Highland Park Senior High Headliner
January 12, 2024
Message from Principal Dr. Winston Tucker
Highland Families,
I hope the winter break for your child and family was positive and productive. It is exciting to have the student back at school, in their classes and involved in so many activities. The end of the second quarter grading period is coming fast. The last day of the grading period is Thursday, January 25. Please continue to help make sure your child is current with assignments and preparing for all assessments. The third quarter starts on Monday, January 29. That is also the start of the second semester and students will have some new elective classes since most elective classes are only half a year long. As always please reach out with any questions or concerns and thanks for all of our support.
Mark Your Calendars!
Monday, January 15, 2024
- Martin Luther King Jr Day - No School
Thursday, January 18, 2024
- Highland Park Showcase 6:30-8:30pm
Friday, January 19, 2024
- One Act Plays 7:00pm
Saturday, January 20, 2024
- One Act Plays 2:00/7:00pm
Tuesday, January 23, 2024
- FAFSA/MN Dream Act Night in Library 5:30-7:30pm
Thursday, January 25, 2024
- End of Quarter 2
Friday, January 26, 2024
- Grading Day - No School
- One Act Plays 7:00pm
Saturday, January 27, 2024
- One Act Plays 2:00/7:00pm
Monday, January 29, 2024
- Start of 2nd semester/3rd quarter grading period
Quarter 3 & 4 Schedule Information
Quarter three starts Monday, January 29th. All students should already have a full schedule for the second half of the year. If you find any errors with required classes, please have your student contact their counselor on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday next week. We will not be making schedule changes after Friday, January 19th.
A note will be posted for students on Tuesday morning with this same information.
Have a wonderful weekend!
The Counseling Department
CCRC News
Click here to see the latest CCRC newsletter! This newsletter highlights upcoming college and career-related opportunities.
Highland Park CCRC - The CCRC is here to help students with college and career planning! The CCRC provides the following resources to students:
- Interests and skills exploration tools
- Career Information
- Resume Help
- College and Post-Secondary exploration tools
- College Admission, Career and Military Representative Visits
- College Admission test information such as ACT and Accuplacer
- Scholarships
- Financial Aid
- Summer and Community Opportunities
- And more!
CLICK HERE to check out the new CCRC website! This site will be updated throughout the year with important information, resources, and opportunities.
Families of 9th graders!
We are enjoying working with your 9th grader in Scots’ Strategies! After acquainting students with Highland, doing community-building activities, and highlighting opportunities available in our community, we worked on the following skills during quarter 1:
• organization (keeping a weekly planner, making a plan for improving grades if necessary, filing digital documents, cleaning out backpacks, etc.)
• self-advocacy (communicating with adults via email, asking questions, saying what you need, etc.)
• setting SMART goals (defining a specific goal that is measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound)
• focused note-taking (how to use notes in a way that deepens thinking and increases understanding of the topic)
• asking higher level questions (using Costa’s Levels of Questions to enhance comprehension, create connections, and apply learning)
• discourse / speaking strategies (exploring debate vs. dialogue and listening to different perspectives on a topic to gain a greater understanding)
Students also have an average of 30 minutes of guided study time each class period to do work for any class. During this time, teachers check in with students and help them make a plan for completing work. Additionally, ninth graders have 90 minutes of total work time (on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays) during Advisory to complete assignments.
In quarter 2 we have continued developing the aforementioned skills while talking about well-being. Those discussions included digital well-being, healthy sleep habits, and managing stress. Students reflected on their habits and identified tools they can use to remain healthy or be healthier.
During 2nd semester we will continue working on and applying the critical thinking strategies we practiced during 1st semester. We are also excited about the following topics and believe students will find them relevant and engaging:
• getting a job (available opportunities, applying for a job, writing a resume, interviewing, etc.)
• career preparation (guiding students to think about their personality traits, skills, values, and plans for after high school)
• introduction to financial literacy (banking, saving and compound interest, credit, paying for college, etc.)
• leadership (what leadership can look like, leadership styles, opportunities for leadership, etc.)
We appreciate all that you are doing to encourage your teen during their transition to high school! Please feel free to contact Julie Eddy or Kathrine Walter with questions about the overall curriculum. For questions regarding your child’s progress, please contact their Scots’ Strategies teacher directly.
