the SWHS Athletics page at www.cowboysports.org

Feel free to come out and support the cowboys and Cowgirls at the Sheets holiday tournament in our very own Coggins Gym. We look forward to seeing you out there!

Wednesday, December 26

TBA Mens Junior Varsity Basketball NW Guilford JV Basketball Tournament Away 

Thursday, December 27
TBA Mens Varsity Basketball OPEN DATE Sheetz Holiday Christmas Classic Home 

TBA Mens Junior Varsity Basketball NW Guilford JV Basketball Tournament Away 6:00PM Womens Varsity Basketball OPEN DATE Sheetz Holiday Christmas Classic Home 

Friday, December 28
TBA Mens Varsity Basketball OPEN DATE Sheetz Holiday Christmas Classic Home 
TBA Mens Varsity Wrestling Holy Angels Tournament @ Bojangles Arena in Charlotte Away 
TBA Mens Junior Varsity Basketball NW Guilford JV Basketball Tournament Away 
6:00PM Womens Varsity Basketball OPEN DATE Sheetz Holiday Christmas Classic Home 

Saturday, December 29
TBA Mens Varsity Basketball OPEN DATE Sheetz Holiday Christmas Classic Home 
TBA Mens Varsity Wrestling Holy Angels Tournament @ Bojangles Arena in Charlotte Away 6:00PM Womens Varsity Basketball OPEN DATE Sheetz Holiday Christmas Classic Home 

Wednesday, January 2
Optional Workday for teachers

Thursday, January 3
Students and staff return to school

Friday, January 4
PTSA Jean Day 
5:00 PM Womens Junior Varsity Basketball High Point Central High School Home 
6:00 PM Mens Varsity Wrestling Quentin Crosby Invitational @ Dudley HS Away 
6:00 PM Womens Varsity Basketball High Point Central High School Away 
6:30 PM Mens Junior Varsity Basketball High Point Central High School Home 
7:30 PM Mens Varsity Basketball High Point Central High School Away

Tuesday, January 8
7:00PM Chorus Concert - Auditorium

Remember, you are always able to access this message on our school website under School News and titled Principal's Weekly Updates or on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Please follow Southwest High School at SouthwestGHS for Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram! This is a great way for us to communicate and stay connected. 

We are... Southwest!