Congratulations to six Highland High School seniors who are among the 34,000 students to be named Commended Scholars in the Annual National Merit Scholarship Program. They are now eligible to become candidates for special scholarships provided by corporate and business sponsors. They include the following: Austin Addington, son of Jim and Shawna Addington of Sharon Township Maria Davis, daughter of Calvin and Tina Davis of Montville Township Peter Marinelli, son of Gregory Marinelli and Kimberly Davey of Granger Township Connor Oviatt, son of Chad and Marianne Oviatt of Sharon Township Lauren Webb, daughter of Jeremy and Stacy Webb of Montville Township Jonathan Wuchter, son of Gerald Wuchter and Kimberly Blair of Sharon Township Pictured from left are Connor Oviatt, Jonathan Wuchter, Maria Davis, Austin Addington, Lauren Webb and Peter Marinelli.

The Highland Drama Department will be bringing to life George Orwell's classic dystopia, 1984. In a world where everything that is not prohibited is compulsory, and Big Brother is always watching to make sure the citizens don't even think illegal thoughts, Winston and Julia dare to fall in love. They dare to question. This play is meant to make its audiences ask their own questions about what freedom really is and how far loyalty should go. Performances will be held in the Highland High School Black Box Theater on at 7 p.m. on October 21-23 and at 2 p.m. on October 23. Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for students/seniors, and will be sold at the door.

Highland High School senior Emily Dunn has been selected as the Medina County Kiwanis Student of the Month for September. Emily is an excellent student and an avid member of Highland’s Marching Band. In addition, she participates in the school’s concert band, pit orchestra and is the sound technician for the school theatre productions. She is also involved with several HHS organizations, including Student Council, Robotics, Band Council, Tri-M, Yearbook and National Honor Society. Emily was recently selected as a National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist. In her free time, she is an active member of The Girl Scouts of the USA and is a peer tutor. The daughter of Julie Dunn of Montville Township, Emily plans to pursue a degree in accounting upon her graduation from Highland.

Tickets are now on sale for "Les Misérables" School Edition, presented by the Highland Choir Boosters. The musical features a large number of HHS cast, crew and members of the Highland Orchestra and will be held for two weekends, November 11-13 and November 19-20, in the Highland High School Auditorium. Showtime for all performances is 7 p.m. Tickets for reserved seating is $15 for adults; $10 for students (grades K-12) and senior citizens (60+). Purchase tickets through the following link: https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/56297.

Dear Highland Parents, Across the country, school districts are struggling to fill transportation jobs. In a recent national survey, 81% of districts reported not being able to find enough school bus drivers to fill their needs. More than half of surveyed districts categorize this shortage as “severe” or “desperate.” Unfortunately, the Highland School District has joined this growing number of school districts and has the same busing challenges. (See Akron Beacon Journal articles published on 10-1-21 and 9-29-21). The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted school transportation and has left our district extremely short-handed. We are struggling to hire bus drivers.

Prestige will photograph seniors from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, October 29 in the auxiliary gym. The deadline to be photographed by Prestige to have your senior picture included in the yearbook is January 31, 2022. There will be a sign up sheet available mid-October for the Senior Portrait Picture Day.

After a long hiatus due to the pandemic, Highland Community Education is now returning to offer several exciting classes this Fall. Back by popular demand are the in-person elementary after school classes including Young Rembrandts Art, Madscience, Brixology and Crayola Arts Academy. A new virtual Spanish class for students in K-6, which includes the entire family, is also on the course list! Hummingbirds Soccer will again be offered and high school students have the opportunity to enroll in ACT/SAT Test Preparation classes in the evenings or during the school day. Adults can sign up for Beekeeping, CPR, Retirement Planning, Virtual Voiceover and Stop Smoking/Weight Loss seminars. Evening classes are not restricted to Highland community residents only. Download the detailed brochure and registration form HERE. For questions, enrollment or more information, contact Mary Fran Kudla, HCE Director, at 330-239-1901, ext. 5503, or at mkudla@highlandschools.org.