Southwest ISD Points of Pride
August 22nd, 2023
Dec. 1, 2023
Welcome to Points of Pride, our weekly district e-newsletter featuring highlights from around Southwest Independent School District. If you have a story or highlight that you would like to submit, email communications@swisd.net.
SWISD Board Approves Naming New Campus After First Hispanic Board Member, Juan Alvarado
Southwest ISD proudly announces the unanimous approval of naming its 12th elementary campus as "Juan M. Alvarado Elementary School." This decision, made at tonight's Board meeting, honors Mr. Alvarado's nearly five decades of exceptional service and commitment to the district. As the first Hispanic member of the Board, he broke barriers, leaving a lasting mark on Southwest ISD's history.
Mr. Alvarado's legacy is celebrated for his dedication to students, teachers, and the district's progress. His advocacy for equitable opportunities, improved working conditions, and the initiation of the Mariachi program demonstrates his commitment to positive change. Despite facing challenges, his courage paved the way for future leaders, inspiring generations.
The new school, part of the Bond 2023 projects, addresses the district's rapid growth, with enrollment projected to exceed 16,000 students by 2031. Juan M. Alvarado Elementary School, set to open in Spring 2026, will be located at 4495 SW Verano Pkwy, near SW Legacy High School and Resnik Middle School. Southwest ISD acknowledges Mr. Alvarado's invaluable contributions by naming this campus in his honor.
Read more here.
Bringing Joy: The Heartwarming Story of Blue Santa and Their Community Impact
Operation Blue Santa has been in existent since 1976 and has since helped thousands of families in need. This program was started by officer Tom Preston and a few of his fellow officers from the Austin Police Department. Officer Preston knew there were many families in his patrol area that were unable to afford Christmas gifts. Preston and other officers went out to purchase gifts with their own money to deliver to these families. After a few years of continuing this tradition, the project attracted more attention and notice. It was suggested that Preston should dress as Santa Claus for the community. A blue outfit was made for him to wear as he delivered gifts, it was then that ‘Blue Santa’ was born. Today, the organization serves over 8,000 families each holiday season.
Southwest ISD has participated in the Blue Santa Parade for 22 years. The annual parade begins in the Hidden Cove Neighborhood and makes its way to the Miller’s Pond Community Center. In partnership with South San ISD, many students, groups and organizations participate in the parade. The event is kicked off with the parade and continues with performances and activities at the community center. Student organizations from both districts perform for the community. Blue Santa arrives via helicopter to hand out gifts to children from our community. This year, the event will take place on Saturday, December 9 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Along with the performances, free haircuts will be provided by the Southwest Legacy Cosmetology Program.
Every year, a Blue Santa Art contest is held for our students. The students are asked to design artwork for the Blue Santa event. This year students from Resnik Middle School, Scobee Middle School, McNair Middle School, Bob Hope and Indian Creek Elementary were awarded for their art work. Congratulations to all of the winners!
Middle School 12-14 1st place, Ariana Zoe Guerrero (Resnik)
Middle School 12-14 2nd Place, Jazlyn Lopez (Scobee)
Middle School 12-14 3rd Place, Cassandra Davisson (Resnik)
Middle School 12-14 Honorable Mention Aliyah Martinez (Scobee)
Middle School 10 - 11 1st Place, Zoe M Serrano (McNair)
Middle School 10 - 11 2nd Place, Abrianna Jimenez (McNair)
Middle School 10 - 11 3rd Place, Fabian Alvarez (McNair)
Middle School 10 - 11 Honorable Mention, Andrea Huerta (McNair)
Elementary, 1st Place, Eli Duarte (Bob Hope)
Elementary 2nd Place, Edward Rosales (Bob Hope)
Elementary 3rd Place, Mallorie Joe Luna (Bob Hope)
Elementary Honorable Mention, Nicole Wheeler (Indian Creek)
Superintendent Serves Up Excellence: Fueling Victory for Tennis Team!
Dr. Jeanette Ball stopped by Southwest Legacy High School this week and treated our District Championship winning Legacy Tennis Teams to a Chick-Fil-A lunch to recognize their great accomplishments this athletic season! She also was able to speak to the team about how important they are to SWISD, how proud she was of them, and gave them words of encouragement for the Spring season.
Empowering Education: Sky Harbor Teacher's Vision Wins Classroom Grant
This morning, the Firstmark Foundation awarded Ms. Delicia Mendez- Villegas, from Sky Harbor Elementary, a check for $1000. Ms. Mendez- Villegas was chosen as one of the 2023-2024 grant recipients. The grant will allow her to fund the creation of a Makerspace in her 3rd grade classroom. This will allow students to engage in hands on projects. Students will use this space to design, create, and produce items that will be sold as part of the project based learning initiatives. Proceeds from the sell will be donated to a foundation that the students will choose at a later date.
Ecorise Teacher Ambassador Puts Resources to Use
Earlier in the year Medio Creek Elementary Teacher, Kelly Villanueva, was selected as an Ecorise Teacher Ambassador. EcoRise’s work is to combine sustainability education, climate resilience, and environmental justice to mobilize a new generation of leaders to design healthy, just, and thriving communities for all. Ms. Villanueva was recognized for her work building the Media Creek campus garden and started the Gator Garden Club. As an Ecorise Ambassador, Ms. Villanueva was given resources to successfully incorporate environmental education into Medio Creek classrooms.
This week the MCE Garden Club hosted Drake White from The Nectar Bar as a guest speaker. The Nectar Bar is one of the first plant nurseries in the area to specialize in native plants. Under The Nectar Bar’s guidance, students began designing, planning, and building a pollinator garden. Medio Creek students were excited to learn more about the plants they have been researching. Ms. White from The Nectar Bar helped place plants in the garden beds to prepare for Medio Creek’s family planting day. The Gator Pollinator Garden is designed to provide food and shelter to animals and insects that pollinate plants that support the local ecosystem and food web.
