Our School

Welcome to Shirley Heim Middle School, proud home of the Timberwolves! Since 2008, our middle school has been a hub of learning, growth, and community spirit. We foster a supportive learning environment where all students demonstrate continuous improvement through high-quality instruction.

If you are visiting our school during regular hours (Monday through Friday from 8:50 am - 4:20 pm), please use the main entrance and proceed to our main office.  For security purposes, a valid State or Government-issued ID is required before conducting any business on-site.  Our security system scans IDs to ensure a safe environment without sharing your information with any third party.  We appreciate your cooperation and understanding as we prioritize the safety and security of our school community. 

Shirley Heim Middle School operates from 9:20 am - 3:50 pm

Bell Schedule 2023-2024

Vision

We, the community of Shirley Heim, share a commitment to prepare our students for success in further education, work, and citizenship. 

Mission

We are a learning community where all students demonstrate continuous improvement through high level instruction.

Beliefs

P.A.C.K.

Positive Relationships
Accountability
Continuous Improvement
Kindness

View the Shirley C. Heim Middle School Quality Profile.

• Goal 1:  Support high expectations for academic performance and expand opportunities for every student.
  • Objective:  Every student will meet annual growth goals in literacy, grades PreK-11.
    • Target 1:  By the Spring of 2024 students in English will have average RIT growth of 2 points or higher
    • Target 2:  Departments will implement the use of common assessments from Wit & Wisdom curriculum to evaluate and analyze student content mastery and to guide instruction and direct intervention efforts. 
    • Target 3:   PLC meetings will be data driven and organized for efficiency.
    • Target 4:   PLCs will utilize the Framework for Student learning, pacing guides and content “look-fors” to guide instruction
    • Target 5:   Utilization of Agenda Boards (Lesson Plans) by all teaching staff. 
• Goal 2:  Support high expectations for academic performance and expand opportunities for every student.
  • Objective:  Every student will meet annual growth goals in Mathematics, grades Pre-K through 11. 
    • Target 1:  By the Spring of 2024 students in Math will have an average RIT growth of 4 points or higher.
    • Target 2:   Departments will implement the use of common assessments to evaluate and analyze student content mastery and to guide instruction and direct intervention efforts. 
    • Target 3:  PLC meetings will be data driven and organized for efficiency
    • Target 4:   PLCs will utilize the Framework for Student learning, pacing guides and content “look-fors” to guide instruction
    • Target 5:  Utilization of Agenda Boards (Lesson Plans) by all teaching staff.

Who is Shirley C. Heim?

Shirley was born in rural Lancaster County as one of nine children. After serving as valedictorian of her 1954 high school class she attended Mary Washington college, then later received her Master's degree from the University of Virginia. She became the director of the Stafford Head Start Program in 1967 and received an award for her excellent program after just ten months. Shirley also began the first kindergarten classes in Stafford for students who did not qualify for Head Start.

After working with Head Start for several years Shirley became the Coordinator of all Federal and State Programs for the schools. In this role she was instrumental in bringing federal dollars to the county for programs including strings classes, library books, vocational training, school nurses, and the largest Adult Education Program in our area.

In 1985 she was promoted to the Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Technology where she continued to make changes that affected the students and teachers in the county.  She retired from Stafford County Public Schools in 2003.

And yet Shirley's jobs within the school district only show a portion of her impact on our community. Throughout her career, and into retirement, she was involved in numerous community projects working actively with the Lloyd Moss Free Clinic, the Riverside Foundation for the Performing Arts and the Stafford Historical Society, among many others. She continued to help all members of our community through outreach to nursing home residents, helping with the Duck Race each year and working to give each third grade student in Stafford a dictionary. These are just a few examples of her tireless work.

We are honored to have our school named after such a wonderful example of dedication to students and our community!