Hawks' Highlights

September

1st- No School - Labor Day

9th- School Pictures

9th- PTO- School Library-7:00pm

11th- Bike Bus - See below for details

18th- Activity Night U of Mary - See below for details

22nd - No School - Staff Development

October

7th- PTO meeting

9th- Activity Night U of Mary

23rd- Parent Teacher Conferences- 3:00-7:00 pm

27th- Parent Teacher Conferences- 3:00-7:00 pm

Welcome to our monthly family connection where you can find updates on what your students are learning with the counselor, our school wide Team program, superpower connection to home, as well as other topics as they arise.

Counselor Connection:

We have had a great start to our school year! I’m enjoying getting back into the classrooms and working with all the students on our expectations. For those who don’t know, I go into each classroom every week to work on social, emotional, and academic skills. Please take the time to ask your child what they are learning with the counselor!

The last couple of weeks we have focused on the importance of listening and being respectful, which go hand in hand. I encourage you to have a conversation with your child about being responsible and being a good role model for others by following the HAWKS expectations.

If you ever have questions, feel free to contact me at any time, by phone or email! ~ Ms. Jones

Highland Acres (701) 323-4160 brenda_jones@bismarckschools.org

Schoolwide Team Update:

We are continuing our schoolwide Team program this school year. This program allows our students to develop skills and build relationships with students across grade levels. Students earn HAWKS stickers for their Team by showing the HAWKS expectations of honesty, attitude of respect, work ethic, kindness, and safety. This year we will continue to have all Teams working together to meet a monthly and end of school year sticker goal. There will be whole school rewards each month for meeting the goal, and a trip to Midway Lanes for bowling at the end of the year for meeting the school year goal.

This year our theme is “Unlocking Your Superpowers Within”. Team meetings will be held 1-2 times per month where there will be a focus on the “Superpower of the Month” and building relationships.

In August we focused on strengthening our school spirit, and in September our superpower of the month is learning and following the HAWKS Expectations. This month, each Team will be completing their own unique Team chant and pennants and will vote on 2 Team Council members to represent their Team.

This month all applicants for our HAWKS Helpers jobs will partake in a short job interview and begin their job the week of September 15th. Another opportunity for our 3rd-5th graders to apply for a HAWKS Helpers job will be after Christmas break.

Monthly Expectations Connected to Home:

Using the language of our HAWKS Expectations at home can be very helpful for our students to learn and generalize our values. We strive to be honest, respectful, work hard, be kind and safe. Please try to use these words at home so students learn their importance not just in school, but in everyday life.

Resource of the Month:

If you haven’t yet and would like to see if you qualify, please fill out the Free and Reduced Meal Application here. These need to be completed annually but do have a 30-day grace period at the beginning of each school year.

You're Invited!

The PTO is hosting a mini meeting to discuss plans for our upcoming Fall Raffle, and we’d love your input!

📅 Tuesday, September 9
🕖 7:00 PM
📍 School Library

This will be a quick, informal meeting—just a chance to share ideas and help make the raffle a success.

Hope to see you there!

—Your PTO Team

All visitors must check in at the school office upon arrival. Parent(s) or guardian(s) may visit their child’s classes on school days, subject to the approval of school administration and guidelines in school district administrative rule.

We welcome school visitors while balancing the need to protect privacy rights of students and the need to be sensitive to the disruption to learning that can be caused by visitors frequently observing classrooms and placing demands on teacher time.

A District updated Parent Handbook will be forthcoming this fall.

North Dakota state law mandates "bell-to-bell" cell phone restrictions in K-12 public schools. This law requires phones to be inaccessible during instruction times. Bismarck Public Schools is committed to enforcing this requirement while providing safe and effective learning environments for all students.

Please see District Policy FFI for detailed information about the district's approach to electronic communication devices. Families will receive specific guidance from their student's school. Please consult the FAQ below for more information.

If you have a question, please contact the school office.

Our online store for school gear is available all year long. Now you can easily browse and purchase a variety of Highland Acres merchandise from the comfort of your home. Whether you’re looking for t-shirts, hoodies, hats, or other school spirit items, our online store has something for everyone. Show your school pride by sporting the latest Hawks gear. Orders can be placed by clicking on the button below.

The Backpack-for Kids program is designed to help children by assisting them with food over the weekend. Bags are filled with nutritional food items and delivered to the school. If your family qualifies for the free or reduced lunch program and you need additional food for the weekend, please contact our school social worker, Marisa Misek at marisa_misek@bismarckschools.org or call the school office.

MISSION, VISION, AND VALUES

Our Mission: "Empower every learner to thrive."

Our Vision: "Together, our strong relationships build inclusive, collaborative, and innovative environments that create agency and inspire a passion for learning, excellence, and discovery."

Our Values: Excellence, Innovation, Inclusion and Leadership.