Heritage Elementary
November 2026
Welcome to November, Heritage families! As the autumn leaves fall and the weather turns crisp, we are reminded of just how lucky we are to be part of such a warm and supportive community. October was a whirlwind with our Book Fair, Halloween fun, and parent-teacher conferences, and we want to extend a sincere thank you for your incredible partnership through it all. We are so deeply grateful for our families, dedicated staff, and hardworking students who bring so much life and energy to Heritage every single day.
Looking ahead, November brings even more to look forward to, including one of our absolute favorite traditions, our annual Thanksgiving Shoebox Parade! Watching our students pour their creativity into their mini-floats is always a high point of the season. Read on for this month's event dates, updates from around the building, and news from our Boosters. Thank you for making Heritage such a special place to learn and grow together!
Mrs. Maura Neville, Principal
Mr. Jason Call, Assistant Principal
Mr. Gary Vojtush, Assistant Principal
Fall Food Drive (November 2-20)
Student Council is collecting non-perishable food items and cleaning supplies for local families in need. Please consider sending in canned/dry foods, toiletries, and cleaning products by November 20. Top donating classes will earn a SPECIAL Eagle Buck equal to the total amount of items donated by their homeroom. Leading homerooms will be announced weekly on the morning announcements. Thank you in advance for your donations.
Save time and preorder your student's photographs on the Ripcho Studio prepay site before Picture Day by clicking the link below. Parents who have multiple children must place a separate prepay order online for each child
Your Online Access Key is: P5F37WBK
Your Online Ordering Link is: https://ripchostudio.orderphotos.online/ordering/with?key=P5F37WBK
*If you are unable to click on the above link to open the online ordering site, copy and paste the link to the address bar located at the top of the page.
Questions? Please contact us at 800-686-7427, ext. 28
or e-mail us at customerservice@ripchostudio.com
Ripcho mailing address is:
7630 Lorain Ave
Cleveland, OH 44103
Join the French Creek Foundation for Avon's Annual Tree Lighting Festival on December 5th from 4:00-7:00 pm at Avon's Aquatic Facility at 36265 Detroit Road.
As the weather changes, please make sure to send your child with coats, hats, gloves, etc... We will go out for recess as the weather allows. If the "feel like" temperature is 20 degrees or higher we are outside.
In the case of indoor recess we have a rotating system of classes being able to use the gym for gross motor play and the stage for board games, card games, puzzles, Legos, drawing, coloring, etc.. Please send your child to school with activities they can use when it is their turn on the stage. We have items available, but if there is something specific they like please send it in for them to keep in their lockers.
Please remember that if you are dropping your student off later than 7:30 am, you must walk them to one of the offices and sign them in. If your child is not coming to school for the day please call the attendance line, 440-937-9661, by 9:00 am to prevent getting our automatic attendance call.
Please put your child's first & last name AND teacher's name on all notes, deliveries, etc.
Lost and Found tables are already getting full. Please label everything you send to school with your child. If there is a name on an item we can get it back to its owner, but if not we donate all lost and found items on the last Friday of each month.
Which side of Heritage should I go to? If your child is in 3rd grade the south office is your best choice for picking up your child or dropping items off because all of our 3rd grade classrooms are on the southside of Heritage. This will eliminate them having to walk through the entire building to their classrooms. The opposite can be said for our 5th graders. All of our 5th grade homerooms are housed on the northside of Heritage, so picking up students and dropping off items will be better served at our north office. 4th graders have the luxury of using either office, depending on their location. We would suggest the South office for students in Mrs. Anderson, Miss Malinski, and Mrs. Suter's rooms, and the north office for all other 4th grade homerooms.
Please use our attendance line to call off your child for the day. We ask that you do not leave a message for early dismissal on the attendance line. Send a note or call our main offices for any early dismissals.
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North Office Information & Staff
PHONE: 440-937-9660
35575 DETROIT RD
MRS. LADEGAARD (ladegaarda@avoneagles.org)
MRS. SIMON (simond@avoneagles.org)
Serves 4th & 5th Grade
South Office Information & Staff
PHONE: 440-937-3055
35600 BENTLEY RD
MRS. CIRESI (ciresib@avoneagles.org)
MRS. MORGAN (morgans@avoneagles.org)
Serves 3rd & 4th Grade
Attendance Line
440-937-9661
District Website
Heritage Elementary Website
X(Formerly Known as Twitter): Please Follow us @HeritageElemen2
School Messenger (through PowerSchool): School Messenger will be used for important and time sensitive communication regarding Heritage Elementary. Please make sure you have not unsubscribed or blocked School Messenger.
Mrs. Bryant & Mr. Moellman-Music
3rd Grade
Big things are happening in 3rd grade music! The students are hard at work preparing for their December concert with lots of exciting songs and interactive music-making.
