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August 04, 2024 Principal Message

Good afternoon, this is Steve Mares, Interim Principal of Heritage Middle School, with a message for Sunday, August 4th. A copy of this message will be posted on our school website (https://www.wcpss.net/heritagems) and emailed and texted to our school families.

 

 

NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS:

 

THANK YOU TO OUR TRACK 4 STUDENTS AND FAMILIES! We had a great opening of school for our Track 4 students and families, and I am very grateful for the positive way that our students returned to school! It was great to welcome you all back and get right to the business of teaching and learning!

 

TRACK 4 OPEN HOUSE ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 8TH, BEGINNING AT 6:00 P.M.: Please remember that we will be hosting our Track 4 Open House on Thursday, August 8th, beginning at 6:00 p.m. We look forward to our families getting the opportunity to meet their student’s teachers and begin to partner with us to make it a great year! Thank you for your support of our teachers as we all work together to help our students reach their ultimate potential!

 

AIR CONDITIONING UPDATE: Thank you all, again, for your understanding of our Air Conditioning issues we had the previous week! I am sorry for the inconveniences, but I appreciate your support as we worked on ensuring the well-being of our students and staff. To update you all, things have progressed nicely this week! WCPSS has been able to install one of our new Chillers and it is working well. The second Chiller is scheduled to arrive at the end of this coming week and will begin to be installed immediately upon arrival. So, we are covered and should be good-to-go for the remainder of the year and beyond! This was a much-needed update, and I am thankful it is almost completed.

 

PTA MEETING: Please remember that we have a PTA Meeting on Tuesday, August 6th, beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Media Center. All families are welcome to attend, and I will be there as well. Thank you for the incredible support our PTA provides us to make Heritage Middle School an outstanding community for students, staff, and families!

 

JOIN THE HMS PTA: I ask that you please consider joining the HMS PTA this year. Please know that Membership Forms were sent home with your student to join the PTA for the 2024-25 school year. However, we have found out that the QR Code does not seem to be working. So, I ask that you please either return the Membership Form with your Membership payment, or you can join online by clicking here. Please understand that the HMS PTA provides support to staff and students all year long, but to provide that support our PTA simply asks for donations at the beginning of the school year to fund their efforts all year long with their No Fuss Fundraiser. Please consider donating by returning the No Fuss Fundraiser Donation and Form sent home with your student, or donate online by visiting the PTA website! Check out the PTA website  for more information regarding Spirit Wear, the Spirit Rock, and upcoming meetings. Our PTA meets the first Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the Media Center and all our families are welcome! As I mentioned previously in my message, the next meeting is next Tuesday, August 6th, so please come join us!

 

PICTURE DAY: We will be having Picture Day on Tuesday, August 27th for all Tracks. Students should have brought home a flyer with information if you are interested in purchasing pictures of your student. In addition, we have posted picture information on our website.

 

STUDENT NUMBERS: I wanted to share with you all now that Track 4 has begun, that as of Friday, August 2nd, we have 940 students at Heritage Middle School.

 

CARPOOL REMINDERS: Now that all our Tracks have been Tracked In, I wanted to be sure to reiterate a few Carpool Procedures so that our students can remain safe, and we can expedite our Carpool process:

 

  • Please pull all the way up to the orange cone on the sidewalk in the front of the school to begin dropping off/picking up your student.
  • Students can exit/enter your car from the first cone all the way to the cones that block the first few parking spaces. This will allow us to unload and load more students during both morning and afternoon Carpool.
  • Please do NOT drop off students on the other side of the parking lot and have them cross the crosswalk to enter the school. Please just follow the Carpool Lane until you are in the drop-off/pick-up area.
  • Please remember that we are not utilizing Carpool Numbers this year. We ask our students to be mindful in the afternoon and watch for their vehicle for pick-up.

 

Our students and families have been doing an outstanding job so far this year and I appreciate it greatly! These are just a few reminders to ensure we are all on the same page for our students’ safety. Thank you for your support of our efforts to quickly and safely help with the arrival and dismissal of our students!

