The Husky Howl

August, 2026

Principal

Back to School Edition!

Open House/ Supply Drop Off

Heim Families,

I hope that you have had a relaxing and enjoyable summer. We are so excited to welcome our new students and our returning students back to Heim for the 2026-2027 school year. Our Open House/Supply Drop-Off date is Tuesday, September 1, 2026, and the times are as follows:

New Family (Grades 1-4) 4:00 PM-4:40 PM (in the Gym)

Grade K 4:00 PM-4:45 PM

Grades 1 and 2-5:00 PM-5:45 PM

Grades 3 and 4-6:00 PM- 6:45 PM

We will also have a school bus in the main loop for Kindergarten students to practice boarding and exiting.

Class Placement Information

Student schedules and teacher assignments will be available on WITS at the end of the day on Friday, August 28, 2026.

Supply Lists

Supply lists for the 2026-2027 school year are currently posted on WITS and also the District website at the following link: https://heimelementary.williamsvillek12.org/schools/school-supply-list

Welcome New Teachers!

• Social Worker-Mrs. Emily West

• Speech-Ms. Caroline Roy

• 2nd Grade- Ms. Julia Jacobs

• 3rd Grade-Mrs. Danielle May

• Math Specialist-Mrs. Lauren Vogel

Calendar Updates:

• September 8: First Day of School-As a reminder, parents are not permitted to walk their student to class.
• September 8: 7:00-10:00 Board of Ed Meeting
• September 21: No School, Yom Kippur

Welcome back! I am so excited to see everyone and am looking forward to a wonderful start to the school year. I’d like to take a moment to review our parent drop-off and dismissal pick-up procedures so that we can ensure a smooth, safe, and organized routine for everyone.

Arrival-

Drive Thru Student Drop-Off (Old Bus Loop by Gym 7:45-8:15)

1. Enter through the opening adjacent to the stop sign by Countryside Lane

2. Follow cones/yellow lines

3. Stop in designated zones to drop students off. Students must exit out the passenger side

4. Staff members will assist with unloading

5. Remain in a single-file line to exit campus - you may turn right or left upon exit from loop

Park and Walk with Child (Main Parking Lot-8:05-8:15)

1. Park in a designated spot of the parking lot (Front loop is for special transportation only (small bus, handicapped stickers, medical passes)

2. Escort your child across the crosswalk to the Main Entrance Area

3. Return to your vehicle and exit campus

Bus Riders (Main Entrance-8:05)

1. Bus riders will exit the bus when prompted by the bus driver

2. Bus riders will walk across the crosswalk when prompted by a staff member

Dismissal-

Blue Card Drive Thru (Old Bus Loop by Gym)

1. Have blue placard with number clearly displayed on dash

2. Enter through opening by Countryside Lane

3. Follow cones/yellow lines

4. Stop in designated zones to pick student(s) up. Student(s) must enter through the passenger side

5. Staff members will assist with loading. Staff will NOT buckle seat belts or car seats. If you need to buckle a car seat, please pull forward to the orange cone area

6. Remain in a single-file line to exit campus - you may turn right or left upon exit from loop

Red Card (Gym Pick Up)

1. Park in a designated spot in the parking lot. Front loop is for special transportation only (small bus, handicapped stickers, medical passes)

2. Line up at gym doors with red placards

3. Escort your child through the parking lot to your vehicle and exit campus

Walkers

1. Walkers will leave with bus riders

2. Walkers are released without needing to be signed out by parent

3. Walkers should not be leaving in a motor vehicle. If leaving in a motor vehicle with an adult, students should be signed out through the red or blue card process

Electronic Devices:

Last year, New York State passed legislation that prohibits the use of internet enabled devices in schools. Policy #7316 was adopted during the July 1, 2025 Board of Education Meeting and went into effect on September 1, 2025. At the Elementary Level, Devices (Including Cell Phones and Smart Watches) must be stored in students’ homeroom in a teacher-designated storage system, turned off, from the time they enter the building at the start of the school day until they exit the building at the end of the school day. There are some Methods of Communication for Parents to Contact their Child During the School Day

• Parents may call the main office to leave a message for their child. In addition, students may use the school’s phone in the office (or classroom, when available and appropriate) to call their parent/guardian.

• Where age appropriate, parents may also WITS mail their own child

We appreciate your cooperation as we establish these new rules and routines in the building. For more information on the District policies, please visit the following website.

https://www.williamsvillek12.org/about-us/district-profile/cell-phone-policy

Medication drop off for the 2026-2027 school year is:

• September 1st 4:00pm-6:30pm

We would like to welcome Mrs. Jill Fettes to our Main Office!

Reminder for Pick Up

Please remember to always have ID when coming into school, as you may be required to provide it when picking up your child.

Visitor Sign In Procedure

Our District utilizes the Raptor System for visitors coming into the building. With this procedure, you will need to provide photo ID that will be scanned into the system for security purposes. Once you are scanned the first time, subsequent visits will only require us to sign you in with your last name. Your name remains in the system from year to year.

Attendance Reminder

If your child will be out sick, please be sure to contact the Attendance Office via WITS Mail or by calling 716-626-8682.

Dismissal Reminder

If there is any change to your child’s regular dismissal routine, please call the MAIN OFFICE at (716) 626-8686, as teachers may not always get the message in time for dismissal.

Please join us for our Back to School Night on September 11th from 5:00-7:00 PM

Education Law section 926, effective July 1, 2026, requires school districts to provide electronic or written information on water safety to parents/guardians at the beginning of the 2026-2027 school year. Additionally, the school district must publish this information on its website. The New York State Department of Health has provided school districts with swim tips regarding drowning prevention, water safety and safe and healthy swimming.

The District has several committees that meet throughout the course of school year and are looking for additional parent/guardian members to join:

• Special Education Advisory Council (SEAC)

• Safety

• Wellness

• Communications

If you are interested in joining, please email contact@williamsvillek12.org and indicate the committee you’d like to join.

Main Office:

Claire Licata-Michael Principal

Natalie Davis, Assistant Principal

Jill Fetes, Senior Clerk Typist

Sharon Dry, Part Time Clerk Typist

Phone: 716-626-8686
Fax: 716-626-8679

Attendance:

Connie Zimmer, Attendance/ Health Office Aide

Phone: 716-626-8682

Health Office:

Lynn Kevekordes, RN, School Nurse

Phone: 716-626-8639
Fax: 716-626-8688

Address:

155 Heim Road
Williamsville, NY 14221