|
Greetings Fellow Scots,
Thank you for supporting Highland Park High School this week. We love and appreciate our parents and families. Thank you for helping us in achieving our goals every day.
This week is the final week of the first nine week grading period. Please encourage your students to check in with teachers and complete all assignments, retakes, incompletes, or any other make-up work. We want students to finish the grading period successfully.
This week students will take the PSAT assessment. Juniors will test on Tuesday, 10-7 and Sophomores will test on Wednesday. 10-8. Please encourage students to get a good night’s sleep and be at school on time ready to give their best efforts on these assessments. For Juniors, the PSAT is a National Merit Scholarship qualifier. For sophomores, the PSAT is tied to school and district improvement goals. We use all of this data to evaluate our programs and monitor students’ progress and learning. It is important for students to do their very best on these assessments. Thank you for encouraging them to do so.
As we move into the second grading period, please remind students that they must follow our cell phone procedures at school. Students need to use their Yondr pouches and keep their phones turned off and put away during the school day on school property. Thank you for helping us reinforce this school rule.
Monday, 10-13 is a student holiday and faculty exchange day. We hope you have a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend.
Thanks and Go Scots!
| | Campus Mission: Highland Park High School, upholding its tradition of excellence, exists to provide a learning environment that prepares students to serve as engaged global citizens in a complex and ever-changing world. | | |
PRINCIPAL APPRECIATION MONTH
This October, we celebrate Principal Appreciation Month and honor Highland Park High School’s one-and-only, Dr. Kevin Hunt! Now in his second year as a Scot, Dr. Hunt is admired for his care for our students, his commitment to academic excellence, and his ability to inspire both teachers and students to achieve greatness. Thank you, Dr. Hunt, for your outstanding leadership and dedication to our school!
| | |
BOOSTER CLUB OFFICER MEETING
Calling all booster club officers! There will be a mandatory district meeting for all HP booster clubs on Wednesday, October 15 at 2pm at the Clements Leadership Center. At least one officer from every HP booster club must attend to hear important updates and reporting requirements. Please join us! For questions, please contact the PTA Member-At-Large, Katherine Lewis.
| | |
SCOTS SCOOP
Don’t miss this special Scots Scoop for parents of Juniors and Sophomores with our special guest, Lee Cordon, Founder of Do Say Give!
Preparing for the future is about more than grades and test scores. It’s about raising teens who can thrive socially as well. In this talk, etiquette expert Lee Cordon shows parents how to cultivate essential social skills in their teens: effective communication, confidence in social settings, and respectful interactions that will help teens stand out and succeed in the digital age.
| | | | |
Junior and Sophomore Parents
Wednesday, October 15
9:00 am
Clements Building
6900 Douglas Ave
You don’t want to miss it!
Questions? ctduvall@me.com or alissa.gearing@gmail.com
| | |
The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) is a standardized test for high school students and serves as preparation for the SAT college entrance exam. For juniors, it also functions as the qualifying test for the National Merit Scholar Program.
The PSAT will be given during the school day on the following dates:
- Tuesday, October 7 – Juniors
- Wednesday, October 8 – Sophomores
Please encourage your student to arrive at school on time, get plenty of rest, and eat a good breakfast before testing. Click HERE for more information.
| | |
PEER TUTORING
Need some extra help to stay on top of your classes? Come join our Peer Tutoring sessions starting Tuesday, October 7, and running every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday during all lunches! Whether it’s Math, English, Social Studies, or Science, trained peer tutors are ready to work with you, answer questions, and help you feel more confident in your classes. This is a chance to connect with students who are committed to your success and who understand what it takes to do well in high school. Don’t wait until you feel behind—grab your lunch, bring your questions, and take advantage of this awesome opportunity to get ahead and crush your goals!
Form Link for Students
| | DAILY ANNOUNCEMENTS AVAILABLE TO PARENTS | | |
Attention Parents!
If you’d like to read a transcript of the daily student announcements, they are available each day HERE. Every two weeks, our AV Production team also produces a video edition of our student announcements, which you can watch HERE. We are grateful to our talented students for their creativity and hard work in bringing these important announcements to life!
| | |
If you aren’t able to work your cafeteria or supply shop shift, it is your responsibility to find a sub. Feel free to call an HPHS friend to see if he/she can take your shift and then notify your Volunteer Chair of the change!
