Heartland MS Family Newsletter

Fall break sure went fast! Now - we stare face-first into Halloween,Thanksgiving, and Christmas Break! The second quarter always goes by super fast so buckle up! We certainly have LOTS going on in the next few weeks so I will do my best to keep you informed! Looking back, we had a great week! We started the week by hosting admin led POD chats first thing Tuesday morning. We had a great first quarter but we loved taking the opportunity to reiterate our building-wide expectations and provide our students with strategies to finish the first semester strong!

Additionally, we started our second session of Hawk Hangout! Students are able to select a fun activity to attend twice a week during advisory. This is a great way for our students to feel a sense of belonging, make new friends and form meaningful connections with different teachers in the building. Our students rotated teachers so now 8th grade students are with 6th grade teachers, 7th grade students are with 8th grade teachers and our 6th grade students are with 7th grade teachers. They get to explore other areas of the building and see new faces. Each Hawk Hangout session lasts for about 5 weeks so they will have an opportunity to choose a different activity and meet new people multiple times a year.

Looking ahead, this week we will celebrate Red Ribbon Week with lots of fun and dress up days. We will take time during advisory to spread awareness and challenge our students to live a drug free life! See the information below for more specifics and for Halloween dress up day guidelines. Additionally, we kicked off our First Annual Heartland Parent Organization Thunderhawk "Fly High" Donation Drive! We hosted a fun assembly informing students of how the drive will work and how to gain access to the exciting incentives! All students will have an online account in which families, friends and communities members can donate funds to our school! Funds will be used for staff appreciation, student/staff celebrations, fund teacher grants and much, much more! This donation drive will be run much like what you experience in elementary with a "fun run." Parents will help to create an online account on mybooster.com on behalf of their student and can email their individual link to any potential donors! Our school goal is to raise $15,000! Students that reach individual donation goals will be able to participate in a fun color run, student vs. staff olympics, line dancing party, foam party and more! We are so excited to partner with our community to help fulfill all of our school needs! More information and reminders to come throughout this upcoming week!

Before I go, it's not too late to join a Winter sport. Please see the graphics below for information on our upcoming basketball tryouts and be sure to click the athletic update button to get more information on wrestling and swimming! As always, should you have any questions, ideas, or suggestions please feel free to reach out to our office!

WE ARE...HEARTLAND!

Respectfully,

Veronica Johnson

Principal, Heartland Middle School

405-340-2972

Red Ribbon Week is the oldest and largest drug prevention program in the nation, reaching millions of young people each year.

• Red Ribbon Week is designed to be an awareness campaign that gets information to the general public about the dangers of drug use.
• Red Ribbon Week is designed to get people talking to other people and working on activities that will help rebuild a sense of community and common purpose.
• Red Ribbon Week is designed to help parents and schools deliver an effective drug prevention curriculum.
• Red Ribbon Week is designed to create critical mass, which is necessary to reduce destructive social norms/behaviors and promote positive social norms/behaviors.
• Red Ribbon Week is designed to be positive and fun, two things necessary to maintain a positive school culture!

Middle school student representatives from across the city met with high school student council reps today to discuss and vote on the "Common Thread" recipient for each school's fundraising community philanthropy outreach weeks. Heartland helps to support Santa Fe High School during their Double Wolf Dare Week but all the funds raised goes to the common thread! This years common thread recipient is No Boundaries International. Double PUP Dare Week will be here before we know it and Heartland is ready to do our part in giving back!

Our school will observe Veterans Day on Monday, November 11th. We would like to extend an invitation to attend the assembly to any Veterans we have in our Heartland community. The assembly will be on Monday the 11th and will begin at 9:15 a.m. and will last about an hour. If our students’ parents, grandparents, or any other family members are veterans, we would like to honor them by inviting them and one accompanying guest to sit in our special reserved VIP section for the presentation. You will be recognized by the students, staff and Heartland community for your service to this great country. All you have to do is fill out THIS FORM no later than the end of day Thursday, November 7th so that we can have an idea how many will be in attendance. On the 11th, you may dress casual/comfortable or wear your colors and arrive at the school by 8:45 a.m. for a small reception to go along with our celebration.

Just a reminder that costumes will be allowed on October 31st. Here are the final reminders regarding what will and won't work in a MS setting. When it comes to wondering whether something is appropriate or not - I ask that you err on the side of caution.

Please remember - when you are planning that perfect Halloween costume - we must remember to be school-appropriate. Here are some guidelines to help in this process.

1. Obviously - no representation of weapons. The general rule is - if you have to ask whether it's appropriate - it probably isn't.
2. Masks can be worn during the passing period - but - will not be worn during instructional time.
3. Nothing offensive or obscene can be worn. Remember - what may be OK in some settings may not be OK in a school setting.
4. The school dress code applies when it comes wearing costumes (on this day more than ever).
5. Students will NOT be permitted to wear body paint or full inflatable costumes.

Heartland Admin will be the determining factor on school appropriateness if a costume comes into question. Students will be asked to change should we deem a costume to be inappropriate. A suggestion from someone who's been through this a million times - the school day is long so dress for comfort.

Dear Parents and Families:

Get Ready! The Scholastic Book Fair is coming our way (YAY!). Choosing their own books empowers kids and inspires them to become bolder, prouder, and stronger readers. AND… as always, every purchase at the Fair benefits our school.

Here’s what you need to know about the Fair, which will take place from Monday Nov 4 - Fri Nov 8, from 7:20 a.m. to 2:20 p.m. in the media center:

Say goodbye to cash and hello to eWallet—your child’s digital payment account. Before the Fair, set up eWallet for worry-free, cash-free purchases. Anyone can contribute! Share each child’s eWallet so friends and family can add funds and give your kids more books to enjoy.

If you can’t make it to the Fair, then shop at our school’s Online Book Fair. All orders ship directly to your home, and shipping is free for book orders over $25. Every online purchase will also benefit our school.

Visit our Book Fair homepage to learn more and get started with eWallet and online shopping:

https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/heartlandmiddleschool1

If you would like to volunteer to help at the Fair, you may sign up to do so here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080F48A5AA23A3F85-52618731-fall

The countdown to more Bookjoy is on! Catch you at the Fair!

Happy reading,

Heartland Library

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