It was great to see all of the school spirit this week! From autumn colors to twins and triplets, students and staff came dressed to impress. Thank you Student Leadership for organizing a fun school-wide event!

We are looking forward to the Lock-in tonight. Student Leadership has been busy decorating and has a number of fun activities planned for the evening - karaoke, ping pong, video games, movies, etc. Please remember, students must have been in attendance at school today and need to arrive by 7:00 pm to participate in the lock-in. The event cost $5 at the door and food and drink will be available for purchase. Can't wait to see you there!

This year is moving quickly, and there are just under two weeks remaining this quarter. The first quarter ends on Thursday, October 17th. ALL quarter 1 work must be submitted before the end of the quarter. Friday, October 18th is a teacher grading day, and there is no school for students.

Please mark your calendar for Student Led Conferences on Thursday, October 24th. Conferences provide students an opportunity to reflect on their learning and progress thus far, as well as communicate goals for the remainder of the year. At Highland, conferences include a student led component, as well as progress reports with feedback from each of your child's teachers. Conferences will be scheduled individually with your child's advisor. Please be on the look out for more information and an invitation to schedule your conference in the upcoming weeks.

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

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

• Friday, October 4th - Fall Lock-in (6:00 pm - 9:00 pm)
• Thursday, October 10th - PTSO Meeting (Highland @ 5:30 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)
• Monday, October 21st - Picture Retake Day
• Thursday, October 24th - Early Release and Student-Led Conferences (students released at 11:30)
• Friday, October 25th - Professional Development Day (NO SCHOOL for students)

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.

A standard is defined as something a student needs to know and/or be able to do. Students are required to master standards in core content areas (Math, Language Arts, Science, and Social Environments), as well as Personal, Social, Service (PSS) and College and Career Preparedness (CCP) to meet graduation requirements.

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.

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).

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.