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Heritage Middle School

Summer Newsletter

Heritage Middle School

Summer Newsletter 2026-2027

Phone: 706-937-3568

Fax: 706-937-2483 

Website: hms.catoosa.k12.ga.us

We are excited to welcome our students back for the new school year! Parents and guardians of students in all grade levels can pay fees and pick up student schedules on Thursday, July 30th, from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Fees may be paid in advance through Parent Portal, or in person on July 30th (paying in advance through Parent Portal will reduce your wait time). For assistance with Parent Portal, please visit the About Parent Portal page under the For Parents section of the Heritage Middle School website, email icportalsupport@catoosa.k12.ga.us or call 706-935-0673. Seventh grade students must have an updated 3231 GA immunization form on file showing proof of one dose of Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) and one dose of the Meningococcal conjugate vaccine in order to receive a schedule. New students will receive their schedules once all records have been received by the school. If you are unable to attend on July 30th, students will also be able to pay fees and receive schedules on the first day of school. We look forward to a great year ahead!

Open House for 6th grade students and students new to HMS is on Wednesday, August 5th from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM. 6th graders can meet their grade level’s academic teachers and their connections teachers, tour the school, pick up their car rider tag, and receive their lockers from their homeroom teacher. Students of any grade level who are new to HMS are welcome to tour the school, but only 6th grade teachers will be present for this open house.

Open House for all grade levels is Monday, August 31st from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM. Parents/Guardians can meet their student’s teachers at this time.

There will not be a dedicated open house for 7th & 8th grade students prior to the start of school. 7th & 8th grade students will receive their car tag and locker on the first day of school (August 7th).

Supply fees are as follows:

  • Locker $15.00
  • PBIS $10.00
  • Math Fee $5.00
  • Science Lab Materials $10.00
  • Social Studies Fee $5.00
  • Language Arts Fee $5.00
  • Connections Supplies $10.00 (Band, art, drama, technology, home economics, computer keyboarding, and PE)
  • Total Fees $60.00 

HMS Payments: Your child’s full name and your telephone number should be on each check, as well as the purpose of the payment (ex: art field trip). All checks must be written for the exact amount due. Checks for HMS should be made payable to Heritage Middle School. We cannot accept any check written in excess of $300.00. We cannot give change from a check. Catoosa County Schools has contracted with an outside agency for electronic collecon of checks returned for insufficient funds. The agency will automatically charge a fee to your bank for each returned check. Cafeteria payments may not be combined on a check for anything else you pay to the school.

Lunch Policy: Food deliveries from services such as Door Dash, Uber Eats, Chick-Fil-A, etc. will not be permited.

The following beverages are not allowed at school: Energy drinks and coffee.

The first day of school is Friday, August 7th. The school building will open at 7:00 AM. Students will stay in the Media Center until 7:15 AM, after which they are dismissed to the Cafeteria for breakfast or to the Main/Aux Gyms. Breakfast will be served in the Cafeteria beginning at 7:15 AM. 6th grade students will report to the auxiliary gym while 7th and 8th grade students will report to the main gym until students are dismissed to homeroom. Students arriving after 8:15 AM are counted tardy and must report to the Main Office. The dismissal bell will ring at 3:30 PM. (It will take a few mornings for traffic flow to become “normal”. For this reason, we will not count students tardy due to traffic the first week of school.)

Supplies: Each grade level has a separate supply list, which will be available on the HMS website. Do not worry if you don’t get all the supplies purchased before the first day of school. Basic supplies (pens, pencils, notebook paper, etc.) will be sufficient for the first week.

Cell Phones: House Bill 1009 prohibits cell phones, tablets, and smart devices from the start of the school day unl the final bell.

If your child becomes sick or injured at school, you will be contacted as soon as possible by our school nurse.

Medication: Students are not allowed to carry any type of medication (either over-the-counter or prescription) into or out of the school building. A parent, legal guardian, or designated adult is responsible for transportin medication to and from school. Medication must be in the original bottle or a “school bottle” provided by the pharmacy and cannot be expired.

Stay Connected: Sign up for our text alerts by texng Yes to 67587. Sign up for access to Parent Portal to view your child’s aendance, grades, and cafeteria balance. For assistance with Parent Portal, please visit the About Parent Portal page under the For Parents section of the Heritage Middle School website, email icportalsupport@catoosa.k12.ga.us or call 706-935-0673.

Dress Code: Catoosa County Schools do not allow the following:

  • Tank, strapless, or spaghetti strap tops (shoulders must be covered), tops that do not cover the midriff, low-cut tops, muscle shirts, mesh or see-through shirts
  • Jeans with holes above mid-thigh unless something is worn underneath (skin must not show through holes)
  • Sagging pants (pants must be worn at waist)
  • Shorts/skirts which are shorter than mid-thigh
  • Athletic shorts shorter than mid-thigh or with a higher cut on the sides
  • Inappropriate writing or images on clothing or accessories
  • Facial piercings (lip, tongue, eyebrow, etc.)
  • Hats, hoods, headbands, and bandanas, etc.
  • Coats or jackets longer than fingertip when arms are extended beside the body

Students out of dress code will be required to change or wear items provided by school. Please keep this policy in mind when shopping for school clothes.

Student Drop Off/Pick Up: Students must be dropped off and picked up at the front of the school. For safety reasons, students may not be dropped off or picked up at the bus area, band area, or at the ends of the 3 academic wings.

Students checking in: Students will enter the building and report to the Main Office for a pass to class – parents are not required to sign their student in.

Students checking out: Office staff will greet visitors through the intercom system and ask the visitor to provide information regarding his/her visit as well as a government issued photo I.D. Office staff will determine if the visitor is allowed to check the student out. Visitors will fill out the paper check-out slip provided. Office staff will call the student out of class for dismissal. Students will not be called out of class for dismissal until the adult checking them out has shown their photo I.D. at the door.

Afternoon Car Rider Information: All students will be given a car rider tag. Please keep this tag in your front window when picking up your student in the afternoons. Students will be kept inside the building until their car arrives.

Important Immunization Information: Students will be required to have one dose of Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) and one dose of Meningococcal conjugate vaccines prior to entering 7th grade. Because of this requirement all students entering 7th grade must have an updated GA immunization form #3231. Immunizations must be documented on a Georgia 3231 form in order to be state compliant. Our nurse and registrar will be checking all current forms and sending out information to current 6th grade parents. The state will audit our 7th grade forms this fall. Although the immunizations are required for rising 7th graders (and new entrants into a Georgia school in grades 8-12) the Department of Public Health strongly encourages all middle and high students to obtain these vaccinations. As you make visits to your pediatrician or other health care giver between now and August, please keep these immunizations in mind and, when immunizations are given, ask for an updated form 3231 to provide to the school. If you have any questions, please contact our school nurse.