Highland County Public Schools

We are pleased to share an excellent scholarship opportunity for graduating high school seniors! The Virginia Association of School Business Officials (VASBO) is offering three scholarships to support students pursuing higher education. One of the awards is the Edie Williams Scholarship valued at $2,000, established in honor of a past VASBO president, and the other two awards are valued at $1,500 each.

To be eligible, applicants must be the child, grandchild, stepchild, or step-grandchild of a VASBO member in good standing, with the sponsor having maintained membership for at least three consecutive years (not counting the current year). Recipients are selected based on academic achievement, character, community involvement, and career goals.

All application materials — including a personal statement (200 words or fewer), two letters of recommendation, and a current high school transcript — must be submitted online by April 1st. Scholarship recipients will be recognized at the VASBO Spring Conference and Cardinal Award Luncheon.

Learn more and apply: https://www.vasbo.org/scholarships

🎓 Teacher Scholarships Available 🍎

Great news for future educators! The Shenandoah Valley Chapter of Phi Delta Kappa (PDK) is offering $1,000 scholarships to support students pursuing a career in education.

📌 Who can apply?
Members of Educators Rising
Teach for Tomorrow participants
High school seniors planning to major in education

👉PDK International Scholarship:
Apply online at pdkintl.org/pdk-scholarship/

👉Shenandoah Valley Chapter Scholarship:
Print your PDK International application or complete the fillable local application
Mail a hard copy to:
Dr. Michelle Crotteau
Scholarship Chairperson
2713 Sunrise Dr.
Broadway, VA 22815

📅 Important Dates:
Application deadline: March 20
Recipients notified: Early April
Scholarship awarded: April 23

📧 Questions?
Contact Dr. Crotteau at michelle.crotteau@gmail.com

Please share with students and families who may be interested in pursuing a career in education!

🎨 Looking for a unique gift or a special piece to brighten your home?
Our talented Art Club students are creating handcrafted painted glass art — each piece is one-of-a-kind and available in multiple sizes.

✨ Custom orders welcome!
🖼️ 8x10 – $30
🖼️ 11x14 – $50

Your purchase helps support our young artists and their creative projects.

📧 To place an order, email Mrs. Justine at:
👉 jdeeds@highland.k12.va.us

🎈First grade students have been hard at work in Mrs. Wood’s PE class, focusing on developing hand-eye coordination through fun and engaging activities. As part of the lesson, students took on a challenge and created their own Challenge Posters, proudly adding their names and recording how many times they could hit a balloon without letting it touch the floor.

Great effort by our first graders as they build skills, confidence, and a love for staying active!

🖌️🎨 Mrs. Justine's Crafts class has been exploring linocut printing and putting their creativity to work! Students sketched their own original designs, carefully carved them using linocut carving tools, and created practice prints before transferring their final designs onto canvas tote bags.

📘🎓 Celebrate your Highland County High School senior with a personal yearbook ad! This is a special way to recognize their accomplishments, memories, and journey through school.

💰 Ad Pricing:
Full Page – $125
½ Page – $75
¼ Page – $45

⚠️ Seniors only
📅 Deadline to order: February 2, 2026
🖥️ How to order:
1️⃣ Visit https://plicbooks.com/go/JJBE6Q
2️⃣ Follow the on-screen prompts to purchase your ad
3️⃣ Watch for an email with login instructions
4️⃣ Log in, design your ad, and submit

📎 Need help designing your ad?
Detailed instructions can be found here:
https://support.captura.io/en/articles/6643457

❗ All ad sales are final
📧 Questions? Contact Julie Jessee at jjessee@highland.k12.va.us

Don’t miss this opportunity to leave your senior a lasting memory in the yearbook! 🎉

🤝🎓 Dr. Nycum and Mrs. Obaugh represented Highland County Public Schools at the Bridgewater College job fair yesterday, connecting with future educators and sharing information about opportunities within HCPS.

We appreciate their efforts in recruiting talented professionals and promoting the great work happening in our schools!

The Drama Club performance of An Enemy of the People by Henrik Ibsen, which was scheduled for this evening, has been canceled. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding.

Support HES with Kroger Community Rewards! 🏫💙

It's easy to give back to our school while you shop!

