Heartland MS Family Newsletter

It's parent/teacher conference season!! This October 10th & 14th we will be hosting our annual conferences and I feel it's important to go through the format especially for our new Heartland parents. First, it's important to know that there are no sign-ups for these conferences. These are first come first serve in fashion. We will have different grade levels, electives, and special education teachers stationed in different areas of the building. As a parent - you simply wait in line for the teacher that you would like to speak with. We've asked teachers to keep these conferences 5-7 minutes in length as lines can get "longish" at certain points in time. Please see the information below for more tips and tricks to having a great PTC experience!

Additionally, we recognized and showed appreciation to our fantastic custodians on National Custodian Appreciation Day! Taryn and Ana do a wonderful job of keeping our campus beautiful and our school sparkles because of them! We celebrated them with a Fall gift basket full of goodies and gifts to let them know how much we appreciate their hard work and dedication! If you see them around campus, be sure to show them the love because they deserve it on this day and everyday of the year!

Looking forward, we have lots going on this upcoming week! October is National Bullying Prevention Month! At Heartland, we do everything that we can to ensure that our students have every opportunity to learn in an psychologically safe environment. This week we will bring awareness to cause and educate our students through Edmond Police Department's "Think Before You Post Campaign." Our amazing SRO, Amy Brooks, will be hosting an assembly with our 7th grade students to talk to them about the importance of their digital footprint. In addition to National Bullying Prevention week, we will be announcing our 24/25 Heartland Teacher of the Year on Friday AND hosting our 6th grade Carnival as a wholesome way for our underclassmen to have fun and socialize! We look forward to a fun week overall!

As we enter the Fall season, I wanted to make sure that all of our families are aware of Heartland Backpack program. The Heartland Backpack Program provides a monthly delivery or pick up

of nutritious food for Heartland students and their families in need of extra support. Each week the bag contains food, snacks, and hygiene items to supplement families who may need a helping hand. All current Heartland student families are eligible to register for this program. This program is run by the Heartland Superhawks and our volunteer partners. Our students practice practical life and job skills by shopping for and packaging the backpacks. The Backpack Program is funded through donations from our school and Edmond community. Please see the button below for more information.

Before I go, I want to remind you, once again, that the missing assignment deadline is Wednesday, October 16th. Students will not be able to turn in work from the first quarter once we start the 2nd quarter after Fall Break on Tuesday October 22nd. Please be sure to check on grades via Infinite Campus and ensure that your student is making progress towards getting those assignments turned in. Each grade level will be hosting incentives to help students finish the 1st quarter strong! As always, should you have any questions, ideas, or suggestions please feel free to reach out to our office! I look forward to another great week!

WE ARE...HEARTLAND!

Respectfully,

Veronica Johnson

Principal, Heartland Middle School

405-340-2972

This upcoming week we will bring awareness to National Bullying Prevention Month! Our counselors/teachers will be helping to facilitate lessons and activities to talk about the importance of bullying prevention. Additionally, our AWESOME School Resource Officer will be speaking to our 7th grade Thunderhawks about the importance of their digital footprint during EPD's Think Before You Post Campaign! I would encourage you to have conversations as a family this week about the effects of bullying and cyberbullying. To help spread awareness, we will be highlighting the week with dress up days! See the graphic below for more information!

*Pro Tips - Having gone through MANY conferences in this format - here are some things to know ahead of time.

1) Different in comparison to elementary conferences - these conferences aren't mandatory. However, they are a great way to connect with those teachers you may need to speak with.

2) Make a plan ahead of time. It will probably not be impossible to meet with every single teacher your student has. Rank them in order. Pick the 2 or 3 "must-see" teachers so you know where to focus your energy. (Think lines at the amusement park - which rides are "must rides" vs. "would be good to ride")

3) Math is always the longest line. Always... Without fail...

4) If the conversation is going to take longer than 5-7 minutes - I ask that you make an appointment with the teacher at another time. 5-7 minutes is a great time for clarification and understanding but not enough time to resolve major issues.

5) Don't forget those elective teachers! Typically, the core teacher area is PACKED and if you go to the room where the elective teachers are stationed - tumbleweeds are blowing through. Elective teachers are people too - show them the love! They will all be located in the big gym!

