Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Horizon Elementary APRIL 2019
Comet Courier
Horizon Elementary School 46665 Broadmore Drive • Sterling, VA 20165 • Telephone 571.434.3260 • Fax 703.444.7418
Absentee Line 571.434.3261 Absentee Email [email protected]
Horizon Elementary School website: www.lcps.org/horizon Principal: Mrs. Jennifer Ewing Bookkeeper: Mrs. Holly Buehler
Assistant Principal: Mr. Maxwell Merick Attendance Secretary: Mrs. Katie Wright We’re on the web! www.lcps.org/horizon Follow us on twitter: @HorizonElem
and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HRZSterling
APRIL EVENTS
Tuesday, April 2 2nd Grade Musical Dress Rehearsal Wednesday, April 3 2nd Grade Musical, 1:15 and 6:30 Thursday, April 4 Moveable Monday Schedule Friday, April 5 Report Cards Available in ParentVue Thursday, April 11 4th Grade Field Trip to Harper’s Ferry April 15 – 19 Spring Break Tuesday, April 23 Poetry Masters Recitations Wednesday, April 24 4th Grade Egg Drop Thursday, April 25 Take Your Child to Work Day Monday, April 29 Horizon Chorus to Falcon’s Landing, 3:30 Tuesday, April 30 Comet Walk!
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL… Greetings Comets! The third quarter ended on Thursday, March 28. The
third quarter report cards will be available in Parent Vue on Friday, April 5
in the afternoon.
I know our spring weather has not been typical with both cool and warm
weather; but as we prepare for the weather to consistently warm up, please be
reminded that clothing worn by students should be appropriate and modest.
Spaghetti-strapped shirts/blouses and flip flops are a couple of examples of
inappropriate attire. Please review the Dress Code Guidelines which can be
found on p. 8 in the 3rd – 5th Agenda books, the Student Handbook, and p.5
of the April Comet Courier. All students have physical education and/or recess
each day. Wearing inappropriate footwear can lead to injury and/or non-
participation in physical education classes. We need your help in monitoring
the clothing choices that your children make each day. Parents/guardians
may be contacted in the event a student needs to change inappropriate attire.
In the month of May, we will begin the student placement process for next
year’s classes. We invite you, our parents, to share information about your
child or family that we do not have access to at school that you believe would
impact your child’s educational placement. Should you choose this option,
please complete the Parent Placement Information Form for 2019-2020 or
send me a letter; I respectfully request that you send your input on or before
Friday, May 3rd. Your input should not request a specific teacher. It is
impossible to grant those kinds of requests and I know that it can be
disappointing when your child does not get into the classroom of the teacher
that you request. Please do not approach your child’s current teacher to ask
who he/she thinks would be the best teacher for your child. That could
potentially be an uncomfortable situation for both the parent and/or teacher.
Please be assured that a great deal of thought and consideration goes into
placing children into classes at Horizon and we do our best to make the
correct placement choices.
We look forward to a fantastic fourth quarter!
Sincerely,
Jennifer Ewing☺
Parent Input for Student Placement Information Form for 2019-2020
The information you provide will be considered when placing our child in his/her class next year. Please
fill out one form per child. Return form to Mrs. Ewing by Friday, May 3, 2019.
Student:________________________ Current Teacher______________Grade NEXT Year: _____
Check the descriptors that apply to your child:
Classroom setting:
____ needs a highly structured classroom ____ needs a free-flowing classroom
____ needs strong routines ____ needs hands-on activities
____ prefers to work independently ____ prefers group/partner work
____ other: _______________________________________________________________
Instruction and Learning Style:
____ enjoys reading ____ enjoys math
____ enjoys science and/or social studies ____ enjoys music and/or art
____ enjoys problem solving ____ enjoys hands-on activies
____ is an auditory learner ____ is a visual learner
____ needs additional time to complete assignments
____ needs frequent opportunities to interact with others
____ other:_______________________________________________________________
Behavior:
____ able to remain focused ____ follows directions
____ completes assignments ____ is easily frustrated
____ is easily motivated
____ is able to work cooperatively ____ is able to work independently
with peers without a lot of teacher assistance
____ needs close supervision and support from teacher
____ accepts responsibility for his/her behavior
____ needs frequent feedback/reassurance from teacher
____ needs to be pushed by teacher to reach potential
____ other:__________________________________________________________________
Medical concerns or special needs for consideration:_________________________________________
Social needs to consider:________________________________________________________________
What other information should we be aware of regarding your child that will help with their placement for
next year? ____________________________________________________________________________
Please note this form is for informational purposes only and placement with a specific teacher is not
guaranteed.
