Highlander Charter School
March 2024
Important Dates:
- March 2nd: Warren Open House
- March 4th: Girls Basketball Senior Night
- March 12th: Warren SIT meeting - virtual
- March 12th: 6th grade students visit to Warren
- March 13th: RICAS - Test Prep Info Session for Families - virtual
- March 14th: Last Day to submit application for 2024-2025 Lottery
- March 18th- 22nd: PVD RICAS Spirit Week
- March 21st: 2nd Annual Job and Career Fair at Warren Campus
- March 25th-29th: ELA RICAS for 3rd - 6th Grade
To the Highlander Community:
As you all know, Ms. Simpson-Thomas will join Highlander as the incoming Superintendent on March 1, 2024. I am so pleased to be able to welcome her to Highlander in this role. We wanted to share with you what we have been doing to prepare for the transition and what will happen in the next few months.
As of now, we have completed the following:
Communicated the transition plan with the Board
Communicated the transition plan with the internal community
Communicated the transition plan with families
Sent a letter of introduction from Ms. Simpson Thomas
Met with the Board to develop a wider communication plan for the public
In February, we will:
Communicate with the broader community that is connected to Highlander
Issue a press release to the community at large
In March, Ms. Simpson-Thomas will schedule the following to occur in April and May:
Individual staff meetings
Town Hall meetings with families
Town Hall meetings with for students
Podcast to share with the wider community
You will be hearing more about this exciting transition later in February, but I wanted to ensure that you knew what was happening to prepare for the change in leadership.
Ms. Grant
Middle/High School - Principal
Highlander Health Office
Guidance Department
Department of Teaching and Learning
Literacy Department
Girl Scout Cookie Sale to Benefit
Highlander’s Gamma Sigma Group!
In a unique partnership with Girl Scouts of Southern New England, 20 middle and high school students have formed Gamma Sigma groups at Highlander. Gamma Sigma provides a unique leadership development program that combines the proven outcomes of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience with a “sorority-type” setting, targeting teens in high school who have a limited history of Girl Scouts in their family or the community. Similar to a sorority, Gamma Sigma Girls (GSG) brings youth together through the bond of sisterhood and allows them to explore common interests in a safe space. Unlike other extracurricular activities at school, GSG does not require members to have a special talent, skill, or minimum GPA.
To keep Gamma Sigma up and running our team is selling Girl Scout Cookies at Highlander. Please support this amazing opportunity for our students and purchase cookies! Highlander has hopes of starting a Girl Scout troop in the elementary school once we have a volunteer to be the troop leader!
Cookie Sales dates and location:
Providence Campus:
During afterschool pick-up 3:30pm-5:30pm Tuesday, March 26
Tuesday, April 2nd from 9am-1pm during Parent Conferences
ALL STAFF AND FAMILIES ARE WELCOME TO PARTICIPATE!
To learn more about Girl Scout opportunities at HCS, contact Julie at jhass@gssne.org
2nd Annual Job and Career Fair at Highlander in Warren
Presented by the East Bay Chamber of Commerce, Highlander Charter School and Mt. Hope high school 5-7pm Thursday, March 21st. Open to all students and families.
Visit over 20 booths with representatives to talk about open jobs, possible informational interviews, job shadows, or internships. More to come as the list of presenters grows!
Pete Deal Highlander Golf Classic and Lunch!
Raising funds for scholarships for college and trade school, and supporting the global Service Learning trip to Belfast every other year.
Monday, June 3rd at Swansea Country Club
99 Market St.
Swansea, MA 02777
If you are not a golfer, you are welcome to join us for lunch at 12:30 with the golfers, donors, and students for $25 per person.
https://checkout.square.site/merchant/3XYKG3S2Z8DC1/checkout/GV4J4RNLP3DDMAS6XQ6QPQPS?src=webqr
If you would like to golf or sponsor the event, please email Jeanne for information. jdagostino@hc.school
Please join me in congratulating this year's ILP Student Ambassadors who will be assisting us with planning College/Career activities with the help of a $4,000 grant we received from RIDE; as well as help increase student engagement around the ILP process and Xello. This year we selected two high school students from each grade. Thank you to all staff that provided nominations!
The winners are as follows:
9th
Leigh-Ann Jarrett
Eduardo Velasquez
10th
J’Niya Guzman Henry
Great Bodunde
11th
Jaden Guzman Henry
Hannah Perez
12th
Andreina Dominguez
Samaira Sierra
Girls Scout Cookie Sales:
Providence Campus:
During afterschool pick-up 3:30pm-5:30pm Tuesday, March 26
Tuesday, April 2nd from 9am-1pm during Parent Conferences
ALL STAFF AND FAMILIES ARE WELCOME TO PARTICIPATE!
To learn more about Girl Scout opportunities at HCS, contact Julie at jhass@gssne.org
STEM Opportunity
2024 Ocean Science Exploration Camp at the Inner Space Center, URI Graduate School of Oceanography
Online registration to open on March 1, 2024!
The ISC is excited to announce the details for its Summer 2024 Ocean Science Exploration Camp! During this week-long day camp (9am-3pm daily), activities will focus on physical oceanography. Through a variety of hands-on activities, demonstrations, and field investigations, campers will explore the relationship between the ocean and the atmosphere, the transfer of heat, water, and other substances between these two regions, and links to global climate. Using the tools and techniques of physical oceanographers, campers will investigate basic oceanographic concepts such as density, buoyancy, water pressure, and salinity, as well as explore the science and dynamics of ocean currents, tides, and waves.
