Heartland MS Family Newsletter

Heartland Happenings - February 2, 2025

Greetings Heartland Families!

Can you believe that we have only had 1 full week of school since the Holiday Break? Yes!! Whether it has been a scheduled Holiday, inclement weather, or illness outbreak...we are still learning to bounce back from breaks as middle schoolers thrive in routine and consistency. We are doing our best to get back into the swing of things but it's difficult to do when our routines are interrupted. Speaking of days off, we have one coming up soon. This is just a reminder that on Monday February 17th, our students will be out of school for a President's Day/District Professional Development Day.

The following question often comes our way at Heartland, how can I support my middle schooler? Here are some ways you can support your middle school student:

Be present: Attend parent-teacher conferences, school events, and extracurricular activities to show your support and interest in your child's education and well-being.
Encourage physical activity: Encourage your child to be physically active, whether through organized sports or simply playing outside. Physical activity can help with focus and reduce stress.
Promote healthy habits: Encourage healthy habits such as proper nutrition, enough sleep, and avoiding drugs and excessive screen time.
Encourage independence: Let your child take responsibility for their own schoolwork and decisions. Offer support and guidance, but avoid doing their homework for them.
Foster their interests: Support your child's interests and encourage them to pursue new hobbies and activities.
Communicate regularly: Keep the lines of communication open by regularly talking to your child about their school experiences, friends, and feelings. Teachers are a big support in the few years of middle school. Our aim is to consistently respond to your inquiry within 24-48 hours.
Help with organization: Teach your child good study habits and help them stay organized. This can include setting a regular schedule for homework, studying, and relaxing.

Remember, every child is different, so it's important to tailor your approach to your child's individual needs and personality. By being there for them, offering support and guidance, and encouraging their growth and independence, you can help your student have a successful middle and high school experience by building healthy habits today.

Lastly, this week is National School Counseling week! At Heartland - we have an AMAZING team of individuals who work with our kids on all the unwritten curriculum that they learn when they're in middle school. If you get a moment - I encourage you to take a moment and send your grade level counselor a quick email of thanks for the hard work they do. I also encourage you to think back to a school counselor that may have made an impact on your life. Send them a note of thanks - you'd be surprised how much that will mean to them. Let's show our appreciation to Mrs. Treece, Ms. Jackson & Mrs. Bowerman by dressing up and letting them know how much we love them!!

Monday (2/3) - Mellow Monday - My school counselor wants us to lower our stress and cortisol levels! Wear your pajamas!
Tuesday (2/4) - Mrs. Bowerman LOVES her baby, Clementine Jo! Wear orange to show how much we appreciate her!
Wednesday (2/5) - Let's give Ms. Jackson the red carpet treatment! Wear your RED to show your appreciation to Ms. Jackson!
Thursday (2/6) - Mrs. Treece LOVES the her twin granddaughters, Hope and Faith! Dress as a DUO to show Mrs. Treece how much you appreciate her!
Friday (2/7) - My school counselors LOVE being Heartland Thunderhawks! Wear your Heartland swag and show your school spirit!

6th Grade Counselor - Cara Bowerman

7th Grade Counselor - Kim Treece

8th Grade Counselor - Neika Jackson

I look forward to another phenomenal week here at the Heart! As always, should you have any questions, suggestions or ideas please feel free to reach out to our office!

WE ARE...HEARTLAND!

Respectfully,

Veronica Johnson

Principal, Heartland Middle School

405-340-2972

Grade Level Newsletters

6th Grade

Click HERE to view the 6th Grade Team Newsletter!

7th Grade

Click HERE to view the 7th Grade Team Newsletter!

8th Grade

Click HERE to view the 8th Grade Team Newsletter!

Electives

Click HERE to view the Electives Team Newsletter!

6th & 8th Grade Parents - Oklahoma Preventative Needs Assessment

Dear Parent or Guardian:

The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services is conducting an important survey on student behaviors and beliefs. The survey is called the Oklahoma Prevention Needs Assessment(OPNA) Survey. Your child’s class is set to take this survey in early February 2025. The purpose of the survey is to gather information needed to plan prevention and intervention programs in our community and schools. These programs will address problems of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use, school dropout, delinquency, violence, mental health, and other issues in our schools and communities. Please click the button below for more information.

Oklahoma Prevention Needs Assessment Survey Passive Consent Parent Letter 24/25

Heartland High Five - RISE Above Donut Party!

As we all know, at Heartland.... WE RISE! Thunderhawks show Respect, Integrity, Self-Control, and Effort in all that they do! Students have the opportunity to earn "High-Fives" from their teachers. If a teacher sees a student going above and beyond the RISE expectations, they can earn a high-five from their teachers. Every morning, on the morning announcements, administrators pick high-fives from a bucket and recognize those students exceeding the RISE expectations. Starting new this Spring, we will be celebrating all students that receive a high-five from a teacher at the end of each month with a donut party. We want to ensure that each student that receives a high-five gets the recognition that they deserve and not just those that are randomly selected to be featured on the announcements. Hopefully this will continually encourage students to make good choices, ones that help to positively shape their character.

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.

Heartland Middle School Facebook Page

Join/Like our page for the latest on all things Heartland Middle School!

Interested 8th Graders Visit the Edmond Public Schools Agriculture Facilities!

Happy Birthday, Ms. Brown! We Appreciate All You Do For Our Heartland Community!

Heartland Athletics Update

Click the link to find out more about Spring sports: Baseball, Track, Tennis & Golf.

ATHLETIC ELIGIBILITY

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.