At Highcroft, we help learners grow in a safe, caring community where ALL are valued and supported to become leaders.

September

• 10: Chipotle Fundraiser
  
• 11: Board of Education Meeting, 7:00 pm, 471 N. Woods Mill Road
• 12: All Read, 3:25 pm - 3:45 pm
• 19: Website opens to register for Conference time, 8:00 am
• 19: PSO Meeting, 7:00 pm
• 20: Highcroft Movie Night, 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm
• 23: Picture Day
• 24: Flu shots, 9:00 am - 11:00 am
• 24: Free & Reduced Meal Applications Due
• 25: Late Start, School begins at 11:05 am
• 25: Hats for Hikers Fundraiser
• 25: Board of Education Meeting, 7:00 pm, 471 N. Woods Mill Road
• 26: Jog Jam
• September 30 - October 4, Parent-Teacher Conferences

October

• 3: Parent-Teacher Conference Night, 4:15 pm - 8:15 pm

Good evening,

Once again, I am reminded of what an amazing community we have at Highcroft. While we faced an unnerving event this week, our staff and students were prepared and implemented things they are trained to do to remain safe. I know to receive communication with details about a concerning matter places worry in your heart as a parent and caregiving. It is our goal to provide you the information as soon as possible, so you are informed and able to support your child. Please know our students' safety is our main priority. We will continue to be vigilant and adhere to routines and procedures which promote the safety and well-being of our students and staff.

In partnership,

Cartelia Lucas

Principal

Highcroft's Fall Conference Night is October 3rd, from 4:15-8:15 pm. We utilize an online system to schedule conference meetings. This system, called MyConferenceTime, will allow you to schedule your conference with your student’s teacher without having to send in paper forms.

You will be able to schedule your conference beginning on September 19th at 8:00 am. There are a few easy steps to register for your conference. If you have one child at Highcroft Ridge:

1. Go to www.myconferencetime.com/highcroftridge
2. Click your child’s teacher from the list of teachers.
3. Choose your preferred conference time from the list of available conferences and click “Sign Up” under your preferred time.
4. Fill in all required information and any necessary optional information and click “Sign Up for Your Conference.” Please be assured that all information is submitted securely and will only be used by the school for confirmation purposes. It will not be available to outside sources.
5. You will receive a confirmation email confirming your conference time.

If you have multiple students at Highcroft please click “Register for Multiple Conferences,” then follow the steps to enter the information for each child. You will then be presented the schedules for multiple teachers to compare.

Again, the website will open at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 19th. Please be aware that this system is set up in a way that everyone will have the same priority in scheduling. If you have a need for a specific time, it will be important that you schedule as soon as possible once the window opens to ensure availability of conference times.

If you do not have access to a computer or have difficulty scheduling, please contact Sherry Heyse at sheyse@parkwayschools.net or call at 314-415-6406.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Highcroft Ridge Elementary School will be offering a flu shot clinic at on Tuesday, September 24, 2019. VNA (Visiting Nurses Association) will be at Highcroft providing flu shots to students and families from 9 AM - 11 AM. We will be providing shots for students ages kindergarten and up as well as for parents and family members.

Please go to https://www.parkwayschools.net/Page/680 for all of the forms and information you will need. If you want your child vaccinated, please complete the form and return to the school nurse by Monday, September 16th, 2019. Parents do not need to be present for their child’s vaccination, however, if you want to attend, please note this on the consent form.

Most insurances are accepted - please provide insurance information. A regular flu shot is $19.00 cash or check payable to VNA if there is no insurance used. VNA accepts these Insurance Plans: Aetna, Anthem - Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Cigna, Coventry, Essence, HealthLink, Humana, Medicare Part B, and UHC. If you do not have insurance, you can still receive a flu shot by paying $19.00.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask.

Thank you,

Cathy Hubert, BSN, RN,

School Nurse, Highcroft Ridge

314-415-6410

The Parkway School District is pleased to offer free or reduced breakfast and lunch to students who qualify. There is an annual application that must be completed each year to receive free or reduced meals. For those renewing, the 30 day grace period for reapplying will be at the end of the business day on September 24, 2019. On September 25, 2019, all students who have not reapplied will be placed on Full Paid status.

To apply for free or reduced meals click here.

Mrs. Turney

First Grade - I am eager to return to the first grade classrooms again this year to share a variety of activities facilitating two main goals. The first goal is to provide exposure and experience for ALL children with a differentiated curriculum which focuses on higher level thinking skills and creativity. The second purpose is to collect work samples from these activities to be used in identification of students for full MOSAICS services. For that reason, you may hear about my visits to your child’s classroom, but you will not see any of the work. If you would like copies of the activities to review or try for fun at home please let me know.

Second Grade - Our current second graders are still in the process of identification for full services in MOSAICS. This is true across the district. The district goal is for second grade groups to begin during the second trimester. In the meantime, those students awaiting the completion of the process are starting the year with enrichment in either ELA or math. These groups will be flexible throughout the year. Teachers, parents, and the students themselves may advocate for individuals to be included in these enrichment opportunities. The criteria for selection varies. MOSAICS is actually an anachronism for Maximizing Outstanding Student Achievement through Instruction, Curriculum, and Support!

Third Grade - Research and Communication skills are addressed in ELA+. We call it learn to learn independently and learn to share effectively! Students in the ELA+ groups are learning about All Kinds of Animals. They will share their new knowledge in a slide show presentation! I am eager to hear more about all the animals they have selected including fairy penguins. Asian elephants, and koalas just to name a few!

Fourth and Fifth Grades - We have identified our Math-o-letes for this year! Each year 35+ students combined in these grades are invited into this program. The selection is based on their MOSAICS identification and top MAP scores. More information will come home to the parents of these students next week. Students in the Math+ program at this level will prepare and participate in the all-district Equations Tournament later next spring, and compete in the international Math Olympiad throughout this school year! We will work hard and enjoy the success our efforts bring! Math is cool! Math is fun! Math is magical! Math is everywhere!

Ms. Mayer

Welcome back for another exciting year in the world of art. Students have started making some beautiful art while learning new techniques, studying different techniques, and learning about different artists.

• Our kindergartners have been busy familiarizing themselves with the art room and learning basic color theory. They will soon be creating collages using primary colors in the style of the Dutch painter, Piet Mondrian.
• First grade students used many different kinds of lines to draw their “bad hair day” project. They learned about radial symmetry and created a drawing to show their understanding. Next, basic color theory will be used in creating flower collages.
• In second grade, students have been learning about warm and cool color schemes and created whimsical cityscapes using this knowledge.
• In third grade, students created sketch books to draw in throughout the school year. They are using water soluble oil
• Fourth grade students created sketch books to draw in throughout the school year. After looking at the abstract paintings of Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky, students used his work as an inspiration to create their own watercolor paintings. They concentrated on abstract design and chose colors wisely in their work. Symmetry was studied as they made a skeleton incorporating their names into the design.
• Fifth grade students also created sketch books to draw in throughout the school year. After learning about the interesting life of Spanish artist, Pablo Picasso, and his many periods of art, the students tried their hand at creating portraits in the cubist style for which he is well known.