Highland Park Senior High Headliner

Highland Families,

I want to share with you a communication I shared with students in Schoology and over the daily announcements. I have shared it below. In addition, when talking to your children about the violence in Israel and the war that is impacting all sides, it is important to keep the conversation honest and age appropriate. Start by asking them what they know. Explain the situation in a way that is easy for them to understand, using simple language. Be honest about what is happening but reassure them that they are safe. Below are a few resources that may be helpful:

1. Supporting Youth Affected by Violence in Israel and Gaza
2. San Diego County Office of Education Resources
3. How to Talk About the Israel Hamas War: Resources for Educators
4. Discussing War & Conflict

Communcation to Students

Highland Scots,

As your principal I want to speak to the terrorist attacks on Israel and the current war underway in the middle east. These tragic events have been very much on my mind and on the minds of many. The cruelty that people sometimes show towards one another based on differences is hard to understand and does not make sense.

These recent events will understandably provoke a wide range of emotions and reactions in all of us. It is important that if you need support, please know that we can provide support from a counselor or social worker. Sometimes as people we just need time to talk, listen and to be heard. If you need support, please reach out.

As an IB world school we work to explore and respect our differences and focus on the things we share in common as a community. As an IB world school it is our responsibility to continue to practice mutual respect towards one another at all times. It is normal to have differing viewpoints but we as a school community must focus on what we have in common. Let’s continue to be positive role models for our community, state and the world.

I encourage all of us to be extra kind to others, your friends and your loved ones and to show mutual respect to everyone at all times.

Thank you for making a positive difference.

Dr. Winston Tucker

Principal

Monday, October 16, 2023

• PSAT/NMSQT
• PTSA Meeting via Zoom 7:00-8:15

Tuesday, October 17, 2023

• PSAT/NMSQT

Thursday, October 19, 2023 - Friday, October 20, 2023

• No School/MEA

Monday, October 30, 2023

• Picture Retakes

Next meeting: October 16, 7:00-8:15 on Zoom

Ms Baheriy, Highland's College and Career Resource Center Specialist will be presenting a timeline for the college application process that applies to students and families from all grades.

A panel of Highland seniors will be sharing strategies they use to juggle the demands of their classes, athletics, jobs, family responsibilities and college preparations.

The meeting will go from 7:00-8:15, with optional time at the end for discussion.

Here is the Zoom Link:

https://zoom.us/j/99029290092?pwd=am9ZRUhaNG85LzBIZDBwTXQwTFdPUT09

Hope to see you there!

Highland's 2023 Homecoming was a HUGE success! We started Spirit Week with five theme days which included some old classics, like White Lies Day, and some new ones, like Barbenheimer. Then Friday wrapped up with a Pep Fest for the entire school and the crowning of our newest Homecoming Court, which included 9th graders Seng Yang and Estrella Vail Perez, 10th graders Nuhamin Melese and Nardos Ashenafi, 11th graders Helena Aklog and Fatima Mohamud, and 12th graders D'naisha Holston and Heaven Webb. Saturday, October 7th kicked off with the morning Power Puff football game, then tailgating that raised funds for more than two dozen extracurricular clubs, the football game where Highland dominated Kennedy 42-16, and then the biggest Homecoming Dance we've ever hosted with more than 700 students in attendance!

From Allianz Field Fundraising:

For this volunteer season PTSA would like to recognize Harley Braun as our Volunteer of the Season and FFA as the top volunteer team. Harley has put in many hours of volunteer time as a Site Lead and an emergency backup volunteer. With her leadership, FFA contributed a minimum of 35 hours of volunteering and brought in $4525 for their club. Nearly $39,000 have been donated to HPSHS from Allianz Field this season with 15 teams collecting over $1000 for their school groups, and 9 of those teams collecting over $2000. We had 27 different school groups participate in volunteering at Allianz Field this season. Great job everyone! We would like to invite even more groups to get your teams together for next year! Get on the contact list for next season by sending a request to the Volunteer inbox at hpshptsa.vol@gmail.com.

Playoff decision day for hosting home games will be decided on October 21st with playoffs to begin October 25th. We need to be ready for anything! A new game date has been added to the signup website. Sign up online to get on the waitlist for playoffs: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0944adae2eaaf85-allianz#/

Parents and students (ages 14+) can sign up for a 5-hour volunteer shift at Allianz Field, home of the MN United Football Club, to raise money for their club, team, and classrooms. We receive $125 per volunteer! Site Leads receive an additional $50 for their group. All shifts are climate controlled indoors at the Premium Stadium Club level.