 

UPCOMING CALENDAR INFORMATION: Please see the following dates of events that are coming up soon at Heritage Middle School:

 

  • August 6th: PTA Meeting, 6:30 p.m., in Media Center
  • August 8th: Open House for Families of Track 4 students, 6:00 p.m. until 7:20 p.m.
  • August 27th: Picture Day for all Tracks

 

NEW FORM IN DRAGONFLY—UPDATED INFORMATION: If you have previously completed your student athlete’s Dragonfly paperwork, a new form was added this past week. Please log back into your Dragonfly account and complete the NCHSAA Eligibility, Consent to Participate and Release Form (2024 – 2025). Even if you were already approved, you must fill out this form. If you have any questions, please contact our Athletic Director, Coach Miles (lmiles2@wcpss.net). Thank you for taking care of this important new requirement.

 

SIGN UP FOR FALL SPORTS TRYOUTS: Fall athletic team tryouts will begin Tuesday, September 3rd after school and end at 4:45 p.m. All rides home for students should be here by 4:45 p.m. After the first day of tryouts, coaches will communicate with players about remaining tryout days, times, selections, first practice, and parent meetings. Please know that tryouts are open to 7th and 8th Grade students. To be eligible to tryout, students and parents must complete the following requirements by August 28:

 

  1. Students must complete the Ticket-To-Play form: https://forms.gle/F8Ns3hBWMa96jZ5v8. Students will need to log into their WCPSS Google Account to complete this form.
  2. Parents must upload all the required paperwork (including an up-to-date physical) to Dragonfly: http://dragonflymax.com/forms/P3GSFT. You must have all green checks to be eligible. Our Assistant Athletic Director will be updating this regularly. If you are missing something, you will receive a notification from her via Dragonfly. Make sure to check your email and Dragonfly regularly account until you get all green checks.

 

Once you have completed both steps, you will receive a Ticket-To-Play (a strip of paper) via your Homeroom teacher on Thursday, August 29th, and Friday, August 30th. We recommend taking a picture of it in case your student loses their Ticket-To-Play. If a student does not receive a Ticket-To-Play, it means the student did not complete one of the two items listed above. If you have any questions, please email our Athletic Director, Coach Miles (lmiles2@wcpss.net). For more information, check out the following resources:

 

 

DID YOU MISS THE HERITAGE MIDDLE SCHOOL ATHLETICS INFORMATION NIGHT? If you were not able to attend our Athletics Information Night, please do not worry, we’ve got you covered! everything we discussed can be found in this post: https://wakecountyathleticzone.com/hms-athletics-night-presentation/. If you have any questions, please reach out to the Athletic Director, Coach Miles (lmiles2@wcpss.net). Also, be sure to check out the following links weekly:

 

 

2024 FOOTBALL CAMP: Our 2024 Football Camp has already begun and takes place 3:15 p.m. until  4:45 p.m. every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of each week. Our Football Camp will run until Thursday, August 29th and is open to all 6th, 7th, and 8th Grade students. Please make sure all rides are here by 4:45 p.m. to pick up your student athlete. Pick-up will be at the back of the school near the football field. To participate, students must have ALL paperwork submitted and approved in Dragonfly (http://dragonflymax.com/forms/P3GSFT). When you log into Dragonfly, sign up under the 2024 – 2025 Football Middle School. Some parents are unable to see the 2024 – 2025 season. If that applies to you, scroll down and click on “I don’t see my sport” and choose the appropriate sport on the next screen. You will then be able to complete all the paperwork and we will move you over to the 2024 – 2025 season. If you have any questions, please contact Coach Wrighten (rwrighten@wcpss.net)) or our Athletic Director, Coach Miles (lmiles2@wcpss.net).

 

ATHLETIC INFORMATION: Please remember that as always, make sure you check out the HMS Parent Information Google Doc, our HMS Athletics website, and Twitter/X for the most up-to-date athletic information. 

