October 14, 2008
Dear Parents, On Wednesday, October 15, Dr. Francis Koti will be speaking to the faculty and staff about Western Perceptions of Africa as an introduction to our celebration of the continent of Africa and in preparation for AbracadAfrica, which will be held on Thursday, January 8, 2009 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Take Note Join us for a Prospective Parent Coffee at Crestwood Coffee Company this Saturday, October 18, 2008 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. Please contact Judy McDonald for more information
Dr. Koti, who is from Kenya, is an Assistant Professor of Geography at the University of North Alabama. Mr. Garrett met him this summer and was particularly impressed with his lecture about the importance of educators shifting their perception of Africa to a more contemporary perspective. We are especially excited to have him here because Dr. Koti's lecture will help our faculty, and therefore our students, develop a more accurate understanding of Africa - its past, present, and future. This enlightened understanding will enable our students to gain a true appreciation for the African Continent and facilitate their search for solutions to the issues that face Africa today. Because of the value of this talk and this unique opportunity, we would like to invite any parents who may be able to join us. Students who are in 5th grade and above may attend if accompanied by a parent. So, please consider joining the faculty and staff on Wednesday, October 15, at 3:20 in the Spencer Center to expand your knowledge of Africa. A reception for Dr. Koti and guests will be held in the Spencer Center following the talk.
to Erik Schwiebert and Tom Barr of DiscoveryBioMed, Inc. for hosting last week’s Downtown Coffee Break. We appreciate your hospitality!
Thank you,
Kathryn Woodson Barr Calendar Highlights Tues. Wed.
14 15
Thurs.
16
Fri. Sat. Tues. Wed.
17 18 21 22
Thurs.
23
Fri.
24
8th Grade Students visit Indian Springs School 8th Grade Students visit Altamont School Dr. Francis Koti Presentation Spencer Center 3:20 p.m. Reception Following Fourth Grade Play Parents Performance 6:30 p.m. Spencer Center Fourth Grade Play Students Performance 10:00 a.m Prospective Parents Event at Crestwood Coffee Preschool—8th Grade Admissions Open House Noon Dismissal for All Students Sally Foster Orders in classrooms for pick up Parent/Teacher Conferences begin at Noon Parent Teacher Conferences No School for Students Sally Foster Orders in classrooms for pick up Highlands School Fall Festival 4:00 p.m.
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Highlands School Fall Festival Friday, October 24, 4-6pm Admission forms for the Fall Festival were sent home in backpack mail last week. The form is also on page 4 of Highnotes. Please return the form, with payment, to school with your child by October 20th. We are requesting that families donate the following items for the Festival: Candy, Hair Paint and Silly String. Boxes will be at both Carpool lines starting October 14 to collect donations. We also need volunteers to make baked goods for the Pumpkin Walk. Please contact Nicole if you can contribute. If you need more information or would like to volunteer, please contact us. Fall Festival Co-Chairs Nicole Williams nicolewilliams878@msn.com 602-2738 Tracy Engel tengel@bh.asdnet.com 790-6006
Middle School Students Visit with Schools On Wednesday, October 8, the 47 middle school students and their parents explored the wide variety of options open to them for secondary school. Representatives from over 30 schools came from near and as far away as Connecticut and New Hampshire to tell students of the opportunities available for the next stage of their educational journeys. Students enjoyed hearing about internship programs, athletic teams, and avenues for exploring the arts, as well as excellent academic programs. The fair is a big help to parents because it allows them to receive the information they need at one time and in one place. After the fair, many representatives comment that Highlands School hosts the most organized fair and that our students are poised, mature, and inquisitive. Many thanks to Kellye Allen, Deborah Hallmark, Mandy Vinyard (chair), Jenny Walker, Kate Walthall, Nicole Williams, and all the families who contributed their time and card tables to make this event a success. If you have not yet done so, you may pick up your card table from the Spencer Center.
Short Notes EDP Fall Festival Reminders There will be no EDP activities on Oct 26th due to Fall Festival. If you would like your child to check out with another parent/adult, please send a note or email by Thursday, October 25th. EDP will not be escorting children to the Festival unless we have only a few students (5:1 ratio of students to counselors) and they have money for admission. We would like to express our thanks to Mr. Mark McClintock, father of Maggie (5th grade) who led our School-wide Community Meeting on Friday, September 19. He brought along some of his good friends (pictured with Sidney) to teach our students about the importance of using our imaginations. He also showed us how to make a puppet out of our hand and a sock. Thanks for sharing with our students!
