👋🏻 Hello, Highlands Families!
October 16, 2025
🌎 Cultural Night 25-26
🫶🏻 Last Week of Quarter 1!
25-26 Theme: Better Together
SMSD Portrait of a Graduate
⏰ Daily Arrival & Dismissal:
Drop-off starts at 7:50 (stay on playground until 8:00 - inside MPR if inclement weather)
Enter classrooms at 8:00
Starting bell at 8:10
Breakfast starts at 7:50
Dismissal starts at 3:10
🌟 It has been an amazing start to Quarter 2 here at Highlands! Thank you for your engagement in our fall parent-teacher conferences. We are so grateful to have such an involvement and supportive parent community.
🌎 Cultural Night: A huge thank you to our PTA, our staff, and to all families that came out to celebrate the unique cultures that represent our two special schools!
🎡 PTA Carnival: October 24th 5:00-7:00! It’s almost time for one of our students’ favorite events of the year — the Highlands Carnival! Join us on Friday, Oct. 24, from 5–7 p.m. for an evening full of fun for the whole family.
Enjoy bounce houses, a cake walk, games, face painting, and food trucks — plus drinks sold by our 6th-grade class. The event is free to attend, with food and beverages available for purchase.
To make it all happen, we need your help! From staffing booths to donating items or helping with setup and cleanup, every volunteer makes a difference.
Review the available volunteer spots and sign up here.
Item donations can be dropped off in the school office any time before the carnival.
Thank you for helping make this a fun-filled evening for our Highlands students and families!
Go Hawks!
Laura LaHue, Principal
🗓️ Upcoming Dates:
October 17th: 🚫 No School - 👥 Parent/Teacher Conferences
October 21st: Dine to Donate at Freddy's
October 24th: 🎡 Carnival @ 5:00-7:00
October 31st: 🎃 Halloween Parade @ 2:00; Class Parties directly after at 2:15
November 3rd: 🚫 No School - Teacher Professional Learning
November 5th: PTA General Meeting @ 6:00
November 12-14th: Scholastic Book Fair
November 14th: Ruby Bridges Walk to School @ 7:15 am
November 24-28: 🚫 No School - Thanksgiving Break 🦃
🏆 Character Champs of the Week
Responsibility: I can take action and understand the impact of my choices.
Week #1
Week #2
🎙️ Shawnee Mission Mic'd Up Podcast
🎙️Season 3 Episode 5 “Acronym Academy”
“This week is a crash course in SMSD acronyms. Market Value Assets (MVAs) are a type of school credit that will be required of ALL SMSD graduates by 2030. Find out why these experiences will be mandatory and how they are already having an impact on students and community partners.”
Thank you to you and your team for helping us tell the SMSD story!