Welcome to the 2024-2025 School Year!

Welcome Buccaneers to Southwest Middle School as we begin the 24-25 school year. The first day of school is this Wednesday, July 21 at 8 am. It is recommend that students arrive at school by 7:45 am so they can locate their first period class.

Please remember to charge your iPad the night before, and bring your ipad and charger. We look forward to seeing you this Wednesday!

July & August Calendars

Summer Hours and Programs

🦜Buccaneer News – Have a safe and Restful Summer, Buccaneers!

See you Wednesday, July 24th!

Past STEAM Challenges

STEAM Challenge #5 -“Planet vs Plastics”

Each year, Earth Day takes on a particular theme and the theme for 2024 is Planet vs. Plastics. According to the official Earth Day 2024 webpage, the organization is committed to helping to reduce global plastic production by 60% by 2040.

Thank you students, staff, and our friends at South Bay Sustainable Communities, UCSD Pollinator club, and Urban growth for making our STEAM Challenge, this past Friday, an amazing event. Scan the QR code to view some of the day’s highlights.

STEAM Challenge #4

“Harnessing the Power of STEAM- Finding Diversity and Opportunity in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics”

Thank you staff, students, and community members for making our STEAM day a great success 🙌

Our morning celebrated brilliant women in STEM in honor of #internationalwomensday, followed by a mini engineering design build that challenged kids to think like brilliant STEMinists and harness the power of wind to propel a puff mobile to travel the furthest on a single puff of air.

Following nutrition break, the kids attended 1 of 15 workshops ranging in topics on “Light and Optics”, “Building Drones”, “Learning through Art”, “Biomimicry and Design”, “Hydroponics”, “Protecting our Watersheds”, “Painting Rocks of Kindness”, “Powered by Plants- Eating for a Healthier Planet”, “Science of Tortillas”, “Production Design”, “Laser Etching and Circuitry”, “Minecraft and AI”, “Learn to Play an African Drum”, “Listening to Waves”, and “Lines, Shape, Color and Pattern”.

Thank you so much to all of our presenters for bringing amazing learning experiences to our kids!

Next STEAM Challenge Day: “Planet vs Plastics”- Friday, April 19th!

Codechella 2.0

Thank you staff, students, and community members for making Codechella 2.0 a great success 🙌

Codechella 2.0- a perfect way to end the first semester and kick off winter break!

At Southwest Middle, the last day of school isn’t a wasted day. Our students learn about the power of computer science, and it’s diverse fields and pathways, like flying drones, robotics, 3D printing, laser cutting, cybersecurity, Bioinformatics, video game design, binary code, pixel art, animal cognition and physical computer modeling, circuitry, hydroponics and automation, graphic design and programming.

Thank you so much to our community presenters UCSD CREATE, Mr. Akshay Nagarajan from UCSD, SDSU MESA, Mr. Dean Worra from Qualcomm, Ms. Heidy Estevez and SOH robotics, Ms. Amanda Birmingham from UCSD Health, Mr. Emilio Flores from Urban Growth,  Haiku Inc, Cesar Gonzalez from cesarfpvdrones, and Mr. David Cobian from Launch Academy, you made this amazing day possible!

Bring your student to Southwest Middle to broaden their experience with our award winning STEAM, Dual Language, and AVID programs.

Be a Part of Positive Change! Together We can Make a Difference!

Visit our Y4SF table at lunch and place any unwanted food in the bins located in the cafeteria and in the ASB quad next to the food carts. If you are interested in helping out, please see Mrs. Barron in room 403, or at lunch at the Y4SF booth located in front of the ASB building!

Check out our Student Handbook

Southwest Middle School’s Drone Team Returns from the West Regional Championship in Utah

SOM’s Breaking Bot bring home the Inspire Award, Hoppers Finish Strong

Day 1 of the West Regional Drone Championship in Utah! Southwest Middle is proudly representing the South Bay, with both teams performing well. After a very busy day of 6 qualifying matches, Breaking Bot are in the top half going into day 2

Day 2- That’s a wrap to our 2023-2024 drone season. I am so incredibly proud of these kiddos and will miss them dearly. The competition was fierce, and they played hard. This morning, watching the 2 teams practicing was absolutely beautiful, the communication, dedication, and collaboration were evident. Congratulations to Breaking Bot for an amazing season and for having been awarded the Inspire Award 👏 Congratulations to the Hoppers for manifesting positive outcomes and finishing strong 💪

Thank you so much to everyone for your donations and Support!

Our teams performed well at the regional competition, competing against kids from 5-12th grade, including former world champion drone teams. While we did not place in the top 8 to go on to the finals in the teams portion, our Breaking Bot team (Angie and Lily) were awarded the Inspire Award at the closing ceremony.  Our boy’s team, the Hoppers, (Luis, Edgar, and Yves) finished strong with their best and highest scoring match being their final match.

We are so incredibly proud of these kiddos and their dedication, communication, growth in skills,  strategy, and collaboration.

Welcome to SOM! We Are Southwest Middle School. Your Next Best Step!

Southwest Middle School Registration for the 2023-2024 school year is now open!

Call 619-628-4000 (main office) for any questions.

Incoming 7th grade students to the district

Future Southwest Middle Parent or Guardian,

Registration season has begun! Please make sure to follow the steps to complete your student’s registration:

1. Fill out the 2023-2024 application packet. You can either pick it up at the Southwest Middle School Main Office or print out all forms here: DIRECT LINK TO FORMS 

• The following documents are needed for enrollment:

• Immunization Records – If vaccinations are NOT up to date, a student CANNOT legally be in school.
• Proof of Residence (must be within 60 days).
• Emergency Authorization Card (to be filled out in the Main Office).

