September 29, 2025

Greetings Fellow Scots,

We are looking forward to another successful week at Highland Park High School. Thank you for your continued support.

This week our focus will be on taking pride in our school. We want our students and faculty to do everything they can every day to keep our school safe and clean. This means making good decisions about simple things: picking up and throwing away trash, being respectful in common areas like restrooms, classrooms, hallways, and the cafeteria, and keeping exterior doors closed at all times. When students make thoughtful decisions at school, they are demonstrating the pride they have in their school. As always, we want to leave HPHS better than we found it.

Incredibly, we are entering the month of October and approaching the end of the first nine week grading period and the halfway point of the fall semester. Please continue to encourage your students to work hard in their classes, study and prepare for tests and quizzes, and attend tutorials with their teachers when they need help. We want to do everything we can to ensure that all students are learning and achieving at high levels.

Thanks and Go Scots!

Dr. Kevin Hunt - Principal

Highland Park High School

huntk@hpisd.org

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.

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.

PSAT/NMSQT

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

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

DAILY ANNOUNCEMENTS AVAILABLE TO PARENTS

SWAP VOLUNTEER SHIFTS

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

PARENTAL CONSENT REQUIRED FOR CLUB PARTICIPATION

In accordance with Texas Senate Bill 12, Highland Park ISD is now required to collect annual parent consent for participation in school-sponsored clubs and organizations. These clubs, sponsored by HPHS faculty, remain the same as previous years. The only change is the new requirement for yearly consent.

HEARTS FOR HUNGER

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

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.

BLOOD DRIVE

Highland Park High School Blood Drive

Learning Theater (new location)

Tuesday, September 30, 2025

07:30 am - 02:30 pm

Click HERE to register

Click HERE for the parental consent form for 16-year-old students.

Questions? Primary Blood Drive Coordinator, Tyson Peterson

MEET THE LADY SCOTS GOLF

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

HOMECOMING 2025

HAMBURGER SUPPER

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!

LADY SCOTS VOLLEYBALL

The Highland Park Volleyball Teams had so much fun at SMU when they cheered for the Mustangs against Pittsburgh. 

Way to go to our sophomores for being Players of the Week: Marlee Roehm, Taylor Toomay, and Emerson Camillo. 

Our Freshman team beat The Colony in 2 sets, 25-16 and 25-6, which was a great feat when they had a couple players out. They were able to adjust and play different positions they don’t normally play. On Friday, they won again by big margins against Newman Smith. Go Scots!

Join us on Friday, 10/3, at 5:30pm as the Highland Park volleyball teams face Creekview at HOME. Go Scots!

TENNIS

#3 ranked HP Varsity Tennis beat district opponent Newman Smith on Tuesday 19-0. Junior Bridget Flanagan clinched the match, and Sophomore Lucy Nobles and Junior Miranda McParlin steamrolled their opponents in doubles. The team also celebrated Senior Night! Check out the senior banners up at Seay Tennis Center!

On Friday, perennial 6A powerhouse Allen came to Seay to face the Scots. In a marathon match ending at midnight, the Scots came up just short 9-10. Seniors Clive Curry, Austin Chantilis and Collier Muenker and Junior Roberto Newell had huge singles wins. Junior Eoin Burgess beat Allen’s line 1 player convincingly with Senior Lauren Chandler also kicking in a solid singles win. 

The Scots wrap up regular season play on Tuesday away against Frisco Reedy with the district championship up for grabs. Playoffs start October 6! Let’s go Scotties! Take State! #driventosucceed

WATER POLO

Highland Park girls has shown strong performances against both Keller and Rockwall-Heath in recent matches. Against Keller, the Scots edged out a close 9-8 win on September 20, 2025, behind 4 goals from #7 Kaylee Schmidt and 1 each from O. Slaughter and A. Zivaljevic, with Isabella Arnold making 10 saves in goal. Meanwhile, in a non-conference tilt on September 23, Highland Park defeated Rockwall-Heath 15-11—a decisive showing that underscores their offensive depth and ability to pull ahead. Across those games, HP’s balance of goal scoring, solid goaltending, and timely steals has helped them sustain momentum and close out tight contests.

On September 20 the Boys Scots battled Keller in a thrilling game that went to triple overtime. Clark Gill came up clutch, scoring both the game-tying and game-winning goals. Harrison Howarth anchored the defense with an outstanding performance, while Zachary Slaughter delivered the assists on both of Gill’s last second goals.

