Heritage Happenings

Can you believe summer is almost over? We hope you've had a wonderful break filled with fun, relaxation, and making cherished memories. The Heritage team is incredibly excited to welcome all our elementary students back to school for another amazing year of learning, discovery, and growth!

Our dedicated teachers and staff have been busy preparing our classrooms and schools, making sure everything is just right for our young learners. We're committed to creating a safe, nurturing, and engaging environment where every child feels valued, supported, and inspired to reach their full potential. Get ready for a year filled with exciting new lessons, fun activities, and lots of opportunities to make new friends!

Mark your calendars for our annual Meet the Teacher Night on Wednesday, Aug 13 from 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. This is the perfect time for students and parents to meet their new teacher, find their classroom, and drop off school supplies. It's a wonderful way to ease into the new school year and get a feel for the classroom environment.

We look forward to seeing you all there!

Warmest Regards,

Your Admin Team

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

**No changes from last year.

Morning Drop-Off:

• If you have a child in Kindergarten, first, second, or third-grade, you will drop your child off at the Blumhoff Ave. office. Formally known as Heritage Primary Office, this will now be the Heritage Main Office.
• If you have a child in fourth or fifth-grade, you will drop off at Academy Gym on Academy Drive.
• If you have more than one child in each of these grade levels, you will utilize the drop off point of the youngest child. For example, If you have a first grader and a fourth grader, you will drop off both students at the Main Office on Blumhoff Ave

Afternoon Pick-Up:

• All students who are car riders will go to the Blumhoff Gym (previously known as the K-2 gym). There will only be one car rider line. Don't forget to fill out the car rider registration if you haven't already. You can find the link below in this newsletter.

PK Students:

• If you have a Heritage Elementary student and a PK student attending Heritage Early Childhood, you will drop-off or pick-up the Heritage Elementary student first, then follow the car line to pick up your child at the Early Childhood Center.

We appreciate your patience, especially that first week or two as we get our procedures in place and everyone gets into a routine.

NEW PROCESS THIS YEAR - Car Rider tags will consist of a barcode. Three copies will be provided to all families that sign their child(ren) as car riders. The tags will be distributed to those that have completed the registration before Meet the Teacher Night. The classroom teacher will have these to distribute when you arrive. If you have more than one child, it will be with your oldest child's teacher. If you are unable to attend, you may pick them up in the office on Thursday, Aug. 20 or Friday, Aug. 21 from 8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Mark your calendars for the Wentzville School District's 2025 Back to School Fair! The Back to School Fair is Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025, from 8 - 11 a.m. at Liberty High School. The Back to School Fair is intended to help our lower-income families as we distribute thousands of dollars’ worth of free school supplies at the event.

This year, the WSD will be using the Stopfinder app to send real-time late bus notifications. Please note that Stopfinder will be the sole source of late bus notifications, and text and email notifications will no longer be sent through Focus. Families must download the app the Stopfinder app is available for download in the App Store and Google Play. Read more about Stopfinder, Wentzville School District to Utilize Stopfinder App Starting in the 2025-26 School Year.

This fall, teachers and reading interventionists will be conducting reading assessments with all students. These assessments help us plan lessons and identify students who might benefit from extra reading support. In addition, our building reading specialists will work with small groups of students at the beginning of the year. These flexible groupings are not the same as Reading Intervention, families will be contacted directly by their child's teacher if he/she qualifies for reading intervention. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to your child's classroom teacher.

Our school's Measurable Results Assessment (MRA) data from the Spring is in! Thank you to our families, staff, and students for participating in this survey. This survey has helped us identify strengths as well as areas where we can improve and track our school's overall progress. Click here to view Heritage's school highlights. View district-wide survey results here.

Heritage Elementary Goals for 2025-2026

Goal - Heritage Elementary will improve a sense of belonging for students, staff, and the community by two points to 79.12 to 81.12 points by the end of the 2025-2026 school year. The growth will be 2 points per school year, as measured by the Measurable Results Assessment (MRA).

Goal - Heritage Elementary will increase satisfaction by 2 points from 79 to 81 annually as measured by the Measurable Results Assessment under Supportive Environment for Staff.

The Wentzville School District has adopted options-based active intruder protocols based on the recommendation of the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. These agencies recommend that all school districts teach students and staff options that may be available to them in an intruder situation. The foundation of our options-based active intruder program is the 4E® concept. The 4E's represent: Educate, Evade, Escape and Engage. Throughout the year our building practices safety drills to ensure everyone knows what to do in an emergency. We recently conducted an intruder at our building. Linked below is the reference sheet for parents.

Please reach out to any of the building administrators if you have any questions.

Review school supply lists and purchase needed items. All school supplies may be dropped off during Meet the Teacher night on Wednesday, August 13 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Please familiarize yourself with the upcoming change to District policy regarding student use of personal electronic communication devices (EPCDs). The policy, which reflects new requirements under Missouri Senate Bill 68, is expected to be adopted by the Board of Education at its meeting on Aug. 21, 2025, and will take effect on the first day of school for the 2025–2026 academic year.

Under the new policy, students will not be permitted to use or display EPCDs—including cell phones, tablets, laptops, smartwatches, and smart glasses—during the school day. For purposes of this policy, “school day” refers to the official start and end times designated by each school building.

The policy includes specific exceptions, allowing EPCDs to be used:

During emergencies,

As required by law (e.g., for students with special education needs), and

When authorized by a teacher or administrator in support of an educational activity.

This change is designed to support a learning environment free from unnecessary distractions and to ensure compliance with state law.

In addition, the District’s Student Code of Conduct will be updated to reflect the new requirements beginning on the first day of school. Families are encouraged to review these updates and discuss expectations with their students in advance of the school year.

The Student Usage of Electronic Personal Communication Devices policy available for review on the District website. The updated code of conduct reflecting these changes can be reviewed at the following link: 2025-2026 Student Misconduct & Disciplinary Consequences.

Click here for the 2025-2026 School Calendar

August

• Aug. 9: WSD Back to School Fair - 8 a.m. - 11 a.m. at Liberty School
• Aug. 13: Meet the Teacher Night K-5 from 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
• Aug. 18: First Day of School
• Aug. 25: Kindergarten "Signing Day" and supply drop off along with Popsicles with the Principals from 5:00 p.m. - 6:15 p.m.
• Aug. 26: First day of Horizons

September

• Sept. 10: Papa John's Night
• Sept. 11: PTA Meeting in Library at 5:30 p.m.
• Sept. 15: Cap for Camp $1 - wear caps or PJs, funds collected support fifth-grade camp
• Sept. 25: Boosterthon Kickoff (PTA Fundraiser) - Pep Rally
• Sept. 25: PTA Family Bingo Night from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. in Blumhoff Gymnasium

Need help? Don't hesitate to reach out! We will be here to lend a hand!

Email: helpinghands4heritage@gmail.com Phone: 573-557-9204

Please check out this website for more information!

Facebook: Heritage Elementary PTA

Instagram: @heritageelembears

Twitter:@heritagebears