Heritage Families,
It was a busy, but wonderful short week at Heritage!
We kicked off our very first Badger Time of the school year, where students focused on the I Can Statement: “I can meet new people.” Each group had the opportunity to welcome new Heritage students, as well as our new kindergarten students, and begin building new connections across our school.
We then celebrated our September Students of the Month. It was wonderful to hear about all of the amazing things our students are doing at Heritage. One of the best parts of the assembly was not only celebrating our recipients, but also watching their classmates cheer them on. The genuine excitement and pride our students showed for one another was truly special. That is the kind of community we are proud to build at Heritage.
We also completed our annual Evacuation Drill to the Bennington Fire Station. A special thank you to Chief Mallory and the Bennington Fire Department for partnering with us and providing a safe place for our students and staff to go in the event of an emergency. We are also incredibly grateful to our SRO officers, who helped keep our students safe along the route and were present throughout our walk to and from the fire station.
We are so thankful for the many people who support our students and our school. It truly takes a community, and we are grateful for the incredible Heritage community we have!
Have a wonderful weekend, Heritage families!
Soaring to New Heights!
Take care,
Ms. Woodrich
Heritage Principal
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September
- Friday, September 25th - Fun Run
- Saturday, September 26th- Pancakes and Partnerships Community Event
- Monday, September 28th - PTO Meeting at 6:00 PM
October
- Thursday, October 1st - Heritage Harvest Night
- Friday, October 2nd - No School
- Wednesday, October 7th - Early Dismissal; 11:40 AM
- Thursday, October 8th - Picture Retake Day - RESCHEDULED NEW DATE
- Friday, October 9th - Spirit Day!
- Tuesday, October 13th-Wednesday, October 14th - Parent-Teacher Conferences 4pm-8pm
- Thursday, October 15th-Friday, October 16th - No School
- Monday, October 26th - PTO Meeting at 6:00 PM
- Friday, October 30th - Trunk or Treat; more details to come
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Heritage Families -
We’re just one month into the 26/27 school year, and it’s already shaping up to be an
amazing one! As we settle into routines and build excitement, it’s the perfect time to kick
off our largest annual fundraiser. Our PTO parent volunteers have been hard at work
preparing a year full of enrichment, fun, and support for our students and staff. From
school assemblies and field trips to classroom enhancements and staff appreciation
events, the PTO helps make it all happen—and they can only do that with your support.
Last year’s fundraiser helped bring some fantastic additions to our school, including a
portable MakerSpace Classroom, a magical assembly, a surprise Foam Party, and
countless other resources to support our students and staff. This year, the PTO hopes
to raise funds for items like Recess Kits (which have already been delivered!), dress up
outfits for students to utilize, new amenities for staff, and possibly even a new Badger
rug for the entryway!
Getting involved is easy! Register your student on PledgeStar—even a $20 donation
makes a difference. Every dollar raised stays right here at Heritage and goes directly
toward enhancing your child’s school experience.
Thank you for being such a vital part of our community. We’re so grateful for your
support and partnership as we launch into another fantastic year at Heritage!
Take Care,
Ms. Woodrich
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Congratulations to all our September Student of the Month recipients! Heritage is so proud of all of you! |
This week's Heritage Hero is Brinley! Brinley is a hero by being an amazing friend and inclusive to all students. Thank you for being an amazing example at Heritage! |
2026 FUN RUN Fundraiser is LIVE: Our Fun Run Fundraiser has officially kicked off and our theme this year is “Welcome to the Jungle”! Make sure to REGISTER ON PLEDGESTAR and then start sharing your personalized fundraising links from your pages with all of your family and friends. Fundraising runs September 11th - 27th, 2026. Follow our Facebook page for updates on the fundraiser including what prizes are up for grabs, which classes and students are in the lead, and how close we are to achieving our all-school incentives. Together we can hit our $35,000 goal! |
Join Us for Harvest Night! Our first Community Event of the year will be held on Thursday, October 1st from 6-9pm at Heritage in the back bus loop. We will have an outdoor movie (Bring your chairs & blankets!), food from Muchacos Food Truck (to purchase), FREE ice cream from Camps Frozen Treats, and FREE face painting, courtesy of PTO. We would appreciate an RSVP so we know how many to expect for food and face painting. We hope to see you there! |
Gift Card Drive for Cannon Family: There will be a gift card drive on October 1st during the Heritage Harvest Night to support the Cannon Family, whose daughter Olivia is in 1st Grade at Heritage. Olivia was diagnosed last year with DIPG Brain Cancer and we are looking to the Heritage community to help offer some practical support for the family during this difficult time. If you would like to participate, please drop off VISA, Amazon, or grocery (Costco/HyVee, etc.) gift cards in any amount. The family greatly appreciates the Heritage community support! |
Reading Incentive Log Hours: Hours for the PTO Reading Incentive Log can be logged starting in September. Hours are due by the last day of the month and students will earn prizes based on the number of hours they read. |
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Adopt the Lounge: Let’s STOCK THE LOUNGE for our Heritage Staff!! Our staff love snacks and drinks so let’s kick off the 26/27 school year with a fully stocked lounge! In September - we are asking our 5th Grade Families to kick off our donations. If you’d like to donate, please see our links below on how to donate.