September 23 the boys secured a dominant win over Rockwall Heath. Many substitutes made strong contributions, and the highlight of the game was AJ Flaskis scoring his first career goal for HP. Chris Mader also had a full court goal.

Next up is Southlake on September 27 at Southlake. Come out and support the Water polo teams! Go Scots!

LADY SCOTS CROSS COUNTRY

Lady Scots Cross Country Results

The Lady Scots Cross Country Team competed in their last regular season meet on Friday, September 26th at the Granbury Race For The Loot Meet at the Disc Golf Course in Granbury. This was the first time the team had competed at this meet.

In the 5A/6A Varsity Girls Division, the team placed 1st out of 12 teams with 28 points. There were 98 runners in this division, and seven Lady Scots placed in the top 14. Junior Ryan Sontag led the team by placing 1st with a time of 18:53.15. Sophomore Finley Heckler was racing right behind Sontag as she placed 2nd with a time of 18:56.40. Juniors Annie Cooper and Claire Deeken placed 6th and 9th respectively. Freshman Stella Pruett rounded out the top 10 with a time of 19:56.64. Senior Presley Pate and senior captain Maddie Heckler also had great races as they placed 13th and 14th respectively. Maddie ran her season best with a time of 20:14.92.

In the 5A/6A JV Division, the team placed 1st with 17 points. There were 11 teams and 149 runners in this division. The top five runners on the team placed in the top seven. Senior Addie Perritt was the top finisher in the division as she placed 1st with a time of 20:36.17. Junior Campbell Ragan placed 2nd with a time of 21:28.51, senior captain Julia Berlin placed 3rd (21:35.28), senior Campbell Dean placed 4th (21:43.31 – a new season best), and sophomore Irene Cooper placed 7th (22:20.90). Rounding out the top seven runners for the Lady Scots were senior Eva Boutros who set a new personal record with a time of 22:53.88 and placed 11th, and junior Ellie Chong placed 14th with a season best of 23:06.12.  

The other Lady Scots who had season bests were junior Avi Levy, senior Morgan Howarth, sophomore Margaret Lee, junior Caroline Diehl, senior Sasha Jordanoff, and senior captain Bess Prather. Freshman Natalia Garcia Villalon and sophomores Haven Hyatt and Thuy-Vi Le set new personal records. 

Results

The next meet for the Lady Scots will be the District 12-5A Championships on Thursday, October 9th at Myers Park in McKinney. The first race starts at 8:30 a.m.

Go Scots!  

RUNNING SCOTS

The Running Scots competed well at the Granbury "Race for the Loot" Invitational on Friday at the Granbury Disc Golf Course.

The Varsity finished 3rd in the team standings in a very close race in the 5A-6A Division. The team was led by Senior Captain Akash Shah, who finished 4th overall with a personal best time of 16:52.18. Seniors Luke Johnson, Luke Hall, and Sophomore Cole Davis all finished in the top 20. Shah, Johnson, Krantz, Walsh, Walters, and Soukup all finished with personal best times.

The Junior Varsity also finished 3rd and were led by Senior Captain Jacob Baumgartner who finished 6th overall. Sophomore Devin Doolabh also finished 10th overall. Doolabh, Finger, and Hubbs all finished with personal best times.

Runners of the week for Varsity are Akash Shah, Luke Johnson, Ranger Walsh, and Max Walters. Junior Varsity runners of the week are Jacob Baumgartner and Deven Doolabh.  

The team will compete in the District 12-5A Championship Meet on Thursday, October 9th at Myers Park in McKinney. Race-time is 9:30 am.

FOOTBALL - VARSITY

Highland Park survived a wild District 7-5A Div. I opener against Tyler, pulling out a 70-66 victory in a game full of dramatic swings. The Scots built a 28-point lead early but later trailed by 10 in the fourth quarter before rallying with two late touchdowns, capped by Matthew White’s game-winning run with under two minutes left. White starred with five rushing scores and 213 all-purpose yards, while quarterback Buck Randall threw for 467 yards and accounted for five touchdowns. HP piled up 675 yards of offense, but turnovers nearly cost them as Tyler capitalized on three miscues to storm back, led by quarterback Caden Granberry and running back Cadarius McMiller. Despite surrendering 66 points, the Scots’ defense forced a crucial late stop, sealing a win in a contest that featured explosive plays, momentum swings, and standout performances from several receivers stepping up in the absence of injured leader Cannon Bozman. The victory extended HP’s winning streak to four ahead of a key matchup with Red Oak.

