Southwood Academy of the Arts serves the entire Anderson School District 5 community as a pure magnet school for the creative and performing arts for students in grades six through eight and higher level arts course for grades nine through twelve. Our school is helping all students develop the world class skills and life and career characteristics of the Profile of the Graduate by providing a rigorous academic experience through real life project based learning while using the arts as a vehicle for success.
During the 2017-2018 school year, Southwood Academy of the Arts maintained a reputation for excellence in the Anderson area through high test scores and individual student gains. 93% of the students at Southwood exceeded, met or were close to meeting standard in ELA and almost 94% in math. 93% exceeded, met or were close to meeting standard in science and 93% in social studies. 80% of the students at Southwood made honor roll or principal’s honor roll consistently throughout the year.
Nine middle school students and twenty two high school students made All Region Orchestra, and one middle school student and three high school students made All-State orchestra. Our high school drama department presented "The Wiz" in the spring. The faculty and students participated in the fall United Way drive and made a significant contribution to the district fundraising effort. The school also received the State Department of Education grant as an Arts in Basic Curriculum (ABC) site for the 6th year in a row; in addition, the school was also the recipient of the state DAP grant to further arts education in the school. The middle and high school choirs and orchestras earned superior and excellent ratings at state sponsored performance assessment events. A high school dance student was awarded a scholarship out of over two hundred competing students to attend Dance Makers National Dance Convention. Our visual art students took 1st and 3rd place at the Anderson County Art month show and one student received an honorable mention. Southwood was represented well when seven students were selected by the Governor's School of the Arts to participate in the summer discovery program. Seven choral students competed and were selected out of over four hundred students throughout the state to attend the ACDA All State choir in the fall.
As a district, we had the opportunity to continue a 1:1 Chromebook environment that allowed teachers and students to connect virtually across all disciplines. The arts and technology have engaged students in ways that allows all subjects to connect by encouraging creative risk-taking and exploration. Through academics and arts, students can see themselves as creators who value their own ideas and respect the ideas of others. At Southwood Academy of the Arts, individuals' talents are nurtured as their potential is realized.
James A. Smith, Principal
