Just Getting Warmed Up
Winter weather may have finally settled upon us but as far as the work that lies ahead for our Silver Hawks, things are just getting warmed up. The winter activities season is well underway with basketball, wrestling and swimming all set to begin competing this week. Our forensics team already has several competitions under their belt and the first show choir performance isn’t far off. While other activities are getting underway, our Unified Bowling team is just about to wrap up their season as they compete for a spot in the state tournament on Tuesday, in their district tournament. If you haven’t had a chance to see them in action yet, you can cheer them on at Parkway Lanes at 3:30 p.m. on December 3rd
If you’re up for some fun holiday entertainment, LSW Theatre is performing “A Christmas Story” on December 5th, 6th and 7th, at 7:00 p.m. with a 2:00 p.m. matinee show on December 7th as well. Over 1400 tickets have already been sold so contact the theatre box office to reserve yours today to enjoy another great student performance from LSW Theatre
It seems too cold to be thinking about prom already, but the Silver Hawk Post Prom committee is fast at work planning and preparing to host a safe and fun post prom event for our Silver Hawks this year. Last year post prom was nearly cancelled, and we are extremely grateful for the parents and family members who have stepped up to volunteer their time, talent and treasure to make sure this year’s post prom goes off without a hitch. They are currently focused on fundraising and soliciting donations from local community partners. During the months of December and January the Post Prom Committee is hosting a New and Gently Used Shoe Drive to help raise money for post prom. Drop off boxes are located in the commons and gym areas here at school. For more details you can reference the flyer in this month’s Talon Newsletter. To learn more about the shoe drive, to inquire about volunteering to help or to contribute to the Post Prom committee, feel free to reach out to Tamara Schmeling at tamaranpaul@gmail.com. We are grateful to everyone who is helping ensure our students have a wonderful post prom experience this year.
Final exams are only a few weeks away. Please encourage your students to plan ahead as they prepare for final exams by communicating with their teachers to ask questions and receive extra help when needed so that they may make the most of the time remaining before classes dismiss for winter break.
Thank you for all you do for our Silver Hawks
Southwest High School Mission Statement—Lincoln Southwest High School will inspire an academic, creative and flexible learning environment. Students, faculty, staff, and patrons will be challenged as a COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS to reach their maximum potential in a safe, caring, multicultural, and technological environment.
Upcoming Events
December
05: Theatre Performance, 7:00 pm
06: Theatre Performance, 7:00 pm
07: Theatre Performance, 2:00 pm & 7:00 pm
11: Unified Bowling Banquet, 6:00-8:00pm, Commons
14: ACT
18: College Signing Day, 8:30-9:30am, Auditorium
19: Finals 9:00 am -12:15 pm
20: Finals 9:00 am -12:15 pm
23-1/6: Winter Break
January
01-06: Winter Break
07: Term 3 Begins
14: Online Course Selection, 2:05-3:30
15: Future Hawk Night, 6:30 pm
20: Martin Luther King Day- No School
21: Online Course Selection, 2:05-3:30
28: Online Course Selection, 2:05-3:30
29: Order graduation announcement/caps and gowns, 11-1 p.m., in front of trophy case
30: Order graduation announcement/caps and gowns, 11-1 p.m., in front of trophy case
Parent Information
Appreciation and Kindness for our Volunteers
With the holiday season underway, we want to say thank you to all of the parents and community members who donate their time in support of our Silver Hawks. So many of our activities and events rely on volunteer support in order to operate and our community is second to none in terms of support for our students, teachers and coaches. From organizing meals, to helping move equipment and volunteering in our booster store, we are grateful for the help that we receive from our parents and community members. We know that being involved in so many ways also means sometimes having to manage situations that don’t go exactly as planned. We do ask that everyone who works with our volunteers remembers that when things go awry, sometimes things are beyond their control for one reason or another and when that happens, please be kind, patient and respectful. Our volunteers are committed to doing the best they can to help ensure that everyone gets what they need and that everything goes according to plan. Thank you to everyone who gives their time for the good of Southwest.
Term 3 Schedules
Term 3 is around the corner. Please have your student review their term 3 schedule and see the counselor if they are any problems.
Lunch Do’s & Don’ts
DO –Check your student’s lunch account balance by checking with your student or by joining MySchoolBucks lunch program. Students can check their account balance when they are checking out in the lunch line by asking the cashier.
Money can be deposited in student’s account by sending a check or cash with your student. Students can deposit money any time the cafeteria is open. Parents may also deposit money online through My SchoolBuck program.
