• A Note from the Principal
• Mark Your Calendars
• Media Center Message

• PTO Update
• October Calendar
• News Show #1

Reading and Math Intervention

At Edina Public Schools we are committed to helping all students succeed. Our regular classroom instruction helps students develop a wide range of knowledge and skills necessary for academic success. In order to ensure that students reach their full potential, we monitor their progress on a regular basis and provide additional instruction and support as needed.



 All students are given grade level assessments. Based on the results of math and reading grade level assessments and teacher input, students are identified who will benefit from additional instruction and support in their literacy and/or math foundational skills. 

Highlands has multiple programs and several staff to provide reading and math intervention and support. 

• The ADSIS Reading and Math Intervention program provides small group reading or math intervention during the school day using district approved curriculum taught by our building Learning Specialists Emily Waage (math and reading) and Jessie Lindberg (reading). The intervention provides qualifying students with additional instruction and exposure to help each child in their developmental literacy and/or math goals. Intentional scheduling of this intervention ensures that every child in this intervention will not miss core instruction in their regular classroom.

• The MN Reading Corps is a state-wide literacy program that Highlands has been a part of for many years. This program provides trained tutors that serve as a one-on-one tutor within the school day to provide research-based, evidence-based interventions to qualifying K-3 students who are just below proficiency or benchmark in reading. This year our tutors will work with each student three to five days a week for 20 minutes to build phonics, phonemic awareness, and fluency skills. 

• The MN Math Corps is a state-wide math program that Highlands is a part of. This program provides trained tutors that serve as tutors working with one or two students at a time within the school day to provide research-based, evidence-based interventions to qualifying students in grades 4 and grade 5 to build math skills focusing on Number and Operations and Algebra strands required for algebra readiness.  

• The Success Center outside of school hours intervention program held at Highlands provides small group reading and/or math support using our district approved curriculum taught by our Highlands licensed teachers. The Success Center intervention will provide qualifying students with additional instruction, exposure, and practice to help each child with their developmental literacy and/or math goals, outside of the school day.  

The ADSIS Intervention Program, Minnesota Reading and Math Corps, and Success Center Program all support our district and statewide initiative to help every Minnesota child become a successful reader and math student, able to reach grade level benchmarks. Each program has its own unique set of qualifying criteria. We are thrilled that the Highlands community is a part of these successful programs again this year.     

We monitor every child’s progress closely and have ongoing conversations about how every child’s needs are changing, and how to best meet these needs. At any point throughout the year, a student could be a part of these intervention programs. We have specific qualifying and exit criteria for each of the programs. We want every family to understand that we are diligently working to meet all students’ needs, and how we collaboratively do this in our building by utilizing all of these intervention programs. Please contact Jessie Lindberg or Emily Waage with any questions or concerns at Jessica.Lindberg@edinaschools.org and Emily.Waage@edinaschools.org.



Kindness in Chalk

Sunday, Oct 3 6:30 pm

Join fellow Highland parents in decorating the sidewalks leading into school to kick off Highlands anti-bullying campaign. Bring your best kindness quotes (drawing skills optional!) and help us “surprise” the students on Monday when they arrive at school! 

Come help spread kindness at Highlands! Chalk provided.  

Questions - Stacy.Best@mac.com

Coffee with the Principal

Monday, Oct 4 at 8:30am

Huskey Woods

Come have coffee with Principal Mahoney on the first Monday of every month. This month she will talk about assessments and intervention.

Bring your quesitons.

WE NEED YOU!

Sunday, October 17th - 10:00am

Site Council would like your help with our fall clean up. Help us...

• Spread sand in dry river bed
• Remove buckthorn
• Clean up around the pond
• General woods/path clean up

Here are tools that will be needed:

rakes, shovels, chain saws, shovels (various types), loppers and clippers - also bring gloves. Look for details next week!

Gather Together!

Highlands

Great Gathering

Friday, Nov 5

The 2021 Highlands Great Gathering is only 5 weeks away! 

Join us on Friday, November 5th from 7:00pm to 11:00pm at the Braemar Golf Clubhouse for the PTO’s biggest fundraiser of the year! Connect and reconnect with Highlands parents at this casual, adults-only evening. Enjoy sips and snacks inside AND outside at Braemar’s Golf Clubhouse to raise money for outdoor spaces at Highlands.    

Ways to Get Involved:



• Donate a Small Gathering here!  You can host a small gathering (in person or virtual) to be sold off at the event! Small gatherings are fun and a great way to meet other Highlands families. Ideas for small gatherings include: a sledding party with hot chocolate, ice skating party, kickball game, virtual cooking class, virtual game night, mom’s night out, progressive dinner party, round of golf at a local club, or a grade specific gathering. The list goes on and on. Have a great idea? Submit it! Looking for ideas? Reach out to Sam Pote. 
• 
  

• Donate a Raffle Item! Have access to a “big ticket” item for our raffle? We are accepting items like game tickets (i.e. Vikings, Twins, Wild, Timberwolves or Gophers), concert tickets or even a vacation home or cabin you would be willing to donate. Please contact Emily Seifers. 

• Buy your Event Tickets here! $50/individual and $90/couple

• Volunteer to be on the Planning Committee here!

Hello friends of the Highlands Media Center!

Would you like to volunteer in our library? Our biggest need is collecting books from around the school and shelving them once checked back in. If you are interested Click on this link and fill out the next open slot with your information. We'll send out a schedule with more information and start dates soon!

Thanks so much!

Kip



2021-2022 Yearbooks: Order Now!

Order your yearbook - Yearbooks

Yearbooks are $19 until October 8, $24 after that. If you'd like a scholarship for your student's yearbook, please contact school social worker Addie Hakes.

Yearbook Club for 5th Graders - Applications due September 30

New this year, 5th graders can help make the yearbook by taking photos and helping with layouts. This club will help the students learn new skills and is an opportunity to be creative! Fill out this questionnaire to join! 

https://forms.gle/Ncj3tzHj5QPd1y1k8

Submit 5th grade Baby Photos by October 20

We recognize the 5th grade class with baby photos in the yearbook. Please submit your students baby photo by October 20th using the Jostens website https://images.jostens.com/upload.jsp USER ID: 416615951

We want your 1st Day of School photos by Oct 20

Please submit your Husky's first day of school pics to have a chance to be featured in the yearbook! Please submit your student's photo by October 20th using the Jostens website - https://images.jostens.com/upload.jsp USER ID: 416615951



More Volunteer Opportunities...

We are still looking for some school volunteers in some key positions to keep the school year running smoothly. If you are interested in any of these positions, please sign up through Membership Toolkit (MTK).

• Woodlandia/STEM Volunteers - help stage the woods area or clean up for classes to participate in outdoor learning for the week There is also an opportunity to be a STEM volunteer from home. (Woodlandia/STEM Sign Up) 

• Classroom Volunteers - help in the classroom by signing up to be a Room Parent (Room Parent Sign Up) or Art Adventure Volunteer (Art Adventure Sign Up)



• Outdoor Lunch Volunteers - Are you missing your kiddos already? Come and help out at lunch time! With the shift to outdoor lunch, we are looking for volunteers to help out during two lunch shifts (Outdoor Lunch Sign Up)

         10:30-11:30am Kindergarten - 3rd grade lunch shift

         11:30-12:30pm CP and 4th/5th grade lunch shift