Proud Hawk Community-November 2025

As we head into the Thanksgiving season, I want to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude to our Heritage families, staff, and community. Each day, I see examples of kindness, resilience, and collaboration from our students, staff, and families. Your partnership is at the heart of everything we do.

As we begin important conversations and investigations about potential changes for the future of Heritage, please know that every voice matters and every question is valued. I want to reassure you that we share that same commitment and these discussions are meant to help us look ahead and ensure we are making well-informed decisions that support both our students today and in the years to come.

Our theme Rooted in Community, Growing Together continues to guide our work. I am truly grateful for your engagement, your honesty, and your partnership as we navigate these conversations with care, transparency, and respect.

As we enter the holiday break, I hope you find time to rest, recharge, and enjoy moments of connection with family and friends. We look forward to welcoming our students back, ready to learn and finish this semester strong.

From all of us at Heritage CUSD #8, we wish you a safe, peaceful, and Happy Thanksgiving!

With Gratitude,

Dr. Kimberly Norton
Superintendent, Heritage CUSD #8

10. You read my newsletters 😉

9. You cheer our Hawks on like champs 👏

8. You get your forms in on time 📝

7. You go to PTC meetings 🧑🏾‍💻

6. You attend our shows, concerts & events 🎭

5. You call the school when your child(ren)are sick 😷

4. You are responsive to your teacher's classroom needs 📚

3. You volunteer when you are able 🙋🏻‍♂️

2. You get your children to school on time & ready to learn 🙌

1. You support your children to be the best they can be 😍

Thank You to Our Partners in Education!

Heritage CUSD #8 extends a heartfelt thank-you to our generous community partners: that we have received so far this school year: Philo Exchange Bank, Loman-Ray Insurance, the Homer Sports Commission (HSC), Elevate Trampoline Park, the University of Illinois, Beckman Institute,Prospect Bank, Longview Bank, Don’s Auto Center, Happy-Y-Daze Shine, LLC, and Franczek for their continued support of our district initiatives.

Your partnership helps us bring meaningful learning opportunities to families, connect our community, and strengthen the pathways from Pre-K through 12th grade. We are deeply grateful for your investment in our students and your shared commitment to helping every Hawk learn, grow, and thrive!

We are excited to share that Mrs. Carly Shonkwiler has been recognized as the News-Gazette Teacher of the Week! This honor is incredibly well-deserved and a reflection of her dedication, positivity, and the meaningful impact she has on our students each day.

Congratulations, Mrs. Shonkwiler! We are proud to have you as part of the Heritage team. ❤️💙

Thank you for all you do each and every day for our students and community.

Between now and January, some Heritage families will receive a letter from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) inviting them to complete the Indicator 8 Parent Involvement Survey. This survey is sent to a sample of parents of students with disabilities across the state and helps ISBE understand how schools are partnering with families.

If you receive the letter, it will include a survey link and QR code. Your feedback is valuable and helps strengthen programs and supports for our students.

Thank you for taking a few minutes to share your voice!

The Heritage CUSD #8 Board of Education met for its regular meeting on Monday, November 17.

The primary highlights of the meeting included discussion on the Preparing for the Future: Pre-K at Elementary and Consideration of a 7–12 Secondary Model in Broadlands proposal, the proposed Heritage/Villa Grove football co-op, the 2025 tax levy, and upcoming bond considerations.

Tyler Lisanby, Heritage High School junior, spoke in support of the proposed football co-op, sharing a heartfelt letter about the positive impact football has had on him and the potential benefits for Heritage students.

More information and updates will continue to be shared with families as the district moves forward in planning and community engagement. The next opportunity for community engagement is December 1st at 5:30 in the Band Room at Heritage Elementary/Junior High. For more information, please contact Dr. Norton at norton.kimberly@heritage8.org.

FAQ on the Preparing for the Future: Pre-K at Elementary and Consideration of a 7–12 Secondary Model

Our Student Ambassadors shared thoughtful updates at this month’s Board meeting:

• Ethan Lyons highlighted a student request regarding senior banners. Currently, banners are displayed only during the sports season. Seniors expressed interest in having their banners displayed throughout the entire school year.

• Tatum Morgan introduced a new student input form he created for high school students. This form will allow students to submit topics they would like brought forward at Board meetings, helping ensure student voice remains a central part of our decision-making.

As we head into Thanksgiving, we have many exciting updates to share from Heritage Elementary and Junior High. The Girls Basketball season is coming to an end, with seventh grade regionals taking place this Saturday and eighth grade regionals the following weekend.

