As we are starting this new year at Highland, there are many different thoughts and feelings involved. I have asked a few people how they were feeling going into this school year and these are the responses.
9th grade-
Most 9th graders started off this year very nervous and excited. This nervousness is usually caused by not being familiar with the new environment and simply being around new people.
“I’m still having trouble finding my classes,” Camila told me. This is another common problem that the Freshmen are having to tackle. They are making the best of their opportunities though, many are getting involved in extracurricular activities.
10th grade-
The Sophomores are generally more experienced going into this year, which makes them seem more relaxed when compared to their younger peers in 9th grade. Mr. Berndt said “There’s a bit of a learning curve with them, learning to get to class on time. But over the weeks that has slowly trailed off.” Hopefully this experience will inspire their fellow underclassmen to adjust faster.
11th grade-
Many Juniors are feeling a bit apprehensive about this school year. 11th grade has a reputation for being difficult. Abril said “I’m mostly worried about improving my GPA now, it can definitely be important in the future.” The ACT will also weigh heavily on the minds of Juniors towards the end of the school year. Junior year is very stressful but I believe the Juniors can succeed.
12th grade-
Seniors are mostly cruising into this school year; many of them are already beginning to mentor younger students. The curriculum is still rigorous for some students though, Ivy says that she is spending more time studying for math than she used to. This year most Seniors have to focus on not having a “Senior slump”, so they can shift more easily into leadership roles in the school and elsewhere.
Well, we’ve wrapped up another successful school year. We hope that you’ve enjoyed the content we’ve provided throughout the year, and that you will continue to support us next year.
Speaking of next year, you will probably see some major changes as we start to incorporate video content through Scottie News reports. Additionally, we hope to restructure the site in a way that highlights PRIZIM work more as well.
Again, thank you for your support this year, and we hope you come back with us next fall (in the meantime, like always when we go on break, feel free to check out any of our older pieces that you may not have had a chance to look at previously)!
On May 29, Highland Park had their Senior Send-Off. Senior Send-Off is an ongoing tradition at Highland Park Senior High.
Senior Send-Off starts when all the senior students go to have breakfast with their classmates for the last time before they graduate. Then they have the opportunity to see, and get signatures, from their teachers and underclass friends for one of the last time. During second period then, they call down people by floors to go to the gym. After you get to the gym is when you find the grade you are in and find your friends and wait till the presentation starts.
Once this year’s Senior Send-Off started Sra. Nelson came to the middle of the gym and told all the classes what will happen for the next hour..
The first thing that happened was the student council president came to the middle of the gym to give a last speech to the seniors. After that, we watched the teachers’ farewell video and after that, we also watched the sibling farewell video (the sibling farewell video is were the siblings of the seniors have the opportunity to make a goodbye video to their older sibling). When the two videos ended, we watched the last video that showed all the memories that the seniors created over the last four years. When that video ended, Sra. Nelson told the seniors how they would exit the school to go to their senior picnic.
The last thing that happened, and my favorite part, was where all the teachers went into two lines and the seniors would come down and say goodbye to all their favorite teachers and underclassmen.
When I saw all my favorite seniors leave I got very emotional but I was able to say goodbye to them before they left.
Even though it was my last time seeing all my senior friends, I was excited to see what they will do in the future.
Environmental racism is a big problem in Minnesota. Environmental racism is when neighborhoods of color and indigenous neighborhoods are at a higher risk to environmental harm. These neighborhoods are at a 91% risk of above air pollution guidelines. There are many neighborhoods here in Minnesota that are affected like the Rondo neighborhood and the East Phillips neighborhood. The harmful pollution can come from factories, waste facilities, construction, and vehicles. White neighborhoods have much better health compared to neighborhoods of color and indigenous neighborhoods. The pollution causes people to have asthma-like symptoms and heart disease. Nitrogen dioxide is what pollutes the air and causes people to have these symptoms.
