Heritage Community Unit School District #8

🚌 School Bus Driver Appreciation Day: April 28, 2026 🚌

Today we celebrate our amazing Heritage bus drivers! We are incredibly grateful for Ms. Baird, Mr. Block, Mrs. Humphrey, Mrs. Tatman, and Mr. Wilson! Thank you for safely transporting our students and for the care and kindness you show every day.

We appreciate you!

#HeritageCUSD8 #ProudHawkCommunity

Tonight was the Friends and Advocates Banquet (FAB) honoring Mrs. Cramer, Mr. Sorensen, and Mr. White. We are grateful for the dedication, leadership, and lasting impact each of these individuals has made on our students and our district. Their commitment to excellence and care for the Heritage community does not go unnoticed. #HeritageCUSD8 #ProudHawkCommunity ❤️💙

Our students at both schools have been released from sheltering due to the storm and are now resuming their schedules.

Heritage Prom 2026-A wonderful evening filled with laughter, music, and great memories for our students. ✨ Congratulations to our Prom King and Queen, Andrii Bilyi and Kaydynn Curry-Varner! 👑 #HeritageCUSD8 #ProudHawkCommunity ❤️💙

Dear Heritage Families, I want to share a transportation update from today. At dismissal, Bus #44 began to smoke while on the way to Broadlands to pick up students and then caught fire upon arrival at the school. I am grateful to report that no students were on the bus at the time, and the driver exited safely. Emergency responders arrived quickly and handled the situation. The cause of the incident is under investigation, and the bus will be fully evaluated. As always, the safety of our students and staff is our top priority, and we will continue to review our procedures and equipment to ensure safe transportation. At this time, we are utilizing a spare bus. Thank you for your understanding and support.

We’re excited to share information about the VGH Blue Devils Youth Football Camp for students entering 2nd-8th grade. This is a great opportunity to build skills, have fun, and connect with VGH coaches and players.

📅 June 15–17
⏰ 9:00–10:30 AM
📍 Russ Ghere Football Field, Villa Grove
💲 $40 (includes camp t-shirt if registered by May 18)

No equipment needed...just bring water and come ready to have fun!

Be on the lookout for the registration form coming home soon, or reach out with any questions.

#HeritageCUSD8 #ProudHawkCommunity

Today we celebrate the incredible administrative professionals who keep Heritage CUSD #8 running smoothly each and every day.

Your dedication, organization, and care do not go unnoticed! Thank you for all you do for our students, staff, and community! ❤️💙

#ProudHawkCommunity
#HeritageCUSD8

Heritage CUSD #8 is proud to honor two outstanding alumni at our upcoming Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

✨ Chantel McGarigle Corrie (Class of 1999) – Executive Director of Midwest Mission, Chantel has led significant growth in humanitarian aid efforts, impacting communities locally and around the world.

✨ Samantha McGarigle Bothwell (Class of 2006) – A nurse, educator, and healthcare leader, Samantha has advanced innovation in nursing education and demonstrated exceptional service in patient care.

Join us as we celebrate their achievements, leadership, and lasting impact.

📅 April 29 | 6:00 PM
📍 Heritage High School

🎟️ Reserve your seat: https://bit.ly/4bYmmgJ

#HeritageCUSD8 #ProudHawkCommunity

A beautiful evening for baseball and softball at Heritage High School. Thank you to those who came out to support our Hawks! ⚾🥎 #HeritageCUSD8 #ProudHawkCommunity

📸 Don’t miss out on the memories!

Purchase your Heritage Elementary/Jr. High 2025–2026 Yearbook today!

These yearbooks capture a full year of learning, activities, friendships, and moments your student will treasure for years to come.

📦 Yearbooks will be distributed in September 2026

🔗 Order here: https://www.treering.com/purchase?PassCode=1017226035372757



Secure your copy today! ❤️💙 #HeritageCUSD8

Reminder to Families:

As we begin planning for the upcoming school year, now is a great time to start scheduling your child’s required physicals and immunizations. Getting these completed early helps ensure a smooth and stress-free start to the 2026-2027 school year.

We are also excited to partner with Carle to make this process even easier for our families! The Carle Mobile Health Clinic will be onsite August 4th in Homer, offering school and sports physicals as well as immunizations on a walk-in basis.

🗓 Online registration will open May 1-be ready! We’ll be sharing more reminders soon 😉

This is a convenient opportunity to complete everything in one place and turn in paperwork directly to the school.

#HeritageCUSD8 #Proud HawkCommunity

🏐 We’re Hiring! Join the Hawk Family! ❤️💙

Heritage High School is looking for a Head High School Volleyball Coach to lead and grow our program!

This is a great opportunity to make an impact, build relationships with student-athletes, and be part of a supportive and proud school community.

