May 4, 2009
Take Note Parents’ Auxiliary Meeting Tuesday, May 5 6:30 p.m. Learning Center At this meeting we will elect the 2009– 2010 Officers and hear updates on the years activities! Make your plans to attend!
Dear Parents, The Middle School students are back in class today after spending last week in Philadelphia. The Middle School Trip is a Highlands School tradition that enriches student learning and helps foster independence. On our travels, we visited Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, the Betsy Ross House, Christ Church, and the National Constitution Center, and that was just the first day! We also spent time in the Franklin Institute Science Museum, the Rodin Museum, and the Seaport Museum. We enjoyed the ghost stories at Fort Mifflin and were amazed at the scale of Valley Forge and of Gettysburg. The size of the King of Prussia Mall, the second largest mall in the United States, also impressed us so much that we visited there twice! As enriching as these opportunities are, students especially appreciate their growing independence. With the support of their chaperones, our students are responsible for taking care of their things, getting places on time, managing their spending and meal money, and getting along with their roommates. The Middle School kids were more than ready for those tasks, and the trip was fun and easy for all! If you ask Middle School students about the trip, they are most likely to share a funny story, a favorite memory from the bus ride, or something that I haven’t mentioned. The bonding time is as important as the other elements, and we are thrilled to have had such a great community building time as the school year draws to a close. And for those students who will be in Middle School next year, we are already looking forward to our next adventure!
Save the Date Friday, Nov. 6, 2009 The Highlands School Parents’ Auxiliary Auction Highlands School Campus See Page 4 for a letter from the Auction Chairs
Happy Trails, Shelby Hammer
Calendar Highlights Tues.
May 5 Middle School Recitals during Middle School Community Meeting EDP Creative Writing Readings 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Parents’ Auxiliary Meeting 6:30 p.m. Learning Center Wed. 6 Second and Third Grade Recitals during Community Meeting 8:05 a.m. Spencer Center Thurs. 7 Fourth and Fifth Grade to American Village Family Center Pastries with Parents 8:15 a.m. New Parent Orientation 6:30 p.m. Learning Center Fri. 8 Letters about Literature Awards Ceremony 8:05 a.m. Spencer Center Tues. 12 2008 - 2009 Yearbook Presentation 8:05 a.m. Spencer Center Wed. 13 Fourth and Fifth Grade Recitals during Community Meeting 8:05 a.m. Spencer Center
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Community Meeting Recitals Year end community meeting recitals are a spring tradition at Highlands and our first program was last week where some first and second graders were featured on the program. Other second graders and third graders will perform on May 6 and fourth and fifth graders on May 13. The middle school will have a recital during their community meeting on Tuesday, May 5. Please email Mrs. Cahoon at facahoon@highlandsschool.org and your child’s homeroom teacher with the name of the piece they will play, the composer, their instrument, and any assistance they will need such as a chair or music stand. We look forward to this wonderful opportunity for our talented students to share their accomplishments with their friends and teachers.
Fifth Grade Reenacts the Battle of Gettysburg On Friday, May 1, the Fifth Grade Students took over The Quad and reenacted the Battle of Gettysburg using water balloons and water guns to simulate the gun battle. Under the direction of Mr. Garrett and Mr. Kizer the students had a great time restaging various battle strategies for both sides of the battle. Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? This was the question posed of the four members of the Faculty Team. Ms. Mendel, Mrs. Barr, Mr. McDonald and Mr. Hoppe-McQueen engaged in a battle of the brains with four fifth graders (Thomas Barr, John Touloupis, Olivia Johnson and Maclaine Fields) to see who would come out victorious. After the dust settled, the Fifth Grade Students were easily declared the winners of the contest. Snapshots from the Middle School Trip
Short Notes Congratulations to Forrest Ann and David Cahoon on the arrival of their new granddaughter, Caroline Rebekah Collins. She was born on April 26. Do you Twitter? If so, then check out Highlands Schools Twitter feed. You can use the following information to become a follower of Highlands and receive updates on the activities of the school! Here are the steps: Go to http://twitter.com/ highlandsschool . If you do not already tweet, join Twitter, and become a “follower.” If you already tweet, sign in, and become a “follower.” You will have the option of receiving the “tweets” as text messages on your phone. This is an efficient way to keep up with the short updates that we will be sending you.
