July 26, 2024

A Message from Mr. Goodbar

I hope that you all have had a wonderful summer break - It has certainly flown by! Hopefully you all had time to rest and recharge with your kids. I am very excited about what the Lord has planned for this school year! If you are not already, please be in prayer for our families, students and one another. There are many that do not want Christian education to succeed. Our theme verse for the year is: Hebrews 12:1-2a “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus.” That is exactly what we desire for every student, staff member, and family at Heritage Christian School, to carry out our “race” fixing our eyes on Jesus.



Enjoy the last bits of your summer. I am looking forward to seeing you soon!

Staffing Update for 2024-25

We have several new faces and familiar faces in new roles at Heritage this year! Please help us in welcoming them to their new roles:



·   Miss Dani Depue (2^nd Grade)  

·   Miss Sarah Franje (Admissions Coordinator/Registrar) 

·   Mrs. Angie Olseen (5^th Grade)

·   Mr. Jackson Ridder (5^th Grade)  

·   Mrs. Rachel Super (Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment)  

·   Miss Makenna Dickey (Extended Care Coordinator) Makenna just accepted the job, so her bio is new to everyone: She is graduating from the University in August with a BA in social work. She is on staff with SALT Company at Veritas Church and is greatly looking forward to being a part of the Heritage community!

Part Time Job Opportunities

We're looking for additional classroom aides to join our team for the 24-25 school year. We're looking at possibly a shared kindergarten position as well as a 2nd/3rd grade split position. The hours would be roughly 4-5 hours/day. If you or someone you know is interested, complete the Support Staff Application and submit to Mr. Brian Goodbar.

Back to School Work Day - Sat, Aug. 10

With the start of school just around the corner, we need your help to spiff up the school building and surrounding campus. On Saturday, August 10, we 'll have our annual Back to School Work Day from 8:30am to 12:00pm. As always, more hands equal less work. This is an excellent way for you to meet other school families and we would love to see you there. As the date gets closer, we'll send out some additional information and what is needed that day!

Heritage H.A.N.D.S. Back to School Pool Party

What: Heritage H.A.N.D.S. Back to School Pool Party

When: Sunday, August 18 from 6:30-8pm

Where: Elks Lodge, 637 Foster Road in Iowa City

Bring: One item for the Elks Back to School donation drive

Pre-K Parent Orientation Night - Aug 21st 6:00-6:30pm

Mrs. Peters would like to invite all of our PreK parents to come on Wednesday, August 21st from 6:00-6:30pm before the All School Back to School Night to get important information that will ensure our school year is started off right. This will be a time set aside to meet Mrs. Peters, get your questions answered and drop off any supplies. We look forward to seeing our PreK Parents on Wednesday, the 21st!

Back to School Night - Wednesday, August 21

We're looking forward to seeing you on Wednesday evening, August 21st for our annual Back to School Night. The itinerary for the evening is as follows:**

·         6:30-7:00pm - Teachers will be in their classrooms welcoming families and receiving school supplies.

·        7:00-8:00pm - Ice Cream Social on the lawn (or Gymnasium if it's raining)

You won't want to miss this fun event to kick off the new school year! Additional information can be found in the Parent Student Handbook under the Special Events Section in the back.

The office will be open that evening if you need to finalize any paperwork or payments before the start of the school year.

**We also anticipate holding the Alli Olsen Memorial Dedication Ceremony that evening. Alli was a student at Heritage that tragically lost her life in a car accident in 2021. Alli loved being outdoors in God's creation and in her memory, a beautiful outdoor space has been created. We'll share more on the timing of the event as details are solidified.

Substitute Teachers Needed

We are looking to add some additional folks to our substitute teacher list. Substitute teaching is a great way to formally work with great kids in a great environment while enjoying the benefit of some flexibility. At Heritage Christian School, substitute teachers earn $16.30 per hour. If you would like more information, contact the school office.

Before and After School Supervisors Needed

Help spread the word among your friends, in the neighborhood, at your churches, and at work. If you know someone who loves working with kids and is looking for a part time job, send them our way. We're looking for additional Before and After School Supervisors from 7-8am and/or 3:30 to 5:30pm each school day. This is a great opportunity for a college student to pick up some part time work (hourly rate is $14.50). If you or someone you know is interested, contact Brenda Wichhart (wichhartb@hcs-nl.com) and she will pass the information along to our new Extended Care Coordinator.

Lunch Servers Needed!

We are in need of an additional lunch servers and substitute lunch servers. The time commitment is about 1.5 hours from 11-12:30pm. If you have some flexibility and would be willing to fill either role, please contact Erica Wallace in the office at (wallacee@hcs-nl.com) or 626-4777. This is a great opportunity to volunteer and get to know the students better! It's also a great way for a grandparent to volunteer so pass the opportunity along to your child's grandparents.

