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Permit No. 681
Horizon Academy’s Vision
To create a community of life-long learners
Horizon Academy’s Mission
To provide a caring and respectful environment
for children struggling with learning disabilities,
where they are given the opportunity to achieve
their highest potential, become life-long learners
and develop into productive, responsible citizens
of their community.
Please help us save money on
postage and go electronic! Provide
your e-mail to our development office
at [email protected].
Board of Directors
Buckie Bell, President
Mike Koeppen, Vice-President/Treasurer
Steve Heeney, Vice-President
Pam Wheeler, Secretary
Kirk Gastinger, Past President
Fred Crouch, Of Counsel
Liz Barnes
Ann Cooling
Don Deshler, Ph.D.
Jeremy Didier
Bob Dunn
Vanessa Ferguson
Shane Foster
Rob Gauer
John Griggs
Kay Hanes
Tiffany Lynch
Katherine Meiners
Lori Miller
Kelly St. Clair
Greg Sikora
Andrew Trucksess
John Tucker
Jenny Vaughan
Arley Ward
John Yeast, M.D.
Lifetime Honorary Board
Rick Boxx
Laura Hall
Paula Halsey
Advisory Board
Michele Berg, Ph.D.
Grant Burcham
Jim Dougherty, Ph.D.
William H. Dunn, Sr.
David Gentile
Irvine O. Hockaday, Jr.
Ellen Isch
Michele Kilo, M.D.
Cappy Powell
Buzz Willard
Professional Advisory Committee
Winnie Dunn, Ph.D.
Stephen Hazel, Ph.D.
Carrie LaVoy, Ph.D.
Carrie Mark, Ph.D.
Daniel Pollitt, Ph.D.
Suzanne Robinson, Ph.D.
Jean Schumaker, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Sharyl Kennedy
...inspiring children with
learning disabilities
4901 Reinhardt Drive, Suite A
Roeland Park, KS 66205
Phone: (913) 789-9443
Fax: (913) 789-8180
[email protected]
www.horizon-academy.org
Reaching out, reaching potent ial at Hor i zon Academy
Spring 2015
Want to make a special donation in honor of or in
memory of a friend or family member? All tribute gifts
of $1,000 and more are displayed on a permanent
plaque at Horizon Academy with your loved one’s
name. Visit www.horizon-academy.org/donate.
Thank you, Sharyl
Bittersweet feelings have been circulating Horizon Academy
as we say goodbye to Sharyl Kennedy, our Executive Director.
While we are excited for the next chapter in our school’s history,
we are also sad to lose such a wonderful leader.
Sharyl has been an instrumental part of Horizon Academy’s
history. She took a class of 12 kids and 3 teachers and grew it into
a school of 73 students and 30 staff members. Sharyl created a
place where students can learn, grow, and thrive with their learning disabilities and provided new hope for families who thought
they were out of options. Because of her dedication and committment to Horizon Academy’s
mission, over 380 students have been able to attend this school and learn the skills they need to
be successful.
We wish Sharyl the very best as she moves into retirement and thank her immensely for her
contributions to this school.
Retirement Party Celebration for
Sharyl Kennedy
Join us for a celebration of Sharyl Kennedy and her time
at Horizon Academy! All are welcome to this family-friendly
event. Desserts, beverages, and entertainment will be
provided.
Date: Sunday, June 14th
Time: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Location: Horizon Academy
We will also be celebrating the conclusion of the Rays of
Success Campaign and welcoming back alumni.
You Are Part of Our Family
A
s we approach the final days of Horizon
Academy’s 16th year, it’s so gratifying
to see a vision become a reality. HA has come
a long way from its first days with a few makeshift classrooms, 12 kids and 3 teachers. Your
board has been busy this year working on
major initiatives to lay the
groundwork for continued
success.
Among other things, two
of the main responsibilities
Buckie Bell
of the Board are fundraising
Board President
and hiring the head of school.
This year we did both.
Bob Dunn lead the the Rays of Success Campaign committee. They set out to reach a goal of
$1.5M for building improvements and programs,
along with an impressive scholarship fund. Bob,
his committee and staff are hoping to surpass
this goal by the end of May. Needless to say, the
Rays of Success campaign is an ongoing success!
The Bayou Bash committee, consisting of
board members, HA parents and staff, once again
created a night of great fun that might only be
rivaled by Mardi Gras itself! The face painting,
the décor, the photos, the acrobats and the food
transformed Starlight into our own New Orleans. A sold-out crowd shopped the auction to
contribute over $111,000 for HA scholarships and
programs.
While all this fundraising was going on, the
Succession Committee was busy searching for
a new Head of School. After a thorough search,
they were pleased to announce that the best
candidate for the job is our own Vicki Asher. The
school year will close with great success, and we
look forward to the upcoming celebrations!
inside
Mindfulness Helping Students Get Ahead
FROM TIME MAGAZINE’S “MINI MEDITATORS” BY MANDY OAKLANDER
A
ny teacher who’s ever prodded, begged or bribed a child to sit still and listen knows
there aren’t a ton of proven ways to get a kid to tune in. But a slew of new research
offers a different suggestion: Breathe. Not you--them.