For my final capstone project in my Critical Ethnic Studies class, my partner and I decided to do our project on environmental racism because it is a very real and current issue that affects people all over Minnesota. For the project it contained our final product, a paper, and an evaluation of what we learned from our project and the class.
For our final project, we decided to do a website that would be able to inform Highland Park students, staff, and community about environmental racism. We did a lot of research learning about what environmental racism is, who is affected by it, how, and so much more. We read stories from people who suffered from the harmful pollutants in the air and how their health was at risk due to it. We learned about different forms of pollution and what areas they affect. We put all this information on our website so that people reading it would be informed.
Here is the link to our final capstone website. There is some of the information above and so much more so that you can be educated on about environmental racism. We also included how you can help and make an impact on changing this issue.
On May 1st, Highland Park Senior High School for one day only, became a courthouse.
This wonderful opportunity was brought to us thanks to The Minnesota Supreme Court, the SPPS school district and staff here at Highland Park. We got a front row seat to the inner workings of the Minnesota Supreme Court. This was such fun.
This is a great opportunity for many students who might be interested in law or were just curious about how the Minnesota Supreme Court works. This was such a unique opportunity and there are very few schools that are picked.
Overall, we learned so much about how law works in our local government and about our Supreme Court judges. We got to see firsthand the fun parts of being a Supreme Court judge but also some of the stressful and difficult parts that come with this job. We heard from the judges that having a very good work life balance is hard. We heard about how much discipline the judges must have to make these important decisions for our community. We learned that judges must be impartial to themselves, and have to choose whether or not to take a case based on if they have an opposing opinion about it or not.
There were many interesting parts of this but one of the more interesting parts was when the hearing was done and the judges came out and sat for questions from students (including the authors of this article). This seemed fun for the judges too, as they probably enjoy a break from the courthouse.
We got to sit down with Justice Gaïtias as she was making a classroom visit after the court case. She is the newest judge on the Minnesota Supreme Court and she was appointed in August 2024. She talked about how the transition in the case load from the court of appeals to the Supreme Court was something she didn’t expect. Although the Supreme Court does not see nearly as many cases as the court of appeals, the court of appeals sees nearly 2,000 cases a year and the Supreme Court only sees 80-90 cases. She said that the cases are a lot more intense and unlike the court of appeals there isn’t anyone else to fall back on if they can’t come to a decision.
She talked to us about important characteristics of a good judge and she talked about how judges need to know how to be fair, kind and humble. She also says that they need to have a love of public service because that’s the main point of the job is serving the public.
A student asked a question about if she thinks being on the Supreme Court has changed her as a person. Justice Gaïtias says she doesn’t think it has changed her personally but she did talk about how she feels the weight of the job more now than ever.
Justice Gaïtias emphasized that a big part of the job is understanding how to cope with the harder parts of her job. The Minnesota Supreme Court hears a variety of cases, some of them harder than others. She talked about how all judges need to know how to compartmentalize and find their coping strategies and how they need to be healthy.
Some more personal facts are that she didn’t originally want to be a judge. She wanted to be an actor, but her parents said she wouldn’t make it, so she decided to go into law. She said it was one of her biggest regrets. She went to an international school in Greece growing up. She loves Greek mythology and her pets and kids are named after famous figures.
Do your mornings feel chaotic and like you’re in a rush? Well, today you will learn easy ways to make your morning better, so that your start to the day isn’t chaotic.
Having a morning routine helps you manage your time better so that you don’t end up forgetting things in the rush of the morning. It can help you stay calm and organized, helping you show up to school ready to learn. Sticking to the same routine helps build health habits that can also help you with many other things. One more big thing that having a morning routine adds is not having to waste time on small things, which allows you to use your time and energy for more important tasks.
Now, let’s get into what you can do to improve your mornings. A good morning starts with the night before. Doing as much as you can the night before sets you up to have less to do in the morning making it less busy.
Lay your clothes out:
The night before, pick your outfit out. This gives you time to make sure you like it and so that you don’t have to scrabble in the morning to find something from the dark depths of your drawer.
