The Fall Book Fair is less than two weeks away! We want to invite our community to participate in the "Share the Fair" program.
Share the Fair is the giving program that supports students in our school who need help buying books. Learn how to contribute at https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/highlandspringsmiddleschool. No one should leave the Book Fair empty-handed! #ScholasticBookFairs
Mark your calendars!
Wednesday, August 19th will be the first early dismissal day of the 2026–27 school year!
Students will be dismissed early while our teachers and staff use the afternoon for professional development, collaboration, and additional training to support student success.
Get a glimpse into what professional development looks like for our staff here at Aiken County by watching the video on YouTube at:https://youtu.be/RJ6SEXp8wUk .
The rumors are true - the Fall 2026 Book Fair is just around the corner at Highland Springs Middle School!
It will be held from August 24th-28th at the HSMS Media Center. Check out our Book Fair homepage to preview what is coming, learn how to set up an eWallet, or donate to our school's Share the Fair fund. More details to come...
We are so excited to see you at this year's Book Fair!
https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/highlandspringsmiddleschool
Team members include Anna Lea C., Lillie J., Sara Grace M., Aliyah B., Ariane D., Addison N., Kalynn G., Khloee G., Sofia B., Davielle G., and Journey K. This year's team manager is Aubrey H.
This week, we officially welcomed our new principal, Ms. Hadden, to Highland Springs! On Wednesday, she met with all of our students during grade-level town halls in the gym to share her vision and excitement for the year ahead.
During her remarks, Principal Hadden shared two simple requests for our students:
1. Show up every day ready to learn.
2. Show respect to yourself and to others.
She also challenged our Riverhawks to take responsibility for lifting one another up every single day because we are so much more than just a school—we are a community.
#RiverhawkPride #HighlandSpringsMiddle #AikenCountySchools #MiddleSchoolCommunity #WelcomePrincipalHadden
We are so proud of Highland Springs' own, Liam Clark, for making the team.
Last week, we hosted our very first Career Café of the year! We were thrilled to welcome local business owner John Berrett of Quest Sound and Productions as our guest speaker. Students enjoyed pizza and drinks during their time together.
Mr. Berrett shared insights with our students about the event production and audio/visual industry. His company handles everything from major concert productions with national recording artists to local school festivals, other community events, and custom A/V installations for local businesses and schools.
We cannot wait for the next Career Café in September!
Ms. Bennett's Advanced Band class has been hard at work rehearsing for their pep rally. Here, they are practicing "Crazy Train". We can't wait to see them perform!
The Fall 2026 reading challenge is now LIVE on Beanstack. This is a school-wide challenge to reach our goal of reading 850,000 MINUTES! Grab a book and start logging your reading today to begin earning virtual badges.
If you didn't get a chance to grab a slice - don't worry! We will be holding pizza sales every Friday. Slices are $2 and drinks are $1. Remember, sales are cash only. We look forward to seeing you each week!
Make your student's special day even more memorable by displaying a birthday message on our school marquee!
Getting started is easy: ✅ Scan the QR code or visit the link provided to complete the birthday request form.
Paying Online? Follow the payment instructions included in the online form to submit your payment electronically.
Paying In Person? Complete a birthday request form in the front office and submit your payment there.
Don't miss this fun opportunity to recognize your student on their big day! We look forward to helping you celebrate. 🎂🎈
Link: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=LTBu-BNw9EGZhxwTXOQTK8LcpoRbaP5JjIj6V7Uo1_BUMktJVTVHRzNEQzQ3VDJCNDVUWFdJVTA1Ti4u&route=shorturl
The Aiken County Public School District (ACPSD) is pleased to announce the appointment of Crystal Hadden as Principal of Highland Springs Middle School.
Hadden brings nearly 20 years of experience in education and a collaborative leadership style focused on student success, continuous growth, and strong school partnerships.
She began her career as an English teacher, serving students in Aiken County Public Schools and Lexington County School District One before moving into school administration. Most recently, Hadden served as Assistant Principal at Douglas Elementary School in Edgefield County School District. She previously served as Assistant Principal at Strom Thurmond High School from 2018 to 2025 and as Interim Assistant Principal at South Aiken High School in 2018.
"Returning to Aiken County, the community where I was once a student myself and where my family now makes our home, makes this opportunity profoundly special," Hadden said. "As a product of Aiken County schools, the wife of an Aiken County educator, and the parent of a current Highland Springs Riverhawk with two future Riverhawks close behind, my connection to this school and community is deeply rooted."
Hadden assumes her new role Monday, Aug. 3 and looks forward to partnering with students, families, staff, and the Highland Springs community.
Pizza Sales begin on Friday, July 31st and continues every Friday. Pizza is sold for $2/slice and drinks are sold for $1.
Celebrate Fridays with a slice!
Pizza sales start Friday! Cash only. Students can purchase pizza for $2/slice and drinks for $1.
This past week, our Riverhawks attended their very first UCA Cheer Camp, and they represented HSMS with pride, enthusiasm, and determination!
Throughout camp, the team worked incredibly hard, learned new cheers, improved their stunt technique, built stronger teamwork skills, and showcased some amazing jumps. Most importantly, they stepped outside their comfort zones, supported one another, and grew both as cheerleaders and as leaders.
We are so proud of everything these athletes accomplished in just a few days and are excited to see their continued growth throughout the season.
Thank you to our cheerleaders for their hard work and dedication. We can't wait to share all the exciting things this team will accomplish during the 2026-2027 season!
📣💙 Go Riverhawks! 💙📣
#HSMSCheer #RiverhawkPride #UCACamp #FutureLeaders #SchoolSpirit #GoRiverhawks
