Falcon Update

Dear HMS Families,
Thank you to all of the families who were able to attend Parent-Teacher Conferences. We appreciate your partnership.

We have a busy but exciting week ahead! There are several events and activities are happening throughout the week, so please take a moment to review the schedule below and continue reading for important details about each event.

This Week at a Glance:

Tuesday, October 6

• Late Start
• What's Possible: At-Home Learning: 6:30–7:00 PM at Heritage Middle School
• Dental Clinic: October 6–7

Wednesday, October 7

• Walk, Bike & Roll to School
• High School Fair: 6:00–7:30 PM at Freedom Middle School

Thursday, October 8

• Lotería Night: 4:00–5:00 PM at Heritage Middle School
• Crosstown Classic Girls Basketball Game

Here is additional information about what to expect this week:

Late Start: Tuesday, October 6 is our first Late Start of the year. Students should not arrive on campus prior to 9:00 AM. There will be no supervision available before 9:00 AM, as our staff will be participating in a scheduled meeting. Please plan accordingly and make sure your student arrives safely and on time for the start of the school day.

What's Possible: The district is hosting What's Possible: At-Home Learning here at Heritage on Tuesday, October 6th from 6:00 to 7:30 PM. This night provides you a hands-on look at the apps your child uses each day in class and discover practical ways to support their learning at home. Whether you want to better understand homework tools, navigate learning platforms, or explore creative apps together, this evening is designed to help families feel confident supporting learning beyond the classroom. Please bring your child’s iPad for an interactive, hands-on experience!

Walk, Bike and Roll to School: Students are encouraged to walk, bike and roll to school on Wednesday, October 7th. We will also be passing out reflector stickers to those who participate. On Tuesday, we will be reviewing how to safely get to school if you are going to walk, bike, or roll to school.

High School Fair: Families of students interested in learning more about their high school options can go to Freedom Middle School from 6:00 to 7:30 PM to learn more about the schools in the surrounding area.

Lotería Night: We are excited to host Lotería Night here at Heritage from 4:00 to 5:00 PM. We hope to see our students and families there for an afternoon of fun, community, and a little friendly competition! Cards will be available to those who attend and we will also have snacks for sale, so please bring cash.

Crosstown Classic Girls Basketball Game: We are excited to announce that Heritage Middle School will be hosting the Crosstown Classic Event, a special celebration of our Berwyn student-athletes and an opportunity to raise money for Breast Cancer Awareness. This will take place on Thursday, October 8th. JV plays at 4:30 and Varsity plays at 5:30.

To help us accommodate everyone and ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all, we kindly ask players to limit the number of family members attending to 2–3 guests. If you plan to attend the JV game, we appreciate your understanding in leaving after the game to allow space for our Varsity fans. Likewise, we ask Varsity supporters to please wait until 5:30 PM to arrive for the JV game. There will be a $1 entry fee for all adult fans. Student fans may attend only if they have purchased a PBIS ticket. Show your support for Breast Cancer Awareness at the game! We’ll be selling pink ribbons, bracelets, and other accessories, as well as hosting raffles and offering concessions throughout the event. All proceeds will go directly to support the cause. All fans are encouraged to wear pink for the game.

Dental Clinic: We will be hosting the Dental Clinic this week, so please make sure you scroll down to see how you are able to sign up for it.

Thank you,

Michelle Hauer

708-303-4805

mhauer@bsd100.org

Additional Important Future Dates

10/6: Late Start

10/6: What's Possible: At-Home Learning 6:30 to 7:00 PM hosted at Heritage Middle School

10/6-10/7: Dental Clinic

10/7: Walk, Bike and Roll to School

10/7: High School Fair at FMS from 6:00-7:30 PM

10/8: Lotería Night at HMS from 4:00-5:00 PM
10/8: Crosstown Classic Girls Basketball Game

10/9: Community Informational Meeting at LaVergne Education Center

10/12: No School

10/21: Unity Day - Everyone should wear Orange!

10/23: End of Quarter 1

10/30: Halloween Dance at HMS for students from 4:30 to 6:30

Join us October 6th at Heritage Middle School from 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM for What’s Possible: Learning at Home!

Get a hands-on look at the daily apps your child uses in class and discover practical tips to support their learning journey at home. Whether you want to navigate homework tools or explore creative apps together, this evening is built for you. Please bring your child’s iPad to this event for an interactive experience!

Join District administration to learn more, ask questions, and share feedback as we consider how the LaVergne property can best serve the future needs of District 100.

