Heritage Highlights

Dear Families,

Happy Super Bowl Sunday!

We are busy preparing for March is Reading Month. At Heritage we create a theme around a shared book. Please use the first link below to purchase a copy of the book for your student. The second link is for anyone who wishes to make a donation for another student to receive a book. Thank you, in advance!

• Purchase: https://saline.revtrak.net/heritage/heritage-osoboc/#/v/heritage-one-school-one-book
• Donate: https://saline.revtrak.net/heritage/heritage-osoboc/#/v/heritage-one-school-one-book-donation

(NEW!) Please note that Friday, February 14th is a half day (12:10 PM dismissal) for staff professional development. There is NO SCHOOL on Monday, February 17th in honor of Presidents Day. Enjoy the long weekend!

In partnership,
​Megan DeGrand

• February 11- 5th Grade Band Concert; 6:15 PM (Band B) and 7:30 PM (Band A) at Saline Middle School Auditorium
• February 12- 5th Grade Choir Concert; 7 pm as Saline High School Auditorium (students arrive at 6:45 pm)
• February 14- Half Day; 12:10 PM Dismissal for Staff Professional Development
• February 17- NO School; Presidents Day
• February 24- 4th Grade Music Concerts; Heritage Cafeteria:
• 5:30 pm; Gasparovich, Selenko, Peet, Muir
• 6:30 pm; Woods, Webster, Franks, Vreeland
• 7:15 pm, Marshall, Gregoire, Ericksen, Ervin
• February 25- 5th Grade Orchestra Concert, 6:15 PM at Saline Middle School Auditorium
  
• March 17- Band-o-Rama; 6:30 PM/7:45 PM in Saline High School Gym
• March 18- String Fling; 7:00 PM in Saline High School Gym
• April 3- 5th to 6th Transition Meeting; 6:30-8:00 PM at Saline Middle School

Popcorn Fridays: Sign-Up to help HERE. *NEW Dates Added for February!

Scheduled Popcorn Fridays: 2/28

Please join SMS Administration and Counselors for 6th Grade Information Night on Thursday, April 3rd from 6:30 PM- 8:00 PM! This event will include an overview of a day at Saline Middle School, a description of clubs and activities available to students, how to stay connected, and perspectives from a student panel! In addition to the presentation portion of the evening, families have the opportunity to tour the school. SMS staff look forward to welcoming our new group of middle schoolers next fall, and we are eager to support you and your student in this transition.

Date: April 3, 2025

Time: 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

Location: SMS Auditorium

At Heritage, we take pride in our commitment to upholding and continuously improving our efforts to Be Responsible, Be Respectful, and Be Kinder than Necessary. However, there may be times when students find themselves uncertain about how to respond to language that is derogatory, stereotypical, or prejudiced.

To empower our students in these moments, our 4th graders are introduced each year to the Speak Up Protocol (Learning for Justice), while our 5th graders revisit and reinforce their understanding of it. Through this initiative, we aim to equip students with the confidence and strategies needed to navigate challenging conversations with empathy and integrity. Classroom teachers plan to deliver this important content over the next two weeks. It is our hope, that when asked, your student can share what they have learned with you.

Over the next few weeks, our Social Emotional Learning (SEL) program will focus on the important topic of bullying, specifically the roles of upstanders and bystanders. This is a critical area of learning, as it empowers students to create a safe and supportive environment for themselves and their peers.

Focus Areas:

1. Understanding Bullying:

- Students will learn what bullying is, including the different forms it can take—physical, verbal, social, and cyberbullying. We will discuss how bullying affects everyone involved, including the person being bullied, the bully, and the bystanders who witness it.

2. Recognizing the Roles:

- We will explore the difference between a bystander and an upstander. A bystander is someone who witnesses bullying but does not take action, while an upstander is someone who takes steps to help the person being bullied or to stop the bullying.

3. Empowering Upstanders:

- Students will learn strategies to safely stand up against bullying. This might include speaking out, supporting the person being bullied, or getting help from a trusted adult. We want to empower every student to feel confident in taking positive actions when they see someone being treated unfairly.

4. Creating a Positive School Environment:

- Through classroom discussions and activities, we will emphasize the importance of creating a community where everyone feels safe, respected, and valued. Students will learn how their actions, even small ones, can contribute to a more inclusive and supportive environment.

How You Can Support at Home:

• Talk About Bullying: Have open conversations with your child about bullying. Ask them if they have ever seen bullying happen and how it made them feel. Discuss the importance of standing up for others and how they can be an upstander.

• Role-Play Scenarios: Practice different scenarios at home where your child might witness bullying. Role-playing can help them feel more prepared to handle these situations in real life.

• Encourage Empathy and Kindness: Emphasize the importance of treating everyone with kindness and respect. Encourage your child to think about how others might feel and to reach out to anyone who seems to be having a hard time.

• Model Upstander Behavior: Share examples from your own life where you stood up for someone or witnessed someone else being an upstander. Showing your child that these actions are valued can inspire them to do the same.

Thank you for partnering with us to teach our students the importance of being upstanders and creating a positive, bullying-free environment. Together, we can empower our children to make a difference and ensure that every student feels safe and supported.

Warm regards,

Justice Manchester, LLMSW

Social Emotional Learning Coach

manchesj@salineschools.org

Greetings Heritage Families,

Mark your calendars!!! The 4th grade classes are having a great year in music and we are gearing up to share what they have learned with you at our winter concerts. The 4th-grade music concerts will be on the evening of Monday, February 24, 2025. There will be concerts at 5:30, 6:30, and 7:15 pm in the Heritage Cafeteria. Here is a list of which classes will perform at each concert BUT if a student has a conflict, they can attend at a different time. Each performance will last approx. 30 minutes. We look forward to seeing you after the holidays and before baseball season begins!

Please let Mrs. Hayes know if you have any questions - hayesj@salineschools.org

Stay updated, register and learn more HERE.

District

• Transportation
  • ​My Ride K-12/SAS Transportation
  • Ask your transportation questions here
• District Calendar

Heritage

• Standards Based Grading at Heritage
• Heritage School Website Main Page​
• Volunteer Information
• Breakfast & Lunch Menus
• ​Heritage School Family Handbook

Every once in a while, a Saline Area Schools family needs just a little bit of extra help. When that happens, we want to make it easy for other families to fulfill that need without knowing who the need is for. These needs will include such things as coats, boots, snacks, gas cards, lunch money, etc...

To learn more and view the needs, simply sign up to be on the weekly email distribution list here. This is a very easy way to help out fellow SAS community members!

Thank you for caring about our Saline Area Schools families! Questions? You can reach us at salinehornetshelpinghornets@gmail.com.

Check Heritage's PTO website for updates and info!

Get in touch...

Megan DeGrand, Principal: degrandm@salineschools.org or (734) 401-4101

Cameron Cochran, Assistant Principal: cochranc@salineschools.org or (734) 401-4158

Heritage Office: (734) 401-4100
Heritage Attendance Email: heritageoffice@salineschools.org ​