We can’t wait for you to see what they’ve been working on! Be sure to lock in Monday, December 14th on your calendar. Stay tuned for exact concert times and details coming soon!
4th Grade
The concert was a huge success! Mr. Moellman and Mrs. Bryant are extremely proud of how hard the students worked to bring this performance to life. As we look ahead, we’re excited to explore new songs, games, and instruments in the music room. Stay tuned for details about our May concert—and happy November!
Want to explore music opportunities outside of school for your child? Shoot us an email anytime!
Choir Club
Our Lunch & Recess Choir Club has been working hard every Tuesday to prepare for the upcoming Veterans Concert!
Date & Time: Wednesday, December 11th at 7:00 PM
Location: High School Performing Arts Center
Arrival: Choir members should arrive 30 minutes early (6:30 PM) and check in with Mrs. Bryant upon arrival.
Attire Details:
Since this is a formal event, students are asked to dress up. We recommend black bottoms (pants, skirt, or slacks) paired with a red, white, or blue top. Any combination of these colors is great!
Heritage Harmonies
First, exciting news! Our after-school choir singers voted to officially rename the group Heritage Harmonies. I'll be using this name moving forward as we continue preparing for our upcoming winter performances.
Upcoming Events:
Avon Tree Lighting | Saturday, December 5th (Evening)
- We plan to walk in the parade and perform a few songs on stage.
- Attire: No dress code, but please ensure students dress warmly for the outdoor weather!
- More details to follow as soon as they are finalized.
Jingle Mingle | Saturday, December 12th @ 10:00 AM
- Location: Avon Middle School Commons
- Arrival time: Around 9:00 AM
- Heritage Harmonies will perform at 10:00 AM alongside other local performers throughout the morning.
- Additional details coming soon!
Mr. Jayne & Mr. Mauser-Physical Education
4th & 5th Grade P.E. Focus: Invasion Games (Segment 1) Throughout November, 4th and 5th-grade students will begin our first segment on Invasion Games. Students will build fundamental skills and strategies leading up to Ultimate Ball, a fast-paced game that incorporates invasion game concepts from basketball, soccer, and lacrosse etc...
P.E. Family Fitness Corner
Every month, we share a simple activity for families to get active together at home!
November Theme: Gratitude & Movement
Activity (Gratitude Walk): Continue taking family walks, but with a seasonal twist! During your walk, have each family member share three specific things they are thankful for.
Challenge: Can your family make this week's walk route longer than last week’s?
Tip for Parents: Use the time on your walk to chat with your child about how physical activity helps relieve stress. Share a few personal examples of how moving your body helps you feel better
PE South
in physical education the students have practicing volleyball skills playing various volleyball games that help with hand eye coordination, spatial awareness, and proprioception. Looking forward we will be adding in throwing skills and cooperative games. Help keep kids active in the winter months by joining a club or team such as: Avon Youth Wrestling Club, basketball through Parks and Rec, CYO, or Park and Rec, volleyball through Parks and Rec, swimming at the YMCA, or Judo at Chu To Bu in Avon.
Mrs. Brown & Mrs. Lee-Art
Hello families, and happy fall!
Looking for Fun Activities in November?
-BayArts offers wonderful year round classes for kids (and adults)! If you are looking for a way to keep your child engaged during the winter months, registration for winter classes opens on November 17th.
-Creative Loft on Detroit is offering a "Little Creators" After school Art Club for Heritage Students. November 4th, 11th, & 18th from 2:45-4:00 PM. Creative Loft will provide transportation by bus to the studio and a light snack! Registration ends November 3rd.
-Avon Branch Library is offering a Family STEAM Night: Forces in Motion Monday, 11/16 from 6:00-7:00 PM
-Avon Branch Library is also offering a Pokemon themed Pop-Up Pokestop Thursday, 11/19 from 5:00-6:30 PM
News from Mrs. Brown’s Art Room 🎨
November is off to a creative and busy start in 3rd grade! Students recently explored the vibrant
Mexican traditions of DĂa de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). They learned about the history behind
the holiday and created detailed, colorful sugar skull drawings to celebrate memory and heritage.
Now, our artists are diving into a new nature-inspired project! Students are looking closely at the
natural world to create artwork focused on animal tree-hollow homes. Ask your 3rd grader what cozy
creature they are designing a habitat for!
Fourth graders are blending art and science as they dive into the dynamic world of kinetic art!
Students are creating agamographs—a unique form of artwork that uses optical illusions to transform
before your eyes. By folding and layering their drawings, students created a piece that shifts between
two distinct images depending on the angle from which it is viewed. For this project, students
explored the seasonal transition from summer to fall. Be sure to ask your 4th grader how changing
your perspective brings their artwork to life!
