HMS Friday Flyover

Hello Hawks!

Our first full week of school is officially in the books, and it has been a great one at Heineman! Students are settling into routines, building relationships with teachers and classmates, and diving into the learning that will shape the year ahead. It has been exciting to see our hallways and classrooms filled with life as the students engage with new material and get to spend some time outside during lunch.

This week also marked the beginning of STAR testing, giving students an opportunity to show what they know and helping our staff better understand where students are starting the year. We are proud of the focus and effort our Hawks have shown and appreciate the way they have approached testing with a positive mindset.

Outside the classroom, the fall season is getting underway as volleyball and cross country practices officially begin. It is great to see our student-athletes back on the court and out on the course. We are excited to watch both programs grow throughout the season!

After a successful first full week, there is already so much positive momentum throughout the building. Thank you to our students and staff for bringing such great energy each day and to our families for their continued support.

We are off to a fantastic start, Hawks. Let’s keep showing up for one another, bringing our best, and going ALL IN every day!

Go All IN Today!

Aim High

Lead Positively

Learn Together

Inspire Excellence

Never Settle

Go Hawks!

Stephen Mogni

Principal, Heineman Middle School

Monday 8/31

Girls Volleyball Away match at Beardsley at 4:00pm 🏐

Theme: Neon

X-Country Practice 2:30-4:00pm 👟

Tuesday 9/1

X-Country Practice 2:30-4:00pm 👟

Girls Volleyball practice 2:30-4:00pm 🏐

Chain Hawks Disc golf 2:30-4:25pm 🥏

Wednesday 9/2

X-Country Practice 2:30-4:00pm 🏃

Girls 8th grade Volleyball Home match at HMS vs Cary at 4:00pm 🏐

Girls 7th grade Volleyball Away match at Conley at 4:00pm

Theme: Beach Day beach 😎 🌴

Thursday 9/3

X-Country Practice 2:30-4:00pm 🏃

Girls Volleyball practice 2:30-4:00pm 🏐

Friday 9/4

X-Country Practice 2:30-3:30pm 🏃

Girls Volleyball practice 2:30-4:00pm 🏐

Emergency Drills will be conducted throughout the day of Friday, September 4th.

Drills Include: Evacuation, Shelter in Place, and Lockdown

The activity bus starts Tuesday September 8th.

Any students staying after school for practices, games, or meetings next week must have their own ride home.

Welcome to our new Home/School Connection corner! Middle school is a time of huge growth, and we are here to partner with you every step of the way. Each week we will share a quick, practical tip to help support your student both in and out of the classroom. These tips will range from simple ways to help with homework and build strong study habits, to strategies for supporting your child's emotional well-being and confidence.

Meet Mr. Forestor! He has loved being a teacher because of the opportunity to make a positive difference in students’ lives every day. When school lets out, you’ll most likely find him coaching a sport—he’s celebrating an incredible 40 years of football, including 15 years as a player and 25 years as a coach! 🏈

He is a proud Notre Dame Fighting Irish fan. His favorite vacation spot is Hilton Head Island, SC. He’s impressively skilled at random, useless knowledge—which might come in handy someday! 😂

If he had to choose between unlimited pizza or ice cream? 🍕 Pizza wins every time!

HMS is fortunate to have someone who brings so much experience, energy, and dedication to our school community!

Just a friendly reminder that when picking up your student in the afternoon to pull up as far as possible to accommodate as many cars in the snake as possible.

Are you looking for a meaningful way to get involved in our school district? We invite you to consider serving as a representative on our district Parent-Teacher Advisory Committee (PTAC) for the 2026–27 school year.

This year, we are working to strengthen communication and connection between our schools and the district by increasing awareness of the important work of PTAC. We are seeking one parent and one staff representative from each school to attend three meetings during the year and serve as a liaison between their building’s parent group and the district PTAC.

