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Highlands Highlights

September 4th, 2024

Highlands Highlights September 4th, 2024

Highlands Highlights December 4, 2024

Save the Dates

12/6 MN Zoo field Trip 4th & 5th grade Discovery

12/10 Discovery Kitchen at lunch

12/11 Q Cucumber Dine In/Out Event (more information below)

12/12 MN Zoo 4th & 5th grade CP

12/18 Gymnastic Field Trip

12/19 Impact Day (more informtion below)

12/20 Gymnastic Field Trips

12/23 - 1/3 Winter Break - No students

1/14 PTO Execuative Meeting 1:30 at Highlands

1/22 & 1/23 Highlands Ski Field Trips 4th & 5th Grades

1/17 Teacher Data Day - No students

February I Love to Read Month!


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

Help Support the Science of Reading

Edina Public Schools is a leader in implementing the Science of Reading training, state-wide. This year’s investment of just under $1,000,000 will finish off a three year financial commitment. The Edina Ed Fund is continuing to partner with the District to provide $350,000 this year towards funding this essential program. Our community is stronger when we work together. With your support, we can raise the $350,000 needed for teachers across all EPS sites. Learn more and help to ensure academic excellence in our schools.

Media Clerk Staffing Change

Staffing is changing across the elementary schools with our Media Clerks. Past practice has been to split a media clerk between two buildings. Starting later this month, each elementary building will have a 1.0 Media Clerk. Our most amazing Vickie Geier will be shifting away from Highlands to Creek Valley. This will officially begin on Wednesday, December 18th. We will miss Vickie and all she does for our Media Center and our students and staff.


You might be wondering who will fill the void of Vickie? Well, it’s one of our own parents! Amanda Jeskie, parent and PTO yearbook coordinator extraordinaire, will be stepping into the role. She’ll be working with Vickie and Ashley starting next week and start running solo on Wednesday, December 18th. Welcome to Amanda!

Winter Gear!

All students need to have the right winter gear for recess and outdoor learning. This includes snowpants, jacket, boots, hats and gloves. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE label this gear. Write your child’s last name on the tags. All black snowpants and gloves look the same to kids (and sometimes adults!).


Should you have a need for winter gear, please reach out to Addie Hakes (adeline.hakes@edinaschools.org).



Winter Gear doesn’t fit? Donate to Highlands!


With the change of season to winter, if you have winter gear at your house that no longer fits and it won’t be used anymore, please donate to Highlands! We have a lending closet for students who forget or are in need.

Impact Day is Coming!

On Thursday, December 19th, all Highlands students get the opportunity to make an impact on our world through the service of others. Students will have the opportunity to pack healthy oatmeal breakfasts for local food shelves. Fundraising is officially underway as we raise funds to pay for the meals we pack. Our goal is to pack 50,000 meals which equals $15,000. Students can bring donations (cash or checks made out to Highlands PTO) to their classrooms. We are looking forward to a successful event!


Q Cucumber Dine In/Out Event

Eat in, take out, or purchase gift cards at Q. Cumbers at Centennial Lakes on Wednesday, December 11th from 4pm-8pm. Make sure you mention you are with the Highlands fundraiser and 20% of the total proceeds will be donated back to our school! We’d love to see family, friends and neighbors showing up for Highlands.

Character Strong in December

For the month of December, the Character Strong trait we are focusing on is Empathy. We all experience conflict in life. Whether we are frustrated with a friend or in an argument with a family member, we need tools to help us navigate conflict successfully and keep our relationships healthy. Empathy is understanding and connecting to other people’s feelings.


Find your child’s grade level newsletter to gain insight into what they are learning about and some ideas on how to tie the learning into life at home.


Highlands Heritage Night

We are seeking your input for our Heritage Night this year on Feb. 7, 2025. Please email: mlachighlands@gmail.com to join our planning committee!

Health Office Notes

Health Office Request- Clothes

The Health office needs to be restocked with gently used elastic waist pants. Boys and girls in all sizes are needed, but we are especially need girls and boys xsmall (5/6), small (7/8), and medium (9/10) sizes.

Lost & Found

Please have your students check the lost and found before winter break! Anything that is left at the start of break will be donated. Thank you for labeling items so they can easily be returned to their owners. It helps to keep the lost items to a minimum. We will be donating the unclaimed items more frequently throughout the year to keep it more manageable.

Math Olympiads Registration

This year we will be running Math Olympiads through Community Education. Registration is online & it opens up on December, 3rd. Below is the course info from the catalog – scroll down to page 49/50 to see it on the PDF version. (It is also in the printed Winter/Spring catalog on page 9.)

Edina Elementary Math Olympiads: Highlands Gr. 4-5

Math Olympiad aims to foster an interest in math and improve the mathematical skills of participants through team-based competitions. Five practices and five competitions engage mathletes and prepare them for the all-district Math Olympiad Competition in March. Be ready for a challenge and some math fun!

***If you registered for Math Olympiads + Competition please note, the competition will be held Saturday, March 22nd from 9am-12pm***


**You must be enrolled at Highlands to be eligible for this course**

From the PTO

Gift-Giving for Highlands Staff via Membership Toolkit (MTK)


The PTO is facilitating holiday staff gifts for anyone who would like to participate. We will use the funds to write a check for the amount collected, compile and share all notes that are added for each teacher and staff member.



Please note that room parents will be coordinating gifts for lead classroom teachers, all other staff (including paras and student teachers) will be collected thru MTK, see the link above. The deadline to contribute in MTK is Friday, December 13.

Highlands Elementary

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

Kate Krzyzanowski
Kate is using Smore to create beautiful newsletters