Highland P.S. is going online!

We hope you take the time to fill these out and submit them.  This is a secure way to submit information, and you don’t have to worry about lost forms!

Volunteering At Highland  We have many wonderful committees here at Highland, and we hope you can be part of them!

Strong Start Reading Program  Help our students develop a love of reading!

SPIKE Home Reading  Encourage our students to read each night!

Fun Fact: Just having our First Day forms online is going to save Highland over 2,000 copies!

FYI: Kiss N’ Ride: To have your child picked up at the end of the day at Kiss N’ Ride, please contact the Office or send a note to your child’s teacher. Be sure to include who is picking up the child.

 

Our Vision

Our caring community promotes academic excellence in a creative, collaborative environment that fosters the unique potential of each individual.

Our School

Highland Public School was opened in September 1952 as a 14 room school for 300 students by the former Galt School Board and the City of Galt. It is now part of the Waterloo Region District School board and is a kindergarten to grade 6 school.

Our Students

Currently there are approximately 500 students enrolled at Highland PS from junior kindergarten to grade 6. A diverse student population is drawn from the surrounding neighborhood, as well as from other sites in the region due to our French Immersion program. Many of our children are second or even third generation Highland students demonstrating our solid community foundations.

After grade 6 students go to St. Andrews Sr. P.S. for grades 7 to 8 and then Southwood Secondary School or, for French Immersion, Galt CI for grades 9 to 12.

Our Staff

The Highland staff is a dedicated and energetic team of teachers, paraprofessionals and support staff who together are committed to providing and serving the needs of the whole child. They collaborate to provide our students with meaningful experiences and quality programs designed to challenge and inspire our young learners. All of our teachers are qualified teachers with the Ontario College of Teachers certification. Many hold additional qualifications and specialist designations. Through continuous professional development and training involvements they individually contribute unique interests to the classroom to enhance the educational experiences of our children and to create a dynamic learning environment.

Parents and Community

Our school council is a volunteer group of parents who function within the parameters of the Ministry of Education and the Waterloo Region District School Board policy. Their role is to advise administration, to help set the priorities of the school, complement the educational experiences of our children through various community activities, and to support our School Improvement Plan through many fundraising initiatives. This group meets on the first Wednesday of each month. The meetings are open to all community members.

The support of our parents and other community members is outstanding at Highland. Volunteers are in our school daily working in classrooms to support both teachers and students, assisting in the office to support our safe arrival mandates and by supporting off-campus excursions as supervisors.

Academic Programs

Highland Public School is a dual track school. We offer programs in English as well as French Immersion. All students in our region begin their Core French instruction at the grade one level. For those choosing the immersion stream half of the mandated subjects are delivered in French beginning at the grade one level.

All programs are delivered through a Balanced School Day format. The school day is divided into three instructional blocks broken up by two 40 minute nutrition/activity breaks. Kindergarten is delivered as a full day every day program.

We are continually adding to the supply of essential resources and materials for hands-on learning in literacy and numeracy. An extensive book room of leveled reading texts and other collections is maintained to support literacy initiatives. A collection of books in English and French is available through our Home Reading Program. Our Mathematics and Science & Technology resource rooms provide the supports needed to complement quality program in these essential program areas.

We offer a range of other complementary programs aimed at developing literacy skills in the important early years. These include the Strong Start program that is provided by a trained team of volunteers, an Early Literacy Intervention program which is the responsibility of a specially trained teacher as well as access to a teacher for English Language Learners. Educational excellence is a priority at Highland.

Special Education Programs

We have specially trained Special Education Resource Teachers (SERTS) who work with our team of paraprofessionals (Educational Assistants, Child and Youth Worker) to address the individual requirements of our special needs children. This programming is provided in the classroom, through in-class support or on a withdrawal basis as needs dictate. By working cooperatively with the classroom teacher, a Board level multi-disciplinary team of consultants and itinerant professionals are able to provide the necessary opportunities in the best manner possible. We currently offer two specialized reading programs from Sick Children’s Hospital entitled “Empower” and Corrective Reading”. Highland also offers “enrichment” program opportunities in the school and through area programs.

Safe Schools Initiatives

At Highland Public School we promote and encourage our students to be good citizens by always demonstrating caring, cooperation, courtesy and common sense both at work and at play.

This is symbolized by SPIKE our school mascot who stands for:

Safe at Work and Play

Positive Words

I am Responsible

Kind to All Living Things

Everyone Matters

This set of expectations is the basis of our “Code of Conduct”. It is the common language we use to foster and support our students’ daily efforts in making positive and proactive decisions related to self, property and others.

Being a safe, secure and positive working and play environment is a highest priority at Highland.

Facilities and Resources

Our welcoming, bright entrance foyer houses our community information bulletin board. We have twenty-one classrooms, and a large library/computer lab facility, as well as various other small conference rooms and resource. Our gymnasium is outfitted with a fold-down stage and sound system for concerts and whole school community events.

Outside we have three distinct play areas. The internal courtyard, defined by the u-shape of the main building, is used by students wishing to use the basketball hoops and the painted tarmac games. The kindergarten courtyard area provides tarmac games for the younger students and is a sheltered shady area defined by the gymnasium. The open field area is completely surrounded by mature Carolinian forest and includes a soccer/football pitch with goal posts as well as a baseball diamond with screened backstop. Two creative area play structures complement our schoolyard.

Highland is very fortunate to be located across from Victoria Park with its mature woods, naturalized area, tennis courts, field and play structures.

Clubs and Activities

Highland PS provides many opportunities for students to explore interests and skills outside of the classroom.  Intramural and extramural school sport activities are offered each season. An annual running club is provided each spring and culminates in Highland PS. hosting its popular “Highland Hustle” cross-country run. Participation in the annual Cambridge Skating Races is also a tradition we continue to support. Chess Club, Choir and an Environmental Club are frequently available.

Many of our junior level students take on leadership roles that are available within the school. Grades 4, 5 and 6 students volunteer as lunchroom helpers bus patrols, library helpers, classroom helpers and recyclers. They also assist with the intramural activities and special play day events held for students. Our students enjoy participating in reading programs such as Silver Birch and Blue Spruce.

Highland students and staff also support a variety of charitable events throughout the year.

Before and After School Programs

We are also a site for extended day which runs from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The program for JK to grade 2 students is run by our school board. The program for grades 3 to 6 is run by the YMCA. Please call the school for more information.

Measures of Student Achievement and Success

Highland students take pride in their academic, arts and community achievements. Our teachers use a variety of educational and assessment tools to assist student learning. Student artwork is displayed throughout the school and in the local art gallery in the spring.

Each spring our grade 3 students participate in the EQAO Provincial Assessment of Language and Mathematics. We are proud of the effort and students’ achievement. Results for EQAO are available on the EQAO website.

School Improvement Plans and Initiatives

With an overall objective of improving student achievement and promoting citizenship, the Highland staff continues to develop and implement a school improvement plan. Past areas of focus have included a focus on mathematics instruction, small group instruction in reading and using descriptive feedback with students.