Dear Students, Families, and Community Members,
Welcome to our school! It is my honor and privilege to serve as principal of this wonderful learning community, where every child is valued, supported, and encouraged to reach their fullest potential. What an AMAZING place to be an elementary school principal! This is my 31st year in education and my twelfth year as principal at Heartland Elementary School in Geneva School District 304. My previous 19 years in education were served as a teacher, assistant principal and principal in the Crystal Lake School District.
At our 2024 National Blue-Ribbon School, we believe that each student can achieve success when provided with a safe, nurturing, and engaging environment. Our dedicated staff works each day to inspire curiosity, foster a love of learning, and help students develop the academic, social, and emotional skills they need to thrive. We marked our 20th anniversary in 2022, and we look forward to celebrating our 25th anniversary in 2027.
We recognize that education is a partnership between school and home. Together, we can create meaningful experiences that empower our students to become confident learners, compassionate citizens, and future leaders. We encourage families to stay connected, participate in school activities, and join us in celebrating the accomplishments of our students.
Whether you are a returning family or visiting our website for the first time, we are delighted to have you as part of our school community. We invite you to explore our website to learn more about our programs, events, and the many opportunities available to our students.
We are excited to implement our newly adopted reading/writing curriculum- HMH Into Reading. Each grade level will engage in 9 literacy modules that are guided by an essential question that connects reading and writing instruction. We also understand and value the importance of phonics, phonemic awareness and word study. K-3 students utilize Really Great Reading, and 3rd-5th grade students engage in Word Wisdom. Our students will truly benefit from all of these exceptional, research-based programs as they navigate literacy during the early years in their education. Be sure to ask your child about these units of study which they'll be learning throughout the year. D304 is also currently undergoing the curriculum review process in mathematics. Programs will be reviewed during the 2026-2027 school year; 2027-2028 will mark a pilot year with full implementation slated for the 2028-2029 school year.
We hold students' social and emotional well-being in high regard; we will continue with the online Second Step curriculum to help students succeed in the classroom and in life. This format offers opportunities for our students to work on executive functioning, skills for learning, empathy, emotion management and problem-solving...all which connect to our school improvement goals.
Thank you for entrusting us with your child's education. We look forward to a successful year filled with learning, growth, and memorable experiences. Should you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. I can be reached at 630-463-320
0 or by email at [email protected].
Warm regards,
Kimberly Hornberg
Principal