Principal's Message
Welcome to Heritage Elementary School! We are the Heritage Huskies!
We serve approximately 655 students in 4K through Grade 4. Our school was built and opened in 1997 with a Mission Statement that is the foundation of our beliefs and culture:
Learning For All
Every Person Every Day Will Learn, Grow, and Help Others to Feel
Respected and Valued
LIVE IT!
We believe that all students have the opportunity to learn academically, socially, and emotionally. Growth Mindset is a big part of our language with students, encouraging learning through many ways including making errors and showing perseverance. Some of the best learning comes from working through tough thinking and mishaps with peers. We believe in the Power of Yet! We know that not every child learns at the same rate or in the same way; and a child may not know how to do something….Yet!
Heritage teaches Social and Emotional Learning Competencies through a variety of programs including PBIS, or Positive Behavior Intervention & Supports. We teach how to Be Safe, Be Responsible, and Be Respectful which we call The Husky Way.
Balanced Literacy is our approach to teaching reading, writing, spelling, listening, and speaking standards. We teach mini-lessons in these areas to our classes, breaking into small groups or individually for more differentiated instruction. For example, students read a variety of different materials at their own level.
We are also a learning school for those becoming educators or administrators. We host student teachers each semester from area universities and host practicum students in learning to teach math and literacy. Over the past decade we have helped 60+ students become teachers, sometimes hired in our own school or district!
On a personal note…..
I grew up in Allouez and attended Green Bay Schools. My Bachelor of Science, Elementary Education is from UW-Madison (Go Badgers!) I earned my Master of Science in Administrative Leadership from UW-Milwaukee (Go Panthers!). Fall 2021 I will begin study in the UW-Madison School of Education Wisconsin Initiative Ph.D. program.
Before becoming a Principal at Heritage Elementary School, I was a School Principal in Green Bay. Prior to that I was Assistant Principal here at Heritage where my own son and daughter attended school. In the twelve years prior to becoming an administrator, I taught in Madison, Wisconsin and Houston, Texas as well as Shawano, Wisconsin. My teaching experience includes teaching second, third, and fifth grades as well as math intervention. I love teaching children and adults! I have a passion for coaching others as teachers and beginning principals, Strategic Planning, and utilizing the Tregoe Decision-Making Processes.
I enjoy biking, swimming, boating, downhill skiing, yoga, and spending time with my son and daughter, Ryan and Rachel…..and here’s a wag of the tail to our Shiba Inu, Kane;)
I look forward to welcoming you to the Heritage School Community and working with our students and families!
Kathy Van Pay, Principal