This edition of the Weekly Heritage is filled with very important information about the upcoming school year. Please read it thoroughly and call or email the office if you need clarification on any of the items below. We hope you are having a wonderful summer and we can't wait to kick off another great school year in August!
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Welcome New Staff Members!
In addition to the previously announced new teacher (Caitlin Griess, Kindergarten, whose bio can be found here) we will also be welcoming three additional new staff members and saying goodbye to another.
First the farewell. Over the summer, Mrs. Montgomery and her family determined that in order to provide additional flexibility to attend and care for their family, she will be stepping down from her position in middle school. We are saddened to see her go but rejoice in the fact that she has answered God’s call to minister in another place for this season.
We are excited to announce that Amanda Garrett will be joining Heritage as our new Middle School Language and Literature teacher. Ms. Garrett is a recent graduate from Emmaus Bible College and will be starting her teaching career at Heritage this fall. Ms. Garrett loves literature and writing (she served as an English and Writing tutor while at Emmaus), has additional endorsements in K-8 Reading and dyslexia support, and – most of all – a deep love for God’s Word and sharing it with those around her. We are excited to welcome Ms. Garrett to Heritage in the fall and look forward to what God has planned for her and our students.
We also welcome Annette Maier to Heritage to teach 2nd grade. Annette brings 15 years of experience to Heritage and has previously taught early elementary (K-2) and for the past six years has been an administrator in the Marion School District. She is currently pursuing an advanced degree in Biblical Counseling and brings a wealth of knowledge to Heritage related to both elementary teaching and learning and social and emotional supports for students. We are excited to welcome her to Heritage!
Additionally, we are excited to announce that Jodi Ellerie will be joining the Heritage team as an Instructional Aide. Last year we utilized several staff members to provide additional instructional support for students and are continuing that program again this year. Mrs. Ellerie brings a wealth of educational knowledge with her and will join Travis Haupt and Katrina Cannon on our instructional support team to provide additional support and enrichment for students throughout the school. We are thrilled that Mrs. Ellerie is joining our team and look forward to the blessing that she will be for students and staff this coming year.
Please join us in welcoming our new staff this year. If you see a new face on campus, please introduce yourself, say hello, and warmly welcome them to the Heritage family.
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Back to School Night - Friday, August 20
We're looking forward to seeing you on
Friday evening, August 20th for our annual Back to School Night. The itinerary for the evening is as follows:
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6:30-7:00pm - Teachers will be in their classrooms welcoming families and receiving school supplies.
- 7:00-8:00pm - Ice Cream Social in the Gymnasium
You won't want to miss this fun event to kick off the new school year! Additional information can be found in the Parent Student Handbook under the Special Events Section in the back.
The office will be open that evening if you need to finalize any paperwork or payments before the start of the school year.
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Pre-K Parent Orientation Night - Aug 20th
Our Pre-K teachers would like to invite all of our PreK families to come on Friday, August 20th at 6:00 (30 minutes earlier than the Back to School Night) to bring school supplies and get important information that will ensure our school year is started off right. There will also be a time set aside for questions/answers.
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School Calendar
Please take note of the school calendar for the upcoming 2021-22 school year. Did you know? You can subscribe to the Heritage Calendar by going to our website and clicking on 'Calendar' under the 'Parents' tab. Click on the Subscribe button at the bottom and choose the option that you prefer. That will save you a lot of time entering in each event individually!
In addition, revisions to the Parent/Student Handbook have also been made. All revisions from previous years are highlighted and you are strongly encouraged to take a look at those changes by clicking the following link: Parent Student Handbook
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Class Supply Lists
If your kids are anxious to get Back to School supplies, the Class Supply Lists for this year can be found on our website or by clicking here.
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COVID-Specific Information (from the Parent Student Handbook)
During the 2020-21 school year, Heritage maintained strict COVID protocols to ensure the health and safety of students and staff. With the adult population reaching significant levels of vaccination against COVID, those protocols are not anticipated in the 2021-22 school year. Since children under the age of 12 are still not eligible to be vaccinated against the virus, parents are requested to continue to use an abundance of caution if their child displays COVID like symptoms.