Also, SignUp.com has a neat “Swap” feature where you can trade shifts with other scheduled volunteers. Here are the steps!
To request a swap with another volunteer, first go to the HPHS PTA SignUp link. Once on your SignUp page, login with your personal information, and then find your shift that you need to swap. Click the My Spots button to the right of the assignment you want to swap and select the Swap option. Select all the shifts for which you could swap. Then, click Next at the very bottom of the screen and enter a message to be sent to potential people to swap with. Click Send Request. An email swap request will be sent to everyone signed up for the spots on your swap list. If a participant accepts your swap request, you will both be notified of the new assignments.
Please see more detailed instructions HERE
Thank you for serving our Scots!
Cafeteria Volunteer Chair, Margarita Coale
Supply Shop Chair, Ashlie Schooler
Volunteer Scheduling Chair, Esther Choi
| | |
CAFETERIA ACCOUNT BALANCES
We’re excited to welcome everyone back to the cafeteria this year! Our volunteer support is at an all-time high, and we are truly grateful to every parent and grandparent who gives their time to serve our students. We also deeply appreciate every Scot who purchases breakfast or lunch each day—every dollar helps cover cafeteria costs, with surplus funds going directly back to our campus. With each bite, your students are helping support our school, classrooms, staff, and teachers!
Please Keep Student Accounts Positive
The PTA asks for your support in helping the cafeteria maintain a balanced budget by keeping student cafeteria accounts positive. If your student’s account has a negative balance of $10 or more, you are receiving daily afternoon emails with alerts and a link to add funds.
Temporary Purchasing Hold for Negative Balances
Starting October 1, 2025, the HPHS cafeteria will place a temporary hold on purchasing breakfast and/or lunch for students with a negative balance until the account is paid in full and funds are added for future purchases. During this temporary hold, students will not be able to purchase cafeteria items, but will still be provided a lunch option. Staff and volunteers will make every effort to minimize any public identification of students affected.
How to Add Money to a Student’s Cafeteria Account
Parents can add money to their student's cafeteria account online by logging into eFunds or into Skyward. Steps to add money to your student’s cafeteria account through Skyward are below:
- Launch Skyward
- Click on “Food Service”
- Click “Make a Payment" to be redirected to the eFunds web portal
- Click “Fund Lunch”
- The last step is to click “Login” to launch your eFunds account using your Skyward credentials.
- For ease, you may also set your student’s account to automatically reload when the balance gets low.
- Follow these steps in eFunds:
- Select “Payment Settings”
- Click on “Low Meal Balance Settings”
- Click “Activate Low Meal Balance Settings”
- Adjust settings to the desired amount
Low Balance Notifications
If you do not want to automatically reload your account, we suggest you at least turn on low balance notifications under "Manage Account" and "Notification Settings."
Meal Assistance Program
Should your child need Meal Assistance, you will need to fill out the Meal Assistance Application and submit the form to HPISD's Director of Food Services, Maggie Garza. Information and links to HPISD cafeteria accounts can be found here:
For information & to apply for the Meal Assistance Program, click HERE.
For additional guidelines for our food service program, click HERE.
Thank you for helping us support a smooth, positive cafeteria experience for all students!
Gratefully,
HPHS PTA & Dr. Kevin Hunt
| | |
STATE FAIR OF TEXAS
Hey Scots! The State Fair of Texas is calling 🎡, and you’ve got a special deal:
grab $12 admission tickets for Monday through Thursday visits. That’s a $7 savings! Just hop online and use the promo code below.
📅 Sept. 26 – Oct. 19
BigTex.com/5HS
Promo code: 2025EDU
| | |
Fall 2025 SAT Workshop
Registration for our Fall 2025 SAT Workshop is now open for juniors and seniors! Sophomores will be able to attend if space is available. This workshop is perfect timing for the upcoming SAT test administration date on November 8th, 2025 and is expected to fill quickly.
The workshop dates are October 20-30 (M-Th each week, 4:00pm to 6:30pm each day). Please confirm your child’s availability prior to registering.