 

PLEASE GET YOUR ATHLETIC PHYSICALS NOW: Please understand that you do not need to wait for your student’s annual check-up to get your Sports Physical. Many places will do a Sports Physical, and it will last your student athlete all year. Here is information for two options:

 

 

  • Emerge Ortho (https://orthonc.com/services/sports-physicals) are offering sports physicals for $10.00 per person - exact cash or check only (DEBIT/CREDIT CARDS NOT ACCEPTED ON THESE NIGHTS). Bring Forms with HEALTH HISTORY portion completed - If you have already completed them in DragonFly - PLEASE PRINT as they do not have access to DragonFly. You will be asked to complete it before the Sports Physical can be completed.
    • Raleigh Location (11221 Galleria Ave, Suite 101, Raleigh, 27614)
      • Monday, July 29th from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. 
      • Wednesday, August 7th from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.
      • Wednesday, September 11th from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. 
    • Knightdale Location (6602 Knightdale Blvd, Suite 310, Knightdale, 27545)
      • Tuesday, July 30th from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.
      • Tuesday, August 13th from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.
      • Tuesday, September 3rd, from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. 

 

 

HELPFUL INFORMATION LINK: Please see this Helpful Information/Reminders document for the 2024 – 2025 school year. I hope this quick reference guide will help with basic information regarding Heritage Middle School.

 

CLOSING THOUGHTS AND TAKE CARE: It was wonderful to welcome Track 4 back to our school family from their Track Out! I am fired up now that we have now completed our “two openings” of school and we are moving forward to make it a great year! Please continue to check the Heritage Middle School website (https://www.wcpss.net/heritagems) for general information and to help you stay informed. As always, please continue to be safe, and take care of yourselves, your loved ones, and each other. GO PATRIOTS!

 

 

 

PREVIOUS ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOLAND BELL SCHEDULE: Please remember that the First Day of School for Track 1 and 3 students is Monday, July 8th. The First Day of School for Track 4 is Monday, July 29th. Once again, this year, our school day will begin at 8:20 a.m. and end at 3:05 p.m. Students are expected to be in class and ready to learn at 8:20 a.m. For a detailed schedule for our day, please review the Bell Schedule for HMS. I am excited for our students and staff to begin another great year of teaching and learning!

 

WCPSS YEAR-ROUND CALENDAR FOR THE 2024 – 2025 SCHOOL YEAR: Families can find the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) Year-Round Calendar for the year.

 

NOT RETURNING OR BEGINNING SCHOOL AT HERITAGE MIDDLE SCHOOL: If you have moved or for some other reason will not be attending Heritage Middle School for the 2024 – 2025 school year, I would ask that you please contact our Student Data Manager, Ms. Clarke (smclarke@wcpss.net) to inform us of this change. Thank you for helping us accurately account for all our students!

 

RISING SIXTH GRADE STUDENT CHROMEBOOKS: Please know that all new 6th grade students will be issued a new Chromebook during the first week of school, if they turned in their old device to their Elementary School. The new Chromebook will come with a case installed on it. Please understand that this new case is designed to be permanently attached to the Chromebook. Attempting to remove this case will damage the Chromebook. Students only receive one Chromebook replacement for their entire time in Middle School. This Chromebook will be with the student until High School, so it is important for our students to care for their device. If a student has any issues with their Chromebook, those issues should be reported to the student's Homeroom teacher so that repairs can be made.

 

ATTENDANCE: If your student will be absent, we ask that you please contact hms-attendance@wcpss.net with your student’s name, date of absence, and reason with your contact information. Alternatively, your student may take a note to his/her Homeroom teacher after being absent. Please remember that students must be present at least a half day of school to be considered present for the day. 

 

SEVENTH GRADE VACCINATION REQUIRED: Please know that North Carolina law now requires Tdap and Meningococcal vaccines for entry into 7th Grade. For more information regarding this requirement, please see our Vaccination information on our Heritage Middle School website. If you have additional questions regarding this information, please feel free to reach out to Ms. Clarke (919-562-6204 x22525 or smclarke@wcpss.net). Thank you for your understanding of this requirement.

