Horizon Elementary MARCH 2018

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: Ms. Stephanie Baran Attendance Secretary: Mrs. Violet Sowa-Badders

MARCH EVENTS

Friday, March 2 Read Across America Day PTA Bingo Night, 6:30 PM Tuesday, March 6 1st Grade Field Trip to Shenandoah Discovery Museum Wednesday, March 7 Spring Individual and Class Pictures Thursday, March 8 5th Grade Field Trip to Udvar Hazy Museum Friday, March 9 PTA Spirit Night at Chuck E. Cheese, 3-9 PM Tuesday, March 13 PTA Meeting, 6:30 PM Friday, March 16 4th Grade Friendship Tea March 26 – March 30 Spring Break – no school ************************************** Monday, April 2 Teacher Professional Development Day, No School for Students

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL… Greetings Comets! The month of March is a busy and short one. In the next

several weeks, starting tomorrow Friday, March 2, we are scheduled to have

Read Across America Day, HPTA Dr. Seuss Bingo, spring class & individual

pictures, the Dominion Cluster Fine Arts Night, the next HPTA meeting in the

evening, and Kindergarten Registration at schools. Please mark your

calendars with these important dates.

The 2018-2019 Kindergarten onsite registration begins on Wednesday, March

21. In person registrations will be accepted between 8:00 am and 3:00 pm. If

you took advantage of the online preregistration process (which started on

Tuesday, February 20), please remember to call the school for an appointment

with Mrs. Wright.

This year spring break will be March 26-30, with classes resuming on Tuesday,

April 3. Please make a note that there are two Student Holidays in April –

Monday, April 2 and Monday, April 9. Please plan accordingly.

We are currently in the third quarter, which will end on Friday, April 6. Third

quarter report cards will go home on Wednesday, April 18.

I am excited to be returning to school this month starting on Monday, March

5. The past two months I have missed being at Horizon. I have truly missed

our Comet students, staff, and parents! I do want to thank everyone for the

cards, emails, letters, and messages with well wishes during my recovery from

foot surgery. These words of encouragement have been heart felt. It has

meant the world to me to know that everyone has missed me as much as I have

missed them. We truly have a Caring Comet Community! I feel so blessed to

be part of such an amazing school family!

I want to thank Mrs. Seck for her willingness to be acting principal in my

absence. I know she has enjoyed her time with our Comet Community! She

has been amazing to work along with Ms. Baran and the rest of our Horizon

staff to keep business as usual in January and February. Thank you for

making her feel welcome and part of the Comet school family!

Sincerely,

Jennifer Ewing

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.***

(Positive Behavior Innovations and Supports)

Fun Dining!

Ask your children how their class can earn fun dining by showing the three C’s in the

Comet Café!

Fun Dining winners for January were:

Kindergarten – Mrs.Dettmer’s Class 1st Grade –Mrs. Wallace’s Class

2nd grade – Mrs.Gruehn’s Class 3rd Grade – Miss Strohl’s Class

4th Grade –Mrs. Sheehan’s Class 5th Grade –Mrs. Hedges’ class

Fun Dining Winners for February will be announced in the April Comet Courier

Students of the Month!

The following students were selected as students of the month for their class for

February. Congratulations to these children for consistently showing the 3 C’s of Comet

Conduct in their classrooms!

Kindergarten 1st Grade 2nd Grade

Dettmer: Johann Marquez Mencia Abney: Daniel Harper Rooker: Kaitlyn Hassan

Toynbee: Zohair Al Mamun Nichols: Purvi Patil Gruehn: Antonia Gabrial

Walker: Savannah Thompson Wallace: Mateo Ratiu Williams: Alexander Malapira

Yang: Penelope Dunn Briskin: Alison Dubon Handal Seufert: Ethan Zelakiewicz

Perka: Elise Flatla Snyder: Bella Chen

3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade

Mrs. Canellos: Ranson Thayambath Love: Ryan Engle Tate: McKenna Lyons

Strohl: Rachel Mahler Long: Tal Rose Patterson: Samantha Dobrai

Mueller: Emmett Zak Griffith: Nathan Mattson Hedges: Lindsie Smith

Zahid: Evan Chosset Drury: Julia Prelewicz Koehler: Timothy Nkan

Wasser: Jane Channell Sheehan: Keira VanVoorhis Engle: Ruhansh Satwik

Ms. Johnson: Owen Turner

2018-2019 Kindergarten Registration Begins March 21, 2018.

Online pre-registration, which is highly encouraged, opened Feb. 20th for the 2018-2019 school year. Go to https://register.lcps.org/ to complete the online portion.

