THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

• ART night tonight from 6:30-8:00
• See testing information below (No classes April 9th and 10th)
• Prom tickets go on sale next week!

Dear Families,

We hope you all had a restful and rejuvenating Spring Break! We've returned with an incredible burst of energy as we've launched our FOCUS on the Arts week! This is a time of pure exploration, discovery, and the unleashing of the unique talents within each of our students.

The atmosphere is truly electric! From the genius of opening night to the captivating sessions yesterday and today, it's been a truly special experience. Students are walking around awe-struck with joy, and it's heartwarming to witness.

We want to extend a GIANT thank you to all of you who have gifted countless hours of their time to make this week a reality. It's a true community effort, and we are deeply grateful. Special thank you to Tamara Jenkins, Stacey Kolthammer, Chelsea Duggan, Amy Haggerty, and Barbara Hinde for their tireless, passionate efforts on behalf of the entire experience!  

Adding to the magic, I've had the pleasure of running into former students who are now presenters. They've shared with me how profoundly FOCUS impacted them as high schoolers, opening a window into possibilities they hadn't imagined. They deliberately return to share their expertise, which speaks volumes about the power of this program (yes, this does make me feel old, as well!).

Please take some time to ask your students about their favorite session or something that surprised them about themselves during FOCUS. We'd love for you to share in their experiences.

Next week, we transition to a different kind of focus as our students will be taking the ACT and pre-ACT. Seniors, we hope you enjoy this brief moment to recharge and shake off any lingering senioritis, returning stronger and more motivated.

For all students taking the ACT and Pre-ACT, our best advice is: breathe, get a good night's sleep, eat a healthy breakfast, do your best, and leave the stress with the test.

We are so proud of our students and their dedication to both the arts and their academic pursuits. Thank you for your continued support!

Thank you for sharing your students with us today and beyond,

Holly

ACADEMICS

Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) ACT Testing:  There are no classes scheduled for Wednesday, 4/9 and Thursday, 4/10 due to the required ISBE ACT Testing.  All freshmen, sophomores, and juniors will test on Wednesday.  Some students will continue testing on Thursday.  Here are some important highlights regarding the two days:

• Seniors are not required to be at school either day unless they are required to test.  Those who are required to test have been contacted.
• Testing begins at 8:10 AM (same as our standard start time).
• Normal morning bus routes will run on Wednesday, 4/9 so that students can arrive on time.  When students finish their test, they are free to leave the building.  Buses will depart at 12:00, 1:15, 2:15, and 3:15 to accommodate the various end times of the tests.
• The vast majority of testing will occur in homeroom.  Students (and caregivers of those students) not testing with their homeroom due to specific testing accommodations will be contacted directly no later than Friday, 4/4 at 12:00 PM.  A letter from the sender "HPHS Assessment Office" will contain students' testing locations and the students' approved accommodations.
• It is HIGHLY recommended that students use their district issued Chromebook for testing.  A specific testing application is already installed on the Chromebooks.  If a student uses a personal device, they must download the application (instructions here).  However, HPHS cannot provide technology assistance to students who use a personal device if any issues arise related to the app, their device, etc.
• The HPHS testing webpage contains letters specific to each grade level.  These letters include more specific information regarding the testing days.  

ACTIVITIES

Welcome back HP Band from their beautiful trip to Austria! See photos from Josh Chodoroff below:

• Non-HP Prom Guest Form: Click here! The non-HP guest form window is open ONLY from April 7 - 17, 2025. Once the guest form is completed with all electronic signatures, you will receive a guest code via student email to purchase your guest ticket on April 21, 2025, when the prom ticket window opens. 
• HPHS Prom Tickets: Click here to purchase your HPHS 2025 Prom Ticket! The Prom ticket window is ONLY from April 21 to May 2, 2025. Prom tickets WILL NOT be sold after May 2, 2025.

For more detailed information (in English and Spanish) on HP Prom 2025 click here or the HP Student Actviities Webpage.



ATHLETICS

Most of our teams did not compete over the Spring Break, but a few did and made some unbelievable memories.

1. HP Baseball traveled to Orlando, Florida and went 5-0 playing teams from all over the country. Multiple players stepped up to help the team be successful. The team modeled the quote - “It’s amazing what can be accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit.” Our varsity reserves/JV players also got a chance to play some games in the warm weather.
2. Boys Track & Field was also in action at the Illinois Indoor Championships in Chicago. Senior Dylan Dominguez set a new indoor school record in the 3200m and finished 7th.  Junior Shamar Wilson set school records in the 60m dash and in the 200m. Shamar finished 4th overall in the 60m. Congratulations to both athletes on qualifying for this prestigious event.
3. Boys Water Polo had a busy break hosting a JV Invite on the first Saturday of break and participating in the Maine East Varsity Invite yesterday. The Varsity team went 1-2 and got a very strong effort all day from Brody Schultz. Peter Trakas and Nathan Peterson also stepped up in big ways to help the team.



This Week’s Highlights:

1. Girls Water Polo earned a double overtime victory against Maine East on Tuesday night, scoring the winning goal in the final seconds.  Congrats to senior Marisa Miller on a great performance.
2. Boys Gymnastics traveled to Glenbrook South on Tuesday and made the most of the opportunity.  It has been great to see our young gymnasts make progress as they gain experience.
3. Boys Water Polo defeated Warren 10-9 on Tuesday. Goalie Jonah Richardson played a great game in net and made a big save in the closing seconds to protect the lead.
4. Varsity Boys Lacrosse lost their season opener to Prospect in double overtime. Despite the loss, it was an exciting way to start the season. The team is looking forward to their next challenge.

Check out the upcoming schedule of events for all of our athletic teams here.

A Giant thank you to our security and maintenance teams for their hard work over spring break. We accomplished multiple projects around the school and their commitment to being great teammates ensured the week ran smoothly. We could not do what we do as a school without their willingness to step up when called upon. Thank you!

Team and individual portraits from picture day for Winter Sports are now available to view and order online.  To order photos from your picture day:



1. Go to: https://www.vipis.com/group/6ca666a5/highland-park-high-school
2. Select "View now" on the green Sports Team & Individual tile
3. Enter your information in the search fields
4. Select the school year (July 1st to June 30th) during which your photos were taken and click "search"
5. Follow the instructions to select your package or products and choose your background for your individual photos if applicable
6. You will receive a confirmation email

Doug Bolton, Ph.D

Join us on Tuesday, April 8th at 7:00 PM CT on Zoom for an exclusive FAN event featuring Doug Bolton, Ph.D., Clinical psychologist, educational leader, and consultant. Doug will be discussing his latest book, Untethered: Creating Connected Families, Schools, and Communities to Raise a Resilient Generation.

Attendees will  have the opportunity to participate in a book giveaway! Click here for more info and to register!

Emily Falk, Ph.D

Join us on Wednesday, April 16th at 12:00 PM CT on Zoom for another FAN event featuring Emily Falk, Ph.D., Director the Communication Neuroscience lab. Emily will be discussing her latest book What We Value: The Neuroscience of Choice & Change.

There will be a book giveaway for this event as well. Click here for more info and to register!