THS Weekly
March 28, 2008 | Issue #27

 

Directory Updates

 

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From the Executive Director

 

Scholarship Signings Next week.  We are pleased to announce the signings of two of our outstanding seniors this week for scholarships. Congratulations to Alexis Davis who will attend Benedictine College and Jose Pecego who will attend Valparaiso University. The signings will take place at lunchtime in the Assembly Room on Tuesday for Jose at noon and Thursday for Alexis at 11:10. Both signings will begin at noon. Please see the details on both of these scholar athletes in the athletic section.


THS Students Participate in Holy Week Missions During Spring Break: Seven of our boys participated in Holy Week missions in Mexico while six of our girls participated in missions in Denver, Colorado.  Pictures will be posted on the website when they are available.  Well done to these students who gave up their Spring Break in order to give back to humanity.


Big Improvements Thanks to our Cheerleaders:  Lent is over, but you might want to take a look at the Stations of the Cross outside on the trees across from the Softball Field. What once was faded away has been refurbished by several members of the varsity cheerleading squad - Stephanie Osborne, Teresa and Mary Fougerousse, Gini Krieg, Amelia Burke, Colleen Ahern, Nicole Kim and Charlotte Ward took all the Stations from the trees and completely refinished them.  With money raised in a cheer camp, they purchased new prints to laminate and attach to the wood frames.  Thanks to the Maintenance Department for joining forces and cleaning out the way overgrown foliage which made taking the old frames off the trees a very “sticky” situation.  The Stations should be back in place by Friday, April 4, so take some time to stop by and pray.  There is a recording of The Stations on a hand held tape player made by the cheerleaders to help lead you along Christ’ passion in Miss. Denise’s office.


Words of Appreciation to the THS Community and Catholic Foundation from Mrs. Tammy Tran

I am greatly honored and humbled to receive the Work of Heart Award.  It came as such a surprise that it took me several days to fully internalize it.  I am excited and overwhelmed by the generosity of The Catholic Foundation who not only recognized me but also gave me a $500 check.   It means so much to me on both a personal and professional level.  The memory of being surrounded by respected administrators, caring friends, and loving students when the award was presented will stay with me forever.  I would like to thank everyone for nominating me and most importantly for supporting me as part of this amazing THS family.

With thanks,

Mrs. Tammy Tran


Re-enrollment: We are doing extremely well in our reenrollments and new applications in our Admissions Office for next year. Thanks to all families and friends of the school for sending us some outstanding referrals. Keep up the good work of telling The Highlands School story.


Summer School: We have a terrific summer school and athletic sports camps. Please see our web site for details.


A Day Retreat for Men – “On the Front Lines” is a Retreat for men on the day-to-day battles in life and faith.  Conferences and Meditations will be given by Priests of the Legionaries of Christ and members of Regnum Christ, with Rosary, Mass, Continental breakfast and lunch, as well as an opportunity for Confession.  The Retreat will take place at THS on Saturday, April 12 at 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.  The Retreat fee is $30, payable to the LC Pastoral Services, Inc.  Please register by April 4, 2008 to Godfrey Mackenzie at 214.709.5521 or tgmackenzie@hotmail.com

 

Click here to download the Retreat Flyer.


International Day

Information for Parents, Students, Families and Faculty

 

The Highlands School is pleased to announce its 18th International Day on Wednesday April 23, 2008.  This International event is celebrated in order to create an awareness of the importance of learning a foreign language. Please come as we celebrate the cultures and peoples of the world and learn a little about them and their language. 

 

Click here to download the Registration Forms and for more information.

 

Deadline to Register is April 4, 2008


Dallas Child Abuse Prevention: On April 24, students from The Highlands School will help to commemorate victims of child abuse and honor those that defend them by participating in the Dallas Child Abuse Prevention Event in Dallas Victory Park at 5:30 p.m.  Look for more information in the next Weekly.


Save the Date: Marriage Renewal Retreat scheduled for Saturday, May 10, 10:00 am at The Highlands School.  The Retreat Master will be Fr. Alfonse. More information will be coming from Eve Cook.


Family Variety Show DVD’s On Sale:  If you would like a DVD of this year’s Family Variety Show, please make your request at the Main Office.  Fill in the form and pay your $10 (cash or check).


The 2008-2009 Academic Calendar is now on THS website.


Parents Club Committee Chair Positions Available for 2008-2009 School Year:

 

The following chair positions are available for the next school year:

  • Sally Foster Cookie Dough/Gift Wrap Sales
  • Field Day (K-3rd)

Please consider volunteering for one of these positions and contact Jeannie Williamson at dorjwilliamson@verizon.net for more information.