Friday, October 9 at 10:00 a.m.
LaVergne Education Center, 3401 S. Gunderson Avenue

Some motorized bikes, including certain e-bikes and motorized bicycles, may require a specific license, registration, or minimum age requirement. In many cases, our middle school students may not meet these requirements. Illinois has also passed legislation establishing age requirements for certain e-bikes that will take effect in January 2027.

For these reasons, students should not ride motorized bikes or e-bikes to or from school. These bikes are also not permitted on Heritage Middle School property during the school day.

Students are permitted to ride traditional bicycles to school. However, once students enter school grounds, they must dismount and walk their bikes to ensure the safety of all students, families, and staff. For students who ride bikes to and from school, helmets are strongly encouraged, and riders should follow all posted traffic rules.

Students at Heritage receive free breakfast and lunch each day if they choose to participate, or they may bring their own lunch from home. As a healthy school, we ask that students do not bring pop, energy drinks, or large bags of snacks.

Breakfast will be served each morning in students Period 1 class. Lunch will take place at the scheduled time according to the bell schedule, and students will also have the option to participate in recess during their lunchtime.

Below will be where you can find the menus for Heritage through OrganicLife.

Students are required to wear school uniforms on all days they are in the building unless it is a special spirit day or they have purchased a dress down from the PBIS school store. The dress code policy from the student handbook is as follows:

The dress code is mandatory and applies to all 6th -8th graders on the first day of school.

• All students shall wear a school approved plain/solid collared polo shirt in navy, white, or black. The polo may be long or short sleeve and must be properly fitted. Any t-shirts worn underneath polo shirts should either match the polo or be black or white.

• Students shall wear plain, solid khaki or black colored pants, skirts or shorts. Pants may be sweat pant material. Leggings, bike shorts, and oversized pockets are not allowed.

• Plain, solid navy, white, or black sweaters/sweatshirts (non-hooded) or school-branded sweaters/sweatshirts are allowed.

• IDs should be worn and visible at all times if required by school. Students must wear school-appropriate lanyards.

• For safety reasons, shoes must have backs. Flip-flops and slippers are not allowed. Crocs may be worn with the back strap in place.

• Items of clothing or jewelry that display images or text portraying illegal substances, weapons, or vulgar messages are not permitted. Additionally, attire that identifies or promotes gang activity is prohibited.

• Unless otherwise communicated by school staff, hats, caps, sunglasses should not be worn inside the building.

• Jeans and other approved attire may be worn during out of uniform days and spirit days at the discretion of the administration.

Students will start changing for Physical Education class during the second week of school. Uniforms are available for purchase and can be done so on Supply Drop Off. Uniforms and spirit wear will also be for sale throughout the school year.

School locks are $9 and are needed for the student lockers. They can be purchased at the Supply Drop Off Event on August 18th or from the main office.

All sixth grade and new students are required to have a school physical and copy of their updated immunizations in order to start the school year on August 19, 2026. The school physical form from a Doctor’s Office must be submitted to the school by Tuesday, August 18th. The forms can be dropped off to the main office. If you have questions for the nurse, please contact her at maria.torres@bsd100.org or 708-303-4810.

Dear D100 Families,

Governor Pritzker signed a new law requiring all school districts to have policies banning cell phones during the school day. To help all students stay focused and succeed at school, District 100 will continue to maintain a cell phone-free learning environment through our Phones Off & Away All Day initiative.

Students in all D100 schools are expected to keep their phones turned off and out of sight from the start to the end of the school day.

Phones must be stored in lockers or backpacks, not in pockets, and cannot be used during lunch, passing periods, or in restrooms. If you need to contact your child during the school day, please call the main office.

If a student uses their phone during school hours, it will be confiscated and held in a secure location until the end of the day. In situations involving repeated offenses or gross violations, a parent/guardian will need to pick the phone up from school staff.

Exceptions for medical or individual learning needs will be made in partnership with school staff and families.

The academic success and overall well-being of students is our top priority. Limiting distractions helps students remain focused, engaged, and ready to learn, while also preventing potential issues such as cyberbullying or conflicts between peers related to cell phone use. As we approach the start of the school year, please take a moment to talk with your child about these expectations. If you believe your child may have difficulty following these expectations, we recommend keeping their phone at home during the school day.

Thank you for partnership in creating positive learning environments where students can thrive academically and socially. We look forward to a successful 2026-2027 school year!

Email: mhauer@bsd100.org
Website: https://heritage.bsd100.org/
Location: 6850 31st Street, Berwyn, IL, USA
Phone: (708)749-6110
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeritageMiddleSchoolBerwyn
Twitter: @HeritageD100