Heavilin Elementary

August

12 3:30-5:00pm Back-to-School Ice Cream Social

14 First Day of School

16 Spirit Wear Day

22 Parent Orientation Night, 4:30-6:00pm

26-30 Walk-A-Thon

27 School Picture Day

30 Spirit Wear Day

September

2 No School - Labor Day

Click for the Heavilin School Supply list.

Come join us and meet your new teachers! On Monday, August 12 between 3:30-5:00pm, stop by Heavilin to drop off your school supplies, see your classroom, connect with friends, and meet new friends. Our PTO is sponsoring an ice cream social. And our new kindergarten students will be able to practice getting on and off the school bus, too.

Classroom assignments will be available on Skyward on August 12, or we will have class lists up for you to check when you arrive.

Parking will be available in the field to the north of the school. After you visit your teachers, the PTO will greet you in the back of the school to give you an ice cream token for each enrolled student.

All parents are encouraged to participate in the Parent Orientation Night on Thursday, August 22 from 4:30-6pm. This is an evening when teachers meet with parents to talk about what to expect for the school year and how to best help your child find success. It is an adult-only opportunity.

Click on the PDF below for our parent handbook. It's full of helpful information to help you start off your school year, especially if your family is new to Heavilin.

Our school day is officially 8:45am-3:15pm. The school doors open at 8:30am. We encourage students to arrive when the doors open in order to prepare for the school day and to be ready to learn when the bell rings. Buses usually leave campus after loading by 3:30pm each day. Parent pick-up car line will run as last year, enter the north drive and proceed through the front parking lot, heeding the parking lot attendant's instructions. Please remember that the first days of school we are working to fine tune dismissal and buses may run later than normal.

If you are driving on our school campus during drop-off and pick-up times, please be aware of our walkers. Walkers will be crossing at the stop sign of our south driveway, as well as at the stop sign of our front driveway. Please keep an eye out for our students and drive slowly at all times, in all areas of the school campus.

We understand that drop-off and pick-up may be busy times for a family - parents trying to make their work schedules and kid activities all fit in a day. The school grounds are not the place to make up time in a tight family schedule. The systems in place are designed for safety and efficiency, and only work well when every family follows the system. We understand there is a learning curve at the start of the year, and once everyone is familiar, we appreciate the consistent practice of our procedures.

Any child that needs medication at school needs to have a parent bring in the medication in a sealed prescription box with physician orders dated for 2024-25. Parents, you can do this on back-to-school night on August 12. Over the counter medications need to be brought in a sealed box with physicians orders for the 2024-25 school year as well. Please do not send in medications to school with your child.

There are many ways to stay updated with Heavilin through social media.

Viking Connect - Our new VCS parent communication tool across all schools is Viking Connect. This will take the place of Dojo that we have used in the past. Stay tuned for more information.

Facebook - Follow Heavilin Elementary School on Facebook for reminders and updates on our daily experiences.

Instagram - follow our school dog, Moses, on Instagram @1earup

Valpo Schools has a program called the Viking Puppy Project that places dogs for therapeutic purposes in our schools. Our school dog is Moses, a five-year-old English Cream Golden Retriever. He is back at school and ready for business!

Moses LOVES summer so much. The lazy days are nice, but mostly he loves anything that gets him in or on the water. He has learned the word "swim", and starts getting wiggly when he hears it. If he has not gotten to swim for a day or two, he stands at the back door and barks at the pool. Moses will gladly kayak, paddle board, boat ride, float, tube, or dock dive. He loves to look for fish in the water and "save" his bird toys. This summer, he also taught his nephew, Jamie the Aussie, how to swim. Jamie didn't trust the water at first, but he held on to Moses' tail, and Moses showed him how to do it. Now Jamie and Moses chase each other in the water and retrieve the same bird toys, each carrying one side of it together. Moses has had so much fun this summer, but he is also happy to be back at school with his favorite people, getting ready for his favorite kids to walk back through the doors.

Moses has a big heart for those who need him, and eagerly comes to school each day. If you have any questions about Moses' work at Heavilin, feel welcome to contact Dr. Stephens.

What is Kidstop?
Kidstop is a before- and after-school child care program for children in grades K through 5.
The program runs from 6:30 a.m. until school and after school until 6:30 p.m. We provide a daily snack as well as homework help.
We create an engaging, educational, and FUN environment for all children! See the flier below.

Contact Us
For more information about Kidstop in your school, please contact us or call 219.462.2182 or email Lauren Roths at lroths@bgcgreaternwi.org

From Miss Kraus...

This year I am asking that all kindergarteners and first grade students bring a pair of gym shoes that will be left at school. These shoes do not need to be new, only clean and well fitting. Before the students come to PE class they will be allowed to change into these shoes which will ensure that all students will be able to safely participate in class. It will also alleviate the problem of students forgetting to bring shoes on PE day and therefore having to sit out of the lesson that day. If you need any assistance, please contact Mrs. Sibray, our school social worker. Thank you.

**Please send velcro shoes if your child is not yet able to tie shoelaces.**

Mr. Ostafinski and Mrs. Coil are our 2024-25 spell bowl coaches. They will be holding team tryouts on Wednesday, August 28, after school until 4pm. Fourth and 5th graders interested in trying out will be assessed on 50 of the first 200 words on this year's list. Click here to access the list. The team roster will be shared on 8/30/2024, and practices will be held on Mondays and Wednesdays after school. The season lasts until 11/15/2024. Time to start studying!

The Spring 2024 ILEARN results are finalized and you can view your child's scores in Skyward, in the Student Portfolio. Students who were in 3rd, 4th and 5th grades took this assessment in the spring.

You can print the calendar below for your reference throughout the school year. It is also available on the VCS website at www.valpo.k12.in.us

We ask that you schedule your family vacations around the school calendar so that we can have your kids with us at school as much as possible.