 

BUS TRANSPORTATION: Families, if your student will require Bus Transportation, please make sure you review the information regarding Transportation/Bus Routes. I hope this information makes for a smooth transition to start the year with regards to Bus Transportation.

 

CARPOOL—A.M. DROP-OFF: Our school day begins at 7:50 a.m., and that is the time that we will allow students to be released from their cars and enter the building. We do not have staff available to supervise students who are dropped off earlier that 7:50 a.m., so I ask that you please wait until 7:50 a.m. to begin dropping off your students. We will have staff members assigned to Carpool Duty to assist students and families with morning drop-off. For families planning to use carpool, we ask that you please pull up as directed so that we can keep the line moving. Please be sure that students are prepared to exit their vehicle (on the passenger side) between the orange cones and the front of the school. Drivers should not get out of their vehicles. When exiting the Heritage Middle School parking lot, please turn right (NOT toward Rogers Road) to keep traffic flowing. You may enter the Heritage Elementary School staff parking lot (second entrance - or first after entry to the track) and complete a U-turn there so as not to go through Heritage Elementary School’s carpool. Please understand that the first couple of days may take additional time as many families will be using our carpool line for the first time. Thank you for your patience and understanding. 

 

CARPOOL—P.M. PICK-UP: Please know that we are changing things with regards to P.M. Carpool Pick-Up. We are going to no longer be using Carpool Tags for Carpool cars. At the end of the day, we will dismiss all Carpool riders to the front of the school where they will wait for their car. Please be sure that your student is aware of the car you will be using to pick them up in so they can quickly identify your vehicle and make it safely to your car. When exiting our parking lot, please turn right (NOT toward Rogers Road) to keep traffic flowing. You may enter the Heritage Elementary School staff parking lot (second entrance - or first after entry to the track) and complete a U-turn there so as not to go through Heritage Elementary School’s carpool. As with our A.M. Carpool Drop-Off, please be patient for the first few days of school as families become familiar with our carpool flow. Please also always be on the lookout for students who may enter into the road or cross the parking lot. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

 

CELL PHONES: Please know that our students do not need a cellphone at school. If you require your student to carry a cellphone to school, please encourage your student to lock it in their locker during the school day. Please know that the Heritage Middle School and WCPSS is not responsible for lost/stolen personal items.

 

CHROMEBOOKS: Please remember that each student has been (or will be) assigned a Chromebook. All students should bring their Chromebook to school on a daily basis. In addition, please be sure that each student charges their Chromebook each night. Thank you for your assistance! 

 

DRESS CODE: We would ask that all students please help us comply with the WCPSS Dess Code. Thank you for your support!

 

COUNSELORS AND ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS: Students are assigned to a Counselor and an Assistant Principal by Grade Level. Here are this year’s assignments and email addresses for these staff members:

 

                        6th Grade:       Ms. Swann (sswann@wcpss.net), Counselor

Ms. Mills (cmills5@wcpss.net), Assistant Principal

 

                        7th Grade:       Ms. Peasley (jpeasley@wcpss.net), Counselor

                                                Mr. Mason (rmason@wcpss.net), Assistant Principal

 

8th Grade:       Mr. Febres (pfebres@wcpss.net), Counselor

                        Mr. Cush (mcush@wcpss.net), Assistant Principal

           

 

APPLYING FOR FREE AND REDUCED PRICE MEALS FOR THE 2024 – 2025 SCHOOL YEAR: Please know that students who qualify for Free and Reduced Price Meals need to apply to obtain these benefits. Those students who had Free and Reduced Lunch approval last school year will continue to receive these services for the first 30 days of the new school year. Parents can complete a meal benefits application online at MySchoolApps. Paper applications will also be available at all schools. More information can be found at WCPSS Free & Reduced Meals. For students who have not completed a new application, Meal Benefits expire on August 16th for Track 1 and September 9th for Tracks 3 and 4. Thank you for taking care of this important responsibility so that we can ensure that our eligible students can take advantage of this benefit.

