From the Principal’s Desk
Springing Forward with Purpose
This week marks the final week of term three for the 2020 school year before students and staff will depart for spring break. Hopefully everyone is able to find time to enjoy some well-deserved time away from the pace of school. Accompanying spring break will be our annual opportunity to “spring forward” by setting our clocks ahead one hour. However, for all of us who have lives that revolve around the high school academic and activity calendar, the arrival of term four means a whole lot more than simply springing forward one hour. In the blink of an eye we will find ourselves checking in Chromebooks, making sure accounts are clear, and preparing to send the class of 2020 out into the world.
Before getting swept up in the brisk pace of term four, I have found that this is the perfect time of the year to review the goals that I set for myself at the beginning of the school year. Doing so helps me refocus in a purposeful way that realigns my day to day actions with the big picture outcomes that I set out to achieve last August when we returned from summer break. Too often during this time of the school year, I find myself having conversations with others that include some degree of concession with regard to what can still be achieved over the course of the final nine weeks of the school year. The end of the school year may be approaching but there is still time for a great deal of work to be done. The beauty of the block schedule is that we have four opportunities to start over with a renewed focus on progressing toward the goals that we set for ourselves.
As we prepare to turn the corner into fourth quarter, I encourage all of our students and staff to take a moment to revisit the goals they set for themselves at the beginning of the school year. It’s not too late to do great things at LSW! Don’t let term four pass you by without taking the time to refocus your purpose and develop a plan that will help you make the most of what is sure to be a busy and exciting quarter of school for our Silver Hawk family!
Thanks for all you do for our Silver Hawks.
Sincerely,
Mike Gillotti
Upcoming Events
March
02: First day of Spring Sports Practices
04: Finals, 9 am-12:15 pm
05: Host Girls State Basketball- No School
06: Finals, 9 am-12:15 pm
09: Girls Basketball Banquet
09-13: Spring Break – No School
16: Spring Athletic Parent Meeting, 6pm
17: Wrestling Banquet, 6 pm
18: Swim/Dive Banquet, 6pm
20: Emerald’s Tryouts, 4 pm, Main Gym
22: Boys Basketball Banquet
26: Cheer Tryouts, 3:30 p.m.
26: Flight Night Auditions, 3:30 p.m.; Cheer Tryouts, 3:30 pm
27: Flight Night Auditions, 3:30 p.m; State Debate
28: State Debate
April
02: Spring Theatre Performance, 7 pm
03: Spring Theatre Performance, 7 pm
04: Spring Theatre Performance, 7 pm; ACT
07: ACT Juniors Only, No School: Grades 9,10,12
08: NHS Induction, 8:15 am
09: Spring Theatre Performance, 7 pm
10: No School ; Spring Theatre Performance, 7 pm
11: Spring Theatre Performance, 2 pm & 7 pm
15: Parent Teacher Conferences, 4-7 pm
16: Blood Drive ; Forensic/Speech Banquet 6 pm
18: Prom, Pla Mor
22: Flight Night Dress Rehearsal, 3:30- 7 pm
24: Flight Night, 7 pm
25: Speech/Debate Garage Sale, 8 – 4 pm
29: ITS Induction
Parent Information
Parent Teacher Conferences
Parent Teacher Conferences for Term 4 are Wednesday, April 15, from 4-7 p.m.
Girl’s State Basketball
On Thursday, March 5, we are hosting Girl’s State Basketball! There will be NO school for students that day due to the basketball games.
Finals
Finals for term 3 are March 4 and March 6. Please remember that we will NOT excuse students early from finals. Students are expected to be in class the entire class period so please plan accordingly as students will not be able to leave during class time.
Prom
Saturday, April 18, from 8-11 p.m. at Pla Mor Ballroom.
Prom Requirements: Reminder about daily attendance expectations about prom. Daily attendance may affect eligibility to purchase dance tickets. Maintaining good academic standing includes making daily attendance in classes a priority. Students must have less than the equivalent of 10 days of truancy during the current semester of prom in order to be eligible to attend the event. Parents and guardians are allowed 2 school days to make corrections to attendance records if a student is marked truant (TR) when they should have been called in for a Parent Acknowledge (PA) absence. For additional requirements for prom and dances see our Student Handbook
Post Prom Volunteers
We’re using SignUp.com (the leading online signup and reminder tool) to organize our upcoming Post Prom party beginning at midnight on April 18th after the Prom and ending early April 19. We do have different shifts so if you are able to be there for the entire event, please consider signing up for spots on both the Saturday night and Sunday morning times. Thank you for your help in providing and fun and safe event for our students.