Registration deadline is Friday, October 10th, so register today!
Why take an SAT Prep Workshop at HPHS? Utilizing comprehensive course materials, our outstanding instructors, Scott Fortier (Mathematics) and Becky Adams (English) will teach students the structure and content of the test so they can develop a strategy for addressing each question and effectively managing their time. They will offer individualized feedback so students feel confident and relaxed on test day. Our workshop is highly focused on the specific needs of our students because our instructors are deeply involved in developing and teaching our HPHS curriculum.
Click here for all workshop details and registration:
Fall2025SATWorkshop
Contact Wendy Harmon in the HPHS Counseling office at harmonw@hpisd.org with any questions.
| | ONE MILLION STEPS FOR OCD | | |
Noemi Tsai (grade 12) is co-chairing this year's Dallas One Million Steps for OCD Walk, which will be held Saturday, October 11, at Finch Park in McKinney. The community is invited to come out and help raise awareness and support for OCD, which affects more than 1 in 100 adults and 1 in 200 children. As someone who has OCD herself, she is passionate about mental health advocacy and speaking out for others.
The walk starts at 9 am and is free to attend. Co-hosted by the International OCD Foundation, the One Million Steps for OCD Walk is the nation’s largest grassroots awareness-building and fundraising campaign to highlight obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and related disorders, including body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) and hoarding disorder (HD). The OCD Walk aims to reduce the stigma associated with OCD and mental illness in general, and funds raised support the important work of the IOCDF and its partnering Affiliates, including OCD Texas. These programs aim to drive change through advocacy, education, research, and resources that improve the lives of those living with OCD and related disorders. Register HERE.
| | |
FALL MUSICAL
HPHS Fall Musical, Pippin, Oct. 16th - 19th
The Highland Park High School Department of Fine Arts proudly presents Pippin, in the Palmer Auditorium, October 16, 17, and 18 at 7:00 pm and October 19 at 2:00 pm. Tickets are available NOW at hpscotstheatre.org.
Pippin is a young Prince who longs to live an extraordinary life, as he struggles with the hand he's been dealt. He attempts to build a life, but as he exhausts different options, he finds that at any minute it could all fall down. With music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, this captivating production will leave you mesmerized. Come see Pippin's extraordinary story unfold!
Performances:
October 16, 17, and 18 @ 7:00pm
October 19 @ 2:00pm
Tickets:
$12 Balcony/General Admission
$15 Floor/Reserved
| | LADY SCOTS SOCCER CHAMPIONS CUP | | LADY SCOTS SOCCER- GIRLS WITH GOAL PICNIC | | |
HP CENTENNIAL DANCE
Tickets are now on sale at hpcentennialdance.org.
The dance is Saturday, November 15, from 8-10:30 pm at Edison’s.
Get your ticket today!
| | | Project Respect is Highland Park High School Student Council’s district-wide campaign that focuses on respect, specifically emphasizing the message of treating others the way you want to be treated. Student Council visits the district's elementary schools monthly to discuss with 4th grade leaders important character traits like respect, kindness, integrity, honesty, empathy, responsibility, and courage. Along with these monthly visits, Student Council honors two representatives from each grade during the pep rallies who continually model kindness and respect. The honorees from the first five weeks are pictured below.
| | Student Council visits with 4th graders at Bradfield, University Park, and Boone. | | Hayes Durham (9th), Blakely Steward (9th), Jack Dyer (10th), McCoy Brown (10th), Charlie Wentworth (11th), Madison Ferrell (11th), Sutton Stock (12th), Lillian Booth (12th) | | Will Hillman (9th), Sutton Bebee (9th), Anderson Wittorf (10th), Carly Fetter (10th), Finn Toussaint (11th), Miranda McParlin (11th), Pasha Zahedi (12th), Kylie Barnes (12th) | | Blake Sontag (9th), Ruthie Swope (9th), Nick Dezham (10th), Anne Heinrich (10th), Nathan Chan (11th), Hailey Hunt (11th), Laine Bailey (12th), Demir Bilhan (12th) | | Max Vogds (9th), Evelyn Wells (9th), Cadell Brown (10th), Caroline Benbow (10th), Rohan Shah (11th), Hayley Kate Royall (11th), Walker Fitzgerald (12th), Adeline Jacobs (12th) | | Will Inman (9th), Elle Whatley (9th), James Axley (10th), Avery Groth (10th), William White (11th), Tiggy Tan (11th), Clayton Allen (12th), Jane Ann Stockton (12th) | | |
GOLDEN SCOTS REUNION
Student Council recently served at the Golden Scots Reunion and had a great time! They gave school tours, helped serve lunch, and enjoyed many conversations with so many Scots alum.
