Southwest Primary School

09/19/2026

🦁 Open House Parent Night at Southwest Primary 🦁

Join us Thursday, September 24, from 5:30–7:00 PM!

🏫 Visit classrooms and connect with your child’s teacher
📘 Learn more about Title I programs and support
🌎 DLI families can meet with the Participate Representative
🐾 Connect with community representatives and programs that support and partner with our school
📝 Learn about classroom routines, daily learning, and expectations
📅 Sign up for parent conferences

We look forward to spending the evening with our Lion Cub families! 💛

Hickory City Schools

09/19/2026

National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated through October 15. During this month-long tribute, we recognize the achievements of Hispanic and Latinx Americans and honor their contributions to the history and culture of North Carolina and the United States.

09/19/2026

🎨🦁 We’re lucky to have Mrs. Kuba inspiring our Lion Cubs to create, explore, and discover all they’re capable of! 💙💛

🎨 National Arts in Education Week | Educator Spotlight

Meet Tina Kuba, Visual Art Teacher at Southwest Primary School and Longview Elementary School, Hickory NC! This is Tina’s 5th year teaching art, and she has been with HCS since 2018, when she started as a preschool TA at Southwest.

We asked Tina a few questions about teaching art and the moments that make it so special:

❤️ What do you love most about teaching the arts?

What I love most about teaching art is the daily surprises. Every day, at least one student surprises me with their growth, inspires me with their art, teaches me something new, or reminds me of something I love about art. Today a kindergartener surprised me; tomorrow it may be a third grader.

🌟 What is your proudest moment as an arts educator?

My proudest moments as an arts educator are when a student discovers they can do something they thought they could not. The look on their faces melts my heart.

🖼️ What is one arts experience you think every student should have?

I think every student should visit as many art museums and art galleries as they can. There are so many different varieties of art; there really is something for everyone. Exposure to art helps students understand and gain insight into different cultures, beliefs, customs, and traditions, therefore expanding their horizons and opening their minds to different points of view.

👏 Help us thank Tina for helping our students discover their creativity and what they are capable of!

09/14/2026

🍕 Domino’s Spirit Night is TOMORROW! 🍕

Support Southwest Primary by ordering from our local Domino’s on Tuesday, September 15th, from 4:00–9:00 PM. 10% of every order will be donated back to our school!

📍 Domino’s: 2652 S NC 127 Hwy, Hickory, NC 28602
📞 828-294-1050

Order online at dominos.com/deals or text PIZZADEAL to 209-787-4190 for a 50% off coupon.

The more families who participate, the more our school earns! Thank you for supporting our Lion Cubs! 🦁

09/02/2026

💙💛 Grateful for Our Community! 💛💙

Our Lion Cubs are surrounded by an incredible community, and we are so thankful for the generosity and kindness shown to Southwest Primary! 🦁

We would like to extend a special THANK YOU to the following community partners for their generous donations and support:

🦁 Kiwanis Club of Hickory
🦁 Bethel UMC
🦁 Liaison's Community Care
🦁 Hickory Sunrise Rotary Club
🦁 Shurtape
🦁 Hickory Lady Elks

Your generosity helps us support our students, staff, and families and reminds us just how fortunate we are to be part of such a caring community.

It's important to note that our gratitude extends far beyond this list! We know there are countless individuals, families, organizations, and community partners who support Southwest in ways both big and small. Whether you donate, volunteer, encourage, lend a helping hand, or simply cheer on our Lion Cubs—please know that we see your kindness, we feel your support, and we are incredibly grateful for you. 💙

Want to get involved at Southwest? If you are interested in volunteering, please complete the volunteer form linked below: https://www.hickoryschools.net/families/volunteer

We would love to have you join us in supporting our Lion Cubs! 🦁💛

Leading with academic excellence since 1903, Hickory City Schools is located 50 miles northwest of Charlotte, NC, and serves approximately 3,900+ students. We’re committed to exceeding expectations by meeting all students' academic and developmental needs. We offer a wide variety of academic choic...

08/28/2026

🤠💕 Well, hello Dolly!

If you happen to see this tonight, we’d love for you to join us for a little Dolly Day fun tomorrow! Think denim, many colors, a little sparkle, and/or bring your favorite book! 🌈✨📚

Dolly has given us so many reasons to celebrate, but we especially admire her heart for children and her passion for early literacy. Through her Imagination Library, the joy of reading has made its way into countless homes—including many of our very own Lion Cub homes! 🦁💕

Want to spread a little Dolly love? If you know a child under 5 who isn’t connected to the Imagination Library, help their family get signed up to receive free books right in their mailbox! 📚💖

Check availability & sign up for the Imagination Library 📚 http://www.smartstart.org/dolly-partons-imagination-library/

And if you’re joining us tomorrow, share your Dolly Day pictures with us—we’d love to see them! 🤠✨

Smart Start and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library are working together to get free books into the hands of North Carolina’s youngest children

08/28/2026

🤠💕 Well, hello Dolly!

If you happen to see this tonight, we’d love for you to join us for a little Dolly Day fun tomorrow! Think denim, many colors, a little sparkle, and/or bring your favorite book! 🌈✨📚

Dolly has given us so many reasons to celebrate, but we especially admire her heart for children and her passion for early literacy. Through her Imagination Library, the joy of reading has made its way into countless homes—including many of our very own Lion Cub homes! 🦁💕

Want to spread a little Dolly love? If you know a child under 5 who isn’t connected to the Imagination Library, help their family get signed up to receive free books right in their mailbox! 📚💖

Check availability & sign up for the Imagination Library 📚 http://www.smartstart.org/dolly-partons-imagination-library/

And if you’re joining us tomorrow, share your Dolly Day pictures with us—we’d love to see them! 🤠✨

08/27/2026

🦁💙💛 PARENT PARTNERSHIP: We Appreciate YOU!
Today is the day—the whole pride is here! 🦁 As we welcome our full Pre-K and Kindergarten crew, THANK YOU for your patience, flexibility, and partnership!

A few little things make a BIG difference in keeping arrival and dismissal safe and smooth:

🚗 **CAR RIDER READY**
🏷️ Car rider tag clearly visible
🚙 Please remain in your vehicle
➡️ Follow staff directions if asked to pull forward
🦁 Need extra time to get settled? Please use the designated area outside the gate after exiting the line.

🚌 **BUS RIDER READY**
⏰ Be present and ready for morning pick-up **and** afternoon drop-off
🚌 Bus times may vary during these first few weeks as students are added and drivers adjust to updated routes. Thank you for your patience!

⏰ **DISMISSAL REMINDER**
Our Lion Cubs learn in their classrooms until 3:15 PM, then safely transition to their dismissal locations. Car and bus rider doors open at 3:20 PM once students are safely in place.

🌟 **Little learners are learning BIG routines!** Arrival and dismissal take modeling, practice, and repetition, too. Today may take us a little longer, but each day brings more practice, confidence, and independence!

We see the backpacks you're packing, car tags you're remembering, bus stops you're making, and everything in between. **Thank you for helping our Lion Cubs start and end each day safely and successfully!** 💙💛🦁

08/26/2026

👀🦁 We spy some Lion Cubs! 💙💛

What an AMAZING first two days at Southwest! Today, we welcomed our final staggered-entry group of Pre-K and Kindergarten students into our Lion Cub Pride, and tomorrow… the whole pride is together! 🦁

We can’t wait to welcome ALL of our Lion Cubs tomorrow! 💙💛