- Has met or exceeded Academic Growth metric EVERY YEAR since 2015!
- Assistant Principal Torrey Flores was the 2023 DPS AP of the Year!
Stories
The sense of community it provides. So many neighborhood kids and their families have invested in the school. Some Teachers and staff live near by. There is a real sense of family.
My son has become more confident, excited to learn and is learning Spanish quickly! His teachers seem to care about him deeply and helped him with the transition to Kindergarten.
The supportive teachers at Southwest make it one of the best elementary schools in Durham County! As a staff members who travels from PKs to High Schools, I enjoy coming to Southwest and am thrilled to call it my “home base”!
An “a-ha” moment was assisting a student onto an adaptive swing and having her say it was the “best day of her life.” Not only did it make my day brighter, but when I shared the story with other staff, they were thrilled as well. It made me realize that without supportive staff, my story of this student’s “best day” wouldn’t have mattered to all of us as much as it did.
I love the beginning of each school day. 100% of our staff are greeting students and letting them know how happy we are they are here at school. The smiles and hugs always make my day!
It’s a neighborhood school that really feels like part of the neighborhood. My kids have known their classmates since they were toddlers, teachers walk their dogs past my house in the afternoon, and the principal chats with me when I run into him at the store.
We love that it’s our neighborhood school, which we can walk or bike to easily. The teachers and staff are amazing and truly care about every student.
My daughter is in second grade and she has made the best friends while at Southwest! She has also absolutely loved each of her teachers!
My kids all love the annual fun run and agree that recess and PE are the best. My oldest now has a special Buckeye bond with my Ohio-native dad thanks to his teacher, Ms. Metzdorf. She has a special way of teaching lessons using OSU school spirit and it has been so sweet to witness his knowledge, enthusiasm, interest in sports and fitness and his connection with PopPop deepen.
My son has received a lot of help with language and concentration. The teachers are excellent. They make a good team.
My son loved STEAM night at Southwest Elementary! He experimented with robots and loved to share his teachers, friends and school with our family!
Southwest Elementary School has strong family engagement. The community is a big part of what makes our school successful. The curriculum that is taught at Southwest helps our students become successful in life!
Southwest is a unique school that has a strong sense of community that supports all stakeholder through servant leadership. Our school has great diversity and all are appreciated and welcomed. We have a staff who love our students and are excellent teachers.
The administration. The location, parents and the students make it the best school that I have been at in my 25 years.
What we love the most about Southwest is the dual language program, friendly staff and caring environment.
SWE is unique in more ways that 3 sentences could describe but #1 is the outstanding, professional but caring Admin & leadership team. The families here are supportive and kind. Our staff is so caring towards all students and one another 🙂
Southwest staff work hard in building unity among staff, students, parents, and the community. We pull together in times of crisis no matter what it is or who it involves. As a family and a community, we strive to do our best to ensure the safety and education of our kids no matter the race, economic status, or sexual preference.
Southwest Elementary staff and students exude positivity and a willingness to help to all members of our Southwest family. I have seen so many examples of staff or students going above and beyond to help students, bring a smile to their face and help foster a feeling of belonging. Everyone is celebrated for the unique gifts they bring to our school.
I love that our neighbors are in the same school-having familiar faces and connections is wonderful. The teachers are so talented and caring. Staff always go above and beyond.
Southwest is such a welcoming community! We love the opportunities Southwest offers, the relationships, and the supportive administration!
My child is happy, hopeful and growing because of the caring, attentive instruction and community building she receives from her teachers. My child has a strong sense of belonging and she is nurtured as the learner she is.