Players of the Week are:

• Off Back - Matthew White / Charlie Olmstead / Buck Randall
• Off Line - Stuart Allday / Benton Weathersby
• Def Back - Dean Dulin / Langedon McMurray
• Def Line - Thomas Cook / Hatcher Phillips
• Sp Teams - Grant Gussio / Sutton Stock
• Off Scout - Ben Warburton / Evan Snelleman
• Def Scout - William Ledford
• Trainer - Libby Evans
• 12th Man - Coleman Schultz

FOOTBALL - JUNIOR VARSITY

JV Gold took on McKinney North, winning 35-8 on September 18th.

Players of the Game: 

• Offense: Owen Camillo
• Defense: Michael Kelley
• Special Teams: Leyton Gilliam & William LeBlanc

Highland Park JV Blue defeated the Tyler Lions 42 - 6 this past Thursday!

Players of the Game:

• Offense: Jack McCarty
• Defense: Beckett Swanger
• Special Teams: Wells Fainter & Liam MeNefee

FOOTBALL - FRESHMAN

Freshman Blue won their Thursday night game against Tyler- score 43-14.

Players of the Game: 

• Offensive: Warner Binns/Logan Jones
• Defensive: Stafford Thomason/Slade Stapp
• Special Teams: Davis Bristow/Jett Johnson

Our seniors baby photo wall is installed and shining brightly at HPHS due to the hard work of Natalie John and Elizabeth McMillan, our Senior Picture Board Chairs. Our Scots sure have grown up! 

We appreciate Randi McParlin, Publicity Chair, for her excellent event write-ups and photographs for district and PTA news.

Thank you to Allison Lockard, Scots Reward Chair, for informing our parents how to earn rewards for our school while they grocery shop! Every little bit helps our students and teachers!

The Cafeteria Renovation Advisory Committee has been busy at work planning for the upcoming kitchen renovation at our school. Their efforts will ensure a beautiful new HP Cafeteria and a seamless transition during the construction: Ashley Blanchette, Claire Baker, Nicole Brewer, Carrie Cothrum, and Brenda Vardell.

Many thanks to Margarita Coale, Cafeteria Volunteer Chair, Ashlie Schooler, Supply Shop Volunteer Chair, and Esther Choi, Volunteer Scheduling Chair – you all are super stars spending so much time at the school and home coordinating our volunteers! We could not be successful without you!

We are thriving in the Cafeteria and Supply Shop thanks to our amazing parent and grandparent volunteers!

Cafeteria volunteers: Kelley Green, Laura Hornbach, Amy Barker, Hjoo Seo, Katie Dulin, Lillian Richey, Margaret Morris, Surabi Shetty, Ken Czarnecki, Rebecca Whitaker, Maritza Viviana Ortiz, Carmen Pou, Darla Haglund, Lee Cordon, Lindsey Brown, Carla Cree, Tracy Matthews, Whitney Moss, Jill Davenport, Carrie Woodward, Elizabeth Miller, Jessica Klein, Michelle Slaughter, Elizabeth Stewart, Peyton Bohnsack, Jenifer Longhofer, William Bland, Meg Boyd, Tracy Flint, Katie Dering, Katrina Bradford, Liz Dulberger, Gabriela Gray, Lisa Bedford, Traci Wallingford, Chelsea Duvall, Ali Cullum, Marta Kopach, Lucy Wei, Laura Robertson, Karen Gawley, Julie Wallis, Denise Brown, Sandy Smith, and Margarita Coale.

Supply Shop volunteers: Allison Murphy, Kate LaGere, Katy Miller, Stephanie Wilson, Allison Lockard, Hayle Crouch, Kelsie Sumner, Ashley Allen, Elizabeth Hunt, Sarah Pollan, Marlen Key, Hillary Reeder, Kristi Berlin, Kimberly Meade, Mendy Judge, Claire Baker, Jennifer Lander, Allison Allison, Amy Gale, Janey Steward, and Tori Snoddy.

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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.