The ISC will again be offering two weeks of Ocean Science Exploration Camp: one week for middle schoolers (rising 6th - 8th graders), from July 8- 12, 2024; and one for high school students (rising 9th - 11th graders), from July 15-19, 2024. The cost is $495; ISC is pleased to offer a limited number of scholarships to campers that require financial assistance to attend camp.
A registration link will posted to the Ocean Science Exploration Camp webpage when active at 10am ET on March 1, 2024. Questions? Please email isc_camps@etal.uri.edu
Summer Programs at Roger Williams University for Elementary, Middle, and High School Students
Experience life on RWU's beautiful Bristol campus or engage in remote learning with our dynamic, hands-on summer programs. Earn college credit, build connections, and develop skills to support strong college applications while exploring your passions. Discover which program is right for you!
Programs include:
- High School Academy in Architecture (Residential from July 7-August 3, 3 credits earned)
- High School Marine Biology Camp (Residential, one week dates TBD)
- High School Food Science Camp (Residential, July 21-26)
- High School Forensic Science Camp (Residential, July 14-19)
- Middle School Social Justice Camp (Daycamp, one week, dates TBD)
- Elementary STEAM Explorers Camp (Virtual, each grade meets one hour/week)
Scholarship Opportunity – Transform Rhode Island Scholarship due March 31st
The Papitto Opportunity Connection (POC) is making $100,000 available in the Transform Rhode Island Scholarship. Students are challenged to answer the question “If you had a million dollars to improve the lives of those who need it most in Rhode Island, how would you do it?” The scholarship competition will choose 10 winners, earning between $10,000 and $25,000 each. The winning entry will also join the POC to bring their million-dollar idea to life through investment from POC.
Any Rhode Island high school student who attends a public, private, charter, or parochial school is eligible to participate in this competition. More information about this scholarship can be found by visiting the Papitto Opportunity Connection website at https://pocfoundation.com/transformri/.
Have a shoutout for a staff, a student or group of students? Please use the following link to share: https://forms.gle/mKG7d5aU2iLoq7Yx5
Scholarships and more
Scholarships and more - English
Opportunities from Community Organizations
The Providence Public Library is offering free tutoring services for students ages 13-19. This service runs until the beginning of May:
Monday and Wednesday 4-6 pm
Tuesday 3:30-5:30 pm
Thursday 3-5 pm
The Providence Public Library is located at 150 Empire Street, Providence 02903
Kids Out and About Newsletter
Tutor.com Can Help High Schoolers on Their Paths to College
Are your high schoolers preoccupied with the SAT or ACT? The score is a key component of the college admissions process. Check out Tutor.com’s SAT/ACT Essentials service (includes full-length practice tests, test-taking strategy videos and more), free with AskRI.org’s Tutor.com service. SAT/ACT Essentials, powered by the world leader in test prep, The Princeton Review, will give students the edge they need to reach their target score. Tutor.com is FREE 7 days a week to all Rhode Island students via AskRI.org, Rhode Island’s Online Resource Center.
MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES OF KIDS UNDER 18
Kids’ Link RI™ is a behavioral health triage service and referral network. A program offered in collaboration with Gateway Healthcare, Lifespan, Hasbro Children's Hospital and Bradley Hospital, Kids’ Link RI is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to help triage children and youth in need of mental health services and refer them to treatment providers.The free, confidential phone line, 1-855-543-5465, connects parents and caregivers to an experienced clinician that can help them access children’s services in Rhode Island, and determine the best place to go for treatment and counseling.
Contact Kids’ Link RI™ if your child is:
Feeling excessive anger or sadness.
Lashing out at siblings, friends, and adults.
Having behavior problems at school.
Having severe worries.
Hurting himself/herself or others.
It is that time of the year when Highlander start the admissions process for the next academic year. This year our application is part of the unified enrollment system launched and administered by the Rhode Island Department of Education, EnrollRI.
Visit EnrollRI page to complete the common application. When applying, please make sure to select Highlander as one of your choices:
- Highlander Elementary Charter School if you are applying to grades PreK - 6th or
- Highlander Secondary Charter School if you are applying to grades 7 - 12
The deadline for the 2024-2025 application is Thursday, March 14th at 5 pm. ALL APPLICATIONS RECEIVED AFTER THE DEADLINE WILL BE PLACED ON THE WAITLIST AFTER THE LOTTERY TAKES PLACE ON APRIL 1ST.
If you have an application on the waiting list for the current academic year, 2023-2024, a new application for the 2024-2025 academic year must be completed through EnrollRI. The waiting list is good for one academic year only.
Admission Open House will be held on:
Highlander Elementary (Grades PreK-6) on Saturday, February 10th, 2024 from 9 -11 am (42 Lexington Avenue, Providence RI 02907).
Highlander Secondary (Grades 7-12) on Saturday, March 2nd, 2024 from 9-11 am (360 Market Street, Warren RI 02885).
Here what Mrs. Robinson shared about 3B work of Excellence: "Shoutout to Ahzir for making it onto the Excellence Wall with his continents quiz! Another shoutout to Eylis, Brianna, Folo, Joevens, and Xavier for making it onto the wall with their solar system model from STEAM!".
Shoutouts!
- To the 6th grade student ambassadors for a great job at Open House.
- To all the students & families that participated during the Black History Month dress down days. The presentations were powerful.
- Staff and families that participated in the RIDE focus groups. Your time and input is appreciated.
Want to submit a shoutout? Use the following link https://forms.gle/mKG7d5aU2iLoq7Yx5
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 (Warren): wpabst@hc.school
Mrs. Goulart (Warren): agoulart@hc.school
Email: info@hc.school
Website: highlandercharter.org
Phone: 401-277-2600
Twitter: @highlanderChart