Celeste Henkel Elementary School

10/16/2026

🍂 Fall Field Day at Celeste! 🐝

We did something a little different this year! Instead of hosting our traditional spring field day, we moved the fun to fall. We didn’t expect summer-like temperatures, but the sunshine certainly brought the heat! ☀️🥵

Despite the warm weather, our students had an amazing time, enjoyed lots of fun activities, and made some fantastic memories with their classmates!

A HUGE thank-you to Mrs. Anderson for organizing two fantastic days of fun! We are also grateful to our Enhancement Team and the West Iredell High School students for facilitating the activities and helping make our Fall Field Day a success!

More photos to come....

10/16/2026

Red Ribbon Week coming soon....

10/16/2026

🎈 What a BIG surprise at Celeste Henkel Elementary! 🎈

Our students had an unforgettable start to their Friday this morning! As part of the Statesville Balloon Festival, our very own balloonist, Mr. Litton, brought his hot air balloon to our back field for a special visit.

Although the fog kept the balloon grounded, Mr. Litton was able to set everything up and give our students a close-up look at the fascinating process. Each class had the opportunity to watch, ask questions, and snap a picture with the balloon before heading back to class!

It was a fantastic way to kick off Friday and build excitement for Field Day for our 3rd–5th graders! 🎈🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️

A huge thank-you to Mr. Litton for making this morning so special for our Hornets! 💚💛

One Team. One Focus. Every Child. Every Day. 🐝

10/12/2026

☀️ Learning in Action at Celeste Henkel Elementary! 🧪

This week, Mrs. Byers’ and Ms. Setzer’s fifth-grade classes teamed up for an exciting outdoor heat transfer lab on a beautiful, sunny day!

🌡️ Working in groups, students investigated the properties of various materials to determine whether they were conductors or insulators. They recorded their findings in T-charts in their interactive science notebooks, engaging in thoughtful discussions, sharing ideas, and working together to deepen their understanding of heat transfer.

The discussions were powerful, the teamwork was impeccable, and the learning was meaningful! In fact, students were still talking about their lab, what they had learned, and how much fun they had as they walked to the buses. Their excitement was contagious!

Even more special was the fellowship between the two classes. Their collaboration was a wonderful reminder that we are ONE fifth-grade team with ONE focus! 💚💛

We hope all of our Hornet families enjoy a relaxing four-day mini fall break! 🍂 We look forward to welcoming everyone back for more rigorous, engaging learning as we prepare for our upcoming Beginning-of-Year Check-In assessments, which begin the week of October 19.

One Team. One Focus. Every Child. Every Day. 🐝

10/08/2026

10/06/2026

Callie, a student in Mrs. Summerford’s class, did a wonderful job sharing with our School Board how her class observed Constitution Day! 🇺🇸

We are so proud of Callie for representing Celeste Henkel Elementary with such confidence and enthusiasm. Way to go, Callie! ❤️💙

10/04/2026

Good evening, Celeste families–

It's your principal, Frank Saraco, with the Weekly Updates.

It's Fire Prevention Week at Celeste, and our students will learn many important ways to keep their homes and surroundings safe. Our morning announcements will include safety tips and a riddle contest sponsored by the Iredell County Fire Marshal's Office.

Tumbleweed Coffee Truck will be on campus this Wednesday morning. Stop by and purchase a speciality coffee or one of their famous soft pretzels before heading home or to work.

Believe it or not, the first quarter ends on Friday. Report cards are scheduled to come home on Thursday, October 21st.

A reminder that school will be closed for students on Monday, October 12th & Tuesday, October 13th, for teacher workdays. Many teachers will be scheduling conferences on those days, so be on the lookout for an invite.

Save the date- Our school will host an Autumn STEM & Trunk-or-Treat event on Thursday, October 29th, from 5-7 pm. If you can donate a bag or two of candy, please have your child bring it in by October 26th. Thank you.

Week Nine is looking mighty fine as we chase greatness in our attitude, character, friendships, and learning! Enjoy the rest of your evening!

10/03/2026

🧹 National Custodian Appreciation Day! 🧹

We love our custodians! They are such a vital part of our school family, and we are so grateful for all they do each and every day.

Thank you, Brenda, Chuck, and Kade, for keeping our halls, classrooms, bathrooms, cafeteria, and offices clean, safe, and welcoming for our entire school community. Your hard work often happens behind the scenes, but it makes a tremendous difference!

💙 We appreciate you more than you know! Thank you for all you do!

10/02/2026

😊 Happy World Smile Day! 😊

We saw so many smiles throughout our school today, and they certainly brightened our day! Smiles are contagious, and even the smallest act of kindness can make a big difference in someone's life. 💚💛

At Celeste Henkel Elementary, we believe a smile can spread joy, build connections, and remind others that they matter. We hope you'll share your smile with someone today and brighten their day, too!

One smile can make a world of difference! 🐝