| | |
Highland Park Varsity Volleyball Triumphs in Thrilling Five-Set Showdown Against Frisco Reedy!
It will be a match to remember! Last Tuesday, our Varsity Volleyball team took to the court with fire in their hearts to battle Reedy in an unforgettable five-set thriller. After a back-and-forth exchange of set wins, it all came down to the fifth. Our Varsity’s high energy never wavered. They dug deep and secured a hard-fought victory.
The excitement of that win only continued as we celebrated our very own, Anna Lee (#9), who reached her 1000 assists that evening. Congratulations to Anna! And a big shoutout to all our Players of Week: Marlee Roehm, Caroline Fenton, and Hailey Hunt!
Highland Park Freshman Volleyball Wins in Three Against Reedy
Our Freshman Volleyball team had some of the best volleyball last Tuesday, facing off against a tough Reedy opponent. Our Freshman Scots showcased some of their best skills in their athletic performance. It was great competition and our girls worked hard. They showed heart and hustle on the court for the big win!
| | Come cheer on your Scots Volleyball at HOME this Friday, 10/10, at 5:30 pm vs RL Turner. It will be a special Teacher Appreciation Night as we also honor our amazing teachers. Go Scots! | | |
TENNIS
#3 ranked HP Tennis is District 12-5A Champs finishing undefeated in district play.
On Tuesday, the team wrapped up the championship beating Frisco Reedy 16-3. Senior Marni Peus and Junior Eoin Burgess had huge wins! Senior Pierce Collard and Junior Roberto Newell kicked in good wins for the boys.
Playoffs start Tuesday with HP taking on Frisco Emerson in the Bi-District round. Take State Scots!
| | |
SWIM TEAM
The Scots competed at the Braveheart Sprint Invitational Swim Meet on September 27, 2025
Meet Overview
The Highland Park Scots and Lady Scots turned in a dominant team performance at the 2025 Braveheart Sprint Invitational, held on Saturday, September 27th. Facing strong competition from San Angelo Central, Granbury, Frisco Independence, and Timber Creek, Highland Park rose to the occasion and secured the overall team title with a combined score of 319 points, well ahead of runner-up San Angelo Central at 247.5 points.
This invitational meet format emphasized sprints, relays, and versatility, providing opportunities for athletes to showcase both their speed and their ability to contribute across multiple events. From the opening medley relay to the final freestyle relay, Highland Park established itself as the team to beat.
Click HERE to see the full recap.
Swimmers of the Meet
Peer-nominated honors went to:
● Freshman Alex Witt
● Freshman Carter Phan
● Freshman Rita Martin
● Sophomore Kate Gill
| | |
Runners of the Week
Congratulations to the Lady Scots Cross Country Team’s Runners of the Week for the Granbury Race For The Loot Invitational – juniors Annie Cooper and Claire Deeken, freshman Stella Pruett, senior Presley Pate, sophomore Finley Heckler, junior Ryan Sontag, and senior captain Maddie Heckler.