About PTAC
PTAC is a school board-required committee led by the superintendent that meets regularly to review and provide input on key areas, including:

• Student discipline policies and their implementation, including considerations for students with disabilities

• The reciprocal reporting system between the school district and local law enforcement

• School bus safety procedures and how they are reflected in discipline policies

• Policies addressing student behavior, including supports for students at risk of aggressive behavior and bullying

• Guidelines related to the administration of medication at school

Meeting Schedule
All meetings will be held at the District Office from 6:00–8:00 p.m. on:

• Tuesday, September 22, 2026

• Tuesday, January 12, 2027

• Tuesday, April 20, 2027

Representatives will be asked to share updates and gather feedback at their school’s parent meetings (such as PTO/PTA or school advisory groups) to ensure two-way communication between the district and each building.

Important Note
While PTAC plays an important advisory role and informs recommendations to the Board of Education, it is not a decision-making body.

Interested in Participating?
Please complete the interest form by Sunday, September 6, 2026.

Your voice matters, and your perspective is essential to this work. We look forward to partnering with you to support our students, staff, and school community.

If you are looking to be involved at the school level rather than the district level, more information on ways to do that will be coming out soon.

Huntley High School is excited to welcome the community to cheer on our Red Raider athletes at football games and other sporting events! To ensure a safe, enjoyable experience for all, please note that all elementary and middle school students must be accompanied by a parent/guardian or supervising adult who stays for the duration of the event and is responsible for the students. Thank you for your cooperation!

Red Raider Stadium Expectations

• All bags and purses will be searched upon entry to Red Raider stadium for football games. This applies to all students, fans and spectators in attendance. We highly encourage you to leave any unnecessary items at home or in your vehicle.

• Elementary and middle school students MUST have a parent/guardian or supervising adult in attendance. The supervising adult MUST stay for the duration of the event and be responsible for the student(s).

• No outside food or beverages are allowed.

• No re-entry is allowed once exiting the facility. (Note: You must re-pay to re-enter.)

• Footballs, soccer balls, basketballs or other sporting equipment are not allowed in the Red Raider stadium or any other competition site. Game play or horseplay is also not allowed.

• Stadium gates, including the south gate for the HHS student section, will open at 4:15 p.m. for football games.

• Good sportsmanship is an expectation on and off the field. Anyone who chooses not to adhere to the expectations may be asked to leave the premises.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation in order to ensure safety and enjoyment for all as we cheer on our Red Raiders!

The 9th annual Huntley Hootenanny is a 5K “glow” run/walk for adults and kids of all ages sponsored by the Huntley Education Foundation and presented in partnership with the Village of Huntley and Huntley Community School District 158. With nearly 4,000 participants (including 1,700 elementary students last year!) the Huntley Hootenanny is one of Illinois’ largest 5K community events.

The Hootenanny will be held on Saturday, September 12 in downtown Huntley (on the square) from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Race start time is 7:15 p.m.

You won’t want to miss this fun family event!

REGISTER HERE: https://bit.ly/4xpQ9qQ

Catch a glimpse of the Hootenanny in action! https://youtu.be/qCUO59Ugh6Q

Topic: School Anxiety, Avoidance & Refusal: Symptoms and Interventions

Tuesday, September 29, 2026, 6PM - 7PM

Presenter: Jacqueline Rhew, LCPC

Open to all Huntley 158 families

Join via Google Meet

September is Attendance Awareness Month and Huntley 158’s motto is “Your Presence is Your Power.” Every day a student is in school is an opportunity for them to build relationships, learn and access support.

The district is kicking off its first virtual Family Learning Series this year with a presentation by Jacqueline Rhew, a licensed clinical professional counselor, who specializes in school refusal and anxiety in children. The virtual event is free and open to all Huntley 158 families.

Rhew’s presentation will provide parents and caregivers with practical strategies to support their child who may be struggling with school anxiety, avoidance, and school refusal.

She will explore factors that contribute to school avoidance and help parents learn how to recognize early warning signs and unhelpful coping patterns, and better understand how anxiety and avoidance can reinforce one another.

In addition, Rhew will outline specific interventions to help children manage anxiety, increase motivation, set realistic goals, and gradually re-engage in school. Parents will also learn strategies for responding to anxiety without unintentionally reinforcing avoidance, promoting healthy coping and problem-solving, and using communication that builds self-advocacy, confidence, and independence.

