Heartland MS Family Newsletter
Heartland Happenings - December 10, 2023
Notes From Ms. Johnson
We've reached the last full week of the semester! Please be reminded that the "missing work" cut-off date is Friday, December 15th! It wouldn't hurt to double check with your student to ensure that they have submitted all of their work. You can expect the semester grades to go live to parents in mid-January. We have a jam packed week with finals approaching soon. Please see the graphic below to stay in the know as to which finals are on what day. Those classes that are taken by 7th & 8th graders "for high school credit" will have a final that is worth 20% of their grade. This would include the following classes - Algebra I (7/8), Geometry (8), Spanish (8) & Great Books (8)... As a reminder - classes that are taken for HS credit in MS will absolutely appear on the HS transcript. In short, all of our 8th graders are beginning to build their HS transcript and earn credits towards graduation. It's important to finish strong, Thunderhawks!
It was another great week of "Decking the Heartland Halls!" We had tons of participation in the dress up days from students and staff and hope to have even more participation as we've reached the last FULL week! We will be judging our door decorating contest on Wednesday! I'll be sure to post some pictures on our Facebook page so that parents can see some of the phenomenal doors! The line-up of all dress up days is listed in the graphic below! On deck this week we have:
- December 11th - You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch - Green or Holiday Character
- December 12th - Christmas Vacation - Tourist/Hawaiian Day
- December 13th - I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas - Animal Print
- December 14th - Gift Wrap - Presents & Bows
- December 15th - Silent Night - Pajama/Onesie Day
We have a jammed packed week with winter concerts, dress up days and sporting events! See the graphic below for more information on when our performing arts will host their Winter concerts. We would love to see you all there! Come out and support all of our Thunderhawks!
Let's finish the semester strong, Heartland!
WE ARE...HEARTLAND!
Respectfully,
Veronica Johnson
Principal, Heartland Middle School
405-340-2972
Grade Level Newsletters
of nutritious food for Heartland students and their families in need of
extra support.
Congratulations to our November Thunderhawk RISE Recipients!
Heartland MS Lost & Found
Is your student missing something?? A coat, hoodie, lunch box, water bottle, etc?? Be sure to have them check our lost and found ASAP. All items will be donated to charity at the end of this semester!
Heartland Middle School Varsity Basketball
A HUGE shoutout to all of our varsity basketball teams on a fantastic showing at their tournaments this weekend! Our 7th grade teams played in the Edmond Cheyenne Invitational and our 8th grade teams played in the Edmond Sequoyah Invitational. They all represented Heartland with PRIDE and we couldn't be more proud! A special shoutout to our 7th and 8th grade boys teams for their 3rd place finishes in their respective tournaments!
22/23 OSTP PAPER COPY OF SCORES (CURRENT 7TH - 9TH GRADERS)
If your student tested last Spring at Heartland and you are interested in picking up a paper copy of your current 7th, 8th, or 9th-grade student OSTP scores from last year - we will have those available at the school - until the end of this first semester. Current 6th-grade students would need to visit the elementary school in which they tested to receive the paper copy of their scores.
Congratulations To Our Orchestra Program On A Wonderful Holiday Concert!
December Faculty Thunderhawk Award - Mrs. Starkey, Mrs. Thatcher & Ms. Jackson!
High School Basketball Safety Procedures
HS basketball games have started as of this week. Just a quick reminder that the procedures put in place during football season - remain in place for basketball season. Here are the key points to remember:
1. Wear ID & Lanyard: All students attending any athletic event are required to wear their ID and lanyard.
2. High School Students - Designated Student Only Entrances: Students from both high schools will enter through designated doors.
3. Elementary and Middle School Students: For elementary/middle school students, an adult must be present with them when entering the doors. Students are expected to remain with their parents/guardian or in the designated cheering section throughout the event.
4. Students From Other High Schools: High school students from a school not participating in the game must also be accompanied by an adult.
5. No Bags Are Permitted: Bags will not be allowed through the entrance doors with the exception of a small clutch (4 ½ x 6 ½), medical or diaper bags.
6. No Athletic Equipment (Footballs, Basketballs, etc.) Permitted: Athletic equipment like basketballs, footballs, soccer balls, etc. won’t be allowed through the doors. Everyone should remain in the stands to enjoy the game.
7. Cheering Section Etiquette: We encourage enthusiastic participation in cheering for our teams. To ensure safety and order, please remain in the designated cheering areas.
8. Increased Security Presence: As part of our effort to ensure a safe environment for everyone, you’ll notice an increase in the number of security personnel and EPS staff and administrators at our events. Please help remind your students to be respectful to them, listen to their directions and follow our policies.
SMART SOCIAL
Did you know there are settings on your student’s phone or tablet that allow you to control how much they use it? In this month’s Smart Social tip, learn all about parental control options for your student’s devices. To access this information, just click on this link: https://smartsocial.com/post/parental-control?org=edmond?org=edmond. And, remember, if you haven’t signed up for Smart Social yet, EPS is providing this resource to all of our families for free for this school year. When you click the link, it’ll prompt you to sign up for your free EPS account. We hope you continue to find this information useful!
ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL CONCERNS -- CAR RIDER
Here's the deal -- I realize everyone is in a rush to drop off and pick up. I get it - believe me! However, there are some practices happening that are not safe & we need to address those.
