Highlands School

1. After following increased demand for several years, we have opened an additional Preschool Class located in the Spencer Center giving us 40 fabulous preschoolers! Miss Elizabeth has decorated the new room beautifully, and we are excited about welcoming more children on campus!

2. Twitter and Facebook are two ways of sharing information, connecting, and interacting with our families and fans.  Become a “fan” or “follower” today!

3. We have reworked our website and have opened the classroom pages. Look in backpack mail for login information.

4. New teachers have come our way with impressive education, teaching experience, and hobbies. We welcome these new faces to Highlands!

5. You will notice Stacey Heughan in preschool in the mornings and in the office in the afternoon. She will be answering the phone, applying Band-Aids, and helping with various tasks in the office.  She is a woman of many talents, and we are excited that she is sharing many of them with us!

6. We also welcome many faculty and staff children on campus – both in the Family Center and in the School.

7. All teachers are now using multi-platform laptops just two years after setting this goal.

8. Please see the new Discipline Policy. We give special thanks to Shelby Hammer and Amy Mendel, a faculty committee and a parent focus group who worked on the policy last spring.

9. Highlands School is getting greener! Take note of the raised garden beside the greenhouse. This outdoor learning area will be used by a variety of students of all ages.  We send a big green thank you to Randy McDonald for designing and overseeing the construction of the garden.

10.  Let’s all give Amy Han a big “Ni Hao” as she begins her year at Highlands School. Amy will be teaching Chinese to all of our students and is with us through the China Connection program sponsored by NAIS and Hanban.

I am excited to welcome each of you back to school after a wonderful summer full of the three R's: rest, relaxation and recreation!

Has your summer been action packed or slow and easy? Are you the type of person who can't wait for school to start again, or do you wish every day was a carefree summer day? Be sure to tell me your answers and all about your summer Thursday, August 13, our first day of school.

Here are a few things to keep in mind as you and your parents prepare for a great start to a great year.

• Students are to arrive between 7:45 and 7:55 and be in their seats by 8:00 a.m.
• Parents are to accompany their child/children to the office when arriving after 7:59 a. m. to sign in and to get a tardy slip.
• If parents come on campus for any reason, they must check in at the office and get a visitor pass or volunteer pass.
• Parents please send a dated note to the teacher with your child if your child is going home with someone other than the regular carpool driver; preschool children may need to have notes pinned to their clothing or book bags.
• Cell phones are not to be used during carpool. This rule is enforced for the safety of all during car pool.
• The bus driver coordinates the bus clock with WMJJ - Magic 96 radio time and stops at each pickup for five minutes.
• If you are late in the morning, please drive your children to school. If you are late in the afternoon, you may pick up at Highlands School by 4:15 p.m.
• If you send another adult to pick up your children for carpool or the bus stop, notify the school office by noon each day.
• All children, if they wish, may bring a healthy snack such as fruit or vegetables.
• Children who attend school after 12 noon should bring a lunch or enroll in our hot lunch program.
• Children staying after 3:00 p.m. may wish to bring an afternoon snack.
• All medication, with the exception of inhalers and epinephrine, must be dispensed from the school's office.
• Parents must complete a Medication Form and provide the medicine. The containers are to be labeled with the child's name and directions for administering the medication.
• All children are asked to bring all supplies to school on the first day of school. If you purchased school supplies through the Highlands School Parent's Auxiliary they will be in our room the first day of school.

The purpose of a dress code is to allow students to participate fully and safely in every aspect of the school day. Highlights of the school's Dress Code are listed below for reference.

Students should wear something else if they have any doubts about the appropriateness of an item.

• Students are to wear shoes that are appropriate and safe for outdoor play.
• Students in PS–5th grade may not wear flip flops.
• Students in MS may wear sandals and flip flops provided that they have athletic shoes for P.E. Flip flops should be appropriate for school wear and should not be beach or pool shoes.
• Students must wear adequate and appropriate undergarments for all outfits; tights may be worn accompanied by a skirt or dress that extends to mid-thigh.
• Students are not permitted to wear the following:
  a. Tank tops (unless wearing a shirt over or underneath it);
  b. Sundresses (unless straps are at least 1 inch wide);
  c. See-through clothing;
  d. Bare midriff clothing;
  e. Mini-skirts and shorts (4”-5” above the middle of the knee/ no shorter than fingertips when arms are held straight down);
  f. T-shirts with inappropriate messages (alcohol/drugs/sex/weapons/tobacco/vulgarity);
  g. Hats/caps (except outdoors);
  h. Leggings, biker pants or running tights (unless wearing a shirt, dress, or skirt that extends to mid-thigh);
  i. Torn or cut clothes may not be worn.