Monday, October 19, 2020

Highland Newsletter 10/19-10/24/20

                                HIGHLAND HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL'S NEWSLETTER

Image result for School District 25 logo images
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,

Important Reminder: Free lunch is currently being provided to learners through a temporary waiver. Please fill out the Online Free And Reduced Meal Application to ensure that your learner will continue to receive the appropriate eligibility for free and reduced lunch when the waiver expires (currently scheduled for December 312020).

ONLINE FREE AND REDUCED MEAL APPLICATION now available through Infinite Campus: https://ic.sd25.us/campus/portal/pocatello.jsp   Once logged in choose "More" > "Meal Benefits" > click the link to start the application.   If you have never logged onto Infinite Campus call Food Service for your Activation Key 208-235-3254.

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The calendar of which days students attend school has been changed the last 2 weeks of the trimester. Here is what the calendar looks like=

November 2020

Monday 11/2

A DAY

Tuesday 11/3

NO SCHOOL

Election Day

Teacher Professional Development

Wednesday 11/4

B DAY

Thursday 11/5

A DAY

Friday 11/6

B DAY

Monday 11/9

A DAY

Tuesday 11/10

B DAY

Wednesday 11/11

B DAY

*Finals

Thursday 11/12

A DAY

*Finals

Friday 11/13

NO SCHOOL

Teacher Work Day

Finals will be held with B Day students on Wednesday 11/11/20 and A Day Students Thursday 11/12/20. Students will not have extended class periods for finals, we will follow a normal bell schedule.   

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For those interested in moving from hybrid learning to all online, 2nd trimester registration has opened and will close on October 30th. Please contact your school counselor with help or guidance if you want to pursue registering to be an all online student for 2nd trimester or if your student would like to move from all online to in school/hybrid learning.

The school board plans to meet on November 2nd and make a decision on how to proceed for 2nd trimester.  
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Navigating Initial Eligibility During COVID-19: A Webinar for College-Bound Student-Athletes
Did you miss the NCAA Eligibility Center webinar in October? Join the EC for a repeat webinar on Saturday, November 7 at 2 p.m. Eastern to learn about initial-eligibility requirements you must meet and how COVID-19 impacts those requirements. Click here to register=https://pub.s1.exacttarget.com/twsfoikazja
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Highland is setting up tutoring for students. Tutoring will be 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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Junior Civitan Club invites all to donate to Socktober. Donate new socks to the school. Students donate to their first period class. These socks will then be donated to local agency and be used to benefit the community. Please contact the club advisor, Mrs. Candice Carlson carlsoc1@sd25.us for any questions or concerns.

The Key Club is also doing a drive. This is a money drive called Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF. Students can donate to their 4th period class. Anyone can donate to the school for the Key Club UNICEF Fundraiser. The funds raised will support the Eliminate Project in working to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus which kills thousands of mothers and babies every year. Please contact the club advisor Mrs. Raquel Frasure frasurra@sd25.us for questions or concerns.
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The Idaho Legislature recently passed a bill allowing for a STEM designation to be included on a student’s high school diploma.  Students who successfully complete all graduation requirements established by the Pocatello/Chubbuck School District may receive a high school diploma designated as a STEM diploma if they meet the following criteria:

·         Complete eight (8) credits in mathematics

·         Complete eight (8) credits in science

·         Complete five (5) additional credits of the student’s choice in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics.

We already have 16 students at Highland who will be receiving a diploma with a STEM designation on it. If you are not sure if you qualify please see your counselor or the registrar!

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Reminder if you do not have an active Infinite Campus Parent Portal account and would like to be able to login and access your learners grades, class attendance, assignment information and related messages from the school and the teachers it’s not too late!  The portal is designed to increase communication with teachers, allow you to check your students’ progress, to see what's due in each class and when, and be help your student be more successful in school. 

