FRESH NEWS
October 11, 2023
Dear Highland Families,
How do I put into words my deep gratitude for these past ten years as principal at Highland? You know I have to try! Here are my Top Ten Things I Will Miss About Highland.
10. For those who go back a bit at Highland… We went “all-in” by supporting one another during the Covid pandemic. We worked together from the backseat of your vehicles, from your dining room tables, and we got to know your pets very intimately as they photo-bombed our learning sessions. We survived a lot and even thrived a little.
9. Because the school is a gathering place for the community, it was my joy to see friendships grow not only among students, but among parents. As our Lake Stevens community grows, it delights me to see people finding their village right here at Highland. And as our community grows more culturally diverse, it’s a joy to see students develop friendship with peers who are quite different from them.
8. As a community you stepped up to help our students have a rich experience. Without your generosity, PTA’s coordination, and thousands of hours of volunteer time each student’s experience would be “mid” or “meh” at best. I do not take one of these dollars or hours of your precious resources for granted!
7. It was during my time at Highland that we grew our family through adoption, twice! Your grace in my paternity leaves and even your baby gifts were such an extravagance during these times. That level of care for me as a human being and for my family is something I do not take for granted and that will forever bond me to Highland in a special way.
6. We worked together through all of the challenges of raising children. We celebrated when your kids made the awesome, expected Highland Way choices and we hunkered down together when they made a choice that didn’t meet either of our expectations. We bonded through those challenging times for the sake of your amazing kids.
5. You put up with all of our newfangled ways ;) of educating your children. As we learned more about how to teach your kids how to read and develop their understanding of math, you flexed with us with homework that didn’t make sense to you. You also adjusted to us teaching really exciting social science and science content during reading time. From Mesopotamia to the Reformation, from intricate learning about the human body to the War of 1812. Your kids nailed challenging learning and did it with a smile on their face.
4. My joke is always that when I see a pregnant mama or a younger sibling in to drop off their older child, that’s my job security. :) It has been so fun to be here for 10 years to watch your children grow up and have multiple rounds of kids from the same family. And how delightfully different all of your children are from one another, even when they grow up under the same roof! The youngest kids in the family are often the spiciest, so watch out. And don’t think I’m leaving just to avoid having your youngest here!
3. We had fun and were silly. You let me keep the Camp Counselor side of me alive through dorky characters in the morning videos and by having your kids wear a bald cap to look like me on spirit day. Such fun memories of things that can only happen in an elementary school!
2. Over these 10 years, we expanded our definition of what it means to include everyone in the learning environment. I am so abundantly proud of how your children have adjusted to working with students who have a different style of communication, a different way of expressing their feelings, and different abilities. I have to be honest: children are usually better at this than adults are so in this particular area folks look to your kids. How did they interact? Who did they accept, who did they see as their friends? Let’s let them lead the way because they are really good at it!
1. I have said this countless times, but it’s the truest of true: You trusted us with your most precious thing: your children! It means the world to me that you let your child spend more of their waking hours with us than with you. I am confident the Highland Team will continue to provide amazing care and build the skills of your Highland Hornet in the years to come.
Thank you, from my heart!
Mr. H
Ryan Henderson, Principal
P.S. Should you wish to stay in touch, I would be delighted to get your pictures and your updates over the years. Feel free to reach out anytime at ryanhenderson.principal@gmail.com.
Moving?
Lost and Found
Please claim any missing items by 1:30 PM on June 16. All unclaimed items will be donated after that time.
Remember to send in any used and unwanted crayons for our Crayon Initiative by the last day of school. The crayons will be donated then melted down to make new crayons for Children’s Hospitals all across the country!
Library
Check out all the ways you can earn free things this summer just by reading, including books and pizza! Click Here for all the freebies!
3rd Grade
Upcoming Dates
June 15 - 5th Grade Moving Up Ceremony
June 16 - Last Day of School, dismissal at 1PM