Highland Happenings

Good Afternoon Highland Families,

I hope this edition of the Highland Happenings finds you well and that you enjoyed the long weekend. This week we wrapped up MAP testing and I am so proud of the work and effort that our Huskies put into showing what they know! MAP testing results will be sent to families next week. Next week we are excited to celebrate the 100th day of school, as well as host our January All-School Meeting. It is always so nice to see our kindergarteners dressed up for the 100th day of school, and our first graders dressed up for the 101st day! Parent-teacher conference sign ups are now open and directions on how to sign up can be found below. If you have any questions or need any assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at 630-719-5835. Take care and have a great weekend!

My Best,

Zac Craft

Principal, Highland School

• 01/27/25: The 100th Day of School
• 01/31/25: Highland Read-a-thon begins

• 02/04/25: Parent-Teacher Conferences
• 02/06/25: Highland Scoop Meeting
• 02/06/25: Parent-Teacher Conferences
• 02/07/25: Fun Lunch

Regular school attendance is crucial for your child’s academic and social development. We appreciate your partnership in helping them arrive at school on time each day.

District 58 is focused on improving student attendance, and as a part of this effort, I will be sending an attendance awareness letter home to each student’s family. This letter will be sent home on Friday, January 31, and it will include the number of days your child has been in attendance. Please reach out to me should you have any questions about your child’s attendance or this letter.

Will your child attend kindergarten at Highland next school year? Or do you have a friend or neighbor whose child will? Here are four steps to prepare!

1. If we don’t already know that you have an incoming kindergartner, contact the Highland office at 630-719-5835 or zcraft@dg58.org and let us know! We will add you to any school-specific kindergarten contact lists.

2. Attend Kindergarten Roundup at Highland on March 20th, at 6:00 p.m. Kindergarten Roundup gives parents and guardians the opportunity to visit their child’s future school, meet the principal and staff, and ask questions.

3. Visit our Kindergarten Resource webpage for kindergarten resources and helpful information.

4. Attend Kindergarten Dual Language Information Night. Learn more about the Dual Language Program below!

Dear Highland Elementary School Families,

Let the games begin, Heart Heroes! Kids Heart Challenge is here and it’s better than ever! Sign up TODAY to get started on Finn’s Mission - refresh your Hands-Only CPR skills and learn the warning signs of a stroke. Every student who completes Finn’s Mission will earn their very own Heart Hero Cape!

Help Save Lives with These Simple Steps:

Download the FREE AHA Schools App for Apple or Android and click on “Register Now” then scroll down to join your school's team. OR click HERE and choose “Sign Up” to get started.

Thank you for being an essential part of the Kids Heart Challenge, supporting our school and the American Heart Association. Every step you take helps save lives. Let’s make a powerful positive impact together!

Please check out our Highland Parent Letter for more details and special incentives this year!!

As part of our new Student Library Card Program, District 58 invited families to sign up their child to receive a free library card during school registration last year. The Downers Grove Public Library recently finished preparing the library cards and delivered them to District 58 schools. Students will receive and learn about their library cards during their Highland Library time.

Students who signed up and already have a library card will receive an envelope with information about the program. In addition, participating students who live in Woodridge should have received their library card by mail last month. Library cards may not yet be ready for students who transferred to District 58 mid-school year. If you did not sign up your child for a library card but would like one, please contact the school office. We will partner with the library for a second issuance of library cards later this year.

Learn more about the Student Library Card Program.

Incoming kindergarten families are invited to an informational meeting regarding District 58’s Dual Language Program on Wednesday, Feb. 26 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at El Sierra School, 6835 Fairmount Drive. The meeting will be in both English and Spanish. It is intended specifically for parents and guardians of incoming kindergarteners for the 2025-26 school year.

Learn about:

• Understand the benefits of dual language learning.

• Learn more about District 58’s bilingual learning model and how to participate.

• Meet some of the dual language teachers and staff. Get answers to your questions.

• Learn how to enroll.

District 58’s Dual Language Program opens up a world of opportunities for young learners. We welcome your child to join this journey! To learn more, visit our Dual Language Program webpage.

Winter parent-teacher conference signups are now open through Friday, Jan. 31 at 11 a.m. Families can sign up using the PowerPTC system.

Conferences will take place the evenings of Feb. 4 and Feb. 6.

View conference signup instructions here. (para Español: Registro para las reuniones de padres y maestros).

We value communication with parents and guardians, but we have received feedback that as a result of strong and ongoing communication between home and school a winter conference may not be necessary for all families. You can simply choose not to sign up. Regardless, please know that you can request a conference with your child’s teacher at any time throughout the year. Additionally, your child’s teacher(s) may contact you at any time if they feel a conference would be helpful.

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!

Do you have young children at home? Do you have friends or neighbors with little ones? Please share this information!

District 58 offers free preschool and developmental screenings designed to identify young children, ages 0-5, who might have developmental delays and who would benefit from special education prior to beginning kindergarten.

Each week, a member of the Highland staff will be highlighted in the Highland Happenings! This is a great opportunity for our Highland community to learn more about our staff members and all of the information featured in the Happenings can be found in the staff directory on our website. This week we are highlighting Mrs. Dunlap.

We are excited to let everyone know that the Kane County Cougars Reading program has begun at school and all students are on their way to achieving Sunshine, Baseball & Fireworks at an upcoming Cougars game. By fulfilling their daily reading requirements set by their classroom, your child(ren) will earn a free game ticket, free food & drink, and a special bonus "Golden Ticket," which will be redeemable for a free child ticket for an unlimited number of games between June through Labor Day. Best of all, your child will be receiving this reading reward automatically! Stay tuned for updates on how to redeem your child(ren)'s free ticket after Spring Break!

PTA Board Nominations

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 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.

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.

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