

Highland Happenings
April 17h, 2025

No School Tomorrow!
Good afternoon Highland Families,
I hope you have had a great week so far and tax day treated you kindly. This week we completely wrapped up Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) and Illinois Science Assessment (ISA) testing, had Book Swap, got to shop at the School Store, and had Penny Wars! Next week is full of great events including Open House, Authorfest, and instrument demonstrations for our 3rd and 4th graders. This weekend Mrs. Wallace's memorial outdoor learning space is set to be installed. Please avoid the front lawn/circle drive this weekend as crews work to install new ground coverings and plants. Next week's Highland Happenings will contain our Spring MAP testing schedule. Just a reminder, tomorrow is non-attendance day for students across District 58. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to the Highland main office at 630-719-5835. Take care and have a great weekend!
My Best,
Zac Craft
Principal, Highland School
Weekly Preview
- 04/22/25: Open House!
- 04/23-04/25: Author Fest
- 04/24: Fit Friends Club
- 04/25: Pizza Lunch
- 04/25: April All-School Meeting
Later On
- 04/28: MAP Testing begnis
- 04/28: 5th Grade 50 States Field Trip
- 04/29: 6th Grade Outdoor Ed Trip
- 04/29: 2nd Grade DG History Field Trip
- 04/30: April All-School Meeting
- 05/02: Treat Day
Attention 6th Grade Families
Mrs. Wallace's Outdoor Classroom Update!
We are very excited to share that the design for Mrs. Wallace's Outdoor Learning Space is completed and a construction date has been scheduled! The design for the outdoor space can be found below, and will be located on the West side of the building adjacent to our current car turn around. Construction on the outdoor learning space is scheduled for April 18th and 19th, and a rain date is currently being worked out. In the coming weeks we share the date for our dedication ceremony. We are very grateful to our entire Highland community for contributing to this wonderful, and deeply meaningful cause!
Downers Grove Grade School District 58 Instrumental Music Program
Dear 3rd and 4th Grade Families,
April is an exciting month for our students as they consider selecting an instrument to play. We are thrilled to prepare to welcome you and your child into our instrumental music program for the 2025-2026 school year.
This month, your child has the opportunity to take their first steps in joining the Downers Grove Orchestra and Band Programs. Third-grade students can join the orchestra, and fourth-grade students can join the band. Throughout April, we will meet with all third- and fourth-grade students to demonstrate the instruments they can play and discuss the unique opportunities available through instrumental music, both in District 58 and beyond!
Importantly, we will be hosting Parent Informational Meetings on Tuesday, April 29th in the Herrick Middle School cafeteria. At the parent meetings, we will discuss the D58 programs, expectations for families, our fitting process, how to rent an instrument, and other logistics specific to our instrumental programs. The meeting will last about 45 minutes with time for questions afterwards. Our beginning orchestra meeting (for 3rd grade parents) will begin at 6:00pm and our beginning band meeting (for 4th grade parents) will begin at 7:00pm.
Downers Grove District 58 has a strong commitment to music education in all of our schools. We are exceedingly proud of our students and the people they become through their involvement in studying music. Participation in beginning band or orchestra is the first step in learning a unique skill that will last a lifetime, and we cannot wait to meet and start our beginning instrumental music class for the 2025-2026 School Year!
Please contact one of us if you have any questions about the District 58 Instrumental Music Program. We look forward to seeing you on April 29th!
Sincerely,
The DG58 Instrumental Music Staff
Miss Emily Bloom, band (HG, KG, LE, PD) - ebloom@dg58.org
Ms. Lisa Rose, orchestra (BA, HG, PD, WH) - lrose@dg58.org
Open House is Next Week!
6th Grade Sports Physicals
Dear 6th Families,
Does your student plan to participate in a fall sport in middle school? A completed sports physical is required for all middle school athletes—even for practice before tryouts.
Since fall sports practices begin before the school year starts, we strongly encourage you to schedule your child’s sports physical as soon as possible to ensure they are eligible to participate. Sports physicals are valid for 13 months from the exam date, so be sure your child’s physical is up to date. Our health offices are currently accepting physicals dated after September 2nd, 2024.
Please submit completed sports physicals to Nancy Sweet at nsweet@dg58.org before the first practice. If you have any questions about requirements, feel free to reach out.
Thank you for your attention to this important step in preparing for a great season!
Prevent the spread of germs
llnesses such as flu, RSV and COVID-19 are spreading in the community. District 58's Health Services website has great resources on preventing these illnesses, and steps to take if you get sick.
In addition, winter break is a great time to clean your child's coats, winterwear, book bag, lunch box and anything else your child takes to school to help fight the spread of germs!
April Lunch Menu
There is no new episode of the Highland Scoop this week, tune in next week!
PTA All Day
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Library FUNdraiser
Donate and be a part of the Highland Elementary School's Library forever! In the new library at Highland, there will be a portion of a wall dedicated to those who have helped make it happen. Each book will cost $150 and will vary in coloration, size, font, etc to mimic books. Visit givebacks if you'd like to purchase: https://highland58pta.givebacks.com/store/items/1174508
Here are some ideas for you:
Family Name
In Loving Memory of Someone
Your 6th grader who will be graduating this year
Your local business (we are unable to display logos however, business names are acceptable)
Below is the example of how the donor wall will look! If you or someone you may know would like to make a larger donation, reach out to us and we are more than happy to customize some ideas for you!
Be a library reader today!
The best way to raise money is to do something FUN while making memories with your child!
For a donation of $25 to the library fundraising project, you can sign up for a slot to come in and read to your child’s class during their scheduled library time.
All grades are now open!
Visit https://evite.me/fSQsEEkk1H to view the schedule.
Please reach out to Cara Baran with any questions.
Thank you for your support of this important initiative!
Yearbook
Less than ONE MONTH to order Your 2024-25 Highland School Yearbook - The Deadline is Friday 4/11- TODAY!!!!!!!
To place your order, please visit https://www.treering.com/purchase?PassCode=1016950792033554 by April 11 to ensure your yearbook is shipped directly to Highland!
If your family needs financial assistance to purchase the yearbook, please reach out to the PTA at highlandpta58@gmail.com.
Not sure if you ordered your yearbook? Please search your email for "Treering Order Confirmation". Still not sure? Please contact Christina Zycinski at clzycinski@gmail.com or via text 312-371-8781
Always Here!
Item's that can be found in every edition of the Highland Happenings, such as the Highland Playbook and our student attendance form can be found below. We want to ensure that these resources are always available to our families while also making each week's Happenings as reader-friendly as possible!
The 2024-2025 Highland Playbook is Now Available!
The Highlanad Playbook is your place to find important information about Highland including a staff directory, arrival/dismissal procedures, informaion about social-emotional learning, and much more. Click the image to the right to access the 2024-2025 Highland Playbook.
2024-2025 School Year Calendar (click to enlarge)
Community Resources
Personal Electronic/Technology Devices Policy in DG58
It is amazing how far technology has come over the last decade and continues to advance. We recognize the value technology has not just in education, but our world. However, we hope that we can work together to remind students that during the school day, personal electronic devices should be turned off or silenced and out of sight. This includes wearable devices if they become distracting to the learning environment. Students should not be using phones, Apple Watches, or other devices to send or receive text messages or phone calls during the school day.
Keep In Touch
Email: zcraft@dg58.org
Website: DG58.org/HG
Location: 3935 Highland Avenue, Downers Grove, IL, USA
Phone: (630)-719-5835
Facebook: facebook.com/HGHuskies
Twitter: @HGHuskies