If you or someone you know has a passion for volleyball and mentoring students, we would love to connect!

📩 Contact: Mary McGarigle, Athletic Director
📧 Mary.McGarigle@heritage8.org

📞 217-834-3392

#HeritageCUSD8 #ProudHawkCommunity #NowHiring #GoHawks 🏐

Congratulations to our amazing 8th graders on the Scholastic Bowl team and their families! Your dedication, knowledge, and teamwork made this a season to be proud of. We can’t wait to see what’s ahead for you! ❤️💙 #HeritageCUSD8 #ProudHawkCommunity

Field Trip Fun! 🚌🐾🍦 It’s field trip season and our third graders had an amazing day exploring Aikman Wildlife Adventure! From up-close animal encounters to hands-on learning, it was a day full of excitement and discovery. The fun didn’t stop there! Students wrapped up their trip with a sweet treat at Sidney Dairy Barn! 🍦 What a great day of learning, laughter, and memory-making for our young Hawks! ❤️💙 #HeritageCUSD8 #ProudHawkCommunity

Join us for a special evening as we celebrate excellence and honor those who have made a lasting impact on Heritage! ❤️💙

The Heritage CUSD #8 Alumni Achievement Hall of Fame Banquet will take place on Wednesday, April 29 at 6:00 p.m. in Broadlands. Dinner will be followed by our induction ceremony.

This year’s honorees include:
✨ Samantha McGarigle Bothwell (Class of 2006)
✨ Chantel McGarigle Corrie (Class of 1999)

We will also recognize the dedicated leadership of our outgoing principals, Mrs. Kristi Sanders and Mr. Corey White.

📰 View the full press release:
https://bit.ly/4dzf3NM

🎟️ Reserve your seat:
https://bit.ly/4bYmmgJ

We hope you will join us as we celebrate these remarkable individuals and the strength of our #ProudHawkCommunity! ❤️💙

#HeritageCUSD8 #RootedInCommunityGrowingTogether #HallOfFame

❤️💙 Heritage CUSD #8 April Newsletter is Here! ❤️💙

Our Proud Hawk Community has had an incredible start to spring! From student leadership and academic achievements to hands-on learning in our classrooms, there is so much to celebrate across our district!

✨ Highlights include:
• FFA Envirothon success and student leadership accomplishments
• Exciting new STEM opportunities, including AP Chemistry, Physics, and elementary STEM experiences
• A look at our busy high school and junior high activities
• The Great Escape Book Fair and strong family engagement
• Important updates on online registration for academics and athletics (opening May 1!)

We are proud of our students, grateful for our staff, and thankful for the continued support from our families and community.

📖 Take a few minutes to check it out here:https://app.smore.com/n/bhgqd

#HeritageCUSD8 #ProudHawkCommunity #RootedInCommunityGrowingTogether ❤️💙

Let’s Go Illini 🧡💙!

We are excited to celebrate and support the Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball as they head to the Final Four! 🏀

This marks a historic moment for Illinois basketball, as the program returns to the Final Four for the first time since 2005, when the Illini made an unforgettable run to the national championship game. With a tradition of excellence and a passionate fan base across our state, this year’s team is adding another exciting chapter to Illinois basketball history.

To show our support, we invite all students and staff to wear orange and blue this Thursday! 🧡💙

Let’s come together as a school community and cheer on the Illini as they represent Illinois on the national stage.

#ProudHawkCommunity #Illini #FinalFour

As we head into Spring Break, we hope all of our Heritage students, staff, and families have the opportunity to rest, relax, and recharge.

Spring Break runs March 13 - March 22 and school will resume on Monday, March 23.

Whether you are traveling, spending time with family, enjoying the outdoors, or simply taking time to unwind, we wish everyone a safe and refreshing break!

Thank you for the hard work and dedication you bring to our #ProudHawkCommunity each day. We look forward to welcoming everyone back ready for a strong finish to the school year!

❤️💙 Enjoy your break, Hawks! 💙❤️

We are proud to share that Mr. Frost was one of four educators from our region selected to serve on a panel at the Future Teacher Conference held today. His participation highlights the great work happening at Heritage and the leadership our educators provide in supporting the next generation of teachers. In addition, several of our Heritage students attended the conference to learn more about the teaching profession and gain valuable insight into what it means to pursue a career in education. Thank you to Mr. Frost for representing Heritage so well, and to our students for taking the time to explore future opportunities in education! #HeritageCUSD8 #ProudHawkCommunity

Congratulations to our Third Quarter Heritage High School Breakfast Club Honorees! 🎉

We are proud to recognize these students for their hard work, positive attitude, and commitment to our school community.

Keep up the great work!

#HeritageCUSD8 #ProudHawkCommunity