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September 15, 2024 - Principal Message

Good afternoon, this is Steve Mares, Interim Principal of Heritage Middle School, with a message for Sunday, September 15th. 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:

 

MS. LIGHT BEGINS AS OUR NEW PRINCIPAL TOMORROW, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16TH: Please remember that Ms. Light will begin as the new Principal of Heritage Middle School tomorrow, Monday, September 16th! She is going to be a fantastic leader for our students, staff, and school families! Thank you all for welcoming her back to the Heritage Middle School family! Once a Patriot, always a Patriot!

 

THANK YOU FOR YOUR KINDNESS SHOWN TO ME! Friday, September 13th was my last day as Interim Principal at Heritage Middle School. I just wanted to thank you all so much for the kindness you all showed me and for the warm welcome that I have felt during the past two-and-a-half months! It has been an absolute pleasure and honor to serve you and your students! We have a wonderful school, and I am excited to see Ms. Light continue to build on the excellence that is Heritage Middle School! I wish you all well, and THANK YOU for being such an amazing support for our staff, students, and school!

 

SCHOOL REPORT CARD: WCPSS has released School Report Cards for each school. I am proud to share the Heritage Middle School Report Card with you all. Our students continue to excel, and with regards to student Academic Performance, we continue to perform much higher than the WCPSS and North Carolina averages. In addition, in what I believe is most important, our school Exceeded Growth Standards again last year! What that means is that we continue to move students forward at a higher-than-expected rate so that our students can reach their ultimate potential! We have so much to be proud of in the Heritage Middle School family, and know it is an honor for us to serve our students each day!

 

SEPTEMBER IS ATTENDANCE AWARENESS MONTH: Please know that September is Attendance Awareness Month. We are excited to see our students every day so they can learn as much as possible this school year! Good attendance will help your student do well in school, college, and their career. Any time missed in the classroom, whether Excused or Unexcused, can be a lost opportunity to learn. If you have questions or concerns about getting your student to school, please contact our School Social Worker, Ms. Pratt-Brooks (tpratt-brooks@wcpss.net) for assistance. 

 

SCHOOL PICTURES WERE SENT HOME THIS WEEK: Please know that school pictures were sent home with students on Track 3 and Track 4 this past week. Please be sure to ask your student to see them. Please know that Track 1 school pictures will be sent home when they Track in and return to school.

 

ATHLETIC SCHEDULE FOR NEXT WEEK: Our first Home Soccer game and Volleyball game will be held on Wednesday, September 18th. Our first Home Football game is Thursday, September 19th. Tickets are $6.00, and all games start at 4:00 p.m. Please know that you can purchase tickets on GoFan (https://gofan.co/app/school/NC68157) or at the gate. Concessions will be available as well. Thank you for coming out and supporting our Patriots as they take on West Millbrook. Go Patriots!

 

SOFTBALL CAMP: Heritage Middle School will host a 4-day Girls' Softball camp in November. This camp will be open to Sixth through Eighth Grade students. Our Softball camp will give our student athletes an idea of what to expect in the coming Softball season. Please know that we will focus on all aspects of the game including fielding, hitting, base running, pitching, and catching. The Coaches will give the girls new and fun drills to work on over the Winter as they prepare for Softball Tryouts in February. On the last day of the Softball Camp, we will run a scrimmage, which all parents are invited to attend. The camp will be held after school from 3:20 p.m. until 5:20 p.m. on November 7th, 8th, 14th, and 22nd. Please remember that everything in Dragonfly must be updated, completed, and approved to participate in this Softball Camp.

 

SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE BASEBALL PLAYERS: We are excited to announce the formation of a Varsity baseball team through the Wake County Club Baseball League (WCCBL) to provide young athletes with an opportunity to play Baseball at the Middle School level. Please understand that this team will not be affiliated with the Wake County Public School System. For more information about WCCBL, please visit the website: www.wakecountyclubbaseball.com. Please know that Tryouts will be held late October/early November. Beginning late January, indoor practices are expected to be held at Pro 3:5 one day a week in the evening. Starting in March, outdoor practices will be held twice a week after school at the Heritage High School lower field at 1140 Forestville Road. The team will play a total of 16 games at Heritage or in Cary in April and May. Transportation to the practices and games will not be provided by Heritage Middle School. The expenses, including umpires, uniforms, and equipment, will be paid for by the families of the athletes. Please know that an interest meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 25th, beginning at 6:00 p.m. in the Auditorium at Heritage Middle School.

 

PATRIOT ATHLETICS GAME SCHEDULES AND TICKETS: Please remember that game schedules can be found in a variety of places:

  1. https://wakecountyathleticzone.com/heritage-middle/schedules/
  2. https://bit.ly/hmsathleticsschedule
  3. https://www.wcpss.net/Page/1981#calendar4114/20240905/

All games cost $6.00 to attend, and you can pay at the gate (cash or electronically) OR you can purchase tickets ahead of time on GoFan: https://gofan.co/app/school/NC68157. 

