HCS Elementary School Updates
January 2025
From the Desk of Mrs. Roseberry
Happy 2025!
I am happy to share with you that Highlander Charter Elementary has risen to a three star school! Rhode Island Department of Education does an annual assessment of all schools. Due to our increase in our Access scores, we are now a THREE star school. We know that it isn’t all about the scores. There is so much more to a school community that can’t be graded. However with that being said, we try to keep that balance and strive to keep in good standing in every way. Proud of the work of all the teachers and staff of our school to raise our rating!
ACCESS testing
All MLL (Multi Language Learners) students will be taking part in ACCESS testing starting on January 13th. This is an intense assessment that tracks the growth of listening, speaking, reading and writing of the English language. Please help us covey to the students how important this is to try their best, get a good night's sleep and be ready to show off what they know,
Winter Wonderland
Another fabulous tradition that allows us to celebrate with the entire school community. Ms. Nencka and her team put together a fun day for the entire school. Indoor snowball fights, polar obstacle course, winter stories and special snacks were enjoyed by PreK - 3rd grade. 4th and 5th graders got to have an indoor snowball fight and an epic dodgeball game. Some fifth graders were helpers for the younger grades and added so much joy to the games!
SIT meeting
Please consider joining us for our SIT meeting on January 30th to discuss our ELA proficiency and how we can improve it. One thing we will be starting in January is a word of the day. We will be sharing it with all students and teachers. These words are frequently used in standardized testing environments and can easily derail a student. We look forward to sharing more information with you and get feedback.
Winter weather
Now that we are officially in the winter season, we expect the colder temperatures. Students will have outdoor recess if it feels like 32 or above. Please send students with warm coats, mittens etc. The school nurse has a good supply of hats, scarves, mittens if your child needs them. Please dojo the nurse and we will make sure your child is warm.
Happy to be partners with you in the education and growth of our children!
What we're up to
Winter Wonderland - 5th grade Helpers
Winter Wonderland - Kindergarten
Winter Wonderland - 1st grade
Student of the Month
Congratulations to the Students of the Month for November. The character trait of October was Generosity.
What's on the menu?
This month
Click here for full calendar: https://www.highlandercharter.org/for-families/events/calendar/
TIP: Make sure children go to bed early and without any electronic device such as tablets or phones. Good sleep leads to good health.
Family Engagement
As we welcome the new year, I want to wish you and your family a Happy and Healthy New Year. I’m excited about the fun events we have planned, and I’ll need everyone’s help to make them a success, stay tuned.
Thank you so much for your support during the Holiday Joy event! Together, we truly lift each other up. Big shout out to all the families that joined us during Lunch with a ❤️ One, it is definitely one of my favorite events. Hope to see you at the next one in March.
As we get back to school routines, please remember that Attendance Matters.
Attendance at this time of year can be challenging for students as it's often tempting for families to take extra time off for the holidays. This can put students into the chronically absent category if they have missed more than ten percent of the school year so far. Since we have been in school for 78 days as of 12/20, that means any student who has missed 7 or more days of school so far this year is now considered chronically absent.
Attendance matters, and we've seen the impact of chronic absenteeism district wide. If you are having trouble getting someone to school, you can reach out to our Family Engagement Coordinator for help.
With love,
Ms. Tatiana
Have a shoutout for a staff, a student or group of students? Please use the following link to share: https://forms.gle/mKG7d5aU2iLoq7Yx5