Horizon Elementary JANUARY 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 hrzabsentee@lcps.org

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

JANUARY EVENTS

Wednesday, January 2 Classes Resume Saturday, January 5 PTA Skate Night Wednesday, January 9 Spelling Bee, 8:00 AM Thursday, January 17 4th Grade Colonial Day Grading Period Ends Friday, January 18 No School for Students (Moveable Student Holiday) Monday, January 21 No School – Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Wednesday, January 23 4th/5th Grade Chorus Rehearsals Begin, 7:00 AM

Club and Candid Picture Day Friday, January 25 Report Cards Available in ParentVue, 3:00 PM 5th Graders to PFHS for “Meet the Band” Monday, January 28 Poetry Masters Recitations

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL… Greetings Comets! The month of December before winter break was full of several great

events: Geography Bee, Annual Comet Cultural Cruise, and the all school Holiday Sing

Along. These are such fun and festive events with our school family community!

Here is a link for a fun activity for your child(ren) to do to reflect on 2018:

https://www.funlovingfamilies.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/2018-year-in-review.pdf

(copy on p. 2) and/or https://www.skiptomylou.org/2015-year-in-review-printable/

As we begin 2019, I would like to wish everyone a healthy and prosperous new year! 2019 is

an important year for Horizon Elementary School. The 2019-2020 school year will be

Horizon’s 20th year. We look forward to celebrating this milestone year as a school in the

Sterling community. Go Comets!

The weather has been mild as school has resumed on Tuesday, January 2nd. I wonder how

many times we will get to hear Mr. Byard’s voice announcing a delay or school closing?

Will snow be in our future for the months of January and/or February?

When school is in session during this cold season please have your children dress

appropriately to stay warm (coats, long pants, warm layers, hats, gloves, scarves, etc). It

would also be helpful to take a moment to write their names in coats, sweatshirts, gloves,

hats, scarves and any other loose items. This will help our students that manage the Lost

and Found to return found items to the proper owners.

Please be sure to read the information regarding school closure and cancellation procedures

enclosed in this newsletter. We do ask parents/guardians to not call the school during early

dismissal procedures since the phone lines must be open to receive information/instruction

from LCPS administration.

I am also asking that all parents/guardians send any updated procedures/information to

your child’s teacher if things have changed since you last completed the Early Dismissal

Plan. Please be mindful that we do not call parents in the event of an early dismissal.

Your cooperation with this request is most appreciated.

The second quarter has really flown by. It will end on Thursday, January 17. Report cards

for the second grading period will be available for review in Parent Vue by 3:00 pm on

Friday, January 25. Please remember if you would like a hard copy to notify your child’s

teacher.

You may want to stay educated and informed on the FY 20 LPCS Budget Process. Here is

a link to the LCPS Budget Process Information: https://www.lcps.org/Page/167905

Warm regards,

Jennifer Ewing

INCLEMENT WEATHER INFORMATION

When schools are closed/delayed or closed early due to inclement weather or any other emergency, announcements to this effect are made over local radio and TV stations as early as 6:00 A.M. You can also access this information through the Loudoun County Schools web page at www.lcps.org. Connect-Ed phone calls will also be made by LCPS to the primary number listed on your students contact sheet.

Please do not call the school, as the line must be kept open for emergency calls.

• DELAYED OPENINGS When road conditions are not satisfactory, the opening of school may be delayed for one or two hours. A one-hour delayed opening causes no change in the program at Horizon Elementary. However, a two-hour delayed opening would necessitate the following changes to the kindergarten program:

Two-Hour Delayed Openings – Program Schedule Adjustments

Full Day Programs Students in these programs will arrive two (2) hours late and remain until the end of the normal school day.

Early Childhood Pre-School A.M. Session – will begin two (2) hours late and remain in school for two hours. These students will leave school one hour later than usual.

P.M. Session – will begin one (1) hour late and remain in school for two hours, dismissing at the regular time.

• EARLY SCHOOL CLOSING Each family should have a plan for emergency school closings. A form on which parents should indicate their family’s emergency plan is included in the First Day Packet. If, for any reason, school is closed early, we will be able to remind children of the plans their parents have developed so that each child will know where to go if he/she should go home to an empty house. The classroom teachers will keep these plans in the classrooms and remind the children of the plan in the event of an early closing. Due to the large number of students in this school, we cannot call individual parents.

We receive our information about school closing by telephone or e-mail from the Loudoun County Schools Administrative Office. PLEASE DO NOT CALL THE SCHOOL, as the line must be kept open for emergency calls! You will receive a Connect-Ed call in the case of an emergency closing.

*** Should you need to update the Early Dismissal Form that you filled out at the

beginning of the year, please contact the office for a new form, fill it out, and return it to

your child’s teacher. We cannot make changes to this early dismissal plan on the basis of

a phone call.***

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 – Erin Villareal Mrs. Abney- Beni Domonkos Mrs. Gruehn- Daniel Harper

Mrs. Toynbee – Elena Epstein Mrs. Briskin – Kami Cerniglia Mrs. Perka – Kristen Kim

Mrs. Walker – Aksel Hirsch Miss Nichols –Sarina Met Mrs. Rooker – Dana Colberg

Mrs. Yang – Siyal Miakhel Mrs. Wallace – Danny Nguyen Mrs. Seufert – Gurshaan Singh

Miss Johnson – Brennan Patterson Miss Griffith – Jane Channell Mrs. Drury – Judah Abram

Miss Strohl – Sam Charen Miss Long –Chima Okafo Mrs. Engle – Luis Pereira

Miss Wasser –Elena Kramer Mrs. Love – Leah Abdo Miss Harrison – Keyan Tarawneh

Miss Zahid –Kaitlyn Hassan Miss Maher – Tori Murphy Miss Mueller – Sydney Russo

Mrs. Jeffers –Emmett Zak Miss Rohrbach – Ethan Summers

Mrs. Wright – Malik Hasan Mrs. Tate –Kendall Foris

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.

