Bronco Bits
August 15 2019
Principal's Message
Summer is officially coming to a close and I am so excited to see our students on the first day. The 2019-2020 school year promises to be the best yet here at HMS. Our kids deserve it. I am so grateful to serve this community and hope to meet you all soon.
What I get to do each do is very near and dear to my heart. Education provided me with a way out of the madness that surrounded me on a daily basis as a youth. Specifically, when I entered the doors of Alamo Jr. High in Midland, Texas as a 7th grade student. I had the privilege to experience two amazing teachers who completely changed the narrative of what my life would become. Before this time I had largely been a so-so student, gliding through school on a daily basis, not giving teachers much of an issue, and remaining largely invisible.
Upon my arrival in 7th grade I encountered Ms. Duffy, my science teacher, and Coach Carmona, my athletics coach. I immediately felt visible in their presence and my life changed as a result of their love, commitment, empowerment, and belief in me. They changed my life and gave me hope for a future that I had never envisioned. I am forever grateful for them! Every child deserves those individuals in their life.
Their influence is why I chose to be an educator. What we get to do each day is truly magical. We get to impact lives. It is a huge responsibility that I take a great deal of pride in. With that responsibility comes the accountability to get it right. As the adults in the building we hold the power to make a child's experience mundane or magical, and we must take that seriously. Please know that we are going to have a heart of choosing magical EVERY SINGLE TIME. We want our school to be a place where:
- Staff love to come serve,
- Parents are comfortable and confident in sending their child, and
- Students LOVE to be each day.
Every morning you can expect to see me out in front of the school welcoming students with high fives and music as they arrive. How we begin largely sets the tone for the day and it is my goal that we start on an extremely positive note. We know that these middle school years are some of the most critical time in our young people's lives. At HMS we will continually champion ways to provide a safe and nurturing environment rich in numerous opportunities for our students to learn and grow.
Monday is a big day! How we start the school year is so very important. I look forward to seeing every student as they enter the doors of HMS. We are going to have a great year! Thank you all so much for creating such a warm and welcoming community for our students to grow in. Please don't hesitate to reach out if there is ever anything myself and our staff can do for you. I look forward to the many great things ahead for HMS. I am extremely #ProudToBeABronco!!!
Proud to be your principal,
Dr. James Whitfield
Important Traffic Flow Information
Bronco Camp Was GREAT!!!
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1WFcm1OGvM8ssVAC7UmqPGFMjbQBVa-WtX3eS_hrIah4/edit?usp=sharing
Thank you PTSA
PTSA
Thank you for welcoming our new principal into the HMS family! We really enjoyed our time together on Tuesday the 6th, and REALLY enjoyed the ice cream from Baskin Robbins! Thank you, Dr. Whitfield! We appreciate your leadership! Thank you HMS Families! We appreciate everything you do to make HMS such a special place! Thank you, Baskin Robbins! You sweetened our gathering!
Baskin-Robbins Spirit Night! Come and cool off!
Wednesday, Sep 4, 2019, 11:00 AM
Baskin-Robbins, 2750 TX-121, Suite 800, Euless, TX 76039
AmazonSmile Rewards Program
Have you linked your Amazon account to the HMS PTA in the AmazonSmile give back program? Each time you shop smile.amazon.com and designate PTA Texas Congress 4407 Heritage Middle PTA as your charitable organization, .5% of the purchase total will go back to Heritage Middle School. Click here to make sure you have designated HMS PTA as your charitable organization.
Washington DC Trip for Next Year - June 2020
Registration for the HMS trip to Washington DC for next summer is LIVE! Trip is open to HMS students in 7th and 8th grade during the 2019-2020 school year. Visit www.worldstrides.com/signup for details. Use Trip ID# 174661. Contact Coach Landau for more information.
Tech Corner
Ensuring your Student's District Technology is Ready for the 2019-20 School Year
As we get close to the start of school, it's important; we make sure your students have all the supplies and tools needed to be successful. If your child has a district-issued iPad/Chromebook or laptop, now is the time to look it over.
Most common things to look for when checking out your student's devices:
1. Cracked or damaged screen
2. Missing keys
3. Lost chargers
Remember for district IPads crack screens while in the protective district case is free* to repair.
GCISD technology provides summer repair services, so act now to help eliminate any lost instructional time for device repairs at the start of school. Click the link below for information on summer device repair.
https://www.gcisd.net/cms/One.aspx?portalId=96313&pageId=23319561
*few only applies if blatant misuse has occurred ( ran over by vehicles, thrown off buildings, etc.) and actual iPad screen is damaged.
Student Skyward logins have changed
To better serve our students, GCISD technology has migrated all Student logins into Skyward to match their network logins. Students will no longer need to remember a separate login when trying to access Skyward.
As a reminder, please encourage students to use Classlink to login. By using Classlink students will get instant access into all their district resources without having to remember passwords or links.
HMS Volunteer Hours
Did you volunteer on behalf of HMS in April?
Bronco Parents! Please log any HMS volunteer hours at www.heritagemiddlepta.com/volunteer
Click on "Log Volunteer Hours".
Time volunteering for ANY HMS activity (band, athletics, choir, drama, dance, cheer, PTA, etc) count! Log any hours done at home, school, or in the community.
We compete with the other GCISD schools each month for top volunteers! Help us win!
Counselors' Corner
Friends for Life
This is an anonymous way to make a report if a student sees or hears about anything that is concerning. To access information with the phone number, number to text, phone application, and website to make this report, you can go to our counseling website by clicking HERE.
Please don't hesitate to contact us if you ever have any questions or concerns!
Thank you,
Chandra Manuel (A-K Counselor) - chandra.manuel@gcisd.net
Renae Garrett (L-Z Counselor) - joyce.garrett@gcisd.net
Sarah Burey (Student Advocate) - sarah.burey@gcisd.net
HMS Mission, Vision, and Core Beliefs
Mission
Heritage Middle School will empower all students to develop the knowledge and skills to be college and career ready in a global society.
Vision
Our school community will inspire a passion and sense of value for lifelong learning.
Core Beliefs
- Provide a safe and secure environment
- Maintain high expectations for all learners
- Build and maintain positive relationships
- Celebrate diversity
- Communicate and collaborate effectively
Doing Things The Bronco Way!
Website: http://hms.gcisd.net/
Location: 5300 Heritage Avenue, Colleyville, TX, United States
Phone: 817-305-4790
Twitter: @HeritageBroncos