District residents are invited to two upcoming community forums with Southwestern staff, parents and students facilitating small group conversations. Topics may include how to best meet students’ academic needs and social needs and how to support and accept all students.

The first session will be held 7:00-8:00 p.m., Monday, February 13 at the YWCA Lake Lodge on 185 East Terrace Avenue in Lakewood.

The second session will take place 7:00-8:00 p.m., Thursday, March 2 at Zion Covenant Church at 520 Fairmount Avenue in West Ellicott.

Light refreshments will be available.

Those interested in attending are asked to register online by 3:00 p.m. on the day of the event, so the district can accommodate everyone: https://forms.office.com/r/5CMtgfTNrL.

If you have any questions, please email district clerk Pam SaGurney at psagurney@swcsk12.org.

Southwestern Central School District

The district said there are limited spaces available for a full-day UPK programming at Zion Covenant Church on Fairmount Avenue from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. This is in addition to the district’s current half-day UPK program offerings at the elementary and Zion sites.

UPK applications are available at the elementary school at 600 Hunt Road weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

All applications need to be returned by 4:00 p.m., March 3, 2023 to be put in the lottery. Applications received after March 3 will be considered depending upon space availability.

Eligible birthdates for UPK are December 2, 2018, through December 1, 2019.

Parents will be notified by phone of the lottery results by March 10, 2023.

For more information, contact the elementary office at 716-664-1881.

Southwestern Central School District

Tonight at Southwestern, Jamestown Public Schools Lady Red Raiders will play Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart, with JV playing at 6:00 p.m. and Varsity playing at 7:30 p.m.

The tournament continues tomorrow, Saturday, December 10, with the following game times:
• 3:00 p.m. JV Consolation Game
• 4:30 p.m. JV Championship Game
• 6:00 p.m. Varsity Consolation Game
• 7:30 p.m. Varsity Championship Game.

Also on Saturday, the SWHS National Honor Society and Southwestern Girls Varsity Basketball team, will hold a canned food and winter items drive at the tournament to benefit St. Susan Center of Jamestown.

Admission will not be charged to any of the Saturday’s games, but attendees are asked to donate canned food items and/or winter items (hats, gloves, socks). Monetary donations are also welcome.

The volunteer position’s term runs from the date of appointment until the Annual Budget Vote and Election on Tuesday, May 16, 2023. The person appointed would then have the option to run for a three-year term.

School board candidates must be U.S. citizens, at least 18 years old, qualified voters in the school district, and residents of their districts continuously for one year. They cannot live in the same household with a family member who is also a member of the same school board.

Interested candidates may email their resume to District Clerk Pam SaGurney at psagurney@swcsk12.org.

For more information about the board position, including training, responsibilities and answers to frequently asked questions; visit www.swcsk12.org/boe.

District Superintendent Maureen Donahue said the project includes a lot of regular maintenance and repairs, “Upgrades, ADA accessibility.. We also have to relocate and move an elevator, and that will be in the cafeteria space. And overall the project includes things like boilers and sidewalks and roofs and windows, some of the things you have to take care of on a regular basis.”

She said even though the district has less students, the cafeteria also will receive a number of upgrades, “But we also use it for multiple other venues throughout the year and during the school day. And right now, we’ve had to expand outside of our cafeteria to accommodate right now, especially with COVID.”

The capital improvement project will receive 95% State Aid and Donahue said the District had $2 million set aside for work.

Polls are open Tuesday, December 14 from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Southwestern High School Multipurpose Room.

More information about the Capital Improvements Plan is available on the Southwestern Central School website.