Highland County Public Schools

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! 👏🎉

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

📢 Now Accepting 2025-2026 Preschool Applications! 📝 Submit your application to: 📍 Highland Elementary School 📧 Or email Kim Call at call.kd@augusta.k12.va.us For more information and to access the application, visit our website: 🔗 https://www.highland.k12.va.us/page/preschool

📢 2025-2026 Application for Admission of Non-Resident Students 📢 Applications are now open and due by May 1, 2025! Application: https://5il.co/1dyvu If you are interested in enrolling a non-resident student at Highland County Public Schools for the upcoming school year, please submit your application before the deadline. For more details, contact the School Board office at (540) 468-6300. 📄✨

Invitation to Bid – 2025-2026 School Nutrition Services Highland County Public Schools is now accepting bids for Food and Supplies for the 2025-2026 school year. Interested vendors are invited to submit their proposals for consideration. For bid specifications and submission details, please visit: https://5il.co/3bu0w We appreciate your interest in supporting our School Nutrition Program!

UPDATE: MEETING CANCELLED Highland County School Board Called Meeting Monday, March 31, 2025 · 9:00am Highland High School Library To join by Google Meet video: https://meet.google.com/wzv-jjxe-kmp To join by phone: (US) +1 347-348-4193 ‪PIN: ‪‪721 800 660# Called Meeting Agenda: https://5il.co/3btru This meeting is dependent on the non-approval of the 2025-2026 HCPS budget at tonight's meeting. If the budget is approved, the meeting will be canceled.

Highland County School Board Budget Work Session & Called Meeting Thursday, March 27, 2025 · 6:00pm Highland High School Library To join by Google Meet video: https://meet.google.com/rqk-rpgx-ahq To join by phone: (US) +1 470-466-0135 ‪PIN: ‪‪ ‪965 616 291# Budget Work Session Agenda: https://5il.co/3bcuk Called Meeting Agenda Addendum: https://5il.co/3bcvj

📚✨ Highland Elementary’s fourth-grade class had an unforgettable day in Bath County on March 10th! 🏛️🎉 Students embarked on a historic tour of the Omni Homestead Resort, guided by Maggie Kaysak, the resort’s guest experience manager. They explored the stunning property and connected its rich history to the innovations of each decade, aligning perfectly with Virginia Social Studies objectives. This hands-on experience made learning about Virginia history both real and meaningful! Following the tour, students attended the Young Author’s Celebration at Bath County High School, celebrating creativity and storytelling. ✍️📖 A huge THANK YOU to Jennifer Blakley, Lynne Botkin, Cappie Hull, Alan Puffenbarger, and especially Maggie Kaysak with the Omni Homestead Resort & Spa for making this incredible learning adventure possible! 💙👏 #HES #HandsOnLearning #VirginiaHistory #YoungAuthorsCelebration

Highland County School Board Budget Work Session Thursday, March 27, 2025 · 6:00pm Highland High School Library To join by Google Meet video: https://meet.google.com/rqk-rpgx-ahq To join by phone: (US) +1 470-466-0135 ‪PIN: ‪‪ ‪965 616 291# Budget Work Session Agenda: https://5il.co/3bcuk Called Meeting Agenda: https://5il.co/3bcvj

📢 Join Us for Our Highland Parent Teacher Partnership Meetings! 📢 All Highland County Public School families are welcome to attend! 🤝📚 🗓 Meeting Dates: ✅ March 25 ✅ April 8 ✅ April 22 🕖 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! 💙

HHS will offer the SAT School Day on Wednesday, April 2 📝🎓 📅 Register by TOMORROW, March 25th! 🔗 Sign up here: https://forms.gle/MuRoNbYBRMiVCoPb6

🧸✨ 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! 💕👣