Lincoln Southwest High School

Infobox School
name = Lincoln Southwest High School

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caption = Lincoln Southwest High School
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established = 2002
type = Public High school
affiliation =
district = Lincoln Public Schools
grades = 9-12
president =
principal = Robert Slauson
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faculty = 200+
staff =
students =1,900+
enrollment =
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conference =
colors = Forest Green and Silver
mascot = Silverhawks
campus type =
campus size =
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location = Lincoln, Nebraska
country = United States
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website = http://lsw.lps.org/

Lincoln Southwest High School is a public secondary school located in Lincoln, Nebraska, USA and rests on 74 acres adjacent to "Wilderness Park". It is part of the Lincoln Public Schools school district. When the school opened its doors in August 2002, it had 1,150 students from grades 9-12, and 77 teachers. Since its opening, the school has expanded to more than 2,000 students. 40% of the students attending do not live in Southwest's zone of the city; Lincoln Public Schools has an open district which allows students to attend schools outside their section of the school district until it is to capacity. Southwest is the only school in Lincoln to operate on a 4X4 block schedule. It also offers a wide range of classes, including Advanced Placement (AP) courses, and is presently the only high school in Lincoln to offer the Japanese language as a class. The school's colors are forest green and silver, and its mascot is the Silverhawk. In 2005, Lincoln Southwest High School had nine National Merit Scholars, more than any other school in Lincoln.

Academic achievements

Forensics

The Lincoln Southwest Speech and Debate team has had many of its students reach Nebraska State Finals and the National Forensics Tournament. Although Southwest has had many students qualify for National Tournaments, 2006 was the first year LSW began to show Nationwide prominence. That year Southwest was awarded National School of Excellence Award in Debate, being one of only 7 schools honored with the prestigious award nationwide. The NFL 2006 National Tournament took place in Grapevine, Texas about 20 minutes outside of Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas.In 2007 the Southwest Debate team had a record breaking year with 1 State Champion, 6 Tournament of Champion Finalists, and 6 National Forensics Tournament Finalists.bitch

ports

* Football - The Southwest High School Football team is coached by Mark King. In 2005, the team achieved city champ status and a number 2 ranking in the state, reaching the State Class A championship game. In 2006, The team advanced to the second round of the playoffs before losing again to Millard North. The 2007 squad came in with high hopes and expectations, but an injury plagued season held them to a 5-5 record, and another first round loss to Millard North.
* Baseball - The all-Southwest team of Pinnacle Bank reached the national Semi-finals in the summer of '06. The team is under the instruction of Doug Kaltenberger.
* Golf - The Southwest Golf Team, coached by Jim Danson, was the first organization to win a team state title for the school in 2007 and repeated again in 2008.
* Boys Tennis - The Southwest Tennis Team, coached by Dennis Hershberger, finished as State Runner-up to Omaha Creighton Prep for the State Team Title in the 2006-2007 season.

Theatre and Music

Almost 400 students participate in theatre and music programs in LSW's "E-Wing."

Lincoln Southwest's theatre and music programs have won numerous awards.Fact|date=August 2007

In 2006, Lincoln Southwest Silver Hawk Theatre was the first school in the state to receive the "Outstanding School Award" from the Educational Theatre Association.Fact|date=August 2007

The LSW Music Program quickly established itself as one of the top music programs in the state since the school opened in the Fall of 2002. The choirs, bands, and orchestras have consistently received high ratings at contests and competitions.

The LSW Choral Department involves over 200 students each year. The department has doubled in size since the first year. There are currently 10 Choirs at LSW.Fact|date=September 2008
* Women's Ensemble
* Freshmen Concert Choir
* Select Prep Concert Choir
* Ambience - Prep Show Choir
* Women's Choir
* Men's Choir
* Select Varsity Concert Choir
* Resonance - Varsity Show Choir
* Select Chamber Choir
* Select Octet (student directed)

The LSW Band Department involves over 200 students as well. The department continues to grow thanks to a tremendous feeder program at Scott Middle School. There are currently 9 Bands at LSW.Fact|date=August 2007
* Freshmen Concert, Jazz, and Marching Bands
* Symphonic Band
* Prep Jazz Band
* Wind Ensemble
* Varsity Jazz I and II
* Varsity Silverhawk Marching Band

The LSW Orchestra Department boasts over 50 students as well. There are currently 3 Orchestras at LSW.Fact|date=August 2007
* Freshmen Orchestra
* Varsity Orchestra
* Sophomore Orchestra

The LSW Varsity Show Choir Resonance has quickly become one of the top show choirs in the Midwest. In the past four years of its existence, the choir has earned 4 Grand Championship trophies and garnished awards for Best Band, Best Choreography, Best Visuals, and Best Vocals at several competitions.Fact|date=August 2007

Podcast

Southwest is one of the first high schools in the nation to produce a teacher-led, school-approved podcast.Fact|date=April 2007 The first episode was on 14 April 2005. The podcast is led by Economics teacher Mr. Hershberger and the content is filled by students. Most later episodes of the podcast include roundtable discussions focused on current events, especially in the areas of technology and politics.

Administration

* Robert Slauson, Principal
* John Hastings, Associate Principal
* Susette Taylor, Associate Principal
* Keri Applebee, Associate Principal
* Virginia Geiger, Associate Principal
* Sara Mann, Special Education Coordinator
* Dave Gillespie, Athletic/Activities Director
* Kim Carson, Asst Athletic Director/Attendance Coordinator

External links

* [http://lsw.lps.org/ LSW homepage]
* [http://lsw.lps.org/dhersh/podcast.html Podcast page]
* [http://www.greatschools.net/modperl/browse_school/ne/1703 greatschools - Southwest High School]
* [http://www.lps.org/ Lincoln Public Schools homepage]

References