Heritage Happenings April 2026

We hope you all had a wonderful and restful spring break! We ended March with our first-ever Heritage Leadership Day, and it was a great turnout. Our student leaders truly enjoyed sharing their knowledge and leadership with you.

April is sure to be a busy month filled with learning, field trips, and exciting classroom experiences. As the weather begins to warm up, we are also looking forward to students enjoying more time outdoors and taking advantage of the beautiful spring days. It’s a great time of year for both learning and fresh air!

As we move through the final stretch of the school year, students will also begin preparing for the final iReady benchmark assessment of the year as well as the state MAP testing in grades 3, 4, and 5. Thank you for your continued support as we work together to help our students learn, grow, and finish the year strong.

Warm regards,

Dr. Kimberley Walters, Val Sutton, Katie Will and Melrick Bogier

• Call the attendance line and leave a message: 636-327-3846 and press 1 to report an absence
• Send an email: attendance.heritage@wsdr4.org

Please include the reason for the absence as this will be noted in Focus.

We still have tickets available, so sales will continue beyond the original deadline. Additionally, the Cardinals organization is working to make this experience as affordable as possible—see the details below.

We’re excited to share a new way to make bringing the whole family to the ballpark even more fun—and budget-friendly! Introducing the Cardinals Value Menu, featuring family favorites for just $5 each at every home game, all game long.

At school, students are continuing their journey through the 7 Habits and discovering how they can grow as leaders every day. April’s focus is Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw, which means taking time to care for our bodies, minds, hearts, and relationships so we can be our best selves!

“Sharpening the saw” reminds us that just like a tool needs to be sharpened to work well, we need to recharge and take care of ourselves to stay balanced and effective.

Here are some simple ways your family can practice Habit 7 together:

• Family Fitness Time – Go for a walk, bike ride, or play a sport together to keep your bodies healthy and strong.
  
  

• Reading Night – Set aside time to read books as a family or enjoy quiet reading time side by side.
  
  

• Unplug & Connect – Take a break from screens and spend time talking, playing games, or enjoying each other’s company.
  
  

• Practice Kindness & Gratitude – Share something you’re thankful for each day or do a kind act for someone in your family.
  
  

• Try Something New Together – Learn a new skill, hobby, or activity as a family—like cooking a new recipe, drawing, or gardening.
  
  

School Lunch Notes
As part of practicing Habit 7, we will be providing a school lunch note template for families. You can cut out and fill in these notes with encouraging messages, kind words, or reminders of how proud you are of your child. Tucking a positive note into your student’s lunchbox is a small act that can brighten their day!

Thank you for partnering with us to grow leaders both in and out of school!

Bonus: If your family participates in one of these activities, we’d love to see it! Share a photo and tag Heritage so we can celebrate how you're “sharpening the saw” together!

Big Smiles mobile dentist will be coming to Heritage on April 24, 27, and 28, 2026. If you are interested in your child having a dental cleaning and exam, please fill out the form. If you have any questions, please contact Nurse Heather. heathersweeten@wsdr4.org

Get to know your child's new elementary school at Cruising Into Kindergarten! The goal of this event is to help incoming kindergartners become more familiar with their new school, and to help ease kindergarten jitters with a fun, interactive tour. Your child may even make some new friends along the way! School staff will also be in attendance to share information about your child's new school with you.

Heritage - Tuesday, April 14 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Please support Helping Hands 4 Families for our spring fundraiser led by our K-5 Leader in Me Groups. They have worked hard to plan and organize the fundraiser. We look forward to all of the Quacking around. Payments can be made by Venmo or Cash. If you are interested in learning more about Helping Hands 4 Families or need support visit our website at www.helpinghandsforfamilies.com

We are excited to announce that our Field Day will take place on Thursday, May 21! This is always a fun and memorable day for our students, and we would love your help to make it a success.

We are currently looking for parent volunteers to assist with various activities throughout the day. Whether you can help for part of the day or the entire event, your support is greatly appreciated.

Please find the Field Day schedule below, along with a volunteer sign-up link to let us know your availability and preferences.

8:20-8:40 Morning & All Day Volunteer Check-In

8:40-10:55 Grades 3-5

10:55-11:55 Lunch for All Day Volunteers

11:55-12:15 Afternoon Volunteer Check-In

12:15-2:30 Grades K-2

2:30-3:00 Clean-Up

We would like to sincerely thank all of our families for taking the time to complete the Leader in Me MRA Survey. Your feedback is incredibly valuable. We are proud of the growth we have made over the past year and will continue to strive to grow and improve. We truly appreciate your partnership as we continue working to grow and improve at Heritage.

Progress Park Banquet Hall - Saturday, April 25, 2026

Grab your friends, channel your favorite era, and save the date for a night you won't want to miss. There will be 10 rounds of music bingo with winners every round, photo booth, side games, 50/50 raffle, raffle baskets & a lot of music! Proceeds from this event benefit our school. We need sponsors to make it a night to remember! Sponsorship levels range from $50-$375. Use this link to purchase tickets & sponsorships.

Raffle basket/item donations: We are seeking in-kind donations for our raffle at Music Bingo. If you or a business you know would like to support our school with a raffle basket or raffle items, please reach out to: heritageptawebmaster@gmail.com

● May 4-8 - Teacher Appreciation Week- please let us know via email

heritageptawebmaster@gmail.com if you are interested in volunteering!

We will need help during the staff luncheon, set up, and clean up.

● Thursday, May 14 - LAST PTA meeting of the year! 5:30 pm in the Carr St. Cafe

● Wednesday, May 20 - End of Year Celebration at Lulu’s!

Click here for the 2025-2026 School Calendar

April

• 6-7: No School
• 8: Papa John's Night
• 11: Heritage Night at the Cardinals Game
• 15: 3rd Grade Market Day
• 20: Late Start and Caps for Camp/PJ $1
• 22: 1st Grade Field Trip - Gold Team
• 22: 3rd Grade International Market Day
• 23: 5th Grade Recorder Concert - Blue Team @ 6:30; Gold Team @ 7:00
• 24: Big Smiles Dentist
• 25: PTA Music Bingo @ 6:30
• 27: Big Smiles Dentist
• 28: Big Smiles Dentist
• 28: 4th Grade Field Trip - Blue Team
• 28: 2nd Grade Concert -- Blue Team @ 6:30; Gold Team @ 7:00
• 29: 1st Grade Field Trip - Blue Team

HES Parent/Family Engagement 2025-2026

HES School/Parent/Family Engagement Policy 2025-2026

Title One School Wide Parent Compact

All of these documents can be found on the district website.

Copies are also available in the main office.

Helping Hands 4 Families is a local non-profit organization committed to building community and school relationships and supporting families in becoming independent with their life goals. Helping Hands 4 Families provides families with basic household necessities on a MONTHLY basis and other support or resources. If you need support for your family sign up here. If you are interested in more information visit our Website or FaceBook Page.

Facebook: Heritage Elementary PTA

Instagram: @heritageelembears

Twitter:@heritagebears