TAKE YOUR CHILD TO WORK DAY
Dear Parents,
Thursday, April 25th is “Take Your Child to Work Day.” It is a day that your child can go to
work with either parent. It is also a nightmare for our attendance secretary who tracks all
the student absences.
If you plan to take your child to work with you, please fill out the form below and return it
to your child’s teacher. It will save hours of phone calls to parents asking where their
children are.
If you decide last minute to take your child to work with you, please call in to the absentee
line at 571-434-3261 or email us at [email protected].
******************************************************************
Take Your Child to Work Day Form
My child/children will be out of school on April 25.
Child’s name:________________________ Teacher:_______________________
Child’s name:________________________ Teacher:_______________________
Child’s name:________________________ Teacher:_______________________
Parent’s Signature:___________________________________________________
(Teachers, please return this form to Mrs. Wright in the office.)
SOL Testing Update: Virginia State Standards of Learning assessments will begin on May 7, 2019 at Horizon for all students in
grades 3, 4 & 5. Grade 3 will take a Reading and Math assessment. Grade 4 will take the Reading, Math,
and Virginia Studies Assessment. Grade 5 will take a Reading, Math and Science assessment. Below is
the SOL schedule for your student.
SOL Schedule:
Grade 3 Reading- May 13, 2019
Grade 3 Math- May 21, 2019
Grade 4 VA Studies-May 8, 2019
Grade 4 Reading-May 14, 2019
Grade 4 Math- May 22, 2019
Grade 5 Reading-May 7, 2019
Grade 5 Math- May 15, 2019
Grade 5 Science- May 23, 2019
Make-up and Expedited Retakes-May 28-31, 2019
Test-Day Reminders:
-Please make sure your student has a good night’s sleep prior their test day.
-Please have your student eat a balanced breakfast on test day.
-Please have your student arrive on time to school so they have time to get settled prior to testing.
If you have any questions about SOL testing or test preparation please contact your student’s teacher via
email or phone. Thank you for all your support at home as we prepare for a productive and exciting
testing season here at Horizon. Go Comets!
Max Merick
Assistant Principal Horizon Elementary
2018-2019 Kindergarten Registration is underway!
Online pre-registration opened Feb. 21st for the 2019-2020 school year at www.lcps.org.
Parents will need to come to school to present all the documentation required to complete registration. Appointments will be scheduled
beginning March 20th to complete registrations--please contact the Mrs. Wright at the school for an appointment at 571-434-3260.
Do you have a neighbor with a rising kindergartener? Please share this news with them!
DRESS CODE
The primary responsibility for the proper dress and grooming of students rests with the parent or guardian of each student. The school has the responsibility; however, to see that the cleanliness, dress, and grooming of students does not present a danger to the health or safety of themselves or fellow classmates. Clothing must be in good taste, of a comfortable fit and follow school standards. Students should dress for the “business of school.” Inappropriate attire consists of any clothing that disrupts the learning environment because it is distracting or offensive.
• Clothing students should refrain from wearing to school: ❖ Short/tight skirts, shorts and/or dresses (must be at least fingertip length) ❖ halter or spaghetti string tops without a shirt/sweater over it ❖ midriff tops that expose the stomach area ❖ excessively baggy shorts or pants ❖ mesh/see-through athletic shirts without a T-shirt underneath ❖ clothing that displays inappropriate language, artwork, symbols, alcohol/drug messages ❖ a bandana and/or hat while at school ❖ Heelies and/or shoes with wheels ❖ Shoes must be worn at all times
Children must wear sneakers/athletic shoes with solid, rubber soles for all physical education classes.
Parents will be called if their child arrives to school dressed inappropriately. It may be necessary for a change of clothing to be brought to school for the child.
Do you have any gently used toys that
you could pass onto the preschool
students in need? The Early Childhood
Special Education- Autism (ECSE-A)
class would love to have those preschool
toys (Age: 2-5 years old) of all sizes. We
also need crayons, washable markers,
playdough, etc.
Please drop off toys to the Front Office
(attn: Room 4), or feel free to send them
in a bag in your child’s backpack.
Contact Su Ji Park, ECSE-A teacher,
with any questions at [email protected].
Thank you!!
Music Notes
The 2nd Grade Musical this year is "Welcome to the Jungle" based on Aesop's fable, "The Lion and The Mouse." It's all about making friends, keeping promises, and not judging books by their covers. Come to Horizon and enjoy the performances on Wednesday, April 3 at 1:15 & 6:30 p.m.!
Come hear your Horizon Chorus sing their spring concert at 8:15 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 1!
Thank you to all the
parents and
volunteers that helped
make our book fairs
successful this
year. You are much
appreciated.
-Mrs. Christiansen and Ms.
Gigi
Counselors’
Corner
Horizon’s School
Counseling Team:
• Mrs. Amanda Brougham, Horizon Mon. – Fri.
• Mrs. Susie Cochran, Horizon Tues.; ½ day Friday PM,
• Mrs. Marnie Dawson, Horizon Mon.; [email protected]
Horizon has an amazing School Counseling team for the rest of the
school year! Please take a moment to get to know each with their
Biographical Information Sheets on the following pages.
GREAT THINGS HAPPENING AT HORIZON!
Student of the Month is awarded to a student who consistently shows the three
C’s at school. This month’s students from each class are:
Mrs. Dettmer – Ethan Tidd Mrs. Abney – Madeleine Guevarra Mrs. Gruehn- Rachel Eskin
Mrs. Toynbee – Amna Khan Mrs. Briskin – Abby Goldsmith Mrs. Perka – Isaac McNeil
Mrs. Walker – Rosie Bethel Miss Nichols – Zohair Al Mamun Mrs. Rooker – Imaad Miakhel
Mrs. Yang – Gemma Harrison Mrs. Wallace – Saisha Shrestha Mrs. Seufert Alison Dubon Handal
Mrs. Snyder – Avani Ghanta
Miss Johnson – Sofia Bates Miss Griffith –Lydia Yang Mrs. Drury – Zoe Flatla
Miss Strohl – Divena Gupta Miss Long – Ryker Zahory Mrs. Engle – Gabriella Simpson
Miss Wasser – Ahish Kothuru Mrs. Love – Ali Wamiq Miss Harrison – William Finke
Miss Zahid – Victoria Lim Miss Maher-Ariela Rivera Almendarez Miss Mueller – Juan Erazo Melgar
Mrs. Jeffers – Paige Miller Miss Rohrbach – Ainsley Love
Mrs. Wright – Zander Reuss Mrs. Tate – Aakash Pradhan
Fun Dining is awarded to one class per grade level each month who have
consistently exhibited Courteous, Caring and Cooperative behavior in the
cafeteria. Students are given a paper table cloth to draw and play games on as well as
special comet trays for their lunches.
***The Fun Dining Program is taking a break and will resume in April!***
The Dustpan Award is chosen by the custodians for the cleanest classroom in
each grade level.
Kindergarten – Mrs. Dettmer’s class 1st Grade – Mrs. Wallace’s class
2nd Grade – Mrs. Rooker’s class 3rd Grade – Ms. Zahid’s class
4th Grade – Miss Griffith’s Class 5th Grade – Mrs. Tate’s class
Congratulations!
Horizon Elementary staff cordially invites you to attend the
Volunteer Breakfast
Date: Tuesday, April 9
Time: 8:00 AM
Location: Horizon Comet Cafe
Please R.S.V.P. to let us know you will attend.
_____ Yes, I will attend the Volunteer Breakfast!
Name:___________________________________________________
You may also email Holly Buehler in the Horizon office at
[email protected] to RSVP
COMET COUNCIL CLOTHING DRIVE
APRIL 2ND - MAY 3RD
APRIL IS A GREAT TIME TO CLEAN OUT YOUR CLOSETS AND DONATE THOSE SPRING AND SUMMER CLOTHES THAT YOU NO LONGER WEAR
DONATION BOXES WILL BE IN THE FOYER OF HORIZON FROM APRIL
2nd THROUGH MAY 3rd. PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT ALL ITEMS ARE CLEAN AND IN GENTLY USED CONDITION.
Horizon will collect different items each week of the drive.
See the schedule below.
Week 1 (April 2nd to April 5th) Boys’ spring clothing
Week 2 (April 8th to April 12th) Girls’ spring clothing
Week 3 (April 22nd to April 26th) Young Adult & Adult Women’s clothing
Week 4 (April 29th to May 3rd) Young Adult and Adult Men’s clothing
Contact Amy Sandridge at [email protected] with any questions.
THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR GENEROSITY!
CLOTHING DONATION
DRIVE APRIL 2ND – MAY 3RD
The Potomac Falls cluster of schools will be collecting gently used Spring and Summer
clothing during the month of April. This clothing drive is to support a No-Sale Yard
Sale that will be held at River Bend Middle School on May 11th from 11 a.m. until 2
p.m.
The donation drive is an opportunity for our school to support those within our
community that have a need.
We will accept all clothing that is clean and in like new condition but are most
interested in receiving seasonal clothes for spring and summer. We will also accept
gently used coats, jackets and shoes. Before you donate please make sure that if you
wrote your child’s name in the item, you have removed it. Also please make sure that
the clothing has been washed. Please bring your bagged donations to Horizon and place
in the donation boxes located in the lobby.
Thanks for your support!
The Potomac Falls Parent Liaisons Amy Sandridge - Horizon
“NO SALE” CLOTHING SALE
MAY 11TH
RIVER BEND MIDDLE SCHOOL 11:00 A.M. TO 2 P.M.
ALL ITEMS ARE FREE
The Potomac Falls cluster of schools is holding a free clothing distribution on May 11th at River Bend Middle School. Men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing and shoes will be available.
All items are free. Enter on the side of the building.
Hosted by the Potomac Falls cluster of schools
Parent Liaisons
5th Grade D.A.R.E. Graduation
The fifth-graders have been learning information and strategies to live a
drug-free and violence free life in their bi-weekly D.A.R.E. lessons with
Deputy Furusho from LCSO this year. Soon, they will be hard at work
on their essays that are a requirement for their D.A.R.E. graduation.
This is a very important day for fifth graders. Please mark your
calendars for Thursday, May 16, 2019 at 10 a.m. in the gymnasium.
We hope you will be able to join us to celebrate their accomplishments
in this worthwhile program.
Have you lost something at
Horizon? We may have found it!
Stop by the lost and found to
look for lost jackets, sweatshirts
and other lost items. All
unclaimed items will be donated
as part of the April clothing
drive ending on May 3rd.
Save the Date
DONUTS WITH DIVAS
Doughnuts with Divas is
coming up on May 14th and
15th. Mark your calendar to
come to Horizon to share a
doughnut and some special
time with your child on one of
these mornings.
