The Wildcat
August 3rd-August 7th
Highlights
- Registration Information
- Back To School Night information
- Arrival and Dismissal
- Cell Policy
- Cafeteria Information
- Absenteeism Information
- School Safety
- Immunization Clinic
Dates To Know
Saturday, August 1st-Registration opens in RDS
Wednesday, August 12th-Back To School Night
Thursday, August 13th-First Day of School for students!
Registration Information:
Registration will open in RDS Parent Access on August 1, 2026. You may register your students online using RDS Parent Access on/after August 1. If your child has already attended a school in the School Town of Highland, please complete all steps in RDS. For new student registration, please contact the appropriate school to begin the registration process. If you experience any technical difficulties during registration or have any questions, please try again later or contact your school's main office starting Monday, August 3.
Arrival Procedures
Doors open for students at 7:35 a.m. daily. Students who eat breakfast at school will be allowed entry beginning at 7:20 a.m through Door D. Anyone arriving after 7:50 a.m. will need to buzz and come into the main office to sign in.
Cars will enter the parking lot off Duluth Street (right turn only) and follow the curve to drop off students. Please pull up as far as you can and drop all your students off at one time. Have your children ready with their backpacks, lunch money, hugs, and kisses, so that when you stop they may exit the car quickly, and we can keep the drop-off line moving. The line can become backed up onto Duluth Street very quickly which causes safety issues for our parents, as well as other drivers.
Please drop off curbside only. Avoid dropping children off where they have to cross the street, this is extremely dangerous. It will be your responsibility to cross them if you choose to do this.
Please be mindful of other drivers and walkers. We know many of you have to get to work, and we want all children to be able to enter the building safely and on time.
Arrival-K, 3, 4 Door B and 1, 2, 5 Door C.
5th graders and Lifeskills class will use Door G.
Dismissal Procedures
Grade K will exit through door J (FIVE minutes before the rest of the grade levels)
Grade 1 will exit through door C (main doors)
Grade 2 will exit through door B
Grade 3 will exit through door J
Grade 4 will exit through door I
Grade 5 and Lifeskills class will exit through door G
Bus riders will exit through door J (a few minutes prior to the remainder of the school being dismissed where the buses will be waiting).
Cars may enter the parking lot off Duluth Street and follow the curve to pick up or park in the parking lot to walk up to get students.
We would like to thank you in advance for your cooperation as we strive to keep our Johnston families safe.
Food Service Information
Applications for Free and Reduced Meals for the 2026-27 school year are available to complete on MealTime - https://mealtimeapps.com/
We encourage all families to complete the free and reduced meal application. The number of families enrolled in the free and reduced meal program directly affects the potential Title 1 funding that the School Town of Highland may receive. If you have any questions about eligibility for free/reduced meals, or if you would like guidance on completing the applications, please see these help documents.
Additionally, if you were eligible for free/reduced meals in the 2025-26 school year, the eligibility grace period ends on September 24, 2026. Please make sure you fill out a new application before then. Go here for free/reduced lunch (this needs to be renewed yearly): https://www.schoolnutritionandfitness.com/index.php?sid=2809100435083594&page=lunchapps
Meal prices have not changed for the 2026-27 school year, and you can view the prices at the bottom of this website.
You can find both menus here: https://www.schoolnutritionandfitness.com/index.php?sid=2809100435083594&page=menus
Birthday treats can be purchased through the cafe ONLY: https://www.schoolnutritionandfitness.com/schools/sth_2809100435083594/catering/Updated_BDay_Treat_form_3.21.24.pdf
If you have any questions, please contact the Food Services Department.
Personal Device Policy
The School Town of Highland will implement a bell-to-bell ban on wireless communication devices for the 2026-27 school year in accordance with Indiana Senate Enrolled Act 78. This is a new state-wide law that all public school districts in Indiana are required to follow.
Students at Highland High School and Highland Middle School must power-off and store their communication devices in their assigned locker during the school day. Students at HHS that did not previously use a locker will be issued one.
Elementary students must power-off their devices and keep them in their backpacks during the day. Please note that the policies for our elementary and middle schools regarding these devices are the same as they were in previous years.
Personal communication devices include, but are not limited to: cell phones, smartwatches, smartglasses, headphones (unless being used for class), gaming devices, personal tablets, and more.
Certain exceptions apply, including medical reasons (such as monitoring blood sugar levels for diabetes), emergencies, or administrator-approved accommodation purposes.
If parents wish to contact their student during the school day, please call your school’s main office and our staff will be happy to help. Contact information for each school can be found here.
Thank you for your assistance as we implement this new policy.
School Safety
We would like to remind all community members that we utilize Vector Alert to offer students the chance to report safety concerns to district administration. Students can easily report tips on bullying, harassment, drugs, vandalism, or any other safety issue in one of the following ways:
- Web: http://1834.alert1.us
- Phone: (219) 333-4305
- Text: Text your tip to (219) 333-4305
- Email: 1834@alert1.us
Tips can be reported anonymously. Please remind your students that if they see something, they should say something.
Additionally, at the bottom of each STOH webpage, you will see the image attached to this section. Students can click on it at any time and find more information about Vector Alert and the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
We encourage all families to make sure their students know this information. Thank you for your help in making the School Town of Highland a safe place to learn.
Immunization Clinic
The School Town of Highland is partnering with Franciscan Health to offer an Immunization Clinic on August 5, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. in the Highland High School LGI (enter Door B).
Here's some important information:
- All school-aged vaccines will be available.
- This is a walk-in clinic.
- Please bring a copy of your insurance card and photo ID. If you do not have insurance, the immunizations will cost $10 each.
For questions about insurance or coverage, please call Franciscan Health Immunization Services at (317) 528-6374.
For all other questions, please contact the STOH Nurse Coordinator, Mrs. Andrea Warner, RN, at awarner@highland.k12.in.us.
Johnston Elementary - Highland's Shining North Star
How to get a hold of me:
Email: aharring@highland.k12.in.us
Website: https://www.highland.k12.in.us/o/jes
Location: 8220 5th Street, Highland, IN, United States
Phone: 219.923.2428
Facebook: facebook.com/johnstonpto
Twitter: @harrington_jn