Please call the Mrs. Wright in the Horizon office at 571-434-3260 to schedule an appointment for March 22nd or after to complete the registration. Parents will need to come

to school to present all the documentation required to complete our child’s registration.

Do you have a neighbor with a rising kindergartener? Please share this news with them!

SPECIAL PERMISSION NEWS!

Is your child attending Horizon on special permission? Don’t forget, you must re-apply each year!

The special permission window will be open April 1 – August 15.

Go to www.lcps.org and click on the special permission link to apply beginning April 1st. Parents of students in grades 1 – 5 will be notified of their special

permission status within 30 days. Parents of rising kindergarten students will be notified by August 1st of their special permission status.

LIBRARY NEWS

Mrs. Christiansen’s Battle of the Books team will compete against three other

elementary schools at Cascades Public Library on March 12 at 4:00. Good luck to them

as they represent Horizon Elementary!

*****************************************************

Congratulations to Horizon’s Librarian, Mrs. Jennifer Christiansen! Mrs. Christiansen

wrote a grant and was awarded $1500 to fund STEM activities here at Horizon. Thank

you Mrs. Christiansen!

Horizon Bingo night is this Friday, March 2nd! Join us for a night of family fun, food, and prizes!! Forgot to pre-order? You can buy bingo

sheets at the door!

Odyssey of the Mind

On Saturday, February 24th four teams represented Horizon Elementary at the Regional Odyssey of the Mind

tournament. There were two teams in the Primary (K-2) division, with a solution to “We’re Cooking Now.” The

judges were impressed with their creative thinking and ingenuity. They wrote their own script for a cooking show

and even constructed props out of Balsa wood.

In Division 1 (grades 3-5), Horizon was represented by two teams. One team presented a solution to the

Performance problem, “A Stellar Hangout.” They wrote and produced a humorous skit in a futuristic setting.

Theirs was the clothes closet of a fashionista; the audience and judges were impressed by their humor and

creativity.

The Vehicle team constructed a vehicle that had to complete three challenges--a track, jousting, and curling—in

“Triathlon Travels.” Their problem solving earned them a third place certificate in the Division.

If you are interested in participating in Odyssey of the Mind and would like to watch some performances, there is

one more tournament in Loudoun this year. The Catoctin Region will hold a tournament on Saturday, March 17th

at John Champe High School.

If you’d like more information on the creative-thinking, problem-solving competition, please contact Mrs. Tate at

linda.tate@lcps.org.

CALLING ALL POETRY MASTERS! The 6th Poetry Masters of 2018 is here! Students in grades 1-5 are invited to participate in this fun and

challenging activity that celebrates poetry of all kinds. Recitation Day is Friday, March 23rd!

How does it work?

Once each month, the Poetry Masters Flyer presents a choice of poems that vary in difficulty. The

challenge is for students to memorize one poem and recite it to the poetry listeners on the designated

date. Students can choose a poem from the Flyer, from their class poetry units, a favorite poem of their

own or even write their own poem! The Poetry Masters Flyer will be available the first week of February

in the front office. On recitation day, please bring a copy of the poem so we can follow along.

Students who correctly recite the poem will receive a Poetry Masters prize and see their names in the

Comet Courier! Those students who go above and beyond and write their own poems will have their

poems showcased on the “POETREE” in the school! We look forward to seeing and hearing these

Courageous Comets!

February’s Poetry Masters

Congratulations to the following students who memorized and recited poems in February! Arta Madarshahian Ashley To Ava Prickett Avani Ghanta

Bella Chen Bella Holloman Brysen Wynkoop Charlotte Dettmer

Daisy Davis Dalton Porter Dylan Tufano Eleni Kalka

Ezel Demirer Joshua Hailu Julian Balderrama Kamran Moazzez

Kaylee Robbins Leah Kidwell Liam Costello Matthew Mahler

Milaana Bailur Mirjahon Ayubov Olivia Brown Saina Bavarsad

Samheetha Vasan Sebastion Dettmer Trygve Hirsch Aisha Chowdhury

Anish Kothuru Cameron White Fay Alathari Geoffrey Haas

Holly Myers Jackson Siler Juliet Daignault Ryleigh Rose

Evie Whitehead Isla Haas Keelin Moriarty Liam Tully

Lilly Fernandez Lydia Yang Mackenzie Brewster Maryam Moiz

Sama Shawki Stori Dean Aakash Pradhan Alex Dolzhenkov

Anisa Adhami Colleen MacGoy Emaan Danish Grace Dettmer

Hailey Thompson Hayden Manor Helena Gabrial Jahzara Shabazz

Jaquelyn Malapira Kate Boehmcke Keira Fuller Liam Sheridan

Megan Fitch Pranika Gaddam Samantha Ankers Sunny Chen

Zoe Flatla Carly Channell Edward Christopher Jacquelyn Lee

Londyn Dean

News from the Health Office:

The health office needs clean, gently used pants and shorts (mostly boys’)

as well as new, packaged underwear. If you can donate some, please send them in with your child

addressed to the Horizon health office.