| |
|
FOOTBALL - VARSITY
Highland Park’s depth at wide receiver was on full display in its 52-35 win over Red Oak with key receptions by Cash Tanner (4 receptions for 79 yds and 1 TD), Charlie Olmstead (2 receptions for 56 yds), Case Messer (4 receptions for 48 yds and 1 TD), Jack Swaldi (1 reception for 42 yds), Isaac Hutchinson (2 receptions for 20 yds), and Harrison Cullum (1 reception for 12 yds and 1 TD). Joining in with the Scots’ stellar receiving core, running back Matthew White, made six catches of his own for 139 yards and three touchdowns on three consecutive targets in the first half to help the Scots (5-1, 2-0 District 5A-D1) pull ahead. White had four total touchdowns on the night including a 5-yard grab, a 65-yard wheel route, an 18-yard third-and-long conversion, and a rushing TD. Quarterback Buck Randall was equally as impressive, completing 22 of 26 passes for six touchdowns and rushing for an additional 65 yards on six carries. Kicker Sutton Stock was perfect once again going 7 for 7 on PATs and booted a 36 yd field goal to add to the dominate win. The Scots defense proved to be a force, making 8 critical 3rd down stops and pressuring Red Oak’s extremely mobile quarterback 22 times. Safety Ronan Moreland (6 solo / 2 assists), corner Jack Sumner (5 assists), outside linebacker Langedon McMurray (5 solo / 4 assists / 1 TFL), inside linebacker Beau Jones (7 assists/ 1 TFL), and defensive lineman Thomas Cook (1 solo / 3 assists / 1 TFL / 1 sack) led their respective positions in tackles. The Scots have a bye this week, but return to play October 17th at Joshua (3-2 overall).
| |
FOOTBALL - JUNIOR VARSITY
Congratulations to JV Gold for their 35-20 win over Midlothian on October 2nd.
Players of the week:
- Offense - Major Andrews
- Defense - Robert McCallum
- Special Teams - Lane Coots & Thompson Braner.
| |
FOOTBALL - FRESHMAN
Freshman Blue team played Red Oak Thursday night at Highlander. HP won 41-0!
Players of the week:
- Offensive: Ryder McClain & Beckett Lawrence
- Defensive: Sagan Wilson
- Special Teams: Blake Sontag
Freshman Gold played Waxahachie on Wednesday at Highlander. HP won 35-14!
Players of the week:
- Offensive: Felix Bonewell & Luke Meyer
- Defensive: Christian Holcombe
- Special Teams: Jake Ramundt
| | |
We continue to be so impressed by the time our parents devote to serving our Scots. Thank you for your generosity in so many ways supporting our students. We salute our weekly volunteers!
Our cafeteria parent volunteers: Amanda Drysdale, Randi McParlin, Page Wick, Kristin Gunnerson, Krista Tanner, Carrie Hamilton, Renee Westcott, Jamie Saylor, Gretel Shipley, Lindsey Hutchinson, Alison Malone, Margarita Coale, Julia Hooks, Jessica Klein, Shana Millican, Jeanie Harris, Colleen Edmondson, Courtney Bristow, Claudia Daniel, Marta Kopach, Leigh Anne Haugh, Susan Madsen, Clay Stapp, Maggie Kipp, Surabi Shetty, Gina Wright, Tiffany Wyatt, Cathy Adams, Lisa Bedford, Alaine Bickel, Ali Cullum, Cara Kerr, Gretechen McMullin, Heather Deuillet, Evelyn Sun, Sophiya Zhang, Dawn Harris, Cassandra Wright, Janet Rice, Marisa Stockwood, Amy McNulty, Doug Trotman, Anthony Gebbia, and Lindsa VanTran Gebbi.
Our supply shop parent volunteers: Tricia Touchstone, Misty Wightman, Mary Clayton Crow, Catherine Hardaway, Jennifer Hayes, Jennie Elverum, Carla Cree, Julia Fisher, April Bigby, Tracy Port Melech, Catherine Pate, Deanna Carrell, Alaina Brooks, Charlotte Nelson, Amanda Hamilton, Jenni Petty, Holly Lawrence, Jenny Kearns, Cristi Swayze, and Mary Houston.
| | Archived Editions of the Scots Weekly | | |
News to Share?
Didn't see a school-related shout-out, blurb or mention this week? We want to hear about it so please email ScotsWeekly@hphspta.org the details and up to four (4) pictures! Deadline for submissions is each Wednesday by 5 pm - FIRM DEADLINE to make it into the Monday newsletter. If submitted late, it will go in the next week's newsletter.
| | | |
4220 Emerson Avenue
Dallas, Texas 75205
Phone: 214-780-3700
| | | | | |
