Highlands

April 14th, 2017

Principal's Message

April 14, 2017

Dear Highlands,

Dinner and Discussion at Highlands on Tuesday was a great night. The focus of our conversation was centered around talking to our kids about race. The challenges this poses as well as the opportunity.

We had small group discussion, a video and I was able to talk about the work Mike Seaman and I have done around the melanin project and the research cubes in classroom over the past 6 weeks.

Article How to talk to your kids about Race

Video: White people talking about Race

FAMILY COMMUNICATIONS from the district

District offices move to third floor of ECC
The District Offices have moved to their new location on the east side of the third floor of the Edina Community Center. The move was to allow room for Normandale to expand into the previous District Office location on the second floor.

Visiting the District Office? Please check in at the Enrollment Center on the first floor of the ECC.
Lost? Click HERE to view a map of the renovated third floor.

DATES TO NOTE

Looking Through a New Lens: A Good Time for the Truth
April 18, 7-9 p.m. | Normandale Elementary Auditorium -
Join us for third community conversation around the book, A Good Time for the Truth, with editor Sun Yung Shin and three of the collections authors: Andrea Jenkins, Shannon Gibney and Sherry Quan Lee. Click here to learn more and to register.

Internet and Social Media Safety Seminar
May 2, 7-8:30 p.m. | Edina Performing Arts Center (EPAC)
The Edina Police Department, Edina Public Schools and Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension will host a presentation and discussion about long-term and emerging online issues, and advice about how to avoid becoming a victim. Click here for more information.

Please check in with our blog (link Below) as well as the FB and Twitter accounts to be updated on the happenings. There was a lot of fabulous learning around Highlands this week.

Be well!

Katie

Read and see March 23- WONDER BLOG POST

Wonderful things are happening every day! We want to share. Twitter=
@Highlands_ELEM
 FB=
@HLHappenings 

Highlands Happenings

Highlands School has an opening for a part-time

Minnesota Reading Corps tutor

for the 2016-17 school year.

Minnesota Reading Corps is a statewide program to help every Minnesota child become a successful reader by the end of third grade. Minnesota Reading Corps elementary members serve as one-on-one tutors and provide research-based interventions to students in Kindergarten to 3rd grade, who are just below proficiency in reading.

Tutors also receive training, a stipend and an education award that is applicable toward Federal student loans or post-secondary tuition.

For more information visit www.MinnesotaReadingCorps.org and contact Jessie Lindberg,Reading Learning Specialist, Highlands Elementary, [email protected]

5th Grade Recognition DATE CHANGE - May 31st

PLEASE make note that since the last day of school is now June 1st our 5th Grade Recognition ceremonies have been moved back to Wednesday May 31st with Discovery in the morning and CP in the afternoon.

Mrs. Widen's Informance Schedule

Informances are informal, informative performances where loved ones are invited to come and watch their children in music class. Mark your calendar to see your child sing, dance, and play instruments and games!

Please don't hesitate to contact Katie Widen

with any questions 952-848-4532. [email protected]

Thursday May 4th

Prowell 9:25-10:10

Masica 10:10-10:55

Monday May 8th

Wallace 9:25-10:10

Pekarek 10:10-10:55

Hjelden 10:55-11:40

Johansen 11:40-12:25

Tuesday May 9th

Hopkins 9:25-10:10

Anderson 10:10-10:55

Molitor 10:55-11:40

Wednesday May 10th

Baier 2:00-2:45

Thursday May 11th

Sponheim 10:55-11:40

Racek 2:00-2:45

"A Good Time for the Truth: Race in Minnesota"

Normandale Auditorium.

"A Good Time for the Truth: Race in Minnesota," is a collection edited by local author Sun Yung Shin of 16 essays by diverse Minnesota writers. It will be the subject of three of the sessions. Each will feature a panel of essay writers, with an opportunity for facilitated discussion reflecting on their stories and how they impact the Edina community.

The last sessions will take place from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 18

Student Input Forms available in the office.

If you desire to give written feedback about you students placement for next year please ask Amy in the front office

and she has a form available. Thank you.

South View MS Student Leadership Team 2017-2018 (for Incoming 6th Graders)

Student Leadership Team Applications are now being accepted for the 2017-2018 School Year. If your incoming 6th grader is interested in pursuing this opportunity, you and your child must review the SLT Presentation using the following link - https://tinyurl.com/zu7swaz

This presentation contains important information that you and your student will want to consider before applying. After you review the presentation, note that within it is a link to the

application that must be completed by Friday, April 21 2017.

Interviews will then take place according to the following schedule:

Tuesday, May 9 at 3:15pm - Concord Incoming 6th Graders

Wednesday, May 10 at 4:00pm - Cornelia Incoming 6th Graders

Thursday, May 11 at 4:00pm - Highlands Incoming 6th Graders

Media Message

By Lisa Dooley, Media Specialist

We had a great week celebrating our book fair and love for reading! Thanks to Leslie Finnoff and Diane Lindquist for all of their support in making it happen!

Check out the Highlands News Show

Here is the News Show link.

