Highlander Charter School
District Newsletter - November 2021
Important Dates:
November 2nd: First Quarter Ends
November 5th: COVID 19 Vaccination Clinic in Warren
November 8th: Flu Clinic Providence Campus 3:00-5:00pm
November 10th: PVD only -Early Dismissal 11:30am- Learning Plan Meetings
November 11th: No School - Veterans Day
November 12th: Distance Learning Day
November 16th: Picture Day (Retakes & Make up)
November 17th: Report Card Night with Student-Led Conferences - 7th - 8th Grade
November 18th: SIT Meeting
November 24th-26th: Thanksgiving Recess
December 13th: Seniors Picture Day
December 20th-31st: Holiday Recess
It is hard to believe we are already at the end of the 1st Quarter of the school year. I have two important updates to share with you.
The first update is the release of the RICAS test scores. Highlander, like almost every school in the state, saw a significant decrease in our test scores. The biggest drop for Highlander was in math, as it was across the state. We will have a family night to discuss the results and to get your input on our plan to help our students recover some of the learning that was lost during the pandemic.
The second update is about the charter renewal process. As you may remember, our charter was due to expire at the end of the school year 2020-2021. Due to the pandemic, all charters expiring in that year were given a 2 year extension. That extension expires in June of 2023. In January, we will be starting the process to apply for the renewal of our charter. RIDE will do a site visit in the spring and a recommendation from the Commissioner will come over the summer. Finally, the Board of Education will vote on the Commissioner’s recommendation in the Fall of 2022. We will be sending more information as we get closer to the beginning of the renewal process.
Elementary School
Middle School
High School
Attendance Matters!
Now that we are all back in school for in-person learning, it’s important to remember just how much attendance counts. Have you ever heard the saying, “90 percent of success is just showing up?” Attendance in school really matters every day, no matter what grade your child/children are in, and here’s why:
- Missing 18 days per school year, 10% of the school year, is considered chronic absenteeism.
- That 18 days equals more than 100 hours (3 ½ weeks) of missed instructional time for students.
- By 6th grade, absenteeism is one of three signs that a student may drop out of high school.
- By 9th grade, absenteeism is a better predictor of graduation rates than eighth-grade test scores.
- A 9th grade student lowers the likelihood of graduating by 25% with each week of absence per semester.
Make attendance at school every day that your child is well a top priority. Here are some tips to help you:
- Talk with your child/children about the importance of being in school each day.
- Check the Attendance tab in Skyward regularly to make sure your child’s attendance is appropriate.
- Help your child maintain daily routines so that they get to bed on time and are up on time to be in school on time each day that they are well.
- If your child is resisting going to school, find out why and reach out to agoulart@hc.school if they are dealing with an issue such as bullying or struggling with school work.
Attendance counts every single day!#schooleveryday #attendancecounts
Click on this photo to read Highlander’s new strategic plan that was made possible by the dedication of our families, staff, students, board and greater community!
A huge thank you to all of the Highlander staff and students who modeled in the Highlander Charter School and East Bay Chamber of Commerce Holiday Fashion Show and Gift Fair, and all of the staff and family members who came out to support them! We are always proud to showcase our amazing community!
Don’t forget to like us on Facebook, join our Facebook Family Engagement page and subscribe to our Youtube Channel!
Did you know that when you are shopping for everyday items you can help our students? The link Amazon Smile will take you directly to Amazon Smile for Highlander! AmazonSmile is a simple way for you to support Highlander every time you shop, at no cost to you. AmazonSmile is available at smile.amazon.com on your web browser and can be activated in the Amazon Shopping app for iOS and Android phones. When you shop at AmazonSmile, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added benefit that AmazonSmile will donate 0.5% of your eligible purchases to Highlander Charter School if you designate us!
5th Grade visits the Tomaquag Museum
Silver Moon and Lindsay did an excellent job teaching 5th graders about the Narragansett Tribe's culture and traditions. 5th grade made corn husk dolls and did a scavenger hunt in the museum!
PreK went on their first field trip!
RIC Saturday Showcases
Rhode Island College will be hosting fall Saturday showcases starting in November. Please see the attached flyer listing dates/ times and majors.
It is never too early or late to start researching opportunities for your future.
Students can reserve their spots at www.ric.edu/showcase and select the date that corresponds with their major/program of interest.
Native American Tribes
Students in fourth grade have been studying various Native American tribes and created dioramas to showcase their research and learning. The first diorama depicts the Lakota, the Plains natives. Isamarie shows how the women scraped hides to make tipis and clothing. The second diorama shows the Taino people from the Caribbean. You can see Roselly worked hard to show various aspects of their life, including the hut like dwellings they lived in. Lastly, Aiden researched the Chinook people and discovered they were excellent fishermen. He shows a figure using a spear to catch salmon. These are just a few of the wonderful dioramas created by our fourth grade students.
Shoutouts!
From Ms.Dolan to Armanii and Nivea for: Organizing and sharpening all of the colored pencils. Everyone in the art room appreciates and thanks you!
From Elizabeth V to Tatiana for always being so helpful
From Fareedah to Ms Pie for being a dedicated teacher and keeping parents informed about what is happening in her class
From Liliana Suero to Miss Tatiana and Miss Ada for great service and information
From Judith to teachers for doing a great job!
From Brenda to Ms.Claribel: Thank you for going above and beyond for Derek/us!
From Mr.Nigro to Alisha Cabner & Anthonellis Morel for Running Debate class last week.
Connect with us
Providence: 401-277-2600
Warren: 401-247-3585
Class Dojo : https://www.classdojo.com/
Mrs. Grant: rgrant@hc.school
Mrs. Roseberry (ES): jpicciotti@hc.school
Mr. Pabst (MS): wpabst@hc.school
Mr. Willard (HS): mwillard@hc.school
Email: info@hc.school
Website: highlandercharter.org
Phone: 401-277-2600
Twitter: @highlanderChart