Monday, March 29, 2021

Highland Newsletter 3/29-4/3/21

                                       HIGHLAND HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL'S NEWSLETTER

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Highland High School Upcoming Events
Highland Academic Calendar
https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?src=wallacbr%40sd25.us&ctz=America/Denver
Highland Activities Calendar
https://highlandrams.org/main/calendar

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Dear Highland Parent, Student, and Ram Supporter,
 
Congratulations to the Highland Cheer Team! They are state champions!!! We are so proud of our team and our coaches. There is no other program in the state that works harder and they have earned their title as champions. Again, we are so proud of our Highland Cheer Team. Rams! Yeah!
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Congratulations to Highland student Jordan Radford who was nominated to the Congress of Future Medical Leaders. This is a national recognition. We are so proud of Jordan and this amazing accomplishment. 
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State testing and SAT testing is coming up. Students who are online will receive and email from the counselor with directions regarding how they will meet testing requirements. 

Here is the testing schedule:
  • Tuesday 4/6 Sophomore Math ISAT Test.
  • Tuesday 4/13 Sophomore English ISAT Test and Junior SAT Test Day. 
    • Freshman and Seniors will be remote learning this day, they will not need to come to school but will work from home through google classroom.
  • Tuesday 4/20 Junior Science ISAT Test.
Please plan to be present and prepared for each test. Get a good night's rest and a eat a good breakfast. No cell phones allowed in the testing area. Here is a place for free practice for the SAT. We highly recommend students take time to practice before the SAT exam on Khan Acadamy=https://www.khanacademy.org/sat.

Please contact your counselor with any questions or concerns.   
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Seniors if you have not already ordered your graduation cap and gown and plan to walk at graduation on May 27, 2021 you need to do so ASAP by ordering at www.hjgrads.com. You can contact Highland’s Herff Jones representative Lane Larsen if you have any questions - llarsen@herffjones.com

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 Dear Highland students and families,

Welcome back from spring break. Whether you had a lovely staycation here in town or travelled (safely, I’m sure) to other locales, I hope you and yours are feeling renewed and refreshed. Below are some items to keep in mind as we head into the sprint part of the school year. It is amazing that we are now homing in on the end of the 2020 – 2021 academic year. Phew.

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University of Idaho will be Here, March 31st

Highland’s admissions representative from the University of Idaho – Eddie Celis – will be in the counselor / career area this Wednesday, March 31st from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. We cannot call students out of their academic classes, but if students speak to their faculty, ask permission for 15 or 20 minutes, Eddie would be glad to speak to you. This is a great opportunity for seniors who have applied, been accepted, and who have questions, and for forward-looking juniors. It’s not entirely certain yet, but it seems a good bet that there will be food offered to those who stop by on Wednesday. We hope for good interest since our upperclassmen have not had the same opportunities as in previous years to meet in person with college admissions staff and personnel.

Do Your FAFSA

Whether you can see career technical education / training, two years of college, or four years of college in your near future, please – please – do your FAFSA. Two-step process: 1) you establish an FSA ID, following this URL ( https://fsaid.ed.gov/npas/index.htm ), and then 2) you complete your FAFSA, following this URL ( https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa ). The FAFSA is directly related to the student through his or her Social Security #, e-mail or home address. Well-meaning family members should NOT fill out the FAFSA for the student. Help, absolutely yes; do it for them? No, please no.

People ask if it is too late to complete the FAFSA. No! And it’s not too late if you plan to go on a mission. But try to get it done in the next six weeks or so. Schools and colleges have a set amount of money set aside and unless you submit a FAFSA and indicate interest in financial aid, the money will be disbursed to others because they got their financial aid ducks in a row a head of you.

Higher Education in Idaho pamphlets

We received a bundle of pamphlets published by IACRAO (Idaho Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers): Higher Education in Idaho, 2020 – 2021. There are about 50 of them and they are in a pile in the college career area. Can’t miss them. Good and appropriate reading for our sophomores and juniors. Stop by and pick one up, but when they’re gone, they’re gone.

ALEKS Testing

If you plan to take any dual-credit math next year or dual-credit science for the first time, you probably need to earn a certain score on the ALEKS assessment to meet the pre-req. Talk to your math teacher this tri or your guidance counselor to confirm. Some of this year’s math teachers will be administering ALEKS next month, and the college career advisor will offer ALEKS after school on Monday, April 19th and Monday, April 26th. Students NEED to sign up with either their math teacher or the college career advisor. Please.

And then, students have to apply to ISU’s Early College Program (ECP) and turn in required paperwork. Just ask, and we will be glad to help you. 

Juniors: Heads Up !

Juniors, you are taking the SATs in a few short weeks and your senior year is right there in front of you. We advise you use the end of your junior year and the summer of 2021 to think, reflect, plan, and prepare for your future. What do you see? Training or apprenticeships? A two-year degree? Four years of college and graduate or professional school after that? You do NOT have to know what you want to pursue as a career or what you want to do or study, but some reflective thinking and advising will make the senior year less stressful ( . . . and more exciting).

Transcript Numbers

Thanks to Katie Schwartz, the keeper of all things transcript, for our transcript update: as of the Friday before break, 230 students have requested that 589 transcripts be sent. 

Woo hoo ! 

Scholarship Awards

If you are a graduating senior and have been awarded scholarship monies to any or all of the schools or training programs you applied to, please stop by the college career advisors to let us know. We are keeping track and want to celebrate the awards won by our students going on to career technical education, two-year colleges, or four-year colleges and universities. Hard work, focus, goals, and ambition deserve kudos.

College of Tech – Schedule an Advising Appt to Save Your Seat

If you are a graduating senior, have a plan to attend a career technical program at ISU’s College of Tech, you HAVE to schedule a meeting with an advisor there to secure your place in the program of your choice in the fall. Do not delay in doing this. Please call the College of Tech to schedule an advising appointment for your program: 208-282-2800.

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The counseling center has started a google classroom in order to make accessing information and resources easier. The classroom code is C22SK7K

There is a specific counselor's google classroom for information for graduates. The classroom code for graduates is 3BWSNGP.

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Tutoring is available both through a google meet and/or in person. To set up your tutoring, please contact the following teachers:
Mary Johnston-Math Tutoring johnstma@sd25.us
Story Holsten-English Tutoring holstost@sd25.us
Pam Fleischman-General Tutoring fleiscpa@sd25.us

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

Go Highland Rams!

Highland High School Administration (208)237-1300
-Dr. 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

Bursar
-Shelley Huelsman (huelsms1@sd25.us) phone ext.106

Registrar
-Elaine Whitehead (whitehel@sd25.us) phone ext.114

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(Department Chair)=students with last name L-R (bakerc1@sd25.us) phone ext.110
-Tricia Harvala=students with last name S-Z (harvaltr@sd25.us) phone ext.116

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