Mark Your Calendars!

• Thursday, August 22 - Kindergarten Scavenger Hunt and Classroom Visit, 5:30-6 p.m., Heilicher
• Thursday, August 22 - Summer Social, 6-7 p.m., Heilicher Field
• Tuesday, August 27 - First Day of School! Parents get together for coffee after drop-off, 8-9 a.m., outside the main entrance.
• Thursday, August 29 - Opening Ceremony, 8:30 a.m., Manny Fingerhut Auditorium. Grab coffee in the lobby between drop-off and the ceremony.
• Tuesday, September 10 - Back-to-School Night, 5:30-7 p.m., Heilicher
• New families: Come at 5 p.m. to meet with other new families and the school leadership team in the Beit Knesset.
• All parents: Join the PTO afterward at Punch Bowl Social!

Key Dates for 2024-2025

Heilicher Summer Social

The Heilicher community is invited to the Heilicher Summer Social on Thursday, August 22, 6-7 p.m, on the Sabes JCC field.

Bring your whole family and enjoy an evening of fun and friends before school is back in session. Ice cream treats will be provided.

*Please note this event will be canceled in the case of rain.

Back-to-School Parent Coffees

Come together for coffee after drop-off on the mornings of Tuesday, August 27, and Thursday, August 29. Tuesday's Parent Coffee will be 8-9 a.m. outside the main entrance, and Thursday's will be 8-8:30 a.m. in the campus lobby ahead of Opening Ceremony. This is a wonderful way to meet other families in all grades, see old friends, and make new ones.

Heilicher Opening Ceremony

Join us for the Heilicher Opening Ceremony on Thursday, August 29, at 8:30 a.m. in the Manny Fingerhut Auditorium.

Special for incoming eighth-grade and kindergarten/new families: Bring your cameras and see our oldest students escorting our newest students into the Heilicher community!

Drop-Off and Pickup *Note the New Dismissal Time*

The school day begins at 8:15 a.m. daily and ends at 3:30 p.m. (dismissal goes until 3:50) Mondays-Thursdays and 3:15 p.m. Fridays. From November 8, 2024, to March 14, 2025, Friday dismissal will be at 2:45 p.m. to accommodate the earlier winter Shabbat start times.

Early drop-off between 7:30 and 7:45 a.m. will be available beginning Tuesday, September 3. Parents must walk their students in.

Please continue reading for everything you need to know about drop-off and pickup.

School's Out: Extracurriculars, HaBonim, and More

After-school activities and athletics will begin Tuesday, September 3. HaBonim, after-school care, is available beginning the first week of school.

We’re excited to rebrand these programs as School's Out and offer a new website with information on these offerings and more. Read more about this update and check out our program offerings. Registration for after-school activities and athletics opens Monday, August 12, at 9 a.m.

Athletics Announcements

Heilicher is looking for exercise bike(s). If you have an exercise bike that's just taking up space, please consider donating it to Heilicher. An ideal bike would be usable for any student from kindergarten to eighth grade.

Heilicher is also looking to hire a Grades 7 and 8 basketball coach for the winter season.

If you have information or questions about either an exercise bike or the basketball coach position, please reach out to Director of Athletics Lee Metzger.

Heilicher Lunch Program Update

In April, Heilicher conducted a trial of the Minnesota Free School Meals Program. After much research and consideration, we have decided not to pursue the program and will continue with our current successful lunch program. Read more about the decision.

Summer Reading Assignments

As a reminder, students in Grades 5-8 have summer reading assignments. Please see the assignments for

• rising fifth graders,
• rising sixth graders,
• rising seventh graders,
• rising eighth graders.

Middle School Fall Retreat

We are thrilled to let you know the middle school will kick off the year again with an overnight retreat, Thursday, September 5-Friday, September 6, at Camp Ihduhapi. This retreat will focus on promoting a leadership outlook, creating a team spirit and sense of community, and introducing new themes/projects for the coming year. While the location, goals, and themes remain the same as last year, rest assured that this retreat will be chock full of new and fun challenges.

Keep reading for important information about the trip and to fill out the forms due Friday, August 30.

Immunizations for Kindergarten and Seventh Grade

Kindergarten

Health Services welcomes you and your kindergarten student to Heilicher Minneapolis Jewish Day School. Please know that you will need to provide the school with a clinic record of your child’s completed immunizations before your child can start kindergarten. View the full instructions.

Grade 7

Before entering seventh grade, the State of Minnesota requires each student to be up to date on their immunizations. This includes Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis (Tdap), and Meningococcal (MCV4). Please check with your doctor to see what is appropriate for your child.

As soon as your child’s immunizations are complete, please contact your clinic and request they fax the records to 952.381.3501 or mail a clinic copy to the school health office:

Amos and Celia Heilicher Minneapolis Jewish Day School

ATTN: School Health Office

Barry Family Jewish Community Campus

4330 S. Cedar Lake Road

Minneapolis, MN 55416-3700

Heilicher Hallway Chat

Make sure to join Heilicher Hallway Chat on Facebook. The Heilicher Hallway Chat is a private Facebook group for parents run by parents. The group is for casual conversation like the type you might have in the hallway or the parking lot when you have five minutes to chat.