Mrs. Lee's 4th grade art classes (Anderson, Smith, O'Hara, Bendzuck, Maggard, Roggenburk and Rosser) have finished sculpting their "personal tic-tac-toe" boards! Once their sculptures are "bone dry" (the final stage of greenware pottery), they will be placed into the kiln and fired. During the month of November, students will explore the properties of color theory and paint their "personal tic-tac-toe" boards. On art days, please have your child wear clothes you don't mind getting messy. Donations Needed! We will soon be sending student sculptures home and we're looking for donations of bubble mailers to help protect them during transport. If you receive any packages in a bubble mailer this month, would you please send the mailers to school with your child? THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
Mrs. Lee's 5th grade art classes have finished sculpting and are ready for the next phases of their project! Next, students will write a letter to their "special someone," expressing what that person means to them, and thanking them for all that they have done. After writing their letter, students will explore the properties of color theory and paint their "personal tic-tac-toe" boards! On art days, please have your child wear clothes you don't mind getting messy. Donations Needed! We will soon be sending student sculptures home and we're looking for donations of bubble mailers to help protect them during transport. If you receive any packages in a bubble mailer this month, would you please send the mailers to school with your child? THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
November Safety & Community Newsletter
From Your School Resource Officer (SRO)
Dear Elementary School Parents and Guardians,
As we head into November and the season of thanksgiving, I want to take a moment to talk about a core value we are focusing on this month: Responsibility.
As your School Resource Officer, my primary goal is to keep our school safe, secure, and welcoming. Safety and responsibility go hand in hand. When students learn to take responsibility for their actions, choices, and belongings, they help create a safer environment for everyone.
At the elementary school level, building responsibility is all about small, daily habits. Here are a few ways we are encouraging responsibility at school, and how you can reinforce these concepts at home:
- Responsibility for Belongings: We are encouraging students to keep track of their jackets, backpacks, and school materials. Knowing where their items are helps prevent disruptions and teaches them to respect their own property and the property of others.
- Responsibility for Actions: Everyone makes mistakes, especially when growing and learning. We teach students that being responsible means owning up to a mistake, apologizing if necessary, and figuring out how to make things right.
- Responsibility for Safety: This means following school rules, looking out for classmates, and remembering the phrase: "If you see something, say something." Even young students can understand the importance of reporting safety concerns to a trusted adult.
- Responsibility for E-Bike and E-Scooter Safety: If your child rides an electric bike or scooter to school, responsibility means wearing a properly fitted helmet every single time. It also means obeying standard traffic rules.
Thank you for your continued partnership in keeping our school community safe, respectful, and responsible. If you ever see me around campus, please feel free to stop by and say hello!
Warm regards,
ERIC J. BERGEN
SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER | AVON POLICE DEPARTMENT
P: 440.695-0677 | F: 440.934.4054
School safety is in the front of everyone's mind and always a priority for us at Heritage. Along with keeping our exterior doors locked at all times we also have several procedures below that help with student safety.
Sign-Out
To ensure the safety and security of our students at Heritage Elementary we ask that if you are picking your child up early from school, you bring your identification card to the office when signing your child out. Our office staff will ask you to identify yourself and hold your ID card up to the window for verification. This will help us ensure you are a safe adult for one of our children. While we understand this procedure can be frustrating, especially if you have to go back to your car for your identification, we are doing this to keep everyone safe and secure. Thank you in advance for cooperating with this very important procedure.
Tardy Sign-in & Dropping Off Items
To promote safety, we will be limiting guests entering our Main Office areas. Therefore, parents needing to drop off items at the school will be doing so within the double door vestibule areas, where a table will be set up to leave the marked item(s) example: lunchbox. This table will also have a sign-in area if your child were to arrive late due to a given reason. Guests can always push the buzzer to ask questions with the office personnel.
Student Illness During the School Day
In the event your child is sick, the office and/or nurse will contact you directly. Teachers are busy instructing our students and are unable to answer any type of communication about sickness during the day. We also ask that students do not email or text their parents during our school day to report illness. All communication must go through the office in order for us to know who we are expecting and when.
As mentioned previously, the North Parking Lot (Detroit Rd.) will ONLY be used for students who are transported by bus and the South Parking Lot (Bentley Dr.) will ONLY be used for students designated as car-riders. This procedure has been made in accordance with directives from the City of Avon safety forces. The small loop off Bentley Dr. will not be used for drop-off and pick-up as we need to maintain an open space to the access road for any first responders.
Please use the link below to be directed to our homepage for a video presentation of how the procedure works.
We celebrate our school pride on Eagle Pride Day once a month. On these days, students wear purple and/or gold to show school pride. We also recognize a student from each homeroom who shows the Eagle Pride Day assets we encourage at Heritage Elementary. Our first Eagle Pride Day will be on Wednesday, November 18th and the asset trait we will be celebrating is Decision Making.
