HIGHLAND HIGH SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
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Dear Highland Parent, Student, and Ram Supporter,
CALENDARS
These calendars are continually updated and provide all the important academic and athletic/activities dates for the school year. Please look at them regularly for questions about calendar items.
Highland Academic Calendar:
Highland Activities Calendar:
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PSAT for SOPHOMORE'S & JUNIORS
All Sophomore's across Idaho are scheduled to take the PSAT on Wednesday October 18th. This will be a virtual day where Freshman, Juniors, and Seniors not testing will stay home and have school work online.Sophomore's taking the test do not need to sign up and it is not required for graduation.
What is the PSAT?
The Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT) is given every October as an opportunity to become familiar with the content and process for the SAT. When testing results are utilized, they provide students feedback on their acadmeic strengths and weaknesses necessary for college study as well as opportunities to explore career interests and access college searches.
Juniors Interested in Taking the PSAT
Juniors are highly encouraged to take advantage of the oppourtunity to PSAT test in order to provide them with National Merit Scholarship opportunities as well as additional prparation for the SAT college entrance exam that the juniors will take in April. This year both PSAT and the SAT will be administered digitally instead of on paper.
For Juniors to sign up to take the PSAT, please visit the Counseling Center Junior Google classroom (2kre7ct) and fill out he Junior PSAT Registration form. The deadline to sign up is September 15th. We will be using Juniors Advanced Opportunities money to pay for the exam. The funds will be requested by our College and Career advisors so Juniors do not have toe request themselves. If Juniors fill out the Google form and change their mind or do not show up on October 18th, they will be charged $18 to pay CollegeBoard for the unused test and the Juniors Advanced Opportunities funds may be jeopardized.
To prepare for the PSAT you can visit:
https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/sat/full-length-sat-1/paper-sat-tests/a/full-length-psat-nmsqt
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HOMECOMING RECAP
We had an amazing homecoming week last week. A huge shout out to our student leadership and all the work they put in to make it a great week and to all those who particpated.
Thank you to Hellas turf company that worked through the night for 48 hours straight and tirelessly over the summer to make using our new Highland field a possibility.
Also, at the homecoming game we were able to recognize a few of those who made it possible for us to be back in Highland High School this school year. It is very rare that enough work is done in 4 months after a fire to reoccupy the space where the fire occurred. Countless workers joined in the effort to make this happen. 3D Fire, Mountain Valley Electric, Pocatello Fire Department, Pocatello Police Department, Fire Start, Pocatello/Chubbuck School District #25 and others have been instrumental in making this happen. Leading the way, organizing these efforts was Paul Davis Restoration from Idaho Falls and Utah. All these individuals have been here day and night, and are still here working. We are so grateful for their leadership and for each and every worker. We wanted to recognize their extraordinary effort and to honor them for getting us back into Highland. Getting us back to our home. To show our appreciation we presented them with Highland Ram football helmets, pulled from the remains of the fire. Thank you Paul Davis Restoration Idaho Falls and Utah for your support and to all those that contributed. We will always consider you part of the Highland Ram Family.
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BLACK & BLUE BOWL
We are rolling into another big week with the Black and Blue Bowl Football game between Highland and Pocatello High Schools. The game will be played at Pocatello High School Lookout Stadium at Hawthorne Middle School. There is not a lot of seating, so come prepared to watch in an untraditional format. Both teams are having great seasons and it should be a fun game to watch with a great atmosphere. The game is Friday 9/15 at 7pm.
Students are invited to meet at Highland High School at 5pm for the unveiling of Ram Man, some food, and to caravan with the team to the stadium.
Those driving to the game, plan to walk from a distance as parking is also limited. Do not park along the fence on the south of the facility on Alameda Rd, the police will be ticketing those that do so. We hope to see everyone at the game cheering on our Highland Rams! Here is a map of the assigned parking and additional information about the facility....
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For those interested, there is a family sports pass that includes all home events for the school year, even football games! (Tournaments playoffs, state, and events at the other high schools in the district not included).
