It was a very successful start to our new "What I Need" (WIN) program. From make-up tests to enrichment projects and focused study time, students had the opportunity to receive structured support based on their individual needs. WIN will continue throughout the school, Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Please see below for more information about the goals and expectations of WIN.

I want to send a huge shout out to the parents and guardians that have contributed to our teachers in need! Mr. Klauschie's room is filled with legos, and the donations to Ms. Robin, Ms. Daugherty, Mr. Johnson's classrooms are appreciated. We look forward to putting these new materials and supplies to good use. If you would still like to contribute, please check out their Amazon Wish List and Donor's Choose Projects below. We appreciate your continued support!

You should have received an email from me about Highland's upcoming Alaska Safe Children's Act lessons. These lessons will be taught in Advisory and are focused on empowering students with the information and skills to protect themselves and seek help from the physical, psychological, and emotional harm that can occur from abusive situations. Read below for more information about the Alaska Safe Children's Act.

Students should be bringing their Chromebooks to school every day. Each day, students are logging in to Empower to access assignments and activities, submit work, and review scores and feedback. Please help remind your child to bring their charged Chromebook to school every day. We do not currently have enough Chromebooks to loan out to students that have already been assigned a Chromebook to take home.

Please feel free to reach out with any questions. Have a great weekend!

-Ms. Crosby, Principal

crosby_nicole@asdk12.org

https://www.asdk12.org/highlandacademy

Educating for Leadership, Educating for Life

There was a great turnout for the September PTSO meeting last night. Thank you to all of the families that were able to attend! Shout out to My Shawarma House for providing food for the evening! Thank you!

If you are interested in joining the PTSO, please check out their webpage for information. The PTSO is also looking for volunteers for a number of upcoming events. Please reach out via email (hacsptso@gmail.com) if you are interested in volunteering.

Stay tuned for 24/25 Upcoming PTSO Events!

November

November 14th at 5:30 pm - PTSO Meeting

November 15th at 5:30 pm - Sauce-Off and Multicultural Night

November 23rd from 10 am to 4 pm - Barnes and Noble Book Fair

December

December 7th from 10 am - 4 pm - Holiday Bazaar

December 12th at 5:30 pm - PTSO Meeting

Please mark your calendars for the following dates/events at Highland:

• Thursday, September 19th - APC Meeting (via Zoom from 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm)
• Friday, September 27th - Quarter 1 ALICE Drill
• September 30th - October 4th - Spirit Week
• Friday, October 4th - Fall Lock-in (6:00 pm - 9:00 pm)
• Thursday, October 10th - PTSO Meeting (Highland @ 5:00 pm)
• Monday, October 14th - Indigenous Peoples Day (NO SCHOOL)
• Thursday, October 17th - APC Meeting(via Zoom from 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm)
• Friday, October 18th - End of Quarter 1 (NO SCHOOL for students, grading day)

Next week, we will be moving into our Tuesday and Thursday morning "What I Need" (WIN) time. The purpose of WIN time is to meet students' where they are at and support their individual needs as a learner. This time will allow staff to provide meaningful supports to help students make academic progress.

Dear Parent(s)/Guardians,

Highland Academy Charter School will be teaching the Alaska Safe Children’s Act/ Personal Safety lessons throughout the 2025 school year during our Advisory period. Our teachers will present an age-appropriate lesson about personal body safety in a non-threatening way, along with the skills needed for self-protection. The focus of these lessons are to empower students with the information and skills to protect themselves and seek help from the physical, psychological and emotional harm that can occur from abusive situations and is part of the Anchorage School District’s plan to enact the Alaska Safe Children’s Act and will be handled in a sensitive, respectful manner.

ASD Prevention Tools

• Climate – Creating a safe and respectful learning environment, which is well managed, supportive, and engaging with active participation.
• Direct instruction – Using a variety of evidence based curricula and programs to deliberately teach about risk factors and healthy relationship skills.
• Infusion – Integrating social and emotional learning skills throughout the day and in all curriculum areas through modeling of instructional practices that promote SEL skill practice and maximize learning.
• At home and community supports – Developing awareness about available supports and resources outside of the school day.

