Heartland’s Culture Fair is returning during the school day on March 31st. We had an amazing Culture Fair in 2019 with many countries and cultures represented. Our students were able to immerse in different cultures and learn with artifacts, clothing, spices, dances, books and games. Please consider sharing your heritage and culture with all grade levels by bringing artifacts, clothing, spices, games, or anything else that has meaning to you and your family (no food please). The more, the merrier even if we have many repeats! Please email Sara Aitken, librarian at Heartland, with any questions. You can sign up here.

Later this month families will be receiving information with details about kindergarten registration. Today, I am pleased to share information about the district’s Chinese Immersion program for incoming kindergarten students. Are you interested in providing your child with an immersive educational experience that broadens horizons, enhances cognitive skills and teaches second language skills? Would you like to learn more about Blue Valley’s Chinese Immersion Program? Watch this video that provides a glimpse into an immersion classroom.

Ready to learn more? Mark your calendar and make plans to attend a virtual information session about the district’s Chinese Immersion program that is open to all incoming kindergarten students.

• Virtual Information Session for ALL incoming kindergarten families
  Monday, Feb. 28, 2023 @ 5 p.m.

Meeting will be conducted via Zoom. Families will be able to submit questions online. Please register online to receive the Zoom link and meeting information.

Students residing in the Valley Park Elementary (VPE) attendance area will attend the immersion program at VPE. All other students' applications will be entered into the lottery for the Wolf Springs Elementary (WSE) program. Selection is based on a random lottery, with no preference for early submissions. Siblings of current immersion students will have preference. This preference will continue to be extended to siblings of current VPE Chinese Immersion students regardless of home school.

We are so excited to start the process to welcome our Kindergarten families for the Fall of 2023. Children who reside in Blue Valley Schools and turn 5 years of age by August 31 are eligible to attend kindergarten that school year. If you live in the Heartland Elementary boundaries and will have an incoming Kindergarten student next fall, please click on this link to pre-register.

More information will be shared with you at the end of February including welcome videos, online registration instructions, and information about Kindergarten Round Up in April.

Please pass this link on to neighbors that might not have a student in our system and might not yet receive our weekly emails!

Click here for a list of Heartland Family Owned Businesses. Click here to add to the list.

Thank you to all families who donated to Heartland Library’s Birthday Book Club. Your donation helps to library to purchase new library books for all students to read and enjoy. Not familiar with our program? Read below for more information.

Students at Heartland have a wonderful way to have their special day recognized for years to come. Our library’s Birthday Book Club is available to students in all grades. By donating $15 to the Library Media Center, your child will be able to choose a special book to be placed in our library collection and be the first student to read the new book.

Here’s how it works. Prior to your child’s birthday, he/she can come to the library and select a Birthday Book from our cart of brand new books in all different genres. A nameplate will be placed in the front of the book and your child’s picture will be taken and displayed with the book in the library. This program is optional but it does provide our library with exciting new titles throughout the school year. The average cost of a library bound book is $17.30!

You can make your donation anytime during the year by paying through this Heartland link: https://bvpo.bluevalleyk12.org or send in a check made payable to Heartland Elementary to the front office.

Daily Snacks: Thank you for your support of our nut-safer snack plan at HRT. As a reminder: we ask that ALL daily snacks (i.e. snack time) for ALL students must come from the nut-safer food list as we have a significant number of students with life-threatening nut allergies. (click below for the link) If a student’s snack is not from this approved list, it will be sent home (and an alternate snack will be provided the first time) so we can help increase the safety for our students as a whole. Our continued focus this year, as an entire school, is to remain consistent on the daily snacks for student snack time in the classrooms—following the nut-safer list.

Please click HERE to access the Nut-Safer food list.

Heartland Elementary’s policy for birthday treats prohibits students and parents from bringing birthdays treats from home—edible or non-edible. This is due to several factors including health, safety, and the preservation of instructional time. Birthdays are a special time for each child and as such, the school will provide recognition throughout the day and throughout the school through announcements, birthday book club from the library, classroom celebration routines, and more. If birthday treats are sent to school during the 2022-23 school year, they will not be distributed and will be sent home. Also, if you send it invitations to birthday parties, please include all students in the class, or they will not be distributed. Thank you for understanding and complying to this policy.

• Call the HRT office at 913-239-6300
• Email HeartlandElementary@bluevalleyk12.org