Highland Happenings
Volume 17, Week of January 10, 2022
Principal's Message
Dear Highland Families,
Welcome to 2022! We continue to deal with the pandemic and everything that occurs as a result of COVID. Students are required to wear masks at school - above noses and below mouths. The vast majority of students comply with this requirement, which we appreciate. However, we still have some students who we have to provide with frequent reminders to keep masks over their noses. Please help us to keep each other safe by encouraging your student to follow the directions as required by King County Department of Health. We truly care about the health and safety of our students, families and staff.
Highland begins COVID-19 screening (pool) testing this Tuesday morning. An email was sent to families of students who have consented to participate on Friday. Please be sure to check the email for directions. Students who are participating will report to the Commons before first period on Tuesday morning. If this is something you are interested in having your student participate in, please be sure that your consent has been provided. Testing may only occur with permission and consent. You may provide us with information on your desire to opt-in or opt-out of the COVID-19 testing by completing this COVID Testing Consent form.
Students and staff alike are being impacted by illness. There have been several days when we have been without substitute teachers. Highland teachers have covered classes during their prep times to be able to provide consistency and quality instruction as much as possible. This has also impacted our classified staff/office staff as well. We ask for your patience as we continue to navigate this challenging time. Most of all we want to do everything we can to keep students and staff safe and healthy!
As you may know by now, we are without a Family Engagement Specialist. Like many companies, we are having difficulty filling this vacancy. We are looking for a bilingual individual (English/Spanish) to work in our Family Connections Center. If you know someone who might be interested in this type of work, please contact me.
Thank you to our music teachers, Mr. Luna and Ms. Hazen for leading our students through inspiring and celebratory concerts last month. Also to Ms. Knight, our drama teacher, and Ms. Wolffe, our dance teacher for providing opportunities for our students to experience the performing arts.
We appreciate your support and can't wait to see what is in store for us this spring!
In partnership,
Susan Thomas,
Principal
Your Participation is Requested: Annual Family Engagement Survey
The purpose of the survey is to gather feedback from you, our families, around how our school informs, supports, and empowers you to contribute to your student’s success. Your valuable feedback is essential to the continuous improvement and advancement of the family engagement practices in our school community, and we thank you in advance, for your participation.
For more information, please visit: Family Engagement Survey
Upon completion of the Family Engagement Survey, we invite your input on grading in the Bellevue School District. Visit https://bsd405.org/grades for more information.
Access this message in Simplified Chinese and Spanish.
Highland Clubs, Activities, & Athletics
Jubilee Reach Site Coach
Substitute Teachers
Temporary Changes to Bus Routes on Monday, January 10, 2022
As COVID-19 continues to move through the area, the number of bus drivers available to transport students on any given day is fluctuating. As a result, there may be a temporary cancellation of specific routes and families will be notified through the Edulog Parent Portal on or before 5:30 am, Monday, January 10.
As standard and daily practice, we are assessing what routes can be covered based on driver availability. If your student’s route is canceled on any particular day, you will be notified via the parent portal by 5:30 am that morning. We understand the inconvenience this causes families and are committed to running as many routes as possible, while keeping student health and safety as the first priority.
More information regarding COVID-19 updates and impacts on district operations is coming soon.
We appreciate your support and thank you for your patience and understanding.
Open Transfer and Choice School/Program Application Period
School Options for 2022-23 School Year:
Learn more about Big Picture School
Funding Our Schools: February 8, 2022 Levies
One of these levies is the Educational Programs and Operations Levy. While the state provides some funding for our district, it is not enough to support our students’ needs. One critical position that is funded by the EP&O Levy is school nurses. The state funds just three full-time nurses for our entire district. Funding from the levy helps us employ 23 nurses districtwide to keep students healthy and safe. This levy also funds counselors and mental health supports and important programs like band, orchestra, and athletics. The EP&O Levy provides funding for critical staff and resources to ensure the wellbeing of our students and help them stay healthy and engaged.
More details about renewing the February 8, 2022 EP&O Levy as well as the Technology and Capital Projects levy are on the BSD School Levies page.
Winter 2022 Resources and Updates
Highland Middle School
Email: thomass@bsd405.org
Website: https://bsd405.org/highland/
Location: 15027 NE Bel-Red Rd
Phone: (425) 456-6400