Don’ts — Don’t have food delivered to school by an outside business/restaurant…sandwiches, pizza, etc. Delivery people get upset when they have to wait, don’t have a tip, or we don’t know who the food is for. Parents/family member may purchase food and physically bring it in for their student but online ordering of food is discouraged.
ParentVUE
Synergy ParentVUE is a component of the Lincoln Public Schools Student Information portal that allows parents/guardians secure access to student grades (secondary), assignments, attendance information, report cards and much more. ParentVUE is now the avenue for parents/guardians to verify student enrollment in LPS every summer, and has replaced the paper Census Form formerly used by schools. Parents can use a web browser or mobile phone to access ParentVUE.
The district has a goal of ensuring at least one parent/guardian per household has activated their ParentVUE account. If you haven’t yet activated yours, please contact the school office for an activation key. Our main office can be reached at 402-436-1306
More information about ParentVUE can be found on our school home page under Essentials, or by following this link.
A Parent Guide to Student Chromebook Use in LPS
lps.org/go/o9bk
We recognize that being the parent of a “Chromebook student” can be mystifying at times. While few students would sit and do worksheets all evening just for fun, it may be that your student does want to work on their Chromebook all evening. When they are staring at a device screen, it may be hard to distinguish homework from entertainment. This resource offers some information and strategies that parents may find helpful.
The resource at the link above is broken into three helpful sections: About the Chromebook, Learning with Chromebooks, Other Important Considerations
Senior Information
Senior Ad Information
Seniors Ads due January 10th!
Announcements/Caps & Gowns
Seniors planning on participating in the graduation ceremony at the end of the year need to order a cap and gown. Lincoln Graduation will be here January 29 and 30 during lunches to take orders one last time. Prices for caps and gowns will go up after January. Cap and Gowns can be ordered online at lincolngraduation.com. Ordering information is available here.
Senior Academic Reminders
It is YOUR responsibility, if you are transferring from outside LPS, to provide documentation regarding Honor Roll from another school in order to be eligible for LSW 7 Semester Honor Roll. Do NOT wait until the last minute to address this issue.
If you are graduating early as a JUNIOR, please let Bre Wright (main office) know if you would rather be honored at the LSW Honors Convocation with the junior class, or if you would rather be honored at the Senior Honors Program.
Any academic achievement awarded at the senior honors convocation and/or at graduation are based on a student’s GPA through their seventh semester. Academic achievements, such as Top 3%, are subject to change after the final semester grades are included in the overall GPA. It is important to remember that taking a lighter course load in your final semester could affect your GPA and academic standing.
Government and Politics
As part of this class requirement, students need to fulfill 20 hours of community service. All seniors are required to take Government and Politics their senior year. Please encourage your student to START their volunteer hours. FIFTEEN of the twenty hours of community service can be completed prior to them taking the course. The remaining five hours will need to be completed the term that they actually take the Government and Politics Course. Seniors have until graduation to complete GoPo (Government & Politics) hours. However, if their hours are not complete by the time they complete the course, they will receive an incomplete (Inc) on their report card. This means they will not eligible for Honor Roll/Letter/Pin/7 Semester Honor Roll. More information about what qualifies for service hours is available here.
Due dates for Government and Politics volunteer hours:
- If your student is enrolled in Term 2 Government and Politics, volunteer hours are due: December 20
- If your student is enrolled in Term 3 Government and Politics, volunteer hours are due: March 6
- If your student is enrolled in Term 4 Government and Politics, volunteer hours are due: May 23
Graduation
2020 Graduation will be held Sunday, May 24 at the Bob Devaney Center at 1:30pm. No tickets are required for family and friends. Seating is on a first come first serve basis.
Transcript Requests
Information about transcript requests is available here.
Library News
Are you going “over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house” this winter break?Encourage your Hawk to take a great book along!
Southwest students are welcome to check out up to 5 print books to take home over school breaks!
They can also borrow one of the thousands of ebooks or audiobooks we have in our Sora app.
To access the Sora app:
Go to portal.lps.org
Have your student log in with his/her LPS credentials.
Select Sora from the alphabetical listing in the LPS portal.
Browse and check out a book.
You can also download the Sora App on your devices.
If you run into any problems have your student stop by the Media Center.
Digital Citizenship Tip
LPS teachers instruct students about their digital identity and help them learn how the use of digital tools can have both positive and negative effects on personal well being. Families might want to work together to create a plan that balances time spent online and offline.
