January 12, 2009
Take Note Attention Middle School Parents: Please contact Nancy Duke in the Office to schedule your Parent-Teacher Conferences with your students’ teachers on Tues., Jan. 27 or on Wed. Jan. 28. Thanks! Mark Your Calendar The Parents of 4th and 5th graders are invited to join Shelby Hammer and the Middle School faculty for a Sneak Peek at the Middle School on Tuesday, January 13 at 6:30 p.m. in the Learning Center.
Jambo Parents, Thank you for your enthusiastic participation in AbracadAfrica last Thursday. From the looks on your faces and on those of your painted children’s faces, the evening was a huge success! Over the course of the year, our students created African art, enjoyed African music, and learned about the physical geography of Africa. AbracadAfrica was the perfect culminating event to celebrate and enhance their talents and knowledge while also making a difference to African children. Thank you for your donations during the art and book sale to Nothing But Nets, an organization that provides mosquito nets to African children to prevent malaria. Your donations amounted to over $700, and the Gates Foundation will match these funds! Thank you for your great audience participation during Rhythm in Motion: Sunu by Manga African Dance. I know that your children enjoyed all of the workshops including drumming, African tribal face painting, African animals from the Birmingham Zoo, cooking demonstrations, and arts and crafts. Weren’t you impressed with the delicious African feast created by Jeff Williams and the giant map of Africa created by our students and faculty! Continued on Page 2
We look forward to seeing you there!
School-wide Reading Program Friday, January 9 Monday, January 26 If Parents would like to participate in the School-wide Reading Program along with their students, please contact Ms. Baker, in the Learning Center, for a reading log.
Calendar Highlights Fri. Jan. 9 - 26 Tues. 13 Mon. 19 Thurs. 22 Fri. 23 Tues. 27 Wed. 28 Thurs. Feb. 5 Fri. Mon.
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School-wide Reading Program Middle School Sneak Peek 6:30 p.m. Learning Center MLK Day No School and Offices Closed Fifth Grade Play for Parents 6:30 p.m. Spencer Center Fifth Grade Play for Students 10:00 a.m. Spencer Center Noon Dismissal - All Students Parent Teacher Conferences No School for Students - Parent Teacher Conferences Middle School Trip Parent Meeting 6:30-7:30 p.m. Learning Center Weather Make-Up Day Presidents’ Day No School and Offices Closed
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Middle School Sneak Peek Night Planned Parents of current fourth- and fifth-grade students are invited to take a “sneak peek” at Middle School on Tuesday, January 13 at 6:30 p.m. in the Learning Center. After a brief introduction to the Middle School program, parents have the opportunity to visit 10-minute classes and get a taste of what students in our Middle School experience. This event is a great chance to meet the Middle School faculty and learn more about why Highlands emphasizes a true Middle School experience. Please contact Shelby Hammer (shammer@highlandsschool.org) with any questions. We look forward to seeing everyone there! Pannell wins 2009 Geo-Bee On Friday, January 9, Highlands’ students in grades 4 – 8 participated in the 21st Annual National Geography Bee, which is sponsored by the National Geographic Society. The Geo-Bee is a valuable classroom activity that encourages the teaching and learning of geography. Following the classroom level bees earlier in the week, 27 students qualified for the school level bee. We would like to congratulate Will Pannell who is this year’s Geography Bee winner. He will take the qualifying exam in hopes of competing with 99 other students from Alabama in the State Geography Bee in May at Samford University. Sarah Rosenthal, a fifth grader, was first runner-up and Barton Perkins, a sixth grader, was this year’s second runner-up. The competitors performed well under pressure and everyone did a splendid job, especially our fourth graders. Again, please join us in offering congratulations to Will Pannell, the Highlands School 2009 Geography Bee Champion. Continued from Page 1 A huge thank you goes to Bo Garrett and Cara McMillin who spearheaded the map project, to Lenus Perkins who spoke to the adults about his home country of Liberia, to Michelle and Mark McClintock for their cooking and puppet workshop, and to Cindy Talbird and Tynley Baker who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make sure that AbracadAfrica ran smoothly. Thank you to all of the parents, faculty, and staff who volunteered their time to make the evening a success! AbracadAfrica’s success put a smile on my face all weekend, and, more importantly, your contributions will save children’s lives.
Kathryn Woodson Barr
Short Notes
7 students are taking Algebra I as seventh graders, two years ahead of the typical course of study. 4 students were named to the National Honor Roll for the American Mathematics Contest (AMC) 8. This year is the first that any Highlands student achieved at this level. From 2007 to 2008, Math ERB scores jumped 7 points on the National Norm, the most competitive comparison category.