Week of 9/14 - 9/18 - Mrs. Salcedo’s Class
Week of 9/21 - 9/25 - Ms. Riesselman’s Class
Week of 9/28 - 10/2 - Ms. Vaughn’s Class
1) The PTO created an Amazon Wishlist for easy purchase options which will be sent directly to the PTO. Just click and pay!
2) A SignUp Genius has been created if you prefer to shop while out and about. Click on the link HERE to purchase specific items for the lounge and then contact heritageptooutreach@gmail.com to coordinate a donation drop off. Thank you for helping to support our amazing Heritage staff!
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Interested in Being a Room Parent? PTO is looking for parents, grandparents, and guardians interested in serving as Room Parents this year. To become a room parent it’s as easy as 1,2,3… ok 4.
3) Select “room parent” or “support a room parent” from the drop down option
Then our Outreach Coordinator will be in touch to start the party planning!
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PTO Volunteer Shifts Available: Looking for ways to get involved at Heritage? PTO has plenty of volunteer shifts available that you can sign up for. These shifts can be done at school or on your own time, so pick what works best for you! Check out our Signup Genius link to learn about all of our volunteer opportunities. We do ask that if you are signing up for shifts - please limit your signups for the same type of shift to 1-2 per semester (for example - reading incentive cart, popcorn, Crumbl cookies) so all volunteers have an opportunity to get involved. Thank you! |
PTO Memberships for 26-27 are available: You can now purchase your Membership for the 26-27 school year. We would love you to JOIN OUR TEAM and welcome all parents, guardians, AND staff to become members of the PTO. You can purchase your membership on the PTO website today or through the MySchoolBucks App. |
Baker’s/Kroger Partnership : We have been approved as a Community Rewards partner with Baker’s/Kroger Supermarkets! This is an exciting opportunity to exercise passive fundraising to funnel donations to Heritage. All you have to do is designate “Heritage Elementary PTO” (Org#: VU711) in the rewards section of your Shopper’s account - a portion of every transaction will be donated to Heritage on a quarterly basis! |
If you are interested in using Bennington Public Schools facilities for team practices please refer to this document and fill out the registration located at the bottom. The corresponding gym coordinator will reach out to you soon after. Thank you! |
Bennington Public Schools has updated our procedures for volunteers working with students. We truly value the time and talents our parents and caregivers share with our school community! If you plan to volunteer at school this year-whether in the classroom, at events, or on a field trip-please take a moment to review the new procedures. If you would like to volunteer, simply complete this application form, sign it, and return it to the school office.
If you have filled out a form in the past and have already been approved, you're all set.-no need to complete it again. If you're not sure of your status or have any questions, our office staff is happy to help. Just give the office a call at 402-238-2095.
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The steps below outline what needs to happen before an individual can volunteer at any of our schools. Contact the school to discuss a volunteer opportunity.
Level I
- Level I volunteers are not required to complete a volunteer application form.
Level II
- Complete a volunteer application form and return it to the building Principal
- The building Principal will review the volunteer application and communicate with the volunteer applicant of the approval or denial of the request based on the application information and the volunteer's good standing with the district.
Level III
- Complete a volunteer application form and return it to the building Principal.
- The building Principal will review the volunteer application and submit the form to the District Office for a background check.
- The cost of the background check will be covered by the district.
- Complete the background check sent via email to the volunteer applicant by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
- Once received, click the link provided and the on-screen instructions will guide you through the background check process. This link will expire after 14 days.
- Please allow 2-3 weeks for the background check to be completed and results sent to the District.
- The building Principal will communicate with the volunteer applicant of the approval or denial of the request based on the application information, the volunteer's good standing with the district, and the results of the background check.
Volunteer activity can only begin AFTER the applicant receives an approval email from the building Principal and a Volunteer Level III background check is cleared. All volunteers must follow Bennington Public Schools guidelines regarding safe and responsible volunteerism.
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All information regarding upcoming Bennington community events, sports camps, and activities are posted on our district website, and shared through the weekly district newsletter, the Badger Update.
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Notice of Non-Discrimination
The Bennington Public School District does not discriminate on the basis of sex, disability, race, color, religion, veteran status, national or ethnic origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical condition, or other protected status in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Students: Mr. Dan Bombeck, Director of Student Services, 11620 North 156th Street, P.O. Box 309, Bennington, NE 68007 (402) 238-3044 ( dbombeck@bennps.org). Employees and Others: Dr. Matt Blomenkamp, Assistant Superintendent 11620 North 156th Street, P.O. Box 309, Bennington, NE 68007 (402) 238-3044 ( mblomenkamp@bennps.org). Complaints or concerns involving discrimination or needs for accommodation or access should be addressed to the appropriate Coordinator. For further information about anti-discrimination laws and regulations, or to file a complaint of discrimination with the Office for Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Education (OCR), please contact the OCR at 601 East 12th Street, Room 353, Kansas City, MO 64106, (800) 368-1019 (voice), Fax (816) 426-3686, (800) 537-7697 (telecommunications device for the deaf), or ocr.kansascity@ed.gov.
Title IX
The Bennington Public School District is committed to offering employment and educational opportunity to its employees and students in a climate free of discrimination. Accordingly, unlawful discrimination, harassment and retaliation of any kind by District employees, including, co-workers, non-employees (such as volunteers), third parties and others is strictly prohibited and will not be tolerated.
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