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Highlands Middle School Students try out National Geographic European Geography Curriculum This summer a group of Highlands Middle School Students were given the opportunity to serve as model students for a new National Geographic Society curriculum on European Geography. They met with Mr. Garrett over the course of a couple weeks to learn about Europe’s physical and cultural geography while modeling the lessons within the new curriculum. Mr. Garrett filmed the students as they discussed their work and responded to the questions from the curriculum. The following week Mr. Garrett traveled to Washington, D.C. to assist the National Geographic Society’s Education Foundation and a group 65 teachers from all over the United States with revisions and changes to the curriculum which is to be distributed to teachers nationwide for the 2009 – 2010 school year. The teachers were extremely impressed by our students’ comprehensive work, but even more so by their thoughtful discussions which provided a wealth of insight for suggestions and changes geared toward the way students think about geography. Each of these students were awarded a certificate of appreciation from the National Geographic Society recognizing their efforts toward advancing geographic education in North America. Mr. Garrett is also grateful to these students for giving up part of their summer vacation and for making Highlands School look so good in front of so many well respected educators. Thanks kids. Pictured from Left to Right: Will Pannell, Bo Garrett, Maddie Seidel, Jack O’Malley, Patrick Scalise, Patrick O’Neal, Mary Shelton Hornsby.
Broadcasting Science After working for weeks on a research project about historic hurricanes, the Highlands School fifth grade science students wanted to show the world what they had learned. Fortunately, this was not out of the realm of possibility. Using a MacBook Pro and a Canon digital video camera, their teachers, Mr. Bo Garrett and Mr. Ashley Kizer, broadcasted a video image of their oral presentations to anyone with an Internet connection and a password. With the help of a free online service called uStream.tv, Mr. Kizer set up a ―show‖ called The Bonus Point Broadcast and protected it with a password. On September 24th, he sent an email to parents stating, ―Tomorrow (9/25), most of the fifth graders will present their historic hurricane research at about 12:40 PM. They have worked hard and they have a lot of good information to share with others. We are going to attempt to make this available for you to watch online at your home or office computer.‖ A link to the exact location was included in the email along with the password needed to view the broadcast. The next day held an exciting adventure for everyone involved. As family and friends watched from literally all over the world, they were able to communicate by way of a live chat session on the uStream site. One set of grandparents watched proudly from their home in Michigan and an especially grateful father watched while he was on a business trip in France. Each student did his or her very best, knowing that they were not only completing an assignment, but they were also teaching the world about what they had studied and learned. Witnessing the power of this simple tool, Mr. Kizer thought that he would try using it in yet another way. A few days later, he broadcasted a test review from the comfort of his home while eager science students sent questions via email. The next morning, every conversation seemed to be about ―last night’s broadcast.‖ Those that were not able to view the live session were able to view the archived video in order to see what they had missed. The 21st century classroom has the potential of being as large as the known universe. However, we must be willing not only to think outside of the box, but also to actually venture out and take a look around. Fortunately, the Highlands School community has proven that we are eager to see what is waiting for us just beyond the horizon.
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Highlands Fall Festival
Sign-up Form Friday, October 24, 4:00 - 6:00 pm Beginning Monday, October 13th, boxes will be placed at both car pool locations. We are requesting that each family donate at least one large bag of candy, silly string or hair paint to be used at the festival. In addition, we need volunteers to make treats for the pumpkin walk. Please let Nicole know as soon as possible what your contribution will be. Please return this form no later than Monday, October 20th with your check made out to Highlands. Tickets will be sent home with students on Thursday, October 25 th. Don’t forget to wear your costume! There will be a costume contest!
Student’s Name: Homeroom/Advisory Teacher: Games for Children/ Students:
x $7.00 =
Games for Adults
x Free
Hot Dog, Chips Cookie
x $5.00 =
Chicken Salad, Chips, Cookie
x $5.00 =
Pimento Cheese, Chips, Cookie
x $5.00 = Total
=
Parent’s Name: Parent’s Signature: Questions? Contact Tracy or Nicole. Tracy Engel 591-2386 Nicole Williams 444-9448
tengel@bh.asdnet.com nicolewilliams878@msn.com