Dear Heilicher Families,

My name is Jody Rappaport, and I am the new Parent Teacher Organization chair. I’m excited for the opportunity to reengage the Heilicher community! My husband Fred and I have four kids: Jack is an incoming second grade; Roger is an incoming kindergartner; and Sydney (3) and Ivy (1) are in the Early Childhood Center program at the Sabes JCC. We live behind the school, so you might see us walking each morning and afternoon, rain or shine!

We all have busy households, but we also know that Heilicher is worthy of our time. With Dr. Dan at the helm and the community’s desire for involvement, I promise to offer varying opportunities for families, teachers, and students. This year’s PTO has subcommittees, and I’m grateful to our committee chairs, Roni Falck, Michele Kaplan Clinard, Anna Latzer, and Shana Melendez. Please join us in supporting our school with your time, expertise, and passion. If you’re interested in becoming more involved or have suggestions, please email me at any time!

I look forward to seeing you at upcoming events so we can have a chance to talk in person (see the calendar below).

Enjoy the last few weeks of summer, and see you soon!

- Jody

Mark Your Calendars!

• Thursday, August 18 - Fall After-School Activities/Athletics Registration DUE!
• Thursday, August 18 - New Parent Orientation, 7-8:30 p.m., Manny Fingerhut Auditorium, Sabes JCC (parent-only event)
• Thursday, August 25 - Kindergarten Meet and Greet, 5:30-6 p.m., K classrooms
• Thursday, August 25 - Heilicher Summer Social, 6-7 p.m., Sabes JCC field
• Monday, August 29 - First Day of School!
• Monday, August 29, and Tuesday, August 30 - Back-to-School Parent Coffees, 8:15-9:15 a.m., outside at the main (south) entrance
• Wednesday, August 31 - Heilicher Opening Ceremonies, 8:30-9 a.m., Manny Fingerhut Auditorium, Sabes JCC (parents and families welcome)
• Monday, September 5 - NO SCHOOL: Labor Day
• Tuesday, September 13 - Back-to-School Night — more information to follow

View the full Heilicher calendar online

Key Dates for 2022-2023

DUE TOMORROW: Fall Extracurricular Registration

Registration for fall after-school activities and athletics closes tomorrow, Thursday, August 18. NOTE: HaBonim has rolling registration throughout the year. 

ATTENTION GRADE 5 FAMILIES: Soccer is now open to fifth graders, in addition to grades 6-8. Several more students are needed to participate in the league this fall. 

New Parent Orientation

New to Heilicher? Please join us for our New Parent Orientation on Thursday, August 18, 7-8:30 p.m., in the Beit Knesset (Barry Family Campus).

Questions about the upcoming school year? Learn about Heilicher policies and procedures, connect with your parent peer community, and talk with school administrators. This is a parent-only event.

Heilicher Summer Social

The Heilicher community is invited to the PTO-sponsored Heilicher Summer Social on Thursday, August 25, 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. You'll also have the chance to learn more about Heilicher's extracurricular offerings and meet some of our new Heilicher staff. Ice cream treats will be provided at 6:30 p.m. RSVP by August 19 to Ali Berdass.

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

Back-to-School Parent Coffees

Join us for coffee after drop-off on the mornings of Monday, August 29, and Tuesday, August 30. Meet us outside the main (south) entrance from 8:15 to 9:15 a.m.

Heilicher Opening Ceremonies

Join us for Heilicher Opening Ceremonies on Wednesday, August 31, 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! 

Back By Popular Demand: Heilicher Sweatshirt Sale

Order a Heilicher sweatshirt! Orders are due by Monday, September 19. Sweatshirts are expected to arrive to the school mid-November and will be distributed at that time.

As the school year gets going, we will open a spirit shop with water bottles, hats, shirts, and more.

COVID-19 Policies for Fall 2022-23

Find answers regarding Heilicher’s COVID-19 policies for the beginning of the 2022-23 school year in our COVID-19 FAQs.

All COVID diagnoses, symptoms of illness, or close contact exposures must be reported immediately through the Heilicher Communication Center. Questions about our COVID-19 protocols may be directed to Nurse Katie.

Drop-Off and Pickup Times and Protocols

School Start and End Times

Like last year, the school day will begin at 8:15 a.m. daily and end at 3:40 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays and 3:15 p.m. Fridays. From November 11, 2022-March 10, 2023, Friday dismissal will be at 2:45 p.m. to accommodate the earlier winter Shabbat start times.

Drop-Off Protocol

Drop-off is at 8 a.m. at the main (south) entrance to the Sabes JCC. Staff will be available both outside and inside the building at this time. Classes will begin promptly at 8:15 a.m.

Pickup Protocol

Pickup will be from 3:40-4 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays and from 3:15-3:35 p.m. Fridays. Pickup will be at the back (north) side of the Sabes JCC. Please make sure that the sign with your children's names is clearly displayed on your dashboard in the pickup line. Signs will be handed out at the Heilicher Summer Social and at the parent coffees (see more info below). Returning parents may use their sign from last year.

Heilicher staff will use walkie-talkies to call children down from their classrooms as their parents arrive. Students who are participating in after-school activities or HaBonim will be escorted to their extracurricular programming by school staff.

Communicating Late Drop-Offs or Early Pickups

All known late drop-offs or early pickups should be reported promptly through the Heilicher Communication Center. This reporting portal is critical to keeping our Heilicher faculty and staff informed of student absences.

If you drop your child off after 8:15 a.m., you must park and walk them to the Heilicher office. If you have communicated about an early pickup, your child will wait in the school office at the requested time, and you may walk in and pick them up there. Please note that if you are picking your child up prior to dismissal, we ask that it be at least 30 minutes ahead of the beginning of the dismissal window in order to avoid the dismissal rush.