Family Passes are $250 for 2 adults and 4 children(14 and under)
$125 for 1 adult and 4 children(14 and under)
Here are the individual costs of tickets for the 2022-23 school year:
Adults-$7.00
Visiting Students and Senior Citizens (60 & Older)-$5.00
Children 12 and under-$5.00
District Middle School Students w/Activity Card-$4.00
Children 5 and Under-Free
Senior Citizen Pass (60 or older)-Free
Student Activity Cards-$50 (good for entrance to all home games at all 3 high schools).
Please contact the school administration with questions.
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GRADUATING CLASS OF 2024
In order to help keep graduates and parents informed of everything going on during a students final year in high school, we will continually update a google doc that has all the latest information. This is a valuable resource for graduates and their parents.
Important Dates/Information Class of 2024
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1am68biO7NYd22Xk1FxyI81fp1zuy2uw4tHBzVPDJIdA/edit?usp=sharingA Class of 2024 group photo will be taken on October 2nd at 10am at Highland High School Stadium.
Senior Photos for the yearbook are due before October 31st.
Here is information about posting a bigger picture-quarter, half, or whole page in the yearbook to congratulate and celebrate your graduate...
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EXTRACURRICULAR'S
There is a Highland Cheerleading Clinic coming up September 22nd for all grades Pre-6th. Cost is $51 and includes cheer training, a sweatshirt, a headband, dinner, snacks, and fun prizes. They will then perform in Highland High School's Stadium. Go to the link and see the flyer below for more details and to register.
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For those interested, there is a family sports pass that includes all home events for the school year, even football games! (Tournaments playoffs, state, and events at the other high schools in the district not included).
Family Passes are $250 for 2 adults and 4 children(14 and under)
$125 for 1 adult and 4 children(14 and under)
Here are the individual costs of tickets for the 2022-23 school year:
Adults-$7.00
Visiting Students and Senior Citizens (60 & Older)-$5.00
Children 12 and under-$5.00
District Middle School Students w/Activity Card-$4.00
Children 5 and Under-Free
Senior Citizen Pass (60 or older)-Free
Student Activity Cards-$50 (good for entrance to all home games at all 3 high schools).
Please contact the school bursar with questions.
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COLLEGE & CAREER ADVISORS
Dear Highland Students & Families,
It’s only the second full week of September, but we have been favorably impressed by
the senior students who have come forward to ask about college applications, financial
aid, and scholarships. Here is some advice, some information, and some college-
related events to mark your calendars.
College Applications: The Sequence of Events If you are applying to Idaho colleges and programs:
1) Apply.
2) Get admitted.
3) Apply for scholarships on their website (starting at about the start of the new
calendar year).
The no-cost platform with 10 Idaho colleges, career technical school and programs,
called Apply Idaho opens October 2nd.
If you are applying to Ivy League / selective colleges or BYU Provo / Hawaii:
1) Apply very soon. Each college has its own priority or early decision or hard
deadlines. The BYU Provo / Hawaii deadline is November 1st, no wiggle room.
2) Ivy League / selective colleges want to apply for admission and financial aid at
the same time. These schools have you complete the CSS Profile on the College
Board website (which is a real process).
3) In the spring you will learn about your admission status and your financial aid
award / package.
4) It will cost money to submit applications to these schools (you can always ask for
an application fee waiver) and to request official transcripts for your dual-credit
coursework.
If you are applying to out-of-state schools or programs:
1) It will often cost money to apply, but ask the CCAs if they have a fee waiver
(sometimes we do and sometimes we don’t).
2) Get admitted.
3) Apply for scholarships offered by that school or program, and then look for lots of
other money because your first year at an out-of-state school will be expensive.
In your second year, assuming you have fully established residency, you will be
eligible for in-state tuition.
If you are interested in the military service academies . . .