Thank you! Mrs. Hisel, Health Clinic Specialist

HORIZON HAS CAR

MAGNETS FOR

SALE!

SHOW YOUR COMET

SPIRIT!

CAR MAGNETS ARE ONLY $5

AND ARE AVAILABLE IN THE

OFFICE.

(EXACT CHANGE OR CHECKS MADE OUT

TO HORIZON ELEMENTARY ONLY)

Attention Horizon Shoppers!

Horizon’s school store IS OPEN!

For those who may not know, the school

store is run by a team of responsible 5th

graders, and carries fun pens, pencils,

erasers, novelties, and much more!

Shopping hours are as follows:

Tuesdays 7:30-7:50

Thursdays 7:30-7:50

For your convenience, all grade levels may

now shop on either day.

(They accept cash only and please, no large bills.)

Spring Clothing Drive Coming Soon in April

Spring will arrive soon and with that comes the annual cleaning out of the closets. Horizon will be collecting clothes for distribution to families

within the Sterling community during the month of April. Start gathering your gently used out-grown clothing, including shoes, now. More information will be

coming home soon!

Horizon Elementary PTA News

Hello Comets,

Wow, its already March! And as of the time of this writing, we are only days away from Bingo Night, one of our biggest events of the year!! We have great prizes, and it will be a fantastic time for families to enjoy a fun Friday night out together. Special thanks to our Social Coordinator, Liz Hall, and her team in putting this together! These types of events only work because our PTA members pitch in to help the entire Horizon community. If you have not volunteered yet this year, we still have more events to come, so please let us know your interest. And if you have helped out this school year, we again thank you for all of your support.

Speaking of events, our Spirit Night at Chipotle in late February was terrific. You all helped us raise over $500 in one night! This really supports our teachers and students throughout the school year. If you have not looked yet, please check out our PTA Facebook page. We recently posted charts showing how PTA funds go to support the school. And speaking of support, we have another great Spirit Night coming on March 9, from 3-9pm, when we will be at Chuck E. Cheese! We did this earlier this year, but now we get to do at on a Friday night! So come for games and fun and to support the Comets!

Also, for those of you of you who attended our last Membership meeting, we really want to thank you. The membership adopted new standing rules that should help to make our operations consistent with quirks in the Virginia PTA bylaws, and more transparent and professional overall. One of the key goals of our Board this year has been to improve our operations, as we believe it will allow us to better meet our mission to promote the welfare of the children at Horizon. Having members who participate in our meetings really helps in that regard. Many of you bring great institutional knowledge, skills, and ideas to the table. So, on that note, if you have not yet attended one of our meetings, we really encourage you come to our next one. It is on March 13 at 6:30 pm. We are going to be discussing ways to finish the school year strong, including a possible revamp to Fun Fair, and some ideas that we hope will modernize some PTA operations.

As always, please check out our Facebook page to stay up to date with PTA news. And as a reminder, our biggest event of the year, Comet Walk, is still to come and we are looking for volunteers to assist. Please email volunteer@horizonelempta.com if you can help out!

Let’s go Comets!!!

“Horizon Elementary School and PTA”

https://www.lcps.org/domain/7057

If you have not done so already,

please consider joining our PTA. The

PTA sponsors many social and

educational activities to enrich your

child’s experience at Horizon

Elementary. You can view the many

activities and volunteer opportunities

on the PTA portion of our webpage:

HORIZON PTA EXECUTIVE BOARD

Scott Levin, President

Gina Tufano, SVP Educational Programs

Cyndi Robbins, Treasurer

Catherine Chang, Recording and Correspondence Secretary

Chris Beauregard, VP Staff Relations

Cyndi McCrea, VP Membership and Directory

Jennifer Travis, After-School Enrichment Programs (ASEP)

Abby Ghanta, VP Fundraising

Kim Barry, Sprit Sales

Liz Hall, VP Social Events

Tara Fuller, Volunteer Coordinator

Jennifer Ewing, Principal

Amy Sandridge, Parent Liaison

Sarah Payne, Teacher Liaison

Get Involved & Volunteer!!

