October 6, 2008

Take

Note

Calendar Highlights

Tues. Oct. 7 Downtown Area Parent Coffee Break DiscoveryBioMed, Inc./Innovation Depot 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Wed. 8 Secondary Placement Fair Spencer Center Thurs. 9 Kindergarten - Second Grade to Children’s Theater 9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Fri. 10 Weather Make-up Day No School/Offices Closed Mon. 13 Columbus Day Holiday No School/Offices Closed Tues. 14 8th Grade Students visit Indian Springs School Wed. 15 8th Grade Students visit Altamont School Thurs. 16 Fourth Grade Play Parents Performance 6:30 p.m. Spencer Center Fri. 17 Fourth Grade Play Students Performance 10:00 a.m Sat. 18 Crestwood Coffee See Page 2 for details Tues. 21 Preschool—8th Grade Admissions Open House Wed. 22 Noon Dismissal for All Students Sally Foster Orders Ready for Pick-up Parent/Teacher Conferences begin at Noon Thurs. 23 Parent Teacher Conferences Sally Foster Orders Ready for Pick-up

Dear Parents,

Over a dozen former faculty visited Highlands School last week for a luncheon in their honor. Included among the teachers were Carol Lacy, longtime business and development director, and Margaret Jean McDonald, former head of school. Enthusiastic and curious, they looked around, asked questions, and shared stories from the past.

After delighting in the fact that we are moving so strongly with our emphasis on technology, world languages in addition to academics, one of the teachers asked, almost sheepishly, ―Do you still have recess?‖ Amy Mendel and I answered in unison, ―YES!‖ This teacher had read a recent article in the Birmingham News about how many schools are foregoing recess in order to emphasize academics and boost test scores, and this news worried her. Ms. Mendel and I assured this wise woman that we are committed to recess for many reasons including the positive effects that unstructured outdoor time can have for physical, social, and academic progress.

As we celebrate so many of the obvious achievements of the school including rising test scores, global opportunities, multiple technological opportunities, musicals, brain-based teaching, and a rigorous academic curriculum, let us remember to be thankful for recess, too!

Kathryn Woodson Barr

Need a

Coffee

Break?

Parents who work in the

Downtown Area are invited

to join Kathryn Barr for an

afternoon coffee break at

DiscoveryBioMed, Inc. at

the Innovation Depot

1500 First Avenue North,

Suite L140

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Questions? Please contact

Peggy Darby

October 22 & 23 Parent/Teacher

Conferences

Have you made your ap-pointment yet? If not, if you are the Parent of a of 4

th – 8

th

grade student, please call the office to schedule an appointment. If you are the Parent of a Preschool – 3

rd

grade student, your child’s teachers will contact you to schedule your appointment.

Page 2

HIGHNOTES

Short

Notes

Kindergarten Classes Visit McWane Science Center

The kindergarten classes went to the McWane Science Center this week. The students first had time in the Adventure Hall with many hands on activities. Then they had a special demonstration in the Wonderlab on matter. Since they are discussing solids, liquids and gases in

their classrooms, this was an excellent follow up to their classroom instruction. There was also plenty of time to visit the World of Water, Alabama Dinosaurs, and the favorite Just My Size area. Everyone said this was a favorite field trip. After seeing all the busy hands, questions and smiles, their teachers would have to agree the kindergarten classes loved their first field trip of the year.

The Sixth Grade Students recently took a field trip to the Birmingham Botanical Gardens as a part of their science class. This annual field trip is always a lot of fun and a great way for the students to view a wide range of plants up close.

Sally Foster Orders will be delivered and ready for pick-up on

Wednesday, October 22.

To make the pick-up process easier for you, all Sally

Foster orders will be in your child’s classroom. This way you can pick up your orders following your conference.

Should you need to make

alternative arrangements to pick up your Sally Foster

order please contact Peggy Darby before

October 21.

Have you made your gift to the 2008 - 2009 Annual Giving

Campaign?

As of Friday, October 3, the Parent Participation by grade levels (posted on the board outside the

Business Office, pictured above) is as follows:

Preschool: 28% Fourth Grade: 33% Kindergarten: 29% Fifth Grade: 22% First Grade: 29% Sixth Grade: 22%

Second Grade: 33% Seventh Grade: 37% Third Grade: 28% Eighth Grade: 11%

This year’s goal is $150,000. As of Friday, October 3, donations and pledges to the campaign total $53,366.38. If you have not already done so, please consider making a pledge to help support the school you chose for your child. All pledges are due by the end of the fiscal year on June 30. 2009.

Join us for a Prospective Parent

Coffee at Crestwood Coffee

Company on Saturday, October 18, 2008 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. Contact Judy McDonald

for more information

HIGHNOTES Page 3

Highlands School Brownie Troop #32 visits Camp Coleman The 1st grade Brownie Troop #32 enjoyed a day of camping at Camp Coleman on Saturday, September 27th. The girls enjoyed riding horses, archery, arts and crafts and hiking through the woods. They also ate lunch in the Medieval fashion and were entertained with jugglers, queens and kings.

Remember the troop will be selling girl scout cookies this year!

Third grade presents “Rats!”

The third grade presented ―Rats!‖ , a delightful retelling of the story of the Piped Piper, on September 25

th and 26

th. The town of Hamelin

was overrun by musical rats who stole everything from books and bread to kisses from the town mayor. When the Piped Piper rescued the town by leading the rats away with his magical music the town council decided that they did

not have to fulfill their promise of payment for his services. The Piper then turned the children of the town into statues and only returned them to life after the people of the town insisted that the major live up to his promise. The mayor then reminded the town of Hamelin and our audience that a promise once made should always be kept.

Teachers Receive Apple Computer Training

On Friday, October 3 and Saturday, October 4th, Highlands School Faculty members received hands-on training to help increase their MAC computer expertise. This year a group of our teachers were issued Macbook laptops equipped with

both Apple and Windows operating systems to use in their classrooms and from home. The two days of training will help teachers integrate the student laptops into their curriculum. A special thank you to the teachers who gave up their Saturday to sit in class for several hours. We appreci-ate the teachers dedication to the implementation of technology in every aspect of the classroom.

Highlands Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

During the School-wide Community Meeting on Friday, October 3, the Middle School Spanish Students presented a PowerPoint program sharing information about Hispanic cultures and highlighting Hispanics who have excelled in their chosen careers.

Thank you to the students, and to Mr. Hoppe-McQueen, for helping us to recognize Hispanic Heritage Month!

HIGHNOTES Page 4

October 2008 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1

Day: 2

Color: Or-

ange

2

Day: 3

Color: Yel-

low

3

Day: 4

Color: Green

4

5

6

Day: 5

Color: Blue

7

Day: 1

Color: Red

8

Day: 2

Color: Or-

ange

9

Day: 3

Color: Yel-

low

10

WEATHER

MAKE-UP

DAY

11

12

13

Columbus

Day

Holiday

School/

Office

Closed

14

Day: 4

Color:

Green

15

Day: 5

Color: Blue

16

Day: 1

Color: Red

17

Day: 2

Color: Or-

ange

18

19

20

Day: 3

Color: Yel-

low

21

Day: 4

Color:

Green

22

Day: 5

Color: Blue

23

Parent/

Teacher Conferences

No

Students

24

Day: 1

Color: Red

25

26

27

Day: 2

Color: Or-

ange

28

Day: 3

Color: Yel-

low

29

Day: 4

Color:

Green

30

Day: 5

Color: Blue

31

Day: 1

Color: Red