Highland Park students truly have an array of special area classes. In addition to art, library, music, and physical education, students receive instruction in Spanish and computer labs. Exposure to another language and the opportunity to explore computer science topics help prepare our students to develop lifelong curiosity and a wider worldview. We have clubs for drama, robotics, running, and basketball. The drama club produces three to four plays each year. Our running club is a great way to stay healthy, make new friends, and prepare for the annual MCCSC Fun Run. Our basketball club culminates with a tournament in the spring. We also have select students attend the First Tee of Indiana program every spring to learn golf skills from PGA professionals. Students can get involved in the Highland Park community via our student council and an annual talent show. Our student council has organized disaster relief fundraisers and put on their first student “dance” in the spring of 2019.

At Highland Park, we understand the value of community partnerships and are fortunate to have many that benefit our students and partners alike. Our Panda Pride Nature Preserve was developed and is maintained through a variety of community partnerships including IU Health, South Central Indiana REMC, Sycamore Land Trust, Sullivan Lawn and Landscaping, Duke Energy, and J.R. Ellington Tree Service. Through partnering with the Sycamore Land Trust, each classroom added native plants to our garden boxes in the preserve and continues to monitor them as they add beauty to our campus. We have readers visit our classrooms regularly from the Monroe County United Way’s Real Men Read program. Ms. Elisa Pokral visits classrooms to educate our students about preserving our environment through Monroe County Waste Management’s Go Green community outreach program. We have partnered with Ivy Tech Community College to bring classic literature to our sixth-grade students culminating with a project showcase at Ivy Tech in the spring. Through our partnership with the IU School of Psychology, we have been able to provide IU psychology students the opportunity to accumulate real-world experience while also providing some of our striving students additional support in developing academic or behavioral skills. In addition, we are very grateful for the Lions Club’s annual donation of dictionaries to our third-grade students. Lastly, we are very fortunate to have a dynamic and supportive Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), that hosts a Holiday Dinner in December and a Spring Carnival in April.