If a Heritage student tests positive for COVID, the school will follow recently enacted Iowa Department of Health guidance for infected students. Students who test positive for COVID:
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Will be Isolated at home and may return to school 10 days after symptoms start and 24 hours with no fever and improved symptoms, OR
- If no symptoms, return 10 days after positive test.
Students who have been exposed to a student who tests positive are NOT required to quarantine. Parents in classes where a student tests positive will be notified so they can make appropriate decisions about the care of their own child(ren).
Masks are not required at Heritage for the 2021-22 school year but may be worn by students, staff, or visitors who desire to do so.
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Lunch Servers Needed!
We are in need of at 5 least more lunch servers in order for us to serve hot lunch this year. (1 on Monday, 2 on Wednesday, and 2 on Thursday). The time commitment is about 1.5 hours from 11-12:30pm. If your schedule is such that you are not able to commit to the entire year, we have options! If you are only available for the fall months, the winter months, or the spring months, we can arrange a schedule accordingly. This is a great opportunity to volunteer and get to know the students better! It's also a great way for a grandparent to volunteer so pass the opportunity along to your child's grandparents. Please call or email Brenda Wichhart in the office if you are willing to serve in this capacity (wichhartb@hcs-nl.com) or 626-4777.
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Before and After School Supervisors Needed
Help spread the word among your friends, in the neighborhood, at your churches, and at work. If you know someone who loves working with kids and is looking for a part time job, send them our way. We're looking for additional Before and After School Supervisors from 7-8am and/or 3:30 to 5:30pm each school day. This is a great opportunity for a college student to pick up some part time work (hourly rate is $12.00). Feel free to print out this flyer to share or post. If you or someone you know is interested, contact Lisa Turnbough (turnboughl@hcs-nl.com).
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Heritage Singers/Jubilate Accompanist Needed
We're looking for an accompanist for our Heritage Singers and Jubilate choral groups. This is a paid position and would require being at school for rehearsals on Monday afternoons for a couple of hours in addition to a few concerts each year. If you or someone you know is interested in helping out with this, please contact Nichole Early at earlyn@hcs-nl.com for more information
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Volunteer Screening Process
If you anticipate volunteering with direct supervision over students this year (driving for field trips, serving lunch, coaching, etc.), you will need to complete a Volunteer Application. This application needs to be done each school year so even if you filled one out last year, you will need to do it again this year before being able to volunteer. You can visit our website and click on the Parents Tab and then Volunteer Application or click here to access the application. You'll choose the volunteer option and then click on the form for the volunteer opportunity you would like to apply for. One item to note is that if you will be driving for a field trip, we need a copy of your drivers license as well as a copy of your declarations page showing your vehicle insurance limits (not just the insurance card). If you have questions, contact Lisa Turnbough at turnboughl@hcs-nl.com
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Back to School Work Day
With the start of school just around the corner, we need your help to spiff up the school building and surrounding campus. On Saturday, August 14, we 'll have our annual Back to School Work Day from 8:30am to 12:00pm. As always, more hands equal less work. This is an excellent way for you to meet other school families and we would love to see you there. Be watching your email for additional information and a Sign-up Genius in the next week or two.
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Update your child's immunization records this summer
Many of you may be scheduling health exams and athletic physicals over the summer. Please assist the office by requesting an updated record of immunization for your child at their next exam. This is especially important for students entering kindergarten and 7th grade when additional required immunizations are given. The Department of Public Health and Human Services requires the school to have an up-to-date record of immunization on file before our annual audit in the fall. Immunization records can be faxed to 319-626-4778.
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Order and Pay for Lunches Online
The lunch menu for August and September will be available the 2nd week of August. You'll receive a separate email with the menus and details for ordering. As a reminder, you have the ability to pay for those lunch orders online via e-check or debit/credit card. (You're not required to pay online, checks are still accepted in the office.) There will be a convenience fee for each transaction as follows:
· eChecks: $.85/payment
· Credit and debit card payments: 3.75% of transaction amount
For more information about signing in to FACTS Management (formerly Renweb) and completing online lunch orders, click here.
