Heritage Community Unit School District #8

For the next introduction in our Welcome to the Proud Hawk Community series, we’re excited to feature Mr. Nick Smith!

Nick has already been a wonderful addition to Heritage! He and Pat have been instrumental in getting Heritage Elementary/Jr. High ready to welcome our students and staff back for another great year. Thanks for your hard work behind the scenes, Nick!

#HeritageCUSD8
#ProudHawkCommunity
#AimHighSoarHigher

Tonight, the Heritage Marching Band gave families and supporters a preview of their 2026 competition show, Sky Full of Stars, demonstrated their parade marching skills, and performed several new pep band tunes! This season is especially exciting as the addition of Villa Grove students has enhanced the size, sound, and energy of the band. We appreciate the collaboration of Villa Grove Band Director Mr. Eric Verplaetse in helping make this partnership a success while Mr. Lee continues to lead our outstanding marching band program. A special thank you to Mr. Lee, the camp staff, our band families, and everyone who supported camp this week. We are looking forward to an incredible marching band season! #HeritageCUSD8 #AimHighSoarHigher #ProudHawkCommunity

Good Afternoon, Heritage Families!

We hope everyone is having a great week!

As you continue planning for August, we wanted to share our August Events Calendar and School Menus:
https://www.heritage8.org/documents/calendars-%26-menus/2026-2027/20402710

Thank you to everyone who has already completed registration! We have had an outstanding response this year and we truly appreciate your partnership in helping us prepare for a smooth start to the school year.

As a reminder, Tuesday, August 4, from 1:00–6:00 p.m., district staff will be available in the Band Room at Heritage Elementary/Junior High to:

Assist with student registration
Accept in-person registration fee payments (to avoid the online convenience fee)

If you prefer, registration and fee payments may also be completed online through TeacherEase.

Carle Mobile Health Services will also be on-site from 1:00–5:00 p.m. to provide school physicals and immunizations.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please don't hesitate to contact me at norton.kimberly@heritage8.org.

We look forward to welcoming everyone back soon!

Dr. Kimberly Norton
Superintendent, Heritage CUSD #8

Dear Heritage Families,

As we prepare for the start of the school year, we encourage you to log in to TeacherEase to finalize your student's registration and pay any remaining registration fees. Completing these items before the first day of school will help ensure a smooth and efficient start to the year.

If you have already completed your student's registration and fees, thank you! Please disregard this reminder.

If you need assistance with registration, please contact me at norton.kimberly@heritage8.org or 217-896-2041 ext. 1035.

We look forward to welcoming our students back soon!

On July 25, our Heritage Junior High Baseball team kicked off the season with a fun team trip to Peoria! The Hawks enjoyed watching the Peoria Chiefs take on the Lakeland Flying Tigers in an exciting game that came down to the wire. Along the way, everyone enjoyed a classic ballpark meal of hot dogs and popcorn while spending time together as a team. Here’s to a season of hard work, growth, and great memories. Go Hawks! ❤️💙 #HeritageCUSD8 #ProudHawkCommunity #AimHighSoarHigher

🏃❤️💙 Calling all Heritage Hawks in grades 5–8! 💙❤️🏃

Cross Country season is almost here, and there's still time to join the team! Whether you're an experienced runner or just looking to try something new, we'd love to have you soar with us this fall.

📅 Season Begins: August 10
👟 First Practice: 3:30 PM (West doors of the Homer building)
👨‍👩‍👧 Parent Meeting: Immediately following practice at 4:30 PM

Check out the attached flyer for all the details and help us spread the word to any students who may be interested!

👕 Rep the Hawks! Cross Country apparel is available now. Order here:
https://campusink.printavo.com/merch/64316-heritage-hawks-jh-xc-2026-online-store

⏰ Apparel orders close Wednesday, August 6, at 11:59 PM (CST).

#AimHighSoarHigher ❤️🦅💙

❤️💙 Heritage High School Cross Country spent the past few days in Tennessee putting in the miles, enjoying time together, and preparing for the season ahead. Keep working hard, Hawks! #AimHighSoarHigher #HeritageCUSD8 #ProudHawkCommunity

Please note that the dates for the Heritage Jr. High Girls Basketball Open Gyms have changed.

📅 New Dates: August 3 & 4
🕕 Time: 6:00–7:30 PM

We look forward to seeing all girls entering 6th–8th grade there! ❤️💙 #HeritageCUSD8. #ProudToBeAHawk

Join our team! We currently have two employment opportunities available for the 2026-2027 school year: 🎣 High School Bass Fishing Coach/Sponsor 🚌 Pre-K Bus Aide: Assist with transportation for our Pre-K students attending St. Joseph and Spectrum. If you’re passionate about supporting students and becoming part of the Heritage family, we’d love to hear from you! To learn more about these positions and apply, please visit our Employment Page: https://www.heritage8.org/page/employment or feel free to contact Dr. Norton at Norton.kimberly@heritage8.org Come help make a difference in the lives of our Hawks! ❤️💙 #HeritageCUSD8 #ProudHawkCommunity

The countdown to an amazing school year begins now! Join us as we celebrate School Year's Eve and kick off the 2026-2027 school year together.

❤️ Aim High. Soar Higher.

