Highland Weekly

As a charter school, Highland Academy is governed by an Academic Policy Committee (APC). It is the APC's responsibility to oversee the implementation of the school's mission and vision, oversee finances, and develop a strategic plan to support the continued growth of the school. Our first regularly scheduled board meeting of the school year is August 15th from 5:30-7:00 via Zoom. All community members are invited to attend APC Meetings. All APC meeting dates, Zoom links, and agendas will be posted on our website in advance. For more information about our APC, please check their page on our school website.

Please note, the APC will be holding a special meeting via Zoom at 5:00 on Monday, August 5th. Please see the Zoom Link below.

https://asdk12.zoom.us/j/2314599803?pwd=eGNTbVE5eU9mV251a3NHeUdDVVRrQT09

As a reminder, Highland has moved to an 8:30 AM start time for the 2025 school year. On Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday our bell schedule will be 8:30-3:00, and our building hours will be 7:30-4:00. We will still have our early release Wednesday, ending the day at 2:00. The building will remain open at 7:30 AM for early drop off, and close at 4:00 Pm. Students will be permitted to stay in the building until 4:00 if they are participating in a school sponsored club/activity (clubs/activities will begin in September).

Highland will continue to use a 7-block modified bell schedule this year. Student schedules will be available in Empower on Tuesday, August 13th. Log in to Empower and change the date to August 15th to see the full class schedule.

All families are invited to join us on Tuesday, August 20th between 5:00-6:30 for our Open House and Back to School BBQ event. Highland’s PTSO will be grilling food and hosting activities, while teachers are available for meet and greets. This is a great opportunity to connect with staff members and other Highland families. We look forward to seeing you for an evening of family fun!

If you haven’t already done so, please take some time to familiarize yourself with Empower, Highland’s learning management system. Empower is an integral part of student learning, as teachers assign and assess work through this program. Students should be logging in everyday to access and submit work, receive feedback, check scores, etc. We highly encourage parents/guardians to log into Empower with their child on a regular basis to view progress. Please take a few minutes to watch this Empower tutorial video.

Students that do not already have a Chromebook, will be assigned a school Chromebook and charger at the beginning of the year. It is their responsibility to take care of the device, bringing it fully charged, to and from school every day. Computers are used on a regular basis, and it is critical to the learning environment that students are using technology appropriately. The school network and computers are not intended or provided for personal use. It is our expectation that students adhere to district policy, as well as Highland policy and classroom expectations.

All students are assigned a Google Account (asdk12.net), providing them access to school issued Chromebooks and their Google Drive. The Anchorage School District monitors student accounts, flagging inappropriate content and use. Misuse of a school device may result in a restrictive technology plan or temporary suspension of a student’s account.

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.

Volunteers help make field trips and events possible! If you are interested in volunteering, please complete the required ASD Volunteer Form as soon as possible. We appreciate your time and support!

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.

Thank you for your continued support and dedication to the Highland community! Be on the look out for weekly communication from the school every Friday. Please feel free to reach out with any questions. Enjoy the rest of your summer!

-Ms. Crosby, Principal

crosby_nicole@asdk12.org

https://www.asdk12.org/highlandacademy

Educating for Leadership, Educating for Life