Cardinal Spotlight

Cardinal Spotlight 9/18/2026

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Today we are shining a spotlight on Christina for being an amazing example of kindness, helpfulness, and being a great classmate! 🥰
Christina is always willing to lend a helping hand, show kindness to her classmates, and make our school a better place. Her positive attitude and caring heart are wonderful examples of what it means to be a Cardinal! 🐦❤️
We are so proud of you, Christina! Keep spreading kindness and being YOU! 🌟
🍎❤️ Teacher Spotlight! ❤️🍎
We are so excited to celebrate one of our newest members of the Heritage Elementary family! 🐦✨
Although she is new to our school, she has jumped right in and acts like she’s been a Cardinal forever! ❤️🖤 Her dedication, positive attitude, and genuine care for her students have already made such an impact.
She is doing an amazing job creating a classroom where her students can learn, grow, and feel supported. We are so thankful to have her on our team! 🍎

Cardinal Spotlight 9/4/2026

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Heritage Elementary is excited to announce 5th grader Elena Rodriguez as this week’s Cardinal Spotlight! Elena is new to Southside ISD, joining us from Northside ISD’s Adams Hill Elementary. She walks the halls with a smile and says that her experience at Heritage has been great so far.
“Everything is easy to find, and everything is close by,” Elena shared with a smile.
One of Elena’s favorite things about Heritage is her teacher, Mrs Varela. She says she loves her because she is kind and caring and always makes her feel welcome.
Outside of school, Elena enjoys playing soccer in her free time. “Soccer helps me exercise and spend time with my friends!”
Elena has already been a wonderful addition to our Heritage Cardinals family. We are so happy to have you here with us this year, Elena! Keep shining! ❤️
Since joining Heritage Elementary, Ms. Rachel Olivarri has hit the ground running! As our new school counselor, she has jumped right into providing guidance lessons, connecting students with community support, and, most importantly, getting to know the students who make Heritage special.
This year marks Ms. Olivarri’s 15th year in education. Her experience spans elementary, middle, and high school, strengthening her passion for helping students grow academically, socially, and emotionally.
Ms. Olivarri is a proud dog mom to eight dogs, loves her coffee, enjoys healthy snacks, and loves unwinding with the latest Netflix series!
We are so happy to have Ms. Olivarri on our Heritage team and look forward to all the wonderful ways she will support our Cardinals this year!

Cardinal Spotlight 9/21/2026

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This week’s student spotlight for Heritage is Xzavier Musquez. Xzavier is a new 5th grade student who moved to San Antonio from Sabinal. He is enjoying the move to a larger city and school, noting that Heritage is “way bigger than Sabinal” and has more students. However, he did mention that Sabinal’s playground was larger than Heritage’s!
He is already making friends, and his favorite subject is Science. In his spare time, he enjoys playing Fortnite. Xzavier has an older brother who attends Matthey and a younger sister at Menchaca.
Xzavier, welcome to Heritage, and congratulations on being our Cardinal Spotlight!

We are thrilled to highlight the newest addition to our Heritage leadership team, Justine De Los Santos-Moran!
Joining us from Northside ISD, Mrs. De Los Santos-Moran brings a wealth of educational experience to her role as Assistant Principal, having previously served as a teacher, reading specialist, instructional coordinator, and elementary Associate Principal.
A proud Longhorn, she earned her degree from the University of Texas at Austin. Outside of school, Mrs. De Los Santos-Moran is a loving wife and proud mother who loves running, getting lost in a good book, and spending quality time with her family. She has truly hit the ground running, and we are so lucky to have her on our team!
Welcome to Heritage, Mrs. De Los Santos-Moran! We’re so glad you’re here!

Cardinal Spotlight 12/9/2025

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The student of the week for Heritage is Kylynn Martinez. Although shy, she becomes talkative when given the time to know someone. In fact, Kylynn becomes down right adventurous. She is very involved in sports with her favorites being a toss up between basketball and volleyball. This semester, she participated in intramural soccer and volleyball. At home, she loves to swim and ride atv’s. Kylynn also enjoys playing Roblox, reading, and being a big sister to her two little brothers.
Today we celebrate our amazing custodial team at Heritage Elementary! Head Custodian Felix, morning custodian Elva, and mid-day custodians Lorena and Jacob go above and beyond every single day. From handling unexpected surprises (even snakes!), ensuring student safety, and taking care of countless essential campus needs, they keep our school running smoothly and shining bright.
No matter the task, big or small, this team tackles it with dedication, flexibility, and always with a smile. Their hard work creates a safe, clean, and welcoming environment where students can learn, teachers can teach, and our entire school community can thrive.
We are so thankful for Felix, Elva, Lorena, and Jacob for the countless ways they support Heritage. Your pride in your work and your kindness to others make a difference every single day!

Cardinal Spotlight 9/30/2025

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Our student spotlight this week is on Maddox Lopez. Maddox is currently a 4th Grader, and joined our Heritage Family last school year. Maddox is a curious and enthusiastic student who loves to learn. From day one, Maddox has taken ownership of his own learning by setting goals for himself. Maddox comes to school daily with a positive attitude, eager, and ready to learn new knowledge. He does not skip a beat when it comes to learning. Maddox was selected to be a student leader for the fourth grade. This new role magnifies his leadership abilities that he already brings to the classroom. Maddox continues to show exceptional model student characteristics!
Please join us in welcoming Alexis Carreon to our Heritage Elementary family as our new 4th grade Special Education teacher! Alexis comes to us from El Paso and brings a strong background in Special Education along with a strong belief and enthusiasm for student success. Since joining us, she has hit the ground running by connecting with her 4th grade team, building relationships with students, and quickly learning how to best support all of their needs. Ms. Carreon is known for being flexible, kind, and eager to help. She has already shown that she is willing to take on any task that involves supporting students. We are truly grateful she made the move from El Paso to be a part of our campus, and we know this will be an exciting year with her on our team!

Cardinal Spotlight 9/3/2025

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This week’s Cardinal Spotlight for Heritage Elementary is Anthiness Valderas-Hopper. Anthiness has many qualities that make him stand out as a 5th grade student. Anthiness is a wonderful role model for our younger students, consistently demonstrating kindness, respect, and responsibility. Every morning without fail, he greets staff members with a warm and friendly “Good morning,” setting a positive tone for the day. His strong work ethic shows in everything he does, and he always gives his best effort. Anthiness is a joy to work with, bringing energy and positivity to those around him. His thoughtfulness, leadership, and willingness to help others make him an invaluable part of our school community. Anthiness, congratulations on being our Cardinal of the Week!
We are excited to welcome Melissa Valdez to our Heritage Campus as part of the 2nd grade team! She brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience, ready to inspire and guide her students to success. With her passion for teaching and commitment to excellence, she is sure to make a positive impact on both her students and our school community. We are thrilled to have her join our team and can’t wait to see the incredible things she will accomplish!