Theatre
A Christmas Story
Humorist Jean Shepherd’s memoir of growing up in the Midwest in the 1940’s follows young Ralphie Parker on his quest to get a genuine Red Ryder BB gun under the tree for Christmas. Ralphiepleads his case before his mother, his teacher, and even Santa Claus himself at Goldblatt’s Department Store. The consistent response: “You’ll shoot your eye out.” All the elements from the beloved motion picture are here, including the family’s temperamental exploding furnace; Scut Farkas, the school bully; the boy’s experiment with a wet tongue on a cold lamppost; the Little Orphan Annie decoder pin; Ralphie’s father winning a lamp shaped like a woman’s leg in a net stocking; Ralphie’s fantasy scenarios, and more. A CHRISTMAS STORY is destined to become a theatrical holiday perennial favorite.
December 5, 6, 7, 2019 at 7:00 PM
December 7, 2019 at 2:00 PM
Reserved Tickets on sale: November 5
$10 for ADULTS – $8 for STUDENTS
Call 402-436-1335 for Reservations and Information
Lincoln Southwest High School – 7001 S. 14th Street – Lincoln 68512
Newsies
AUDITION MATERIALS for Cast & Crew for the spring musical Disney’s NEWSIES will be available at the Box Office BEFORE winter break.
$1 cost to cover duplication costs and the packet is the student’s to keep and then bring to any rehearsal with Mrs. Cotton and the audition itself.
Auditions will be held on Monday, January 20 & Tuesday, January 21 with the CREW FORM due no later than 6:00 p.m. on January 21 to be considered for this production.
Auditions are CLOSED – only the student auditioning needs to attend.
Post Prom Fundraiser
LSW Silver Hawk Post Prom is conducting a shoe drive fundraiser on December 1st to January 30th to raise funds for Post Prom 2020. Silver Hawk Post Prom will earn funds based on the total weight of the pairs of gently worn, used and new shoes collected, as Funds2Orgs will issue a check for the collected shoes. Those dollars will benefit Post Prom. Anyone can help by donating gently worn, used and new shoes at Lincoln Southwest High School commons and gym area.
All donated shoes will then be redistributed throughout the Funds2Orgs network of micro-enterprise (small business) partners. Funds2Orgs works with micro-entrepreneurs in helping them create, maintain and grow small businesses in developing countries where economic opportunity and jobs are limited. Proceeds from the sales of the shoes collected in shoe drive fundraisers are used to feed, clothe and house their families. One budding entrepreneur in Haiti even earned enough to send to her son to law school.
By donating gently worn, used and new shoes to the Silver Hawk Post Prom Organization, the shoes will be given a second chance and make a difference in people’s lives around the world.
Silver Hawk Post Prom Organization was created to provide a fun and safe environment for the Junior and Senior class after Prom.
Support for Your Student
Has your student experienced a death or loss? If so, there is an opportunity for them to receive an extra layer of support at school.
No matter how recent the loss, we know that school is often more difficult for students who are grieving. LSW partners with Mourning Hope to offer a school-based grief support group for bereaved students. This 8-week, peer support group model was launched several years ago out of the need to reach teens where they spend the majority of their time—in their schools.
School bereavement groups offer a safe, natural environment for students to support one another. These groups help prevent negative consequences related to unresolved grief, such as difficulty with classroom concentration, behavioral problems, social isolation and withdrawal, depression, truancy, substance abuse, and even suicide. One of the greatest program benefits is youth recognizing they are not alone in their grief.
These school-based services occur weekly during school hours and are co-facilitated by our school social worker, Michael Barber, and a trained facilitator from Mourning Hope. Groups meet weekly on the same day for an hour, alternating between the first part of 1st, 2nd, and 4th blocks to reduce time out of classroom instruction as much as possible. All materials are supplied by Mourning Hope, and there is no cost for the school or the youth to participate.
This group will have it’s first meeting on Dec. 9, so please contact your student’s school counselor or Michael Barber (mbarber@lps.org) if you’re interested in your student participating or have questions! You can also visit Mourning Hope at www.mourninghope.org to learn more about the many different supports they offer in the community.
MTSS-B
As the saying goes, “If you can predict it, you can prevent it.” At Southwest we focus on prevention in the following ways:
- Clear expectations
- Predictable routines and procedures
- Active supervision
- Intentional student engagement
- Thoughtful room arrangement
These practices can be applied outside school, too. For example, if your child struggles with leaving on time, having a set routine could help with this. It might sound like, “Remember where we agreed your device will go? I look forward to you putting it there and having time for us to talk with each other on the way.” Then, immediately watch for the agreed upon behavior and let them know you appreciate it. Let us know if you have tried any of these ways of prevention outside of school.
