We’re personal
Every student has a Personal Learning Plan focused on post-secondary success.
At Highview, teachers and staff get to know each of their students personally.
Welcome meetings and planning
Every Highview student and his/her parents sit with their dean to develop a “3+1 Plan” before they enter sixth grade. They plan for the three years of middle school while keeping in mind goals for high school and beyond. Deans work with students to create unique goals by analyzing academic data and personal connections. Teachers use students’ test scores and achievement data to tailor their daily instructional approach, and students and parents can view progress and receive performance benchmark data throughout the year by logging into the online parent portal, ParentVUE.
A personal program
The middle school model in Mounds View Public Schools provides a wide range of educational experiences to sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders. Every student has a Personal Learning Plan focused on post-secondary success. The comprehensive, standards-based curriculum includes math, social studies, language arts and science, as well as allied (non-core) classes such as art, Spanish, integrated sciences, health and physical education, coding and music. Middle school is a place where students link to the larger real world.
Schedule
A typical school day consists of a seven-period day with classes that are approximately 48 minutes in length. Students also have a 30-minute lunch period.
Instructional technology
Highview is committed to implementing technologies that best align with instructional needs.
• Wireless access points are available throughout the building, making the internet accessible in classrooms and all areas of the school.
• All instructional spaces are equipped with LCD projectors and SMART Boards.
• As part of the District’s technology vision, access to technology tools will continue to increase in classrooms. Increased access to technology provides students with opportunities to extend their learning beyond the classroom walls and allows teachers to personalize instruction to meet the needs of all students. Technology used to support high quality instruction and student learning at Highview includes interactive boards and Chromebooks. These devices offer students access to online resources such as Google Apps for Education. Access to these resources provides opportunities for students to process ideas and collaborate with their peers.
By integrating an arts component to the concepts of science, technology, engineering and math, Highview Middle School offers the curriculum enhancements of a STEAM program. This innovative curricular focus offers standards-based learning activities for students that integrate inquiry, creative expression and problem-solving. The use of technology and engineering processes are applied to learning activities to engage students and promote understanding of relevant societal realities. Community partnerships draw on the talents of local companies and organizations to help Highview implement a program with real-world value for students.
Safe & supportive
With the school’s dean model, students experience a supportive relationship with an adult who maintains contact with students and their families regularly.
A variety of programs and services create a welcoming, positive environment throughout Highview Middle School.
Dean model
Replicating the successful dean model of our high schools, Highview assigns students to deans according to the alphabetical order of students’ last names, not to their grade levels. This way, all of the deans have experience navigating all of the grade level challenges and opportunities in our schools. Also, all deans can help students with the transitions both to middle school and from middle school into high school. Deans stay with the same students for all three years at Highview.
A reflection of the world
With nearly half of the enrollment comprised of students of color, Highview is growing culturally and feels privileged to serve more than 30 languages and 17 different cultures. In this way, the school is a microcosm of the world – situated in New Brighton.
HAWKS Values
Aside from embracing academic rigor and high standards, Highview hires and retains highly qualified and friendly staff. With the goal of having all students connected to their school, whether through a positive relationship with a Highview staff member, or through a school-related activity, Highview aims to offer a wide range of after-school activities to engage students and help them to feel connected. At Highview, we aim to interact as a learning community that is Honest, Aware, Wondering, Kind and Safe.
Transportation
Mounds View Public Schools provides free bus service for Highview students living two miles or more from their school. In addition, the District offers fee-based bus service within two miles to accommodate parents’ requests for transportation assistance.
Notifications
Ongoing communications about District and school news and events are delivered to parents and subscribers regularly via paperless e-newsletters. Emergency notifications can be delivered to all families in a matter of minutes in the event of a school closing or critical situation. The Mounds View Messaging system sends personalized voicemail and text messages to parents’ phones and email addresses simultaneously.
Nutrition services
Highview teaches healthy eating habits by introducing students to a wide variety of food choices. Students can enjoy breakfast and lunch daily at no cost thanks to the Minnesota Free School Meals Program. All menus meet nutrition requirements established by the USDA.
Student support and engagement
Mounds View Public Schools is committed to ensuring that our students are able to come to school feeling safe, healthy and ready to learn. Dedicated school staff, Districtlevel support and strong community partnerships allow us to remove barriers and set each of our students up for success, including:
• School health services staff who care for students with chronic health conditions or students who become ill or injured while with us.
• Cultural liaisons who help bridge communication and build supportive relationships with schools and families.
• Multi-language supports to help facilitate communication with our multilingual families.
• Mental health specialists and a chemical health and prevention specialist to help students and families access supports, find resources and increase mental health literacy and prosocial behaviors.
• Ralph Reeder Food Shelf provides food, basic needs and connections to other services for any school district family as well as any low-income, food-insecure neighbor requesting assistance.
