Stallion Statement

8/31: PTO Meeting at 6:30 P.M. in the library

9/3: Beginning of Year Highland STOMP (during the school day), students are invited to wear Highland spirit wear, teal or purple

9/4: No School

9/7: No School- Labor Day Holiday

9/9: 250th Patriotic Celebration (during the school day)- Wear Red, White & Blue

9/23: KAP Parent Information Night at 5:00 P.M. in the cafeteria Families will be invited to this

9/24: Whole School Reward- Obstacle Course

9/24: Space Day- Students are invited to wear space themed outfits

9/24: McTeacher Night from 5:00-7:00 P.M. at McDonalds 1100 Carlisle Rd, Camp Hill, PA 17011

9/25: Remote Learning Day

We will be celebrating America's 250th birthday on Thursday, September 9th. During the celebration several Veterans will demonstrate flag folding, and Mrs. Gable will lead us in a Patriotic Sing Along. We will also collect damaged or worn American flags to give to the local VFW for the respectful retirement of the flag. Students are invited to wear Red, White and Blue.

Students in in Grades 3-4 and 2nd Graders in Mrs. Rowland's and Mrs. Burn's classes that want breakfast will enter the building in the morning and go straight to the cafeteria. Outside of the cafeteria line they will have individual ID cards that they will use to scan to receive their breakfast. Individual ID cards will be available outside the cafeteria line. Students will scan these to receive their breakfast and will eat in the cafeteria.

Students in Grades K-1 and 2nd Graders in Mrs. Badders's and Miss Lenker's classes that want breakfast will enter the building and go straight to their classroom. At this point, they will drop off their belongings, pick up their ID card, and head down to the cafeteria. These students will get their food items and eat in the cafeteria.

If your family is not notified of direct certification prior to the start of the school year and your household is struggling financially, it will be necessary to complete a free/reduced price meal application to secure free/reduced price lunches. Please complete this form and return it to your child's school or WSSD Food Service Office, Administration Center, PO Box 803, New Cumberland, PA 17070. To qualify for assistance, students must have a signed and approved form on file. Families are encouraged to submit their application within the first two weeks of school, to ensure adequate time for the District to process their application.

Free/reduced price meal applications can be found on the district website here.

Highland Elementary Annual Walk-a-thon👟

Our biggest fundraiser is quickly approaching and we need YOUR HELP! Money raised from this event will directly fund this year's field trips, student events, assemblies, and more! Information packets were sent home with your student the first week of school. Please take the time to look through it, fill out address labels, and return labels to school with your student. Thank you for your support!

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a school-wide approach that helps create a respectful, responsible, safe and positive learning environment for all students. At Highland, PBIS teaches children clear expectations for behavior and recognizes them when they make positive choices using our school-wide currency, STARbucks. Through consistent routines, encouragement, and support, students learn important social and emotional skills such as responsibility, kindness, and problem-solving. PBIS focuses on preventing behavior challenges before they occur and helping every child succeed both academically and socially.

🗣️ Family Discussion Prompts:

• What are ways you can be respectful at home, school, and in our community?

• What are ways you can be responsible at home, school, and in our community?

• What are ways you can be safe at home, school, and in our community?

Let’s work together to build a culture of respect at school and at home!

Highland is a recognized Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support (PBIS) school. Part of our PBIS programming includes a menu of reward options for the students. Students utilize STARbucks they earn throughout the year to cash out for the prizes. Each teacher provides different options for their students. We also, as a school, offer periodic rewards to the whole student body. We call these "whole school rewards." These rewards tend to be on a bit of a grander scale, and often are very popular. To opt-in to a whole school reward, students need to cash out twenty STARbucks and have two or less office referrals throughout a designated time period. NEW THIS YEAR: Students with 0 office referrals between Whole School rewards will get a 50% discount for the Whole School Reward! Our Whole School Reward for September is an Obstacle Course!

At school, we are focusing on the important character trait of respect. Respect means treating others the way we want to be treated through our words, actions, and attitudes. Students practice respect every day by listening when others are speaking, using kind words, following directions, taking care of school property, and appreciating differences in others. When children learn to show respect, they help create a positive, safe, and welcoming environment where everyone can learn and grow.

🗣️ Family Discussion Prompts:

• What does respect look and sound like at home, at school, and in our community?

• Can you share a time when someone showed you respect? How did it make you feel?

• What is one way you can show respect to a family member, friend, teacher, or classmate this week?

Let’s work together to build a culture of respect at school and at home!

