Dear Highland Families,
Welcome to the 2014-2015 School Year!
I hope that each and every one of you has had a restful and relaxing summer. While Ms. Piket and I remained busy at school over the summer, we both had opportunities to get away to the beach to enjoy time with family and friends. Ms. Piket spent time in both the Outer Banks of North Carolina and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, while I spent a week in Ocean City, Maryland. We were both thrilled to see attendance at our summer ELO program at an all-time high and are more confident than ever that our students will be prepared and ready to “hit the ground running” for the start of school in late August. Now that all of our grade levels (K-5) have “officially” implemented MCPS Curriculum 2.0 for at least one year, 2014-2015 will serve as a critical year as Maryland begins standardized testing in grades 3-5 aligned with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The assessment that Maryland has chosen to utilize is called the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers or PARCC. Parents of students in those grade levels can expect to receive information throughout the year on the PARCC assessment, but for a quick preview, you can go to the following website: We are very optimistic that all of the hard work our staff has put in to implementing the new curriculum will pay dividends once our students take these assessments in the spring of 2015.
Moving On
The following staff members have taken on new roles in life or at other schools for the ’14-’15 school year. We wish each of them the best of luck with their new endeavors:
WHO? / WHAT? / WHERE?Joanna Donohue / Paraeducator / Retired
Donna Falcone / Media Assistant / Bel Pre ES
Jamie Goldstein / Kindergarten Teacher / Rosemont ES
Michael Martin / Instrumental Music / Various Locations
Katie Tubiolo / Kindergarten Teacher / Broad Acres ES
Patrick Velasquez / Paraeducator / Takoma Park MS
New Faces & Places
Please join me in welcoming the following staff members to the Highland family.
WHO? / WHAT? / FROM?Amanda Bolgiano / Paraeducator / MCPS Temps
Beth Frentrup / Paraeducator / Viers Mill ES
Kirstin Goldston / Media Assistant / New Hire
Charles Lund / Second Grade Teacher / New Hire
JanethSantiesteban / School Counselor
(Part-Time) / New Hire
Melanie Zimmerman / Third Grade Teacher / Strathmore ES
TBD / Kindergarten Teacher / TBD
In addition, only one of our staff members will be taking on a new role here at Highland for the upcoming school year. Ms. Haney taught kindergarten here at the beginning of her career, so we are thrilled to have her back on the team:
WHO? / WHAT? / FROM?Lauren Haney / Kindergarten Teacher / Second Grade Teacher
Highland Community Picnic
On Thursday, August 28th from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. we are going to hold our fifth annual Highland Back-to-School Picnic for students and their families. Please mark your calendars for this fun-filled event that will include games, a DJ, and opportunities for families to purchase food before and during the event. Stay tuned for more details…
Open House, Friday, August 22nd
Our annual Open House is scheduled for Friday, August 22nd from 9:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. Class lists will be posted at the front entrance to the school. Parents and students are invited to come in and meet their teacher(s) and other staff.
Pre-Kindergarten/Head Start Classes
Pre-Kindergarten and Head Start teachers will be contacting parents to schedule a home visit. Your child’s teacher will tell you what the first day of school will be for your child, as classes begin later for these students than they do for those attending kindergarten through fifth grade.
Breakfast and Lunch Updates
We are excited that Highland will remain againin theMaryland Meals for Achievement (MFFA) program for the upcoming school year. For those of you new to the school, what that means, simply, is that a free breakfast is served to ALL students in the classrooms before the start of school each day. While students do not have to eat the breakfast, each child in the building has the opportunity to eat if they so desire. During the first week of school, we will send home new applications for free or reduced meals. We are asking that every student return this form, regardless of whether they are applying, or not. More information will be sent home with this form
Lunch: $2.55
Reduced Lunch: $.40
Take Note! Important Dates!
Friday, August 22nd Open House,9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Monday, August 25th First Day of School, Grades K-5
Thursday, August28th Highland Community Picnic, 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Monday, September 1st Labor Day, No School for Students
Thursday, September 11th Back to School Night, 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, September 24th Early Release Day for Students, 12:35 p.m.
Thursday, September 25th Rosh Hashanah, No School for Students
Enjoy the rest of your summer! We look forward to a great year and to seeing everyone at our Open House on August 22nd.
Sincerely,
Scott SteffanMichelle Piket
Principal Assistant Principal