Are you interested in cheering and/or dancing for the 2026–2027 Highland Rams Winter Basketball Season? We want YOU!
It’s time to rebuild our team, bring back the excitement, and boost our Highland Rams spirit! We welcome anyone interested!
OUR FIRST GET-TOGETHER!
● When: Wednesday, November 4, 2026, right after school until 5:00 p.m.
● Where: Mrs. Ann’s Room
● What to bring: Workout clothes and a great attitude!
We would also love to have folks take on the exciting role of ROCKY THE RAM! If you are interested in being our mascot, please let Mrs. Ann or Ashley know!
We are excited about bringing everyone together, rebuilding our team, making memories, and creating an AMAZING cheer and dance season!
Let’s keep our RAM PRIDE going, keep the spirit and excitement alive throughout our school, and make this an unforgettable season!
If you would like to include a veteran, please email Katherine Springer at kspringer@highland.k12.va.us with the following information:
🇺🇸 A picture of the veteran during their military service
🇺🇸 Full name
🇺🇸 Branch of service
🇺🇸 Years of service
🇺🇸 Theaters of service (if applicable)
📅 Deadline: November 4 at 3:00 PM
Please submit all information by the deadline to allow time for the video to be finalized before Veterans Day.
If you submitted a veteran's information last year, you do not need to resubmit it! Previously submitted pictures and information will be included again unless you contact us to request updates or removal.
Thank you for helping us recognize and honor the brave men and women who have served our country. We look forward to celebrating our veterans with you! ❤️🤍💙
#HCPS #VeteransDay #HonoringOurVeterans
Highland High School middle school students enjoyed a wonderful evening at the Middle School Masquerade Ball!
Students dressed up, wore their favorite masks, and enjoyed a night filled with music, dancing, laughter, and memories with friends.
Thank you to everyone who helped make this special event possible! Our middle schoolers had a fantastic time! 🎶✨
We loved seeing our students participate in Spirit Week! While there were many highlights, one of our favorites was watching our elementary students parade through the secondary building.
Our middle and high school students came up with some very creative and interactive games for the elementary students to enjoy, making the experience even more special!
It was a beautiful reminder of what makes Highland County such a wonderful community. Seeing our students come together, support one another, and share their school spirit makes us proud to be Rams!
We look forward to hosting many more combined activities in the future. Thank you to everyone who helped make Spirit Week so special! 🐏
Our Highland County Public Schools students and staff had a blast dressing up for Spirit Week! From fun outfits to creative themes, everyone brought their school spirit and made each day a little more exciting.
Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make Spirit Week so much fun! Go Rams! 🐏
Are you interested in cheering and/or dancing for the 2026–2027 Highland Rams Winter Basketball Season? We want YOU!
It’s time to rebuild our team, bring back the excitement, and boost our Highland Rams spirit! We welcome anyone interested!
OUR FIRST GET-TOGETHER!
● When: Wednesday, November 4, 2026, right after school until 5:00 p.m.
● Where: Mrs. Ann’s Room
● What to bring: Workout clothes and a great attitude!
We would also love to have folks take on the exciting role of ROCKY THE RAM! If you are interested in being our mascot, please let Mrs. Ann or Ashley know!
We are excited about bringing everyone together, rebuilding our team, making memories, and creating an AMAZING cheer and dance season!
Let’s keep our RAM PRIDE going, keep the spirit and excitement alive throughout our school, and make this an unforgettable season!
Just a friendly reminder that there will be NO PRESCHOOL on Monday, November 2nd, due to Head Start Training.
We look forward to welcoming our little learners back on Tuesday!
Thank you for your understanding! 💙💛
Get ready for Pink Night at Highland High School! 💗
📅 November 6th
⏰ 6:00 PM
📍 HHS Gym
🎀 Wear Pink. Be Loud. Fight Proud. 🎀
Come out, show your support, and help us make a difference! All proceeds will support local families battling cancer. 💗
There will also be bake goods available! 🧁🍪
💗 Together we fight. Together we win. 💗
🏐🎀Mark your calendar and plan to join us! 🎀🏐
iteach Virginia is hosting a FREE virtual information session!
