Highland High School Newsletter: August 2019

Monday, August 26, 2019

Highland Newsletter 8/26-9/3/19

Dear Highland Parent, Student, and Ram Supporter,

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Dear Parent/Guardian, Student, and Highland Ram Supporter,

Last year we started a group called the Highland Parent Advisory Group. Parents worked with Highland Administration to work towards identifying ways to improve Highland High School. The goal of last year's Parent Advisory Group was to make the Highland parking lot safer for students, parents, and staff members. This led to some ideas that are currently being pursued. This group also had a big hand in focusing improvement efforts at Highland. Highland Administration is excited to start up this committee again. Please fill out the following form if you are interested and Principal Wallace will be setting up the first meeting soon to set a goal to pursue for the 2019-20 school year. If you were on the Parent Advisory Group last school year, please fill out the form again. Thanks!

Parent Advisory Group Interest Form=

https://forms.gle/tdsb1Ft5EsC5zUeT7

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One of our goals for the past couple of years was to improve our school website and make it the functional base for all our social media, important links, calendars, and other important school information. I am excited to share that we have a dedicated individual, Mrs. Deb Greco, that will be focusing on our website, its development, and keeping it up to date. Please email Principal Wallace wallacbr@sd25.us or Mrs. Deb Greco grecode@sd25.us with any suggestions for improving our website.

The website can be found at=http://hhsrams.com/

As a result this letter will now be found on the school website and will not be sent out as a separate communication moving forward. We will still send out a weekly notification, but it will direct you to the website and the newsletter will be found there under the title Principal's Message along with all other important school information.

Please provide us with feedback as we continually work to improve our communication with our Ram Family.

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CHANGE IN ATTENDANCE PROCEDURES=

During and at the end of last school year the principals from the middle and high schools worked together with the district office to revise our attendance procedures. Here is the new procedure regarding attendance in our school district=

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1avmkSRYZEd2hkaofhOIrbezcNyM0NdCkssb1DatQRHU/edit?usp=sharing

In short=

Students are expected to be in each class, in their seat, on time, ready to learn, every day. Attendance is one of the most essential pieces in receiving an education and preparing students for future success in college and/or career. Not attending, or being late to class, results in missing valuable information and makes it extremely difficult for student learning to occur.

Students are expected to attend 90% of the time. Students who miss 10% or more of class time will be subject to school attendance disciplinary procedures.

The new attendance procedures include the following:

A student can have up to 5 absences in each class each trimester.

On the 6^th absence in a class the student will receive a truancy and a notification will be sent home warning of possible loss of credit for the class.
On the 7^th absence in a class the student will receive a truancy and a notification will be sent home warning of possible loss of credit for the class.
On the 8^th absence in a class the student will lose credit and be unenrolled from the class and will not be allowed on campus during that class period.

A student can appeal their loss of credit and must fill out an appeal form within 5 days of being notified of their 8^th absence in a class. The student will need to continue attending class and will need to meet a specific criteria for their appeal to be considered. Appeals are reviewed at the end of trimester and school administration will decide whether to grant the credit or deny the credit based on how diligently the student followed the criteria related to the appeal to be considered.

If a student wants to appeal they will continue to attend class for the remainder of the trimester and will be allowed to do so unless 1)they do not submit an appeal within 5 days or 2)they do not meet the criteria for the appeal to be considered. In both these cases the student will be unenrolled from that specific class and will lose credit.

Absences for legal and medical reasons do not count against a student’s attendance if they provide documentation with the proper form.

There are no prearranged absences anymore. Absences missed for a family trip or for some other reason will count against a student’s attendance.

Every 5 tardies in a specific class counts as an absence for that class.

Also, as a reminder, once a student is truant teachers will not provide the student with makeup work that the student missed while being truant.

There is an appeal process outlined in the link provided above if a student faces a loss of credit due to excessive absences outlined above.

If you have questions or concerns, please call or email Highland School Administration. We are happy to speak with you about any questions, clarification, or concerns.

