Superintendent's Monday Message
February 27 , 2023
November 27, 2023
Dear Southwest ISD,
I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving Break, taking time to unwind and recharge. I enjoyed quality time with my extended family, ate some delicious food, and even got a head start on my holiday shopping.
As we settle back into our routines, I recognize that the upcoming weeks may bring about a complex balance of work commitments and festive activities leading up to the Christmas break, which can lead to stress. Recently, I came across an enlightening TED Talk titled "The Happy Secret to Better Work," which discusses how we can change our thought process to be more positive and, in turn, be more productive.
Traditionally, we've often believed that hard work leads to happiness. However, psychologist Shawn Achor proposes that happiness fuels our productivity. He explains how a positive mindset improves our mood and alters how we engage with our tasks and challenges.
Achor's main idea is that it's not what's happening around us that decides how we feel but how we see and understand things in our minds that matter. Focusing on being more positive can make a big difference not only in how happy we are as individuals but also significantly impact educational and business outcomes across the board.
He shared a surprising fact: 90% of our long-term happiness comes from how we think, not from what's happening externally. This fact is a big deal because it means changing how we think about being happy and successful could change how things work out for us, sometimes in unexpected ways. Achor points out another interesting fact: only a small part, 25%, of doing well at work is about how smart you are, while a big part, 75%, depends on how hopeful you are, the support you get from others, and how you handle stress – seeing it more like a challenge rather than a threat.
Let's think about how being more positive in our thinking can make us happier personally and help us do better together in our work.
Teachers at Big Country Elementary School were surprised for participating in a reading campaign. In honor of National Literacy Month, on October 2, BCE joined students across the City of San Antonio by participating in the largest read-in across Texas. This opportunity was brought together through H-E-B's Read 3 program, which focuses on educating parents and caregivers about the need to read to their children at least three times per week. H-E-B's goal is to empower Texas families with the tools and resources to prepare early learners, ensuring that all children can start their school experience with an equal opportunity to succeed.
Every school that participated in this event entered a drawing for a cash prize of $1000 for their school library. BCE was one of the ten winners overall. One of our very own teachers, Mary Morales (4th grade), was also surprised during this visit as her former student and SWISD graduate (featured in picture), Andrew Soliz (H-E-B career coach), who now works for H-E-B stopped in to let her know what a great teacher she was and how he has never forgotten her! Congratulations, and great job!
CAST STEM High School recently started highlighting students who are accomplishing great things. 17-year-old Jiveth Philips is the first student to be recognized. The rising junior is an engineering student and has a specific interest in energy sustainability in rural and disadvantaged areas of San Antonio. She believes that for energy consumption to be genuinely renewable, our community can't simply rely on the easy answer of solar panels because they are not as efficient as we need to support our growing city. She hopes to utilize Texas's natural heat but is still researching this concept.
Jiveth has competed on the Electric Car Team, traveled to Dallas to participate in a national Electric Car Convention, and has been awarded the National Hispanic Recognition Award, placed in the top 10% for Hispanics on PSAT in the Nation!!
Jiveth says that she is hooked on stem careers because of a specific time when Maurice Salazar from Toyota, a longtime partner of CSHS, expressed interest in her after seeing one of Jiveth's projects. She eagerly awaits a chance to join one of Toyota's summer internship programs. I am so proud of the opportunities CAST STEM has provided for this amazing young lady.
We are currently setting the stage for significant changes, including renovations, safety improvements, and new constructions, because of the approval of SWISD Bond 2023. Over the past few months, we've met with architects, giving input on various projects. Keep an eye on this page for updates. Also, check out the video below to see how the Central Office looks at the moment as the teams get ready to revamp the area.
God bless you, and I hope you have a great week!
Sincerely,