 

LUNCH/BREAKFAST MENUS: Families who are interested in finding out what’s for breakfast and lunch each day can visit the Heritage Middle School Menu or the menu for all WCPSS Schools.

 

LOCKERS/LOCKS: Please know that all students will be provided a locker and lock. Students should lock valuables in their locker during the school day rather than keeping them on their person. However, an even better plan is that students do not bring anything of value (monetary or sentimental) to school unless required for class. Please know that our Seventh and Eighth Grade students have the option of bringing their own combination locks to use. Please know that if a student does bring a lock from home to use, Homeroom teachers will ask for their combination in the rare event that we would need to open the locker. 

 

MEDICATION: Students who require medications be taken during the school day must have the appropriate form (1702) on file: Student Health / Medication. If a parent/guardian needs to drop off medication to the school, please do so between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

 

PHYSICAL EDUATION (PE): Please know that PE is a requirement for our students and all students are expected to participate in PE. Our Coaches will review policies and procedures in the first few days of school to ensure our students understand what each day will look like. Please know that “dressing out” is optional; however, all students need to wear appropriate footwear.

 

SCHOOL SUPPLY LISTS: Please know that our 2024 – 2025 School Supply Lists have been posted on our website.

 

TARDIES: Please remember that our school day begins at 8:20 a.m. All students are expected to be in school by 8:20 a.m. Students who enter the building after 8:20 a.m. will be marked Tardy.

 

WALKER/BIKER PASSES: If you live close to the school and would like your child to have a Walker/Biker Pass, there is a Walker/Biker Application available on our website. Students who already completed an application can pick up their Pass in Student Services before school or during lunch at the Concession stand. If you want to revoke a student pass, please contact Ms. Ledesma (pkledesma@wcpss.net) in Student Services.

 

INFORMATION ABOUT SCHOOL CASH ONLINE: Please know that we have a new online platform for payments to school called School Cash Online. Beginning now, you can pay for most of your student’s school fees online. To access this service, you will need to register online. I encourage you to register now as there will be many items that you can pay for online in the coming weeks. To get more information regarding this new platform, please visit the Heritage Middle School website and the information regarding School Cash Online is on the right-hand side under Reminders.

 

SAY SOMETHING ANONYMOUS REPORTING SYSTEM (SS-ARS): I wanted to let you know that we will begin training our students next week on our new Say Something Anonymous Reporting System. We had our staff trained in the beginning of July to help roll out this new system. Please know that the Sandy Hook Promise, the nation’s leading school violence prevention organization, launched the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System in 2018 to provide a way for students to submit secure and anonymous safety concerns. These tips allow WCPSS and Heritage Middle School personnel to identify and help at-risk individuals before they can hurt themselves or others. Concerned students simply submit a tip any time of day or night using the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System app, website, or by calling the dedicated 24/7/365 Crisis Center hot line. WCPSS District teams and, if the tip meets certain “life safety” criteria, the local 911 Dispatch, then immediately alerted so that they can make the appropriate intervention. For more information on this system, please review this Informational Brochure. Thank you for your support in helping our students remain safe!

 

FIRE WATCHES BEING CONDUCTED AT OUR SCHOOL: The Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) shared information with staff and school families regarding issues that the Wake County Fire Marshall had with WCPSS’s fire alarm system. During a recent inspection, fire inspectors discovered alterations with fire alarm panels in more than two dozen of our schools. While there is no indication these alterations had an impact on the system’s ability to sound the fire alarm or activate sprinklers to suppress a fire, they did reduce the ways the panel can raise awareness of abnormalities with the fire protection system. Please know that our school was not one of those two dozen schools. However, as ordered by the Fire Marshall, all WCPSS schools are required to conduct a Fire Watch any time we have individuals in the building. Please know that since Wednesday morning, we have been performing Fire Watches all day. Please know that I met with the staff members that I have assigned to complete the Fire Watches and we have a schedule set up to ensure that as soon as there are ANY individuals in the building until there are NO individuals in the building, we are conducting Fire Watches. Our alarms and sprinklers do work, but if we see any indication of a fire or hazard during our Fire Watch, we also place a call to 911 to ensure they respond. Please know that there is nothing that we take more sacred than the trust you put in us to ensure the safety of your student.