Congratulations to the following Courageous
Comets who successfully recited a poem for the
Poetry Masters Challenge: Cate Boehmcke Daisy Davis Taha Gassoumi Hamza Hazique
Dylan Tufano Mirjahon Ayubov Ezel Demirer Zara Ahadi
Jayden Rivera Tre Hamilton Jahzara Shabazz Zaki Hoda
Liam Costello Vanessa Foris Caitlyn Hall Lilly Fernandez
Julian Balderrama Bella Chen Leah Kidwell Ezaan Khan
Avani Ghanta Aakash Pradhan Hamza Anwar Jackson Siler
Aarna Vasanthan Lydia Yang Olivia Davis Zoe Whitehead
Dalton Porter Samheetha Vasan Olivia Strauss Julia Prelewicz
Colleen MacGoy Abraham Albadri Sydney Dolese
WATCH D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) is a one-of-a-kind, school-based
father involvement program that works to support education and safety. See
http://dadsofgreatstudents.com/default/ for more information.
The Horizon Watch D.O.G.S. volunteer program is going on now! You can
join the program at any time during the school year. Volunteer shifts are
available for as short as 20 minutes and up to a whole day. You choose what
works best for your schedule.
Contact Amy Sandridge at [email protected] or 571-434-3260 to get
more information and to sign up.
DO YOU PLAN TO VISIT
HORIZON THIS SCHOOL YEAR?
Of course you do!
Our visitor management system up and
running. Every visitor to Horizon must have
a scannable form of identification (driver’s
license or state ID, passport ID -not the
passport itself, or active military ID). We
will still ask for your ID at the door, and
then we will scan it in the office. Thanks for
your cooperation in keeping Horizon a safe
place for all our students!
HORIZON HAS CAR
MAGNETS FOR
SALE!
SHOW YOUR COMET SPIRIT!
Car magnets are only $5.00 and are
available in the office.
(EXACT CHANGE OR CHECKS MADE OUT TO
HORIZON ELEMENTARY ONLY)
WILL YOUR CHILD BE ABSENT FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD? Here is some information to know:
• Absences over 5 days for reasons other than illness must be approved in advance
by the Principal.
• After 15 consecutive days absent, a student is unenrolled.
• Teachers are not required to provide school work in advance, since day-to-day
plans can change.
• Teachers can compile missed work to provide to students upon their return.
• Teachers can also share lesson objectives/concepts that may be covered during an
absence. This allows parents/guardians to provide means of exposure to the
concepts.
• Parents are encouraged to use online tools through LCPS GO to continue learning
through the use of technology.
• Students are encouraged to read or be read to daily, keep a journal to practice
writing, practice simple math facts with flash cards or manipulatives.
• Questions? Please check with your child’s teacher.
EASY SCHOOL FUNDRAISERS Do you want to help raise money for Horizon in a SUPER EASY way? Just do
what you already do – buy groceries! How does buying groceries help Horizon, you ask?
Help support Horizon Elementary by registering your grocery store cards and cutting Box Tops for
Education. Our school earned over $2,000.00 last year, and it’s so easy! Invite friends, neighbors, and relatives to support our school. Just ask them to register and designate Horizon Elementary! See the
details below:
Do you shop at Giant? Giant Food – School ID: 03686 – If you have never registered your Giant Bonus Card before, please do. But if you’ve already done it and selected
Horizon Elementary, you do NOT need to re-register! To register, or check to see if you are registered, use the link below and click on either register or sign in on the top right of the screen:
https://giantfood.com/school-rewards/
Do you shop at Harris Teeter? Harris Teeter – School ID 5928 You MUST register every year! Please click on the link below to register!
https://www.harristeeter.com/together-in-education#/app/cms
We also collect Box Tops for Education throughout the year. The spring contest is over, but keep collecting those Box Tops! We’ll have another contest in the fall!
This Month at the Parent Resource Center:
All workshops take place at the LCPS Admin Building unless otherwise noted. To register, click here:
https://www.lcps.org/site/Default.aspx?PageID=179754
OFFICE REMINDERS
Students are permitted to enter the building each morning at 7:30 am. Those students ordering breakfast may go straight to the cafeteria. All other students will go straight to their classrooms to start unpacking and start their morning routines. The start bell will sound at 7:50 am. The school day begins promptly at 7:50 AM. Students MUST be in their classrooms at 7:50 AM; arriving after that time results in an UNEXCUSED tardy, unless a doctor’s note is provided. Students coming in after 7:50 AM must be escorted into the building by an adult. School dismisses at 2:35 PM. Parents picking up students prior to dismissal are required to sign them out in the main office. All visitors to the building should begin their visit in the main office. Once in the office, you may sign in using the computer located on the front counter. Any forgotten items should be brought to the office. This will cut down on interruptions to the class.
ABSENTEE/TARDY Please email the Horizon absentee email at [email protected], or call the absentee line at 571-434-3261 to report the absence or late to school information for your child.
AFTER SCHOOL PLAN Anytime your child has a change in his/her after school plan, please send a note in with your child in the morning. The office cannot redirect children after school on the basis of a phone call. If an emergency necessitates a change during the day, you may fax the instructions to us at 703-444-7418.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
If, due to a disability, you need assistance to enable you to participate meaningfully in any of our school programs, please contact Mrs. Ewing, Principal at 571.434.3260 at least five working days prior to the activity.
SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN (SIP)
The Horizon staff is dedicated to improving our strategies for increasing student achievement and in closing the achievement gap. A formal School Improvement Plan is developed by staff, with parent input. If parents are interested in participating in this process please contact Jennifer Ewing at 571-434-3260. The plan is reviewed and revised throughout the year according to the results achieved.
The 2018-2019 SIP can be found on the Horizon website
LOST AND FOUND
Horizon Elementary has areas designated for lost items such as lunch boxes, and clothing. Students who misplace their belongings can check in the Lost and Found that is located outside the cafeteria by the water fountains. Items of value or importance such as glasses, jewelry, and keys are kept in the front office. If your child has lost an item, please encourage them to check in the Lost and Found or with the office secretaries. Items that go unclaimed will be donated to a local charity at the end of each quarter.
SCHOOL BOARD REPRESENTATIVES
Debbie Rose, Algonkian District - [email protected]. You can also follow her on Facebook, "Debbie Rose- School Board"
Brenda Sheridan, Sterling District - [email protected]
Beth Huck, At Large - [email protected]
HORIZON IS ON FACEBOOK & TWITTER!
Visit Horizon's Facebook page to keep up to date on school events and happenings! Check us out at: facebook.com/HRZSterling and be sure to Like our page to get your updates.
We are also on Twitter. Click the links below our calendar to follow us!
https://www.facebook.com/HRZSterling https://twitter.com/HorizonElem
Arrival and Dismissal Procedures
Please help us to make a smooth arrival and dismissal by reviewing the following procedures if you are
dropping off and picking up your child/children:
1. Student arrival and drop off can start once staff are on duty at 7:30 am each morning.
2. Please consider arriving at school a little earlier on inclement weather days. We have very few cars from 7:30 to
7:40 and then a mad rush from 7:40 to 7:50, which tends to back up the line and impact the number of students
who end up being tardy. The bell rings at 7:50. Any students not in their classrooms by 7:50 when the bell rings
are counted as tardy.
3. Car drop off is to the east side of the building. Pull all the way up to the first orange cone to allow
as many cars into the Kiss and Go area as possible. If you get here first, please do not park along the
circle, PULL ALL the way up to be courteous of other cars! C a r s n e e d t o pull forward so that
traffic does not back up on Broadmore Drive.
4. When cars leave in front of you, pull as far forward as you can.
5. NEVER get out of your car and leave it unattended in the drop lane. This blocks all the traffic and
creates a backup.
6. Speed limit in the Kiss and Go area should be no faster than 10 mph. The difference in time from the entrance to
the far cone is only 10 seconds; safety first!
7. Children should be able to exit or enter the car independently. Parents who must assist their
child/children should park in one of the designated parking spots in front of the school and walk the
student across the crosswalk to the front entry of the school.
8. Please do not use the designated handicapped parking spots if you do not have the legal
authorization (placard/license plate) from the DMV.
