Highland Park Senior High News

Highland Families,

I hope this edition of our weekly newsletter finds you and your family well as we approach the end of the first quarter grading period next week. As I reflect on 38 years working in the Saint Paul School District, over 25 of them being a middle and high school principal, I have had the opportunity and pleasure to work with many families and students over the years. I am often reminded in my daily interactions with students and parents, often when there is a challenge or conflict, how challenging it can be to not only be a teenager these days but the parent of a teenager. Having raised a teenager into adulthood and working with young adults at school, I can attest that the journey is not an easy one for students or parents at times. Each child is different, and their mood can vary by the hour, day, or week. All of this is normal as they are still growing, changing, becoming independent and experiencing hormonal changes as their bodies and brains continue to fully develop. While I am far from an expert, I can share from experience that the best parenting involves listening, patience, firm but fair boundaries and consistency. Most students will push these boundaries, that is normal as teenagers, and I know I certainly did such when I was a teenager. Consistent love with fair and reasonable expectations serves our young people well as they transition into adulthood. Parents, enjoy the journey, even the tough times, as they grow up fast and before you know it, they will be out on their own as adults. Thanks for all of your continued support as parents.

Tuesday, November 10, 2026

• PTSA Meeting from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. via Zoom

  https://minnstate.zoom.us/j/93949424557; Meeting ID: 939 4942 4557

  TOPIC: International Baccalaureate (IB), Immersion Programs, PSEO

Thursday, November 12, 2026

• End of Quarter 1

Friday, November 13, 2026

• No School - Professional Development

Thursday, November 26 - Friday, November 27, 2026

• No School - Thanksgiving Break

The HPSH Art Department would like to welcome you to the second annual Growing Out Loud 2026 arts showcase at the Landmark Center from 5:30-8pm, Tuesday, November 17th. There will be a range of fun art to view and activities for all ages, food trucks, art making tables, and the event is totally free!

Location: 75 Fifth Street West, St. Paul MN 55102

Time: 5:30-8:00pm, Tuesday Nov. 17th

Highland Park High School’s annual school-wide fundraiser is officially underway.

💛 Don’t miss your chance to make a difference! Support our amazing teachers, classrooms, and student clubs—and help our school community shine! ✨

Last year, the Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) funded 19 projects — including Lunar New Year Celebrations, Athletics programs, Visual Arts, the School Store, Robotics Club and more.

● Donate online here: Highland Park Senior High Donation Page

● Send change to school with your student: Advisory classes are competing in the Loose Change

Challenge — the top class wins a pizza party!

Be an Early Bird! Donate this week and help make this our biggest + best year yet!

Highland Park FFA is hosting our annual fruit sale fundraiser! Between now and Nov 16th, you can purchase fresh fruit, chocolates, nuts, meats, cheeses, and coffee, which will arrive in December before winter break. The fruit is very high quality, shipped directly from the state it is grown in!

Order online at this link, or contact an FFA member to order and pay in person. https://shop.myfruitsale.com/?code=EMQR-0000

Funds will go towards student registration, convention, and contest fees. Highland Park FFA has over 150 members active at the local, regional, state, and national levels. FFA strives to never charge students to participate in events; this is made possible through fundraising and donations! Thank you in advance for your support.

Did you know your SPPS student has a virtual public library card? With Library Go, all Saint Paul Public School students automatically get a public library card when they enroll in school. It’s ready to use today! Students can check out books and other physical materials at any SPPL location, download e-books and e-audiobooks through Libby, and access all of SPPL's digital resources. SPPL is a fine free library, and with Library Go, there is no financial risk to your family.

Each student is assigned a barcode number connected to their student ID. This number works just like a library card! To get started, your student can log into their account on SPPL's website: sppl.org

Barcode: 22091600 + 6-digit SPPS student ID

Password: Student's birthday (MMDDYYYY) - for example January 1, 2015 = 01012015

Not sure what to look for? Try some of these top resources! Find them on SPPL’s website.

• Bookflix: Animated picture books in English and Spanish. Great for Elementary schoolers!

• Libby: Your one-stop shop for e-books and e-audiobooks for kids and teens.

• HelpNow (virtual homework help): Get immediate help with a variety of subjects! Log in a get connected with a live tutor 24/7/365 (tutors are humans, not AI or chatbots). Offered in English and Spanish.

• CultureGrams: Information about cultures and countries around the world. Perfect for learning about your community or next travel destination!

• PebbleGo Next: Facts, information, videos, and more about animals, Indigenous cultures, famous people, and science topics. Excellent for curious kids who love learning about the world around them.

Questions? You can learn more by visiting the Library Go help page at sppl.org/library-go or contacting any Saint Paul Public Library.

Be sure to stay up to date on Scots Sports via the Highland Park Athletics website:

https://gobound.com/mn/schools/stpaulhighlandpark

During the snow-clearing season of November 1 through April 1, staff, students, and the community are reminded that no overnight parking is allowed at any SPPS site (except Education and Operations Services at 1930 Como and Administration at 360 Colborne.) Any vehicle left overnight will be towed.