6) Special education teachers are available. If your student is receiving support from our special education department - please feel free to stop by the media center and have a conversation.

7) It's a bit of a gamble on when to come. Typically, the first night has larger crowds. If the 2nd night is a possibility - give it a thought. The event runs from 3:30 - 7:00p on both nights.. Here's a straight honest statement - 6:45pm is a BAD time to show up wanting to visit with all the teachers. Remember - teachers will have been at work for over 12 hours at that point and things get a bit hazy...

Please access the Parent Portal to identify your child’s classes and teachers. While in the portal you can view grade and attendance information that can help guide the conversation with the teachers. If you do not have a Parent Portal account, please go to the Edmond Public Schools website (www.edmondschools.net) and click on the Parent Portal tab to learn how to establish an account.

A common question we get is in regard to having your Heartland student join you for these conferences. I would say that is student specific. They can certainly attend. If you feel you can have an honest conversation with them present - go for it. If you need to get the scoop and it would be easier if they weren't here - that works too... Your choice completely.

We look forward to seeing our families on the 10th & 14th of October from 3:30 - 7:00p...

This Fall Semester Edmond Public School Middle and High School Counselors are working to teach students about mental health and how to seek help if they are worried about themselves or a friend. We are using a program called SOS Signs of Suicide. The program teaches students about this difficult topic and encourages them to seek help.

SOS has been used by thousands of schools for over 20 years. Studies have shown that it effectively teaches students about depression and suicide while reducing the number of students’ self-reported suicide attempts.

Through the program, students learn:

• how to identify potential suicide risk in themselves or another student

• to ACT (Acknowledge, Care and Tell a trusted adult) if concerned about themselves or a friend

• who they can turn to at school for help

SOS curriculum is conducted in a classroom setting by a School Counselor. During this one time 45 minute lesson, students will watch age-appropriate video clips and participate in a guided discussion about depression, suicide, and what to do if they are concerned about a fellow student. Following the video, students will complete a brief depression screening form. This form cannot provide a diagnosis of depression but does indicate whether a young person should seek help from a mental health professional.

We encourage you to visit www.mindwise.org/parents for information on warning signs for youth suicide, useful resources, and some of the key messages students will learn.

If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s participation in this program please contact your student’s school counselor at

6th grade- Elaine Siemer/Cara Bowerman

7th grade- Kim Treece

8th grade- Neika Jackson

405-340-2972

Opt-out of the SOS Curriculum by completing this form.

Please take a few minutes to look over the Edmond Public Schools Dress Code policy #4510. and STUDENT DRESS CODE (REGULATION) Here are a few key points.

• Hats/Headwear: Students shall not wear hats or headwear in the building unless a medical or religious exception exists.

• Clothing: Clothing must cover areas from one armpit across to the other armpit, down to the upper thighs. Tops must have shoulder straps. Rips or tears in clothing should be below the pocket area of jeans or pants. The top and bottom clothing items must be touching (No mid-drift).

• Shirts may not be sheer or mesh and must cover the entire trunk of the body. Messages on shirts shall not include illegal drugs, alcohol, tobacco or other products that may not be utilized by children. Vulgar and/or obscene messages are prohibited and will be subject to discipline under the student discipline code.

• Pants, shorts, skirts, and skorts shall be worn at the waist and must be no shorter than mid-thigh.

NO BLANKETS

• Over the past school year, we have observed more students bringing blankets to school. We would like to remind everyone that blankets are not encouraged. If a student brings a blanket to school, it will be confiscated and returned to them at the end of the school day. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Now that we are in the process of running eligibility for OSSAA activities - there always tends to be some confusion as to when a student can and can not participate. Here are some bullet points to help define when a student can and can not participate.

• 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.

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!

Veronica Johnson - Lead Principal

Laura Brown - Asst. Principal, 8th Grade/Athletic Director

Dana Williams - Asst. Principal, 7th Grade

Paul McQueen - Asst. Principal, 6th Grade

Kim Treece - 7th Grade Counselor

Neika Jackson - 8th Grade Counselor

Cara Bowerman - 6th 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