1) Picking Up/Dropping Off on Penn Itself. We have a few parents who are stopping on Penn Ave to have students get in and out of the car. Not only does this stop traffic for the other cars that are traveling down the street - but - it's simply not safe. I've even noticed cars make an immediate illegal u-turn after pick-up/drop-off. Please help us out by trying a safer method for pick up/drop off.
2) Dropping Off at the North Entrance We have SEVERAL parents who are now skipping the line, driving around to the North side of the school and dropping their students off in the bus loop after the buses leave in the morning. We are currently not staffed for supervision of these students as they come in. We ask that you utilize the car rider line and not drop off in the North bus loop. I promise you, the line goes pretty quickly.
3) Picking Up and Dropping Off in the East Parking Lot. The East parking lot by the tennis courts is used for staff parking. Many parents are driving around the North side of the building and into the East parking lot to drop off and pick up their student. Again, this area is not properly supervised. The more students that gather over on the East side, the more likely something dangerous/inappropriate can happen.
4) Students Dropped Off Early or Picked Up Late. We have supervision of students scheduled from 7:10 am to 2:40 pm. We've consistently had students waiting out front until deep in the 3:30pm time. These students are not supervised. AND - they're bored.. Bored and not supervised turns into many things at the middle school level. We ask that you please make arrangements to have your student picked up at the normal time - OR - ride the bus home. Additionally - we're having many students dropped off on campus and waiting for doors to open for a long time. Some as early as 6:00am. An hour and ten minutes is a long time to wait once it gets really cold outside..
In short - I ask that we all follow the normal procedure for pick up and drop off for the safety of our students. Please help us in enforcing the rules with our students by following them as parents.
Medication Policy Reminder
This is a reminder for most but I wanted to send it out to avoid any confusion.
All medication administered at school must be brought into the school and picked up by an adult. Medication cannot be transported to and from school by the student.
All medication, including over-the-counter medication, to be given at school must be accompanied by a completed Authorization for the Administration of Medication form. This form must be signed by a medical provider and include specific instructions on how and when to administer the medication. This form is available in the office and on the district website. Medication will not be held at the school without this form.
Prescription medication must be in a prescription container with the pharmacy label. The instructions on the label must match those on the Authorization for Administration of Medication form. Any non-prescription medication (e.g., cough syrup, ibuprofen, etc.) must be in the original, unopened container.
The written authorization for all medications is effective for the current school year and must be renewed each school year.
Substances not approved by the FDA will not be stored or administered by school personnel.
The complete medication policy can be found on the district website
Thank you ~ School Nurse Torie Moore
Heartland Thunderhawk Sports Information 2023-2024
ATHLETIC ELIGIBILITY
- Eligibility is run mid-week. For example - we run eligibility on Thursday morning based on grades posted on Wednesday evening. If a student is listed as "ineligible" - that means they can not participate in any OSSAA games scheduled for the next calendar week of Sunday - Sunday. By OSSAA rules - students can still practice during that time. However, individual coaches may have other team rules regarding practice.
- Probation vs. Ineligible. The first week a student has a grade that qualifies them for the eligibility report - they are listed as "on Probation"... At that point in time - they can still participate and play in games. (Again - team rules may be more strict) If the student raises the grade by the next eligibility report run - their name comes off the list and they are good to go. If there is still a grade in question - the student becomes ineligible.
- If a student is listed as ineligible - AND - raises their grade (yay!!) the next time there is a grade in question -- they move back to the probation category. Therefore, there is always a week of grace after a student has worked to get their name off of the list.
Please feel free to contact Heartland Athletic Director Laura Brown with questions as I know it can be confusing.
Heartland Parent Organization News!
Heartland Families!
Click the link below to sign up for items for this Friday's teacher appreciation event.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090E4BAFAA23A3FA7-44357732-heartland#/
Click here to volunteer for Fun Food Fridays now through December.
President: Cassie Niemann
Vice President: Trish Harrison
Treasurer: Jamila Woodard
Secretary: Belinda James
Staff Appreciation: Angela Spitler/Kala Phillips
Thunderhawk Shop: Chelsea Coulter/Kelsey Clift
Bus Information
Click the link and enter your address to find your bus number, bus stop, and pick/drop-off times.
Meal Pay Online and Free Reduced Applications
Add money to your child's lunch account HERE. Apply for free or reduced lunch: CLICK HERE TO APPLY!!
Child Nutrition Website
HEARTLAND CORE CHARACTER VALUES
Honesty - Being truthful in what I say and do
Enthusiasm - Expressing interest and excitement in what I do
Attentiveness - Concentrating on the person or task before me
Resiliency - Recovering from adversity and finding the inner strength to withstand stress
and do my best
Tolerance- Demonstrating respect for others who do not share my perspective
Leadership- Knowing the way. Going the way. Showing the way.
Accountability - Accepting responsibility for my actions
Nice- Dude. Be Nice!
Discipline- Choosing behaviors to help me reach my goals and finish strong!
Heartland Middle School
Veronica Johnson - Lead Principal, 6th Grade
Laura Brown - Asst. Principal, 7th Grade
Paul McQueen - Asst. Principal, 8th Grade
Kim Treece - 6th Grade Counselor
Neika Jackson - 7th Grade Counselor
Cara Bowerman - 8th Grade Counselor
Email: heartland.middleschool@edmondschools.net
Website: https://heartland.edmondschools.net/
Location: Heartland Middle School, Explorer Drive, Edmond, OK, USA
Phone: (405)340-2972
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heartlandmiddleschool