Highland High School

08/27/2026

Please see the link below for today's Thursday Thoughts.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TRdBTLhxMOe8yip6WbSaJyajsL2F9AHqZOULMTsX4XA/edit?usp=sharing

08/27/2026

Earlier this week, our teachers went back-to-school shopping in our library!

We'd like to extend a big THANK YOU to Highland Kiwanis and our HHS Key Club for organizing such a big collection of donations. Thank you also to everyone that donated school supplies!

All HHS Teachers got a huge bag filled with classroom supplies and could choose even more essentials from tables around the library. They are starting the year with tons of folders, pens/pencils, tissues, notebooks, and more.

08/27/2026

We are excited to see our families tonight for Back to School Night! We will begin with a short presentation in the auditorium. See you there!

08/27/2026

SENIOR PORTRAIT INFORMATION:

Class of 2027 have another opportunity to have their senior portrait taken.

Prestige Portraits will be on campus on September 1st and 2nd. Seniors must take their portrait through Prestige. There should be no charge for a yearbook photo, but other photo packages are available if families choose to participate.

Please visit www.schedule.prestigeportraits.com to schedule your photo session.

Retakes for those who took their portraits in July are available at this time as well.

08/27/2026

School Picture Day has been rescheduled.

Grades 9-12 will take a photo for their student identification card and RDS.

This photo will serve as the school picture for the 26-27 school year for grades 9-11.

Add September 16th to your calendars so we can remind our students to have their smiles ready.

08/25/2026

Friendly reminder for Area Career Center students! Your first day of classes at the ACC is tomorrow.

08/24/2026

We are excited to have our students back in the building tomorrow! Students will report directly to their Advisory period upon arrival. Advisory teachers and locations are located on our students' schedules in RDS and will be posted around the Commons area tomorrow morning. Please see the flyer below for more information.

08/21/2026

8/21/26

Dear Highland Staff and Families,

I am deeply inspired by the progress seen across our schools and community following the recent storm. My heartfelt gratitude and pride go out to everyone for your response to these challenges.

Our plan to return to school next week is still unchanged. Teachers will report for professional development on Monday, August 24. Students will report for the first day of school on Tuesday, August 25. If there are changes, we will notify you as soon as possible. We are so incredibly excited for the school year to officially begin!

All of our schools and the Administration Center now have power and wifi. Our custodians, food services, and technology staff are continuing to work every day to ensure that our buildings are ready to go for the start of the school year. Thank you very much to all of them for their efforts!

Here are some additional updates for you:

Transportation:

Our bus drivers are currently driving their bus routes to ensure we are fully prepared for the first day of school.

STOH Administration has worked closely with Highland Public Works to review our bus stops, and we are very thankful for the work they have done to clean them up for our students.)

You can find a list of our bus routes and other important information on our website: https://www.highland.k12.in.us/page/bus-routes

What's Next:

Staff & Student Schedule: Teachers will report for professional development on Monday, August 24, and students will begin their first day of school on Tuesday, August 25.

Elementary Back-to-School Nights: Scheduled for Monday, August 24. Please visit our website (https://www.highland.k12.in.us/article/3055500) for specific elementary building schedules.

Secondary Back-to-School Nights: Highland Middle School will host its event for parents on Wednesday, August 26, at 5:30 p.m. Highland High School’s event will take place on Thursday, August 27, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Make-up Days:

The Indiana Department of Education sent all Northwest Indiana superintendents the form to request waiver days. I will update you as soon as I receive confirmation on what may be approved.

We’ve also got some exciting news - all of our schools will have Domino’s Pizza available for lunch on the first day of school! Regular lunch meal prices apply.

Thank you all very much for your patience and understanding as we worked through this devastating storm together. As always, we will continue to keep you informed of any updates. Please enjoy your weekend, and we will see you next week!

Regards,

John Schwuchow, Ph.D.
Interim School Town of Highland Superintendent

Educating Today's Students for Tomorrow's Challenges

08/20/2026

Please see the link below for this week's Thursday Thoughts. Go Trojans!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XYxlRU3QMOpkZJzrtvW_ZlzvlP0Hh5XKEoXoF-FRSe8/edit?usp=sharing

08/19/2026

Dear School Town of Highland Staff, Students, and Families,

Thank you for your continued patience and flexibility following the destructive storms that have impacted our schools and community. We recognize that this storm has affected far more than our school buildings. Many of our families and staff members are dealing with tremendous stress, property damage, power outages, food loss, cleanup, disrupted childcare and work schedules, and other unexpected challenges at home.

Our tentative schedule remains the following: teachers will report for professional development on Monday, August 24, and students will report for the first day of school on Tuesday, August 25. We will keep you informed if there are any changes or updates to this tentative schedule.

As of Tuesday, August 18, we currently have power at the Central Office, Highland High School, Highland Middle School, Merkley Elementary School, and Warren Elementary School. Both Johnston Elementary School and Southridge Elementary School are still without power at this time.

Trying to start school too quickly while families and staff are still managing these losses could create additional and unnecessary stress. Giving our Highland community these few additional days allows families and staff to address immediate needs while our district team works to make sure our schools are truly ready for students.

Here’s why we need this additional time:
-Assess and address storm-related damage in our buildings and on our grounds.
-Restore and test phone systems.
-Restore Internet and network connectivity.
-Ensure security cameras and other safety systems are fully operational.
-Get coolers, refrigeration, and food-service equipment working properly.
-Receive food deliveries and prepare our kitchens.
-Clean, organize, and prepare classrooms and common areas.
-Confirm that our buildings are safe and ready to welcome students.
-Ensure the safety of walking conditions for our students traveling to their bus stops and the driving conditions for our bus drivers.

While we prepare our buildings for students to return, our commitment to our families does not stop at our school doors. As buildings and utilities become safe and operational, we will communicate opportunities for assistance.

Back-to-school nights have also been tentatively rescheduled. All elementary back-to-school nights are currently planned for Monday, August 24. Please visit our website - highland.k12.in.us - for the elementary schedules. Highland Middle School has its back-to-school night scheduled for Wednesday, August 26, at 5:30 p.m., and Highland High School’s will be on Thursday, August 27, from 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.

If your Highland High School student attends the Area Career Center (ACC), please continue to check your messages from HHS for further updates.

We plan on sending another update regarding the start of school on Friday, August 21. Thank you very much to all of our STOH staff for their hard work in cleaning up our schools and preparing for our students to come back to school. We sincerely look forward to welcoming our students and staff back to our buildings as soon as it is safe to do so.

Regards,
John Schwuchow, Ph.D.
Incoming School Town of Highland Superintendent