Principal’s Message
Dear Southwest Middle School Parents and Students:
It is with great honor that I introduce myself as the Principal of Southwest Middle School. Having grown up in San Diego and attending a junior high school much like Southwest Middle (I attended Montgomery Jr. High School in Linda Vista from 1978-1981) I learned to speak Spanish, value other cultures, and understand how HIGH academic performance can offer economic opportunity to EACH student. I learned that valuing others and celebrating hard work can make a difference for anyone willing to try.
I am so proud of our faculty, staff, and community partners who work to ensure that Southwest Middle School is committed to providing students a rigorous, standards-based instructional program that will prepare them for successful high school and college experiences. The Southwest Middle School staff affirms that students learn best in a safe and supportive environment. I invite you to come and visit so that I can introduce myself personally and give you a tour of our amazing school.
We offer a full complement of regular and accelerated courses for students, including the opportunity to take college prep (A-G), high school-credit Math Course I, Spanish 1-2, and Spanish 3-4. Our instructional program includes electives in Band, Mariachi, Steel Drums, AVID, ASB, Journalism, Yearbook, Foreign Language, and computer science. To meet the needs of our English learners, we offer English language development (ELD) classes, bilingual classes and Structured English Immersion (SEI) classes in the core content areas, and SDAIE instructional strategies in our regular and accelerated programs. In addition, we also service the needs of our RSP and SDC students in the Special Education program. Combined with our Before and After School Program consisting of academic enrichment, homework centers, tutoring, and recreational activities, students can benefit from an integrated, safe, and nourishing middle school environment.
For the past two years, we at Southwest Middle have worked to build community partnerships and restructure our school to design lessons and instructional units around STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) themes. The five fastest growing job sectors in San Diego County all are in STEAM related fields, and we want our Buccaneers to be on the forefront of the future job growth in our city! We have also combined our award-winning Dual Language English-Spanish program with our STEAM academy to create the first-of-its-kind Dual Language STEAM Academy because we believe our bilingual and bi-cultural students will be well-situated to participate in economic growth in the future that occurs south of the international border as well. Students in the Dual Language Program develop proficiency in both English and Spanish. Three of their classes are taught in English, and three classes are taught in Spanish. The goal of the program is to fully develop students’ literacy skills in both languages.
Another program that we are proud of is our Golden Bell award-winning AVID Program (School of High Distinction, 2016). Students enrolled in AVID learn important skills (note-taking, writing strategies, study skills, and time management) which will help ensure their future academic success. Our STEAM, Dual Language STEAM Program and the AVID program have been proven successful in preparing students for meeting the requirements for middle school promotion, high school graduation, and college entrance.
Once again, thank you for your interest in Southwest Middle School! If I may be of assistance, or you would like to visit us and hear our story, please call me at (619)628-4000 or email me at william.walsh@sweetwaterschools.org.
Sincerely,
Bill Walsh