Highland Weekly
October 25th, 2024
Hello Highland Families!
Thank you to all of the families that were able to attend Student Led Conferences! It was a great turnout and a wonderful opportunity to learn more about your child and their academic goals. If you weren't able to attendance conferences, please be on the look out for your child's progress report in the mail. If you would like to schedule a meeting with your child's advisor, please reach out directly to your child's Advisor.
This week, Highland recognized students with "Outstanding Attendance" by handing out free pizza. 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.
Highland's October Academic Policy Committee meeting has been rescheduled for Wednesday, October 30th from 5:30-7:00 via Zoom. Please see the attached agenda and use the Zoom link below to attend the meeting. Our primary focuses will be developing board goals based on our strategic plan work session and reviewing the Highland handbook insert. We hope to see you there!
Halloween is next Thursday, and students are welcome to wear their costumes to school. Please ensure they are school appropriate and follow the basic guidelines below:
- Students may not bring weapons or fake weapons of any kind
- Students may not wear full face masks
- Students should not wear costumes that promote violence or are overly gory
- Students should ensure normal dress code expectations are followed (no promotion of illegal substances, no revealing costumes, etc.)
Additionally, please do not allow your students to bring excessive amounts of candy to school on Friday. Thank you in advance!
Mark your calendars for another exciting fall event - Highland's Multicultural Celebration and Sauce-Off on Friday, November 15th from 5:30-7:00. This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the diverse cultures in our community and enjoy some amazing food. See the fliers below for additional information.
Feel free to reach out with any questions. Have a great weekend!
-Ms. Crosby, Principal
https://www.asdk12.org/highlandacademy
Educating for Leadership, Educating for Life
Mark Your Calendars - Important November Dates
Please mark your calendars for the following dates/events at Highland:
- Wednesday, October 30th - APC Meeting @ 5:30 via Zoom
- Tuesday, November 5th - Remote Learning Day
- Monday, November 11th - Professional Development Day (No School for students)
- Thursday, November 14th PTSO Meeting @ 5:30
- Friday, November 15th - Multicultural Celebration and Sauce-Off @ 5:30
- Saturday, November 23rd - Barnes and Noble Book Fair
- Thursday, November 28th and Friday, November 29th - Thanksgiving Holiday
Week 5 - Empower Tips and Tricks
Check out the video below to learn more about a student's homepage in Empower. It explains the homepage features, as well as demonstrating how to access activities and assignments and view student scores and teacher feedback. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to your child's Advisor. If you would like to schedule a one-on-one Zoom tutorial, please email Ms. Crosby with your request.
Week 4 - Empower Tips and Tricks
When you see a number with a bright red box around it, that means there are new comments and grades for you to review. If an assignment addresses multiple standards, each individual standard score will appear in the comments box. Individual assignment scores will appear as "New Scores" and overall standards scores will appear as "New Overall Scores" - the score on the left is the score earned by your child, the score on the right is the expected level of mastery.
Week 3 - Empower Tips and Tricks
When viewing your student's homepage, if a class at a blue "Resources" button next to the teacher name, you can access a list of commonly used resources.
Week 2 - Empower Tips and Tricks
Parents and guardians can send messages directly to teachers via Empower. Once you have logged in and selected your learner, click on the paper airplane next to the teacher's name. This will send a direct message to your child's teacher.
Week 1 - Empower Tips and Tricks
Scoring Guide
- Missing (M) Assignment due date has passed and no work was submitted, student should still submit missing work
- No Basis (0) Student was given the opportunity to demonstrating understanding but no work was completed
- Emerging (-) Basic Skills are demonstrated, needs improvement or revision
- Developing (~) Skills are developing and getting stronger, equivalent to a "C"
- Proficient (+) Skills meet the expected level of mastery, equivalent to a "B"
- Advanced (*) Skills exceed expectations, equivalent to an "A"
All missing assignments show up on a student's Empower homepage and are included in a weekly email sent to parents and guardians. Click on the plus sign on the far right and current assignments, as well as missing assignments will appear. Students can click directly on the assignment to access any online materials or instructions provided by the teacher. The assignment will remain missing until it has been submitted and the work has been assessed by the teacher. If a student says they have no homework, this is a great starting point.
Thank you Highland families for your continued support!
Alaska Safe Children's Act
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.
Absences and Tardies
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).
Cell Phone Policy
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.
Activity Fee
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.