West Point, Annapolis, the Air Force Academy, the United State Merchant Marine
Academy. Students interested in applying and being considered for admission at any of these
distinguished academies have to start the process at the start of the junior year. Talk to
the CCAs for more information.
Training programs / apprenticeships / study or work abroad:
Just ask the CCAs
Planning on a year or two of service after graduation:
We still strongly encourage you to apply to colleges or training programs in your
senior year and complete a FAFSA before you leave.
The FAFSA
It is being revised, revamped, simplified.
Sigh.
It will not open until December or January, which will put the squeeze on our seniors
and families. But the CCAs will offer events this fall and in the new year to help students
and families get the FAFSA completed and submitted. The Idaho colleges and training
programs cannot award scholarships until the FAFSA is submitted.
Stay tuned for more information on this topic.
Scholarship Monies
We have had students inquire about scholarships before they have applied to any
colleges, which is putting the cart before the horse, a bit.
Students should think about scholarship money as a series of concentric circles. The
first and easiest money (if you have been a good and conscientious student) is found at
the schools to which you’ve been accepted; they want to entice you to come with
scholarship offers. The second grouping of money is offered by the state of Idaho and
by Idaho foundations / corporations / private scholarships. The third pot of money is
national scholarships, which you’ll see at websites like scholarships.com, FastWeb, etc.
In the national scholarship category, you will find lots and lots of money, but will also
face much more competition. It is entirely up to you how you go after scholarship
money, but schools have coffers of money for students – based on GPA, or instrument
played, or program of study, or hometown, or many other factors – that is waiting to be
tapped.
Also any scholarship money is a diminishing pot. The longer students wait to apply for
scholarships, the less likely that scholarship money will come their way . . . the state
only has so much money to give away, colleges and universities have a set scholarship
budget, and foundations (family, corporate, private) likewise have a set amount of
money designated for scholarships.
In terms of deadlines, please ask your college career advisors, but in general:
Apply to the Idaho Opportunity Scholarship as soon as it opens (in October).
Apply to institutions for their scholarships (for start date Fall 2024) beginning on
January 1st , 2024.
Apply to private / corporate / national / foundation scholarships according to the
directions on their website.
College Visits ! ! ! Mark Your Calendars
Colleges are coming to call, so please mark your calendars and don’t miss these
opportunities.
PLEASE NOTE: Students who wish to attend such visits during the school day, have to
speak to their teachers ahead of time, ask nicely for permission to attend, turn in any
work due that day ahead of time, and return immediately to class if the visit concludes
or the student has had his or her questions answered. This is important. Students
cannot – and should not – assume that they will be excused from class if they have not
made arrangements ahead of time. And teachers reserve the right to not excuse
students from class.
University of Oregon
Native American student recruitment
Monday, September 18th
12 noon to 12:36 pm
CCA area, C-36
Boise State University
Friday, September 22nd
11:12 am to 12:27 pm (3 rd hour)
Room B-18 (Ms. Plato’s room)
Utah Tech University Admissions Open House
Formerly known as Dixie State
Tuesday, September 26th
6 to 8 pm
Media Center
Please see the CCAs about pre-registration and preparation.
University of Utah
Tuesday, October 17th
10 am
CCA area, C-36
That is enough for one Monday. Read in the weeks ahead about the new FAFSA, Apply
Idaho, dual-credit coursework, and all kinds of good stuff.
Alice Rowe
Sarah May Clarkson
College career advisors, C-36
Thank you for all your support!
GO HIGHLAND RAMS!
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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
-Ed.S. Jena Wilcox-Assistant Principal (wilcoxje@sd25.us) phone ext.104
-Dr. 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
-Katie Schwartz (schwarka@sd25.us) phone ext.111
Attendance
-Mindy Murphy (murphymi@sd25.us) phone ext.115
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
-Sarah May Clarkson=College & Career Advisor (clarkssa@sd25.us) phone ext.123
-Alice Rowe=College & Career Advisor (roweal@sd25.us) phone ext.236
School Psychologist
-Amy Holloway hollowam@sd25.us
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