 

WELCOME! First, I would like to give a warm WELCOME TO THE HERITAGE MIDDLE SCHOOL FAMILY to our newest Patriots! I would also like to give a shout-out to our rising Seventh and Eighth grade students who are continuing to move forward and progress towards promotion to High School and then on to Graduation! Please know that we look forward to serving all of you this year and are looking forward to a fantastic school year!

 

NEW INTERIM PRINCIPAL: For those of you who may not have heard, I am Steve Mares, and I am the new Interim Principal. Please know that it is an honor and privilege for me to join the Heritage Middle School family and continue the outstanding teaching and learning that has been a part of our history at Heritage Middle School. Having been a Principal at Joyner Elementary School, Oberlin Middle School (Daniels Middle School at the time), Needham B. Broughton High School, and Athens Drive High School, I have had the fortune of serving so many fantastic students, staff, and families over the years. I am excited to serve you all in my new Interim Principal capacity, and I look forward to meeting all of you and continuing the work of fostering growth for all students and excellence in all we do. Please know that I will always give you my best and please do not hesitate to let me know how I can be of service to you. I look forward to supporting a caring, smooth, and positive transition from the outstanding leadership of Ms. Newhouse to a new Principal who will lead Heritage Middle School to even greater heights!

 

WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS EXPLANATION: I am sending my weekly announcements to our school family a little early this week, as there is a lot of information to share in preparation for the first day of school. However, throughout the school year, I will be providing weekly announcements on Sunday afternoons through text and email messages to our school family members and posting the message on our website under the Principal Message icon. I hope you find this an informative weekly update. If you hear about these messages but are not getting them through email and/or text, please contact our Student Data Manager, Ms. Clarke (919-562-6204 x22525) to update your contact information in PowerSchool. Please do not forget to check the Heritage Middle School website for continual updates and information regarding our school family.

 

PTA INFORMATION: We have a fantastic PTA at Heritage Middle School and I have already been very thankful for their service to our staff and school in preparation for the new school year! If you are interested in joining the PTA, there are still areas for new volunteers to serve for the coming year! Please consider serving our school family in these capacities. If you are interested in serving, please contact the PTA via their website at: https://heritagemiddlepta.weebly.com/ with any questions or to volunteer. Also, please be sure to join the PTA for this school year! You can find membership information on the PTA webpage of our Heritage Middle School website. Thank you for partnering with us to best serve our students!

 

PTA INFORMATION: Our PTA is an invaluable support for our students, staff, families, and school! We had our first meeting last Tuesday and it was great to see all the hard work done by our families to support teaching and learning at Heritage Middle School! As they welcome everyone back, here are a few items they have asked to share with everyone:

  • Join us! Forms were sent home with your student to join the PTA for the 2024-25 school year. The QR doesn't seem to be working so please either return the form, or you can join online by clicking here. 
  • The HMS PTA provides support to staff and students all year long, but to provide that support we simply ask for donations at the beginning of the school year to fund our efforts all year long with our No Fuss Fundraiser. Please consider donating by returning the form sent home with your student or online by visiting our website! 
  • Check out our website for more information regarding Spirit Wear, the Spirit Rock and upcoming meetings. We meet the first Tuesday of each month at 6:30 in the Media Center and all our welcome!

SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS: Heritage Middle School has a variety of Social Media Accounts that students, staff, school families, and the community can follow to stay abreast of what is happening with the Patriots. Here is an updated list: