Southwood Middle School

Infobox Secondary school
name = Southwood Middle School Center for the Arts
district = Miami-Dade County Public Schools
principal = Deborah Leal
type = Magnet/Public Middle
city = Palmetto Bay
state = Florida
country = USA
grades = 6-8
students = About 1,800
established = 1975
campus = Suburban
free_label_1 = School Hours
free_1 = 9:00 am - 3:40 pm
mascot = SuperStar
colors = Blue and Gold
website = [http://southwood.dadeschools.net/ Official site]

Southwood Middle School Center for the Arts, more commonly known as Southwood Middle School, is a public secondary school located on 16301 Southwest 80th Avenue in Palmetto Bay, Florida. The principal is Ms. Deborah Leal. Southwood has been recognized by the prestigious Blue Ribbon Schools Program.

The mascot for the school is the SuperStar, a cartoonish star who wears a top hat and carries a cane. This image appears on the outside of the main building.

Academics

During the 1984-85 school year, Southwood Jr. High School was recognized with the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education [ [http://www.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/list-1982.pdf Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982-1983 through 1999-2002 (PDF)] , United States Department of Education. Accessed May 11, 2006.] , the highest award an American school can receive. [ [http://www.journalinquirer.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17475750&BRD=985&PAG=461&dept_id=161556&rfi=6 CIBA cited as one of the best by Education Department] , "Journal Inquirer", November 16, 2006. "The Blue Ribbon award is given only to schools that reach the top 10 percent of their state's testing scores over several years or show significant gains in student achievement. It is considered the highest honor a school can achieve."] [Viers Mill School Wins Blue Ribbon; School Scored High on Statewide Test; "The Washington Post". September 29, 2005 "For their accomplishments, all three schools this month earned the status of Blue Ribbon School, the highest honor the U.S. Education Department can bestow upon a school."]

Southwood contains five magnet programs, for which students must audition and be accepted in order to take: Music (which contains the orchestra, band, chorus, and piano strands), Photography, Theatre, Art, and Dance. Southwood takes in non-magnet students too, who live within the designated area, but those students take regular electives instead of magnet classes. Magnet students do not have to live within this district in order to attend.

tabbing incident

Southwood received international attention when, on February 3, 2004, student, Jaime Rodrigo Gough, was stabbed to death in a second-floor bathroom by a fellow classmate. [ [http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2004-02-04-miami_x.htm "Teen charged with first-degree murder in killing of classmate in Miami"] , "USA Today", February 4, 2004. Accessed August 8, 2007. "Jaime Rodrigo Gough, 14, was found early Tuesday at Southwood Middle School, a magnet school specializing in visual and performing arts, authorities said. His neck had been slashed."] [ [http://www.newstext.com.au/docs/NTN/2004/get.jsp?docid=NTN-20040321-1-011-1017737V5@NTN-METRO-2004-2003 "Killer's Plan on Paper"] , "The Sunday Territorian", march 21, 2004. Accessed August 8, 2007.] Southwood celebrates "Peace Week" during the first week of February as a memorial for Gough, and to spread messages of tolerance and diversity. During the 2005 Peace Week ceremony, monarch butterflies were released in memory of Gough. [ [http://www.local10.com/news/4158734/detail.html "Today Marks Anniversary Of Middle School Killing"] , WPLG, February 3, 2005. Accessed August 8, 2007. "Students at a South Florida middle school that was the scene of a grisly killing a year ago, wore white shirts, held hands and celebrated peace today.... Gough's mother, father and sister ended the rally by releasing a basket full of butterflies. As Jaimie's killer was stabbing him, he said, "Die you loser."]

Notable alumni

* Justin Koren, director and playwright [ [http://bestof.miaminewtimes.com/bestof/award.php?award=483547 "Best New Drama (2007) - Defining Code Red, by Justin Koren"] , Miami New Times, 2007]
* Nadia Turner, finalist on the 4th season of "American Idol". [Cohen, Howard. [http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_action=doc&p_docid=1090A34DB7C0201C&p_docnum=2&p_queryname=NaN&p_product=NewsBank&p_theme=aggregated4&p_nbid=N53L52CJMTE4NTg0NzQ0OS4yODY4NjU6MTo3OnJhLTE4ODg "TV COMPETITOR HAS BECOME A `MIAMI IDOL'"] , "The Miami Herald", March 22, 2005. Accessed August 8, 2007. ""Thetwo have known each other since they were 11, attending R.R. Mo"ton Elementary, Southwood Middle School and Palmetto Senior High."]
* Maria Canals, actress on shows "Wizards of Waverly Place", "Key West", and many more.

References

Marta Wiley, Contemporary Master Artist and musician

External links

* [http://southwood.dadeschools.net/ Official site]