If you would like to activate your account please email our registrar, Elaine Whitehead, at whitehel@sd25.us and she will get your individualized log in credentials to you.
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Important Information From the College Career Advisors=

Seniors – Enjoy the Moment, But Look Ahead 

Dear Seniors and Families of Seniors, We are only four weeks away from the end of the first trimester and we want to encourage all seniors to enjoy the moment, but also look ahead. Consider these things:

  • Highland is fortunate to be served by a number of regular military recruiters: the Marines, the Army, and the National Guard. We can help students find recruiters for the other branches. Students interested in military service right out of high school need to maintain good grades, have a list of people who can recommend them, and should plan to take the ASVAB (a multi-aptitude test given to those in the recruitment process). See your guidance counselor or college career advisors to be well prepared for military service after graduation.
  • The Apply Idaho platform (see below) is now open and makes it easy for seniors to apply to any or all of Idaho’s ten places of higher learning: 2- and 4-year colleges, career-technical schools, and certification programs. The 2-year and career-technical schools include Idaho State University, College of Eastern Idaho, College of Southern Idaho, College of Western Idaho, North Idaho College, and Lewis-Clark State College; the 4-year colleges are Idaho State University, Boise State University, University of Idaho, College of Idaho, Lewis-Clark State College, and Northwest Nazarene University. Seniors, do some research and apply to the programs and colleges that best suit your goals. See your college career advisors for help with this application.
  • High school students can also apply to apprenticeships that train and educate toward a particular certified trade: electricians, plumbers, and more. A student is only eligible for apprenticeship programs with a high school diploma. See the guidance counselors or college career advisors for more information.
  • It is strongly recommended that high school seniors have a resume and a list of three people who could provide a sterling recommendation for them. The college career advisors are glad to help students develop a resume (even if they don’t understand what a resume will do for them).
  • Students who plan on college or training, need to complete the FAFSA (Free Application of Federal Student Aid). The process can seem intimidating, but the college career advisors stand ready to assist getting it done and completed. Do NOT delay in completing the FAFSA – see the college career advisors for information and guidance.
  • Scholarships. There is lots of scholarship money available to students who are pursuing 2 years of college, 4 years of college, or career technical education. Don’t leave that money on the table. First complete the FAFSA and then have the college career advisors help you develop a successful scholarship strategy.

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Apply Idaho !

October and November are the months for our seniors to be looking to the future. The state of Idaho offers the Apply Idaho platform that allows any Idaho senior to apply to the state’s four-year or two-year career technical colleges (10 altogether) for free. All a student needs is access to a computer and his or her EDUID. Apply this month, wait for your acceptance notifications, and then begin applying for scholarships. 

Students may visit the college career advisors in C-36 any time, and we will help with Apply Idaho and we have also reserved Wednesdays through the month of November for students to complete Apply Idaho and begin their FAFSA. 

If students are not headed toward college or training, the college career advisors will help students create a resume, give advice and direction on job applications, readiness for military service, and lots more.

So Remember:

Ø  Wednesdays, all day, until Thanksgiving (October 14 {after students are finished with the SATs}, 21, 28, November 4, 11, and 18), college career advisors will help students with Apply Idaho, resumes, readiness for the workforce or the military, and lots more.

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Idaho Opportunity Scholarship is Now Open !

The state of Idaho has a number of generous scholarships for its high school graduates who plan to attend one of the ten schools and colleges on the Apply Idaho list as well as BYU-I. The Idaho Opportunity Scholarship is the most popular of the five state scholarships. It is open to students with an unweighted GPA of 2.7 or above, who have graduated from an Idaho high school, have completed the FAFSA, submitted their Social Security Number, and have access to a personal e-mail address (NOT school e-mail).

The Idaho Opportunity Scholarship opened October 1st. It is a very generous and renewable scholarship, but is drawn from a diminishing pot of state monies, so apply as soon as possible. Follow the URL below. First you register yourself and then complete the application.

Once you have applied, students have to check their e-mail regularly in the spring. Scholarship award notifications come by e-mail and students have to accept the offer by a tight deadline. In the past, some students have missed out because they did not check their e-mail and thus did not accept the State’s offer of scholarship money by the deadline.

https://isbe.smapply.io/

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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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