 

Attention All Lower School Volunteers:  The next Lower School Field Day meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 2 following the Lower School Mass at approximately 9:20 a.m. in the Assembly Room or Cafeteria.  Please make plans on attending if you are interested in volunteering for Field Day to be held on Tuesday, April 29.  For more information, please contact Leah Cannon at leahcannon@cityvet.com.

Box Tops for Education:  Please keep sending in those box tops for education. 

The collection is ongoing and we are keeping track of the class totals.  The totals will be announced at the end of April and there will be another pizza party for the winning class. Parents, please label the bag with your child’s name or Homeroom Teacher’s name.  Thank you for your support.

 

From the Development Office

 

Gifts-in-kind: The following items would be very helpful if anyone has any personal or corporate connections to donate to THS:

 

Donated - Portable stage: Thank you Mr. Paul Duesing.

 

Event Chairs:  300 in bulk, new – contact Brad McKinnie, ext. 237 or             maintain@thehighlandsschool.org.

Six (6) - computers – capable of 1.6GHz Pentium Dual Core Processor or 2.2GHz AMD Athlon 64 Processor,512MB RAM (Memory), 80GB or better Hard Drive, DVD-ROM, Video Card, Sound Card, Network Adapter, No Operating System Required.  Contact Mr. Mulvaney at ext. 252 or mmulvaney@thehighlandsschool.org.

 

Donated - (3) TV's: Thank you John and Becca Weigman and

Dr. and Mrs. Berto Zamora (Isabel).

 

Donated - DVD– Thank you Lynda and Shawn Pingel.

 

One (1) defibrillator – child or adult – contact Nurse Karin Brown at ext. 212 or kbrown@thehighlandsschool.org.

 

One (1) new or used vehicle in good operating condition such as a mini-van.  Contact Brad McKinnie at ext. 257 or maintain@thehighlandsschool.org.

 

Fifteen (15) Digital Projectors – contact Kyle Roberts at ext. 217 or kroberts@thehighlandsschool.org.

 

New or Used Band Instruments - Suitable for beginning or intermediate Middle School musicians. Please contact Martha Lamberti at ext. 224 or mlamberti@thehighlandsschool.org.

 

 

In-kind gifts are tax deductible and will be recognized by Cris Hannis in our Development Office, ext. 261.

 

Click and Pledge for the Annual Fund:

The Annual Fund Campaign is vital to the success of operating The Highlands School.  All of the funds raised go directly to support the annual operating budget.  Specifically, contributions fund financial aid and scholarships, academic programs, faculty enrichment and athletics.  As tuition does not cover the full cost of educating our students, we must rely on the support of our families and friends to close the gap. 

 

Our expectation is that each family contributes at least $1,000 and we achieve 100% participation. Our community is the foundation of our existence.  Be part of it and participate.

 

Contribute today and together we will attain our goal of $275,000!

Just click below and you can complete your contribution:

 

http://www.thehighlandsschool.org/ths/forms/fundraising/annualfunddrive.asp

 

From the Guidance Counselor

 

Keep Stress Under Control

What can you do to deal with stress overload or, better yet, to avoid it in the first place? The most helpful method of dealing with stress is learning how to manage the stress that comes along with any new challenge, good or bad. Stress-management skills work best when they're used regularly, not just when the pressure's on. Knowing how to "de-stress" and doing it when things are relatively calm can help you get through challenging circumstances that may arise. Here are some things that can help keep stress under control.

·         Take a stand against over scheduling. If you're feeling stretched, consider cutting out an activity or two, opting for just the ones that are most important to you.

·         Be realistic. Don't try to be perfect - no one is. And expecting others to be perfect can add to your stress level, too (not to mention put a lot of pressure on them!). If you need help on something, like schoolwork, ask for it.

·         Get a good night's sleep. Getting enough sleep helps keep your body and mind in top shape, making you better equipped to deal with any negative stressors. Because the biological "sleep clock" shifts during adolescence, many teens prefer staying up a little later at night and sleeping a little later in the morning. But if you stay up late and still need to get up early for school, you may not get all the hours of sleep you need.

·         Learn to relax. The body's natural antidote to stress is called the relaxation response. It's your body's opposite of stress, and it creates a sense of well-being and calm. The chemical benefits of the relaxation response can be activated simply by relaxing. You can help trigger the relaxation response by learning simple breathing exercises and then using them when you're caught up in stressful situations.  And ensure you stay relaxed by building time into your schedule for activities that are calming and pleasurable: praying, reading a good book or making time for a hobby, spending time with your pet, or just taking a relaxing bath.

