Highlander Charter School
District Newsletter - February 2023
Important Dates:
- February 2nd: Early Dismissal for Warren - SLC
- February 10th: Providence Student of the Month celebration
- February 13th-17th: District Wide Peace Week
- February 17th: Peace march
- February 20th: No school - President's Day
- February 21st-24th: No School - Winter Recess
Basketball Schedule
- February 3rd: Boys Basketball game @ Central Falls
- February 3rd: Girls Basketball game vs Rocky Hill - Home
- February 6th: Boys Basketball vs Ponaganset - Home
- February 6th: Girls Basketball game @ Day Spring Academy
- February 8th: Boys Basketball @ Mt. Saint Charles
- February 8th: Girls Basketball game vs BCA - Home
- February 9th: Girls Basketball game @ Middlebridge
- February 10th: Boys Basketball game vs N. Smithfield - Home
- February 14th: Boys Basketball game vs Ponaganset - Home
- February 16th: Girls Basketball game vs Day Spring Academy - Home
To All of the Highlander Community:
As we reach the halfway point in the year, I am reaching out to all of you to ask that you consider joining our School Improvement Team (SIT). Each school is required to have a SIT and to meet throughout the year. We have had two meetings with very little participation. I want to thank the parents who joined those meetings, but we need to hear more voices. We want to hear your thoughts and ideas on improving our school community. According to RIDE (Rhode Island Department of Education):
School Improvement Teams (SIT) must meet regularly to assist the principal with:
Assist the principal with identifying students’ educational needs (including but not limited to completing the needs assessment), reviewing the annual school budget, and writing the School Improvement Plan (SIP).
SIT assists the principal in the formulation of the SIP
Principals must consult with the SIT regularly to review school data and utilize this data to create goals, evidence-based initiatives, and action steps to reach each goal of the SIP
SIP must include formative indicators for progress monitoring of initiatives and actions steps throughout the year.
School Improvement Teams (SIT) must consist of:
Principal
Teachers
Support Staff
Parents
Community Members
Students in older grades
Principals for each campus will be reaching out to families to schedule a SIT meeting for Early February. If you are will to serve on this team that will meet monthly from February through May, please reach out to Ms. Roseberry or Mr. Pabst. We value your input and need you at the table as we move our school to the next level!
Thank you,
Ms. Grant
Middle/High School - Principal
School Life and Admissions
Highlander Health Department
Literacy Department
Department of Teaching and Learning
Peace Week - February 13-17th, 2023
We are excited to announce that Peace Week is back!!!! For years Peace Week has been a time where Highlander as a community reflect and learn about Peace. This year we will have many events from workshops for elementary students provided by the high school students in the Global Service Learning group to Spirit Week and as a grand finale we as a school will have a Peace march.
Please stay tuned for more details, have any ideas, suggestions, please email tromero@hc.school
School Improvement Team
We are inviting families to join us at this meetings. We need families to help guide us in our improvement efforts. Our next meeting will be a zoom meeting on March 16 at 5:00. Please consider sharing your voice.
Calling All RI Student Artists: Ocean View Art Competition & Exhibition: Ocean View is a competition and exhibition that encourages youth to interpret the ocean through visual art. Students in grades kindergarten through high school are encouraged to participate. This exhibition and competition explores the many ways in which we are all connected to the ocean and we want to know, what is your favorite thing about the ocean? RI students (grades K-12) are invited to enter one original two-dimensional piece. Winners in the four divisions will receive prizes to support their artistic development and ocean interest. Completed commitment form is due by March 1, 2023. More information and the commitment form can be found here.
New Gammbassadors (Youth Ushers) Program Launching at the Gamm Theatre: Are you a high school student aged 16-18 who loves theater? If so, you can learn about professional theater and see shows for FREE — plus earn community service hours. It's easy and fun! For details, click here Roles include: scanning tickets, directing patrons in the lobby and the theater, stuffing and/or passing out programs, seating patrons, and answering patron's questions. In return, you have the option to earn community service hours and see Gamm productions for free! Please contact the Volunteer Coordinator, Lauryn Sasso at 401-723-4266 x 163 or volunteer@gammtheatre.org with any questions. Remaining Performance Dates: Bad Jews, Mar 2 - 26, 2023, The Children, Apr 27 - May 14, 2023.
FEMA Seeks Leaders for Youth Preparedness Council: FEMA is accepting applications for the Youth Preparedness Council, a program that brings teens together from across the nation who are interested and engaged in community preparedness.
