8/19/25

Heartland Families,

Tomorrow, August 20th is the first day of school for all grades K-6. We are so excited to be back and learning together. It is going to be a great year.

Our school schedule is Monday - Thursday is 8:30 – 3:05. Breakfast will begin at 8:00 am. Students should not arrive before 8:00 am if they are eating breakfast. Other students should not arrive before 8:20. Friday’s schedule will be 8:30-12:30. This short-day schedule will also be followed on any short week; the last day of the week will follow the typical Friday schedule. Lunch and breakfast will still be provided.

Kindergarten 
Kindergarten students will all enter in by the kindergarten playground. Family members will not be allowed inside the kindergarten play area, please remain outside the gate. As a reminder all kindergarten students will start together and then be divided into groups for rotations all three days before firm class lists are made.

Finding your teacher and line up spot tomorrow
We expect a high number of families walking and driving their students to school tomorrow. Please only park in designated parking spots, do not block the pickup and drop off lanes by parking or leaving your vehicle unattended in front of the school. These lanes are for drop off / pickup and traveling only. All teachers will be outside grade level doors with signs on a yard stick indicating where students should line up. We will also have class lists available so we can help students find their teacher and line quickly. EXCEL families who are dropping off their student may use the bus lane to drop off their students. However, you cannot park in the lane, please stay with your vehicle.

Walking Route Update
The sidewalk in front of Heartland Elementary school's field on the south side of 7000 S is open (see picture as proof) :). The temporary fence will remain to help keep students out of the construction area. If your students walk this route, please speak with them about staying on the side walk and to not duck under any fences or openings. When construction begins overhead, a temporary overhang will be installed for the safety of students as they walk to and from school during the bridge construction.

Traffic Safety Updates
During the first few days of pick up and drop off we will be taking ariel footage of our parking lot as well as the entrance and exits. This will be done in order to determine the best way forward to adjust the flow of traffic to increase student and family safety once the walking bridge is opened and we see a shift in traffic patterns in front of the school. Please watch for additional updates to come via Parentsquare as well as signs in the parking lot.

We look forward to seeing all of you tomorrow. If you have any questions or concerns please reach out.

Buddy D. Alger
Principal

August 2025

Dear Heartland Families,

Welcome to the 2025-26 school year. All grades and students begin classes on August 20th. I want to start by expressing a heartfelt thank you for sending your children to Heartland. On behalf of all our staff, we appreciate your trust and confidence. Please know that as a school we are doing all we can to provide a safe, happy, and supportive learning environment where students, teachers, and staff can have a successful school year. Please know that I am happy to visit with you anytime you have questions or concerns; my door is always open.

Important Reminders
Please remember to complete your online registration. All families, including new and continuing students, must complete yearly registration. A letter has been sent home with your login information. This yearly registration includes updated contact information, the free lunch application, and other student computer and network permissions.

Back to School Night will be held on Monday, August 18th from 5:00-6:30. There will be a parent meeting in the cafeteria at 6:15pm to review whole school information, Title I information, and discussion and approval of the PTA budget for the 25-26 school year. We will have lots of school supplies and backpacks for families who need supplies.

Walking bridge construction will continue into the new school year. The sidewalk will be re-poured to allow students and families to travel on the south side of the street again. There will be temporary fencing and temporary scaffolding on this sidewalk to increase safety during construction. New traffic patterns will also take place this year in preparation for the completion of the walking bridge. We are currently working with the district office and West Jordan City to finalize plans for our parking lot. This information will be shared with families once it is finalized.

School Goals
Each of the past years since I have been principal at Heartland we have learned and adopted new programs to help support our students in literacy, math, and writing. This year we have set a goal that 100% of all students will make at least one year's growth. At our first parent teacher conference in October, specific information regarding the goals and expectations for your child will be shared with you. We will not be able to meet this goal alone, please take time and read and talk with your child about what they are learning. You should expect to see Success Binders coming home regularly with evidence of your student’s learning and progress. If you have any concerns or questions about your child’s learning, please feel free and contact their teacher or myself.

New Staff
Each year brings positive changes and opportunities for growth. This includes a few additions to our staff. We are delighted to continue to have Rachelle Smith as our Assistant Principal. She started last year in January. We will be adding an additional assistant principal, Kimberlee Hill to our staff. We also hired some new teachers who we are really excited about: Melanie Kelsey, 1st Grade, Brianna Hunt, 3rd Grade, Whitney Reynolds, 4th Grade, Susie Fullmer, 6th Grade, and Deborah Castro, EXCEL Team Leader and Behavior Specialist. Each of these educators bring unique experiences to our classrooms. We are lucky to have them.

Our school schedule on Monday - Thursday is 8:30 – 3:05. Breakfast will begin at 8:00 am. Students should not arrive before 8:00 am if they are eating breakfast. Other students should not arrive before 8:20. Friday’s schedule will be 8:30-12:30. This short-day schedule will also be followed on most short weeks; the last day of the week will follow the typical Friday schedule. Lunch and breakfast will still be provided on these days. All calendar information is available on our website and will be sent via Parent Square.
I look forward to working with you and I can’t wait to see all the growth the students make this year.

Buddy D. Alger
Principal