To view, you will need your student's

PTO News

Learn what is going on and volunteer.

Highlands Book Fair Continues Online

Couldn't make it to a B&N Store yesterday?

Never fear! You can still shop at Barnes & Noble online.

Use our Book Fair ID 12079141 and 12% of your purchase will be donated to Highlands Elementary. Enter the code on the payment page. Anyone can use it, so share the code!! The fair lasts until April 18th!

HIGHLANDS Doing Good Together

FAMILY SERVICE FAIR on Friday, April 28, 6-8 pm

The Highlands Doing Good Together Family Service Fair is a unique opportunity for our school's families to come together to make a difference for the larger community. Kid-friendly service projects meeting critical needs in the community make it easy and fun to make an impact on issues such as homelessness, food insecurity and caring for animals.

Dinner. No need to cook! The El Taquito taco truck will be on site to help solve the dinner dilemma.

Volunteer: Visit the PTO website to learn about volunteer opportunities. We need on em more station host and a few event- nights general helpers.

This year's fair will feature:

Assembling adoption packets and preparing dog treat thank you gifts for families adopting rescue dogs (Spot's Last Stop)
Creating bibs, fabric toys and quilt squares to help support babies in need (Bundles of Love)
Preparing single use portions of laundry detergent to support people transitioning out of homelessness (Aeon)
Drawing/writing welcome letters for newly resettled refugees and immigrants
Assembling snack bags for families in crisis (Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery)
Learning about and taking action on our planet's well-being.
Participating in the collaborative Highlands Kindness video project [This station needs a host]
Decorating lunch bags for homebound senior citizens (Metro Meals on Wheels)
Donating used bikes (hold on to your unwanted bikes!) to support Native American children on the White Earth reservation (RezCycle).
Practicing philanthropy by donating loose change (start collecting loose change!) to support Edina Give & Go's efforts to assist economically disadvantaged students in Edina.

We are also planning to feature a small number of SERVICE SMALL GATHERINGS for which people can sign up at the event. Please consider hosting a small gathering! These can be as simple as inviting people to your home to tie no-sew fleece blankets, make animal toys or make cards for a local nursing home. You may also get more adventurous and organize an experience such as a tour of a homeless shelter, an outing to a soup kitchen, weeding a community garden as a group, etc.

To get more information, ideas or to sign up for either hosting a station or small gathering, please contact Nassim at [email protected].

SAVE THE DATE: EVEREVE SHOPPING NIGHT

TO BENEFIT HIGHLANDS PTO

Thursday, MAY 4th 7pm - 9pm

Evereve is dedicated to styling fashion loving moms! Stylists will help you find the perfect fit for you body type and lifestyle. Shop the Highlands PTO EVEREVE Shopping Night. 15% of all sales will be donated to the Highlands PTO. Snacks and beverages will be served. Last Fall we raised $750. Let's beat that number! Start pre-shopping now at EVEREVE.com

Thinking about getting involved next year.

Join the PTO Executive Board.

There are several open positions for next year's PTO Executive Board including Communications, Membership, Volunteer Coordinator, Treasurer Elect and Treasurer of Deposits. Talk to a current Board member to learn more.

Time is running out to order your Yearbook!

Another fantastic Highlands yearbook is being finalized and will be sent to print very soon. Only 50% of the students have ordered a yearbook.

We have made it even easier to purchase yearbooks online by order directly with Life Touch. Use school code: 1070917 to purchase a yearbook online Not sure if you purchased a yearbook already? Log into you account at the PTO website or email Koren Hawk Nelson at [email protected]

JOIN THE PTO EXECUTIVE BOARD

There are several open positions for next year's PTO Executive Board including Communications, Volunteer Coordinator, Treasurer Elect and Treasurer of Deposits. Talk to a current Board member to learn more.

Box Tops - Please k eep them coming.

Box Tops is a great fundraiser and so easy to do. You'll find BoxTops on so many of the products that you use on a daily basis. Just clip the BoxTops and send them in to the collection box in the office or to your teacher. Thank you.

Announcements

NEW! All-Day Pre-Kindergarten at the

Edina Family Center.

We are excited to offer our first all-day pre-Kindergarten option for the 2017- 2018 school year! Students arrive any time between 6:45am - 9:00am and leave any time between 3:00 - 6:00pm. The instructional day will be from 9:00am - 3:00pm. Please click here for more information.

Please always check the Lost and Found

items donated next on Friday 4/21

Summer 2017 schedule for KIDS Club/WISE Guys

This summer Highlands kids in grades 1st -5th will be here at Highlands!

Summer Registration Online Will start March 1st!

Last Day of School & KC for 2016-2017 June 1st (Thursday, NEW DATE)

KIDS Club Closed-Site Prep/Staff Training June 2nd-7th

First Day of Summer 2017 KC & WG June 8th (Thursday)

KIDS Club Closed-Holiday July 3rd & 4th

Last Day of Summer KC/WG August 22nd (Tuesday)

KIDS Club Closed August 23rd-September 4th

First Day of School 2017-2018 September 5th (Tuesday)