October

6th- PTO meeting-7:00 pm

12th-Retakes- Class Pictures and Retakes

• School picture order information scroll down

12th- Activity Night U of Mary-details below

19th- Parent Teacher Conferences- 3:00-7:00 pm

20th- Parent Teacher Conferences- 3:00-7:00 pm

20th- PTO Raffle Kick-off

22nd- NO SCHOOL-Admin Convention Days

23rd- NO SCHOOL-Admin Convention Days

26th- Activity Night U of Mary - details below

November

3rd-Chess Club: Gr 2-5-Library-2:35

• We are currently at 20 students. Any additional signed-up after 9/30/26 will be on a wait list.

6th- PTO Raffle Ends

3rd- PTO Meeting- Library-7:00

10th-Chess Club Gr 2-5-Library-2:35-3:25

11th- No School Veterans' day

16th-20th-Raffle Prize Drawings

16th- U of Mary Activity Night-6:15-7:15

17th-Chess Club Gr 2-5-Library-2:35-3:25

19th-Gr. 2nd & 3rd Music Program-6:30

24th-Chess Club Gr 2-5-Library-2:35-3:25

25th- No ASP

26th- No School-Thanksgiving Break

27th- No School-Thanksgiving Break

30th- U of Mary Activity Night-6:15-7:15

💬Counselor's Corner

In September, we focused on listening and understanding feelings in Kindergarten & 1st. In 2nd-5th grade, we focused on responsibility and respecting differences. Please take the time to talk with your child about what they are learning with the counselor! 🧠

💡What We’re Learning This Month

• K: Ways to calm down, Cooperation

• 1: Ways to calm down, Cooperation

• 2: Ways to deal with conflict, Ways to keep myself safe and healthy

• 3: Conflict resolution strategies, Ways to keep myself healthy

• 4: Explain strategies to deal with conflicts, Healthy coping skills

• 5: Conflict resolution strategies, Healthy ways to manage emotions

🏠Try It at Home: Family Challenge

~Calm down strategies: Ask your child, “What is one way you can calm your body when you are feeling a strong emotion?” Then try it with them! Here’s an easy one: 5 Finger Breathing: Trace each finger breathing in through your nose as you go up and out through your mouth as you go down.

🌱Counselor Tip for Families:

~Name the Feeling: Help children put words to emotions: “It looks like

you’re feeling disappointed. Do you want to talk about it?” Acknowledge that they are

having a strong emotion and that it’s okay to feel that way.

🏫Schoolwide Update:

We continue to meet every other week for Buddy Meetings where our small buddy groups across grade levels (K & 3, 1 & 4, 2 & 5) work and play together. Kindergarten and 3rd grade are responsible for creating meeting agendas and planning our trimester assembly, and they will begin this planning work during our October Buddy Meetings.

Hawks Helpers jobs have started for those who applied from 3rd-5th grade. We have some fun new jobs this session that students are enjoying. You may have noticed students outside our school building greeting others each morning. These students are part of our "Welcome Workers" position and have themed greetings each day. Be on the lookout for a surprise "guest" in the upcoming weeks!

📝Resource of the Month:

1. Next PTO Meeting is Tuesday, October 6th at 7:00 pm in the Highland Acres Library.
2. The all-school raffle will start Tuesday, October 20th. Students will bring home further information and their first set of raffle books on that day!

Hope to see you there!

—Your PTO Team

• Please be sure to always sign-out your child from ASP when you pick him or her up. The sign-out sheet is on a clipboard directly inside the gym by the kitchen.
• The entire playground is reserved for ASP from 2:30 – 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Students not enrolled in ASP or outside activities/practices are allowed on the playground only after 5:30 p.m.
• If a student is signed out from ASP after school, they may only return to the playground after 5:30 p.m.
• As the winter season approaches, our ASP staff will be meeting soon with Mr. Fladeland to plan a variety of activities for indoors and outdoors. If you have any suggestions for us, please contact our ASP staff at 701-595-1913.
• We are always accepting students into ASP! If your child is not enrolled and you’d like them to be Click ASP, or contact Trish in the office at 701-323-4160.

General Elementary School Guidelines*

*Please note that the guidelines listed herein are subject to revision and updates on an as needed basis.

Attendance

Regular timely school attendance is not only required by law but is clearly especially important to the educational process and to the development of appropriate lifelong work habits. Regular school attendance is a parent or guardian-child responsibility, and the school is required by law to report apparent abuses.

Absences which are excessive and/or interfere with the student’s educational program will be interpreted as educational neglect and Child Protection Services may be notified.

It is clear, however, that times exist when not attending school is in the best interest of a child or the entire school.

• If a child is ill, he/she should not attend school and risk transmitting the disease to others.

• Parents/guardians should call the school prior to 7:30 a.m. on the morning of an absence. Upon returning, students need to bring a note to school from his/her parent and/or doctor informing the school why the student was absent.

• Students arriving late must check in at the school office.

• An occasional significant family trip can be a valuable learning experience. Arrangements must be made with the classroom teacher in advance, regarding any make-up work that will need to be completed.

Please be sure your child wears the appropriate clothing to school.

If your student is missing any items they may be in the Highland Acres Elementary Lost and Found. We have a large selection of various items.

Our online store for school gear is available all year long. Now you can easily browse and purchase a variety of Highland Acres merchandise from the comfort of your home. Whether you’re looking for t-shirts, hoodies, hats, or other school spirit items, our online store has something for everyone. Show your school pride by sporting the latest Hawks gear. Orders can be placed by clicking on the button below.

The Backpack-for Kids program is designed to help children by assisting them with food over the weekend. Bags are filled with nutritional food items and delivered to the school. If your family qualifies for the free or reduced lunch program and you need additional food for the weekend, please contact our school social worker, Marisa Misek at marisa_misek@bismarckschools.org or call the school office.

MISSION, VISION, AND VALUES

Our Mission: "Empower every learner to thrive."

Our Vision: "Together, our strong relationships build inclusive, collaborative, and innovative environments that create agency and inspire a passion for learning, excellence, and discovery."

Our Values: Excellence, Innovation, Inclusion and Leadership.