Bobcat Bulletin
SWHS Newsletter September 2022
Welcome to the Bobcat Bulletin!
Message from the Principal
Dear SWHS Families,
We hope that the school year has started well for our students. This issue contains helpful information for the first few weeks of school. Speaking of the first few weeks of school, I ask parents/guardians to please encourage their child to join an extracurricular activity at school at some point during the year. Whether a sport, club, or other activity, SWHS has many different options for our students. Please feel free to visit our current options by CLICKING HERE.
Sincerely,
Frank Rizzuto
This issue contains information on the following topics:
- SWHS Open House: September 15, 2022
- New School Store: The Bobcat Shop
- Parent Advisory Council (PAC) Information
- School Counseling Information
- Early Dismissal Mondays
- Legacy Studios
- Fall Sports
- Library/Media Center Information
- Message From SW Youth & Family Services
- SWHS on Twitter
SWHS Open House: September 15, 2022
New School Store: The Bobcat Shop!
We are excited to announce our new school store, The Bobcat Shop, will be opening soon! The school store will contain a variety of apparel and accessories available to SWHS students for purchase. The Bobcat Shop will be located in the cafeteria and open during 5th period lunch waves (3 days per week). To start, we will only be accepting cash payments.
Parent Advisory Council (PAC) Information
Please CLICK HERE to learn more about the Parent Advisory Council (PAC) including this year's meeting dates. Please email any questions regarding PAC to pacswhs@gmail.com.
School Counseling Information
Class of 2023 Information: Parent/Guardian College/Post-Secondary Planning Night will be held on September 20th at 6:30 p.m. in the SWHS Auditorium. This program will be split into two presentations: Financial Aid & the post-secondary planning process.
For the Financial Aid portion, Ms. Shannon Reynolds from CHESLA (CT Higher Education Supplemental Loan Authority) will present on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and loans. For the post-secondary planning portion, SWHS School Counselors will hold small group breakout sessions to cover:
- Students’ post-graduation options
- Key application/program requirements and deadlines along with school-based protocols
- Associated testing/application deadlines
Throughout both portions of the program, there will be plenty of opportunities for parent/guardian questions.
Seniors will receive this same information via a classroom lesson through their English class during the week of 9/13-9/16, thus need not attend this night event.
Early Dismissal Mondays
SWHS teachers will be undergoing periodic professional development opportunities during Early Dismissal Mondays which occur periodically throughout the school year. 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 17 & 31, December 5 & 12, February 27, March 6, May 15 & 22
Legacy Studios
South Windsor High School recently changed school photography companies. Legacy Studios will be the company that provides school pictures and photography services for the yearbook. Our previous company was Lifetouch. We hope that this change will be beneficial to the students and families of South Windsor High School.
Student Picture Day will take place on Wednesday, September 21.
Fall Sports Update
The fall athletic season is underway at South Windsor High School as teams have held tryouts and are practicing in preparation for the start of games on September 7th.
SWHS athletics will align with the most recent guidance from the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) and the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC). DPH’s document extends to curricular and extracurricular activities, including interscholastic athletics. The CIAC highlights the following:
Quarantine, Contacts, Isolation: Student-athletes and coaches should follow their school district’s quarantine, isolation, and contacts policy and procedure for all students. DPH’s document states, “Anyone testing positive for COVID-19 should complete isolation according to the CDC Q/I Calculator.”
Return-to-Play after COVID-19 Infection: The CIAC recommends that student-athletes who have tested positive for COVID-19 follow return-to-play guidelines established by medical professionals. Currently, the CIAC recognizes the joint guidance issued by the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) and the National Federation of High Schools (NFHS) and the guidance issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) as medically reviewed and established guidelines. South Windsor's return to play protocol after COVID can be accessed by CLICKING HERE.
We are looking forward to hosting spectators at all fall sporting events.
Library Media Center Information
Welcome back from the Library Media Center! Students can use the library 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 come to the library during their study hall need to obtain a pass from us before school or during passing time. Please see Mrs. McCool (Librarian) if you have any questions.
Message From SW Youth & Family Services
Sometimes children, teens and their families look for support in dealing with stress, family issues, loss, friendships or specific behavioral health challenges like anxiety, depression or trauma. No matter the issue, big or small, it can be helpful to talk with someone for support or to get familiar with resources that many be available to you and your family. Individual, parent and/or family sessions can be provided at no cost.* Services are confidential. Call or email for more information. Robin Lagasse, LCSW Robin.lagasse@southwindsor-ct.gov 860-648-6361 x3324
* must be a South Windsor resident or South Windsor Public Schools student
The Teen Center is open for high school students three days a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 2:00 - 4:30 pm. Students can take the late bus home right from the Teen Center! We are located across the street from the high school in the Community Center building. This is a safe, supervised space where students can come to do crafts and play games, finish homework, or spend time with peers. We have pool tables and air hockey, ping-pong and ice ball. The TV room has the Wii and Xbox or Netflix for movies! There is an overload of board games that our staff love to play and get competitive with. Join us after school to meet our staff and get familiar with the space!
If your child is interested in gaining volunteer experience, reach out to inquire about Youth Council. Members have the chance to gain leadership experience and have the opportunity to volunteer around the community. Youth Council members help plan Teen Center events and activities, assist with Senior Center and Parks & Rec. events, hold donation drives and fundraisers, participate in pen-pals, etc. We are always looking for more volunteers and would love to hear more ideas! For more information on the Teen Center or Youth Council, contact Danielle at 860-648-6360 or Danielle.Bifolck@southwindsor-ct.gov
All SWHS students are welcome to participate in the Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) Club. We are a peer to peer education and prevention organization. We tackle issues like distracted driving, drug and alcohol prevention and positive school climate. Look out for announcements and flyers with details about the first informational meeting. For more information, contact Kathy Reed at kreed@swindsor.k12.ct.us or at 860-648-5030, x 2209.
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.