Please place all lunch orders online regardless of your payment option.
We currently only accept online payments for lunch and Before and After School.
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Remembering Alli
As you continue to navigate the grieving process with your children, we have put together a display of photos of Alli and her artwork from her time at Heritage as well as resources to check out. You and your families are welcome and invited to come look at those pictures and take copies of whatever you like. We also have a variety of books that might be helpful in understanding death, grieving, and loss. The photos and books will be on display until August 20. After that time, you may still access those resources by contacting Tammy Veenstra at veenstrat@hcs-nl.com. We are continuing to pray for each of you and your families. "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." ~Romans 15:13 HCS 2021-2022 Theme Verse
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Sports Update
Heritage will again be offering soccer and volleyball this fall for our students. Our soccer team will be coed and for students in grades 5th through 8th and coached by Fred and Kari Rodrigues. Coach Rodrigues did a great job with our student athletes last year during his first-year coaching soccer at Heritage and will be assisted this year by his wife Kari. Coach Rodrigues brings a passion for the sport of soccer and a desire to see our athletes develop athletically and spiritually.
** We are also looking for one more volunteer to help coach our soccer team this fall. If you are interested in serving as an assistant coach, please contact Mr. Harshman via email at harshmanj@hcs-nl.com. Since Heritage uses volunteer coaches, a coach does not need to have an authorization or endorsement from the state.
Our volleyball teams will once again be coached by Sarah Franje. Coach Franje is terrific at teaching the fundamentals of the sport and helping our young ladies develop on and off the court. She has coached the Heritage volleyball teams for several years and does excellent work with our students. We are currently anticipating having enough student-athletes to field two volleyball teams, one 5/6th grade team and one 7/8th grade team.
Tentative schedules for games and practices for soccer and volleyball can be found below. Please be aware that those are subject to change. Any changes will be communicated either by Mr. Harshman or the coaches.
*As of now, soccer practice will begin the week of August 9 and volleyball will being practice August 26.
If your child is planning on participating in soccer or volleyball this fall, the following forms must be turned in to the office (office hours are Tuesday and Thursday from 10am-2pm) or mailed (255 Hackberry St., North Liberty, IA 52317) or emailed to harshmanj@hcs-nl.com before being allowed to participate or compete.
Forms/Fees:
- Athletic Participation Fee Form and $60
- Athletic Contract
- Insurance Waiver
- Emergency Medical Authorization
- Athletic Physical (these are good for 13 months, if you do not know whether your son or daughter’s physical is still good, check with the Heritage office)
- Concussion Form
*Also please be aware that while we are not requiring athletes or parents to sign a COVID-19 release form this season, there is still the risk that your child may come into contact or contract COVID-19 while participating in athletic competition.
This year soccer and volleyball will be starting on different dates so please note that the deadline for forms and fees is different.
· Soccer Deadline: MONDAY, AUGUST 9
· Volleyball Deadline: WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25
· Your child will not be allowed to practice or play until all forms and fees are completed and turned in.
If your son or daughter is planning on participating in soccer or volleyball this fall, please email Mr. Harshman so he can begin compiling a roster for the coaches.
If you have any questions regarding the upcoming season or the forms, please feel free to reach out and contact Mr. Harshman. Enjoy the rest of your summer and I look forward to seeing you again as the school year begins.
Go Eagles!
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Upcoming Events
Back to School Work Day
Sat, Aug 14
8:30-12pm
Back to School Night
Fri, Aug 20
6:30-8:00pm
First Day of School
Wed, Aug 25
K-5th Parent Orientation Night
Tues, Aug 31
6:30pm
6-8th Parent Orientation Night
Thurs, Sept 2
6:30pm
No School
Mon, Sept 6
Labor Day
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Heritage Christian School exists to serve Christ by partnering with parents to provide biblically faithful, academically excellent education. The vision of Heritage Christian School is to be a leader in developing passionate life long learners committed to Christ.
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