Kindergarten – Mrs. Yang’s students

First – Mrs. Briskin’s students

Second –Mrs. Perka’s students

Third – Ms. Zahid’s students

Fourth – Mrs. Love’s students

Fifth –Ms. Rohrbach’s students

The Dustpan Award is chosen by the custodians for the cleanest classroom in

each grade level. December’s winning classes are:

Kindergarten –Mrs. Dettmer’s classroom First –Mrs. Wallace’s classroom

Second –Mrs. Snyder’s classroom Third –Ms. Zahid’s classroom

Fourth – Ms. Griffith’s classroom Fifth –Mrs. Engle’s classroom

LIBRARY NEWS

Thank you to all the

volunteers who helped us

during the November book

fair. Please save the date for

the Spring Book Fair

- March 25-29

Music Notes

Congratulations to Emma Simpson, Colleen MacGoy, and Thomas Kalka for being selected to represent Horizon in the Loudoun County All-County Chorus festival this year. The event will be May 3 and 4 at Park View High School. Thank you to all those who auditioned. There's great talent at Horizon Elementary School!

Money for 4th & 5th grade recorders was collected in December. Recorders and method books will be delivered in January and the recorder unit for students will begin during the week of January 22.

Information about joining the Horizon Chorus (for 4th & 5th Grade only) will go home this month. Please be on the look-out.

Please visit the music portion of the Horizon website for more information.

Go to: www.lcps.org/horizon

Find "Specials" and select "Music" from the drop-down menu.

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 Amy.Sandridge@lcps.org or

571-434-3260 to get more information and to sign up.

Counselors’ Corner

Happy New Year! Time to set a kindness goal for 2019! January is the traditional time for New Year’s

Resolutions and we are going to turn those resolutions into achievable goals. One way to be successful is

to set SMART goals.

Specific –What exactly do you want to achieve? Measurable – How will you know when you have

achieved it?

Attainable – Is it something you have control over?

Realistic – Can you really achieve it?

Timely – When exactly do you want to achieve it?

Sample SMART Kindness Goals

• I will give three real compliments every day!

• I will say “thank you” at least five times every day!

• I will create a mini kindness goal every morning (one

kind act I will do today)!

• I will put that year-long charitable act that I read about in the December newsletter on my monthly

calendar by the end of January to make sure it happens!

• I will SMILE every day. It’s such an easy way to show kindness to everyone.

Goals are important. It’s never too early to start learning to set and achieve them. Help your children

create a SMART kindness goal and share yours with them too!

Mrs. McCrea & Mr. Diamond

Holiday Food Drive Thank You! Thank you to all the Caring Comets who followed our Comet Kindness Calendar during the countdown to winter break. Your donations contributed to our super successful Holiday Food Drive! We collected a tremendous amount of food for families in need in our community. As of the last count, we sent over 1,560 boxes, cans, or containers of food to the food pantry.

A special thanks to Mrs. Tate, Ms. Mueller, and Ms. Rohrbach, and their fifth-grade students for sorting, counting and packing the donated food for delivery to the food banks!!!

Thank you for your kindness!

Please check out the following page for photos of our caring Comets in action, helping with the food drive!

Horizon thanks Keller Williams Realty Dulles for generously supporting our Holiday Giving Tree with gift cards in 2018!

Horizon also thanks Montessori Children's House of Loudoun for generously sponsoring Horizon Giving Tree families with gifts in 2018!

CARING COMETS IN ACTION -

FIFTH GRADERS HELPING OUT WITH

THE FOOD DRIVE!

GEOGRAPHY BEE!

We would like to congratulate Kellen Habibelahy on winning our school Geography

Bee. He will be advancing onto the next round, representing Horizon. We are extremely

proud of him and his accomplishments. We would also like to say congratulations to our

runner up, Jenna Pugsley and our third runner up, Sam Deeds! Please be sure to

congratulate them! Kellen will be moving on to the next round in January with the online

round of questions. We wish him the best of luck!

Mrs. Engle and Mrs. Love, Geography Bee CoChairs

Congratulations to the following Courageous Comets who successfully recited

a poem for the Poetry Masters Challenge:

Keira Fitch Vanessa Foris Taha Gassoumi Kristen Kim

Jackson Siler Dalton Porter Dylan Tufano Kaylee Robbins

Bella Chen Kamron Moazzez Hamza Hazique Trygve Hirsch

Meghan Fitch Sama Shawki Marsh Williams Hayden Manor

Julia Sagen Emma Bogoslav Aakash Pradhan Talia Knutsen

MacKenzie Brewster Natalie Fedigan Caitlyn Hall Daisy Davis

Yazen Shawki Zoe Whitehead Avani Ghanta Samheetha Vasan

Leah Kidwell Emma Keller Evie Whitehead Ashwika Shamanur

Hailey Thompson Maha Khan Lydia Yang Zeineb Gassoumi

Melania Fundatureanu Hamza Anwar Jackson Brewster Olivia Davis

Sydney Dolese Liam Costello Zaki Hoda Julian Balderrama

Saira Kumar Lilly Fernandez Anisa Adhami

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 first contest for Box Tops just ended, but we’ll have another one after the new year!

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 hrzabsentee@lcps.org, 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 - debbie.rose@lcps.org. You can also follow her on Facebook, "Debbie Rose- School Board"

Brenda Sheridan, Sterling District - brenda.sheridan@lcps.org

Beth Huck, At Large - lcsb@lcps.org

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.