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Highcroft Hotline

December 1, 2019

Highcroft HotlineDecember 1, 2019

Highcroft's Mission

At Highcroft, we help learners grow in a safe, caring community where ALL are valued and supported to become leaders.

Upcoming Events

December

  • 3: 4th Grade MOSAICS Field Trip to The Grandel Theatre, 9:00 am - 11:30 am
  • 3: Playground Ribbon-Cutting, 9:30 am
  • 4: 3rd Grade Strings Open House, Ms. Fortmann, 10:20 am
  • 4: 3rd Grade Strings Open House, Ms. Galanti, 10:50 am
  • 5: 3rd Grade Field Trip to Busch Stadium, 9:15 am - 1:00 pm
  • 11: Board of Education Meeting, 7:00 pm, 471 N. Woods Mill Road
  • 12: All Read, 3:25 pm - 3:45 pm
  • 12: PSO Meeting, 7:00 pm
  • 16: 5th Grade Field Trip to JA Biztown, 9:15 am - 2:00 pm
  • 17: Country Western Day
  • 20: Winter Parties, 9:45 am - 10:30 am
  • 20: Half Day AM, school dismisses at 1:05 pm
  • Dec 21, 2019 - Jan 5, 2020: Winter Break

Lucas Letter

Greetings,


As we continue our school-wide focus on the 7-Habits, we are engaged in learning and applying Habit 2-Begin with the End in Mind.


Habit #2 – Begin with the End in Mind is “the habit of vision or the habit of having a plan." It is the habit that defines our "why," why we do what we do. It means to think about how you would like something to turn out before you get started. Reading a recipe before cooking or looking at a map before leaving on a trip is beginning with the end in mind. For young children, a good example is that of a jigsaw puzzle. Before doing a puzzle, they look at the cover of the box. They start with the end in mind. This habit is exercised by our teachers as they plan units of study. Before lessons are written, they consider what are the ending outcomes and how will we go about getting our students to meet the goal.


During one of our "To-Do Tuesday" morning meetings, we learned about Goob the Bear in a story called “Goob and the Bug-Collecting Kit.” Goob passes a toy store, sees a bug-collecting kit, decides he has to have it, and makes a plan to earn the $4 it costs to buy the kit. He then spends his time putting his plan into action with the help of his buddy, Jumper Rabbit. They set up a lemonade stand, split the $20 profit, and each makes choices about how they will spend their money. Goob makes smart choices with his money and is able to buy the bug-collecting kit plus additional items. Jumper makes impulsive choices, buys popcorn,

candy bars, gum, a cheap yo-yo (which breaks right away), and a small squirt gun (which he loses) and finds that his money “just kind of disappeared.” In the end, Goob helps his buddy figure out that he needed to plan ahead, to begin with the end in mind, to get what he really wanted. Please take a moment throughout this week to share with your child how you practice Habit 2 and begin with the end in mind.


On Tuesday, we will celebrate the completion of our playground construction with a ribbon-cutting scheduled at 9:30 am. This event is the culminating celebration of our Let's All Play playground committee's efforts to provide more inclusive playground equipment to engage all of our students in recess fun. What began as passionate first-grade students advocating for all, ended with a committed committee of parents and students leading the way to make the dream a reality.


There are three weeks between now and winter break and in that short time, there are many wonderful, field trips, celebrations, and a party scheduled. We appreciate all of your support in making these events a success and look forward to seeing you joining in the fun over the next few weeks.


In partnership,


Cartelia Lucas

Principal

clucas@parkwayschools.net

December's Acts of Kindness Calendar Created By The 3rd-5th Kindness Leaders

Strings Update

Mrs. Woods, Strings Teacher


3rd Grade

Third Graders are polishing their pieces for the open house on Wednesday, December 4th, 2019. Here is the specific time that you should come (when your child has strings class):

Ms. Fortmann 10:20-10:50

Ms. Galanti 10:50-11:20

4th Grade

Fourth graders are working on songs for 4th Grade String Day in February. Each piece they will perform teaches a new skill or technique on their instrument. Please help your young musician remember to bring their instrument and strings binder to school on Mondays and Wednesdays for class.

5th Grade

Fifth Graders are getting ready for West Area String Fest on Tuesday December 3rd, 2019. It is from 4:30-6:30PM at West Middle School. They will be rehearsing Rustic Dance, Impulse and Rhythm 'n Blues with students from other West Area Elementary Schools and the 8th Grade Orchestra. Please help your young musician remember to bring their instrument and binder to school for rehearsals on Mondays & Wednesdays.


All Grade Levels: Follow us on Twitter @HR_Strings and check out our strings website http://woodsstrings.weebly.com/

Musical Notes

Mr. Spector, Music Teacher


Kindergarten is working on their first ever performance at Highcroft! Country Western Day is a chance for students to show off their singing and dancing skills in a program called Dances Through the Decades. Get ready because you don’t want to miss this!

First Grade - as they prepare for Country Western Day, students will study various types of folk music. They are also working on folk dances from around the world.

Second Grade is learning music expression through games and can tell you what the formal name for the piano is. They are also working on folk dances from around the world.

Third Grade is beginning their orchestra project unit featuring a piece by Benjamin Britten called Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra!. This exciting opportunity transitions so that students are creating their own orchestra dioramas. Fourth graders are also working on folk dances from around the world.

Fourth Grade is learning music expression through games. They are also working on folk dances from around the world.

Fifth Grade is venturing into the world of popular music and musicology. They will study different genres of popular music and focus on the genres’ forms for expression. Students are also working on folk dances from around the world.

New Online Payment System

Parents will soon have access to a new online payment system, a convenient way to view and pay selected school fees, without the hassle of writing a check or paying with cash. The new online payment system is accessible through Infinite Campus. Learn more.


The new online payment system will allow you to:

  • View and pay school fees including activities fees, field trips, parking passes, school clothing, athletic fees, etc. This does not include lunch balance payments, which will still be processed through MySchoolBucks.
  • Make one payment for all your children at the same time.
  • View payment history.
  • View and complete selected school forms.
  • Pay on a computer or from your mobile device.


There is a 2.5 percent convenience fee for credit card use. There is a 10-cent fee for ACH payments (echecks) and funds will come directly out of checking or savings account.

There are no new accounts to create and you access the online payment system through Infinite Campus. Log in, go to ‘More’ and then click ‘Online Payments’.

For questions, please email: schoolpayments@parkwayschools.net.