The Horizon PTA puts on several fun events during the year but we need parental

participation to make them a success. One of these events is the Comet Walk (coming

in April). Interested in getting involved? See below:

• Comet Walk volunteers: The Comet Walk is the PTA’s biggest fundraiser of the

year and group of people, dedicated to making it a success.

We really can’t do it without you! Please contact volunteer@horizonelempta.com for

more information.

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. A program of the

National Center for Fathering, see www.fathers.com/watchdogs/ for more information.

The Horizon Watch D.O.G.S. volunteer program is going on now! We always welcome

an extra set of eyes around our school and on the playground at recess. A sign up

genius is available monthly with volunteer opportunities. You can see the March sign

up here

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0c4aa4ab22a0fd0-march2

Contact Amy Sandridge at Amy.Sandridge@lcps.org or 571-434-3260 to get more

information.

General Membership Meeting Schedule for 2017/2018

Location: LCPS Administration Building at 21000 Education Court, Ashburn, VA

Date & Time: 3rd Wednesday of the month from 7:00 pm-9:00 pm

Next MSAAC General Body Meeting:

Join us on Wednesday, March 21, 2018 from 7 – 9 pm at the LCPS Administration Building, 21000 Education Court, Ashburn, Virginia.

We will continue our work from the January meeting, discussing racism and social issues.

Stay tuned for more information.

April 2018

Date: April 18, 2018 Topic: Academic Symposium

May 2018

Date: May 16, 2018 Topic: Summer Slide and What To Do About It

Topics are subject to change at the discretion of the Executive Board and/or Parent Delegate requests.

HORIZON ELEMENTARY

2017-2018

Welcome to Horizon Elementary! We strive to make sure that each and every student

has the necessary resources to help them achieve their best. In this ever changing

economic climate sometimes we find ourselves in need of outside resources and

assistance. If you would like to be considered for assistance with various in-school items

such as field trip expenses, school supplies, after school PTA programs, etc., please fill in

the bottom of this form and return to school as soon as possible. All requests for

assistance are at the discretion of the Principal based on availability of funds and

materials. By signing this form we are better able to reach out to those in need and will,

from time to time, send home information and resources that become available. All

information is strictly confidential and will only be shared with the necessary staff at

Horizon. If you have a need, please fill in the bottom portion of this form and return in

an envelope to the Parent Liaison, Amy Sandridge. Any questions or concerns can be

directed to the Parent Liaison, Amy Sandridge or the Principal, Jennifer Ewing.

Student Name: ___________________________________________________________

Teacher Name: ___________________________________________________________

Parent Name (printed): _____________________________________________________

Parents’ signature: _____________________________ Date: __________________

PLEASE RETURN TO AMY SANDRIDGE, PARENT LIAISON

HORIZON ELEMENTARY

2017-2018

Bienvenidos a Horizon Elementary! Nosotros ponemos una gran dedicación para

asegurarnos que cada uno de nuestros estudiantes tenga todos los recursos necesarios

para que ellos puedan dar lo mejor en la escuela. En este ambiente económico tan

cambiante, a veces nos encontramos en situaciones difíciles donde es necesario solicitar

ayuda o recursos externos. Si usted desea que se le considere para algún tipo de asistencia

para articulos escolares,excursiones, fotografias, programas de después de clases (After

School Programs), etc., por favor llene la forma al final de esta nota y envíela a la escuela

lo antes posible. Todos las solicitudes de ayuda quedan a discreción de la Directora y

están basadas en los fondos y/o materiales que haya disponibles. Al firmar esta forma, se

nos facilita más poder ayudar a aquellos que realmente lo necesiten y, de vez en cuando

también enviar a casa información con recursos y ayudas que existen. Toda la

información es estrictamente confidencial y solo será compartida con el personal

necesario de la escuela de Horizon. Si usted tiene necesidad de obtener ayuda económica,

favor de llenar la parte inferior de esta forma y enviarla en un sobre con atención a

Parent Liaison, Amy Sandridge. En caso de alguna duda o pregunta, favor de contactar a

Amy Sandridge, Parent Liaison o, Jennifer Ewing, Directora de la escuela Horizon

Elementary.

Nombre del Estudiante:____________________________________________________

Nombre del Maestro(a):____________________________________________________

Nombre de Familia (con letra de molde): ______________________________________

Firma: _____________________________ Fecha: ________________

FAVOR DE ENVIAR A AMY SANDRIDGE, PARENT LIAISON

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.

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.

2012-2013 Horizon PTA Executive Board 2012-2013 Horizon PTA Executive Board

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.

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 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 2017-2018 SIP can be found on the Horizon website at https://www.lcps.org/domain/7051

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 NOW ON FACEBOOK & TWITTER!

Visit Horizon's new 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