Dear Highland Families,

Welcome to the 2016-2017 School Year! I hope that everyone has had a restful and relaxing summer. We have certainly had a lot happening here at Highland the past few months. From virtually the time students walked out of the building in June, the construction team from Mallick Mechanical has been hard at work preparing for, and installing, a brand new HVAC system on the right side of the building. This is a very comprehensive project, hence the reason only one half of the building will be completed this summer. The team from Mallick will finish the rest of the project next summer. In addition to the HVAC project, the music room downstairs is undergoing a complete remodel of its own. Thanks to some local business partners, such as Live Nation, Ms. Nelson’s classroom will be turned into a state-of-the-art music room.

As far as our students are concerned, many of them have been very busy this summer at one of the three programs offered by MCPS (ELO, ELO STEP, and BELL). We were extremely fortunate to have such gracious school hosts in Viers Mill ES and Sargent Shriver ES, who hosted our students in these respective programs.

Michelle and I both took advantage of the “quiet” building this summer to get away with our families. She spent a week in Miami, FL with her family visiting her father, along with a week in the Outer Banks, NC with friends and family. I spent two weeks in Cape Coral, FL once school let out and also a week in the Outer Banks with friends and family. As the parent of a rising high school junior, we also took the time to make some preliminary college visits to the University of Miami and the University of Florida, both of which were exquisite campuses. Obviously, I am writing this newsletter to parents of elementary school children, but it is never too late to begin saving for college. I, myself, can’t believe how fast the time has gone, nor can I believe how expensive it is to send your students to school nowadays. If you haven’t done so already, I would recommend speaking with your financial advisor about a 529 Plan, as that is a great way to start your savings plan. Bell Times The school day for Highland students runs from 9:00 a.m. to 3:25 p.m. Students will be allowed in the building at 8:35 a.m. and breakfast will be served in the classroom at 8:50 a.m. Instruction will begin at 9:00 a.m. and any students arriving after 9:00 a.m. will be marked tardy. Students will be dismissed promptly at 3:25 p.m.

Morning and Afternoon Procedures All parents and visitors who enter the building must sign in at the main office and receive a visitor’s sticker. Parents are welcome to walk their child to class before 9:00 a.m. The instructional day begins at 9:00 a.m. Students who arrive after 9:00 a.m. will be marked tardy. Parents are not permitted to walk their child to class after 9:00 a.m. to avoid disrupting classroom instruction.

Dismissal begins at 3:25 p.m. Parents are permitted to enter the building at 3:15 p.m. Students who will be picked up by a parent/guardian will be waiting in the cafeteria. Parents should wait in a line outside of the cafeteria until the doors are opened. Parents should make sure to see the classroom teacher before taking their child home. Parents who need to pick up their child early (i.e. for medical appointments) must arrive in the office before 3:05 p.m. The end of the day can be extremely busy with teachers giving important last minute directions and homework assignments, therefore we ask that parents arrive before 3:05 p.m. if they need to pick up their child early. If a parent arrives after 3:05 p.m., they will be asked to wait until students are dismissed at 3:25 p.m.

Moving On The following staff members have taken on new roles in life, or at other schools, for the ’16-‘17 school year. We wish each of them the best of luck with their new endeavors:

WHO? WHAT? WHERE? Amy Cleaveland Bates 0.1 General Music Forest Knolls ES Randolph Greene Building Services Night Weller Road ES Leader Natalie Hambrecht Staff Development Teacher Gaithersburg ES Lacey Moradel Kindergarten Teacher Dr. Charles Drew ES Carol Waldecker Attendance Secretary Retired Susan Wells SPED Resource Teacher Retired New Faces & Places Please join me in welcoming the following staff members to the Highland family. WHO? WHAT? FROM? TBD Building Services Assistant Manager TBD 0.5 Math Focus Position TBD 0.2 General Music TBD Math Paraeducator Lara Chirichella 0.5 Reading Intervention Broad Acres ES Elizabeth Edlind 0.2 Art Teacher Long-Term Leave Ashley Kight 4th Grade Teacher New Hire Shirley Lopez Attendance Secretary Sligo Creek ES Shelly Niverth Staff Development Teacher Viers Mill ES Alexandria Shivers SPED Teacher New Hire Tiffany Tapscott 0.5 ESOL Teacher Child-Care Leave

In addition, the following staff member will be taking on a new role here at Highland for the upcoming school year: WHO? WHAT? FROM? Rebecca San Sebastian Primary Talent Development Math Focus Teacher Coach

Finally, we have several staff members who will begin the school year on maternity leave or soon thereafter:

WHO? Long-Term Substitute Return Date Becky Beadling Gwendolyn Hills October 27th (ESOL) Kim Ferguson Mary Dixon November 21st (Grade 1) Tina Privette TBD October 26th (Paraeducator) Patti Rehfield TBD January, 2017 (School Nurse) Holly Warner Cecilia Shannon Mid-October (Grade 2) Back to School Night for Kindergarten Parents We will be having a special back to school night for parents of students entering Kindergarten on Thursday, August 25th from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. This will be an opportunity for parents to learn basic information about the Kindergarten program and meet the Kindergarten teachers.

Back to School Night for Grade 1-5 Parents Back to School Night for parents of students in Grades 1-5 will be held on Wednesday, September 7th from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Please note the change in day of the week, as we normally host this event on Thursday(s). This was made to accommodate the many staff members we have with their own children so that they can attend their respective Back-to-School Night(s) at their home school(s).

Open House, Friday, August 26th Our annual Open House is scheduled for Friday, August 28th from 10:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. Class lists will be posted at the front entrance to the school. Parents and students are invited to come in and meet their teacher(s) and other staff.

Highland Back-to-School Picnic On Thursday, September 1st from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. we are going to hold our 7th annual Highland Back-to-School Picnic for students and their families. Please mark your calendars for this fun-filled event that will include games, a DJ, and opportunities for families to purchase food during the event. Stay tuned for more details…

Pre-Kindergarten/Head Start Classes Parents can now register children who will be 4 years old on or before Sept. 1 for the 2016-2017 Prekindergarten and Head Start programs. Applications are accepted Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. at Rocking Horse Road Center, 4910 Macon Road in Rockville. Call 301-230-0676 for more information. Pre-Kindergarten and Head Start teachers will be contacting parents to schedule a home visit. Your child’s teacher will tell you what the first day of school will be for your child, as classes begin later for these students than they do for those attending kindergarten through fifth grade.

Breakfast and Lunch Updates We are excited that Highland will remain again in the Maryland Meals for Achievement (MFFA) program for the upcoming school year. For those of you new to the school, what that means, simply, is that a free breakfast is served to ALL students in the classrooms before the start of school each day. While students do not have to eat the breakfast, each child in the building has the opportunity to eat if they so desire. During the first week of school, we will send home new applications for free or reduced meals. We are asking that every student return this form, regardless of whether they are applying. More information will be sent home with this form Lunch: $2.55 Reduced Lunch: $.40

Take Note! Important Dates! Thursday, August 25th Back to School Night, Kindergarten, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Friday, August 26th Open House, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Monday, August 29th First Day of School, Grades K-5 Thursday, September 1st Highland Back-to-School Picnic, 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday, September 5th Labor Day, No School for Students Wednesday, September 7th Back to School Night (Gr.1-5), 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday, September 12th No School for students and teachers Friday, September 30th Early Release Day for Students

Enjoy the rest of your summer! We look forward to a great year and to seeing everyone at our Open House on August 26th at 10:00 a.m.

Sincerely,

Scott Steffan Michelle Piket Principal Assistant Principal