School Calendar

Please take note of the school calendar for the upcoming 2024-25 school year. Did you know? You can subscribe to the Heritage Calendar by going to our website and clicking on 'Calendar' under the 'Parents' tab. Click on the Subscribe button at the bottom and choose the option that you prefer. That will save you a lot of time entering in each event individually!

In addition, revisions to the Parent/Student Handbook have also been made. All revisions from previous years are highlighted and you are strongly encouraged to take a look at those changes by clicking the following link: Parent Student Handbook

Volunteer Screening Process

If you anticipate volunteering with direct supervision over students this year (driving for field trips, serving lunch, coaching, etc.), you will need to complete a Volunteer Application. This application needs to be done each school year so even if you filled one out last year, you will need to do it again this year before being able to volunteer. You can visit our website and click on the Parents Tab and then Volunteer Application or click here to access the application. You'll choose the volunteer option and then click on the form for the volunteer opportunity you would like to apply for. One item to note is that if you will be driving for a field trip, we need a copy of your drivers license as well as a copy of your declarations page showing your vehicle insurance limits (not just the insurance card). If you have questions, contact Sarah Franje, franjes@hcs-nl.com.

Update your child's immunization records this summer

Many of you may be scheduling health exams and athletic physicals over the summer. Please assist the office by requesting an updated record of immunization for your child at their next exam. This is especially important for students entering kindergarten and 7th grade when additional required immunizations are given. The Department of Public Health and Human Services requires the school to have an up-to-date record of immunization on file before our annual audit in the fall. Immunization records can be faxed to 319-626-4779.

Order and Pay for Lunches Online

The lunch menu for August and September will be available the 2nd week of August. You'll receive a separate email with the menus and details for ordering. As a reminder, you have the ability to pay for those lunch orders online via e-check or debit/credit card. (You're not required to pay online, checks are still accepted in the office.) There will be a convenience fee for each transaction as follows:

·        eChecks: $.85/payment

·        Credit and debit card payments: 3.75% of transaction amount

For more information about signing in to FACTS Management and completing online lunch orders, click here.

Please place all lunch orders online regardless of your payment option.

Updated Forms for Returning Families - Action Required!

If you are a returning family this year, you should have received an email from Sarah Franje regarding forms that need updated each year. Please make sure you log on to your FACTS Family Portal (www.factsmgt.com) to verify the information and complete the Field Trip and Medical Release Form for 2024-25 along with the Acceptable Internet Use Form. Refer to the email for detailed instructions. Any questions can be directed to Sarah in the office at franjes@hcs-nl.com or 319-626-4777.

Sports Update

Heritage Christian has joined an athletic conference, the I.D.E. or Iowa District East. It includes many of the schools that were already on our schedule in years past as well as two new schools that we have typically not competed against. Being a member of the conference provides more games for our teams, post season tournaments and the potential for new sports in the future.  

Heritage will again be offering soccer and volleyball this fall for our students. Our soccer team will be coed (boys and girls) and for students in grades 5th through 8th. The team will be coached by Fred and Kari Rodrigues. The soccer team will begin their season with a game on Monday, August 26, so that means their practices will begin before the school year officially starts. If your son or daughter is intending to play soccer, please pay close attention to the signup dates and deadlines. 

Our girls’ volleyball teams will once again be coached by Sarah Franje. We are currently anticipating having enough student-athletes to field two volleyball teams, one 5/6th grade team and one 7/8th grade team. The volleyball team will be starting their season much later due to the changes brought about by the joining of a conference. The volleyball teams will start practice the week of September 9 with their first game Tuesday, September 24. 

If your child is planning on participating in soccer or volleyball this fall, you must complete and turn in the following (forms are attached to this email):

• $60 Athletic Fee
• Athletic Contract 
• Insurance Waiver
• Emergency Medical Authorization 
• Athletic Physical (Athletic physicals are good for one year and a month grace period. If you need to know when your child’s athletic physical expires you can contact the Heritage office. An athletics physical form must be completed by a physician and signed by a parent, a regular physical does not cover athletics.)
• Concussion Form 

Forms and fees may be turned into the Heritage office during their summer office hours on Tuesday and Thursday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. They can also be mailed to the school (255 Hackberry St, North Liberty, IA 52317) or digital copies can be emailed to harshmanj@hcs-nl.com.

• Soccer Deadline: WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7
• Volleyball Deadline: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5
• Your child will not be allowed to practice or play until all forms and fees are completed and turned in.
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Please also notify Mr. Harshman if your son or daughter plans to participate so he can begin compiling a roster for the coaches.

Upcoming Events

SUMMER BREAK!

Back to School Work Day

Sat, Aug 10

8:30-12pm

Back to School Night

Wed, Aug 21

6:30-8:00pm

First Day of School

Fri, Aug 23

K-5th Parent Orientation Night

Tues, Aug 27

6:30pm

6-8th Parent Orientation Night

Thurs, Aug 29

6:30pm

No School

Mon, Sept 2

Labor Day

Quick Links

Website

2024-25 School Calendar

Web Calendar

Heritage Business Guide

2024-25 Class Supply List