Highland Middle School

New requirements from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has District 70 discontinuing e-learning this school year.

Last year, District 70 adopted e-learning as an innovative approach to counting emergency days as the days of actual student attendance. The model District 70 employed in 2018-19 had students choose from a variety of activities that accounted for approximately 40 minutes. But this year, ISBE changed the parameters with a five-hour requirement for school districts to adhere to consider e-learning as an actual day of student attendance. This has presented a challenge for District 70 staff to create enough learning activities to meet the increased time requirement, including tasks that can be accomplished by 5- and 6-year-olds. There also is no guidance from ISBE this year regarding students requiring special education services.

E-Learning will be reviewed by district staff for future development. 

As such, District 70 students will need to make up missed school days due to Snow Days or other complications that call for emergency school closure at the end of the school year in June 2020. State law requires school districts to prepare for this by adding five emergency days at the end of every year. 

• No missed school days        ------------  School ends June 3, 2020
• District 70 closed 9/13/19  ------------ School ends June 4, 2020   (Butterfield loses power, HMS flooding during a severe storm) 

• Second day closed ------------    School ends June 5, 2020. 
• Third day closed     ------------    School ends June 8, 2020. 
• Fourth day closed   ------------    School ends June 9, 2020.
• Fifth day closed      ------------    School ends June 10, 2020. 

Please plan accordingly. 

District 70 is initiating a new communication tool for the community known as Board Briefs. Board Briefs are designed to highlight important conversations and decisions made on behalf of students, families, staff, and the larger community by the District 70 School Board at each monthly School Board meeting.

Keep up with the latest D70 news by reading Board Briefs posted on our website under Board. 

The online report card window for Trimester 1 is now open on PowerSchool for parents.  To access your child's report card when using the desktop version of PowerSchool, simply click on Grade History in the left sidebar on the home screen once you log into the program. You will only be able to view the report card if you are signing in under a parent account.  You will then use the link provided to view.  The online report card window for Trimester 1 will remain open for the next two weeks.

During an Oct. 28 school board meeting, The Libertyville School District 70 School Board unanimously hired John Herrin as the new Finance Director to begin on July 1, 2020.

Herrin, currently the chief business officer in Consolidated Community School District 46 in Grayslake, will replace Dr. Kurt Valentin. Valentin, assistant superintendent of finance and operations, has been with the district 20 years and is retiring at the end of June 2020.   

Use the link below to get information regarding a Parent Night on Building Resilience: Understanding Adolescent Stress & Anxiety on Tuesday, December 10, 2019, 7:00pm - 8:00pm @ Highland Middle School - Learning Center

BUILDING RESILIENCE INFO

District 70 takes closing schools seriously. When the decision is made due to inclement weather or power outages in schools, District 70 uses an emergency notification system to deliver phone calls and emails about school closings or safety emergencies.

For more information about school closings, please read the FAQ.

 There also now is an option to opt-in to receive the information via text by texting 67587 with either Y or YES as the message you send. (This will not be activated for 48-hours from when you opt-in.) This text (SMS) service only will be used in the event of school closings or a school emergency.

Congratulations to this weeks’ Classy Students of the Week! 

Attention all Highland Students. We are in search of talent for this year’s Student Talent Show. The Talent Show will be at the beginning of February, but we wanted to give you time to think about and prepare your act. Auditions will be right after we return from break on January 9th and 10th after school. Start thinking about your acts! Forms are already available in the cafeteria or from Mrs. Battaglia or Mrs. Van Dyke. 

Calling all 8th Graders: tonight from 7pm-9pm. There is an 8th grade dance! The theme is Glow so we hope you go! Jeans, shorts, athletic clothing cannot be worn. Highland dress code must be following. Admission will be a $2 donation for our charity or a non-perishable food item. Please also bring your Student ID to get in the dance. 

Bonjour. Hoh - Hoh - Hoh. Do you like eating chocolate, cheese, or croissants? Do you enjoy wearing silly hats or putting paper fish on your back? Have you ever wanted to learn about all things French? If so, then French Club is for you! There will be French Club informational meetings on Monday, December 9th and Wednesday, December 11th during recess in Room 121. Please attend one meeting during your recess. Please see Mrs. Rosen in Room 121 with any questions. 

All are invited to join the Speech Club! Highland Speech Clubs meet during lunch in preparation for the Speech Festival in March. 7th grade will meet in Mrs. Dirst's room on Monday, and 8th grade will meet in Mrs. Dunlap's room on Monday. Bring your lunch to the room! All those interested in joining 6th grade Speech Club should come to Mrs. Varghese's room, 105 today during the first half of 6th period for an informational meeting.

Congratulations to the 8th Grade Girls' Basketball Team on closing out the regular season with a win over Carl Sandburg. The girls' have earned the Number 1 seed in the Conference Tourney, which begins on Tuesday. Good luck ladies!
 

• Nov. 27-29 - No school. Thanksgiving. 

• Dec. 20, 2019 - Jan. 3, 2020 No school. Winter Break

All are invited to join the Speech Club! Highland Speech Clubs meet during lunch in preparation for the Speech Festival in March. 7th grade will meet in Mrs. Dirst's room on Monday, and 8th grade will meet in Mrs. Dunlap's room on Monday. Bring your lunch to the room! All those interested in joining 6th grade Speech Club should come to Mrs. Varghese's room, 105 during the first half of 6th period tomorrow for an informational meeting.

Calling all 8th Graders: save the date, December 6th from 7pm-9pm. There is an 8th grade dance! The theme is Glow so we hope you go! Jeans, shorts, athletic clothing cannot be worn. Highland dress code must be following. Admission will be a $2 donation for our charity or a non-perishable food item. Please also bring your Student ID to get in the dance. 

Congratulations to the 8th grade Girls' Basketball team on their win yesterday against Edgewood. Outstanding! Good luck in your final home game today against Carl Sandburg. Come out and cheer them on!

The approved calendar for the 2019-20 school year in Libertyville School District 70. 

Just a reminder, please bring in items for the Haven to your Studio One. Our collection ends December 17th! Do your part to help make someone’s holiday a little brighter.

All are invited to join the Speech Club! Highland Speech Clubs meet during lunch in preparation for the Speech Festival in March. 7th grade will meet in Mrs. Dirst's room on Monday, and 8th grade will meet in Mrs. Dunlap's room on Monday. Bring your lunch to the room! All those interested in joining 6th grade Speech Club should come to Mrs. Varghese's room, 105 during the first half of 6th period this Friday for an informational meeting.

All Highland orchestra young musicians must take their instrument home tonight. See you at LHS Thursday morning. 

Calling all 8th Graders: save the date, December 6th from 7pm-9pm. There is an 8th grade dance! The theme is Glow so we hope you go! Jeans, shorts, athletic clothing cannot be worn. Highland dress code must be following. Admission will be a $2 donation for our charity or a non-perishable food item. Please also bring your Student ID to get in the dance. 

Do you like to bake? Join the fourth annual Bûche (boosh) de Noel Contest. Come to the informational meeting today after school in Mrs. Cholewin's room, 153. The meeting will only last 10 minutes. If you cannot attend the meeting, please see Mrs. Cholewin for more information. We hope to see you there!

Calling all 8th Graders: save the date, December 6th from 7pm-9pm. There is an 8th grade dance! The theme is Glow so we hope you go! Jeans, shorts, athletic clothing cannot be worn. Highland dress code must be following. Admission will be a $2 donation for our charity or a non-perishable food item. Please also bring your Student ID to get in the dance. 

Congratulations to the 8th grade Girls' Basketball Team on their win yesterday at home against Northwood. Way to go!

Do you like to bake? Join the fourth annual Bûche (boosh) de Noel Contest. Come to the informational meeting tomorrow after school in Mrs. Cholewin's room, 153. The meeting will only last 10 minutes. If you cannot attend the meeting, please see Mrs. Cholewin for more information. We hope to see you there!

Thanks to everyone that brought in items for the Canned Food Drive. The winners for each grade will get their choice of a donut party or a pizza party. The winning Studio Ones are: 6th grade - Mr. Romano's, 7th grade, Mrs. Chapman's and for 8th grade we have a tie - for Mrs. Grant and Mrs. Langlie's Studio Ones. 

Our collection for the Haven has started today and runs through December 17th. Please remember first to bring in the needed items to your Studio Ones and then place them in a present box in front of the Haven bulletin board (outside of the Counseling Office.)  Look around the building and in your Studio One to see posted what items are needed. As the Pillar of Citizenship exemplifies, we should all do our best to help others in need, especially around the holiday time. Studio One teachers can send students down to the Counseling Center with donations throughout the drive or wait until the end of the drive. 

Calling all 8th Graders: save the date, December 6th from 7pm-9pm. There is an 8th grade dance! The theme is Glow so we hope you go! Jeans, shorts, athletic clothing cannot be worn. Highland dress code must be following. Admission will be a $2 donation for our charity or a non-perishable food item. Please also bring your Student ID to get in the dance.