Middle & High School Updates
January 2025
From the Desk of Mr. Pabst
Greeting Highlander families,
I hope your Winter Break and Holiday Season was filled with joy, lasting memories, fun, and a chance to relax.
As we turn the calendar into 2025 our return from break will hit the ground running into an important time of year. At the end of January the 2nd quarter ends, and we increase preparation for state assessments. In March we have our RIDE visit,and we will have more school events occurring.
The first semester ends January 22nd marking the official halfway mark for the year. A student’s grade at the halfway point of their classes becomes an indicator of where they may end for the year. There is still the entire second half for students to improve their grades. Students not currently passing have time to improve their grades and to earn credit, and students passing should continue to build off their success.. We had over 100 students make the 1st Quarter honor roll and want to increase that number.
After the break we kick off our state testing with the ACCESS tests and will communicate more information. In the second semester, we will increase our test preparation for the RICAS, P/SAT. & NGSAs. We will share more details about test prep, celebrations, test practice days, and our preparation plans.
Our December SIT meeting was a great success! We had over 50 people attend, including almost 20 students, and many first-timers. The high level of participation opened the lines of communication for ideas, solutions, and thoughts to be shared amongst those focused on improving Highlander. It is through the collaboration of families, educators, and staff that we can create a learning environment where all of our students can thrive. We look forward to seeing more people at our January SIT meeting.
Two years ago we were placed on a CSIP due to our graduation rate. I am ecstatic to announce we have been officially removed from our CSIP status as we made great gains in our four-year graduation rate. This was possible due to the dedication and commitment of our staff, students, and families. This year we earned 3 stars for our graduation rate and our MLL student's growth on their ACCESS scores.
As part of the CSIP progress RIDE will visit Highlander for two days in March. It will be similar to last year’s process. RIDE will hold focus groups for students, staff, leadership and families as well as conduct classroom walk-throughs and review school documents. They will share their observations and feedback with school leadership, highlighting our areas of strength and growth. They will provide school leadership with an action plan and support for us to implement to help our continued success. More information to come.
Our boys and girls basketball teams have started their seasons. We welcome our new boy's basketball coach and Athletic Director Mr. Brandford Davis, and our new girl's basketball coach Mrs. Dawn Houlker-Azar. Highlander is fortunate to have both of these individuals as they bring experience and professionalism to these positions. We also welcome back an incredible math teacher Ms. Tessa Bohnert and welcome to the Highlander community our new middle school teacher Ms. Jodi Lamguana. We are grateful for all of these new amazing additions to our community.
As always please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns. We are grateful and privileged to have you and your children here as part of the Highlander family
Best,
Mr. Wil Pabst
Key pieces of information
- January 22nd: 1st Semester ends
- January 28th Student Art Exhibition
What we're up to
Basketball Season is here. Go Hawks!!!!
January Basketball Calendar
February Basketball Calendar
FYI
Below are some reminders about Highlander policies as we start the school year:
Students are encouraged to bring reusable water bottles daily. Please ensure names are written on them.
Healthy snacks are encouraged at lunch time. Please keep in mind we are a peanut-free school. Soda is not permitted. NO large or family size bags of chips, crackers, or other snacks or food.
Students are assigned homework daily, and are expected to complete these assignments in a timely manner.
Uniforms are required Monday through Thursday. Please visit the school website for our uniform policy and purchasing information. We are aware of delays with some orders. If this is the case or you have other concerns, please feel free to contact us.
January 2025
Click here for full calendar: https://www.highlandercharter.org/for-families/events/calendar/
Family Engagement
Thank you so much for your support during the Holiday Joy event! Together, we truly lift each other up.
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.
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