The Wildcat

• Back to School Night
• Arrival and Dismissal
• Cafeteria Information
• Technology Policies
• Absenteeism Information
• School Safety

Monday, August 24th-Back To School Night

Tuesday, August 25th-First Day of School for students!

• 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.

• 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.

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.

If there are any families in need of school supplies, please reach out to our school counselor, Mrs. Jennings at rjenning@highland.k12.in.us. We can help! You can find the lists here: https://files-backend.assets.thrillshare.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/1545/Jes/236cfb8c-b04e-4c4b-b5f3-7ce16826a94e/JN-2026-27-Supply-Lists.pdf?disposition=inline

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.

This year, student iPads will remain at school and be used only during instruction when technology enhances learning. Each classroom will have a secure charging cart where devices will be stored when not in use.

This change helps us promote healthy technology habits, reduce unnecessary screen time, keep devices charged and ready for learning, and increase opportunities for hands-on, collaborative classroom experiences.

If an unexpected e-Learning day occurs, students will have a prepared learning packet at home. If a live (synchronous) e-Learning day is necessary, iPads will be sent home for that day and returned to school afterward.

Thank you for partnering with us as we work to provide a balanced, engaging learning environment for all students!

For more information about technology use and students, check this out: https://youtu.be/wtbdqIds_3c?si=FKF_e6_e7wa13d0x

Need to report an absence? You can call our office, or use this link: https://www.highland.k12.in.us/o/jes/forms/johnston-attendance-call-off

You can also find it on our website.

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:

1. Web: http://1834.alert1.us
2. Phone: (219) 333-4305
3. Text: Text your tip to (219) 333-4305
4. 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.

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