Sincerely,
Julie Eddy - julie.eddy-boudet@spps.org
Kathrine Walter - kathrine.walter@spps.org
and the Scots’ Strategies Team
Scot-a-Palooza 2024
The Highland Park High School Band and Orchestra Would like to Invite you to Scotapalooza 2024. Scotapalooza is a fun and informal event that is a fundraiser for the Instrumental Music Department at HPSH. It will feature the Highland Park Jazz Band, Orchestra, Pep Band, student soloists and groups, and a couple surprise guests. It will be held at Mancini's Char House (531 West 7th Street) from 12-3 on Sunday, February 4. Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for Students. All proceeds will go for Highland Park Instrumental music needs including: instruments, repairs, supplies, composer commissions, and trip scholarships.
Advanced Tickets can be purchased through the QR code on the attached poster or by clicking this link. Scotapalooza Tickets.
Check out the Scotapalooza Facebook Event https://www.facebook.com/events/717578686850423?ref=newsfeed
Thanks for your support. Looking forward to seeing you at Scotapalooza!
Mr. Matuzak
HPSH Band and Orchestra
FFA News
FFA Alumni and Supporters Meeting:
FFA is an integral part of our school community at Highland Park Senior High, fostering leadership, personal growth, and career success among our students. Now, we are looking to create an Alumni and Supporters group to support the high school FFA chapter with its continued growth and success.
Meeting Details:
Date: Wednesday, January 24th
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Google Meet, https://meet.google.com/yrj-foap-cfy
If you have any questions or suggestions before the meeting, feel free to reach out to Harley Braun at harley.braun@stpaul.k12.mn.us or (612) 315-1139.
Biotechnology Class Fieldtrip:
Students in the AFNR Biotechnology class visited the University of Minnesota Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering program. They were able to participate in an expriment to create biodiesel and learn about current research projects in the industry such as nanotechnology, algae, and bioplastics.
PTSA News
Gift Card Drive: Families Helping Families
Families Helping Families is a gift card drive that runs from now through the end of January. During this season of giving, we all have extra expenses. Gifts, warm clothing, heating bills, lunches during school breaks...all of these can pose financial challenges for many families. In response, the PTSA is collecting gift cards that will go to the school counselors and social workers, who will provide them to students and families as the need arises.
What: Gift Cards from Target, Aldi or Cub Foods
How Much: $25 or less
Where: Drop them off in the office
When: December 18 - January 31
For More Information: email us at hpshptsa@gmail.com
Library News
After School Hours
The HP school library is open after school Monday-Thursday until 4:30.
Homework Help Resources
Did you know? Homework help is available throughout the school year at the Saint Paul Public Library. Click here for information on their Homework Centers hours and locations as well as the Online Homework Help service.
Yearbook Ordering Information
Athletic Events Schedule
Parents of 11th and 12th Grade IB Exam Students
10th Grade Families and IB MYP Personal Project Students!
It has been exciting to hear the variety of topics students are working on for their IB MYP Personal Projects! The main items that students should be working on now are…
Journal (any format and prompts are in the Personal Project Course on Schoology)
Research (at least 5 sources - websites, databases, ebooks, books, manuals, interviews, “how to” videos, etc.)
Project (designing, creating, making, building, etc.)
The next Personal Project Meeting for students to connect with their Personal Project Advisors is on Tuesday, January 9th. Students also can email or stop by to talk with advisors anytime for support, and materials are also available in their IB MYP Personal Project course on Schoology.
The Personal Project Paper details were explained on Tuesday, December 19th. Students will have plenty of time in February to write the paper (the paper is due March 1st). Students earn a credit for successfully completing their Personal Project Paper. By doing the Personal Project Paper and earning a score of 3 or higher, a score if "P" (pass) is recorded on their transcript. If a student chooses to not do it, then a "N" (no pass) is recorded on their transcript. Earning this credit is super possible, and if your student has any concerns, please have them reach out to me.
Thank you for supporting your student in this process! Let me know if you have any questions!