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.

It was an exciting night of soccer last Friday, as our boys' and girls' soccer teams took on Central in the second-annual Saint Paul Cup. The games were played at Allianz Field, home of Minnesota United FC. The girls were victorious in the first match, winning by a shootout. The boys fell 2-1 in a hard fought second game.

Saint Paul Cup presenting sponsor, Bell Bank, donated $2,500 toward Highland and Central's athletic programs. We want to thank Minnesota United FC, Bell Bank, Allianz Field, and the 4,000+ fans in attendance for giving our athletes a night to remember!

FFA Members competed at the University of Minnesota Soil Judging Invitational. This was our first of many competitions for the year and students placed 3rd overall!

FFA is having a fruit sale fundraiser! Here is the link to the online order page. You can also order in person from any FFA member. https://myfruitsale.com/collections/zdtz

AVID 9th grade students at Highland Park High School enjoyed learning and exploring at Lake Phalen Regional Park on Monday, October 9. Students participated in three different activities: canoeing in the channels of Lake Phalen, going on an urban wilderness scavenger hunt, and learning and practicing a survival skill of fire building with the benefit of creating and enjoying S'mores afterward. We're thankful for the partnership between Wilderness Inquiry and SPPS AVID.

Intro to Business students delivered their case study findings on supply chain management to Cargill executives at Junior Achievement on Wednesday. They also learned about careers in finance.

The Highland Park Mountain Bike Team has had an amazing season! I am writing to let you know that several Highland Park High School riders have qualified for the State Championship Race, which is this Saturday & Sunday, October 14 & 15 at Mount Kato. Information and details can be found at: Mount Kato MTB State Championships

Highland Park High School Riders that have qualified for State include:

Gabe Brown, Freshman Boys

Coralie Jones, Freshman Girls

August Johnson, Junior Varsity 2 Boys

Liam Hefferan, Junior Varsity 3 Boys

Karl Haaland, Varsity Boys

Highland Park Mountain Bike Team is part of “Saint Paul Youth Mountain Bike Team”, or SPY MTB, https://www.spymtb.org/ . It is a composite team made up of riders from several schools, and because the team is so large they then break up in to 3 teams for races, one of which is the Highland Park team. It is a club team of about 80 riders, organized by school.

Need swag? Order here!

11th & 12th grade students have the opportunity to attend Career Connect Day at the St. Paul RiverCentre on Tuesday, October 17th from 8:45 – 11:00am. There will be over 100 local businesses that will be sharing information about how students can explore a career in their field. The career fields that will be represented at the fair are:

• Business, Management & Administration
• Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources
• Arts, Communications & Information Systems
• Engineering, Manufacturing & Technology
• Health Services Technology
• Human Services

To sign-up, students can get a permission slip from Mr. Carlson in the CCRC or Mr. Giles in Room 3209. Permission slips are due Wednesday, October 11th.

SPPS Dance Team is holding tryouts for the season, beginning on Monday, October 23, from 3:45-6:00. All students in grades 7-12 are welcome! This is a district-wide team that meets during dance season (November- February) to practice together and compete with other Minnesota schools. Practices are held at Highland Senior High, but students from all SPPS schools are encouraged to join! Free bussing is provided from all schools for tryouts and practices. Please share the flyer attached with students and families. For questions contact Coach Sydney Wilton at danceteamspps@gmail.com

Highland Families,

The following communication was shared with all students via Schoology and through the daily announcements from Dr. Tucker. If your child drives to school, please remind your child of this expectation.

Scots,

Please only park in the parking lot if you are a senior and have purchased a parking permit. We will be having the police ticket the parking lot throughout the school year, and I do not want you to get a ticket. Students are not permitted to park in the middle school lot even with a Highland parking permit. Thanks for your cooperation.

Our 10th grade students are starting their IB MYP Personal Projects! The Personal Project is a student-centered and student-selected project and provides an opportunity for students to undertake an independent exploration into an area of personal interest. The projects are up to the students and should be challenging and engaging for the student. It is an expectation that all HPSH students will engage in this project as do all IB MYP students across the globe!

Some Key Details:

• Students will be engaging in some brainstorming lessons soon in advisory.

• Students will find out their Personal Project Advisor later this month. (Students meet with their Personal Project Advisors during 4 scheduled meetings).

• Finished projects include: a process journal, product/outcome, paper, and a showcase.

• The overall project (with journal and paper) should take about 25 hours to complete. The criteria for the project and paper are Planning, Applying Skills, and Reflecting -- these are very universal and will work with any topic.

