FRESH NEWS

Dear Families,

My son plays youth basketball in our town and recently the leadership of their organization had to send out repeated messages about behavior from adults that was not modeling what we want for or from our children. The folks who were present when adults disagreed in angry and eventually unsafe ways said it was pretty ugly - and so unfortunate that it took place in front of young ears and eyes! The fully volunteer board of the sports group did a nice job laying out the expectations for what things will look like moving forward. Similarly, our elected, volunteer School Board adopted a policy last spring to guide our interactions as school staff and families when we work together in the service of students.

Our work together as families and school staff is wonderful, dynamic and at times challenging. As we work from different perspectives to raise our children into excellent human beings, emotions can run high. Conflicts and disagreements are inevitable, but we have choices in how we respond vs. react in these situations. In that spirit, I want to highlight our community’s Civility in the Workplace policy that our board adopted last spring, even as I emphasize it with my staff. The full policy is here: https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1741905175/lkstevenswednetedu/f4ujs5nfcixv7nlqvsho/policy-4161-civility.pdf and I’ve summarized it for you below.

🌟 Our Commitment

Lake Stevens School District is committed to a safe, respectful, and positive environment for students, staff, and families.
Mutual respect is expected from everyone—regardless of differences.
Respectful communication helps schools run smoothly and supports student learning.

🤝 What We Expect from Everyone (including families)

Treat all students, staff, and others with dignity and respect
Communicate in a calm, clear, and courteous way
Use good judgment when handling disagreements
Be mindful and respectful of different backgrounds and perspectives
Avoid gossip, rumors, and negative talk about others
Use polite manners like “please” and “thank you”
Work toward positive, solution-focused conversations
Stay respectful—even when you disagree
Speak up or report concerns if you see disrespectful behavior

🚫 Examples of Unacceptable Behavior

Using profanity, insults, or offensive language
Yelling, interrupting, or speaking over others
Threatening, intimidating, or aggressive actions
Mocking, taunting, or encouraging others to do so
Invading personal space or making others feel unsafe

➡️ Note: It’s okay to have different opinions—as long as they are shared respectfully and don’t disrupt the school environment.

🛠️ How Concerns Should Be Handled

Address issues calmly and respectfully when they arise
If needed, involve a teacher or administrator to help resolve concerns
Try to resolve concerns privately first
Report ongoing or serious concerns to school staff
School leaders will follow up and address concerns appropriately

⚠️ Accountability

Disrespectful behavior may lead to consequences
Retaliation is not allowed and will also result in consequences

I delight in the positive relationships we enjoy with our families and in the restored and rebuilt relationships that we navigate each day, choice by choice.

With care,

Mr. H

We are in the home stretch to replenish our ASB funds for next year!

ASB funds help us provide a rich experience for students with field trips and student clubs like Highland Robotics.

Our popcorn and donation fundraiser continues this week.

Check out this video from our student council at https://youtu.be/aOzVBkA_uqQ.

It's not too late to join the fundraiser! Scan here for more info:

To help our students build their sense of responsibility for their own materials and needs, we would like to ask families to consider NOT dropping off materials once the student day has begun. Each delivered lunch, water bottle and homework packet presents an interruption to classroom instruction. It’s an important learning goal for each student to develop a sense of responsibility for their own materials and needs. Thank you for your help in raising good, responsible human beings from the ground level!

2026–27 Kindergarten Registration Begins March 17!

Registration packets can be found on the district website, at the district office, or at the Highland office. Children must be 5 years old by August 31 to enroll in kindergarten for the 2026–27 school year.

We can’t wait to register some of our littlest Hornets!

2nd Grade

This spring second graders are learning about measurement, using text evidence to support reading comprehension, and the US Civil War.

3rd Grade

We have started our unit on Native Americans! Students will read how Native Americans spread through the continents, changing their ways of life as they did so. They will read about Native Americans who settled in the Greater Mississippi River areas as well as in the Southwest, Northeast, Southeast, and Arctic/Subarctic.

Hello Highland Families!

As we head into April and return from Spring Break, this is a wonderful time for our Highland Hornets to continue showing The Highland Way by being safe, respectful, responsible — and especially kind. Springtime brings renewed energy, and we are encouraging students to use that energy to lift each other up through small acts of kindness: inviting someone to play, using encouraging words, including others, and showing patience. Kindness is like a muscle — the more we practice it, the stronger our school community becomes. When our students choose kindness, they help make Highland a place where everyone feels they belong.

What makes spreading kindness even more powerful for kids? It’s really about having an “attitude of gratitude”. When students take time to notice what they are thankful for — a friend, a helpful teacher, a sunny recess, or a chance to learn something new — it helps build positive mindsets that support learning. Research shows that gratitude can improve focus, motivation, and resilience when learning feels challenging. You might consider asking your child at the end of the day, “What is one thing you’re grateful for today?” to help them get into the habit of focusing on what went well and what they accomplished for the day. You’ll be shocked at how our brains actually work better with an attitude of gratitude and when we feel like we belong.

Thank you for your continued partnership in helping our Hornets grow not only as learners, but also as caring community members. Have a wonderful, restful Spring Break, and as always… Go Hornets!

SBA Testing Season is Here!

Our students will soon begin the Smarter Balanced Assessments (SBA). Below is the testing schedule:

April 27–29: 5th Grade Science
May 11–15: 3rd–5th Grade English Language Arts
May 18–21: 3rd–5th Grade Math

Students will need wired headphones for testing. Wired earbuds will be available at school if needed.

These assessments provide valuable information about student progress and help guide instruction, while also highlighting strengths and areas for growth.

Testing takes place in the morning. Families can support student success by ensuring children arrive on time, get a good night’s sleep, and eat a healthy breakfast.

We look forward to seeing our students show what they’ve learned!

Join us for a Buddy Run!

Friday, April 24 at 8:30am

Students will be learning about Guided Running. We’ll be watching a video about a young boy who helps a blind High School athlete compete in Cross Country. Then we get to try it out ourselves with some guided running with a partner.

Please Sign-up you student to attend at:

HLD Running Club STUDENT Sign-up

Only sign-up your student(s) ONCE per year.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

HLD Running Club VOLUNTEER Sign-up

We still need a few more volunteers to make this event run smoothly. If you have a spare 45 min to help us please sign-up at the above link. Thank you to those who have already signed up to help!