Highlands Highlights

5pm-6pm Social hour for all Highlands families. Enjoy beverages and light snacks. Connect with Highlands families.

6pm-7pm Townhall event - Welcome; PTO Business; Q&A with Principal, Dr. Cara Rieckenberg and Administrative Dean, Tom; Understand the Safety Response Protocols; Learn about the benefits of outdoor learning and experience a frequent lesson, sit spots, Highlands students do outdoors!

Enter through Door #1 and meet in the Art Room. Can’t make it in person? Join us virtually with the Google Meet at 6pm - information below:

Highlands Townhall Meeting

Wednesday, September 18 · 6:00 – 7:00pm

Time zone: America/Chicago

Google Meet joining info

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/bta-wtxr-ffa

Or dial: ‪(US) +1 605-906-8098‬ PIN: ‪777 215 287‬#

9/18 PTO General Meeting & Town Hall 6 - 7pm, Parent Social Hour 5 - 6pm

9/24 Photo Retake Day - morning - morning school hours

9/24 Practice lockdown drill - school hours

9/29 Kindness in Chalk 5:30 -7pm

10/8 1st Grade Hearing and Vision Testing - school hours

10/8 PTO Exec Meeting 1:30 - 3:15pm

10/9 Davanni’s Fundraiser 4 - 8pm

For more Highlands dates, please Go to the Highlands website at: https://highlands.edinaschools.org/

We are still in need of two Instructional Assistants to work with First Grade students from Monday through Friday from 8am-10am. Please click here and apply for Job #8730

Edina Public Elementary Schools utilize the Social Emotional Learning program, Character Strong. This year is Highland’s 2nd year of implementing Character Strong. Watch this introduction video to learn more about this wonderful curriculum. Take a minute to read this KickOff Family Newsletter. Each month a new character trait will be introduced and be the focus for the month. We will share the monthly newsletters which provide an overview of the character trait, what the learning looks and sounds like at school and conversation starters for at home discussions. For September, students are honing in on the character trait of Respect. Read the grade level monthly newsletters here.

On Tuesday, September 24th, Highlands will practice our first lockdown safety response protocol (drill) of the school year. In Minnesota, all schools are required to practice 5 evacuation (fire), 5 lockdown and 1 severe weather drill throughout the school year. Each of these safety response protocols are preceded by classroom instruction for the students from their classroom teachers. When planning drills, we always inform staff and students of the days/times so a conversation occurs regarding reasons why we practice drills and the procedure for safety. We will inform families of our first drills of the school year. Students will learn about this drill next Monday, September 23rd or the morning of the 24th during classroom instruction. We typically do not inform students days in advance so as to not create anxiety on the drills. For more information on the different safety response protocols (drills) we run in Edina, please review this document.

This fall all students in grades K-9 took the FASTBridge Universal Screening assessment in both reading and math. You can view your child's scores in the assessment portal on or after October 4th.

Here is more information on the assessments:

English

Spanish

Somali

How can I help at home?

FASTBridge: Cómo ayudar en casa

How do I access the assessment portal?

We have Highlands staff who are allergic to pumpkins. Please not bring decorative pumpkins into the school. Did you know any hard-skinned squash could be called a pumpkin? There's no botanical distinction that makes a pumpkin a pumpkin. Thank you in advance for your understanding.

We already have volunteer opportunities and we always need volunteers! Use the sign up button below to sign up on Membership Toolkit (MTK).

• Open PTO positions: There are a few open positions this year as well as a few shadow positions, where the parents who have been leading the events have 5th graders and would like to pass the torch for new year.
• Art Adventure: This program engages students with artwork from the Minneapolis Institute of Art's collection. Volunteers are trained on pieces from the collection and then bring a copy of that piece into the classroom to share with the class. No teaching experience or experiences with art is required and training is provided. Artworks are introduced once a month starting in November and times are scheduled directly with participating classroom teachers. The format is traditionally a short discussion with the kids followed by a related art project.
• Discovery Kitchen: Encourage students to try new foods by handing out food samples during the lunch hour. Samples are provided by Chartwells, our food service provider, and will be offered on the regular menu the following day.

• Hearing & Vision Screening: Assist the health office with 3rd and 5th grade Hearing and Vision Testing on September 17 or October 8.
• Lunch Volunteers: Help students with PIN numbers, getting food and utensils, open drinks, clean up routine and make sure kids eat and drink, The need is highest the first few weeks of school.

Volunteer Here!

Order your 2024/25 Yearbook!

Follow the link below to order your yearbook and receive the back to school special price of $23.00!

Order Yearbooks Here

Fifth Grade Yearbook Club

Calling all fifth graders! The yearbook club is looking for thoughtful, creative, and hardworking team members to help create the yearbook this year! You will have the opportunity to take photos for the yearbook, design and create classroom spreads, edit the final proof for publication, and assist in distribution!

Yearbook club will most likely meet the first and/or third Thursday of every month after school from 2:30-3:30 starting October 3rd, with one meeting a month during recess to learn photography skills and practice taking photos with the cameras. Our meeting location will be sent out with the welcome letter once our applications are processed and the club is formed.

Please feel free to contact Amanda Jeske at amjeske11@gmail.com with any questions! In the meantime, follow the link below to the Google Form to apply:

Apply Here

Yearbook Parent Volunteers

Are you interested in helping to create this year's yearbook? The yearbook team is always looking for dedicated volunteers and has several opportunities big and small to contribute your talents! See the attached document and sign up today! Contact Amanda Jeske (amjeske11@gmail.com). Sign Up Here

Main Office Line: 952-848-4500

Attendance Line: 952-848-4502

Website: https://highlands.edinaschools.org/
Location: 5505 Doncaster Way, Edina, MN 55436
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HLHappenings

Tech and Infinite Campus Help: The Help Desk is available to answer media and technology related questions from 7am -4pm. For live assistance, please call 952-848-4915