Highland Park Senior High Headliner
November 3, 2023
Message from Principal Dr. Winston Tucker
Highland Families,
The end of the first quarter grading period is on November 9. That is just around the corner and will come up fast. I strongly encourage all parents to check in with their student and monitor their assignments and grades so students can have a strong finish for the first quarter grading period. Some students have a tendency to start out strong in a quarter grading period and then all behind and not keep track of their assignments and grades. We want all students to finish strong and have a successful first quarter. Thank you for your continued support.
Dr. Winston Tucker, Principal
Mark Your Calendars!
Thursday, November 9
- End of Quarter 1
Tuesday, November 14
- Senior All-Night Party Informational Meeting in Library 6:30pm
Thursday, November 16
- Give to the Max (see flyer below)
Thursday, November 23-Friday, November 24
- No School - Thanksgiving Break
Friday, December 1
- Red Cross Blood Drive
Coach Moening Burger Now Available!
Highland Families,
One of our outstanding teachers and coaches now has a burger named in his honor. Check out the information below and many thanks to Coach Moening for being such an awesome teacher and coach. Thanks also to Tiffany's Sports Lounge for their support.
Congratulations Coach Moening on being named the 2023 MN State Cross Country Coach of the Year! Join us at Tiffany Sports Lounge (Tiff's) all of November as we celebrate his award and give back to our community. True feel good food! For every C.M.B. burger sold Tiff's will donate $2 to the Highland Park High School Cross Country Booster Club. All you have to do is eat!
Coach Moening Burger – ground turkey patty, avocado, L.T.O, pepper jack cheese sauce, and chipotle aioli $17.
Belwin Nature Center Fieldtrip
It was a beautiful crisp and sunny day to be outside at Belwin Nature Center. A group of 13 students and 4 staff were enlightened and entertained by Mr. Rue, the legendary teacher who retired 7 years ago. We hiked the trails up hills and through the woods. We used the oversized sundial and saw empirical proof of the Earth's 23.5-degree tilt. We observed how ice was forming in the shallow sections of the ponds and we had a fantastic scavenger hunt. Our visit was capped off by seeing flying turkeys that had gathered by the outdoor classroom.
The PTSA is sponsoring a Coin Collection Contest in Advisory Classrooms from Nov 3-16th. Money raised will provide PTSA grants for Classrooms, Clubs and Teams later this year. Remind your student to donate spare change in the jars marked "Give to the Max" during their advisory. The classroom which raises the most money in their coin jars by Nov 16th will win a Pizza Party. Last year students raised over $500, let's keep the coins coming!
Examples of last years PTSA grants include; a new Pottery Wheel and Art Supplies, Piano Keyboards, Woodworking tools, HPSH Women in STEM Event, Support for the "Scots Square Coffee Shop, Robotics - 3D printer and Wind blocks for the tennis courts. Donate online to support Highland Park Senior High "Give to the Max" https://www.givemn.org/organization/Hpshgive
Class of 2024 All-Night Informational Meeting
Hello Junior and Senior Families!
Graduation will be here before you know it! Let's talk All-Night Party!
My name is Sarah Norby and Jen Harvey and I are co-chairing this year's All-Night Party. Jen and I both have seniors this year and were both part of last year's party planning as well. We are reaching out to all junior and senior families to discuss the All-Night Party that will take place following graduation on the 4th of June. This event is already being planned as many things have to be secured well in advance. We would like to invite you to an information meeting on Tuesday, November 14, 2023. The meeting will be in the library starting at 6:30. The All-Night Party is planned and run completely by parents. While it happens in the school and we do have an administrator present, no other school staff are there. This party only happens with parent support. Please come to the meeting and find out how you can be involved in making sure our kids have a fun and safe send off from high school. All families are welcome! Junior parents are needed as well! This is a fun event to plan, and the kids LOVE it.
We look forward to seeing you on the 14th!
Yearbook Ordering Information
NHS Trick or Canning Event
Junior and Senior members of the National Honor Society (NHS) participated in Trick or Canning on Friday, October 27th. Flyers were distributed around the Highland Park neighborhoods and community members generously donated non-perishable items that will donated within the HP school community and to a local food shelf. Students who participated were encouraged to dress in costume as they collected items. Trick or Canning is an annual NHS event.
College Application Blitz Recap
Over 40 seniors participated in this year's College Application Blitz! During this time seniors visited the Highland Park CCRC to complete college applications!
IED Carnival
The PLTW Introduction to Engineering Design class hosted a carnival on Halloween. At the carnival, students shared the games that they built and designed. This project required them to determine the precision and accuracy of their game launching device, the winning percentages of their game, and the best distance from their target.
Ambassador Visit
On Monday, October 30th, the Model United Nations team hosted Ambassador Ronald Neumann. Vietnam War veteran, career diplomat and author of "Three Embassies, Four Wars: A Personal Memoir". In addition, career diplomat and charge d'affairs cultural attache, Margo Squire attended. Students asked questions and participated in a networking event. This event was made possible by Global Minnesota and the United Nations Association of Minnesota.
Athletic Events Schedule
Highland Park Swag!
Need swag? Order here!
Highland Park CCRC News
Click here to see the latest CCRC newsletter! This newsletter highlights upcoming college and career-related opportunities.