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As a reminder. We have over 1600 students this school year and so making schedule changes is difficult. Highland Counselors will be doing limited preference schedule changes because of high student enrollment numbers. Counselors will be meeting with students on 8/21 from 9am-1pm for preference schedule changes. Most of these were taken care of during schedule pickup. Students who are misplaced in the wrong class or who have "See Counselor" on their schedule will be addressed by counselors on 8/26-8/28. After 8/28 no schedule changes will occur unless approved by school administration. To see the assigned days for schedule changes for 2nd trimester and 3rd trimester, please refer to the school academic calendar=

https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?src=wallacbr%40sd25.us&ctz=America/Denver

Please do not hesitate to contact school administration for questions, concerns, or frustrations.

We can think, be, and learn more as we work together to continually improve.

Go Highland Rams!

Highland High School Administration (208)237-1300

Brad Wallace-Principal (wallacbr@sd25.us) phone ext.103

Travis Bell-Assistant Principal/Athletic and Activities Director (belltr@sd25.us) phone ext.105

Jena Wilcox-Assistant Principal (wilcoxje@sd25.us) phone ext.104

Steve Morton-Assistant Principal (mortonst@sd25.us) phone ext.107

Counseling Center (208)237-1300
Tami Romriell=students with last name A-D (romrieta@sd25.us) phone ext.131
Christa Santos-Smith=students with last name E-K (santosch@sd25.us) phone ext.109
Cali Baker=students with last name L-R (bakerc1@sd25.us) phone ext.116
Tricia Harvala=students with last name S-Z (harvaltr@sd25.us) phone ext.110

School Psychologist
Debra Erlandson-(erlandde@sd25.us)

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Ticket Prices for Holt Arena:

$8-adult

$6-Middle School w/Student ID

$4-Child/Senior

$2-High School w/Student ID

$2-District Employee w/Activities Card

Ticket Prices for Events @ HHS:

$6-Adults

$5-Seniors 55 and up

$4-Children 6-14yrs.

FREE-Staff w/Activities Card

FREE-Any Pocatello School District High School Student w/Activities Card

$3-Middle School Student w/Activities Card

$4-Visiting Student(s) w/Activities Card

Family Events/Activities Passes available for $130. This gets you and your entire immediate family (except high school students-they must buy their own activity card) into any home event for the entire school year. This does NOT include Holt Arena.

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The Highland Foundation is dedicated to raising money to benefit Highland High School. For example, last school year the Highland Foundation was able to remodel the school library from funds that were donated through the foundation, bringing it up to date and making it a powerful resource for the school. There are some benefits you can recieve from donating money to the Highland Foundation. One benefit is that you are helping improve Highland High school. Also, there are a couple of tax benefits. Your donation(s) can be written off as an itemized deduction on your Federal Taxes. In addition, there is a specialized tax rebate that can be applied to State Taxes for donations to a non-profit/public school entity allowing for up to 1/2 back.

The foundation has been working to find ways that make it easier for you to give to Highland High School. The first step in this process is establishing a Venmo account. Venmo is an app that can be downloaded to your phone and facilitates the transfer of money from one to another. Once set up, it literally takes just seconds. The Highland Foundation bank account is attached to its newly established Venmo account allowing for donations to go directly to the account. The account handle name is @HighlandFoundation, you will see Melissa Nielsen's name (the school librarian) as she is the treasurer for the Highland Foundation. You can donate up to $2,999 in one transaction. Please type in where you want this money to be donated (English, Math, Wrestling, Football, Library, Etc). If you do not specify where then it will automatically be assigned to the general account and will not be earmarked for a specific area.

For more information on Venmo, please visit-https://venmo.com/about/product/. We appreciate your support of Highland High School. We are blessed to have such amazing support. GO RAMS!

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Monday, August 19, 2019

Highland Newsletter August 19-August 23, 2019

Dear Highland Parent, Student, and Ram Supporter,

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Dear Parent/Guardian, Student, and Highland Ram Supporter,

The Vision and Mission of Highland High School include the following=

Vision: Highland High School offers a safe and comprehensive learning experience focused on preparing all students to achieve success and happiness in college, career, and in life.

