Falcon Update

Dear HMS Families,

What a great first week back! It has been great to get back into our routines and welcome everyone back. This upcoming week we hope to see everyone at McTeacher Night on Tuesday, January 13th, from 4:00 to 7:00 PM at the McDonald's located at 7181 Cermak Rd.

We are thrilled to announce the launch of our new district mobile app! Driven by a desire to meet our families where they are, we launched the Finalsite mobile app to ensure you can access important, relevant school information from the convenience of your smartphone. The app allows you to subscribe to the schools your children attend, so you’re getting updates only for the buildings that are relevant to you.

We’re excited to introduce the mobile app, designed to enhance the overall family experience at Heritage Middle School. Download the app for free by searching for BSD100 in the App Store or Google Play.

8th Grade families should have received information about the Illinois Youth Survey on Friday. Students will be take this survey unless a parent or guardian opts them out if it. Please see this link for Parent Frequently Asked Questions.

Thank you,

Michelle Hauer

708-303-4805

mhauer@bsd100.org

Additional Important Future Dates

1/13: McTeacher Night; 4:00 to 7:00 PM at the McDonald's on Cermak (7181 W Cermak Rd.)

1/19: No School

1/20: 1/2 Day for Students; Dismissal at 11:15 AM

1/23: End of Quarter 2

1/24: Robotics Tournament at HMS

1/30: Progress Reports Emailed Home

2/3: Late Start; Students should not be on campus before 9:05 AM

2/6: School Dance: 4:30 to 6:30 PM

The Illinois Youth Survey (IYS) is a self-report survey administered in Illinois schools with 8th, 10th, and 12th grades, funded by the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS). It gathers information about a variety of topics, including drug use and perceptions, violence, bullying, depression, school climate, nutrition, and fitness. It provides aggregate data for local schools, communities, counties, and state agencies. This is an anonymous survey.

All students will take the survey unless a parent opts their student(s) out. This opt-out form was sent home on Friday and can be found below. Opt out forms can be turned into the Heritage main office.

English Opt-Out Form

Spanish Opt-Out Form

Parent Frequently Asked Questions

If you would like to learn more about IYS please visit the website here.

We are pleased to inform you that our school has been selected to participate in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The assessment is scheduled for February 9th, 2026, and will involve students in 8th-grade undergoing tests in reading and math. There is no need for students to prepare specifically for this assessment, as participation is intended to be representative of their overall learning. A total of 50 students will be chosen to participate, and we will send a letter to the parents of those selected with further details about the NAEP assessment. Please watch for an email titled "NAEP Assessment" for more information.

Heritage has the opportunity to select one person to represent Heritage for the SCOTY award in collaboration with West40 ISC. The SCOTY program recognizes one student chosen by their school who is a good school citizen that is a model for others to emulate. The selected student will be recognized and celebrated at an awards ceremony with other West 40 students on Thursday, March 19, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. at West Leyden High School. Please only apply if you think you will be able to be in attendance.

Please apply by filling out the Google Form by the end of the day on Monday, February 3rd. If you have any questions, please reach out to Mrs. Hauer.

District 100 strives to ensure that all students and families feel safe, supported, and valued in our school communities. Fostering an inclusive and welcoming school environment is deeply ingrained in the culture of our district and is fundamental to the success of our students. Resources to support families with immigration-related concerns are available on the family resources page on our website.

HMS 25/26 yearbooks are officially available! If you are interested in purchasing one, use this link. Please make sure to save your receipt and share with your student that you have purchased a yearbook for them. They will be delivered to the school in May to be distributed to your student before leaving for the year. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to our yearbook representative, Ms. Haury, at dhaury@bsd100.org.

Purchase Friday spirit wear by using the link below.

We utilize an app called PBIS Rewards where students earn points throughout the school year for being Responsible, Respectful and Safe. We have a PBIS store that we open for students to purchase fun items with their points. We also do raffles, field trips and a winter extravaganza that students can utilize their points throughout the year. We encourage students to use their points by the end of the year as they do not roll over!

This week, students will download STOPit to their iPads. This is an online application that Heritage students have access to. This application allows students to anonymously report incidents of bullying, misconduct or general concerns. All reports go to the support service team and administration, which allows us to act quickly and in real time to any concerns or incidents.

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 before students head to their 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.

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