Council members are selected based on their dedication to public service, their efforts in making a difference in their communities and their potential to expand their impact as national leaders for emergency preparedness. Students in grades eight through 11 are eligible to apply. During their one-year term, council members will collaborate virtually with each other to develop projects that promote preparedness on a local and national scale. Members will also attend the council summit in July and engage with top leaders within FEMA, the federal government, and national non-profit organizations. Youths interested in applying to the council must submit a completed application form and provide two letters of recommendation. All applications and supporting materials must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. PT, March 6, 2023. New council members will be announced in June. To access the application materials, read about the current council members, and for more information about the Youth Preparedness Council click here.
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.
Adult Education: Are you or someone you know in need of adult education? https://enrollri.org/adulted
Affordable Internet: Is your family in need of affordable internet? "The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) helps to ensure that families can afford the broadband they need for work, school, healthcare and more. The benefit provides a discount of up to $30 per month towards internet and eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 towards the purchase price." Learn more here.
One initiative we are piloting this year is the Handle with Care. If your child is coming to school after a difficult night, morning, or weekend, please know that we want school yo be a safe and comfortable place for them. We don't need to know the details, please send me a message and let me know to "handle with care". This will alert us to make sure your child has space, time, and love throughout the day.
All families have been invited to Class Dojo, if you need assistance or haven't received an invitation please email me at tromero@hc.school
Pre-Apprenticeship Program for High School Students!
Highlander is excited to announce our first group of students to attend the Rhode Island Builders Association (RIBA) Pre- Apprenticeship program. They will be spending 2 days a week for 12 weeks working alongside building trade professionals at RIBA’s Central Falls education center. Each student is required to be certified in OSHA 10, a workplace safety certification.
A total of eleven students applied for the program which begins in February. The following six students were selected to participate in the program:
Kayinsola Yekini
Alexander Almonte
Justin Valdez
Manuel Javier
Kelvin Santana
Pinde Lotengya
Please join us in congratulating these students on their acceptance and impressive interview skills. The team at RIBA was highly impressed with the students' professionalism and dedication to the interview process and they are excited to begin working together.
OUR STUDENTS NEED YOU!
Highlander has a great opportunity to raise funds to create outside learning spaces at both campuses!
April 1st is 401 Gives days and we need a big team to share our fundraising page. The more we share, the more we raise! So, we need all hands on deck! Our goal is to raise $20,000 and with a big group of staff and family members we can do it!
If you can give us a few minutes of your time we will teach you how this works and provide all of the tools you need. Then all you have to do is share it far and wide. 3 years ago we raised nearly $10,000 with a very small group. Imagine what we can do if all of our families help out?!
If you want to be on our team please email Ms. Jeanne at jdagostino@hc.school or Ms. Tatiana at tromero@hc.school
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 Spelling Bee Contest
Congratulations to the winners of the 5th grade classroom spelling bee!
5A
1st- Roselly
2nd- Aiden
Runner-up- Randy
5B
1st- Percy
2nd- Mast
Runner-up- Josmely
Percy and Mast made it to round 21 and had a spell-off. The two students competed to spell the most words correctly in 90 seconds to win first place. Mast spelled 11 words correctly and Percy spelled 14 words correctly!
Our first and second place winners will compete in the school spelling bee on February 8th. The student who wins the school spelling bee will attend the states competition on March 18th.
Shoutouts!
Congrats Alisha!
Highlander congratulates Alisha Cabner, class of 2022 and URI student, on her acceptance to the prestigious Coastal and Environmental Fellowship Program. This opportunity grants outstanding undergraduate students $5,000 to participate in ongoing environmental research. Alisha will be joining the Vector-borne Disease Eco-epidemiology and Control Laboratory At URI to study an emerging strategy to control the population of the Black-tailed Mosquito. Congratulations Alisha!”
Congratulations Karishley!
Congratulations to Class of 2024 Karishley Grullon Rodriguez For your acceptance to the:
American College of Cardiology Young Scholars Program
Starting in April, Karishley will learn about cardiovascular medicine directly from practicing cardiology professionals
Selected Young Scholars will work on a research project over the course of the year with an ACC member mentor – and have the opportunity to travel to Atlanta for ACC’s 2024 Annual Scientific Session!
Mentor Rhode Island
RICAS Super Stars 7th - 9th Grade
P/SAT Super Starts
Commissioner' Seals Designees P/SAT 2022
It also certifies that a student is proficient in standards aligned to high school expectations in ELA & Math.
4th Grade RICAS Super Stars
5th Grade RICAS Super Stars
6th Grade RICAS Super Stars
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