There will be a Financial Aid Night on Thursday, November 19th from 5:30 - 7:30 PM in the Library at Highland Park Senior High. This is an opportunity for 12th grade students/families to get support with completing their FAFSA or MN Alternative State Financial Aid Application.

Highland Park staff members and financial aid counselors from local colleges will be available to support students/families with completing the application and to answer any questions they have related to the financial aid process.

If you're interested in attending, please CLICK HERE to sign-up!

Ever wish you could play a small role in making Highland Park Senior High a healthier, more creative, or just happier place? You can do exactly that through the HPSH Staff Wish List!

It doesn’t take a lot to make our teachers and students feel supported. A pack of art supplies can spark a student's passion, some snacks can fuel their afternoon brainpower, and a bottle of hand sanitizer helps keep everyone a little healthier. Our teachers work hard, but they frequently run through basics. As one teacher shared, "I'm always running out of whiteboard markers :)"!

There is no deadline, but the sooner these supplies get to the classroom, the more our teachers can use them. Best of all, you can ship your items directly to the school.

Ready to make a teacher's day? Check out the Staff Wish List today!

Contact a PTSA parent volunteer at MollySanders.MN@gmail.com if you have any questions or need a hand with an order.

CCRC Newsletter

This newsletter will go out every other Friday and will include information/resources related to college & career planning! It's important that students are reviewing it so that they can stay informed about opportunities they might be interested in or resources that they could use to support their college & career planning.

Our 10th grade students are starting their IB MYP Personal Projects! Students have met with their IB MYP Personal Project Advisors. Here are some key aspects of the Personal Project:

• It is a student-centered and student-selected project and provides an opportunity for students to undertake an independent exploration into an area of personal interest -- to produce a truly personal, academic, and/or creative piece of work.

• The personal nature of the project is important; the project should be based around a topic that motivates and interests the student.

• Students are involved in the process of inquiry, action and reflection.

• Students are encouraged to demonstrate and strengthen their Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills such as Communication, Social (collaboration), Self-management (organization and reflection), Thinking (creatively and critically), and Research.

• Students will be engaging in some brainstorming, journaling, and researching lessons in advisory.

• Finished projects include: a process journal, product/outcome, paper, and a showcase.

• The overall project (journal, product/outcome, paper) should take about 25 hours to complete. The criteria for the project and paper are Planning, Applying Skills, and Reflecting -- these are very universal and will work with any topic.

• The paper will be explained in detail in December after the students have engaged further in their projects. The paper length requirement is 15 pages or less (this does include the title page, table of contents, evidence, bibliography). The paper aims to explain the process of the personal project, explain the impact of the project on the student and their learning, evaluate the product based on the success criteria the student created, and show reflection with detailed examples and evidence. Students will be provided with a rubric and prompts to help write the paper. The journal entries will be a great resource as students write the paper.

• There are materials available to help with brainstorming, journaling, and planning in the Personal Project Course on Schoology.

• It is an expectation that all HPSH students engage in this project as do all IB MYP students across the globe!
  
  

Please encourage your student to keep thinking about project ideas, continue journaling, and start on the project. If your student is not yet sure of topics, encourage them to talk to friends and family- maybe pursue topics such as exercise, relaxation, art, mental health, culture, handicrafts, construction, service to others, etc. There are lots of topic ideas listed in the materials on Schoology as well. This should be a fun, meaningful, and interesting project!

Thanks!

Marissa Bonk

IB MYP Coordinator

marissa.bonk@spps.org

School Name: HIGHLAND PARK SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Event Code: FE249426

Student Identifier: Also Needed: Infinite Campus Student ID

Please submit your student's senior photo and baby picture no later than January 8th.

Make sure your student's name is in the submission - especially for baby pictures.

FYI - the best senior portraits are head and shoulder or upper body. Full body portraits with more background than student are harder to see well when printed.

Baby photos be pictures of an existing picture - just make sure there is no glare on the image you submit.

You may have your photographer upload the photos or upload them yourself with this link.

UPLOAD PHOTOS HERE

Questions? Contact Nancy Michael - nancy.michael@spps.org.

Dear SPPS Families,

Starting in the 2026-27 school year, Saint Paul Public Schools will introduce mental health lessons for grades 8-12 to meet new Minnesota state law requirements. Just like physical health in PE class, these lessons teach students how to care for their emotional well-being.

Using a program called Erika’s Lighthouse, school counselors and social workers will teach one lesson a year that will guide students on how to:

• Build healthy habits to take care of their mind and body.
• Notice feelings of sadness and stress and how to talk about their feelings with others.
• Recognize more serious changes in their mental health and learn about suicide prevention.
• Find trusted adults and friends to ask for help when needed.
  
  

We deeply respect our community's diverse cultural backgrounds and perspectives on health. These lessons focus on universal values we all share: strong families, supportive communities, and helping every child thrive.