 

PTA REFLECTIONS PROGRAM: Our PTA is once again hosting the Reflections program this year for our students to participate in. Reflections is a wonderful program for students to participate in who are more Artistically skilled or interested in the Arts. If you have a student who is interested in the Arts, I would ask that you please encourage them to participate. The theme for this year is, “Accepting Imperfection.” There are several categories where students can enter, including: Creative Writing, Film, Visual Arts, Dance, or Photography. Here is the link to our PTA site with details and submission form: https://heritagemiddleptawf.square.site/reflections. Thank you for always encouraging our students to explore their gifts and reach their ultimate potential!

 

PTA INFORMATION: Here are some reminders on ways to support our students and school through the PTA:

 

  • Do you own a business or know of a local business that would like to serve as sponsor? Click here to view our various sponsorship opportunities. 
  • There is still time to donate to our No Fuss Fundraiser. Donate online by visiting the PTA website! Our goal this year is $10,000 to fund some beautification projects around campus and spoil our staff and students! 
  • Help us stock the Teacher's Lounge! Click here to view our Amazon Wish List!
  • Volunteer for Concessions for Fall Sports. Click here to sign up. Remember, you must be a WCPSS approved volunteer. 
  • PTA Meeting: Next month’s PTA meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, October 1st, at 6:30 p.m. in the Media Center.

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

 

  • September 16th: Ms. Light’s First Day as the Principal at Heritage Middle School
  • September 25th: Baseball Interest Meeting at 6:00 p.m. in the Auditorium
  • September 27th: Track 4 Tracks Out
  • September 27th: Quarter 1 Ends for Track 3 and Track 4
  • September 30th: Track 1 Tracks In
  • October 7th: First Quarter Report Cards for Track 1 and Track 3 Sent Home

 

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: This is my final message as Interim Principal of Heritage Middle School. As I said earlier in my message, it has been an amazing opportunity to join the Heritage Middle School family and see that excellence that happens each day with teaching and learning! I am so appreciative of the support you all have provided to me as the Interim Principal, and that you continue to provide our students and staff each day! You all are the first and best teachers of our students, and I am grateful to have been a part of our school family! I know that you all will welcome Ms. Light in the same manner, and you will love having your students served under her leadership! Enjoy the rest of your day and weekend! 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

 

BIMAS-2 UNIVERSAL SCREENING: Please know that again this year we will using the Behavior Intervention Monitoring Assessment System – 2 (BIMAS-2) research-based screening tool to support the well-being of all our students. On Monday, September 9th, all Track 3 and Track 4 students will be given a hard-copy of the Heritage Middle School BIMAS-2 Parent Letter and Opt-Out Form. Track 1 families will receive a hard-copy of the letter when they Track In on Monday, September 30th. The letter explains this process and provides resources for families if you have further questions. Please know that we have placed the letter on our website in addition to providing a hard-copy that will be sent home with your student. If you would like to Opt-Out of this screening, you can send a Talking Points message to your student’s teacher; email Ms. Onofre (tonofre@wcpss.net), our Intervention Coordinator, to inform her that you want to Opt-Out; print a copy of the Opt-Out Form and complete the Form and return it to your student’s teacher or the Main Office; or complete the hard-copy Opt-Out Form that we will send home and return it to your student’s teacher or the Main Office. If you would like additional information, please reach out to Ms. Onofre or your student’s Counselor.

 

PICTURE MAKE-UP DAY: If your student missed Picture Day last Tuesday, no worries! We will have a Make-Up Picture Day on Thursday, November 14th. Please know that students who have their Picture taken on Thursday, November 14th will still be included in our Yearbook.

 

LET’S DO THE RIGHT THING DURING CARPOOL: Thank you to all our families who follow our Carpool process each morning and afternoon! Please know your support is much appreciated! I would like to kindly ask all our families who drop-off and/or pick-up your student in Carpool the following: Upon entering the school, please form a double line at the parking lot entrance. This allows more cars into our lot, reducing traffic on Franklin Street and Roger's Road. When picking up your child, please pull forward as much as possible to help us move traffic efficiently. In the afternoon, once your vehicle is at a complete stop, your student can enter your car. If you do not see your child, please ask a staff member for assistance, and we will help find your student. After safely securing your child, please make a Right Turn out of Heritage Middle School and follow traffic to Heritage Elementary School. Use the first Right Turn into their Parking Lot, and then the immediate loop to the Left to make a U-turn, following traffic to exit the property. Please do not turn Left out of the Heritage Middle School parking lot, and please do not make a U-Turn on Franklin Street. Please know that I do understand this adds a little time to your morning/afternoon routine. However, please know that we work hard with Heritage Elementary School to be good neighbors and we want to ensure the safety and well-being of all students and families in Carpool. Please know that last week we almost had several accidents, including with one of our Buses. To ensure the safety of our students and families, I had to ask one of our Assistant Principal’s, Mr. Mason, to be stationed closer to the Elementary School to support a smooth process for P.M. Carpool. Thank you for modeling appropriate behavior for our students, for supporting our efforts to have a consistent flow of traffic, and ensuring the safety of our students and families!

