Celebrating our HPHS Veterans and Parents

Veterans Day 2023 at HPMS

Left to right, Capt. Nick Grant '13, Army; Capt. Ryan Terry '05, USMC; Maj. Nick Silva, USAF; Col. Bobby Douglass '65, USAF; Capt. Andrew Vernon, USMC; Lt. Clement George '03, Navy; Sgt. Nolan Bagwell '13, USMC

Veterans Day at Armstrong Elementary

in 2019

School wide livestream with veterans at Armstrong Elementary in 2020

Armstrong Elementary family

veterans lunch 2018

Armstrong Elementary family

veterans wall 2021

Veterans Day in HPISD

Liz Healy Silva '03 never set out to conceptualize, plan and implement Veterans Day celebrations in the district. As an Air Force wife whose husband, Major Nick Silva, had just finished his seventh deployment to the Middle East in 2017, she simply asked at her son's elementary school, "What does Armstrong do to celebrate Veterans Day?” The rest is history.

Under Liz’s direction in 2018, Armstrong hosted its inaugural Veterans Day Celebration, one that has since become a beloved school tradition. From the “Armstrong Family Veterans” photo wall to the assemblies with veteran guest speakers, hundreds of Highland Park students have benefited from Liz’s mission to raise awareness and celebrate those who serve.

From the start, Liz’s goal has been to teach children in the Park Cities what Veterans Day means and show them that we have many veterans

in our own community. They are your grandparents and great-grandparents but also your friend’s mom or dad, sibling, cousin, and even fellow HP Scots. Over the years, Liz has incorporated Highland Park graduates spanning seven decades of graduating classes. Many of the veteran alumni speakers speak to first learning the meaning of service as a student in Highland Park not that long ago.

HPISD’s motto of “Enter to Learn, Go Forth to Serve” has always been at the center of Liz’s vision for Veterans Day celebrations in the district. She stresses the importance of celebrating America’s veterans for their service and sacrifice, but also teaches our youngest students that there are many ways to emulate our motto by being a good friend, teammate, volunteer and more.

Liz’s passion project has grown over the years and other campuses are following suit. Fellow HP alum Charles Leary ’00 followed Liz’s lead and began a Veterans Day Celebration at Boone Elementary in 2022. Charles served in the United States Navy from 2005-2010 and now spearheads the Highland Park Veteran Alumni group. Together, Liz and Charles hope to continue expanding district celebrations.

Liz attended SMU where she served as Student Body President and Homecoming Queen and earned her Master’s degree from Vanderbilt University. At HP, she was heavily involved in the theatre program. She’s currently experiencing a full circle moment as the Show Chair for the MIS musical Annie, Jr., a show she was in as an 8th grader in 1998. Nick also gives back to our district in many ways, including serving as Armstrong Dads Club President in 2021. He is a First Officer with American Airlines and will retire from the Air Force in 2025 when he celebrates 20 years of service. The Silvas live in University Park with their two children, Sam ’30 and Libby ’40. 

Thank you Liz for the work you do for our district in celebrating and honoring our Veterans. Your leadership has created a program for our district that is growing each year. We are proud of our graduates who live daily by the motto, Enter to Learn, Go Forth to Serve.

Once a Scot, always a Scot.

Liz Healy Silva in 2003

Liz and Nick Silva

with Sam and Libby

The Silvas at Veterans Day 2019

Visit the HPHS Veterans Plaque in the front foyer of

Highland Park High School.

Calling all former HP Men's Basketballers

Come join the HP Men's Basketball Alumni group for Happy Hour on Friday, December 15th from 5:00pm to 6:30pm in Dunston's Back Room Bar, followed by the first district game at 7:00pm versus Irving. All Basketball Alumni will be recognized during half time.

The following day, December 16th, they will host an Alumni basketball game at 1:00pm at Highlander Field House. Open to all alumni!

Please contact John Saalfield '91 to RSVP - johnsaalfield@yahoo.com

From the HPHS stage to the Broadway stage

During HPHS's recent run of Chicago: Teen Edition in October, Broadway actress and HPHS alum Christine Smith Hart '09 (pictured in the center) shared her talent and experiences with the HPHS cast during a dress rehearsal. Her advice and feedback were invaluable to the young student actors, especially fitting as Christine is currently starring in Chicago on Broadway as Hunyak.

Christine made her Broadway debut as Bombalurina in Cats and has had roles in My Fair Lady and Kiss Me Kate!, among others. While at HPHS, Christine was involved in Lads & Lassies, Park Version and Theater under faculty members, Natalie Walker and Linda Raya.

To Be Like Me

HPHS alum Kathleen Gamso '16 was recently interviewed by HPMS students Giulia Patel '28 and Kennedy Delpho '28 for The Raider Career Review. After graduating from Highland Park, Kathleen went to work for "To Be Like Me" organization. To Be Like Me is a unique field trip experience for schools in North Texas providing disability awareness education to students and teachers. Through meaningful interactions, they create a learning opportunity that fosters empathy and compassion and equips communities to be more inclusive. Their vision is to unite a global community through education and advocacy, where disabilities and differences are understood, accepted and valued.

Watch the interview with Kathleen by clicking the photo below.

Get to know new HPHS Alumni Board Members

The HPHS Alumni Association Board met at the Clements Leadership Center for their November Board meeting and heard from guest speaker, new HPISD Athletic Director, Lonnie Jordan. Coach Jordan shared with the Board his background in coaching and also his vision for recruiting and retaining coaches in the district.

We continue to be grateful to the Alumni Board for their time and talents!

See a list of the entire board members here.

Thank you to the parent volunteers who lead our PTA/PTOs, Dads Clubs and Preschool Associations for their tireless efforts in recruiting volunteers, fundraising and organizing events at each campus.

We honored their work and commitment to our schools at the home football game on Friday, November 3!

Watch this video to learn about Mad for Plaid from Meg Jones Boyd '96 and

Allison Vanderwoude '00 from the Highland Park Education Foundation!

Mad for Plaid is the Education Foundation’s annual campaign, which raises public support for HPISD's critical budget needs. During this school year, we have committed a $1.7 million gift to HPISD for districtwide salaries that will aid the district in raising the bar for competitive educator pay. We cannot meet that commitment without our community's continued investment!

Think about an HPISD teacher or coach who made an impact on your life. As an HPHS alum, will you commit to making a difference in the lives of our educators with a donation of $25 or more this year? .

Questions: Allison.Vanderwoude@hpef.org

In August 2023, the Highland Park Education Foundation (HPEF), celebrated the public launch of the Lead for Tomorrow Endowment Campaign. HPEF is excited to celebrate that over 145 legacy funds have been established by many donors to help lead HP into the second century of educational excellence. In 1924, HPHS celebrated its first class of graduates.

From the Highlander Yearbook in 1924, the senior class stated:

"Many schools lives merely on the momentum and traditions they have gathered in their more flourishing days of past. We are proud of our short past, but we are prouder of the Highland Park High School that is to be."

We invite you to join families like the Blount Family, and many others, to establish a Legacy Fund with the Foundation.

Visit: leadfortomorrow.org to learn more.

Contact: Allison.Vanderwoude@hpef.org to establish a fund today!

Congratulations to the HPHS Class of 1993 on

celebrating their 30th class reunion!

Special thanks to the Reunion Planning Committee

John Adams, Katie Hancock Aldrich, Stacey Smith Beck, Jane Schlachter Butler, Glenn Collins, Lin Fitzenhagen, Julia Garton, Paige Emery Horras, Kim Edgar Lang, Jennifer Mason Prather and Doug Wilks

Congratulations to the HPHS Class of 2013 on

celebrating their 10th class reunion!

Special thanks to class officers Lily Alexander Davis, Lait Fitzpatrick,

Haley McCollum Pettit and Will Vanderstraaten for planning a fun night at the Katy Trail Ice House!

Congratulations to the HPHS Class of 2018 on celebrating their first class reunion!

Special thanks to Frances Ann Matise (left) for planning a fantastic night

for the Class of 2018!

A lot has taken place in the City the past 100 years! The City is launching a city archive. At the direction of residents who are members of the City's Centennial Legacy Advisory Group, an online archive has been developed so that those with a connection to University Park can easily access content about the City's origin and view photos of the community's development through the decades.

This collection includes materials displaying the City's cultural life, the documentation of historically important events, and the recognition of prominent residents, and prominent landmarks and architecture. City staff will continually maintain and store records and artifacts in this collection and anyone can help the collection grow!

To view or submit to the collection: University Park Archive

Connect, support, and celebrate being a Scot.

Join the HPHS Alumni Association today!

We welcome your support and help our membership grow to over 4,000 dues paying members.

For the start of the 2024 HP Men's Basketball season, take a look back at the 1924 HP Highlanders Basketball team.

The 1924 "Highlanders", as they were called, won 19 out of the 21 games played. They won the Dallas County Championship and were runner-up in the district, losing only to Oak Cliff High School. They took third place in the Texas A.A.U. Tournament defeating Ben Wheeler, Texarkana and Canton, losing to Ft. Worth Central High School by a close score.

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