Highcroft Hotline

February 2, 2020

Highcroft's Mission

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

Upcoming Events

February

  • 5: Central Region Art Show, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm, Central High
  • 8: 4th Grade Strings Day Concert, 3:45 pm - students arrive at 3:00, West High
  • 13: Valentine's Parties, 2:45 pm
  • 14: No School, Records Day
  • 17: No School, Presidents' Day
  • 18 - 21: Highcroft's Science Fair
  • 19: 4th Grade Field Trip to Powell Hall, 10:00 am - 12:30 pm
  • 19: Board of Education Meeting, 7:00 pm, 471 N. Woods Mill Road
  • 20: 3rd Grade Field Trip to St. Louis Area Food Bank, 9:15 am - 12:30 pm
  • 20: All Read, 3:25 pm - 3:45 pm
  • 26: Late Start, School begins at 11:05 am
  • 27: PSO Meeting, 7:00 pm
Lucas Letter

Lucas Letter

Greetings,


It is with great honor that we announce Highcroft has been named a 2020 State School of Character! This distinct recognition is awarded to schools with "teachers who work together as professionals — along with parents and community members as partners — to positively shape the social, emotional, and character development of the young people entrusted to them each day." This honor represents the dedication of staff, the support of our community, and the growth of our students. The following is the press release from CharacterPlus:


CharacterPlus®, the longest-running character education initiative in the country, is proud to announce the area’s fourteen schools and one school district named 2020 Missouri and Illinois Schools of Character. These schools and district have demonstrated a focus on character development which has positively impacted academic achievement, student behavior, and school climate. Nationally, 81 schools and seven school districts received the honor this year, as did one international school.


CharacterPlus®, the Missouri affiliate for the State Schools of Character process, evaluates all Missouri schools and districts who apply. This recognition is given to schools who have achieved a standard of excellence in the area of character development through their exemplary implementation of Character.org's 11 Principles of Effective Character Education, a framework for whole-school improvement.


One of the highlights of our year at CharacterPlus® is recognizing the hard work and dedication of these schools. This year’s honorees include:


Missouri Schools of Character:


Bayless Junior High (Bayless)*

Brown Elementary (Hazelwood)

Cold Water Elementary (Hazelwood)*

Concord Elementary (Lindbergh)

Crestview Middle (Rockwood)

Highcroft Ridge Elementary (Parkway)

James E. Freer Elementary (Windsor)

Oak Brook Elementary (Parkway)*

Oakville High (Mehlville)*

Orchard Farm Elementary (Orchard Farm)

Selvidge Middle (Rockwood)*

Spoede Elementary (Ladue)

Windsor High (Windsor)*

Wren Hollow Elementary (Parkway)

* indicates the school has renewed its designation after five years


Thank you for your continued support in making Highcroft a great place for our students to learn and grow!


In partnership,


Cartelia Lucas

Principal

clucas@parkwayschools.net

Lucas Letter

Celebrating Black History Month

Black History Month began as "Negro History Week," in 1926 when writer and historian, Carter G. Woodson, lobbied schools and other organizations to participate and promote African-American History. In 1976, President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month, calling upon the public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” Since then, every sitting president has appointed February Black History Month (History.com).


As we embark on the month of February and our celebration of Black History, I share with you the first stanza of the song Lift Every Voice and Sing which was written as a poem by James Weldon Johnson. It is a song that shares a message of hope for the future while acknowledging the struggles of the past. I have also included a link to a version of the song for your listening pleasure.


Lift Every Voice and Sing


Lift ev’ry voice and sing,
‘Til earth and heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise
High as the list’ning skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
Let us march on ’til victory is won.

Lift Every Voice And Sing

February's Acts of Kindness Calendar Created By The 3rd-5th Kindness Leaders

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Strings Update

Mrs. Woods, Strings Teacher


Third Graders did a wonderful job performing at open house! They were very attentive and displayed the ROSE values as they performed for the first time with an audience. Since open house, they have learned the A Major Scale as a two-part round and will be finishing mastering Twinkle Variation. They will be working on lots of new repertoire for the spring concert.


Fourth Graders are preparing for 4th Grade Strings Day. Fourth Grade Strings Day is on Saturday, February 8th at Parkway West High School. Highcroft students need to arrive at 3:00PM with their instrument and strings binder. Fourth Graders are filling out a winter practice chart as they play in class and at home. Those who complete the chart will get to decorate the practice tree in the strings room!


Fifth Graders are finishing up learning the repertoire for the All-District Orchestra Concert in March. Their newest piece is called Rhythm 'n Blues. Fifth Graders are filling out a winter practice chart as they play in class and at home. Those who complete the chart will get to decorate the practice tree in the strings room!

Musical Notes

Mr. Spector, Music Teacher


Kindergarten is learning about xylophones!!!! There is a lot to learn; how to play them, the names of all the parts, types of mallets, etc. They are also exploring how to create and perform in their first instrumental ensembles.


First Grade is finishing up their Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker books and then working on their musical for the spring.


Second Grade is finishing up their instrument safari exploration and then working on their musical for the spring.


Third Grade is continuing their recorder unit! They will begin working on their musical for the spring.


Fourth Grade is starting to work on their spring musical.


Fifth Grade continues their study of popular music and musicology. They will study different genres of popular music and focus on the genres’ forms for expression. Presentations will begin soon. The projects are looking great!

Global School Play Day

Global School Play Day

February 5th is Global School Play Day! This is a grassroots effort created by educators in support of unstructured playtime for students around the world, which began in 2015.


In his TEDx lecture, Peter Gray argues the case that today's kids do not grow up playing, and this has negatively impacted them in many ways.


In recognition of the importance of play for students as well as adults, I invited teachers to spend a portion of the day engaged in good old-fashion play! I hope you extend the day of play into the evening at home. If you do, please post pictures of your fun on social media with #GSPD2020 and tag us so we can see!

Global School Play Day
Valentine's Parties

Valentine's Parties

We will have our Valentine's parties on the afternoon of February 13th, beginning at 2:45 pm and concluding at 3:30 pm. If your child chooses to hand out valentines in class, please ensure there is a valentine for each student in the class. We honor a food-free celebratory environment in accordance with Parkway's food policy, so no candy or food is allowed during the party, nor can it be distributed with valentines. If you are joining us for the celebration, please be sure to bring your driver's license and check-in before going to your child's class.


To assist with efficiently checking in guests for our Valentine's parties on Thursday, February 13th, we ask all visitors WHO HAVE PREVIOUSLY HAD THEIR LICENSE SCANNED INTO THE VISITOR MANAGEMENT SYSTEM to RSVP if attending this event. Upon arrival, a school representative will greet you in the MPR where you will show your ID and receive your preprinted badge. IF YOU ARE NOT REGISTERED IN THE VISITOR MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, please do not complete this form. Instead, on the day of the event, BRING YOUR ID with you, go to the office, and we will check you in.


Again, we thank you for your patience as we check-in guests during this highly attended event.


Valentine's Parties RSVP Form

Valentine's Parties
Summer School 2020

Summer School 2020

Summer School will be held at Pierremont Elementary June 1- June 19 from 8:00 am until 12:00 pm. Summer bulletins have been mailed out and parents can view the course listings at the following site: parkwayschools.net/summerschool.


Registration for summer classes begins on February 11, 11:00 am. As a reminder, the maximum number of seats available will be accessible for enrollment when K-8 registration opens. Spaces fill quickly, so register early! Registration for elementary and middle school summer school and afternoon academic camps will take place online at https://www.parkwayschools.ce.eleyo.com.

Summer School 2020
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Contact Information

Contact Information

15380 Highcroft Drive, Chesterfield, MO, USA clucas@parkwayschools.net 314-415-6400 parkwayschools.net/Domain/16