LSW Booster Store
Stop by the Silver Hawk Authentic Booster Store
Silver Hawk Authentic is open on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (while school is in session)
Additional Hours
December 5, During Basketball Game
December 20, During Basketball Game
Silver Hawk Authentic Booster Store is part of the Lincoln Southwest Booster Club. All store personnel are volunteers and all profits go to the Lincoln Southwest Booster Club for support of LSW school programs, student activities, athletics, and performing arts. New volunteers are always welcome; please inquire at the store! Thank you for supporting your school!
UNL Depart of Communication Studies
Researchers in the Department of Communication Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln are conducting a study on family storytelling. Participation includes completing surveys and telling family stories as a group. Between 3 and 8 family members aged 14 to adult must attend.
The study will take approximately 2 hours to complete. Each family will receive $75 as compensation and a copy of the video recording of the story telling session as a keepsake.
More information is available here.
SCIP
SCIP works with schools to form a front line of early identification, intervention, and connections for resources for students and their families struggling with mental, emotional, and behavioral health issues. Please take a few moments and read through the various articles:
DXM
Dextromethorphan (DXM) is a cough suppressant that can be found in more than 100 different cough and cold medications, such as Alka Seltzer Plus, Coricidin, Delsym, Mucinex DM, Robitussin, Theraflu, Tylenol Cough & Cold, Vicks DayQuil/NyQuil, and literally dozens more, which include generic store brands of these cough and cold products. Most, if not all, of these products are sold in stores as over the counter products. DXM is a synthetic product of morphine. DMX is not a controlled substance; however, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) does list it as a drug of concern.
At high doses, dextromethorphan is classified as a dissociative general anesthetic and hallucinogen. The controlled substances, ketamine and PCP (phencyclidine) also fall in this classified category.
Research studies indicate that dissociative drugs, like PCP, ketamine, and DXM, disrupt the actions of the brain chemical glutamate at certain types of receptors in our brain. These receptors are called N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. Glutamate plays a major role in reasoning, learning, memory, emotion, and the perception of pain.
DXM can cause visual and auditory distortions. It can also produce a feeling of floating and a feeling of being detached from reality when high doses are taken. DXM can also cause or increase anxiety, memory loss, and impaired motor function, including shaking and numbness. The effects often depend on how much of the drug was taken. These effects can take place very quickly (within a few minutes) and they can last for hours. Below are some common effects associated with dosage levels of DXM taken.
Depression in Children and Teens
Over 322 million people live with depression worldwide, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Approximately 3.2 million of adolescents 12 to 17 living in the US had at least one major depressive episode in 2017 (National Institute of Mental Health). An estimated 60.1% of adolescents did not receive treatment for depression.
Depression is a mood disorder that causes feelings of sadness over an extended period of time. Depression is also referred to as major depressive disorder or clinical depression. It is normal to feel sad due to an event or some kind of life change, but depression can cause overwhelming sadness for several weeks or even months. These depressive episodes can happen once or several times throughout one’s lifetime. Depression can affect how a person feels and behaves and can even cause physical symptoms. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5), clinical depression is when a person experiences a depressed mood and/or loss of interest in activities they once enjoyed, plus five of the symptoms below for at least two weeks:
- Depressed mood for the majority of the day
- Feeling of worthlessness or guilt
- Slowed thoughts and movements
- Difficulty concentrating
- Changes in eating habits – either loss of appetite or over eating
- Fatigue or lack of energy
- Thoughts of suicide
Fostering Resiliency: Learning to “Struggle Well” in the Face of Adversity
Resilience is an important aspect of mental well-being. Resilience is the ability to bounce back from stress, adversity, failure, challenges or even trauma. Resiliency enables individuals to effectively cope with, or adapt to, stress and challenging situations. An important aspect of resiliency is growing from the adverse experience and being able to move forward with strength and the ability to be more equipped to deal with future challenges. Children and teenagers are not exempt from stressors and hardships. Focusing on young people’s strengths and helping to nurture resilient traits can help reduce the effects of significant adversity on their health and well-being. Identifying a youth’s “social resources” is also a key concept of resiliency. Several studies highlight the idea that resilience is more than individual traits. Environmental interactions with school, family, community and culture are also important ingredients.