2019 school year concludes:
Another school year has come to an end at Highland High School, and it was a successful one at that. Highland High School had a year full of learning and many academic goals were reached for the school. On June 2, the graduation ceremony for the class of 2019 was held. The graduates received their diplomas in a day of celebration as their hard work and effort was recognized. Now that the seniors are moving onto their adult lives, the school will now start preparations in welcoming the new freshman to the high school in the coming 2019-2020 school year.
However, there is a lot more that happened besides graduation. The US News and World Report brought good news to Highland High School, as the school ranked in the top 40 percent of all high schools in the country. This is a big achievement and shows that the students and staff have worked hard all year. Also, it was reported that 43 percent of students at Highland take Advanced Placement (AP) classes. These classes aren’t easy and often give students a heavy workload. Additionally, these students had to take multiple difficult tests during the last few weeks of the school year.
Now that the 2018-2019 school year has concluded, all students at Highland can start preparing for the future. As the graduation class moves onto work or college, and the returning students get ready for a brand-new year of learning.
Fourth of July celebrations:
One of the highlights of the summer season is the 4th of July, and there are plenty of ways to celebrate in Highland. On July 3rd, Highland’s Annual 4th of July Festival begins and lasts through July 7th. At the festival, there will be live music and entertainment, rides, food, and plenty of other activities to enjoy. Wristbands for the rides will cost $25 during the first four days of the festival, and from 1-5 p.m. on July 7th. However, they will only cost $20 on July 7th if purchased between 6-9 p.m.
Along with the festival, there will be two parades to celebrate the holiday. The first parade, the Twilight Parade, is on July 3rd and will start at 6:30 p.m. The Twilight Parade begins at St. James the Less Catholic Church and will head north on Kennedy St.. The other parade, the Kiddie parade, is on July 7th at 12:45 p.m. The starting location is in the parking lot across from Traditions, and will head through downtown to Main Square.
Another tradition that Highland residents are looking forward to is the annual 4th of July Firework show. This year’s show is planned to begin at 9 p.m. Unfortunately, last year’s show was postponed due to the weather. As a result, this year’s show is planned to last double the amount of time to make up for the postponement last year. Hopefully the weather will hold out so the residents can enjoy the show, which will happen at Sharp Athletic Complex.
Student Spotlight Jenna Donohue:
When the 2019-2020 school year begins, student athlete Jenna Donohue will be a junior at Highland High School. Jenna is involved with two different sports at school, soccer and track & field.
She is very passionate about both sports. “I have played soccer since I was 3 years-old and have enjoyed it ever since.” Donohue explained. “I started running track my freshman year to help me get faster for soccer season. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it at first, but I continued because I got along well with my teammates. Now, I enjoy it a lot.”
Off the field, Jenna works hard in the classroom as well. She takes multiple challenging classes and is a member of both the National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society.
Jenna has lots of different things to keep track of in order to maintain her success. “Managing my time is the most important part of balancing school and sports.” said Donohue about how she stays on top of her sports, schoolwork, and other duties she has.
Although Donahue is already experiencing success on both the field and in the classroom, she still has plenty of goals left that she wants to achieve. “For soccer, I am hoping to make varsity this year.” She explained. “Also, I hope to improve my time in the 400-meter dash for track.”
Academically, Jenna hopes to maintain her grades in her classes as she has many AP courses on her schedule next year.
Given her involvement and passion for sports and school, it seems likely that Jenna Donohue has a bright future ahead, both on and off the field.