Heartland parents attended a brainstorming session for starting a new HPA group at the school cafeteria on Monday.
It’s no secret that parents are the backbone of any school, and Heartland has been without a formal, organized parent support group for many years. That’s about to change.
An informational meeting was held on Monday, September 15, in the Heartland School cafeteria for interested parents to learn about the potential formation of a Heartland Parents Auxiliary (HPA). About a dozen parents attended the meeting to learn about the plans for the new HPA.
The meeting was spearheaded by Jenny Goertzen, who brings extensive experience to the table regarding how to organize and run such a group. She is the wife of Heartland board member Ryan Goertzen and has lived in the Heartland school district for the past six years. Before moving to Henderson, she was heavily involved in a parents’ organization at her children’s school in McKinney, Texas, serving as Vice President and Chairman of the fundraising committee.
“I think there is a desire here at Heartland for parents to be more involved in providing support for our teachers and kids. This meeting is the beginning of a process to get organized and a time to do some brainstorming together,” said Goertzen.
Goertzen said she had already met with Heartland teachers and asked them what needs and support a parents’ auxiliary could provide for them. A handout was provided to parents outlining the organization’s mission and focus, along with examples of its projects.
“I envision this group being more heavily involved with the elementary at first, just because the Booster Club already does quite a bit for the high school and junior high,” said Goertzen. She added that the group could definitely provide support for non-athletic activities for the upper grades, too.
She provided several examples of ideas for facilitating social events that target elementary students, such as a “Jingle Bell Run” and “Family Bingo Night”. Other ideas presented were ways to assist teachers so they could have more time for their classrooms and teaching, such as providing the annual Field Day t-shirts, a meal for teachers during Parent/Teachers’ Conference evenings, and assisting with laminating and copy jobs.
Currently, Goertzen is in the process of applying for a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt status for the HPA so it could be run separately from the school budget, and any donations would be tax-exempt. The administration has expressed a desire for this group to take over the prom fundraising, making it a more streamlined process and eliminating some of the complexity it now has because the funds are run through the school.
Many other ideas for ways to support the administration, staff, and kids were discussed, as well as several fundraising projects and a social media presence.
Heartland parent Tiffanee Ogorzolka highlighted the need to address the void in organization and communication within the elementary sports programs. Due to the recent sports cooperative with Hampton, it was discussed that there needs to be more oversight of who is doing what and where to eliminate any confusion about the teams, whether they are Heartland, Hampton, or H&H.
Trent Linabery voiced his support for forming the group and said, “I think it’s important to be involved. I work in York and my wife is a teacher in Sutton, so we are looking for ways to be more involved with the school and kids here.”
“I love kids and working with them, and like most parents, I want to help make life the best for them. Our own parents support group would know the heart and intentions of our school and community,” said Goertzen.
A sign-up sheet was provided at the conclusion of the meeting to facilitate communication by email and texting. There will be more informational meetings planned in the next few months, open to all parents.
