Highland County Public Schools

🇺🇸🚌 8th Grade Traveled to Washington, D.C.! 🏛️✨ Our 8th graders recently returned from an unforgettable trip to our nation’s capital! From touring monuments and museums to walking through history, they represented Highland with pride, curiosity, and respect. 🎓📚 We’re so proud of the memories they made and the learning they brought back with them! 🗽📸

A big THANK YOU to our wonderful Highland Parent Teacher Partnership for treating our staff to delicious sweet treats in celebration of Earth Day! 🌎🍪🌸 Your kindness and support are truly appreciated and made the day extra special! 💚😊

TOMORROW! 📚✨ 8th Grade Scheduling Meeting ✨📚 📅 Wednesday, April 23 🕖 7:00 PM 📍 HCPS Cafeteria Parents & guardians of rising 9th graders — join us for an important meeting about high school scheduling! 💬📝

🌎🚜 Underground Classroom Comes to Highland! 🐛🌱 Yesterday, our students had the amazing opportunity to explore the Headwaters Soil & Water Conservation District's Underground Classroom right here at school! 🏫✨ This hands-on experience taught students all about soil health, conservation, and the fascinating world beneath our feet. It was an educational adventure they won’t forget! A huge thank you to our incredible Highland Parent Teacher Partnership for making this visit possible! 💚🙌

🚌💛 Happy School Bus Driver Appreciation Day! 💛🚌 Today we celebrate our amazing bus drivers who safely transport our students each and every day — rain or shine, with a smile and a wave! 👋🚦 Cole, Ronnie, Billie, Doug, Vernon, Franny, Richard, Daniel, and Alan, Thank you for your dedication, patience, and the vital role you play in our school community. You truly go the extra mile! 🛑🥰👏 Drop a comment below to show some love to your favorite bus driver! 💬❤️ #ThankYouDrivers #SchoolBusDriverAppreciation

📢 Join Us for Our Highland Parent-Teacher Partnership Meetings! 📢 All Highland County Public Schools families are invited to attend! 🤝📚 🗓 Meeting Dates: ✅ April 22 ✅ May 27 ✅ June 24 ✅ July 29 ✅ August 26 🕖 Time: 7:00 PM 📍 Location: HES Library Come be a part of the conversation and support our schools! We look forward to seeing you there! 💙

📚✨ Highland Elementary’s 2nd and 3rd graders took a step back in time during a special visit to McDowell last week! 📍 As part of their study of “The Promise Quilt”—a story set in post-Civil War Virginia—students explored Highland’s rich history through hands-on learning experiences. 🧵🏛️ They toured the Mansion House Museum and its beautiful quilt exhibit , went on a scavenger hunt to find antique tools 🔍, and listened to local stories from Mr. Glenn Heatwole at Sugar Tree Country Store 🍬🪑. Each student even received a bottle of maple syrup to take home! 🍁 Lunch was enjoyed picnic-style indoors thanks to Mrs. Fran Siron and the McDowell Fire Department 🚒, who kindly opened their doors on a chilly day. ❄️ To top off the day, Mrs. Lori Botkin (in full 1860s attire!) led a tour of McDowell Presbyterian Church 🕍, where students saw real Civil War soldier carvings in the brick walls and reflected on the building’s role during the Battle of McDowell ⚔️. It was a day full of learning, imagination, and appreciation for our Highland County heritage! ❤️📖 #HighlandHistory #HandsOnLearning #PromiseQuiltAdventure

🧸✨ FREE Preschool Developmental Screening ✨🧸 📅 May 15, 2025 ⏰ 4-7 PM 👶 Ages Birth to 5 Years 🏡 Highland Residents Only 🚫 No Appointment Needed! 📞 Have questions? Call (540) 468-6308 🩺👂👀📚🧠 Screening Includes: ✅ Vision ✅ Hearing ✅ Language ✅ Motor Skills ✅ Cognitive Development Give your little one the best start! 💕👣

📲 Stay connected with HCPS on the go! Download our app today to keep up with all the latest updates, events, and announcements. Don’t miss a thing—HCPS at your fingertips! 🔔📚

🚨 We’re Hiring! 🚨 📢 Join our amazing team at Highland County Public Schools! ✨ We're looking for passionate, dedicated individuals to help make a difference in the lives of our students. 📍 Apply today and be part of something great! 📄 Visit our website for current openings: https://www.highland.k12.va.us/page/employment

📚✨ 8th Grade Scheduling Meeting ✨📚 📅 Wednesday, April 23 🕖 7:00 PM 📍 HCPS Cafeteria Parents & guardians of rising 9th graders — join us for an important meeting about high school scheduling! 💬📝