 

CARPOOL REMINDERS: Now that all our Tracks will be coming to school together for the first time beginning Monday, 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 do not turn around in the middle of the road. In the afternoon, our carpool drivers should be turning around at the Front Entrance to the Elementary School. In the morning, our carpool drivers need to go through the Elementary School Bus Loop and then “zipper” in with the Heritage Elementary School carpool parents that are coming from behind the Elementary School.
  • In front of our school, please be sure to pull all the way up to the orange cone on the sidewalk 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 remind your students to be mindful in the afternoon and watch for your 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!

 

SUPPORT FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR WALKERS: Families of students who walk home at dismissal time, I am asking for your support in speaking to your student to ensure their safety as they cross the streets near our school. We have been fielding several reports that our students are playing in the crosswalks, not watching for traffic, crossing the street when the sign says, “Do Not Walk,” and essentially goofing around and not paying attention to traffic at intersections. I have made announcements this week to alert our students and remind them of these safety issues and I would appreciate you all reinforcing these points with your walker. Thank you for your help in ensuring that our students arrive at school and arrive at home safely every day!

 

SIGNS OF SUICIDE (S.O.S.) LESSONS: Signs of Suicide is a depression awareness and suicide prevention program that is presented to all 7th Grade students in WCPSS each year. This year the information will be delivered through the Encore period beginning Friday, August 23rd. Our Student Services staff will present these lessons. The parent letter is included here for your information. It is only necessary for you to sign the bottom of the letter and return it if you do NOT want your child to participate in these lessons. If you would like to know the exact date your student will receive the presentation, please contact the 7th Grade Counselor, Ms. Peasley (jpeasley@wcpss.net). We are also including a copy of an optional self-scoring depression screening which is explained more in the parent letter. For additional resources, please visit www.mindwise.org/parents. Thank you for your support of our efforts!

 

IMPORTANT RESOURCES RELATED TO CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT: North Carolina Legislators passed a law last year that requires all Secondary Schools across the State to inform students in grades 6th through 12th each year about important resources related to child abuse and neglect. It also requires schools to have this information posted in each Middle and High School. This document is for your information and contains important information and resources available in our community. WCPSS is committed to the safety and well-being of children in our community. If you have any questions about this information, please reach out to one of our Counselors or a staff member on our Student Services Team.

 

WE ARE CREATING A NEW ARTS BOOSTER CLUB: Please know that we are working to create a new Arts Booster Club! This group is dedicated to supporting our Arts programs at Heritage Middle School. From the art class to funding instruments and specialists to work with our students, your support means an enhanced experience for our Arts programs. Like the Athletic Booster Club we are also working to create, we are looking for founding Board members (at a minimum, a President, VP, Treasurer and Secretary) and an Attorney (possibly the same attorney to work with both our Arts and Athletics Booster paperwork) to create the 501(c)(3) paperwork to become a full non-profit organization. If you are interested, please email our Band Director, Mr. Stauffer (estauffer@wcpss.net). Thank you for supporting the Arts programs and students! 

 

WE ARE CREATING A NEW ATHLETIC BOOSTER CLUB: Please help us start the inaugural HMS Athletic Booster Club! We are excited to announce the first-ever HMS Athletic Booster Club, which will be dedicated to the spirit and financial support of HMS student-athletes. With its fundraising capabilities, the HMS Athletic Booster Club could help supplement additional coaching staff for every team, provide concessions at all events, improve equipment and facilities, purchase uniforms, and the list goes on! However, we need your help to get us started. We need founding Board Members (at a minimum, a President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary) and an Attorney to help with the initial 501(c)(3) paperwork. If you are interested in helping us get started, please email our Athletic Director, Coach Miles (lmiles2@wcpss.net). Thank you for your support of our Athletic Program and student-athletes!

 

NO MAKE-UP SCHOOL DAYS NEEDED DUE TO AIR CONDITIONING OUTAGE AND TROPICAL STORM DEBBY: Thank you, as well, for your understanding of our school cancellations over the past few weeks due to our HVAC issues and then for Tropical Storm Debby as it moved through our area. Here is information that we have regarding Make-Up Days for those days missed:

 

  • Missed Day for HVAC Outage: No Make-Up Day required. WCPSS is allowing us to use Banked Instructional Time for the missed instructional day.
  • Missed Day for Tropical Storm Debby: No Make-Up Day required. WCPSS is allowing us to use Banked Instructional Time for the missed instructional day.

 

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.

 

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:

 

 

JOIN THE HMS PTA: Please either return the Membership Form sent home with your student or join online by clicking here. 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 with their No Fuss Fundraiser. Please consider donating by returning the No Fuss Fundraiser Donation Form sent home with your student, or donate online by visiting the PTA website! Our goal this year is $10,000 and the PTA has collected approximately $2,000 so far. Check out the PTA website  for more information regarding Spirit Wear, the Spirit Rock, and upcoming meetings. 

 

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. 

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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!

 

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: