Message from the Principal

September was a month filled with learning, celebration, and connection at Heritage Hill. Students are now fully engaged in our new curriculum, and classrooms are buzzing with curiosity and enthusiasm. We proudly celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month with a wonderful performance by our first graders and a beautiful student art exhibit featured at the People of Princeton event , as well as a Hispanic Dress Day where students proudly wore their cultural outfits and shared their heritage with joy.

To celebrate Literacy Month, students dressed as their favorite book characters and enjoyed our lively “Masked Reader” assembly. Our fourth and fifth graders had exciting hands-on science and technology experiences during their visit to GE’s VIFE event and through an on-site GE workshop. Fifth graders also explored the outdoors on their Green Acres field trip.

We were thrilled to host our first Second Cup of Coffee event, giving parents the chance to connect and share ideas. The month also included successful parent teacher conferences, a visit from School Smiles to support students’ dental health, and the launch of our new after-school soccer club.

We look forward to an equally engaging October with even more opportunities for families to connect and grow with us.

Erika Zaleta Lastra

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Mensaje de la Directora

Septiembre fue un mes lleno de aprendizaje, celebración y conexión en Heritage Hill. Los estudiantes están completamente inmersos en nuestro nuevo programa de lectura, y los salones están vibrando de curiosidad y entusiasmo.

Celebramos con orgullo el Mes de la Herencia Hispana con una hermosa presentación de nuestros estudiantes de primer grado y una exposición de arte en el evento de People of Princeton. Además tuvimos un Día de Vestimenta Hispana donde los estudiantes lucieron con orgullo sus atuendos tradicionales.

Para celebrar el Mes de la Lectura, los estudiantes se vistieron como sus personajes favoritos de libros y disfrutaron de nuestra divertida asamblea del “Lector Enmascarado”. Los estudiantes de cuarto y quinto grado tuvieron experiencias prácticas de ciencia y tecnología durante su visita al evento VIFE de GE y a través de un taller de ciencia en la escuela. Los estudiantes de quinto también exploraron la naturaleza durante su excursión a Green Acres.

Nos alegró mucho organizar nuestro primer evento de la segunda taza de café, que brindó a padres la oportunidad de conectarse y compartir ideas. El mes también incluyó exitosas conferencias entre padres y maestros, la visita del dentisa, y el inicio de nuestro nuevo club de fútbol.

Esperamos un mes de octubre igual de ocupado y con mas oportunidades para que las familias se conecten con otras familias y con la escuela.

Con gratitud,

Erika Zaleta Lastra

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Message from the Principal (September)

What a fantastic start to the school year we’ve had! From day one, I’ve been so impressed by our dedicated staff, our hardworking students, and the warmth of this community. Heritage Hill truly is a welcoming place, full of energy and excitement, and it has been a joy to join you in this new school year.

Our students are settling in as they learn new routines, adjust to expectations, and show such enthusiasm for learning. Together we are diving into our new English Language Arts curriculum, Wit & Wisdom. It is inspiring to see students and teachers exploring this new program with curiosity and excitement.

We also made some adjustments to our arrival and dismissal procedures this year. Thank you for your patience as we fine-tuned these routines. The adjustments are helping us maximize instructional time while keeping processes safe and efficient.

As we continue into the year, I look forward to building a strong school and family partnership. By working together, we can ensure our children thrive academically, socially, and emotionally while also creating lasting memories and moments of joy along the way.

With gratitude,

Erika Zaleta Lastra

Building Principal

Mrs. Zaleta Lastra joins Princeton City Schools as an accomplished educational leader with expertise in multilingual education and school improvement. She most recently served as Assistant Principal at the Academy of Multilingual Immersion Studies in Cincinnati Public Schools, a Title 1 dual language immersion school serving 570 students in grades PK-8.

During her tenure as Assistant Principal, Mrs. Zaleta Lastra led several transformative initiatives, including redesigning the middle school structure to incorporate leveled language classes and advanced coursework. This resulted in 81% of students enrolling in at least one advanced class. She developed specialized programming for Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education (SLIFE), revamped the dual language immersion program, and implemented a comprehensive school-wide ESL framework.

