Hello and welcome to Howard E. Heckethorn Elementary School!  Thank you for visiting our website.  I feel privileged to continue to be a part of such a remarkable school community.  In my service as principal, I take great pride in the fact that our staff works diligently to maintain high educational standards and develop the next generation of leaders.

 

We are a Leader In Me school.  Our school and community philosophies are not only to achieve academic success, but to find the greatness within each child and use leadership skills through the everyday practices of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.  As a Leader In Me school, we commit in preparing our teachers to create goal centered, student-led classrooms that empower students to lead their own learning.  Our purpose is to infuse the mission of Love-Lead-Learn into the environment, curriculum, and instruction for every child. 

 

Our goal is to provide our students with 21st century learning skills that include leadership, collaboration, critical thinking, communication, and creativity.  These skills are essential to succeed in our current world and must be built upon a strong foundation of literacy and mathematical skills.  Mastery of these fundamental skills will empower our students to prepare for future careers and become effective leaders in the global community.  Our curriculum continues to be rigorous and challenging with the implementation of the Nevada Academic Content Standards. Through these standards, we are charged with the responsibility of ensuring that each child is prepared for college or career readiness by the time he/she completes high school.  This process begins here in elementary school with our preschool children.

 

In order to be successful, our students need support from both home and school.  We are committed to work collaboratively with our parents to provide results oriented instruction that focuses on the growth and achievement of each student.  We count on our parents to partner with us as we continue our mission to provide a world class education to each child.  We encourage our parents to take an active role in the academic growth of the students by reading to the children, conducting rich and robust conversations in the car, at the dinner table, etc…  We also expect that our parents will encourage their children to persevere in the face of challenges and never give up. 

 

Parents are strongly encouraged to become involved in our school. When parents attend school functions, they demonstrate to their children that they value school and education. Attending events such as Meet Your Teacher, Open House, Parent/Teacher Conferences, Fall Festival Night, Pastries with Parents, National Elementary Honor Society, Leadership Days, and attending PTO meetings are all important ways that parents learn about what’s going on at school.

 

Volunteering sets an important example for children about shared responsibility. There are innumerable opportunities to volunteer, whether it is in the classroom, participating in PTO activities, chaperoning field trips, serving as a room parent, or assisting with clerical tasks.

 

Our wonderful PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) works tirelessly to support our school in countless ways, including financial support through various fundraising events such as, Fall Festival, Apex Fun Run, McTeacher Nights, Daddy-Daughter Dance Night, Mother-Son Game Night, and other great events.   

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Please come by and see our school for yourself, see our leaders of the future, and thanks again for visiting our website!

 

Mike Houle

Principal

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“People dream of meeting great leaders… we teach them!”