📅 Thursday, November 12, 2026
⏰ 4:00 p.m.
💻 Virtual via Zoom
Learn about iteach’s alternative route to teacher licensure, how to get started, and have your questions answered!
✅ Register here:
https://k12coalition.zoom.us/meeting/register/dFnaR88uTHW1WvmaEpwOyQ
Know someone interested in becoming a teacher? Please share this opportunity!
Highland County Public Schools is accepting applications for the position of Director of Technology.
We are seeking a knowledgeable, motivated professional to lead our division's technology operations, including network and systems administration, cybersecurity, student information systems, state reporting, and serving as the Division Director of Testing.
This is a 12-month position offering competitive benefits and the opportunity to make a meaningful impact in a small, supportive school division.
Flexible training opportunities may be available beginning January 2027.
Interested applicants are encouraged to visit our website for more details.
Website: https://www.highland.k12.va.us/page/employment
Highland County Public Schools is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Get ready to turn up the volume and show your support for our Highland County Public Schools Mid Kids Radio Club! 💜🎶
📻 Wednesday, 10/28th from 2:00–3:00 PM
🎙️ 89.7 FM WVLS
Tune in and hear our Mid Kids take to the airwaves! We’re excited to hear what they have to say and share this fun experience with our community.
Don’t miss it—tune in tomorrow from 2–3 PM! 📻✨
#HCPS #MidKidsRadioClub #897FM #WVLS #HighlandRams #StudentVoices
Highland County Public Schools invites our community to join us on Wednesday, November 11 th, as we honor and celebrate the brave men and women who have served our country.
🍳 Breakfast begins at 8:30 a.m.
🎖️ Veterans Day Program begins at 10:00 a.m.
📍 Location: Highland High School Gymnasium
This special celebration is an opportunity to express our gratitude to the veterans who have sacrificed so much to protect our freedoms. We are proud to honor all who have served and recognize the courage, dedication, and patriotism of our nation's heroes.
❤️🤍💙 Please join us as we come together as a community to say THANK YOU to our veterans!
We are forever grateful for your service and sacrifice. 💙🤍❤️
📻 Tune In to the Mid Kids Radio Club TOMORROW! 🎙️
Get ready to turn up the volume and show your support for our Highland County Public Schools Mid Kids Radio Club! 💜🎶
📻 Wednesday, 10/28 from 2:00–3:00 PM
🎙️ 89.7 FM WVLS
Tune in and hear our Mid Kids take to the airwaves! We’re excited to hear what they have to say and share this fun experience with our community.
Don’t miss it—tune in tomorrow from 2–3 PM! 📻✨
#HCPS #MidKidsRadioClub #897FM #WVLS #HighlandRams #StudentVoices
Highland County Public Schools is celebrating Spirit Week, October 27th–30th! 🎉 Get ready to show your school spirit, have some fun, and join in the excitement!
📅 HERE’S THE LINEUP:
💤 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27th – PJ DAY
Wear your favorite comfy clothes and cozy pajamas!
🌙 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28th – AFTER DARK: BLACKOUT DAY
Dress in black from head to toe and show off your darkest look!
🎬 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29th – DUO DAY
Team up with a friend and dress as your favorite movie duo!
📚 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30th – COSTUME DAY
Dress up in your favorite costume or as your favorite storybook character and bring your favorite stories to life!
Please remember, no masks or gruesome costumes.
💙💛 Let’s fill our hallways with school spirit, creativity, and lots of RAM PRIDE! We can’t wait to see everyone’s fun outfits each day!
📸 Don’t forget to show off your spirit and share the excitement!
GO RAMS! 🐏💙💛💙💛🐏 HCPS SPIRIT WEEK IS HERE! LET’S SHOW OUR RAM PRIDE! 🐏💛💙
If you would like to include a veteran, please email Katherine Springer at kspringer@highland.k12.va.us with the following information:
🇺🇸 A picture of the veteran during their military service
🇺🇸 Full name
🇺🇸 Branch of service
🇺🇸 Years of service
🇺🇸 Theaters of service (if applicable)
📅 Deadline: November 4 at 3:00 PM
Please submit all information by the deadline to allow time for the video to be finalized before Veterans Day.
If you submitted a veteran's information last year, you do not need to resubmit it! Previously submitted pictures and information will be included again unless you contact us to request updates or removal.
Thank you for helping us recognize and honor the brave men and women who have served our country. We look forward to celebrating our veterans with you! ❤️🤍💙
#HCPS #VeteransDay #HonoringOurVeterans
💙💛 LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO THIS EVENING? 💛💙
Come out and support the HCPS Lady Rams Volleyball teams as they hit the road for their first games of the Pioneer District Tournament Quarter Finals!! 🏐🎉
🏐 Varsity
📍 Travel to Bath County High School
⏰ Game begins at 6:00 PM
Bring your Rams pride and come cheer on our Lady Rams as they compete in the Pioneer District Tournament Quarter Finals! 💙💛
LET'S GO RAMS! 🐏🏐
If you would like to include a veteran, please email Katherine Springer at kspringer@highland.k12.va.us with the following information:
🇺🇸 A picture of the veteran during their military service
🇺🇸 Full name
🇺🇸 Branch of service
🇺🇸 Years of service
🇺🇸 Theaters of service (if applicable)
📅 Deadline: November 4 at 3:00 PM
Please submit all information by the deadline to allow time for the video to be finalized before Veterans Day.
If you submitted a veteran's information last year, you do not need to resubmit it! Previously submitted pictures and information will be included again unless you contact us to request updates or removal.
Thank you for helping us recognize and honor the brave men and women who have served our country. We look forward to celebrating our veterans with you! ❤️🤍💙
#HCPS #VeteransDay #HonoringOurVeterans
Monday, October 26th, is a Teacher Workday at Highland County Public Schools! 💙💛
🎉 CONGRATULATIONS, RAMS! 🐏 You’ve worked hard through the first nine weeks of school, and we are so proud of you! Take this day to relax, recharge, and celebrate all the learning and hard work you’ve accomplished so far! 📚👏
While our students enjoy a day off, our staff will be busy with planning, paperwork, meetings, and getting your REPORT CARDS READY! 📝📋
And, of course, they’ll be experiencing the strange feeling of it's a little too quiet around here! 😂🤫
We know our staff will miss our students terribly—the laughter, the endless questions, the excitement, and yes… even a little bit of the mischief! 🥰🐏
Enjoy your day off, Rams! You’ve earned it! 💙💛 We’ll be ready to welcome everyone back on Tuesday, October 27th as we start our next nine weeks!
#HCPSRams #TeacherWorkday #FirstNineWeeks #RamsPride #ReportCards 🐏💙💛
📣 Calling all students in grades 5–9 who live in Highland County! Students are welcome to participate whether they attend Highland County Public Schools, are homeschooled, or are part of the Amish or Mennonite community.
The Virginia Hunter Education Course will take place October 27 through November 10, 2026, giving students the opportunity to learn valuable outdoor skills and prepare for the upcoming deer season.
🌟 WHAT STUDENTS WILL LEARN:
🦌 Hunter safety and responsible hunting
🔒 Firearms safety
🌲 Outdoor skills and safety
📚 Virginia hunting license education requirements
📝 A license test administered at the end of the course
✅ The course is FREE!
📖 A Today's Hunter manual will be provided. Please stop by Highland Elementary School to pick up your copy and read it before class begins.
🏫 The course will take place during the school day, helping students prepare for the first day of deer season in 2026. Homeschool students are welcome!
📝 INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING?
Please complete the enclosed permission form and drop it off at the Highland Elementary School office. Sign up early!
📞 Questions? Contact Highland Elementary School at 540-468-6360.
