Congratulations to all our students who were recognized at Authors Live on October 19!  Our next event is November 24.

Read any good books lately? Well, at Southwood we're reading some winners in all three grades! Everyone is invited to participate.

Happy reading!

Southwood's Tradition of Literacy Excellence

2008-2009

Congratulations to all our writers who were recognized during Authors Live!  To celebrate student writing in all content areas in a variety of genres, we hosted a monthly writing breakfast for our writers and their guests.  We are so proud of our students!

We enjoyed celebrating the Twentieth Anniversary of the National African American Read-In on Febrauary 13 and February 27.  Kudos to all our Southwood students, teachers, and administrators!

Congratulations to all our Read About It readers who chose to read magazines, football programs, newspapers, comic books, recipe books, poems, books about art, biomes, cars, fossils, jewelry, mummies, volcanoes, and whales; in brief, they read about everything!  Teachers read, too! 

Congratulations to Kiera Latimer who was featured in the Anderson Independent Mail for reading and logging over one hundred articles from the newspaper.  Kiera read during the school's Read About It time; her teacher is Ms. Dixie Orr.

Congratulations to Kinson Crawford who was awarded an honorable mention in the poetry contest sponsored by the Greater Anderson Musical Arts Consortium.  He is scheduled to read his winning poem "Love" at a poetry workshop held at the Anderson County Library on March 24.  His poem will be published in the Independent-Mail. We are very proud of Kinson!  His teacher is Mrs. Angela New.

Congratulations to Tristin Wright for being selected as an interview candidate to the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities. The application process is very rigorous, and we applaud all her hard work!

Congratulations to Jacob Beasley who won third place in the Anderson Independent Halloween Writing Contest.  His story was featured in the newspaper and has been widely read by both students and faculty!  Mrs. Angela New is his ELA teacher.

2007-2008
Led by Mrs. Burriss, Southwood's art teacher, students immersed themselves in discovering the connection between reading and art.   Using the wonderful essays written by some of the most well-known illustrators, our Southwood students wrote their own essays where they shared the importance of reading, personal reading memories, and a favorite book-or two! Like their famous counterparts in The Art of Reading-a gift from Mrs. Bagley, the students also reillustrated the cover of a favorite novel.  Our Southwood students are proud of their work!

Congratulations to Norma De Luna who won first place in the middle school level of the Fractured Fairytales Story Writing Contest sponsored by the Fine Arts Festival!  Norma is an amazing writer.  Ms. Karen Hall was her seventh grade ELA teacher.

Congratulations to Mary-Joyce Jansen who won second place in the middle school level of the Fractured Fairytales Story Writing Contest sponsored by the Fine Arts Festival!  Mary-Joyce is a talented young woman!  Mrs. Angela New was her eighth grade ELA teacher.

Congratulations to Dalvin Armstrong who won second place in the 2007-2008 MLK Essay Contest sponsored by Clemson University's Office of Access and Equity, Co-Chair Jerry Knighton, Jr.  He was recognized at a ceremony on January 22 at the Brooks Center in Clemson where he received a certificate and a savings bond in the amount of two hundred dollars.  We are all very proud of Dalvin!  Mrs. Angela New was Dalvin's eighth grade ELA teacher.

Congratulations to Christopher Pridemore the Lieutenant Governor's Writing Award Winner!  He will be honored at a ceremony held in Columbia on April 14, 2008.  We are very proud of Chris!  Mrs. Angela New was Chris' eighth grade ELA teacher.

A look at Culham's ideas about a "shared vocabulary for speaking about and working with texts that students create."

This writing process visual is displayed in our sixth grade hallway to scaffold undertanding of these recursive "steps."

A glimpse into a classroom where literacy is the framework for content-based art instruction.

Sixth graders visit Anderson University.

A writing celebration to recognize writers and their work!

Social studies students write to know and grow. Their writing helped crystallize and solidify their thinking. They created in a variety of genres.

Math students shine at the October writing breakfast!

Each month a different department hosts a writing breakfast to celebrate our excellent writers!

Our first writing breakfast to celebrate our Southwood Authors was a success!
October 2009

Tableaux is a fun way to summarize their thinking.

Book clubs are a great way to introduce new books, form reading relatioinships, deepen reading comprehension skills and improve discussion techniques.

Book clubs are thriving at Southwood Middle School

ELA Summer Institute
August 2009

ELA Summer Institute
June 11, 2008

Writing-to-learn strategy where students map their learning

2009 AFrican American Read-In
February 13 and February 27

New Teacher Orientation
A close look at the components and best practices that are evident in a balanced literacy classroom.

Publishing Party
Sixth grade teachers host a publishing party for their students.

Strategies to engage reluctant readers

Reading strategies for reluctant readers

A quick glance at the role of an SCRI-Trained Literacy Coach

Southwood Student Ambassadors are selected eighth grade students who help the children at South Fant Child Develpment Center reach their literacy goals. These Southwood "student teachers" use age appropriate standards to guide them as they create meaningful lessons for their students.

Southwood Student Ambassadors
2007-2008

Test-Taking as a Genre 3-1
This powerpoint showcases student engagements that require our students to Bloom.

This powerpoint showcases select strategies that Southwood teachers use to deepen student learning.

Vocabulary Tableaux
This vocabulary strategy leads to great conversation. Because students enjoy playing with words, ownership of learning takes place.

An examination of the process of reading could begin with asking students to define reading. Easy? Try it!

Word walls are a teaching tool to use, not just display.

Students in classes across the Southwood campus are expected to write. They write in a variety of genres and to a variety of audiences. Seventh grade science students write plays about the scientifice method, sixth social studies students write letters home filled with news of the Punic War, and art students write essays. We celebrate the writer and the process of writing to learn, to explore, to know.

These informational posters are displayed in the hallways with photos of students engaged in the writing process.