Eagle Pride Day assets and dates for each month are listed below:
- September 16th-Decision Making
- October 21st-Respect
- November 18th-Responsibility
- December 16th-Caring
- January 20th-Fairness
- February 17th-Trustworthiness
- March 17th-Positive Identity
- April 21st-Citizenship
- May 19th-Empowerment
We’ve had such a fun and festive month!
Halloween Carnival A big BOO-tiful thank-you to our Room Parents,staff and volunteers for setup, games, the maze, spooky graveyard, and cleanup. Another amazing experience for our families!
Candy Drive | November 2–6
Have extra Halloween candy? Drop it off in either school office through November 6! Donations will go to Community Resource Services (CRS) for holiday stocking stuffers and gift bags for senior citizens.
BJ’s Wholesale Club Fundraiser | Now thru November 30
Thinking about joining or renewing your BJ’s Wholesale Club membership? Use our link to save and support our Heritage students and teachers!
Sign up or Renew with BJ's here!
CRS Baskets
Room Parents will coordinate each class creating a donation basket for CRS families. CRS supports individuals and families in Avon and Avon Lake through basic needs assistance and community resources.
Fall Classroom Parties | November 24
Room Parents will be reaching out soon with volunteer opportunities to help make these parties fun for everyone!
SOAR Cart | September–December
Help students redeem their hard-earned Eagle Bucks! Please sign up to help students shop at the SOAR Cart, follow the arrival instructions and help keep it stocked.
Sign up for the SOAR Cart here!
SOAR Store Wishlist
Want to help stock the SOAR Store with additional prizes? Check out our Amazon wishlist! Items ordered through the link will ship directly to Heritage.
Shop the SOAR Store Wishlist here!
Stay in the loop!
Boosters Meetings: Tuesdays at 7pm: Jan 26th, Mar 2nd, May 4th
Subscribe to our Heritage Boosters calendar to stay up to date on events happening at school! Just click the link and add it into your calendar!
Boosters Calendar - Google | Boosters Calendar - iCal format
Follow us on Facebook for reminders and updates throughout the month. Class Of Facebook groups (please answer questions when joining):
3rd Class of 2036
4th Class of 2035
5th Class of 2034
Say It â—Ź Own It â—Ź Act It â—Ź Respect It
What is SOAR?
SOAR is an acronym we use in conjunction with the PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention Supports) Model. The main focus of PBIS is to provide a clear system for all expected behaviors at school. Through PBIS we work together to create and maintain a productive and safe environment in which all school community members clearly understand the shared expectations for behavior. Through positive recognition and continual teaching of expectations, students experience academic and social growth.
Define Behavioral Expectations - A small number of behavioral expectations are positively stated and clearly defined. Our expectations are: Say It Own It Act It Respect It
Teach Behavioral Expectations - The behavioral expectations are taught to all students in a real context. Behavioral expectations are taught using the same teaching methods used in academic curriculum (Teach, Model, and Practice).
Acknowledge Appropriate Behavior - Once appropriate behaviors have been defined and taught they will be acknowledged on a regular basis. Heritage Elementary School has developed a system that acknowledges expected behavior using PBIS Rewards.
Correct Behavior Errors - When students violate behavioral expectations they are informed that their behavior is unacceptable. Clear procedures are used to direct students to appropriate behavior.
Students who SOAR earn Eagle Bucks! Eagle Bucks are saved and can be used to shop at our SOAR Sore. Students may buy little trinkets or they can spend their money on experiences like- saying the morning announcements, having time with the principal, using the principal's chair for the day, and much more.
Are you interested in helping get our PBIS program off the ground this year? We are looking for volunteers to help cut our 26-27 Eagle Bucks! We will place a bundle of bucks near each of our offices for you to pick up and your convenience and we are asking that they be returned to the office. Please reach out to one of our office staff members if you are interested in helping.
Pre Registration is open now for our summer Camp Invention (June 7th through the 10th from 8-3:30)! It's a fun STEM camp for children grades 1st through 6th. If you're a returning VIP please check your emails for your specific details.
New to Camp Invention? Check out invent.org
Here's the live link: 2027 Camp Invention registration.
If you have any questions please contact Pamela Hartwell for more information at 440.724.8247 or hartwellp@avoneagles.org
11/5-5th Grade Field Trip to Stocker
11/11-5th Grade Veterans Day Concert @ the PAC
11/17-Picture Retakes
11/17-Avon Local Schools Board of Education Meeting
11/18-Eagle Pride Day
11/23-Shoebox Floats are Due
11/24-Thanksgiving Shoebox Parade
11/24-Boosters Fall Festivals
11/25-11/27-Thanksgiving Break
Please use this handbook throughout the year to reference our procedures and policies. This handbook can also be found on our website and in your child's agenda. Please review our technology policy on page 17. We have had some questions about what is allowable and our protocols, so we ask that you familiarize yourself with them.