The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) developed curriculum is comprised of three separate age and developmentally appropriate bands for grades 7/8, 9/10 and 11/12. Each grade band contains five modules and is designed to help prevent childhood sexual abuse and teen dating abuse.

The five modules for each grade are organized around the following topics:

• Module 1: Defining Healthy Relationships
• Module 2: Building Healthy Relationships
• Module 3: Defining Unhealthy Relationships
• Module 4: Warning Signs
• Module 5: Help and Support

For 6th Grade students, they continue utilizing The Great Body Shop (which was also utilized in grades K-5) for their lessons.

If you have any questions about the content of the program or if you wish to inquire about opting out, please contact your child’s Advisory teacher or the school office (907-742-1700).

Thank you for partnering with us as we continue to provide learning opportunities to improve the safety and well being of our students.

As we move into September, I want to remind our families about the importance of regular school attendance. There is a direct correlation between regular school attendance and positive academic performance. Check out the district website with more information about the importance of regular attendance. If students are healthy, we look forward to seeing them in the building each and every day.

We are starting to see an increase in tardies throughout the school day. While we understand that occasional delays can happen, consistent tardiness can significantly impact students learning and disrupt the classroom environment. Often times, the first few minutes of class is crucial to seeing expectations and giving directions for assignments. For students to gain the most from class, it is critical that students showing up to class on time. We will continue to reach out to families when we see a pattern of tardies.

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 or email our Administrative Assistant, Ms. Jessi (blackson_jessica@asdk12.org).

The Highland Academy Rock Band is an afterschool music group that focuses on playing guitar, bass guitar, keyboard, and percussion, with additional opportunities for members to sing! We explore pop and rock music, including songs by The Beatles, Deep Purple, The White Stripes, Katy Perry, and more.

No experience is necessary, just an instrument and a rockin' attitude! Please contact Mr. Brosius with any questions - brosius_frederick@asdk12.org

Tuesdays, 3-4 in the Commons.

Parents please review the attached ASD medication policy. Students are not allowed to bring their own medication to school. Please do not send medication to school, contact the nurse.

Medication

No medication shall be administered without proper written consent/permission by the parent/guardian and/or physician. The school nurse will provide you with the proper form for the type of medication.

All medications must be brought to the nurse in their original container, labeled with the students’ name and accompanied by the proper form. All medications must be delivered to the nurse by the parent/guardian unless approved by the nurse or school administration. Students are prohibited from carrying any medications on school grounds except for certain emergency medications by prearrangement with the nurse and physician. The school nurse will dispense all prescription and non-prescription medications. If the nurse is absent or not available, a responsible trained alternate may dispense as allowed by the Alaska Nurse Practice Act. Certain medications may not be delegated and alternate accommodations will be arranged. Medication administration is dependent upon the nurse’s discretion and observation of possible adverse reactions or interactions and may be referred to the physician as needed to insure the safety of the student during school hours. Expired medications and/or medical supplies will not be used by ASD; parent/guardian must supply current medications and supplies at all times. Please be sure to provide the school with a current Epinephrine autoinjector (epipen) or inhaler for any school field trip. Homeopathic and herbal medications will not be given at school due to prohibition by the Alaska Nurse Practice Act. Medication forms are available from your doctor, the school office or online at the ASD website under Health Services

For any questions please contact our nurse at robinson_robae@asdk.12.org

Or 907-742-1702

We encourage all of our students to bring their own lunches to school every day. Highland does have a school store, stocked with a variety of drinks, chips, burritos, pizza pockets, cup of noodles, and uncrustables for purchase. We also serve Costco pizza every Friday, $2 a slice! As we move toward a cashless system, lunch punchcards can be purchased at the front office with cash or check or on Q/ParentConnect with a credit card. Punchcards can be purchased in increments of $20. There is also an option to donate a punchcard to other families in need.

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.