• The paper will be explained in detail in December after the students have engaged further in their projects. The paper length requirement is 15 pages or less (this does include the title page, table of contents, evidence, bibliography). The paper aims to explain the process of the personal project, explain the impact of the project on the student and their learning, evaluate the product based on the success criteria the student created, and show reflection with detailed examples and evidence. Students will be provided with a rubric and prompts to help write the paper. The journal entries will be a great resource as students write the paper.

Please see the Schoology Personal Project Course for more details, documents, slideshow with examples, etc.

Thanks!

Marissa Bonk

IB MYP Coordinator

marissa.bonk@spps.org

All freshmen are taking an academic support class this year, either AVID or Scots Strategies. In addition to doing community-building activities, we have started the year off strong by working on the following skills:

• organizing documents in Notability (an app that allows students to write on digital documents and file them in folders)

• planning work and making to-do lists of assignments

• creating SMART goals and reflecting on them

• writing formal emails

• communicating needs and questions / self-advocacy

• using notes in ways that help students think more deeply about the topic (focused notetaking)

Here are some ways you could reinforce these skills with your child at home:

• Help them develop an after-school routine that includes doing schoolwork.

• Remind your teen to turn off notifications or power off their phones while doing schoolwork to help them focus. (Many students wrote their weekly goal around this!)

• Talk to them about getting more sleep. Going to bed even 15 or 30 minutes earlier can be helpful.

• Ask to see your student’s grades weekly on Schoology. Parents can also view student progress through the parent portal.

• Encourage your child to ask for help if they do not understand. The staff at Highland want to support students!

We appreciate your 9th grader!

Julie Eddy

Kathrine Walter

and the 9th grade Academic Support team

Check out what our awesome Scots are up to by following Highland Park Senior High on Facebook and highlandparksr.scots.pride on Instagram.

You can now order your 2023-2024 yearbook. Follow this link:

https://www.balfour.com/minnesota/saint-paul/highland-park-senior-high-school/yearbook-packages

Contact Nancy Michael with questions. nancy.michael@spps.org

GTK- (Good To Know) information about HPSH for parents and guardians, especially those new to Highland. New this year- virtual parent/guardian informational meetings around relevant topics and commonly asked questions. Click here for more details.

First Meeting - September 21

Here are the links to the slides and recording from the first Virtual Parent/Guardian Meeting. Hope to see you all in October!

Meeting Dates:

October 26, 2023

November 30, 2023

December 14, 2023

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.

Hello New York Trip Participants and Possible Participants,

I am so excited that you are interested in learning more about our HPSH New York Trip Spring Break 2024.

Please make sure to block off the following dates on your calendar April 6th-14th. The travel company will be looking for the best ticket prices as we get closer to the date so we may need to leave a little earlier or later within this possible travel window for our 5 days; hopefully the 8th-12th, but again it might start a little earlier or later.

The link for more detailed information and signing up is www.efexploreamerica.com/2611215kk

I am planning a google meet October 27th from 6:00-6:45pm. Our Google Meet Nickname will be HPNewYork2024

AGENDA

• Welcome New Interested Travelers:We may be welcoming a few final interested travelers!

• Behavior Expectations Form: I will have a form for people to download, sign and return to the school about safety and behavior expectations.

Students will also be able to pick this form up from me in room 150 in the link.

• Slide Introduction Tool: Here is a link to a slide show you can use to introduce yourself to the group.

You may enter information before the meeting, during the meeting, or after the meeting.

Link: Introduce Yourself to Fellow Travelers:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1tBZqsBimHDGgAmSVTiYvd1Gl9E0FhksTGCw9y2zuJjA/edit?usp=sharing

Looking forward to seeing you there. Please reach out to me anytime with any questions.

Warm Wishes,

Keri.Schultz@spps.org

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.

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.

• 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.

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.

The MTC Unlimited Pass is available to purchase for $97.00 per quarter. Bring the payment to Shawn Vennemann in the main office (checks payable to Highland Park Senior High School). When the first payment is made, the bus pass will be ordered. When the quarter ends the bus pass will need to be renewed by submitting a payment for the next quarter (schedule is below). If payment is not received by the due date the card will be de-activated. The card will be re-activated when payment is received it will take 24 hours after payment is made to be active again.

MTC Bus Pass Quarter Dates

11/2/2023 to 1/14/2024 payment due by Monday, October 30, 2023

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

Website: https://www.spps.org/highlandsr
Location: 1015 Snelling Avenue South, Saint Paul, MN, USA
Phone: 651-293-8940