📅 Wednesday, August 12, 2026

🏫 Heritage Elementary/Junior High Open House (Grades K–8)
🕟 4:30–6:00 PM
📍 512 W. First Street, Homer

Meet your teachers, find your classroom, set up your desk or locker, reconnect with friends, and get excited for a fantastic year ahead!

A special thank you to Homer New Life Church of Faith for providing school supplies for our K–8 students. We are incredibly grateful for their continued support of our students and families!

Be sure to stop by the PTC table to:
🎒 Learn about opportunities to get involved
🍪 Enjoy a special treat
🦅 Shop for Heritage Hawk apparel

🎓 Heritage High School New Student & Freshman Orientation
🕠 5:30–7:00 PM
📍 206 E. Diller Avenue, Broadlands

New to Heritage High School? Join us to explore the building, meet staff, and get ready for a successful year.

We can't wait to welcome our students and families back as One Proud Hawk Community!

❤️ Together We Learn.
🤍 Together We Grow.
💙 Together We Soar.

#HeritageCUSD8 #ProudHawkCommunity

The June Heritage CUSD #8 Newsletter is now available!

Inside you'll find important back-to-school dates, online registration reminders, district and strategic plan updates, introductions to our new principals, summer facility improvements, and information regarding school physicals and immunizations.

📅 Online registration closes July 2.

If you need assistance completing registration, please contact me at norton.kimberly@heritage8.org. We are happy to schedule a time and complete the process together.

Read the newsletter here:
https://app.smore.com/n/9cy31x

Thank you for being part of our Proud Hawk Community, and enjoy the remainder of your summer!

Dr. Norton

Calling all girls entering 6th-8th grade for the 2026-2027 school year! Join us this summer for Heritage Jr. High Open Gyms and get ready for an exciting season of basketball and volleyball.

🏀 Girls Basketball Open Gyms
📅 August 3 & August 6
⏰ 6:00–7:30 PM
📍 Heritage Jr. High Big Gym
➡️ Please use the north doors on the back side of the gym for entry and exit.

🏐 Volleyball Open Gyms
📅 July 13 & July 17
⏰ 6:00–7:30 PM
📍 Heritage Jr. High Multipurpose Room Gym
➡️ Please use the bussing doors on the west side of the multipurpose room for entry.

These open gyms are a great opportunity to build skills, meet teammates, and have fun while preparing for the upcoming school year!

📧 Questions? Contact Crystal Hurley at crystal.hurley@heritage8.org

#ProudHawkCommunity #HeritageCUSD8 ❤️💙

🥎 Heritage Junior High Softball Parents & Players! 🥎

If your student will be in grades 5–8 and is interested in playing softball this fall, please plan to attend our Parent Meeting:

📅 June 24
🕡 6:45 PM
📍 Junior High Ball Fields
🥎 Before the 8:00 PM Major Girls Game

This meeting will cover important information for the upcoming season and provide an opportunity to ask questions.

Can't attend but your child plans to play? Contact:
📧 ashley.knowles@heritage8.org
📧 megan.desmond@heritage8.org

#HeritageCUSD8 #ProudHawkCommunity 🥎❤️💙

📚 Want a Clean Slate for Summer? ❤️💙 Take a few minutes to complete your child’s 2026-2027 registration and cross one more item off your summer checklist! Completing registration now helps us finalize staffing, transportation, schedules, and planning for a great year ahead. 🏥 Need a school or sports physical? ROE #9 is offering FREE school and sports physicals on select dates TODAY and throughout June for students entering grades K-12. No insurance is required, and a parent/guardian must be present. See the flyer below for details. ✅ Complete registration ✅ Take advantage of a free school or sports physical if needed ✅ Enjoy your summer knowing you’re ready for the new school year Thank you to everyone who has already completed registration. We are so close and appreciate your help in preparing for another great year at Heritage!

Heritage CUSD #8 Families:

Thank you to the many families who have already completed online registration for the 2026-2027 school year! We are down to approximately 100 students who still need to register.

Please remember to complete registration by June 1. Registration fees do not need to be paid at this time, as the payment option in TeacherEase will not be available until July.

If you need assistance with registration, please contact Dr. Norton(217) 896-2041 ext. 132 or at norton.kimberly@heritage8.org. You may also contact Julie Pearman at Heritage High School at (217) 834-3016 or julie.pearman@heritage8.org. .

Thank you for helping us prepare for a great school year!

We had some dedicated supporters gather this morning to help send Clark off to the IHSA Class 1A State Track Meet at EIU!

Best of luck to Clark as he competes in the 800m and 1600m this afternoon. The Proud Hawk community is cheering you on all the way! ❤️💙

#HeritageCUSD8 #ProudHawkCommunity #StateBound #GoHawks

This Memorial Day, we pause to honor and remember the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. Their courage, dedication, and selflessness have safeguarded the freedoms we enjoy each day. As we spend time with family and friends, may we also take a moment to reflect with gratitude and remember those who gave all. Gone, but never forgotten.

📣 The latest Heritage CUSD #8 newsletter is here! As we wrap up another incredible school year, take a few moments to check out highlights, videos, celebrations, student accomplishments, important reminders, summer information, and updates from across our schools.

Thank you to our students, staff, families, Board of Education, and community for making this year so special. ❤️💙

Read it here: https://app.smore.com/n/p8tjz

#HeritageCUSD8 #ProudHawkCommunity