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Happy Sunday Southwest Families,

Thank you to all who joined us for American Education Week. Your presence and partnership mean so much, and our students loved having you in the building. Special thank you to our PTSA for providing breakfast to our families on Thursday.

Please note that schools will close three hours early on Wednesday, and schools will be closed on Thursday and Friday in observance of Thanksgiving.

Students will enjoy a dress-down day on Wednesday. Because they have done such a great job following expectations during previous dress-down days, they will be permitted to wear hoodies—as long as the hoods remain down throughout the day.

Wishing all of our families a safe and restful Thanksgiving break!

Mrs. Bomar

Hello Southwest Academy Families,

Thanksgiving giveaways have been scheduled, and I do have a few extra baskets available for families who may have missed the signup. If you are in need, please send me a message on Talking Points or reply directly to my previous message.

We are also preparing for our upcoming Christmas Giving Tree program to support selected families this holiday season. If you are interested in donating, sponsoring an item or items, or contributing in any way, please reach out to me through Talking Points or email. The flyer and signup information will be shared next week.

In addition, we will begin collecting new and gently used toys from students. This idea was inspired by one of our very own SWA 6th grade students and will support local organizations and places that take donations, as well as families within our school community. Students will receive service-learning hours when donating. More details and the flyer for this will be available on Monday.

On Tuesday, November 25th, in partnership with Save Our Young Baltimore and Preparing Our Youth organizations, local barbers will be at SWA providing free haircuts to students during the school day. The flyer is attached. Space is limited, so please use the link below to sign up by Monday:

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=3cPDSRs_g0GOdLONSDpa_cr1NW4yGl9CrQCyqrw3nXdURDgyOUFBREFNMkM3OFFYTk9HNUZUS1A3Sy4u

I also have a Care Closet with basic hygiene items such as deodorant, body wash, lotion, toothpaste, feminine products, and more. Please let me know if your student or family is in need of any items.

As always, I am here to connect families with resources and support for food, housing, and basic needs. Please do not hesitate to reach out. My email is dstevenson2@bcps.org.

Parent/Guardians

We have recently seen an increase in cases of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease throughout Baltimore County (please note this is not specific to Southwest Academy). Hand , Foot, and Mouth Disease often occur in late summer and fall. Please review the attached document to increase your awareness.

For the 2025-2026 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 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.🙂

This Week's Word - OMIT

This month, Southwest Academy honors the rich histories, traditions, and contributions of Native American communities. Students will engage in learning experiences that highlight the diverse cultures, storytelling traditions, innovations, and lasting impact of the first peoples of this land. We invite families to join us in recognizing and celebrating the heritage and strength of Native American nations throughout November.

Southwest Academy is proud to celebrate our September Heroes of the Month! These students and staff members have gone above and beyond to embody our core values of perseverance, positivity, and purpose. Their actions and attitudes reflect what it truly means to be Heroes in the Making. Congratulations to all our honorees! Thank you for setting a powerful example for our school community!

6th Grade

Glory C.

Justin M

7th Grade

Mariam P.

Ian D.

8th Grade

Fahad K.

Iya S.

Staff

Mr. Fleming

Mrs. Humphries

Ms. Pope

Mr. Scheihing

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. 26th.

As we settle into the new school year, I’d like to remind you of a few important policies that will help ensure a safe and productive environment for all our students:

1. Electronic Devices (cell phones, headphones, airpods, tablets): Our new electronic device is "Off and Away the whole school day". Phones and other electronic device must be turned off and stored in lockers for the entire school day.

2. Bookbags: Bookbags should be placed in lockers upon arrival at school. Students are not allowed to carry them during the school day.

3. No Running in the hallways: Remind your students that running in the building creates an unsafe environment. Please remind them to walk in hallways while moving from class to class.

Thank you for your cooperation in reinforcing these policies with your children. Together, we can maintain a focused and respectful learning environment.

Southwest Academy is a uniform school. Students should be in uniform daily. Please review the photo below. If you have any questions, contact the school.

As a reminder, community school shirts are not part of our uniform this year. Students must wear their grade appropriate polo-style shirt everyday. It is getting cold outside. Students are permitted to wear long-sleeved t-shirts, and thermals of any color underneath their uniform shirt.

Community School Shirts will only be permitted on special "Announced Days."

Welcome Back Southwest Academy Families! This is Mrs. Phyllis King, President of the Southwest Academy Parent Teacher Student Association (also known as the PTSA).

What is a PTSA ? The Southwest Academy PTSA is an advocacy organization whose mission is to make every child’s potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children. To that end, we essentially pitch in wherever the school needs us- we host events, support student groups, sponsor teacher appreciation activities, and so much more.

We are a dedicated group of volunteers, and we want to do whatever we can for our school because our students deserve the best that BCPS and Southwest Academy have to offer. Our goal is to increase parent involvement (particularly with our fathers/male role models) and to incorporate more diverse voices into the PTSA; so, if you are interested in getting more involved, please let us know. We appreciate whatever time you can give.

One final thing, attached you will find information on how to join PTSA. Dues are $12 per adult and $6 per student.

We will provide more information about our activities in the coming weeks. FYI- we are tentatively scheduled to host a vaping workshop next month. Believe it or not, this is a pressing issue with middle school students, so we hope that you will join us. If you have any questions or need assistance, please call me (443.799.5708) or send an email (swaptsa@outlook.com). And remember we are stronger together. Thank you for your time.

November

• 26: 3HR Early Dismissal for Staff and Students
• 27-28: Schools and Offices Closed for Thanksgiving

December

• 1: 6th Grade Honor Roll Assembly 8:30am - 9:30am
• 2: 7th Grade Honor Roll Assembly 8:30am - 9:30am
• 3: 8th Grade Honor Roll Assembly 8:30am - 9:30am
• 4: Blue and White Basketball Game 3:00pm - 4:30pm
• 5: Quarter 2 Interims Posted