Highland Weekly

It has been a chilly end to the week, but thankfully, we completed our January fire drill just before the temperature dipped into single digits! Please continue to send students to school with their warm weather gear and appropriate footwear.

I hope everyone had a chance to read the email I sent Monday regarding the potential relocation of Highland Academy to the Nunaka Valley Elementary School campus. We continued this conversation Thursday during lunch with a student forum, allowing students the opportunity to share their thoughts, questions, excitement, and concerns about the potential relocation. It led to great conversation and discussion, and I truly appreciated hearing from those students that participated. After reviewing surveys and engaging in conversation with many stakeholders (staff, students, parents, and community members), I believe this is a wonderful opportunity for our school community. The benefits of relocation will enhance the learning experience for our students, and allow us to continue to grow our program. If you have any comments, thoughts, suggestions, ideas, etc. to share, please feel free to do so using this survey - https://forms.gle/2UnkJ3YB7yoYQpJa9.

As this conversation continues, it is important to remember the impact any school closure has on families and the local community. With this in mind, we encourage you to advocate for Highland to move to Nunaka Valley Elementary by emailing the Anchorage School Board (schoolboard@asdk12.org). Additionally, I'd like to extend the invitation to all stakeholders to attend the February 18th and March 18th Anchorage School District Board meetings to show your support of Highland relocating to the Nunaka Valley Elementary School campus. Board meetings begin promptly at 6:00 pm. I hope to see you there!

On Monday, February 10th from 1:45 - 2:45, AK Fentanyl Response Project and the DEA will be presenting at a school-wide assembly to Highland students. The purpose of this assembly is to create awareness and educate students on the dangers of fentanyl.

"Founded by Clinical Psychologist Sandy Snodgrass whose son Bruce was tragically killed by fentanyl poisoning in 2021. In the time since, Sandy has dedicated herself to sharing her story as a means of increasing awareness and advocating for legislative action, as well as the importance of Naloxone Kit availability and training. Sandy works regularly with the DEA, local government representatives, Senators, and the Alaska Governor." Please check out their website for additional information about the AK Fentanyl Response Project.

Parents and guardians are welcome to attend this assembly with their children. Please RSVP by Friday, February 7th to ensure seating is set up to accommodate all audience members.

February is “Visit Our Schools” month, and word of mouth is our best advertising tool. We would appreciate your support by spreading the word about Highland and sharing your experiences with potential new families. We have scheduled a number of different events to help potential new families learn more about our unique program. If you know of families that are exploring their educational options for the upcoming school year, please share the attached flyers and encourage them to schedule a tour with us during the month of February.

Have a great weekend!

-Ms. Crosby, Principal

crosby_nicole@asdk12.org

https://www.asdk12.org/highlandacademy

Educating for Leadership, Educating for Life

February

• Saturday, February 8th - Alternative Schools and Program EXPO @ Begich Middle School from 12:00-4:00
• Saturday, February 8th - Barnes and Noble Book Fair from 10:00-4:00
• Tuesday, February 11th - Ice Cream Social @ Highland from 5:30-6:30
• Monday, February 17th - Presidents' Day (NO SCHOOL)
• Tuesday, February 18th - ASD School Board Meeting @ 6:00
• Friday, February 21st - Valentine's Day Lock-in from 6:00-9:00
• Tuesday, February 25th - Quarter 3 ALICE Drill @ 12:45

• Thursday, February 27th - Spring Conferences (Half-day for students) between 12:00-7:00
• Friday, February 28th - Professional Development Day (NO SCHOOL for students)

March

• Saturday, March 1st - Raising Canes Fundraiser
• Thursday, March 6th - End of Quarter 3
• Friday, March 7th - Grading Day (NO SCHOOL for students)
• Monday March 10th - Friday, March 14th - Spring Break
• Tuesday, March 18th - ASD Board Meeting @ 6:00
• Friday, March 21st - Chili Cook-off