🛒 How to Enroll:
1️⃣ Sign into your Kroger Plus account at kroger.com/account/communityrewards
2️⃣ Enter our school’s code: HV521
3️⃣ Link your account and start earning rewards for HES!

Every purchase you make helps support our students and school programs. Thank you for your support! 🙌✨

#HESCommunity #KrogerRewards #SupportOurSchool

❄️ Due to weather conditions, the WVPEC Teacher Job Fair has been rescheduled!

📅 New Date: Friday, January 31, 2026
⏰ Time: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
📍 Location: Salem Civic Center

👩‍🏫 Now Hiring — 500+ Vacancies!
We are seeking:
✔️ PreK–12 teachers (all areas)
✔️ School counselors, nurses, and administrators
✔️ Licensed educators, those in the licensure process, and individuals interested in becoming licensed

🌟 Why Apply?
• Make a positive impact on a child’s life
• Opportunities across 18 public school divisions
• Full-time benefits, including health insurance and 401(k)

🔗 Learn more & preregister: WVPEC.org
📧 Questions? office@wvpec.org

We look forward to seeing you there—please help us spread the word!

⏰🔔 Friendly Reminder for Families! 🔔⏰

Please note our student drop-off times:
📅 Regular school days: 7:45 a.m.
❄️ 2-hour delay days: 9:45 a.m.

For student safety, please do not drop off students before these times. Thank you for your cooperation and support! 😊🏫

🌎✨ Ms. B's second graders have been hard at work designing dioramas that showcase the landscapes where the Powhatan, Lakota, and Pueblo Native American tribes lived. 🏞️🏕️ Their creativity and learning truly shine—great job, second grade! 🎨👏

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and our Floral Design students are excited to offer Valentine’s Day flower arrangements for purchase!

We currently have three beautiful designs available, perfect for a spouse, child, friend, or even yourself. In addition, we are happy to create custom arrangements—just let us know what you have in mind. Custom orders must be placed by January 27 to ensure availability.

🌸 Order using the link below:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdUWXucRiBvZa0hFeSzGbNczf4vLunG79WHnZDrv9hvgqiPpA/viewform?usp=header

Thank you for supporting our students and helping make Valentine’s Day extra special with flowers!

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Mrs. Neil at jcneil@highland.k12.va.us.

📵✨ Tech-Free Tuesdays! ✨📵

Highland County Public Schools has kicked off a new tradition—Tech-Free Tuesday—and it’s happening all year long! Each Tuesday, our students and staff set aside devices to focus on hands-on learning, creativity, and face-to-face connections. 💡📚✏️

We’re excited to keep building this tradition and seeing the great things that happen when we go screen-free—together!

Due to the cold weather advisory for Highland County and continued negative wind chill temperatures, Highland County Public Schools will operate on a two-hour delay tomorrow, January 20, 2026. Please stay safe and warm!

📱✨ Stay Connected with HCPS! ✨📱

Want the latest school news, event updates, and important alerts right at your fingertips? Download the Highland County Public Schools Mobile App today!

✅ Stay up to date on announcements
✅ Access calendars and schedules
✅ Get quick notifications right to your phone

Don’t miss a thing—download the app now and stay connected with our school community! 💙

🇺🇸 Our kindergarten students proudly led the Pledge of Allegiance at Thursday’s School Board meeting and followed it with a heartfelt performance of a patriotic song.

Their confidence, enthusiasm, and school pride made the evening especially meaningful for all in attendance. Thank you to our students and Mrs. Ann for sharing such a wonderful moment with our School Board and community.

🗓️ 2026-2027 School Calendar Approved

The Highland County School Board has approved the 2026-2027 school calendar!

View the approved calendar here:
https://aptg.co/39NQps

All school calendars can be found on our website:
https://www.highland.k12.va.us/documents/district/school-calendars/351757

📢 School Board Meeting Time Update

The Highland County School Board has changed the meeting start time back to 7:00 p.m.

🗓 Next Meeting: Thursday, February 12, 2026
⏰ Time: 7:00 p.m.
📍 Location: Highland High School Library

For additional information, please visit:
https://www.highland.k12.va.us/page/school-board1

We encourage community members to attend and stay engaged.