Eighth graders Abby L. and Laila S. had the honor of singing at the 2023 Children First Champions Breakfast last week. Children First is a St. Louis Park community initiative organized to rally all city residents and institutions to nurture the healthy development of children and teens. It is the first organization of its kind in the United States.

Children First bases its work on the Search Institute's pioneering research on developmental assets, which research consistently shows are strongly related to positive outcomes for young people across race, socio-economic status, gender, age, family composition and type of community. The Champions Breakfast was an opportunity to recap the organization's 2022 progress and plans for 2023.

Heilicher partnered with Children First and the Park Nicollet Foundation last year for this community gathering that focuses on making life better for young people who live in our area. The event provides an opportunity to think about how people of all ages play a role in supporting connectivity and children’s mental well-being by building a better future for the 8,000 children and youth in the St. Louis Park community.

The event drew an audience of 150 St. Louis Park community leaders, and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan gave opening remarks after the student entertainment.

Torah Thoughts from Doc

Read a brief message about this week's Torah portion, Parashat Tissa. An education uncovers the wisdom already within.

Mark Your Calendars!

• Friday, March 10 - Heilicher Shares Shabbat
• Thursday, March 16 - Scholastic Book Fair, 8 a.m.-8 p.m., Lieberman Library
• Thursday, March 16 - NOON EARLY DISMISSAL: Spring Conferences, 12:30-7:30 p.m., Heilicher
• Friday, March 17 - NO SCHOOL: Spring Conferences, 8-11 a.m., Heilicher
• Friday, March 17 - Scholastic Book Fair, 8 a.m.-noon, Lieberman Library
• Thursday, March 23 - 7-8 Play: You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown; 7 p.m.; Dolly and Edward Fiterman Theatre
• Sunday, March 26 - 7-8 Play: You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown; 2 p.m.; Dolly and Edward Fiterman Theatre

View the full Heilicher calendar online

Key Dates for 2022-2023

NEW! Key Dates for 2023-2024

Spring Extracurriculars

Registration for spring extracurriculars will open on Jumbula on Monday, March 13, at 9 a.m.* See the chart for offerings and find more information on the Heilicher website's activities and athletics pages.

*Students in grades 4-6 can sign up for and begin guitar now!

Please reach out with any questions to After-School Activities Coordinator Jeremy Savran for activities or Athletic Director Lee Metzger for sports.

Sign Up for Conferences — March 16 and 17

Heilicher Spring Conferences will be Thursday, March 16, 12:50-4:10 p.m. and 4:50-7:30 p.m., and Friday, March 17, 8-11 a.m. Note: No conferences on Thursday from 4:10 to 4:50 p.m. to allow teachers to have a meal break.

Sign up for spring conference times by Sunday, March 12. To sign up or change times after March 12, contact the teachers you want to meet with or Mollie Divine.

If you have students in grades K-5, please make sure to sign up for a 20-minute block with your child(ren)'s general studies teacher and 10-minute blocks with their Hebrew and Jewish studies teachers. Those with students in grades 6-8 should sign up for a 10-minute block with each of their child(ren)’s teachers. All middle school teachers and specialists available for drop-in conferences in the Manny Fingerhut Auditorium on both days. 

Reminder: If you are signing up for conferences with more than one teacher or for multiple children, be sure to look for the “Register for multiple conferences” button to help coordinate your times.

IMPORTANT:

• Grades K-2 Conferences are PARENTS ONLY.
• Grades 3-8 Conferences should involve both parents and children. 

Note the early dismissal at noon on Thursday, March 16, and NO SCHOOL on Friday, March 17.  

Questions? Contact Mollie Divine.

March School's Out: Conferences

School's Out is available during conferences, the afternoon of Thursday, March 16, and all day Friday, March 17. Go to Jumbula for more details and to sign up. Registration closes Sunday, March 12.

Thursday's School's Out programming will include an art project, and Snapology will come in to do activities Friday morning.

School's Out will also be offered during Passover Break on April 5, 10, and 11, as well as on April 14, a professional development day. More information to come in the following weeks.

Scholastic Book Fair — During Conferences

The Scholastic Book Fair is back! Visit the fair in the Lieberman Library at Heilicher during Heilicher Spring Conferences, Thursday, March 16, 8 a.m.-8 p.m., and Friday, March 17, 8 a.m.-noon. K-5 students must be accompanied by an adult.

Author and alumni parent Dori Weinstein will be selling her Jewish children's chapter book series, Yaya & Yoyo, during conferences on Thursday, March 16. You can order ahead with the preorder form.



Want to help? See volunteer opportunities at the bottom of the Roar.

You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown Presale

All are invited to the seventh- and eighth-grade production of You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown. Come to the performance 7 p.m. Thursday, March 23, or the show at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 26, in the Dolly and Edward Fiterman Theatre on the Barry Family Campus. Buy your tickets on our website.

Grade 8 Gertens Plant and Flower Sale

Spring is just around the corner! The eighth-grade class is selling Gertens plants and flowers through April 5 to raise money for their spring trip to Washington, D.C.

To place an order, go to gertensfundraising.com and enter Store ID code 415 to get to the Heilicher 8th Grade Class page.

If you are not ordering from a specific eighth-grade student, please enter the word "Heilicher" into the "Seller's Name" field on the order form.

Orders will only be accepted through 10 p.m. on Thursday, April 6. Pick-up will be on Monday, May 8, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. at the Sabes JCC.

Volunteer Opportunities

Sign up to help at the Spring Book Fair, 7-8 Play, All-School Lunch and/or All-School T'filah.

• Book Fair: The Scholastic Book Fair is back! Volunteers can help set up on March 13, clean up after the fair, and/or run the book fair March 16-17 (during conferences).
• 7-8 Play: Volunteer slots are available between March 20 and March 26 to sell tickets and concessions and help during tech week and backstage.
• All-School Lunch: Help set up and clean up our all-school lunch on Wednesday(s) in the auditorium 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
• All-School T'filah: Help set up for all-school t'filah (prayer) Monday(s) in the theater 8:15-9 a.m.

Grade-level volunteer opportunities will be sent out by room parents.