Is your child going home a different way than usual? Please be sure to contact the office by 3:00 P.M. If we do not hear from you, your student will be sent home using their usual dismissal plan.

Please refrain from parking in the designated handicap parking spots unless you have a handicap placard.

Student drop off begins at 8:35 a.m. For the safety of our students, students are not permitted on school grounds prior to 8:35 a.m., as staff members are not available to monitor them. Students should not get out of the car until a staff member is at the curb.

If you are dropping off your child, pull up to the “red” curb on the playground side of the parking lot. In an orderly fashion, have your child/children exit on the passenger side of your car, no earlier than 8:35 a.m. Parents need to remain in their vehicle. If you need to assist your student with getting out of the car or with a backpack, please park in a parking spot and walk your child over to the playground using the 2 available crosswalks. Please do not pass other cars in line. Watch for staff to direct you to move forward.

Students will enter the building as they arrive at 8:35 a.m. to ensure that they have time to walk to class and have their materials ready to start class promptly. Any student not in class at 8:55 a.m., with the exception of late arriving buses, will be marked tardy. Students who are tardy for any reason must report to the office with their parent/guardian, to sign the students in for the day, explaining the reason for their tardiness.

Please use extreme caution while dropping off or picking up your child in the school parking lot.

**Morning car-drop-offs: For the safety of our children, please follow the procedural map provided.

Pick Up is organized in two lines alphabetically, per last name. Parents need to park at Cedar Cliff, no earlier than 3:15, and line up according to the attached map. A teacher will ask you student's name, and radio in to the building to retrieve your student.

There are 2 entrances and exits to Cedar Cliff’s parking lot. You may enter and exit from Carlisle Road or Cedar Cliff Drive. Please be mindful of the 5-mile-per-hour speed limit as well as others parked or trying to enter and leave.

If you plan to pick your student up from school every day, please send a note on the 1st day of school indicating your request. If you will be picking your child up on specific days due to custody or other reasons, please let the office know the dates your student will be a picked up. A calendar is very helpful. All daily parent pick-ups need to notify the office NO LATER THAN 3:00 p.m. the day of the pick-up. If you do not notify the office that you wish to pick your child up and come through the pick-up line, we may not be able to retrieve your student, as they will have likely already left via bus or walking train. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience this may cause.

**Afternoon pick-ups: For the safety of our children and staff, please follow the procedural map provided.

This year the entire school community will be divided into "Cosmic Crews." Students will work together to earn Planetary Points by being respectful, responsible and safe. Students/classes can earn points in Special, Lunch and at Recess. Faculty/Staff can also award "extra points," during other times throughout the day. The Crew that earns the most points during a Trimester will be named the Star Squad and will earn a reward. Classes and staff members will be grouped into 4 Cosmic Crews. The Cosmic Crews are:

-Moon Walkers

-Star Gazers

-Comet Chasers

-Nova Nation

We will introduce Cosmic Crews and Planetary Points at our beginning-of-year Stallion STOMP on Thursday.

We believe the best way to support every child is to first get to know them as learners. Throughout September, students will take beginning-of-the-year assessments that help teachers understand their strengths and areas for growth. The information we gain allows us to create meaningful groupings, guide learning plans, and provide the right supports for each student.

Here’s what students will complete:

All students: Acadience Reading and Acadience Math assessments

Kindergarten: Kindergarten Acceleration Program (KAP) screener

Grades 2–4: Reflex Math

Grades 3–4: Exact Path Diagnostic (September) and, starting in October, the Firefly benchmark, which help us monitor progress and prepare students for future success on the PSSAs.

These are not traditional “tests.” Instead, they’re quick tools that give us a clear picture of how to best challenge and support each child. Together, they help us make Highland a place where every student can grow and thrive.

The first-annual Highland Fall Festival will take place Thursday, October 8 from 5-7 p.m. Come out for a night of fun for the whole family! Free food and activities will be provided. If you are interested in volunteering for this event, email highlandelempto@gmail.com.

Join us for the next PTO meeting the first Monday in October. Come out to learn what's going on at Highland and share your ideas. We hope to see you there!

The Highland Elementary Spirit Wear Store is open year-round! Get your school spirit on, and shop online here. We will offer a free ship-to-school sale this fall; more details to come!

TIf you have any questions please feel free to reach out via email to Principal, Mr. Scharlau kscharlau@wssd.k12.pa.us

If your student is going to be absent, don't forget to email hgabsent@wssd.k12.pa.us.

Email: HGES-Office@wssd.k12.pa.us

PTO Facebook: Highland Elementary PTO, Camp Hill, PA