Dear Parents and Teachers, Many, many thanks to all of you who participated in the Open House yesterday! I know this is a busy time with so much going on at Highlands, so I am very grateful to you for all of your help and support yesterday! There were 20 families represented here, so I feel that the event was successful! I know our visitors enjoyed their time with our teachers in the classrooms! Thank you again for making them feel welcome and giving so much of your time! Judy Ladden McDonald Director of Admissions
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Attention Parents! EDP Care Provided! Dear Parents: As you probably know, there is a noon dismissal on January 27 th and Student Holiday on January 28th for Parent/Teacher conferences. For noon dismissal (Jan. 27) Lunch is NOT included If you are signed up for Professional Day EDP, your child may stay in EDP at no additional charge (Late Departure packages do not apply) Drop-ins will be permitted for a charge of $10 until 3PM and $20 until 6PM with a 48 hour written notice. There will be no EDP activities! LUNCH IS NOT INCLUDED! (No hot lunches are served) Please have your child bring his/her own lunch. For Student Holiday (Jan. 28) - Lunch IS included! Available for students enrolled in Professional Day Package for additional charge of $40 including lunch and activities. I will need a written notice by Monday, January 12th (This is necessary to get a proper count) The Extended Day Program will be open from 7 am-6 pm. This day will also bevavailable for non-Professional students to drop-in for additional charge of $50 including lunch and activities. I will need a written notice by Monday, January 12th. There will be no EDP activities! We will probably go to The McWane Center. This will be confirmed closer to the actual date. Thanks so much! Gabe McCool Highlands School EDP/Summer Camp Director (205) 956-9731 ext. 105
A Note from the Board of Trustees: The Board of Trustees is interested in helping high performing students access the challenging academic program at Highlands School. On occasion, families may not be able to pay full tuition on the school’s annual or semi-annual schedules. In response, there are established policies for helping families find alternative resources which may include tuition payment plans, financial aid or a combination of both. Information about enrolling in a 10-Monthly Payment Plan through Tuition Management Systems (TMS) will be included with all 2009-10 enrollment contracts. New for 2009-10, parents may enroll with TMS for credit card payments. And finally, limited funds will be available in 2009-10 for need-based financial aid; these funds are awarded through an assessment process on a first come, first served basis for students entering kindergarten through eighth grade. The Highlands School need-based financial aid season began December 1, when assessment forms were first made available through the Business Office, and runs through March 1, when need-based award notices will be mailed. If you’d like a complimentary copy of A Family Guide to Financial Aid or if you’d like to receive a financial aid packet, please visit Jane Jenkins in the Business Office. More information about paying for an independent education is available at www.nais.org/financialaid/sss. Or, you may email sssfinancialaid@ets.org.
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The Greater Birmingham Mathematics Partnership invites you to learn about the kind of mathematics education that will prepare your child for high school, college and life in the 21st century
Community Mathematics Night Monday, January 12 Thompson Middle School*, 6:30 – 8:30 PM Session #3 How to Help Your Child with Math At Home Snacks will be served. Children in the 3rd grade and up are welcome to attend the session with their parents. * Directions to Thompson Middle School From Downtown Birmingham: Take I-65 S toward Montgomery for about 20 mi. Exit at US Hwy. 31, Exit 238, toward Alabaster/Saginaw. Keep RIGHT at the fork to go on US-31 N/ AL-3 N/ Montgomery Hwy. After 0.7 mi, turn LEFT onto AL-119/ Montevallo Rd. Go 1.9 mi. Turn RIGHT onto Kent Dairy Rd/ CR-26. Go 0.7 mi to 1509 Kent Dairy Rd Alabaster, AL 35007.
Tuesday, January 13 Hewitt-Trussville High School*, 6:00 – 8:30 PM Session #1 Mathematics and Your Child's Future: The Basics and Beyond Free pizza will be served. Children in the 4th grade and up are welcome to attend the session with their parents. * Directions to Hewitt-Trussville High School From Downtown Birmingham: Take I-59 North to exit 143 (Deerfoot Parkway exit). At the end of the exit ramp, turn right. Go approximately 1/2 mile and turn left onto Husky Parkway (at first traffic light.) Go to the end of Husky Parkway (Approximately 1/2 mile). Hewitt-Trussville High School is on the right.
Both Sessions feature Ruth Parker, Ph. D. Dynamic speaker and nationally known educator CEO, Mathematics Education Collaborative For more information, visit www.math.uab.edu/GBMP/parents.htm or contact Jennifer Stoves at 934-3738 sponsored by The Greater Birmingham Mathematics Partnership (GBMP)