Highland Park CCRC - The CCRC is here to help students with college and career planning! The CCRC provides the following resources to students:
- Interests and skills exploration tools
- Career Information
- Resume Help
- College and Post-Secondary exploration tools
- College Admission, Career and Military Representative Visits
- College Admission test information such as ACT and Accuplacer
- Scholarships
- Financial Aid
- Summer and Community Opportunities
- And more!
CLICK HERE to check out the new CCRC website! This site will be updated throughout the year with important information, resources, and opportunities.
Virtual Parent/Guardian Info Meetings
GTK- (Good to Know) information about HPSH for parents and guardians, especially those new to Highland. New this year- virtual parent/guardian informational meetings around relevant topics and commonly asked questions. Click here for more details.
Next Meeting- October 26, 2023
As we near the end of Quarter 1, learn more about GPA, Final Grades, and Credits Required for Graduation. There will also be a brief overview of Scots Strategies class, which is new to Highland this year. Join us virtually next Thursday, October 26 from 1:08 p.m. – 1:38 p.m. using this link.
Future Meeting Dates:
October 26, 2023
November 30, 2023
December 14, 2023
Missed the first meeting? We’ve got you! - September 21
Here are the links to the slides and recording from the first Virtual Parent/Guardian Meeting. Hope to see you all in October!
10th Grade Families!
Our 10th grade students are starting their IB MYP Personal Projects! The Personal Project is a student-centered and student-selected project and provides an opportunity for students to undertake an independent exploration into an area of personal interest. The projects are up to the students and should be challenging and engaging for the student. It is an expectation that all HPSH students will engage in this project as do all IB MYP students across the globe!
Some Key Details:
Students will be engaging in some brainstorming lessons soon in advisory.
Students will find out their Personal Project Advisor later this month. (Students meet with their Personal Project Advisors during 4 scheduled meetings).
Finished projects include: a process journal, product/outcome, paper, and a showcase.
The overall project (with journal and paper) should take about 25 hours to complete. The criteria for the project and paper are Planning, Applying Skills, and Reflecting -- these are very universal and will work with any topic.
The paper will be explained in detail in December after the students have engaged further in their projects. The paper length requirement is 15 pages or less (this does include the title page, table of contents, evidence, bibliography). The paper aims to explain the process of the personal project, explain the impact of the project on the student and their learning, evaluate the product based on the success criteria the student created, and show reflection with detailed examples and evidence. Students will be provided with a rubric and prompts to help write the paper. The journal entries will be a great resource as students write the paper.
Please see the Schoology Personal Project Course for more details, documents, slideshow with examples, etc.
Thanks!
Marissa Bonk
IB MYP Coordinator
New Social Media Connection
Check out what our awesome Scots are up to by following Highland Park Senior High on Facebook and highlandparksr.scots.pride on Instagram.
Teacher Wish List
As the school year begins, there are two ways to support our terrific Highland Park teachers and staff:
- By purchasing items on the Wish List for use in the classroom: Wish List This list is always being updated—teachers are in the process of adding their lists for this school year.
- By purchasing general school supplies—Kleenex, hand sanitizer, pencils, pens, highlighters, dry erase markers, post-its and snacks. General supplies can be brought to the school office any time.
The PTSA will also be collecting Kleenex, hand sanitizer and general school supplies at the Open House event—if you can bring even one box of Kleenex, it will have a positive impact! It is the number one requested item from teachers and staff!
Thank you from the Highland Park PTSA.
SPPS Grading
There will be some positive changes to grading practices at all SPPS high schools beginning in the 2023-24 school year. SPPS is shifting to more consistent and equitable grading practices across all high schools to ensure that students’ grades truly reflect what they’ve learned. Visit the Grading Practices FAQ webpage for more information. More details will be provided this fall, including information sessions with language support for families.
Nutrition Services
In-person students will receive free breakfast and lunch under the Minnesota Free School Meals program. All students are eligible to receive one free breakfast and one free lunch each school day. Second meals, incomplete meals and single item purchases, such as milk only, must be purchased.
- Student Second Breakfast: $2.85
- Student Second Lunch: $5
- Milk Only: $0.50
- For a complete list of prices, visit spps.org/ns.
Visit schoolcafe.com/spps to manage your student’s meal account, view menus, ingredients and nutritional information, and complete the Application for Educational Benefits.
A Message from Saint Paul Public Schools Nutrition Services
- While all in-person students will receive free breakfast and lunch under Minnesota’s Free School Meals program, it remains critical that all families complete an Application for Educational Benefits each school year. These applications determine how much funding your child’s school receives for educational programs and supports. Additionally, eligible families can qualify for other benefits. The application can be completed online at schoolcafe.com/spps. Paper applications are available at your child's school.
Parent Portal - Access Your Student's Progress
Use Parent Portal and see your child’s attendance, homework assignments, grades and more. Log on to spps.org/onestop and click on “parent portal”. This valuable tool will provide both information on your student and a means of communicating with your student’s teachers. Report cards are not mailed to homes.
For access please contact the main office at 651-293-8940.
MTC Unlimited Transit Pass Available for Purchase
MTC Bus Pass Quarter Dates
11/2/2023 to 1/14/2024 payment due by Monday, October 30, 2023
1/15/2024 to 3/31/2024 payment due by Monday, January 8, 2024
4/1/2024 to 6/14/2024 payment due by Monday, March 25, 2024
Highland Park Senior High School
Website: https://www.spps.org/highlandsr
Location: 1015 Snelling Avenue South, Saint Paul, MN, USA
Phone: 651-293-8940