Boys Basketball is now underway and off to a strong start. Mrs. Sanders recently shared an outline of the IAR School Report Card, where Heritage Elementary/Junior High saw overall improvement, moving from “Targeted” to “Commendable.” Math showed the strongest growth, and although there was a slight dip in ELA, she, Mrs. Montgomery, and Mrs. Shonkwiler attended a workshop to better understand new performance indicators and remain very encouraged by Heritage’s overall progress.

Attendance was a major focus in October, with students meeting the 95% goal and celebrating with an ice cream party; the November goal is set at 95.5%. In RTI, data review meetings held last week revealed positive movement within groups, and winter benchmarking is scheduled for January.

Additionally, PTC sponsored a wonderful week-long drama workshop for K–8 students, concluding with a Friday performance, and Secret Santa is scheduled for December 11–12. Mrs. Sanders wishes all Heritage families a restful and joyful Thanksgiving break!

Hello everyone!

My name is Bella Dudley, and I am excited to be joining the Hawk community as an addition to the Special Education Team at Heritage Elementary/Junior High! I am truly honored for the opportunity to support our students and work alongside such a dedicated and welcoming staff!

I am passionate about creating an inclusive environment where every student feels valued, loved, and encouraged to grow. Building relationships with students and families is at the heart of my work, and I look forward to partnering with you to help each learner reach their full potential!

I can’t wait to jump right in! Thank you for so warmly welcoming me- I’m overjoyed for the year ahead!

Our kindergarten students wrapped up a joyful pumpkin unit last week as part of Mrs. Ploense's final student teaching assignment. Students dove into informational texts to learn how pumpkins grow, explored their parts, and discovered how pumpkins travel from the farm to our tables.

They created adorable crafts, sang seasonal songs, acted out the pumpkin life cycle with movement, and even made pumpkin pie in a cup to celebrate their learning. It was a hands-on, fun-filled week of literacy, science, and creativity!

At our recent board meeting, Mr. White shared highlights from Heritage High School as we head into the Thanksgiving season. He reviewed the High School Report Card results, noting that the overall index score increased from last year and that Heritage High School earned a Commendable rating. October’s Students of the Month were recognized for the trait of Kindness: Carter Gilbert, Landin McComas, Erika Bonilla, and Mary Bensyl.

Academic and club activity has been strong this fall. FCCLA hosted Pink Night, attended the Fall Leadership Conference, and catered the Parent/Student University meal. The sophomore class completed the ASVAB test. Spanish classes honored the Day of the Dead by creating Ofrendas. Student Council had an active month as well, raising $700 for the Champaign County Humane Society, hosting the KDASC Halloween Dance and costume contest, and attending the KDASC Fall Retreat. FFA organized a petting zoo for Heritage Elementary students and sent members to the National FFA Convention. The school also held a meaningful Veterans Day Assembly, and Meet the Hawks was well attended. Additionally, choir students participated in the LPC Choir Festival at Villa Grove, and four high school students, along with one junior high student, were selected for the ILMEA District Chorus.

Athletics continue to bring pride to Heritage. The boys’ cross country team qualified for Sectionals, with one athlete advancing to State. The volleyball team finished its season 8-27-1 overall and 3-7 in conference play, with two players earning All-Conference honors. Cheerleading has ten members this year. Girls’ basketball has eleven players, including nine from Heritage and two from Academy High, while boys’ basketball has twenty athletes. Both teams recently held a Scrimmage Night. In addition, the High School Student-Athlete Leadership Team wrote encouraging notes to junior high athletes to show support and build community.

Mr. White extends warm wishes to all Heritage families for a safe, restful, and gratitude-filled Thanksgiving break.

The Construction class has finished sheathing the sides of their mock shed and have begun drilling holes to run wiring. They are starting their electrical unit The Intro to Industrial Technology classes have been making Tack Welded Stick Figures, and are working on potential Christmas fundraiser ideas.

Woods and Advanced Woods are all working on making Pickleball Paddles after completing their pen projects. Two of the Advanced Woods students have made chess boards and one more is currently finishing up. Advanced Welding and Welding One courses have made holders for the MIG welders and are working on Tee joints with a root pass with two cover passes.

Our Heritage FFA hosted a festive Friendsgiving celebration, complete with the crowd-favorite activity... turkey bowling! Students shared laughs, built memories, and enjoyed time together in true Heritage fashion.

It’s moments like these where the small, joyful traditions, the closeness of our students, and the creativity of our clubs make a small school feel even more special. We’re grateful for our FFA members and sponsors for creating opportunities that bring our kids together and strengthen our Hawk community.

These students had the amazing opportunity to be selected to go the IHSA Leadership Conference today in Peoria. Almost 600 student-athletes from the state of Illinois were in attendance!