What is the PATH Program?
PATH stands for "PAL and Teen Helpers". Students in this program will highlight acts of compassion and kindness among peers, incorporate empathy into the school culture, celebrate diversity and inclusion through awareness and school wide activities, and assist with community service projects. One of the features of the PATH program is to have monthly lessons through our homeroom classes with a consistent message for all students . These lessons revolve around topics like empathy, standing up and speaking out, and challenging our own personal biases.
Student Leadership Group/Faculty Advisors:
Brent Fulton, Shawnte Scott-Thompkins, Jaclyn Bonsecour, Amy Moor, Lara Salzman, Sydney Brooks, Katie Lunsford
PATH stands for "PAL and Teen Helpers". Students in this program will highlight acts of compassion and kindness among peers, incorporate empathy into the school culture, celebrate diversity and inclusion through awareness and school wide activities, and assist with community service projects. One of the features of the PATH program is to have monthly lessons through our homeroom classes with a consistent message for all students . These lessons revolve around topics like empathy, standing up and speaking out, and challenging our own personal biases.
Student Leadership Group/Faculty Advisors:
Brent Fulton, Shawnte Scott-Thompkins, Jaclyn Bonsecour, Amy Moor, Lara Salzman, Sydney Brooks, Katie Lunsford
Relay for Life Spring Fundraiser
It's time again for our Relay for Life spring fundraiser! During the week of March 14-18th, PATH students will be collecting donations before school in the atrium. All donations will go straight to the American Cancer Society, and the lunch class with the most money raised will win a pizza party! Make sure to bring in your donations for a great cause!
Exceptional Children's Week - March 7-11th
The Council for Exceptional Children initiated Exceptional Children’s Week as a means to educate the public about children with exceptionalities and garner support for special education. The Council for Exceptional Children was founded in 1922, making this year its 100th anniversary! Not only are we celebrating our exceptional students, but also the exceptional staff members that teach and support our students. During ECW, our school will be participating in a variety of "themed days" to help celebrate.
- Monday 3/7: Motivation Monday. Take a look into the motivational lives of famous athletes with disabilities and wear your favorite sports attire!
- Tuesday 3/8: Gratituesday. Let’s help our special educators “feel-good”. Show your appreciation and wear RED. Leave them a note of appreciation or thank them throughout the day. Send an email, wish them a good day, or make them a card.
- Wednesday 3/9: Wow! Wednesday Wear Neon to honor those who brighten our day!
- Thursday 3/10: Thinking Good Thoughts Thursday! Share Kindness. Wear a kindness themed shirt. Say “Hello” to someone you do not know. Lunch Bunch Bring a Friend!
- Friday 3/11: Feel Good Friday. Wear your Hightower Trail attire. Complete a gratitude card in homeroom to an exceptional student.
WOMEN IN STEM MONTH - MArch 2022
During Women In STEM month, we are recognizing the influential women who were pioneers in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Around the building, we have displayed posters with the names of famous women in history, as well as doing a Women in STEM Scavenger Hunt to learn more about these women. Our PATH students have been so helpful in helping us decorate the hallways for different events each month!
MLK Service Project - Black History Month
During the month of February, HTMS collected "things you can write with" to donate to our friends at a local Cobb County School. All together, we collected 4 boxes worth of pens, pencils, markers, highlighters, colored pencils, and crayons! Thank you to everyone who donated!
Black History Month - Februrary 2022
February 1st begins Black History Month, and we have so many wonderful things planned for our HTMS students! Some of the things we will be doing are:
Stay tuned for pictures!
- Lining the hallways with posters about Black History
- New bulletin board in the main hallway about changing the world with our words!
- Creating a school-wide video with quotes from famous Black History figures
- Black History trivia during lunch classes
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Service Project
Stay tuned for pictures!
Congrats to our Black History Bowl Participants!
Over the weekend, we had five 6th graders participate in the Black History Bowl at North Cobb High School. The team won the first round and will compete this weekend at Kennesaw State University! We are so proud of their hard work and for representing Hightower Trail.
Kindness Week - November 2021
Kindness Week was a HUGE success here at HTMS! Each day of the week had a different theme, and our students and staff showed once again why Hightower is the best and kindest place to be!
Monday: Confetti Monday ("Throw Kindness Around Like Confetti" and write down one kind thing they will complete during the week)
Tuesday: Two Can Tuesday (Bring in canned food for the Food Drive)
Wednesday: Hello My Name Is (Students wear name tags so they can say hi to other students throughout the day)
Thursday: Random Acts of Kindness (Students complete as many acts of random kindness as they can in a day)
Friday: Thankful Friday (Students write a "thank you" note to any faculty member)
Monday: Confetti Monday ("Throw Kindness Around Like Confetti" and write down one kind thing they will complete during the week)
Tuesday: Two Can Tuesday (Bring in canned food for the Food Drive)
Wednesday: Hello My Name Is (Students wear name tags so they can say hi to other students throughout the day)
Thursday: Random Acts of Kindness (Students complete as many acts of random kindness as they can in a day)
Friday: Thankful Friday (Students write a "thank you" note to any faculty member)
HTMS Food drive and "2-can Tuesday"
Our PTSA sponsored Thanksgiving Food Drive started on November 8th and lasted through November 16th! As a school, we were able to collect over 1,200 items for the food drive!! These food items will benefit the Cobb County School District food banks, which provide meals to hundreds of families all over Cobb. Way to go Hightower! Thanks again to everyone who brought in their "two cans" (and more)!
Toothbrush Tuesday - 10/26/2021
Toothbrush Tuesday at HTMS was a HUGE success! We collected hundreds (possibly even thousands) of toothbrushes for students in foster care. Thanks to our awesome PATH students who came early to help collect toothbrushes!
Red Ribbon Week Preparation!
Today, members of our PATH group who serve on the Sprit committee met to prepare for Red Ribbon Week! These students met to create posters to display around the school to inform students of the different spirit days that will happening next week.
Path Meeting - 10/13/2021
During our PATH meeting this month, our students discussed personal biases and changes we can make to challenge those biases. The students worked in groups to come up with ways that they could stay self-aware when it comes to things like stereotypes and rumors.
PATH Meeting - 9/23/2021
In this month's PATH meeting, our student leaders were able to expand on our monthly PAL lesson and have more in depth conversations about the content. We discussed name-calling, things we can do to stop name-calling in our school, and what our school would look like if name-calling didn't happen.