Mindfulness and meditation programs are emerging as powerful ways to calm kids down,
sharpen their brains and make them kinder to their classmates. Though the research looks
at many different techniques, the outcomes seem consistently positive--and they appear
to work in kids so young, they’ve yet to meet their first fraction all the way up to high
school seniors. Some research even hints that Transcendental Meditation leads to higher
graduation rates: 15% higher, one 2013 study found. Seemingly idle time may have a
place at school after all.
Here’s what the science says:
• More Kindness: Fourth- and fifth- graders who participated in a mindfullness and
kindness program showed better social behavior than their peers and were less
aggressive and better liked.
• Better Math Scores: The mindful group had math scores 15% higher than their
peers’. In a separate study, 41% of meditating middle schoolers gained at least one
level in math on a state standardized test.
• Fewer ADHD Symptoms: Even third-graders can get Zen. Eight weeks of mindfulness and yoga resulted in fewer ADHD symptoms and less hyperactivity--and the
effects lasted for months after the program ended.
• More Self-Control: Three years after a Transcendental Meditation program was
implemented at a troubled middle school, suspension rates dropped from 28% to
4% and teacher turnover plummeted.
• Less Depression: Just nine lessons of a mindfulness program led to lower depression scores, less stress and better well-being in British kids ages 12 to 16, compared with students who didn’t participate in the program.
• Improved Focus: At an elementary school in Richmond, Calif., teachers reported
better focus, self-control, class participation and peer respect in kids who followed
a mindfulness program, compared with their levels before.
At Horizon Academy, we started implementing mindfulness strategies with a few of
our students. The teachers have already begun to notice a difference, and the students
who have been using the strategies are excited about the difference it’s making in their
work. David, one of our high school students commented, “It helps me when I have
trouble and I get stuck. I do it and it helps me concentrate and think and makes me feel
more relaxed.”
You Make Dreams Come True.......2
Rays of Success Campaign....2
Staying Connected..............3
Donor Spotlight
Letter from the Executive Director
You Make Dreams Come True
H
orizon Academy’s 11th annual Bayou
Bash was an unforgettable experience!
Because of you, Bayou Bash brought
in over $111,000 for student scholarships
and programming. Over 475 guests attended
Bayou Bash this year, all dressed in their finest.
Attendees saw jaw-dropping acts from Lucia
Aerial, tried out
our new whiskey
pull before it sold
out in 45 minutes,
and enjoyed the
delicious Cajun
cooking from
Jazz a Louisiana
Lucia Aerial contortionist,
Kitchen.
Amanda Stanley, stuns crowd.
Yet, the real stars of the night were the
speakers. Paige Meredith, who now attends
William Jewell College, transitioned from
Horizon Academy in 6th grade. She expressed
her fear of sharing her dyslexia with others.
Paige said with a laugh, “You can say I was ‘in
the closet’ for being dyslexic.” But once she
opened up about her disability, her time in
high school changed for the better. Paige
said she still uses the tools Horizon Academy
taught her; primarily asking for help when
she needs it. She closed out her speech with
heartfelt words for
all Horizon Academy students:
“Do not forget these
years at Horizon
Academy, for they
will help you for the
Paige Meredith describes
rest of your life. I wish Horizon Academy’s impact.
you the best of luck
to wherever your travels take you. Just remember
one last thing: do not be afraid to embrace who
you are, for we too can make our dreams come
true one day.”
Jack Lynch is a current 6th grader at
Horizon Academy. His mother, Tiffany, shared
with the audience the difficulties she faced
about where to send her newly-adopted son
for school. Jack did not speak any English and
had no formal schooling in his native Russia.
Tiffany was thankful for the ease of Jack’s
transition into Horizon Academy. She credited
Horizon Academy as a “learning home where
students can grow at their own pace in a
peaceful and enriching environment.” Jack
also prepared
a brief talk
in which
he thanked
Horizon
Academy
for the great
teachers and
Jack Lynch & Tiffany Lynch give
the friends
he’s made over moving speech at Bayou Bash
the years.
Your support of Bayou Bash allows for
more students like Paige and Jack to attend
Horizon Academy and feel successful and
hopeful for their future. The altruism displayed
at Bayou Bash will make scholarships a reality
for over 40% of Horizon Academy students
next year. We are so grateful for those who
come together to make our special events so
successful. You are paving the way for more
dreams to come true for the amazing students
at Horizon Academy.
Rays of Success Nearing Goal!
Alexis Timmons sells raffle tickets to
a Bayou Bash guest.
Why do you volunteer at Horizon Academy?
“It is my way of giving back to the place that not
only has changed Alek’s life forever, but mine as
well. After struggling in the public school system for
over 11 years, Horizon Academy and their staff has
made such a positive impact in Alek’s confidence not
only with his school work, but personally as well. I
will be a Horizon volunteer for life!”