2. Bring the completed packet in person to the Registrar, Omar Cota, no later than July 19, 2023.

3. After review, Mr. Cota will give you a username and password to complete the Online Registration on the Parent Portal here: https://infinite.sweetwaterschools.org/campus/portal/parents/sweetwater.jsp

• If you have students currently in middle school or high school, you will use your same username and password for the Parent Portal.
• If you can’t access your account, please call (619) 628-4000 to reset your password.

ESTUDIANTES ENTRANTES DE 7° GRADO Y ESTUDIANTES NUEVOS AL DISTRITO

Futuro padre o tutor de Southwest Middle,

¡La temporada de registro ha comenzado! Asegúrese de seguir los pasos para completar el registro de su estudiante:

Complete el paquete de solicitud del año escolar 2023-2024. Puede recogerlo en la oficina principal de Southwest Middle School o imprimir todos los formularios aquí: DIRECT LINK TO FORMS

• Los siguientes documentos son necesarios para la inscripción:

• Registros de vacunas – Si las vacunas NO están al día, su estudiante NO PUEDE estar legalmente en la escuela.
• Comprobante de residencia (debe ser dentro de los últimos 60 días).
• Tarjeta de Autorización de Emergencia (esta se llena en la oficina principal).

2. Llevar personalmente el paquete completo al Registrador, Omar Cota, a más tardar el 19 de julio de 2023.

3. Después de la revisión, el Sr. Cota le dará un nombre de usuario y una contraseña para completar el Registro en línea en el Portal para padres aquí: https://infinite.sweetwaterschools.org/campus/portal/parents/sweetwater.jsp

• Si tiene estudiantes actualmente en la escuela secundaria o preparatoria, usará su mismo nombre de usuario y contraseña para el Portal de Padres.
• Si no puede acceder a su cuenta, llame al (619) 628-4000 para restablecer su contraseña.

Returning 8th graders

Please complete the Online Registration on the Parent Portal for 2023-2024 as soon as possible. If you can’t access your account, please call (619) 628-4000 to reset your password.

• Save your application number in case it’s needed. 

PRÓXIMOS 8º GRADOS

Complete el registro en línea en el Portal para padres para el año escolar 2023-2024 lo antes posible. Si no puede acceder a su cuenta, llame al (619) 628-4000 para restablecer su contraseña.

• Guarde su número de aplicación por si es necesario.

Southwest Middle School – Now Enrolling!

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Congratulations Aliyah Esparza for your Recognition with the Alex Morgan Foundation!

SOM’s Soccer MVP, Aliyah Esparza, was recognized today at the Alex Morgan Foundation event highlighting the foundation’s upcoming work on equity for girls in soccer in the SouthBay,  building leadership and confidence in our young ladies.

Aliyah was nominated by Coach David Singh for her display of leadership on and off the field. Congratulations Aliyah, you represent Southwest Middle well each and every day, and truly embody the Buccaneer spirit! We are so very proud of you!

Congratulations Mrs. Barron, Our 2023 SOM Teacher of the Year

SOM Staff  celebrating our 2023 SOM Teacher of the Year, Mrs. Barron, at our SUHSD Teacher Celebration! Thank you to all the teachers and staff who came to cheer on and celebrate! 🏴‍☠️❤️💛🍎

✨SUHSD All Stars Podcast is Back!

Behind the scenes – Recording Episode 5

SOM’s very own Ms. Esther Parrenas and Ms. Erin Barron will be featured in the first SUHSD All Stars podcast after a two year hiatus due to COVID. They chat about  Southwest Middle School’s programs, teachers and unique student opportunities. Click to listen

Join our Dual Immersion Program!

Steel Drum Band on Fox 5!

Buccaneers in the News! Congratulations Dania Meling!

8th grader, Dania Meling, with her award for her scientific experiment studying Bernoulli’s Equation Photo-Courtesy Horacio Renteria / El Latino San Diego.

Southwest Middle’s own SUHSD STEM-Research Fair Winner, Dania Meling, was featured in El Latino’s March 17th Article highlighting her winning project and passion for pursuing a future career with NASA. Congratulations Dania, we are all so very proud of you and your achievements! Keep up the amazing work! Read the full article here

Pioneering Educators of the Dual Language Program at Southwest Middle School

Southwest Middle School’s own, Ms. Norma Pérez-Uriarte, is featured in El Latino’s December 22nd article highlighting our award winning Dual Language program. Congratulations to Ms. Pérez-Uriarte and our Dual Immersion team for their incredible efforts, we are so proud of all you do! Read about our amazing program and see the full article here.

Teacher Norma Pérez-Uriarte, Coordinator (and pioneer) of the Dual Immersion Program at Southwest Middle School. Photo: Horacio Renteria / El Latino San Diego.

STEAM Challenge #2 – Engineering a Mars Lander

Congratulations Buccaneers on an Excellent STEAM Challenge #2!

The Results are in! In real life, only 40% of all missions to Mars have been successful, but at Southwest Middle School, our survivability was much higher. Based on 18 advisory classes reporting, the survivability rate for our school was 69.26%, and each group, on average spent $1,676,622.22 of the allotted $2M budget.  Congratulations to Ms. Alcanero, Mrs. Barrón, Mr. Fuentez Jr., Ms. Jaime and Ms. Perez’s Advisory Classes for landing 100% of your rovers safely!

Congratulations Ms. Jaime’s Advisory for having the 2nd lowest average budget, at $1.3M,  with 100% of your rovers making it safely; Ms. Robinson with a budget of $1,282,500 and a 75% survivability rate; and Mrs. Barrón’s Advisory for keeping your average budget at less than $1.5M. Great job Engineers, you should feel proud!

Past images/videos