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Time to Register for a Summer at Highlands! Highlands School’s Higher Degree of Learning does not end when the school year is over. A Summer at Highlands offers sixty-seven unique opportunities tailored to your child’s age group with talented teachers and quality resources you expect from Highlands School. We also offer Morning and Afternoon Care for children who are attending camps. Register now - before the camps fill up! Click here to be directed to the Highlands School 2009 EDP Summer Catalog Brochure. Or contact Gabe McCool, Highlands Summer Camp Director, for more information. EDP Reminders Parents - Please remember that after school activities will be ending. The last day of activities will be on the following days: Thursday Monday Kids Choral-5/7/09 (Extended one more Beginning Guitar-5/11/09 week) Chess-5/11/09 Music Makers-5/7/09 (Extended one more Young Rembrandts-5/11/09 week) CompuQuest-5/11/09 HandyMe, HandyYou Tuesday (Chinese Arts)-4/23/09 Rock Band-4/28/09 Friday Art Makers-5/12/09 Theater-5/8/09 Creative Writing-4/28/09 Tennis-5/8/09 Reading Presentation 5/5/09 Gymnastics-5/8/09 Karate-5/7/09 (Sensei added another week) Taichi-5/8/09 Wednesday Piano/Guitar/Violin Abrakadoodle-4/29/09 Please find out thru your child’s teacher Kids Stage-5/13/09
EDP Recitals at 6:30 in the Spencer Center May 5 -
Creative Writing Presentations (3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.) May 12 - Piano, Guitar, Violin, Rock Band May 13 - Beginning Guitar, Kids Stage, Kids Choral, Music Makers, Karate, Theater
Summer at Highlands Open House May 16th, 2009 in the Spencer Center from 10am-12pm Come and ask questions, tour the campus, meet some teachers and counselors, turn in forms and order t-shirts.
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Dear Parents, Mark your calendars and plan to attend the annual Highlands School Auction. This year, the Auction will be held Friday, November 6th at Highlands School! It will be a very special night that will bring us together in support of our wonderful School. In light of the challenging economic times, it is so important for us to pull together and join efforts in our Highlands family for the benefit of this School. This year we are keeping it “all in the family” and our dinner will be catered by Highlands School parents Rebecca Corretti and Ken Effinger of Corretti Catering and it will most assuredly be a wonderful treat. Our own Bo Garret and Randy McDonald will be Masters of Ceremonies and our talented children will help with the décor for the evening. This year will surely be a very memorable evening. We are asking you, as a member of the Highlands family, to help support this great event that takes place every other year with your attendance. Please consider purchasing an advertisement in the special program that will recognize students, teachers and businesses. Reserve your spot now. Advertising contracts are available from the school office (or by emailing Peggy Darby). Please fill it out and return to the school office with payment. We are also asking each family to look at all of their resources and attempt to donate to our silent auction. Some suggestions might include a stay at a vacation home, fine wine, jewelry, art work or a specialty service. We will again have both a live and a silent auction. To donate, please fill out the auction form (also available from the school office or by emailing Peggy) and return to the school office. If you would like to volunteer to help with the auction, please let us know. We will be having an official meeting in the next few weeks. Thank you for your support of Highlands School, which truly is a family. We look forward to seeing you November 6th. Sincerely, Kate Simpson 2009 Auction Co-chair Kwsimpson@charter.net or 915-4501
Lynn Ritchie 2009 Auction Co-Chair ritchielgr@aol.com or 222-1709