Please share this post with Highland County families who may be interested! Let's help students in our community develop safe, responsible outdoor skills. 🦌💚
🚌💙💛 SCHOOL BUS SAFETY WEEK SPOTLIGHT: FRANNY NEIL 💛💙🚌
Highland County Public Schools is proud to spotlight Franny Neil, who has been driving a school bus for an incredible 34 years! That’s 34 years of early mornings, countless miles, wonderful memories, and safely transporting our students. But Franny’s dedication to HCPS goes far beyond the bus! ❤️
🚌 34 Years, Four Buses, and Almost Every Route!
Franny began her career transporting two students in wheelchairs on a special-needs bus. She later drove for Head Start when it was a half-day program, taking preschoolers home after lunch. She has driven every HCPS bus route except the Blue Grass route! This year, she received a brand-new bus, and one of her favorite features is finally having AIR CONDITIONING! 😎
📚 More Than a Bus Driver — Helping Students Succeed!
Franny has also served as a teacher’s aide throughout her years at HCPS, spending much of that time in the Distance Learning Lab. There, she helps students taking challenging courses to prepare for college or earn their associate degree before graduating from high school! 🎓
Whether behind the wheel or helping students reach their academic goals, Franny is always willing to step up and lend a hand wherever she’s needed.
😂 What Happens on the Bus… or Does It?
Franny has learned that kids don't keep family secrets — they tell EVERYTHING! 🤣 She has even learned about moms expecting babies before the news was shared with anyone else. The school bus can be the community's unofficial news network!
Her lost-and-found discoveries include shoes, socks, and even underwear! You never know what you'll find at the end of the route.
Keeping her bus in tip-top shape takes time, too. Franny spends about an hour and a half each week cleaning and maintaining it!
⚠️ Franny's Safety Reminder
STAY SEATED! 🚌 Franny reminds students to remain seated while the bus is moving to help keep everyone safe.
🎉 The Last Day of School Tradition!
One of Franny's favorite days is the last day of school! She circles the bus loop a second time, honking the horn while students cheer and wave goodbye to their teachers. Are they simply saying goodbye, or preparing to soak the teachers with water squirters and water balloons? 😂💦 It's a fun tradition that brings plenty of smiles!
🍔 A Childhood Memory Turned Tradition
When Franny was a little girl, her bus driver, June Burns, would stop at Odie's (Sportsman's Inn) on Pond Hill, most recently known as Jason's Pizza, for the best hamburgers around!
Franny has continued the tradition with her own riders, stopping at the store in McDowell so students can pick out chips and drinks. When Boo Boo and Charlie Moyers rode the bus, they would even call ahead to have sandwiches made! ❤️ These little traditions make bus rides about so much more than transportation.
💙💛 MORE THAN COWORKERS — ONE BIG BUS FAMILY! 🚌❤️
Franny remembers when fellow bus driver Jake Simmons was diagnosed with cancer. Without hesitation, the other drivers stepped up and covered his route so he could focus on what mattered most.
That's the Highland County way — neighbors helping neighbors and coworkers becoming family. Our drivers do more than transport children safely; they support one another and show how much they care.
🏐 Always Cheering for the RAMS! 🐏💙💛
You'll often find Franny in the stands at home games, cheering on her favorite team — the RAMS! Franny is a wonderful example of how HCPS employees go above and beyond to support our students and staff. Whether driving her route, helping in the Distance Learning Lab, or cheering on our athletes, she is always willing to help anyone who needs a hand!
💙💛 THANK YOU, FRANNY! 💛💙
Thank you for 34 years of dedication, laughter, kindness, and memories with Highland County Public Schools. From safely transporting students to helping them succeed academically and supporting our Rams, you make a difference in so many lives. We are thankful to have you as part of the HCPS family! ❤️
Remember, Rams: Stay seated, follow your driver's directions, and help keep every bus ride safe! 🐏🚌
#SchoolBusSafetyWeek #HCPSRams #BusDriverSpotlight #34YearsOfService #SafetyFirst #OnceARamAlwaysARam 💙💛