Here’s how it works in 3 easy steps:
- Click this link to go to our invitation page on SignUp.com: https://signup.com/login/entry/1215509104021
- Enter your email address: (You will NOT need to register an account on SignUp.com)
- Sign up! Choose your spots – SignUp.com will send you an automated confirmation and reminders. Easy!
Note: SignUp.com does not share your email address with anyone. If you prefer not to use your email address, please contact me and I can sign you up manually.
Senior Information
2020 Graduates
Please check the list of potential 2020 graduates posted on the Attendance Office window to make sure your full LEGAL name is spelled correctly. Diplomas will be printed as shown. See Mrs. Cornell, Registrar, if there are ANY changes.
Graduation
2020 Graduation will be held Sunday, May 24 at the Bob Devaney Center at 1:30 pm. No tickets are required for family and friends. Seating is on a first come first serve basis. Please note that we are required to follow the Nebraska Athletics’ clear bag policy.
Graduation Speakers
Seniors interested in speaking at commencement can pick up a form in the main office after spring break. Deadline to submit an application is Wednesday, April 15.
Announcements and Cap/Gown Distribution
Lincoln Graduation will be here on March 17 during the lunch hour to distribute announcements to students that purchased them. They will be located in front of the trophy case.
Caps and gowns will be delivered to school in May and will be distributed to students after the senior meeting on Tuesday, May 5th.
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. You can read more about the requirements for service learning here.
Due dates for Government and Politics volunteer hours:
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
Student Grade Withdrawal Information
If a student withdraws from a class late in the term, below is the grading table that we follow:
| Term/Dates | Timeframe of Withdrawal from Class | Grade Students Will Receive |
| Term 1-Aug. 12-Oct. 16 | Sept. 3-16 | W |
| Sept. 17-Oct. 16 | F | |
| Term 2-Oct. 21-Dec. 20 | Nov. 11-22 | W |
| Nov. 25-Dec. 20 | F | |
| Term 3-Jan. 7-March 6 | Jan. 28-Feb. 11 | W |
| Feb. 12-Mar. 6 | F | |
| Term 4-March 16-May 21 | April 6-April 20 | W |
| April 21-May 21 | F |
Testing
ACT for Juniors
On April 7, 2020, all 11th grade students will take the ACT test, a college entrance exam. The test is part of State testing for accountability purposes. To help students prepare for the test, there are some resources available that we’d like to share with you. ACT has provided a number of resources to help prepare to take the ACT test, including both a paper and online practice test available to examinees. To access the practice tests, go to: http://www.act.org/stateanddistrict/examinees. More information about the test will come as we get nearer the administration date. Thanks again for the proactive support of your student’s success on the PreACT and let me know if you have any questions.
-Travis Brady, PhD, Instructional Coordinator
Counseling Center
Check out the Counseling Center website here for information about EducationQuest College Planning Bulletin, Post-Secondary Options Other than College and Student Leadership Opportunities.
Library News
Got eBooks? YES! You do! Our school library provides many options for students looking for books to read online. One popular option is Sora, which has access to thousands of ebooks for students to check out and read instantly online. You can even access Sora on a tablet or phone, for those long car rides. There is also a wide selection of audiobooks available!
Another option is Tumblebooks. Tumblebooks has access to storybooks, songs, and educational videos for younger students. Tumblebooks provides many read alongs to help students develop their literacy skills as well.
For more information about either of these fabulous resources, contact the LSW Media Specialist Mrs. Schnell at mschnel@lps.org
You can also access Tumblebooks and Sora by going to portal.lps.org and typing in your students’ LPS ID number and password.
MTSS-B
At Southwest we focus on prevention in the following ways:
- Clear expectations
- Predictable routines and procedures
- Active supervision
- Intentional student engagement
- Thoughtful room arrangement
Active supervision and thoughtful room arrangement can improve student success because these practices increase the opportunity for positive interactions between adults and students. It can help students move safely from one place and activity to another. Outside of school, consider times that these practices can help you. For example, when your child is enjoying free time, you can frequently check on them and acknowledge the appropriate behavior you see. Let us know if you have tried any of these ways of prevention outside of school.
SOAR Rewards at Lincoln Southwest
Would you like to be a part of promoting a positive culture at LSW? If so, please consider donating to our SOAR Rewards student acknowledgement system. Our goal is to help incentivize and recognize students who are “caught SOAR’ing” by demonstrating that they are being Safe, Open-Minded, Accountable, and Respectful. Students who are recognized by staff for modeling SOAR expectations are eligible to receive prizes such as (Gift cards to restaurants, tickets to husker games, movie passes, Husker/LSW apparel, etc).
If you would like to be a part of this please contact Laura Runge (lrunge@lps.org) or Brett Schuster (bschust@lps.org) to ask about which items students enjoy the most and how to donate. Donations can be dropped off in the main office here at school. Thanks for helping our Silver Hawks SOAR!