Dear Highland County Public Schools Community, Highland County Public Schools is currently seeking feedback on the items under review from the April 2025 School Board Meeting. To access the items under review, please visit the "Items Under Review" folder on the HCPS Website. We encourage you to carefully review the policies and provide your feedback based on your expertise and experience. Feedback may be left at HCPS@highland.k12.va.us. Thank you in advance for your valuable feedback and ongoing support in making Highland County Public Schools a thriving educational community. https://www.highland.k12.va.us/documents/district/items-under-review/374232

Highland County School Board Meeting Thursday, April 10, 2025 · 7:00pm Highland High School Library To join by Google Meet video: https://meet.google.com/euu-vmeb-din To join by phone: (US) +1 385-404-5305 ‪PIN: 672 082 330# Public Packet : https://5il.co/3coa2 Agenda Addendum : https://5il.co/3d6hu

Our 8th grade students have officially arrived in Washington, D.C.! We wish them a trip filled with meaningful experiences, lasting memories, and valuable learning opportunities as they explore our nation’s capital.

The furnace is now operational at the elementary school. Highland County Public Schools will operate on a normal schedule for all students tomorrow, April 9, 2025.

Highland Elementary School Families, As HCPS continues to address the furnace issue in the Elementary School, available high school space will be used to serve as many of our students as possible on Tuesday, April 8, 2025. Unfortunately, there is not enough classroom space to house all our elementary school students in the high school tomorrow. Therefore, grades 2, 3, 4, and 5 will have a traditional school day with classes held in high school classrooms made available for elementary use.  Pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and first grades will have a virtual learning day.  For students in grades 2-12, buses will run at normal times.  Our pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and first students will not be at school tomorrow and will have virtual assignments shared by their teachers. Highland County Public Schools apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause you and your family.

Special Education Workshop Series – Spring 2025 https://peatc.org/event/from-referral-to-eligibility-3/ PEATC presents this virtual workshop series for parents and professionals who want to learn more about special education in Virginia. Choose one, multiple, or all of these informative workshops to attend! April 9 – From Referral to Eligibility: This presentation takes you through the reasons for evaluations for special education services, timelines that are in place, and the all-important Eligibility meeting. It also covers the steps of a re-evaluation and the parental right to an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE). April 23 – Anatomy of an IEP May 7 – Measurable IEP Goals May 21 – Ins and Outs of IEP Meetings June 4 – Dispute Resolution Options Each workshop will start at 6:30 p.m. EST and will last approximately 1 to 1.5 hours.

Highland County Public Schools Families, Highland Elementary School continues to experience issues with the school furnace and maintaining adequate heat in the building. The heating system in the high school is functioning properly. While last week's warmer weather allowed us to remain in school, the forecast for this week is calling for significantly colder temperatures. We are currently assessing the situation and will make a decision about school later this evening. Highland County Public Schools is working with an HVAC company to make the necessary repairs and updates to our system. The company was on-site last week and plans to return tomorrow to continue their work. They are committed to doing everything within their control to restore some level of heat by tomorrow afternoon. The comfort and safety of our students and staff remain a top priority for HCPS. We will continue to work diligently to resolve this issue and will share additional information as it becomes available.

📚 April is School Library Month! 📚 Governor Glenn Youngkin has officially proclaimed April 2025 as School Library Month in the Commonwealth of Virginia—recognizing the vital role school libraries and librarians play in student success. We are incredibly proud to honor Mrs. Karen Sweeney, our dedicated school librarian, for her unwavering commitment to fostering a love of reading, promoting literacy, and supporting both students and staff every single day. Mrs. Sweeney creates a welcoming space where students not only discover books they love but also build essential skills in research, critical thinking, and digital literacy. Her passion, creativity, and knowledge make our library an invaluable resource to the entire school community. This month, and every month, we celebrate Mrs. Sweeney and the impact she makes on learning and growing minds. Thank you for all you do! 💙📖 #SchoolLibraryMonth #ThankYouMrsSweeney #LibraryLove #LiteracyMatters #VirginiaEducation

✨ After three days of hands-on pastry dough preparation, today marked a sweet and satisfying finale! 🧑‍🍳🥐 The Nutrition and Wellness class wrapped up with some stunning (and absolutely delicious) blueberry and cream cheese butter braids. 💙🧀 Our journey began with crafting a rough puff pastry, followed by a session of "rolling and folding" to develop those perfect buttery layers. Yesterday, we divided the chilled dough and carefully rolled it into rectangles. Then came the fun part — cutting diagonal strips, filling them with a rich cream cheese blend, dotting with fresh blueberries, and giving them another chill. ❄️ Today, we finally baked them to golden perfection, finished with a beautiful glaze, and of course — enjoyed every bite! 😋👏 Amazing work by Jordan, William, Evan, Ava, Hunter, and Caleb! 👏🎉