--Alexis Timons, Parent Volunteer
Interested in volunteering?
Contact: [email protected]
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As many of you know, Horizon Academy launched a $1.5 million
major gifts campaign in January 2014 called Rays of Success. Since
the start of the campaign, we have been blessed with 100 generous
supporters raising money for three main areas: scholarships, programs/
technology, and facility renovations. We are excited to report that we
are just $41,000 shy of our goal! As part of the Rays of Success Campaign, the Board and Campaign committee also recently announced
that Horizon Academy’s scholarship fund is now officially named the
Sharyl Kennedy Scholarship Fund, in honor of our founding Executive
Director.
Because of the campaign’s success
thus far, we have been able to purchase
iPads for classrooms, add more future
scholarships, and plan for new administrative offices and a classroom to start
construction this summer. With less
than two months in closing of the Rays
of Success Campaign, we hope that you
will support this effort, if you haven’t
Rays of Success will provide an
already, by making a donation with the
iPad for every student.
enclosed envelope. We will celebrate
the campaign at Sharyl Kennedy’s Retirement Celebration on June 14th
at Horizon Academy. Invitations will be coming soon!
on the horizon
D
ecades ago, a young girl with an eager heart, a strong mind, and a will
to work hard started school. It wasn’t long before it
became apparent that she could not put the sounds
together for letters and words. She could not read! This
did not deter her from playing “school”, however, and she
delighted in being the “schoolmarm” to her many younger
cousins and siblings. This dream, to run a wonderful
classroom or school, stayed with her.
The dream evolved. The little girl learned to read. She used her
Sharyl Kennedy,
Executive Director
God-given gifts to put her heart, mind and willpower to work: to
become a teacher of children who struggled with reading, a teacher
who would lead others to that same dream. Success in the classroom led to success
in leadership positions, to principalships, and finally to be the director of a school
dedicated to help children challenged with Learning Disabilities. This little girl was
me.
I learned a lot from being this little girl. I learned to work hard and never give up,
to appreciate loving parents, to treasure great teachers, to value clearly organized
routines, and, most of all, have compassion for our children. As I get ready to move
on from Horizon Academy, I know that the little girl’s dream -- my dream -- our
dream, has come true and will continue to grow. It is embodied in Horizon Academy
and all of us who have made this school possible: a community of students, parents,
teachers, specialists, board members, donors, and other friends. Thank you from the
bottom of my heart!!!
Alumni Spotlight: Abby Quinlan
Staying Connected
W
e love watching the great strides our alumni have made since leaving Horizon
Academy. It is such a joy to see all of their accomplishments whether in the news,
through an e-mail, or when they return for alumni events. Sometimes we are lucky
enough to have our former students become involved with the school once again, and we
get a front-row seat to their success. One such student is
Abby Quinlan.
Abby Quinlan
Abby attended Horizon Academy for one year and graduated in 2013. She has fond memories of that year being
crowned queen at the school dance and being named
Student of the Year. Abby has since gone on to attend Johnson County Community College where she is a sophomore
studying Liberal Arts. After graduating high school with a
4.0 GPA, she continued this academic achievement at JCCC
where she recently earned a place on the Part-Time Honor
Roll. She has accomplished all of this while also working
part-time at AMF College Lanes and participating in horseback riding.
On top of Abby’s busy schedule, she also volunteers with PAWS for Freedom’s START Club,
an after-school program that trains service dogs. Abby first became involved with this
organization when she was a student at our school, and it is this very activity that brings
her back to Horizon Academy three days a week. Abby teaches our students how to work
with and train the service dogs so they can better help others.
Horizon Academy
Calendar of Events
Thursday, May 21, 2015
HORIZON ACADEMY GRADUATION
We will be celebrationg our eighth grade and high
school graduates!
Horizon Academy | 913-789-9443
[email protected]
10:30 AM
Sunday, June 14, 2015
RETIREMENT PARTY CELEBRATION FOR SHARYL
KENNEDY
All are welcome!
Join us as we celebrate our Executive Director,
Sharyl Kennedy, and her time at Horizon Academy. We will also be celebrating the conclusion
of the Rays of Success Campaign and visiting
with returning alumni.
Horizon Academy | Free
1:00 pm - 3:00 PM
June 1 - June 26, 2015
HORIZON ACADEMY SUMMER SCHOOL
FULL-DAY JUNE PROGRAM
Open to students in grades 1-8. This program
mirrors the Horizon Academy academic year
and will cover reading, written and oral language, math and computer classes, as well as
strategic learning.
www.horizon-academy.org/Summer-School
July 6-24, 2015
HORIZON ACADEMY SUMMER SCHOOL
JULY CLINICS
Open to students in grades 1-12. Clinics will
cover reading, writing, math, and study skills.
www.horizon-academy.org/Summer-School
July 27-31, 2015
5-DAY HIGH SCHOOL LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE
Open to students in grades 9-12.
www.horizon-academy.org/Summer-School
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