Pack your backpack:
Put all your homework, notebooks, books, and other necessities in your backpack and don’t forget to charge your iPad! Doing this helps to make sure that you don’t forget that important homework assignment that is due the next day or other important items.
Prep your meals:
Make your lunch if you take one the night before. This makes sure your not standing in front of the fridge in the morning unsure what to pack and not packing one because you need to catch the bus.
Breakfast is such an important meal of the day. It gives you energy to tackle your first classes before lunch. There are many meals that you can prepare ahead of time that you can quickly take out and eat in the morning. Some are overnight oats or yogurt parfaits that you can customize to your liking. Breakfast doesn’t need to be hard, it just needs to fuel you for the day. So quick breakfasts that you can make in the morning are: a piece of toast with peanut butter and banana, oatmeal with fruit, a hard boiled egg and a piece of toast, and so much more.
Keep it consistent:
Setting an alarm in the morning and sticking to it. Getting the routine of not snoozing the alarm makes it easier to wake up after a while. Keep the alarm at the same time, the more you wake up at one time, the more you adjust.
When going to bed, wind down by reading a book before bed or doing something off a screen. I know it can be hard to put down the phone or turn off the TV, but it makes it easier to fall asleep. Go to bed at the same time each night. Having a consistent bedtime makes sticking to the routine easier in the morning.
These are a few easy ways to make your morning better so that you can have a good start to the day instead of a chaotic one. Remember, keep it consistent with everything you do. Make it a long term effort, doing it for one day won’t help. Now get out there and have a great morning.
There are many differences between a private and public school. Both schools aim to provide education, but sometimes it’s hard distinguishing how they’re any different besides the cost.
There are key differences in class size, curriculums, teacher quality, extracurriculars, funding, and education experience.
Funding and Cost
Public schools are funded by the government through taxes, allowing students to attend for free within a specific district. The government provides fundings based on the student enrollment number and district property taxes.
Private schools however are funded by tuition fees which are paid by attending students’ families. Tuition cost can range from a few thousands to as high as $50,000 per year, depending on what institution. A friend of mine (Jooney) went to a Catholic private school and she paid $25,000 per year.
Private school’s tuition costs make them less accessible to families with lower financial status but scholarships and financial aid are possible.
Because the students’ families are more involved, there’s more regular/comfortable communication between teachers and parents compared to public schools.
Requirements for Enrollment
Public schools require no entrance exams or interviews and are typically obligated to accept students within the school district.
Private schools have a selective admission process containing interviews, academic performances, and entrance exams.
Previous report cards, teacher recommendations, and test scores/records are often required in many interviews as a part of the application process.
Class size and student ratio
According to Usnews.com, private schools have smaller class sizes, typically having a class size of 12-20 students. Public schools have bigger classes, typically consisting of 25-30 students.
The average student to teacher ratio in public schools can typically be 20:1 or 30:1.
Larger classes can make it harder and challenging for teachers to give individualized attention to students.
Private schools are smaller with a student to teacher ratio as low as 10:1 or 15:1.
This allows teachers to allocate individualized attention to students. It also allows teachers to get to know their students’ learning ability/challenges better as well as build a better relationship.
Smaller classes also tend to help students achieve better academically and have greater engagement in class.
Diversity and Accessibility
According to Nces.ed.gov, another difference is diversity.
Public schools have a more diverse student body because they’re open to all students of the local community, leading to a greater diversity in ethnicity, race, learning ability, and social class.
Diversity helps students learn more about different cultures and social skills.
According to Foothillcds.org, public schools are required to provide services such as gifted and talented programs to meet student needs. They also have teachers who help with one-on-one support for students with disabilities.
Private schools have less diversity due to their tuition cost and selective admission process; they often select and only admit students with certain backgrounds of specific academic successes.
A huge difference between the schools are the dedicated special education teachers. Private schools typically do not provide these services because of their limited spots.