Marissa Bonk - marissa.bonk@spps.org
Financial Aid Info Session Resources
Here is where you can find the presentation & resources that Mr. Carlson went over during the Financial Aid Info Session on December 14th. The presentation includes information about how students/families can prepare for the FAFSA and important resources to review throughout the financial aid process.
ACT Test Prep with Xello!
FREE ACT Prep programming is offered to all Saint Paul Public School 11th graders! The Methodize ACT Prep program is available to students on Xello.
Methodize is a self-paced online ACT prep program that offers full length practice tests, vocabulary builders and evaluation tests. These resources allow students to better understand what areas they may need more practice with when taking the ACT.
Using Methodize can improve your ACT score and build your testing confidence. We highly encourage all students who are planning to take the ACT to do ACT prep through Methodize or other out of district programming.
Click here to view Ms. Baheriy’s ACT test prep and Methodize presentation.
Give to the Max!
Thank you to everyone that participated and donated to the Highland Park PTSA fundraiser on Thursday! We enjoyed great music by the student band Rock Melon, donuts and sunshine in the parking lot. We are over halfway to our goal but it's not too late to help us reach our goal of $18,000. Give to the Max Funds play an essential role in supporting teachers and students both in and out of the classroom. These funds are distributed by grants to clubs, classrooms, and programs that provide enrichment to the diverse student body at Highland Park.
Donations accepted on the website or by check
https://www.givemn.org/organization/Hpshgive
1015 Snelling Ave S
St. Paul, Minnesota 55116
New Social Media Connection
Check out what our awesome Scots are up to by following Highland Park Senior High on Facebook and highlandparksr.scots.pride on Instagram.
Teacher Wish List
As the school year begins, there are two ways to support our terrific Highland Park teachers and staff:
- By purchasing items on the Wish List for use in the classroom: Wish List This list is always being updated—teachers are in the process of adding their lists for this school year.
- By purchasing general school supplies—Kleenex, hand sanitizer, pencils, pens, highlighters, dry erase markers, post-its and snacks. General supplies can be brought to the school office any time.
The PTSA will also be collecting Kleenex, hand sanitizer and general school supplies at the Open House event—if you can bring even one box of Kleenex, it will have a positive impact! It is the number one requested item from teachers and staff!
Thank you from the Highland Park PTSA.
SPPS Grading
There will be some positive changes to grading practices at all SPPS high schools beginning in the 2023-24 school year. SPPS is shifting to more consistent and equitable grading practices across all high schools to ensure that students’ grades truly reflect what they’ve learned. Visit the Grading Practices FAQ webpage for more information. More details will be provided this fall, including information sessions with language support for families.
Nutrition Services
In-person students will receive free breakfast and lunch under the Minnesota Free School Meals program. All students are eligible to receive one free breakfast and one free lunch each school day. Second meals, incomplete meals and single item purchases, such as milk only, must be purchased.
- Student Second Breakfast: $2.85
- Student Second Lunch: $5
- Milk Only: $0.50
- For a complete list of prices, visit spps.org/ns.
Visit schoolcafe.com/spps to manage your student’s meal account, view menus, ingredients and nutritional information, and complete the Application for Educational Benefits.
A Message from Saint Paul Public Schools Nutrition Services
- While all in-person students will receive free breakfast and lunch under Minnesota’s Free School Meals program, it remains critical that all families complete an Application for Educational Benefits each school year. These applications determine how much funding your child’s school receives for educational programs and supports. Additionally, eligible families can qualify for other benefits. The application can be completed online at schoolcafe.com/spps. Paper applications are available at your child's school.
Parent Portal - Access Your Student's Progress
Use Parent Portal and see your child’s attendance, homework assignments, grades and more. Log on to spps.org/onestop and click on “parent portal”. This valuable tool will provide both information on your student and a means of communicating with your student’s teachers. Report cards are not mailed to homes.
For access please contact the main office at 651-293-8940.
MTC Unlimited Transit Pass Available for Purchase
MTC Bus Pass Quarter Dates
1/15/2024 to 3/31/2024 payment due by Monday, January 8, 2024
4/1/2024 to 6/14/2024 payment due by Monday, March 25, 2024
Highland Park Senior High School
Website: https://www.spps.org/highlandsr
Location: 1015 Snelling Avenue South, Saint Paul, MN, USA
Phone: 651-293-8940