Google -

https://www.google.com/search?q=highland+academy&rlz=1C5GCEM_en&oq=highland+academy&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCggAEAAY4wIYgAQyCggAEAAY4wIYgAQyEAgBEC4YrwEYxwEYgAQYjgUyBwgCEAAYgAQyBwgDEAAYgAQyBwgEEAAYgAQyBggFEEUYPDIGCAYQRRg8MgYIBxBFGDzSAQg1MzIzajBqN6gCALACAA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#lrd=0x56c896e89c7f1a5b:0x9b77a3ecd9597b21,3,,,,

Facebook -

https://www.facebook.com/HighlandAcademyCharter/reviews

All students are enrolled in an Advisory class focused on community building, social-emotional learning, character development, accountability, parent-teacher-student connections, leadership, and academic progress. Advisors work closely with students as they monitor progress, support goal setting, advocate for students, and support the growth of skills critical for success after high school. Advisors serve as parent's "go to" person, setting up meetings, answering questions, and providing a direct line of communication between home and school.

Highland has established a positive and respectful school culture and CORE (Culture of Respect for Everyone) plays an integral role in Highland's philosophy. All stakeholders work together to ensure a productive and safe environment for all learners and guests.

College and Career Preparedness (CCP) standards also play a significant role in setting students up for success after high school. These standards address critical life skills including digital citizenship and technology use, collaboration, effective communication, professional etiquette, career exploration, financial literacy, and much more. Similar to PSS standards, CCP standards can be earned in a variety of ways including Advisory, core classes, elective classes, workshops, and outside of school experiences. Students are required to complete three levels of CCP to meet Highland graduation requirements.

Please see the attached "Earning PSS and CCP Standards - Student Guide" for additional information on how students can earn these important standards.

Personal, Social, Service (PSS) standards play a significant role in developing skills necessary for success after school. These standards are critical to Highland's philosophy and supporting growth of the whole child. Embedded in these standards is skill development of communication, critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity. Each level has a series of standards broken into 5 different categories: (1) Health, (2) Personal, (3) Social, (4) Personal Expression, and (5) Service. Students have many opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge and learning in school through Advisory, core classes, electives, Intensives, etc. They can also bring in their experiences outside of school to show their knowledge and learning of PSS standards (i.e. sports, musical instruments, first aid cards, volunteer work, etc.). This evidence should be brought to the Advisor to discuss how they connect to PSS. After completion of all standards, students complete a presentation of their learning to a panel of their choice. Students are required to complete three levels of PSS to meet graduation requirements at Highland.

Please see the attached "Earning PSS and CCP Standards - Student Guide" for additional information on how students can earn these important standards.

If students receive feedback from teachers asking them to revise their assignments, projects, papers, etc., please encourage them to do so. Once they use the feedback to improve and revise their work, it should be resubmitted to the teacher for an updated assessment. I would recommend letting the teacher know whenever a revised assignment has been resubmitted. In a competency based program, feedback and revision are crucial steps in the learning the process.

Check out the video below to learn more about a student's homepage in Empower. It explains the homepage features, as well as demonstrating how to access activities and assignments and view student scores and teacher feedback. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to your child's Advisor. If you would like to schedule a one-on-one Zoom tutorial, please email Ms. Crosby with your request.

When your child is absent or tardy, please contact the school as soon as possible. The best way to report an absence is through Q/ParentConnect. You can also call the front office (907) 742-1700.

As a reminder, Highland implemented a revised cell phone or headphone/earbud policy last semester. Students are expected to have their earbuds/headphones put away and cell phones turned off and out of sight during class and passing time. They are permitted to use their device before school, during lunch, and after school. If a student has their cell phone or earbuds/headphones out in class or during passing time, regardless of the reason, teachers will confiscate the device to be stored at the front office for the rest of the school day.

We request that all families pay a $150 supply and activity for the school year through Q/ParentConnection. These funds help pay for intensives, student-led activities, class sets, and more. If this is a hardship, or you would rather donate your time, we would be happy to work with you.