Spring Musical: Disney’s NEWSIES
Set in turn-of-the century New York City, Newsies is the rousing tale of Jack Kelly, a charismatic newsboy and leader of a band of teenaged “newsies.” When titans of publishing raise distribution prices at the newsboys’ expense, Jack rallies newsies from across the city to strike against the unfair conditions and fight for what’s right! Based on the 1992 motion picture and inspired by a true story, Newsies features a Tony Award-winning score by Alan Menken (Little Shop of Horrors, Sister Act) and Jack Feldman and a book by Tony Award winner Harvey Fierstein (Kinky Boots). Featuring the now classic songs “Carrying the Banner,” “Seize the Day,” and “Santa Fe,” Newsies is packed with non-stop thrills and a timeless message, perfect for the whole family and every audience.
April 2, 3, 4, & 9, 10, 2020 at 7:00 PM
April 11, 2020 at 2:00 PM
Reserved Tickets on sale: March 2
Tickets are $15 for Adults and $10 for Students & Children
Lincoln Southwest High School – 7001 S. 14th Street – 68512 – 402-436-1335
Due to high demand, we can only hold your tickets for 24 hours without payment. Please contact the theatre box office to reserve your seats ASAP. We accept cash, check, Visa, MasterCard, and Discover.
You can reserve your seats 24 hours a day, 7 days a week:
- In person: The theatre box office is open M-F from Noon – 4PM & 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM when school is in session (NEW CHANGE IN HOURS!)
- By phone: Call the box office, 402-436-1335 & leave your request anytime.
- By E-mail: Send your request to: lsedivy@lps.org anytime.
- By Fax: Fax your request to our box office by calling 402-436-1524 anytime.
Emeralds Dance Team Tryouts
The tryout packets distributed at this meeting will be due on 3/4/20. You can take or mail these to the LSW Main Office Attn: Lindsey Hinze.
Schedule:
Monday 3/16/20: 7pm – 8:30pm – LSW Main Gym – Learn Part 1 Tryout Routine/ Tryout Elements
Tuesday 3/17/20: 7pm- 8:30pm – LSW Main Gym – Learn Part 2 Tryout Routine/ Tryout Elements
Thursday 3/19/20: 7pm – 8:30pm – LSW Main Gym – Review Tryout Routine, Tryout Elements, and Audition Process
Friday 3/20/20: 4pm – Official Tryouts Begin – LSW Main Gym
Audition Results will be posted on our website no later than 10am 3/21/20
Cheerleading Try-Outs
Monday-Wednesday, March 23rd-25th: Learn Tryout Material @ 6:00-8:00pm, @ LSW Main Gym
- Participants need to wear athletic clothing. T-shirts, Tank tops, athletic shorts/crops/pants, cheer shoes/running shoes, etc. Please avoid baggy clothing. Hair in a ponytail and no wispies.
- A sports quiz will be given on the first day of tryouts. It is important that cheerleaders are knowledgeable about the basics of the sports that we cheer for. All participants will be writing out the words to the school fight song on day 2.
Thursday, March 26th: Official Tryout Date @ 3:30-9pm (specific time slot for each cheerleader); Cheerleaders need to wear a black t-shirt or tank (no graphics) with black shorts and athletic/cheer shoes. Please wear a bow of your choice. Low ponytail and no wispies.
Friday, March 27th: Teams posted in the evening. Team meet and greet @ LSW afterwards.
Stop by Silver Hawk Authentic Booster Store
Silver Hawk Authentic is open: Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays: 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (while school is in session)
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!
Digital Citizenship Key Concepts – Passwords
The LPS Key Concepts for Digital Citizenship emphasize students’ understanding of the importance of password security and knowledge of strategies for developing strong passwords. Parents can help their students with mastering these concepts by asking, “Why is it important to keep your password private?” and “How are you keeping your LPS password secure?”
Parents should also know they CAN and SHOULD have access to their minor student’s password so they can see exactly what their digital learning experience looks like. If you haven’t already, ask your student to share their password with you… better yet, ask them for a tour of the digital tools they use for school.
Driver’s Education Courses
Driver’s Education is NOT a course offered through Lincoln Public Schools. However, there are several organizations here in Lincoln that do offer courses at various times throughout the year at Southwest. They are:
Southeast Community College, (402) 437-2700 https://www.southeast.edu/ce/drivereducationsafety/
Nebraska Safety Council, (402) 483-2511 https://www.nesafetycouncil.org/
Road-Ready, (402) 477-5933 https://www.roadready.biz/
For information regarding their classes, times and fees, please check their websites or contact them at the numbers listed above.
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: