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Raider communications!

Save the Date: STAAR Testing

5th and 6th Grade Reading, Wednesday, April 17

5th Grade Science, Wednesday, April 24

5th and 6th Grade Math, Wednesday, May 1

7th and 8th Grade Reading, Wednesday, April 17

8th Grade Science, Tuesday, April 23

8th Grade Social Studies, Wednesday, April 24

7th and 8th Grade Math, Wednesday, May 1

Solar Eclipse Activities

In anticipation of the total solar eclipse on April 8, the Highland Park Independent School District has purchased viewing glasses for our students so they can view the eclipse without harming their eyes. The glasses are manufactured with 2 mil polymer lenses that will filter out 100% of the harmful ultraviolet and infrared rays and 99.999% of intense visible light. They are ISO 12312-2 compliant and CE certified eclipse glasses safe for all phases of the eclipse.

If you do not wish for your child to view the eclipse in person, please complete this opt-out form and return it to your child's Advisory teacher by April 1. Students that have turned in an opt-out form will have the opportunity to view the eclipse via live stream from NASA under the supervision of school staff.

All students at school on April 8 that have NOT turned in an opt-out form will view the eclipse in person (weather permitting) using the safety glasses provided by the school district. In addition, students will participate in learning activities surrounding the eclipse.

Raider Café 2024-2025: Volunteer Signup on VSP

Sign up is live for the 2024-2025 Cafeteria. Wign into VSP and claim an open shift. Click HERE to volunteer.

Questions? Please email Katherine Issel or Tracy Port Melech

Raider Shop Update

The Raider Shop is now OPEN! Come visit our super clean and organized store after it was under construction for weeks.

Letter from the Principal

It is such a privilege to work in a school environment where students come to school ready to learn, with the mindset and expectation that education is meaningful and significant. We do not take that for granted, and we appreciate the partnership between school and home that supports high levels of student learning.

We also recognize that as students enter the middle years, some begin to develop unreasonable perfectionist tendencies that lead to high levels of stress, and we want students to develop a balanced view of their growth and achievement to foster a love of learning. An MIS teacher recently shared an experience of trying to comfort a student disappointed with a test grade. With all the gravity of adolescent angst, the student lamented, "but if I fail the test, I won't get into Stanford." Leaving aside the fact that intermediate school grades have no impact on college transcripts, many of our students are putting too much pressure on themselves, while others are giving up altogether because they have decided too early that the pressure is not worth it. How do we strike a balance, encouraging students to celebrate their effort and simply enjoy the learning?

Phyllis Fagell (Middle School Matters) has some good advice to get us started with some of those crucial conversations with our kids, whether you are facing the student paralyzed by perfectionism or struggling just to get started:

• "Close your eyes and visualize studying hard for a math test and still getting a C. How does that feel? What do you think might happen?"
• "Do you feel like you have enough downtime to see your friends and have fun?"
• "You're too upset to concentrate at the moment. Do you want to take a break?"
• "Let's figure out a study schedule. What do you think would work best for you?"
• "I can see you're frustrated. Why don't you plan to ask your teacher for help. Do you want to email her or go in to see her tomorrow morning?"

Adam Grant's book Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things tells us that perfectionism is actually a barrier to unlocking our potential. We can learn the crucial character skill of discipline to focus our attention and effort only by being an "imperfectionist." "Study after study has shown that people encouraged to 'do their best' learn less and perform worse than those who are given a specific, challenging goal." We don't want students to stress about meeting an impossible standard of perfection.

Let's continue to work together to raise healthy and happy children.

Go Raiders!

Dr. Skip Moran, Principal

Highland Park Middle School

huntk@hpisd.org  214-780-3600

4th to 5th Grade Transition Meetings

A parent information meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 23 at 9:30am and 6:00pm in the Auditorium. Student tours for current 4th grade classes will be held on April 18 or 19.

6th Grade End of Year Activities: Save the Date

6th graders will have a unique opportunity to participate in a service project and field day activity to celebrate the end of school year as they "Enter to Learn, Go Forth to Serve" from McCulloch Intermediate School. We will need parent volunteers to help with our end of the year service project, packing meals for Feed My Starving Children, on Thursday, May 23. Please click HERE to sign up for a volunteer position with your student's house or to help set up or take down.

Letter from the Principal

Hello Parents and Families,

Thank you for helping us begin our 4th and final grading period successfully. We appreciate all of the support we receive from parents and families. The final two months of the school year are exciting and eventful. Please see the information and upcoming events below:

• Band UIL competitions are next week on Wednesday and Thursday at Nimitz High School.
• We do not have school on Friday, 3/29 or Monday, 4/1.

Our Skill Focus for next week is "Taking Learning to the Next Level."

1. Connect what you are learning to information from other subjects.
2. Think about how you will use this information in the future for school or a career.
3. Be creative. Go beyond how you are assessed to really make the learning stick.
4. Ask questions when you don't understand.
5. Ask questions when you want to know more or want to be challenged.
6. To see how much you know, try to teach someone else. If you can’t teach it, you don’t know it well enough yet!

Attendance this week: Being Here Every Day and On time is so important. 

8th grade - 93%

7th grade - 94%

School - 94%

Goal for next week - 96%

Our mission at HPMS is to ensure high levels of learning and personal growth for all Raiders in and beyond the classroom. Thank you for helping us achieve our mission!

As always, please let me know if you have questions, suggestions, or concerns.

Thanks and Go Raiders!

Dr. Kevin Hunt, Principal

Highland Park Middle School

huntk@hpisd.org  214-780-3600

Raider Choir Excels During UIL Competition

Congratulations to Raider Choir! Both choirs went to UIL competition and came home with Sweepstakes, which is the highest rating a group can receive. We are proud of you! 

Spring Choir Concert

Community members are invited to attend a spring concert featuring Raider 6th grade choirs, Pop Choir, and HPHS choir. These students will join together on March 27 at 7:00 in the HPHS Auditorium for a special combined concert. Attendance is free. Please join us! 

Congratulations HPMS Raider Tennis Team on beating McKinney Dowell 16-0, dropping only 7 total games. The team represented HP well, exhibiting great sportsmanship in victory. Our next match is March 26 against Prosper Rushing at Prosper High School.

We are amazed at each PTO Board of Directors meeting for all of the reports and talents that each member brings. Thank you to Kitsy Smith, Amy Barker, Tracy Cohen, Kelley Curtin, Christine Lee, Allison Lockard, Paige Deskin, Marcy O’Connor, Rachel Stephens, Kristin Evans, Jessica Turner Waugh, Leigh Anne Haugh, Allison Small, Kristina Whitcomb, Lauren Haig, Hilary Lynch, Jacky Pincoffs, Destin Shore, Erika Yeaman, Dr. Skip Moran, and Dr. Kevin Hunt. We are so grateful to get to serve MIS/HPMS with you all.

Thank you to our Raider Shop Chairs, Destin Shore and Erika Yeaman, and your team of volunteers for working so very hard to get the Raider Shop ready to reopen this week!

HP Cheer welcomes 12 Raiders to Scots Junior Varsity Cheer!

First Row: Emily Vanderwoude, Georgie Thomason, Lila Hegi, Kylie Mearns, Emma Vaughn, Caroline Chantilis, Lily Kate Rosamond, Katherine Hegi

Second Row: Lauren Hrubes, Caroline Kuykendall, Ashley Chantilis, Ainsley Wagner, Lila Hinze, Isabelle Zeitman, Mary White, Virginia Clancy

Third Row: Macauley Carter, Emma Rose Conger, Bea Lang, Hallie Bacharach, Claire Sumner, Kennedy Shaw, Hadley Robertson, Sarah Skinner

Back Row: Jade Najork, Natalie Muller, Westyn Wheat, Ryan Pekar, Cruz Pielsticker, Abigail Harper 

HPISD is now Accepting Heart At Work Nominations 

We are looking for the "unsung heroes" who are going the "extra mile" in serving our students, staff, families and community. In the spring, the District "Heart At Work" award committee will review all those recognized on each campus and choose one professional and one paraprofessional from each campus and the District office to be honored and awarded $500 at the annual staff recognition banquet. 

"Heart At Work" nominations can be submitted by teachers, administrators, staff, students, parents, families, and anyone interested in the well-being of our HPISD community. Candidates can not be nominated by relatives. 

All nominations must be submitted on the "Heart At Work" award nomination form and sent electronically from now through March 31, 2024. Nominees submitted after March 31 will be considered in the next award cycle of winners. 

To learn more, click here. To submit a nomination, click here. 

La Fiesta Guild Prospective Member Coffee and Happy Hour

Please join us on Thursday, March 27 to learn more about the La Fiesta Guild of the Park Cities and the wonderful organizations we support in our community! Come to our coffee from 9-10:30 am or our happy hour from 5-6:30 to meet current members, hear from some of our beneficiaries, and learn how to get involved!

La Fiesta has returned over $10 million to community partners in the Park Cities since 1986.

Please RSVP to Michelle Hopper at michelle@texashoppers.com and indicate if you will attend the coffee or happy hour. 

Raiders Reaching Out

Raiders Reaching Out is ready to serve our Raider students, families, and staff in need of support and to honor those who go above and beyond to serve our school and children. Please let us know if you know someone in our Raider community who needs some sunshine sent their way! You can email us confidentially raidersreachingout@mishpmspto.org.

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McCulloch Intermediate & Highland Park Middle School