Hawks

Welcome Back, Heatherwood Families!

Dear Heatherwood Families,

We are excited to begin another fabulous school year and look forward to partnering with you to support your student’s success. Our 2026–27 theme, Together WE: Elevate Excellence through Love and Learning, reflects our belief that when students, families, and staff work together, incredible things are possible.

Supporting Learning & Student Ownership:

This year, we are continuing to strengthen our focus on academics, direct instruction, and meaningful learning. To help students stay focused during the school day, student Chromebooks have filters that block YouTube and Minecraft gaming.

We have also purchased a planner for every Heatherwood student. One of our goals this year is to help students develop greater agency, ownership, organization, and responsibility for their learning. Students will use their planners daily and weekly to track assignments, manage their time, plan ahead, and develop foundational executive-management skills. We encourage families to ask students about their planners and use them as a tool for conversations about school, organization, and progress.

Curriculum Night — September 17

We look forward to welcoming families to our Curriculum Night on Thursday, September 17! This will be a wonderful opportunity to meet your student’s teachers, learn more about their classes, and walk through their classrooms. More information will be shared soon.

Family Partnership Matters

Our Heatherwood community is stronger because of the involvement and partnership of our families. There are many ways to get involved, including opportunities through our PTA and Natural Leaders programs. We encourage you to visit the Heatherwood website for more information about ways to connect, volunteer, and support our students.

We also recognize that families sometimes need additional support. Heatherwood has resources available for students and families who may need school supplies, backpacks, community resources, and/or food assistance. Please do not hesitate to reach out. We are here to help connect families with the resources they need. Get Involved, Hawks!

Finally, please encourage your student to get involved at Heatherwood! Whether through athletics, clubs, activities, leadership opportunities, or other school events, finding a place to belong is an important part of the middle school experience. We want every Hawk to discover their interests, build relationships, and find opportunities to shine.

We are looking forward to a safe, positive, and successful year ahead. Thank you for entrusting your students to us and for being an essential part of the Heatherwood community.

Together WE will Elevate Excellence through Love and Learning!

With Hawk Pride,

Dr. Laura Wellington
Principal
Heatherwood Middle School

Wednesday & Thursday:

September 2 - First Day of School

September 7 - Labor Day - No School

September 8- Picture Day

September 17- Curriculum Night

September 29- 7th Grade Hearing Screening

October 6- 7th Grade Vision Screening

Welcome to the 2026-27 school year, Heatherwood Hawks! We hope you all had a wonderful summer and are ready to start this school year strong! As the school year starts rolling out, here are some strategies to help our students get the best start possible!

• Attendance: arriving at school on-time and consistently is a significant key to success for students. Student absences need to be reported in your ParentVue app or by email to heaattendance@everettsd.org
• Absences: Encourage your student to email or talk with their teachers about what they missed and how they can make up for any missed work. Middle school is a great time to help students take ownership of their learning by communicating with teachers either by email, or in person. Teachers will oftentimes have pre-established routines of what students should do if they are absent; parents and students can refer to teacher websites and syllabi for more information.
• Health: Getting adequate sleep and nourishment is incredibly important. Starting the day with something healthy gives the fuel our growing students need for a positive start! If mornings are rushed at home, know that our cafeteria offers breakfast before school starts. Further, getting 8-10 hours of sleep is incredibly important for our students to feel refreshed in the morning.
• Organizational skills: Everyone is different to what organization system works best for them. Work with your middle schooler to identify the supplies and home routines they need to be successful this school year. Binders, planners, online resources, and supplies can vary depending on personal preferences. If there are any financial or physical school needs, please reach out to your grade level counselor for additional resources/materials. As a support to students' organization, each student will receive a school planner at the beginning of the year. Here are a few tips that will help your student stay organized in middle school this year.
• Check your planner every day when you get home school
• Plan a time for a weekly backpack clean out

• Create a landing station at home to keep your backpack and homework
• School Involvement: Students who are involved with a club or sport feel more connected to school, which leads to improved attendance and achievement. Heatherwood offers a variety of clubs and sports for students to get involved in. Clubs/sports are natural opportunities for students to build friendships and life skills alongside their peers. Look for information regarding the many club opportunities available this school year…more information to come!
• Social: Get to know your middle schooler’s friends and their parents. The influence of peers becomes greater as students enter their pre-teen/teenage years. Continue talking with your student about who they are spending time with at school. Know your middle schooler’s whereabouts outside of school hours. Meet the parents/guardians of who your student is spending time with…parents benefit from having a support network with one another, as well!

Heatherwood School Counseling Team

Ms. Jocelyn Smith, 6th grade School Counselor: jsmith1@everettsd.org; 425-385-6313

Ms. Jana Freeman, 7th grade School Counselor: jfreeman@everettsd.org; 425-385-6310

Ms. Myra Flor Arpin, 8th grade School Counselor: marpin@everettsd.org; 425-385-6314