Curriculum and Educational Choices
Public schools use a regulated curriculum for all their students and they are obligated to follow curriculum guidelines set by the state or the educational institution board.
Public schools are also required to administer standardized tests which measure student’s academic performances.
The core subjects like Math, English, Science, and History are mandatory which limits the flexibility of curriculum.
According to Nca.school, private schools aren’t obligated to follow mandatory programming, funding, and services. This gives them the freedom to adopt curriculum that go beyond the standard public school.
Private schools may offer curriculum that focus on specific values, such as religion/belief, arts, or a foreign language.
Private school teachers are often stricter in terms of academic expectations. There are higher expectations for class participation, homework completion, and behaviors.
Dress codes also tend to be more strict; many private schools require a uniform and a student may face consequences for getting a dress code violation.
After acquiring knowledge about the difference between public and private schools, the right choice depends on a child’s individual needs and a family’s educational wants/values and financial capacity.
This summer, Kraus-Anderson Construction will be revamping Highland Park’s very own cafeteria. The project preparation is already underway and construction begins in April. The cafeteria renovation is one step of a complete update of the Highland school complex.
Kraus-Anderson Construction has a prolific portfolio including updates to the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport and is currently undertaking the Hidden River Middle School (formerly Ramsey Middle School) renovation project.
In 2024, Kraus-Anderson Construction began renovations on the Middle School which will include renovations of the special education suite, administrative offices and parking lot along with classroom upgrades and gender neutral restrooms.
These projects are part of the Saint Paul Public School District’s Five-Year Facilities Maintenance and Capital Implementation Plan. Together with the Facilities Master Plan (FMP), the Five-Year Plan aims to equitably modernize the 73 buildings within the SPPS district to evolve to the needs of teaching and learning in the 21st century.
Current design plans and renderings show that Highland Park students should expect new geometric floor designs, new cafeteria seating including booths, high-tops, and circular lunch tables. The high school and middle school sides of the cafeteria will also be joined together to resolve lunch time congestion.
Upgrades for the cafeteria and two-story link are well needed at Highland Park whose lunch room sees nearly 2,000 students each day, far surpassing any other lunch room in the SPPS district.
Project scope and timeline for the projects affecting both the Senior High and Middle School:
Spring 2025: Complete old administrative renovation (middle school); start renovation of kitchen and cafeteria space and new two-story link between middle school and senior high school.
Summer 2025: Begin interior renovation of special education suite; complete classroom technology upgrades; replace gym floor; finish flooring and lighting upgrades.
Fall 2025: Complete kitchen and cafeteria renovation and new two-story link; complete all earthwork and landscaping.
Union Latina is a club where it represents Latin culture and also does fun activities and has fun performances.
Currently Union Latina (ULA) is preparing one of the two events that they host every year called Fiesta Latina.
Fiesta Latina is where grades 10-12 Spanish immersion classes choreograph dances so they can be shown during the last period of the day for students at the high school and some classes from the middle school. They also perform after school for the families and friends of the students, so they can see all the hard work they have done and effort they put into the performance .
Fiesta Latina shows all the different Latin cultures/dances and fun activities that Union Latina does every Wednesday after school.
During clubs/after school the board members give time for students to practice the fun activities and dances that are going to be performed.
Even though Fiesta Latina is a month away, the Spanish teachers are already letting the students choreograph and practice the dances that they are going to perform at the show.
During my experience of practicing, it is stressful but it is also super fun knowing that I’m able to show my culture, and different cultures similar to mine, during practice. I’m also able to see my friends and classmates have fun dancing and see everyone laugh and talk to each other.
During the after school performance there will be food trucks serving the most delicious food, and the performance will be at 5:30. During this time you are able to get your food and be able to get to your seat to watch the performance.
Everyone is welcome to watch the amazing performance Union Latina (ULA) will be presenting!
Fiesta Latina is on: April 17, with performances during 4th period and after school at 5:30.
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