THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

1. Please remember to take the 5 essentials survey to help us reflect on our practices
2. Spring Athletics Information Meeting from 10:30-11:30am on Saturday, March 15th in the student cafeteria at Highland Park High School
3. We are celebrating Women’s History Month!

Dear Giant Family,

We're now just two and a half weeks away from Spring Break! We know this final stretch before a well-deserved break can sometimes be challenging for students and families alike. We want to encourage you to keep those spirits high and prioritize regular attendance. Every day of learning counts, and your support in ensuring your child is present and engaged makes a significant difference.

Remember, a little encouragement goes a long way! Please continue to motivate your students to put their best foot forward in these final weeks.

We have some exciting events coming up:

Friday's Charity Drive Assembly: We're thrilled to celebrate the culmination of our charity drive in support of the Harold E. Eisenberg Foundation. This assembly will honor the hard work, awareness spread, and community fun we've all shared. We look forward to recognizing the impact we've made together.

Monday's Strategic Planning Input Session: Your voice matters as we shape the future of our school! We're inviting you to participate in a strategic planning input session on Monday. This is a valuable opportunity to share your thoughts and contribute to our school's direction. Participate in an in-person focus group or provide your input online on the draft SWOT analysis. 

In-Person Focus Group

Spots will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis through this registration form. 

Monday, March 10

Highland Park High School Library

Session 1: 5:00 - 6:00 p.m. 

Session 2: 6:30 - 7:30 p.m

Let's work together to make these final weeks before Spring Break successful and rewarding for all our students.

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

Holly

ACADEMICS

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) requires that all freshmen, sophomores, and juniors participate in yearly accountability testing.  ISBE recently transitioned from utilizing the Digital SAT suite of assessments to the Digital ACT suite of assessments.  Here are some important pieces of information:

• On April 9, all freshmen, sophomores, and juniors will take their respective ACT assessment in school.  
• Some students who require two day testing will continue testing on April 10.  
• All students are automatically registered by District 113. 
• April 9 and 10 are dedicated to the ISBE accountability testing.  When students are not testing, they are not required to be at school.
• A more detailed letter will be sent to all students and families in the near future.  

STUDENT LIFE

All HPHS students will be taking the Illinois 5Essentials Survey on Thursday, 3/13 in Homeroom.  The 5Essentials Informational and Opt Out letter provides details about the survey, including the actual questions.  You can also opt your student out of the survey.  Instructions related to opting out are included in the letter.

ACTIVITIES

Thank you for being such a united GIANT community in celebrating Black History Month at HP!!

Below are photos from our BHM breakfast and performance in the student cafeteria:

Happy Women’s History Month HP! Please take an opportunity to take a photo with your entire department and class and tag hphsactivities on Instagram as we celebrate the 2025 theme:  “Moving Forward Together - Women Educating and Inspiring Generations”. 

Join us to celebrate our Charity Drive Closing Ceremony where we will unveil the total amount raised for the Harold E. Eisenberg Foundation this Friday in the student cafeteria at 7:45 a.m.!!

Fundraiser for Educators of Tomorrow!



ATHLETICS

Giant Highlights

1. Congratulations to Senior Dana Holt who became the first HPHS female wrestler to win a match at the IHSA State Finals. Dana won her first match 16-5 over Sophie Bellagamba from Geneseo High School. Unfortunately, Dana dropped her next two matches,  but represented HPHS with class at the tournament and throughout her career.
2. Swimmer Andrew Blauer came in 15th place in the state of Illinois in the 100 Butterfly at the IHSA State Finals. Congratulations to Andrew on a fantastic sophomore season.
3. Our Boys Basketball team was defeated by Evanston in the Regional Final on Friday night. The team finished the season 21-11. This was the first time since the 2014-15 season that the team hit the 20 win mark. A Giant shoutout to everyone involved with the program.
4. Boys Track & Field had a strong day at the Sequoit Showdown. Shamar Wilson took 2nd place in the 60m with a new school record 7.01. Dylan Dominguez took 2nd in the 3200m and 3rd in the 1600m. The 4X200m relay took 4th in 1:35.33 for #2 all-time at HP. Finally, Mishkin Filstrup ran 7.63 in the 60m for #9 all-time at HP.
5. In Girls Track & Field, congrats to the 4x160 relay team. They finished first at Niles West. Members of that team were Star Hall, Rylee Sullivan, Sadie Flynn, and Quinn Nguyen. Kudos also goes to Jillian Mangione who registered a PR in the Pole Vault competition and Glory Chukwu who did the same in the high jump.
6. A big thank you to Poms, Jammers and the Pep Band for their efforts on Friday at the Regional Final. All three groups performed in front of a packed house and did not disappoint. Our community had a lot to be proud of this winter season and these groups enhanced the experience for our players, coaches, and spectators.

A reminder that the month of March is National Athletic Training Month and our Athletic Department is proud to recognize Tayler Strand, Brie Montmarquette, Danyel Read, and Arnold Lee for all they do to keep our athletes healthy and safe. 

We will be holding a Spring Athletics Information Meeting from 10:30-11:30am on Saturday, March 15th in the student cafeteria at Highland Park High School. Spring student-athletes are encouraged to attend with their parents/caregivers, as we will be covering a variety of important topics related to athletic participation. We know a few of our teams are competing on the morning of the 15th and will not be able to attend this meeting. For those that cannot be there, the presentation will be posted on the HPHS website. Those attending can enter the building through the H Entrance or Athletic Entrance.  

Parents will also have an opportunity to learn about the Giants Club, our parent booster organization. Representatives will be in attendance to share information about membership, as well as ways to get involved.  We're looking forward to an exciting Spring season at HPHS.

Hiring Processes and Information re: Two Cabinet Positions for 2025-2026 



Please see yesterday’s Superintendent Dr. Holland’s message to parents and caregivers about providing feedback and options to volunteer to serve on stakeholder groups during the hiring process for Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment as well as Assistant Superintendent of Student Services. Students received a separate message tailored to them.