Mission: Highland High School believes deeply that in learning and in life=The Right Attitude Means Success.

The “Right Attitude” we strive to learn and live as RAMS includes being….

Respectful and caring towards ourselves and others;

Safe and trusting environment.
Healthy and appropriate relationships.
Restorative Practices.
Selflessness and responsibility.
Plan for prevention.
The R Factor (Event+Response=Outcome)
Making ourselves and others better.

Accountable and prepared for each class and event;

Establish a vision/goal.
Learn what it will take to accomplish the vision/goal.
Engage in the grind.
Seek and provide support and feedback.
Identify the gap between where we are now, where we want to be and relentlessly work to improve.

Motivated and focused in academics, activities and athletics;

Build efficacy and confidence.
Find, learn from, and share inspiring examples.
Improve self for challenges and to be a helpful resource for others.
Collaborate to overcome barriers.
Take time to celebrate and learn from failures and improvements.
Adversity as fuel, the Growth Mindset, and Grit.

Scholarly and spirited in school and in life.

Continually improve.
Represent ourselves, our family, our school, and our community with excellence.
Organized, strategic, hardworking, patient and optimistic.
Self-driven learner.
Help others in their journey.

Parent Advisory Group Interest Form=

https://forms.gle/tdsb1Ft5EsC5zUeT7

Highlands Leadership Team recently met and set goals for the school to pursue for the 2019-20 school year. The minutes to their meeting are included here=
https://docs.google.com/document/d/10LbzQyF50mik5hzkA89K_1UwB_593aIf_I_LW0p7DZk/edit?usp=sharing

The leadership team consists of 4 groups. Each group works to actionalize a specific piece of the school mission and vision. The groups, their focus, and the members can be found in the following links=

Highland Leadership Team Groups and Focuses=

https://docs.google.com/document/d/12Dc0PM4jJ6So-RFsO7d-XY85Xsk_SGwExxl4ZWpz7LQ/edit?usp=sharing

Highland Leadership Team Members=

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1F45lIMVlqTWFbzmRoTHdEihjzLQRltrvlRbdiGT55LU/edit?usp=sharing

This year the Highland Leadership Team has decided to focus on one specific section from the school mission for our school goal=

Motivated and focused in academics, activities and athletics;

Build efficacy and confidence.
Find, learn from, and share inspiring examples.
Improve self for challenges and to be a helpful resource for others.
Collaborate to overcome barriers.
Take time to celebrate and learn from failures and improvements.
Adversity as fuel, the Growth Mindset, and Grit.

Advisory lessons and other school efforts will focus on this specific piece from the RAM Attitudes. Our academic goals for the year includes=

Highland High School will increase scores on SAT’s and ISAT's by 2% in each area (English, Math, and Science) as well as a 2% increase in graduation rate.

We are excited to work with students, staff, and parents to achieve our goals for this school year! Please contact school administration with any questions or concerns.

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https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?src=wallacbr%40sd25.us&ctz=America/Denver

================================================================================== The schedule for the first day of school is=

First Day of School Bell Schedule:

8:32-9:32am Welcome Back Assembly

9:40-10:00am Advisory

10:05am-10:45am 1st Period

10:50am-11:30am 2nd Period

11:35am-12:15pm 3rd Period

12:15pm-1:05pm LUNCH

1:10pm-1:50pm 4th Period

1:55pm-2:42pm 5th Period

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CHANGE IN ATTENDANCE PROCEDURES=

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1avmkSRYZEd2hkaofhOIrbezcNyM0NdCkssb1DatQRHU/edit?usp=sharing

In short=

Legal, Medical (when verified with the Highland Medically Necessary Absence Verification Form), Homebound, School Sanctioned Activities and Suspensions DO NOT count against a students attendance.