The Gator pollinator garden will allow students to build environmental literacy and sustainable living practices. Once completed, the garden will make an excellent outdoor space for students to observe and study The Life Cycle. Plans are already in motion for 4th-grade students at Medio Creek to create a cross-curricular sustainable drip irrigation project, which will have students looking at the irrigation project from math, science, and social studies perspectives. Ms. Villanueva also hopes that the Gator Pollinator Garden will be a stop for Monarch butterflies during their annual migration.
This Saturday, Ms. Villanueva, the Medio Creek Garden Club, and members of the Medio Creek Elementary community will plant the pollinator garden. We wish Ms. Villanueva and Medio Creek the best of luck with this and future projects.
SWISD FAFSA Night
The Cafe College teams of Southwest ISD partnered with Texas A&M University - San Antonio to host a Financial Aid information night at Southwest High School this week. TAMUSA lead a presentation on the changes and updates with the FAFSA for parents. Immediately following the presentation Cafe College helped parents and students create a FSA ID in preparation for the FAFSA launch!
Homegrown: 50th Episode with Ian Lozano and Dr. Sam Ruiz
We are proud of our SWISD graduates and want to share their great accomplishments. ‘Homegrown' is our weekly segment where we highlight successful Southwest ISD alumni who grew up in the SWISD community. We also look at how SWISD ignited their success, goals, and career. This week, Homegrown celebrated it's 50th episode with SWISD-TV producers, Ian Lozano and Dr. Sam Ruiz. They take us behind the scenes of the segment and share the process of the production. They are grateful for those who have participated in this segment to make it a huge success!
If you know of alumni that work in the SWISD district that you would like to nominate to participate in this segment, please email Dr. Sam Ruiz at sruiz9098@swisd.net.
Rah-Rah- ROAR!! The SPE Panther Cheer Team Dancing Their Way Into The Holiday Season!
Introducing the Spicewood Park Panther Cheer Team for the 2023-2024 academic year, leading the charge is Ms. Rosemarie Gutierrez, the team's cheer sponsor and also campus PEIMS/Attendance Clerk. This season brings exciting changes as the squad welcomes new members, extending the invitation to enthusiastic first through fourth graders.
This year the squad is eager and energetic as they practice for their upcoming Christmas performances as well as a routine for the annual community Blue Santa Parade on December 9.
Ms. Gutierrez is thankful she can provide an opportunity for her cheer squad students especially the students experiencing cheer for some for the first time. The support from the school and parents makes the experience delightful for Ms. Gutierrez who has been a part of cheer from her school days, her own daughters’ time in school, and now her SPE Panther Cheer Team.
Snippets can’t wait to see you perform soon. We wish you all the best of luck and GO PANTHERS!!
Taking Center Stage With Dragon Drama
On this week's Beyond The Arches we take center stage with Dragon Drama to talk about their production of "CLUE" and what you can expect! Catch the production December 1st at 7 p.m. at Southwest High School.
SWISD Teacher Feature: Betty Arredondo
Welcome to the SWISD Teacher Feature, where we take a ‘behind the curtain’ look at some of the amazing teachers in the district.
In this week's Teacher Feature, we visit Southwest High School to get to know Art Teacher and Southwest High School Alumnus, Ms. Betty Arredondo. Ms. Arredondo has been in education for 24 years and has spent sixteen of those years teaching at Southwest High School.
There are numerous theories and strategies for success in today’s classroom, but when it comes to student achievement, the teacher makes the difference, not the classroom. Teachers who love teaching instill a love for learning in their students. When asked what they loved about their art class, students in Art 2 replied, “Ms. Arredondo.” The students used words like “helpful,” “encouraging,” and “supportive” to describe their art teacher. “It’s the vibe,” one student said, “it’s a really comfortable environment.” Another student mentioned, “I’m not an artist, but when I’m in this classroom, I feel more artistic.”
“I want my students to feel relaxed and stress-free in my class,” says Ms. Arredondo. She strives to create a space where students feel free to express themselves. Ms. Arredondo, an 80's Music fan, even swaps playlists with students so they can listen to music while they work. Ms. Arredondo’s success in the classroom comes from her ability to connect with each student. “I believe to succeed, you need to adapt teaching strategies to fit each student, understanding that different students learn differently,” she says. Always seeking fresh ideas and keeping an eye on pop culture trends, Ms. Arredondo ensures that things stay engaging for her students.
Ms. Arredondo shares that what inspires her most in the classroom is her students’ success. “I love to see their excitement when they complete an art project or win an art contest. I love it when their art pieces turn out beautifully.” MS. Arredondo's ultimate goal for her students is that they feel seen and acknowledged, “I want my students to know that I see them, I see their art, and I'm proud of them.”
Ms. Arredondo, thank you for all that you do. We wish you and your students all the best.
If you would like to suggest a teacher for us to feature, you can email your nominations to communications@swisd.net with the subject line: Teacher Feature.
Serving Up Championships For The Future
On this episode of the Scoreboard Podcast, Brandon Medina and Peter Wagner interview the captains of the District Championship winning Legacy Tennis team. They also discuss the basketball season, upcoming soccer season, and how SWISD will close out its athletic schedule for the calendar year.
San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo Discounts
If you are looking to go to a Stock Show & Rodeo event, please visit the link provided. Each ticket purchased through the given link and unlock code will positively impact the show’s sales goals for scholarships for the youth of Texas. Offers are valid now - Tuesday, February 6, 2024