Highland Park Senior High News

Highland Families,

This is the third edition of our weekly Friday newsletter for this upcoming school year. We are continuing our planning and final preparation for the arrival of our new and returning students.

It is very important that ninth grade students attend the orientation and that students in grades 10-12 who are brand new to Highland this year attend the new student orientation. All of this information and much more is in this newsletter. In the meantime, please reach out with any questions.

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Highland Park Senior High School Students, Parents, and Family Members,

Happy New School Year! We hope you are having a great summer. We are excited for the start of the new school year. A new school year brings many exciting opportunities for student achievement and involvement. We are excited to meet and greet our new freshman students as they participate in orientation, connect with their freshman classmates, and meet their upper-class mentors. We also look forward to reconnecting with our returning students as they continue their education while we prepare all students for college and careers. We will also welcome our brand new Highland students in grades 10-12 in a special orientation event for them.

We send a weekly newsletter each Friday to all of our families which can be easily translated in multiple languages. I strongly encourage you to read this newsletter as well as our website for all of the important information and upcoming activities. Parents, not only do I encourage your child to be involved in a club or a sport or both, but I encourage you to consider joining the Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA).

At Highland Park we work diligently to prepare our students to graduate as global citizens prepared for the future. The education of our students is a shared responsibility among the school, parents & guardians, and family and community members. Be sure to stay connected with your child regarding their academic status and social/emotional needs. Encourage your child to connect with their counselor if needed for academic, emotional or career counseling. There are numerous clubs and sports at Highland Senior for students to be involved. Being involved in high school life beyond academics makes for a more rewarding experience. We look forward to an awesome school year and working in collaboration to help our students do their very best academically, socially, and emotionally. Go Highland Scots!

Thursday, September 17, 2026

• Highland Park Senior High All Grades Open House 6:00-7:30 pm

We are excited to welcome our incoming 9th grade students to Highland Park Senior High School. The transition to high school is an important step in the life of a student. Please be sure your child attends the orientation on September 3: 9th Grade Orientation from 9:30am-12:00pm. Students will learn their way around Highland and know their class schedule, build community, and meet with their 11th and 12th grade student leaders. Parents are responsible for transportation to and from school for this event. Students should be dropped off at the main entrance in the parking lot and picked up in the same location after the event. This event is for students only.

We are excited to welcome our NEW 10th, 11th and 12th grade students who are brand new to Highland Park Senior High School. Students will receive their schedule and have the opportunity to go on a building tour. Please be sure your child attends this event on September 3 from 1pm-2pm. Please report to the main office. Parents are welcome to attend this event.

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.

• Student Second Breakfast: $3.50
• Student Second Lunch: $5.75
• Milk Only: $0.50
• For a complete list of prices, visit spps.org/ns.
  
  

Visit schoolcafe.com/spps to manage your student’s meal account, view menus, ingredients and nutritional information, and complete the Application for Educational Benefits.

1) Tuesday, September 15, from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m., (hybrid: via in-person & Zoom)

https://minnstate.zoom.us/j/93330961366; Meeting ID: 933 3096 1366

TOPIC: Quick hits

- Counseling

- Social Work

- Parent Portal & Schoology

- Clubs & Activities

- Athletics

- Site Council

2) 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

3) 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

4) *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

5) 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

Parking permits will be distributed in a lottery system to seniors only. Lottery forms can be picked up in the main office on the first day of school. Lottery forms will be due to the office by Friday, September 11. A drawing will be held and students will be notified if they are awarded a parking spot. Spaces will be limited to 30 reserved parking spots and students may only park in the designated student parking spots and must display a parking permit. Any student vehicles parked in the lot without a permit during school hours will be towed at the owner's expense.

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