Attendance Standard for 6^th grade Through 15 Years of Age

Absence #1 – 5	Students are allowed up to 5 absences per class per trimester with no consequences
Absence #6 (excessively absent)	Truancy issued, parent notified of possible loss of credit
Absence #7	Truancy issued, parent notified of possible loss of credit, may be referred to Friday Night School or other school consequence
Absence #8	Truancy issued, parent notified, loss of credit for class, referral to School Resource Officer, student may still be required to attend class, may be referred to District Disciplinary Review Committee, may be unenrolled from the class

Attendance Standard for 16 Years of Age and Older

Absence #1 – 5	Students are allowed up to 5 absences per class per trimester with no consequence
Absence #6 (excessively absent)	Parent and student notified of possible loss of credit
Absence #7	Parent and student notified of possible loss of credit
Absence #8	Parent and student notified of loss of credit for class, student unenrolled from class and required to be off campus pending an administrative appeal

Interventions/Consequences for Student Tardiness at the Secondary Level

Tardy #1	Student is warned by the teacher about the disruption.
Tardy #2	Second warning given and parent/guardian may be contacted.
Tardy #3	Third warning given and detention may be assigned.
Tardy #4	School official contacts parent/guardian and may assign other consequences.
Tardy # 5+	School official issues a truancy. Parent/guardian will be notified Student is issued an absence for the class. Every subsequent 5^th tardy equals 1 absence for that class.

There is an appeal process outlined in the link provided above if a student faces a loss of credit due to excessive absences outlined above.

If you have questions or concerns, please call or email Highland School Administration. We are happy to speak with you about any questions, clarification or concerns.

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This newsletter will work to provide the latest information. We also have 2 calendars-The Highland Academic Calendar and The Highland Activities Calendar. We will use these calendars to keep you informed so you can plan ahead, or see the events of the day or week. Also, you can recieve updates by following Principal Wallace's twitter handle @wall7935. Please check these regularly, especially when weather may be a factor with cancellations or rescheduling of school events.

HHS Academic Calendar

https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?src=wallacbr%40sd25.us&ctz=America/Denver

HHS Activities Calendar

https://highlandrams.org/

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Again, we are excited for what will be a wonderful year at Highland High School. Please do not hesitate to contact school administration for questions, concerns, or frustrations.

We can think, be, and learn more as we work together to continually improve.

Go Highland Rams!

Highland High School Administration (208)237-1300

Brad Wallace-Principal (wallacbr@sd25.us) phone ext.103

Travis Bell-Assistant Principal/Athletic and Activities Director (belltr@sd25.us) phone ext.105

Jena Wilcox-Assistant Principal (wilcoxje@sd25.us) phone ext.104

School Psychologist
Debra Erlandson-(erlandde@sd25.us)

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Ticket Prices for Holt Arena:

$8-adult

$6-Middle School w/Student ID

$4-Child/Senior

$2-High School w/Student ID

$2-District Employee w/Activities Card

Ticket Prices for Events @ HHS:

$6-Adults

$5-Seniors 55 and up

$4-Children 6-14yrs.

FREE-Staff w/Activities Card

FREE-Any Pocatello School District High School Student w/Activities Card

$3-Middle School Student w/Activities Card

$4-Visiting Student(s) w/Activities Card

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Reminders

Starting in the 2019-2020 school year, in order to be in compliance with Idaho education law, the Pocatello/Chubbuck School district will be changing the way they issue credit for dual enrollment courses. Dual enrollment courses are courses in which a student can earn college credit while still in high school. In the past, each dual enrollment course taken would account for one high school credit, regardless of the corresponding credit level at the institution of higher learning. For example, a student taking English 101, a three (3) credit course at ISU, would receive one (1) high school credit on their high school transcript.. However, the law now requires that students receive high school credit at a ratio of at least 2:1 for dual enrollment courses. As such, the same English 101 course will now equate to one and a half (1.5) high school credits on the high school transcript. Likewise, if a student takes a dual enrollment course with a college credit value of four (4) credits, the student will receive two (2) high school credits. For a complete list of dual enrollment classes currently offered in the district, and the corresponding credit values, please visit https://bit.ly/2EydAX3.

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For more information on Venmo, please visit-https://venmo.com/about/product/. We appreciate your support of Highland High School. We are blessed to have such amazing support. GO RAMS!

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