News from the Den- April 12, 2025

Last night we got to celebrate all the hard work our students did in the Read-a-thon with our Family Movie Night. It was another amazing event planned by FAHHE. Thank you to all who came out to enjoy Garfield. It was so nice to see so many families! A big thank you to FAHHE, our volunteers in set-up/concession/clean-up and to all those who helped make this an amazing evening!

We are thrilled to have a new staff member joining us as our school counsellor in Mrs. Kropp's absence. We would like to welcome Karson Campbell who will be with us on Mondays, Wednesdays and some Fridays. If you see him around, feel free to introduce yourself and welcome him to the HHE pack.

Have a great weekend!

Kyla Harding & Carla Kokotailo

Principal/Directrice & Assistant Principal/Directrice Adjointe

Table of Contents

WEEK AT A GLANCE

ACTION

• Get Ready for Kindergarten
• Reminder- Dogs on School Grounds
• Lost & Found

OPPORTUNITY

• Class Considerations
• Values in Action Survey
• Art Show- Save the Date
• 2024-2025 Heritage Hills Yearbook
• RunWild
• Managing Anxiety through Strengthening Belonging & Connection- Parent Evening
• Caregiver Math Session

INFORMATION

• Junior High Information Nights: Running April and May

WEEK AT A GLANCE

ACTION

Get Ready for Kindergarten
Do you have a child registered in kindergarten next year? If so, make sure to attend Heritage Hills Elementary's upcoming Kindergarten Information Night on May 15. You’ll get to:

• tour the school;
• meet the teachers;
• gain insight on play-based learning; and
• see what a typical day looks like.

Kindergarten Information Night 2025:
Date: May 15
Time: 5:00-6:00 p.m.
Location: Heritage Hills Elementary, Gym

To make the transition to school as smooth as possible, Elk Island Public Schools has put together a toolkit for families. The kit includes information about registration, important dates, programming options, what to expect, eligibility, finding your designated school, transportation and more.
Additional information about Heritage Hills Elementary’s kindergarten program is available on the school website.

Reminder- Dogs on School Grounds
With the weather getting nicer, we are noticing more families walking their dogs while dropping off and picking up their kid(s). We wanted to remind families that if you are walking your dog for drop off or pick up, please refrain from bringing them onto the school grounds. These areas would specifically be the sidewalk areas where students line up along the school. Some students are afraid of dogs or have allergies. We appreciate your help to make sure all of our students and families feel safe at HHE.

Lost & Found
We have all of our Lost & Found items currently on display in the foyer. If you are missing anything, please remind your child(ren) to look for it. We are having classes look and are reminding students on the announcements, because we want the items to go back to their owners. We will leave the items out until April 25 and then will donate them to a local charity.

OPPORTUNITY

Class Considerations
In the coming weeks, we will begin the process of creating class lists for the next school year. This is a carefully planned and thoughtful process that requires considerable time and attention to detail. We work hard to balance a variety of factors, including academic needs, social-emotional considerations, and class sizes, to ensure each student is placed in the most supportive environment for their learning. If there are any extenuating circumstances that may impact your child's educational learning, that we may not already be aware of, please send an email to Mrs. Harding at kyla.harding@eips.ca by April 25. Please note that while we do our best to create balanced and effective groups, we are unable to accommodate individual friend requests. Thank you for your understanding as we work to create a positive and productive learning environment for all students.

Values in Action Survey
In December, Ms. Carruthers launched a school-wide initiative to strengthen and celebrate the core values of Heritage Hills Elementary. Parent input has played a key role in shaping this work, and many of you shared your thoughts in our first survey about our six school values: kindness, accountability, respect, collaboration, well-being, and integrity.

Since then, these values have been woven into our daily school life—through classroom lessons and discussions, morning announcements, featured books in the Learning Commons, posters throughout the school, and digital displays in the front foyer. Students have also been recognized for living out these values with certificates, kindness bingo, high-fives, and collaboration chains.

We’ve now explored five of the six values and would love to hear from you again in this follow-up survey. Your feedback will help us reflect on our growth and guide how we continue to nurture these values in our students moving forward.

Art Show
Save the date! On Thursday, May 15 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. families can come walk through the school to check out the amazing art at HHE. We are looking forward to an amazing evening showcasing all our student artists. There will even be a glow in the dark art room!

2024-2025 Heritage Hills Yearbook
Sales for our 2024-2025 yearbook are now available through your PowerSchool account. We are excited to offer softcover ($22) and hardcover ($27) options again this year. The yearbook is an option and not mandatory for purchase.

RunWild
RunWild is a fun-filled racing event supporting local charities, giving our youth a chance to focus on fitness, fun and philanthropy. It is a 1.2K race with a twist! Our Run Club is training for the race if families want to register them. If your child(ren) is interested in the race, which is on May 3rd, you can register at runwild.ca. 

Managing Anxiety through Strengthening Belonging & Connection in School
Our school is a Mental Health Flagship School and have been implementing leading-edge strategies to strengthen relationships and manage day-to-day anxiety and worries. Parents are invited to a discussion evening on Tuesday, April 15 @ 6:30 p.m. at Lakeland Ridge, to learn how adults can help children and youth regulate their emotions and behaviour for greater success. You can see details here and register to attend.

Caregiver Math Session
Wes Hosford Elementary School is hosting Caregiver Math Sessions on Thursday, April 17. Families can attend a 45 minute session for Division 1 (6:30 p.m.) or Division 2 (7:30 p.m.) to learn about the math curriculum, strategies for learning math at home and some suggestions on math games to play. Learn more here.

INFORMATION

Junior High Information Nights: Running April and May
Junior high schools across EIPS are hosting information nights for all Grade 6 students and their families—taking place in April and May. Make sure to attend to learn everything you need to know about the junior high programs at your child’s school. Those who attend will also have a chance to:

• meet the teachers;
• tour the school and classrooms;
• learn about the upcoming curriculum; and
• ask questions.

For specific dates and times, see: EIPS Junior High Information Sessions 2025