Highlands Middle School

Your schedule will be available in PowerSchool early August with the names of your teachers and the order of your classes. Print (or copy by hand) a few copies of your schedule to place in your school bag, binder, pencil case, pants pocket, etc. If you have a few extra copies, you will be less likely to stress out if you lose one.

At the beginning of the school year, your teachers understand that you are getting used to your schedule, your lockers, and finding your way around the school – we do not count tardies for the first few weeks. There will be teachers in the hallway to help you find your way if you get lost or have trouble with your locker.  Eventually, if you are late to class - teachers will mark you tardy to class.  This only becomes a problem if it happens frequently or you are not making good choices in the hall.

You will get 4 minutes between each class, no matter what schedule we are following. You will also always have 30 minutes for lunch, regardless of the schedule we are using. During breakfast break ONLY, you will have 6 minutes between your second- and third-period class.

HMS students are required to comply with KSD Policy 3224. Matters of dress remain the primary concern of students in consultation with their parents. Student dress shall not be regulated except when, in the judgment of school administrators, there is a reasonable expectation that:

1. A health or safety hazard will be presented by the student’s dress or appearance.

2. Damage to school property will result from the student’s dress.

3. The student’s dress or appearance will create a material and substantial disruption of the educational process at the school.

For the purpose of this policy, a material and substantial disruption of the educational process may be found to exist when a student’s conduct is inconsistent with any part of the educational mission of the school district. Prohibited conduct includes the use of lewd, sexual, drug, tobacco/alcohol-related messages or gang-related apparel.

Students are not required to dress down for PE but are highly encouraged to change into PE clothes that they choose to bring from home (shirt, shorts, leggings, sweatshirt, sweatpants). Athletic shoes that have laces are required for safety reasons when participating in PE.

Dressing down for PE is helpful to maintain better hygiene, which benefits not only the student but also those students around him/her as well. It allows for participation in more appropriate attire and allows for more movement and less restriction than in regular clothing.

Deodorant or deodorant wipes are highly encouraged to be purchased and left in their PE locker. No aerosol deodorant is allowed for allergy reasons.

PE combination locks must be purchased to use the locker room when dressing down for PE.

We do have showers in the locker room, but if you take regular showers at home, wear clean clothes, and use deodorant after PE there should be no reason to use them.

We discourage students from bringing electronic devices (cell phones, video games, tablets, ear buds, etc.) to school. Students who bring electronic devices to school must turn them off and place them in their backpacks/lockers upon entering the school. Cell phones and other electronic devices may not be used at all during the school day (8 AM to 2:35 PM). This includes during lunch, between classes or in bathrooms. If a cell phone or other electronic device is being used by a student during school hours, the device will be taken to the office:

● 1st offense: Students can pick up after school
● All future offenses: A parent or guardian must pick it up.

If an electronic device is being used inappropriately by a student at any time, the student may receive additional consequences (in addition to confiscation) as applicable. Inappropriate uses include but are not limited to:

● Taking photos or recording (audio and/or video) other students or staff members without their permission
● Creating social media posts that harass or bully other students
● Sending inappropriate messages
● Recording or sharing videos of fights
● Looking up or viewing inappropriate pictures/materials

HMS is not responsible for lost, stolen or misplaced electronic devices including those that are confiscated due to inappropriate use during school hours. School personnel have the authority to determine whether an investigation is warranted if any electronic devices are lost, stolen or misplaced.

YES! Middle School students are allowed to check out their own Chromebook once a parent permission slip is completed and turned in. The Chromebook can be taken home and used for schoolwork.

Most students find that the biggest challenge with their Chromebook is remembering to bring them back to school charged and ready for use each day. It is expected that you have your charged Chromebook with you each day to be used in class – without it, you may end up having to work on in-class assignments on your own time while at home.

You will check out a Chromebook, a charging cable, and a Chromebook cover.

Students are expected to responsibly use district technology and network resources and to keep their district‐issued devices safe, secure and in good working order. Students and parents are provided with a Chromebook Manual that will assist both in meeting those expectations.

At Highlands, we have 8 class periods and NO early release Wednesdays.

This schedule is followed Monday-Friday. Different bell schedules will be used for 10:40 a.m. early release days and late start days (snow delays).  Note the difference between grade levels ending for 1st period (in order to accommodate 3 grade level lunches), and the breakfast break that is provided at Highlands. You can click here to see all bell schedules.

*Breakfast break snack is free and provided for students who did not have morning breakfast at Highlands.

CLICK HERE to access the PowerSchool login site for Parents and Students

For NEW accounts:

• Select the tab that says "Create Account" and fill in all of the required parent account details.
• You will need a one time Access ID and Passcode for your student to complete the account creation.  Call the Highlands main office at 222-6700 and an office staff member will provide that for you.

Does Every Student Get A Chromebook?

YES!  Middle School students are allowed to check out their own Chromebook once a parent permission slip is completed and turned in.  The Chromebook can be taken home and used for schoolwork.

What Parents Should Know

In 2018, our community voted to support a four-year technology levy that will provide a digital device to every student in the district by the year 2022.

As we assign Chromebooks to middle and high school students, we require that parents login at ps.ksd.org/public/ and follow instructions on how to login, create an account and electronically sign a permission form.

As part of the permission form, parents have the option of allowing their child to take their assigned Chromebook home or keep it at school and have it checked in/out each school day. Additional information about student use expectations, safety, and care are included in the One-To-One Responsibilities Manual that parents will review prior to signing the permission form.

Add a student to E-funds

On-Site Safety Professionals

At Highlands we have the benefit of having a full-time security staff member, who helps monitor student behavior and maintain safe learning conditions.  His presence throughout the day provides students with a resource to speak to when any safety issues arise.

We also have a School Resource Officer (from the Kennewick Police Department) who is regularly on campus.  He assists in providing the school (students & staff) with resources and training, while also making positive law enforcement contact with students.  When needed, he will step in to help investigate any disciplinary issues which affect the safety of the school.

Safety at HMS

We take safety very seriously at Highlands. Our school has multiple safety features (including the following):

• Over 90 security cameras that cover every inch of the campus (except for locker rooms, bathrooms and inside classrooms).
• A security system that can electronically lock all of the entry and fire doors in the building at the touch of a button!
• A silent alarm that uses flashing lights to alert staff and students that we need to lock down the school.

We practice using these safety features at least once a month, with critical and non-critical lockdowns and evacuation drills.  Students are also given regular safety surveys.

If you ever have a concern, please call!  Anonymous safety concerns can also be reported at https://www.ksd.org/report

In middle school, we highly recommend that you begin to encourage your student to be their own advocate. If they have questions about their grades, encourage them to speak with their teacher(s). If they are having other issues in class, encourage them to speak to a trusted adult (like their teacher or their counselor).

Email: If you do need to contact a teacher, the most efficient way to do so is by using email. This allows the teacher to respond when they have the time (sometimes even when class is in session), rather than having to wait until they have a time where no students are present in the classroom.  All teachers have an email address that is formatted the same, based on their name.  { first.last@ksd.org }

Phone: If you have tried email or want to speak directly with a staff member.  Please call the main office at (509)222-6700 and ask to leave a message for the staff member.

Please be aware that most staff members will not be able to return your call immediately.  Most will wait until the end of the school day or when there are no students in the classroom (to protect call privacy).