• Relationships with community partners like the Suburban Ramsey Family Collaborative and the Ramsey County Children’s Mental Health Collaborative that assist families with access to resources to help support basic needs such as housing, food, transportation, therapeutic services and more.
• A welcome center where new families can register and begin learning about what our schools have to offer and receive support through the enrollment process.
Connectedness
Feeling connected to school is a key to academic success.
Students who feel connected to their school do better in school and in life beyond our walls. That’s why Highview Middle School emphasizes student connectedness through a variety of efforts.
Connected in our Hawks Nests
Each student is matched with a “Hawks Nest,” which is a small community of students with whom they can connect, grow and talk about the things that they are navigating through the middle school experiences. Students meet in their “nests” weekly to engage in community building, skillbuilding to help build independence in middle school, and social emotional lessons to practice throughout the week.
Music
Highview boasts an orchestra, band and choir with instruction available to students in all grade levels. These programs allow students the opportunity to perform at special events outside of the regular school concerts and also provide students with additional music lessons before or after school during the year.
Before- & after-school programs
Highview offers a variety of academic, creative and athletic activities designed for students in all grades. These before- and after-school programs offer some free, fun and constructive opportunities for students to spend their time productively. Activity buses accommodate student transportation needs during after-school hours.
A variety of after-school activities are available, including:
• Art club and mural club
• Book club
• Chess club
• Community service clubs
• Creative writing club
• Guitar club
• Math team
• Science Olympiad
• Sports
• Strategy gaming club
• Student council
• Student voices club
• STRIPES and STARS
• Yearbook club
Online parent portal
Highview families are encouraged to play an active role in their child’s school experience. Families can stay connected to their student’s daily schedules, attendance records, assignments, lunch balances, test scores, grades, Personal Learning Plans and more using the Mounds View Public Schools online parent portal known as ParentVUE. The online portal, combined with open communication with school deans, teachers and staff, offers families real-time information about their student’s progress, goals and more.
Communication hours
In addition to the two-way communication feature in ParentVUE, Highview offers proactive communication time during which teachers reach out to connect with families regarding student progress in real time.
High achievement
We offer opportunities for learning and instructional strategies that lead to successful learning and high student achievement.
Highview Middle School is a member of Mounds View Public Schools, a school district of more than 11,000 students whose test scores routinely rank in the Top 10 of metro districts. Mounds View Public Schools matches the performance and opportunities of area private schools, yet offers the value of public schools.
Find MCA, District and school assessment results on the Minnesota Department of Education Data Center website: education.mn.gov/mde/data
Mounds View Public Schools uses a number of assessments to measure student performance and progress. Whether the results come from state-mandated testing, District measurement systems or national rankings, Mounds View continues to hold a place among the highest-performing school districts in the state and in the nation. The District uses a number of student improvement progress indicators to measure student achievement. Learn more at mvpschools.org/makingthegrade.
Post-secondary planning
In eighth grade, students take the Pre-ACT exam. This exam provides a baseline assessment for future ACT results. It also offers an effective tool for planning future high school coursework to prepare for post-secondary success.
In high school, students will have access to the Career and College Centers at each high school. The Career and College Center prepares each student for post-secondary success offers personalized post-secondary planning for college, career and technical training, employment and more.
ise.
• Programs and services will be in place at all schools to ensure that race, gender, class and disability will not predict students’ success.
• Students’ academic performance will not fall into patterns identifiable by factors such as race, ethnicity, English language proficiency, socio-economic status and disability.
• The school that a student attends will not be the predictor of their success in school.
1 All students meet school readiness goals. 2 All third-grade students achieve grade-level literacy.
3 Close achievement gaps for all student groups.
4 All students graduate from high school.
5 All students attain college and career readiness.
In 2024, for the 12th consecutive year, Mounds View Public Schools was one of a handful of school districts in Minnesota to earn the Best Communities for Music Education designation.
FAST FACTS
2024-25
• Students participate in a weekly “Hawk’s Nest” with dedicated time to communitybuilding, social-emotional learning and exploring strategies to assist with a successful middle school experience.
• All students have the opportunity to take Math/Science Innovation, coding and robotics classes.
• Every student has access to a Chromebook at school and at home.
• Highview offers academic support classes after school in math, science, language arts and social studies.
• Band, choir, orchestra, beginning band and beginning orchestra are available to all students starting in grade 6.
Mounds View Public Schools enrolls 80% of the students in our attendance area.
Enroll
Highview welcomes students in its attendance area, which includes parts of Arden Hills, New Brighton and Mounds View. To enroll, residents can call 651-621-6700.
Mounds View
Board-approved class sizes: Core classes (science, social studies, language arts and math) do not exceed 30 students.
Every student has a Personal Learning Plan focused on post-secondary success.
Highview Middle School serves: 823 students in grades 6-8
Take a virtual tour of Highview mvpschools.org/tourhighview
Highview offers: a variety of after-school clubs and activities for all students. Spanish is offered in eighth grade.