Bobcat Bulletin
SWHS Newsletter September 2021
Welcome to the Bobcat Bulletin!
Message from the Principal
Dear SWHS Families,
Welcome to the first issue of the Bobcat Bulletin for the 2021-22 school year. Returning SWHS families may recall that this newsletter is periodically sent to parents/guardians. It contains information, updates, and/or announcements on a variety of topics. This newsletter will supplement the high school communications, not replace them. For your convenience, the Bobcat Bulletin will also be available on the SWHS website.
As I mentioned in my summer letter, we have endured challenging times since early 2020. We continue to navigate our way through a unique time period. I remain thankful of the partnership between SWHS and families as we all work hard to support our students.
I truly hope for a more normal school year. Regardless of circumstances, we remain committed to providing SWHS students the best possible educational experience. I wish everyone a very safe and successful new school year!
Sincerely,
Frank Rizzuto
This issue contains information on the following topics:
- SW Teacher of the Year Amanda Howard
- Open House: Save the Date
- School Counseling Information
- Early Dismissal Mondays
- Fall Sports
- Library/Media Center Information
- SWHS on Twitter
- Chartwells Information
- Lifetouch
- Meet the New SWHS Faculty Members
South Windsor Public Schools Teacher of the Year: Amanda Howard
Ms. Howard joined South Windsor High School in 2010. During that time, she has served as a dedicated member of the English Department and, in the past few years, as Literacy Intervention Specialist.
As the Literacy Intervention Specialist, Ms. Howard strikes a perfect balance with the art and science of teaching. Ms. Howard's artistry can be detected through her ability to build relationships and connect with students. Ms. Howard accomplishes this by maintaining high expectations for all, creating a positive classroom environment, and supporting the needs of each of her students. Students are provided with both "voice and choice" in Ms. Howard's learning environment. As for the scientific part of her teaching repertoire, Ms. Howard uses student assessment to inform the the direction of her instruction, to monitor student growth, and as a way to identify areas of growth for her students. Because of Ms. Howard's dedication, countless students have shown growth with their critical reading skills, word knowledge, and overall literacy prowess.
Whether it is the artistic side of Ms. Howard's teaching or the scientific one, care is the common denominator. Ms. Howard gets to know each and every one of her students academically and as a person. Undoubtedly, this has led to the success of many of her students over the years.
Ms. Howard is the consummate professional and colleague--she can be found discussing teaching and learning with her colleagues where the conversations are student-centered, about best practices, and rooted in providing the best educational experience for the students at South Windsor High School.
Her contributions to the South Windsor High School community extend beyond the classroom as well. This includes serving as the advisor to one of SWHS's most popular clubs--the Interact Club. This club provides students leadership opportunities through service; all of Ms. Howard's teaching attributes can be seen as Interact advisor--incorporating student voice, serving as an instructional coach, and allowing students to find their way through their self-identified areas of interest. Ms. Howard has also partnered with another staff member to run the SWHS Writing Center. She identifies students with a strong ability to serve as a tutor, assists with their training, and has created the platform for students who need access to this resource.
We congratulate Ms. Howard on this outstanding accomplishment, it is well-deserved!
Open House: Save the Date
School Counseling Information
Class of 2022 Information: Parent/Guardian Night is on September 21st at 6:30 p.m. in the SWHS Auditorium. At this program, school counselors will hold small group breakout sessions to discuss the Post-Secondary Planning process by:
- Outlining post-graduation options
- Explaining key application/program requirements along with school based protocols
- Highlighting associated testing/application deadlines
Seniors will receive this same information via a classroom lesson through their English class during the week of 9/21 - 9/24.
Additionally, Mrs. Eileen O’Leary a retired Financial Aid Director from a regional university, will present on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as well as explaining key details and differences between grants, loans and scholarships.
Throughout both portions of the program, there will be opportunities for parent/guardian questions.
Early Dismissal Mondays
Parents/guardians of 11th and 12th graders may recall a “Late Arrival Monday” structure at the high school. Please know that this HAS BEEN REPLACED with Early Dismissal Mondays. School will begin at 7:25 am and end at 11:25 am on these days. There are eight Mondays throughout the school year that these early dismissals will occur.
The dates are as follows:
October 18 & 25, December 6 & 13, February 28, March 7, May 16 & 23
Fall Sports Update
The fall athletic season is underway at SWHS with tryouts and practices occurring for all fall sports. All fall CIAC sports contests are scheduled to start on time (September 9th), play full regular seasons, and compete in CIAC state championship post‐season play.
SWHS athletics will align with the most recent guidance from the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) and the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC). Spectators may attend all fall sporting events however mask guidelines differ for indoor and outdoor athletic contests. Please see the link below for a full document regarding CIAC fall sports guidance. https://www.casciac.org/pdfs/CIACFall2021COVIDSportGuidance.pdf
We wish all our fall teams the best of luck with their seasons!
Library Media Center Information
The library media center is open to students before school, during study halls, and after school. Our hours are Monday - Thursday from 7:00 AM - 3:00 PM and Friday from 7:00 AM - 2:30 PM. Students wishing to visit/use the library during study hall are to obtain a pass from the media center staff before school or during passing time. See Mrs. McCool (Librarian) if you have any questions.
SWHS on Twitter
Please follow us at @SWHSBobcats! We will post the latest daily news and school information including school events, fundraisers, club meets, and more! Our Twitter feed can also be found on our homepage.
Chartwells Information
Lifetouch
For the 2021- 22 school year South Windsor High School will be working with a new photography company. Lifetouch will be the company that provides school pictures and photography services for the yearbook. As some families may recall, our previous relationship was with Grynn and Barrett. We hope this transition will be beneficial to the students and families of South Windsor High School.
As a reminder, Student Picture Day has been rescheduled from Thursday, September 9 to Monday, September 20.