Fun Fridays

This year the Spirit Committee decided to make a new lunch activity in the P.E. Courtyard open to all students from all teams to compete and win Spirit Points for their team -- we call it “Fun Fridays!” With super fun games like our “Dodgeball Duel”, it was an all out brawl, one-on-one, team versus team dodgeball! We also introduced our new game, Giant Jenga. When constructed, the game stood about 4 feet tall and teams competed to keep the tower standing for as long as they could. This Fun Friday also brought back Muggle Basketball, with 2 teams fighting to have the highest score. Another event we had that had students lining up to play was Frisbee Quidditch, where we had the 3 Quidditch hoops up and the teams to make it through received spirit points. All in all, this activity caused movement in the spirit point tally and relieved stress off of burnt-out students from intense testing from the last 2 weeks! Josiah, Spirit Committee Chairperson

Student Leadership Week: Elementary Mini Leadership Workshops

“Come in, come in, don't stop, don't stop, don't stop….” On April 19 and 27 the Highlands 8th Grade Council visited Pearl City and Lehua Elementary schools for Leadership Week 2017. We cheered them up by, of course, starting with off with tons of cheers, icebreakers and energizers! From there we focused on teaching specific leadership skills through fun activities like Card Towers, Team Cup Stack Challenge! and Cat and Mouse. We honestly had such a great time during Leadership Week, I mean look at these pictures! The students got to learn some very meaningful skills that they will surely use in the near future, like when they come up to our school, Highlands Intermediate ;)   Thea, 8th Grade Secretary

Highlands Intermediate Receives National Student Council Award!

Pearl City, HI—For its exemplary record of leadership, service, and activities that serve to improve the school and community, Highlands Intermediate Student Council has been awarded a 2017 National Gold Council of Excellence Award by the National Association of Student Councils (NASC).  There are 9 schools in the state of Hawaii with this distinction, with Highlands Intermediate being the only middle school represented!

“Receiving an NASC National Gold Council of Excellence Award reflects the highest dedication on the part of the school to providing a strong, well-rounded student council program,” said Ann Postlewaite, National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) student programs director. “NASC applauds the work of the National Gold Councils of Excellence and challenges them to continue their leadership and service to their schools and communities.”

“I couldn’t be more proud of this group of student leaders in creating such an awesome and energizing environment that reverberated throughout the 2016-17 school year!  Even more amazing was the way our student leaders incorporated this year’s school theme “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter!” into all the activities the entire school year, turning Highlands into Hogwarts, our teachers in Professors and our Gym into the pitch for our inaugural Highlands Quidditch Cup! This Highlands Student Council 16-17 is the best I’ve ever had the privilege of working with in my 10 years at Highlands Intermediate School!” — Mr. Eric White

To meet the requirements for the NASC National Council of Excellence Award, a student council must meet a variety of criteria. In addition to basic requirements such as a written constitution, regular meetings, a democratic election process, and membership in NASC, councils demonstrate things such as leadership training for council members, teacher/staff appreciation activities, student recognition programs, school and community service projects, spirit activities, goal setting, financial planning, and active participation in state and national student council associations. Those councils awarded the gold level have successfully demonstrated the highest levels of leadership.

To learn more about the National Council of Excellence Award, visit www.nasc.us/ncoe.

Highlands Student Council Induction Ceremony 2017

Well, it's finally time to say goodbye to the old student council and welcome in the new...it was bittersweet to say the least! The Highlands StuCo Induction Ceremony took place on Saturday 4/22/17 at Dave & Buster’s in downtown Honolulu 5 weeks before the end of the 16-17 sy. Our special guest was City Councilman Brandon Elefante who had some insightful and encouraging words for both the current and incoming members in the audience. Later, we congratulated the current student council for an amazing job this year and then had a candle lighting ceremony where the new student council members agreed to a pledge, an oath of their new offices. After the official ceremony we planned on lightening things up with some team building activities...like the Ultimate D&B Scavenger Hunt. We got into 3 groups and intimidated each other with some group cheers to start off with. From getting signatures on a napkin to finding the year the venue opened, we all had fun so much fun! The Highlands StuCo Induction Ceremony was an amazing event never to be forgotten.  Kiley, Student Government Treasurer

Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt 2017

Where flowers grow, where musicians play, where the fun takes place everyday.... The annual Highlands Easter Egg Hunt took place April 17 in the Library Courtyard during Lunch. All 7 teams raced to find the bronze, silver, and gold egg hidden all across campus. They had to run all the way up to A Building and then down to lower campus, searching for the hidden eggs. The event finished fast with Hui Manao in 1st Place with 2 minutes and 5 seconds! 2nd Place was Laulea with 2 minutes and 7seconds, and 3rd Place was Hooko with 2 minutes and 45 seconds! Congratulations to all the teams that participated this year ;) And, as usual, Ms. Zoller and the Highlands Jr. Leo's were giving out Easter Eggs full of treats for everyone that recycled something.  Kaia, Assembly Committee Chairperson

Full Council 2

Full Council 2 was a success! All of the Homeroom Representatives came down to the Student Council Room to share the concerns they collected from their individual homerooms. Each representative met up with the other representatives from their team to discuss and share their student concerns, school-wide concerns, and team concerns. Each team shared one poster paper and wrote down the most occurring concerns. Then, each team shared their poster with the whole Full Council, voicing their suggestions on making Highlands a better place for all of us to live and learn. Our very own Vice Principal, Mr. Battad attended so he could hear these important concerns from the students first-hand. He addressed many of the concerns immediately and assured all of us that the administration is doing everything they can to make Highlands the best it can possibly be! Taylor, SG Vice-President

Spring Break Scavenger Hunt 2017

To celebrate  the upcoming Spring Break we held a scavenger hunt that had students running around the entire school while solving riddles! They were also racing against one another for the fastest time and spirit points. After each riddle was solved it asked them to perform tasks, including pretending to swim away from a shark, watching Netflix, and bowling for strikes! 2 boys and 2 girls from each team competed in this annual event. Each team had 1 guide/chaperone that followed them around school, documenting with a camera the team completing. 1st Place was Hui’Manao, 2nd Place was Laulea, and 3rd Place was Hui Ha’aheo. Micah, Athletics Committee