·         Treat your body well. Experts agree that getting regular exercise helps people manage stress. (Excessive or compulsive exercise can contribute to stress, though, so as in all things, use moderation.) And eat well to help your body get the right fuel to function at its best. It's easy when you're stressed out to eat on the run or eat junk food or fast food. But under stressful conditions, the body needs its vitamins and minerals more than ever. Some people may turn to substance abuse as a way to ease tension. Although alcohol or drugs may seem to lift the stress temporarily, relying on them to cope with stress actually promotes more stress because it wears down the body's ability to bounce back.

·         Watch what you're thinking. Your outlook, attitude, and thoughts influence the way you see things. Is your cup half full or half empty? A healthy dose of optimism can help you make the best of stressful circumstances. Even if you're out of practice, or tend to be a bit of a pessimist, everyone can learn to think more optimistically and reap the benefits.

·         Solve the little problems. Learning to solve everyday problems can give you a sense of control. But avoiding them can leave you feeling like you have little control and that just adds to stress. Develop skills to calmly look at a problem, figure out options, and take some action toward a solution. Feeling capable of solving little problems builds the inner confidence to move on to life's bigger ones - and it and can serve you well in times of stress.

 

From the Athletic Office

 

Jose Renato Pecego, a native of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has signed a National Letter of Intent and will suit up for the Valparaiso Crusaders men’s soccer team beginning in 2008.  Pecego is the tenth member of Valpo’s incoming 2008 class, which is now comprised of seven freshmen and three juniors. Pecego, a talented left-footed attacking player, has spent two years with us at The Highlands School as an exchange student, excelling on the soccer field and in the classroom. 

 

In just two seasons with the Blazers, he compiled 68 goals and 22 assists and twice earned First Team All-State honors.  Also a two-time District Offensive MVP, Pecego served as team captain his senior year.  In the classroom, Pecego is on track to be class valedictorian and was twice named an Academic All-State honoree.

http://www.valpo.edu/athletics/

Alexis Davis has signed a letter of intent to play basketball for Benedictine College, and NAIA school in Atchison, Kansas.  Alexis averaged 17 points and 24 rebounds her senior year at THS.  Congratulations to Alexis and the girl’s basketball team.  This is a great accomplishment for a model student-athlete, and it is also the second consecutive year that the girl’s basketball program has garnered at least one college scholarship offer. 

Davis finished her senior year by being a 1st team All-District and Academic All-State selection.  Davis also carries a 3.6 GPA while also playing softball, volleyball, and running track for The Highlands School.

 

http://www.benedictine.edu/sportsmain.aspx?pgID=875

Sports Schedule

VARSITY BASEBALL:

March 29                 Dallas Lakehill                    4:30p / Home

March 31                 McKinney Christian              4:30p / McKinney Christian

April 3                    Dallas Lakehill                    4:30p / Dallas Lakehill

 

VARSITY SOFTBALL:

March 29                 SJCA - Amarillo                  10:00a/ Amarillo

March 31                 Canterbury                        4:00p/Canterbury

April 4                    Crowley Nazarene              4:00p/Home

 

VARSITY TENNIS:

Practices are at the Las Colinas Country Club from 4p-6p.  See Coach Merrill for more info at mmerrill@thehighlandsschool.org.

 

VARSITY TRACK:

March 28       Fort Worth Country Day                1:00p

 

DPL BASEBALL:

Practices Friday (3:30p-6:00p) and Saturday (12:00p-3:00p) at the softball field.  Games begin the week of the 31st.  DPL has not released the schedule as of yet.

 

JUNIOR HIGH TRACK:

Practices begin next week during P.E.

ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT NOTES:

Spring Football practice begins May 1st and runs through the 23rd from 4:00p to 6:30p, excluding Wednesdays and weekends.

 

New from the Middle School

 

Parents,

You can now pre-order your child’s lunch for one day or for the whole month by completing the monthly order form and returning it to the main office along with your check made payable to Signature Services Corporation.  You can also pre-order online at www.kidsemeals.com. All preordered meals come labeled with your child’s name and will eliminate the need to wait in lines. All pre-orders for the month of April must be completed, paid for and returned to the main office by April 1.

Click here to view the April 2008 Menu.

From the School Store

 

The Highlands School Store News