January 20, 2009
Take Note
Dear Parents,
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.
Attention Middle School Parents:
When P.E. teacher Lee Smith told me that his sleep patterns had been disrupted by the cries of his newborn Austin, I tried to remember the magic baby hold my neighbor Lyndy shared with me almost eighteen years ago. By the time Rebecca arrived, I had read and reread several books on babies, but no tidbit was more useful than that special hold. Connecting with other parents, learning from their mistakes, and knowing that a question or problem is normal can be empowering. With that in mind, I want to share two invitations with you. I, along with the folks at Mountain Brook Presbyterian Church, invite you to join one, several, or all of the upcoming “Parent-to-Parent” workshops being held at the church on Brookwood Road during the next five Wednesday nights from 6:30 to 7:30. “Parent-to-Parent” is a series of workshops that has empowered many parents throughout this area and across the country to fight the “toxic culture” that children encounter. The program consists of video introductions followed by class discussions. Please let me know if you have any questions. Word-of-Mouth is one of Highlands School’s most powerful admissions tools. For the third year in a row, we have higher than ever application and inquiry numbers. This is largely due to your sharing the good news about Highlands School with your friends and neighbors. I invite you to continue to let folks know about our challenging curriculum, our celebration of childhood, and our commitment to preparing each student for the challenges of the twenty-first century. Parents will appreciate your advice on schools, and Highlands will appreciate your sending great families to join us.
Mark your calendar to attend the Middle School Trip Parent Meeting on Thursday, February 5 at 6:30 p.m. in the Learning Center.
And, as always, please let any of us know when we can help you. Whether you need to know the special crying baby hold, or have a question about curriculum or technology, give us a call or send an email. We value your questions and your input.
Also, please contact Nancy Duke in the Office to schedule your ParentTeacher Conferences with your students’ teachers on Tuesday, Jan. 27 or on Wednesday, Jan. 28.
Calendar Highlights
Thanks!
Kathryn Woodson Barr
Thurs. Jan. 22 Fifth Grade Play for Parents 6:30 p.m. Spencer Center Fri. 23 Fifth Grade Play for Students 10:00 a.m. Spencer Center Tues. 27 Noon Dismissal - All Students Parent Teacher Conferences Wed. 28 No School for Students - Parent Teacher Conferences Thurs. Feb. 5 Middle School Trip Parent Meeting 6:30-7:30 p.m. Learning Center Fri. 13 Weather Make-Up Day Mon. 16 Presidents’ Day No School and Offices Closed
HIGHNOTES
Page 2
Did you know? In a 2005 report comparing NAIS schools to public schools, students attending NAIS schools obtained better SAT scores than their public school counterparts, irrespective of family income and level of parental education. For instance, in 2004, students from families with an annual income of $30,000 to $40,000 obtained a combined SAT score that was 154 points greater than their public school counterparts. Similarly, for students whose parents have a high school diploma and no post-secondary education, the SAT scores reveal a 140 point gap between NAIS students and public school students.
Middle School Students Participate in Third Annual Read-a-thon On Friday, January 9th, Highlands School Middle School Students (38 to be exact) gathered in the Learning Center to participate in the third annual Read-a-thon to kick-off the School-wide Reading Program and raise funds to help pay for the Middle School Spring Trip in the process. The students brought their favorite chairs, blankets, sleeping bags and books from home to create a reading haven for themselves. As you can see from the pictures, our students really made themselves at home in the Learning Center. A special thanks and congratulations to all of the students who participated. They read for a combined total of approximately 343 hours. Ms. Baker and Miss Darby would also like to thank the Middle School Faculty and Mrs. Hammer for their participation and encouragement of the students and especially to all of the parents who let their students participate!
Short Notes Calling All Swimmers! The Shades Valley YMCA Swim Team is growing and looking for more swimmers. Get your kids in the best shape of their lives. Sign up for a workout that will improve their cardio level, get comprehensive stroke work and competition level conditioning. The next tryout is Wednesday January 29nd. Come to the Shades Valley YMCA pool between 4:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. If you need more information, please contact Coach Jim at 799-6433.
Girl Scout Cookies are now on sale through the Highlands School First Grade Troop #32. Cookies are $3.50 a box. Contact any of the Troop Leaders (information below) to place your order. Mandy Vinyard (avinyard@bellsouth.net), Tanya Nix (tanya06@bellsouth.net) or Kellye Allen (kelleallen@bellsouth.net).
HIGHNOTES
Page 3
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.