This partnership provides mental health care coordination services. This resource is completely confidential and available to all students, staff, and their families at no cost.

As the new school year begins, supporting our youth's mental health is more important than ever. The new school year can bring feelings of both anxiety and excitement as students transition into a new grade or perhaps even a new school.

We have provided a Back to School resource packet for parents and families who are navigating through this time. Click here to access the kit.

By working together, we can create an environment where our children thrive. As a reminder, Care Solace partners with our school to offer valuable mental health care coordination services to connect you with community-based providers for counseling, therapy, and more.

To access Care Solace:

Call 888-515-0595: Their multilingual helpline is staffed 24/7/365.

Visit caresolace.com/huntley: Explore mental health providers independently or click "Book Appointment" for personalized assistance.

Thank you for being dedicated parents in the Huntley Community School District 158 community!

You can purchase a Heineman Middle School yearbook for your students at www.yearbookforever.com. Please email Mr. Baser (rbaser@district158.org) with questions.

Fall Sports

Parents/guardians interested in registering their child for a middle school fall sport will need to log into or create a SNAP! account. If you have any questions about SNAP! or fall middle school sports, please contact Jennifer Sebestyen at jsebestyen@district158.org

SNAP - Heineman Middle School Athletics

Please remember to send in a medical note for your child if they have missed school for an appointment. This helps us accurately track each student's attendance properly and avoids unexcused absences. You may also email your note to our Attendance Secretary, Mrs. Lisa Meyers at limeyers@district158.org.

If you child will be out due to a vacation, please have them pick up a vacation absence form in the school office. This will help our office properly track attendance . These absences are considered unexcused per District 158 that follows the State of Illinois policies.

If your student(s) will be out of school please be sure to contact the attendance line at 847-659-4311.

This helps us accurately track your student's attendance . Thank you.

Hoodies, tees, and more! Grab your spirit wear and show off your school pride all year long!

Order Spirit Wear on our Zeffy Home Page: < https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/organizations/heineman-middle-school-parent-teacher-organization>

Ticket and volunteer links coming soon! (Volunteers needed, so hold the date for this fun event on Friday, 10/2, 12:15-2:30pm (rainout date: 10/5)

Secure a color run ticket for your student today! < https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/2026-27-hawks-color-run >

• Tuesday, September 1st @ 8:30am at HMS: September PTO Meeting
• Tuesday, September 22nd @ 4-8pm: Culver’s (Huntley) Dine & Share
• Friday, October 2nd: Color Run (rain date 10/5) (ticket link coming soon!)

Be sure to join our Facebook page to see all the fun we organize throughout the year! It’s also a great place to find the links to volunteer or buy PTO fundraiser & event tickets! Search for HMS PTO Heineman Middle School or CLICK HERE. Current volunteering opportunities can also be found throughout the schoolyear at https://signup.com/go/JANJXJL. If you’re interested in getting more involved, please reach out to d158HMSPTO@gmail.com - we can always use more help!!

If you have a question specific to a certain subject please email your child's teacher.

For 6th grade general academic questions/concerns contact:

Team 6-1: Mrs. Nicole Busam (nbusam@district158.org)

Team 6-2: Mrs. Denise Conlon (dconlon@district158.org)

For 7th grade general academic questions/concerns contact:

Team 7-1: Ms. Jenny Schlueter (jschlueter@district158.org or Mrs. Jeannette Perreault (jperreaultt@district158.org)

Team 7-2: Mrs. Tammy Carpenter (tcarpenter@district158.org)

For 8th grade general academic questions/concerns contact:

Team 8-1: Mrs. Saundra Schlapia (sschlapia@district158.org) or Mrs. Gabrielle Lundsberg (glundsberg@district158.org)

Team 8-2: Mr. Neal Golyshko (ngolyshko@district158.org)

If you have any question concerning a student behavior please contact:

Ms. Katy McCrystal (kmccrystal@district158.org)

If you have any question concerning Student Services please contact:

Mrs. Shannon Seibert (sseibert@district158.org)

If you have any questions concerning any in season sports please first contact your child's coach. For further concerns please contact:

Mr. Jeremy Mikkelson (jmikkelson@district158.org)

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