Principal's Message
Welcome to Hybrid In Person and Virtual Learning for the 2020-21 school year. Students in grades 9 - 12 have completed Marking Period 2 and more than 50% of our student body was able to make honor roll or high honor roll! We are nearing the end of Marking Period 3 and hope our students continue to be successful.
The faculty and staff of HPHS are dedicated to providing the best education possible for our students whether they are in person or remotely and attending classes online. Please click on this link for our
Bitmoji version of Highland Park High School to navigate to your teachers' virtual classrooms. Students should be sure to take full advantage of everything our teachers use for remote instruction including their Zoom rooms, Google Classrooms, and faculty emails. This school year especially, let's look to our guardian owls Hope and Perseverance for inspiration. Together we will get through these challenging times!
We are very proud of the recent accomplishments of our Fall and Winter sports program athletes in football, soccer, girls' tennis, cross country, basketball and track! Our Boys Cross Country team are the Central Jersey Group 1 Sectional Champions this year for the first time since 1968! Our high school has received quite a number of recognitions over the years including ranking by U.S. News and World Reports as one of the Best High Schools in New Jersey. We also earned the Shoprite Cup as the #1 Group I New Jersey Sports Program in 2018.
Additionally, 54% of our graduating seniors earned a 3 or higher on at least one AP exam before they graduated our high school. We have renewed our Bronze Certification from Sustainable Jersey for Schools in recognition of our efforts to pursue "green" initiatives and a number of wellness projects in our school in support of sustainability. In 2019, our Boys Tennis Team won the Group I State Championship, and we had three Spring Track State Champions! Our track programs have set the standard by consistently performing at the top levels in our county, division, and the state! Our Boys and Girls Soccer teams were highly successful winning a State Sectional Championship and the Greater Middlesex Conference championship respectively. We were also Division champions in Girls Tennis for two years in a row. This academic and athletic recognition along with the numerous individual and team awards received by our Model UN/ Model Congress, DECA, Mock Trial Team, Science Leagues, Mathletes, Orchestra, Choir, and Band and other competitive clubs demonstrate that our students, faculty, and school community are focused on all aspects of student achievement.
All of our students are encouraged to set their individual goals for success at the highest levels and to take advantage of the broad range of opportunities and supports our school has to offer.
Students who need assistance with coursework and want to improve their grades should meet with their counselor or teachers to arrange for tutoring or for additional help if needed. We are always available to provide help to any student who needs it.
Remember that we are the OWLS, and our mission is for each of our students to demonstrate Openness, Wisdom, Leadership, and Spirit as they prepare for college, future careers, and active participation in society. We are dedicated to serving our students and guiding them as they fulfill this mission. Please do not hesitate to contact us whenever you have a question or concern.
Michael J. Lassiter
Principal of Highland Park High School
Email: mlassiter@hpschools.net