Thank you for partnering with us to keep our students healthy and supported. Please reach out to your school counselor or social worker if you have any questions.

You can work in February through May! See application here. If you are a Junior, this is how you apply for 3M STEP! All 9-12 may apply. There is also a CEE internship, (Home Energy Crew Training)- this is very close to HVAC but also related to Electrician. You must be 18 by March 1. You can earn a $400 a week stipend, which is about $24 an hour.

Dear Middle and High School Families and Students,

We are reaching out to ask for your immediate help in keeping our campus safe during drop-off and pick-up times.

Our campus has two separate parking lots—one for the High School and one for the Middle School. The paved section connecting the two schools is strictly reserved for emergency responders, school buses, and district emergency vehicles only. Personal vehicles are strictly prohibited from crossing through the center access point at any time.

We have noticed an increasing number of drivers using this middle area as a shortcut to cut through to Snelling Avenue. This creates severe traffic bottlenecks and significantly increases safety risks for our students, particularly those boarding school buses.

To ensure the safety of all students and staff, please follow these traffic flow rules effective immediately:

• High School Lot: Enter through the High School entrance, complete the drop-off/pick-up loop in the High School lot, and exit through the same High School entrance.

• Middle School Lot: Enter through the Middle School entrance, complete the drop-off/pick-up loop in the Middle School lot, and exit through the same Middle School entrance.

• Picking Up Students at Both Schools: Do not drive through the restricted middle area. You must either drive around using public roads to access the other lot, or arrange for your students to meet you in a single designated parking lot.

• Follow Staff Instructions: Staff members are posted in the parking lots and near the traffic light to assist with traffic flow. Please listen carefully and follow all directions from traffic staff. They are there specifically to protect our students and manage traffic safely during peak hours.
  

Thank you for your cooperation and commitment to keeping our students safe.

The Highland Park Senior High PTSA is looking for enthusiastic parent volunteers to join our team. When you volunteer with the PTSA, you help strengthen the vibrant school community that supports every student’s success. Whether you can share a little time or a lot, your energy and ideas truly make a difference—building connections, funding enrichment, providing mutual aid, and supporting the educators and students who make Highland great. Stay in the loop and get involved by joining our mailing list and discovering ways to lend your talents, your voice, and your spirit, to help HPSH thrive. The PTSA runs on volunteer power—your commitment can be as big or small as you choose. Please fill out this form and someone will follow up with more details: https://forms.gle/bMeZdSaKiVVRviB9A. You may also reach out to the PTSA directly at: hpshptsa@gmail.com. Thank you!

This will help you with next steps and getting scholarships. Click here!

Tuesday, November 10, from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. via Zoom

https://minnstate.zoom.us/j/93949424557; Meeting ID: 939 4942 4557

TOPIC: International Baccalaureate (IB), Immersion Programs, PSEO

Tuesday, February 16, from 7 – 8 p.m. via Zoom

TOPIC: Career & College Readiness 101, HPSH CCRC Coordinator

https://minnstate.zoom.us/j/95932322733; Meeting ID: 959 3232 2733

*Tuesday, April 27, from 7 – 8 p.m. via Zoom

TOPIC: HPSH Budget Meeting

*This date is tentative and depends on the SPPS budget cycle.

https://minnstate.zoom.us/j/92137737938; Meeting ID: 921 3773 7938

Thursday, May 13, from 7 – 8 p.m. in-person (hybrid: in-person & Zoom)

TOPIC: Elections – PTSA & Site Council

https://minnstate.zoom.us/j/91524808965; Meeting ID: 915 2480 8965

Daily attendance is an important part of student success. If your student is ill, check SPPS’s illness guidelines at spps.org/studentwellness. Please notify us at 651-744-3803 or email highlandparksenior.attendance@spps.org as early as possible if your child will be absent.

You can now report student absences in advance through the Absence Request tool in Infinite Campus Parent. Review this step-by-step guide and video for instructions.

Communication between home and school is vital to a positive school experience. More information about consistent attendance can be found at spps.org/attendance.

Use Parent Portal and see your child’s attendance, homework assignments, grades and more. Log on to spps.org/onestop. This valuable tool will provide both information on your student and a means of communicating with your student’s teachers. Report cards are not mailed to homes.

For access, please contact the main office at 651-293-8940.

Safety is a top priority at our schools. Highland Park Senior High has an Emergency Operations Plan that is created specifically for our school and regularly reviewed. Families receive communication home when an incident directly impacts their students, such as a lockdown. Please review our Standard Response Protocol language, which differentiates safety situations. Exterior doors are always locked and all visitors must sign in.

Families, students and staff can “Send a Tip” at spps.org/safety to confidentially report unsafe behaviors to SPPS Security and Emergency Management. Every tip is taken seriously and investigated right away.

Website: https://www.spps.org/highlandsr
Location: 1015 Snelling Avenue South, Saint Paul, MN, USA
Phone: 651-293-8940