Her leadership significantly improved school culture, with a 75% reduction in discipline incidents through strategic systems implementation. Prior to her administrative role, Mrs. Zaleta Lastra taught grades 4-8 Math, Science, Spanish, and ESL at the same school while also serving as Lead Teacher, Building Testing Coordinator, and Chair of the Instructional Leadership Team.

Mrs. Zaleta Lastra brings to Princeton her expertise in mission and vision alignment, stakeholder engagement, operations management, diverse instructional strategies, and data-driven decision-making. She is a native Spanish speaker with advanced proficiency in Excel and specialized training in SIOP implementation and restorative practices.

Ms. Tonya West Wright, Assistant Superintendent, added, “Dr. Arnold, Dr. Reichelt, and Mrs. Zaleta Lastra will bring the energy and passion to support the educational needs for empowering each student in their buildings. They are excellent additions to the team of principals at Princeton City Schools.”

The district will host welcome receptions for families, students, and community members to meet these new leaders before the start of the 2025-2026 school year.

Dismissal: Families need to communicate their child’s regular method of transportation in Final Forms and to the homeroom teacher. If you need to change your child’s transportation method for the day, you need to sign a note and have your child submit the note to the office or call by 3:00.

Bus Riders: First Student Transportation is the company that will provide bus transportation for our students. Buses were assigned to students who selected bus transportation in Final Forms by July 15. Potential bus riders should receive a postcard from the Transportation Department the week before school starts. If you have any further transportation questions, please contact the Transportation Department at 513-554-0105. Please note that during the first couple of weeks of school, buses may run late due to new routes. We kindly ask for your patience as buses may be delayed by as much as 30 minutes. Rest assured, we are committed to getting all students home safely.

Car Riders: Students will be dismissed starting at 3:45 p.m. We kindly request that parents remain in their vehicles during student dismissal for safety and efficiency. Please avoid parking and getting out of the car to pick up students. Thank you for your cooperation. If you need to change your child’s transportation method for the day, it must be communicated to the office before 3:00 p.m. to ensure students are notified in time for dismissal. You are highly encouraged to use the same method of transportation each day to avoid confusion and disruptions.

Student drop-off/pick-up takes place in front of the building. If you arrive before 9:00 a.m. and your child is not eating breakfast, we ask that you wait with your child until 9:00 a.m. Students eating breakfast may enter the building at 8:45 a.m.

Student Safety Information Needed: Please log in to Final Forms and make sure all your contact information is up-to-date. We must have accurate emergency information on all students and multiple contact numbers. If your child has any medical concerns, contact our school health aide at 513-864-1400.

School hours are 9:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. If your child is going to eat breakfast in the morning, they will be permitted into the building at 8:45 a.m. and must report directly to the cafeteria. Breakfast will be served daily from 8:45–9:10 a.m. If students are not in their homeroom at 9:15 a.m., they are marked tardy. Student classroom supervision begins at 9:00 a.m.; if your child needs to arrive before that time, they must participate in the before-school childcare offered by Champions. Dismissal starts at 3:45 p.m. All students must be picked up at the music room entrance before 4:00 p.m. If picking up by 4:00 p.m. is a problem for your family, you need to participate in the Champions after-school program. Before & After School Childcare is offered to our families by Champions. They can be reached at 800-246-2154 for enrollment questions. They do accept vouchers.

Please encourage your child to buy lunch at school this year. Our Food Service Program offers a consistent, nutritious menu. Meals are paid in advance. Payment can be made online through PaySchools, or by cash or check sent to school in your child’s red home folder. Free/Reduced applications are available online through PaySchools and should be completed before the first day of school each year. Monthly menus are available on the district website.

The School Messenger System is an automated phone message system used for updates, reminders, and in the event of emergencies. Please make sure you keep all contact information up to date in Final Forms so that you receive district communications. Heritage Hill Elementary utilizes ClassDojo for communication. To get started, please accept your invitation via email or text message and download the app on your phone. Once set up, you can view the school calendar and communicate with staff through ClassDojo. It's a convenient way to stay connected with our team and to stay informed about school events and activities.

We are looking forward to a fantastic school year with your family!

Principal: Erika Zaleta Lastra
Phone: (513) 864-1400