December 2014 Newsletter
Mrs. Tressa Decker, Principal
An Indiana “Grade A” School
Horizon Elementary School
A 4-Star School
A Word From the Principal...
Dear Horizon Families,
During this busy season, I hope you will pause to simply watch your children and appreciate the age
they are right now. They have wonder in their eyes, anticipation in their minds, and lots of joy in their hearts. It
is energizing and inspiring to be under the same roof with these amazing young people each day!
Many of our evenings and weekends at this time of year are spent getting ready for the holidays.
While some may see visions of sugarplums, Horizon Elementary students continue to have math, reading, writing, and other lessons dancing in their heads. Please remember to include homework and study time in your
holiday plans—at least until December 19th.
If you are looking for some fabulous holiday entertainment, you are cordially invited to attend our 3rd
grade performance of “Scenes of the Season” this Friday, December 12th at 7:00pm. Doors open at 6:30pm.
In addition, classroom winter parties will be held on Friday afternoon, December 19th, and parents are welcome to join the fun, too. Please contact the PTO lead parent for your child’s classroom if you plan to attend.
I want to let you know that I will be having surgery on December 16th and will be out of the office until
sometime in January 2015. Mr. Eric Kline, 5th grade teacher, is serving as my designee while I am out. We
will have additional support in his classroom just in case he is called out from time to time to handle any situations which may arise (we are confidently predicting “smooth sailing” while I’m out). Unless you have a need
that absolutely can’t wait, I’d kindly ask that you wait to contact the office until after I return. Thank you for the
good wishes and prayers you’ve kindly offered.
I feel extremely blessed to be the principal of Horizon Elementary—the best elementary around!
Thank you for your ongoing support of your child’s education, your support of our teachers and staff, and for
your belief in our school. When you speak well of Horizon and support our efforts, it creates a ripple effect with
lasting positive results. Your children benefit from that ripple effect, and so does our greater community. We
are going above and beyond...and that’s something to celebrate!
With joy and peace,
Mrs. Tressa Decker
Student Recognition
At the end of the semester, the following awards will be given:
•
Perfect Attendance Awards (quarterly award)
-
•
no absences, no tardies, and no early dismissals
4-Star Awards
- turned in every assignment on time (classwork and homework included)
- followed classroom and school rules every day (no behavior referrals in classroom or office)
- earned 3's or 4's in all academic areas on report card (high academic achievement)
- demonstrated effort every day (gives personal best, doesn't give up, participates)
•
Improved Effort with Daily Work Award
- one student per classroom is selected for this award
•
Improved Effort with Behavior Award
- one student per classroom is selected for this award
All School Holiday Sing
Friday, December 19, 2014
8:15 a.m.
in the Gym
The WRITE Stuff….
Your child is wring each and every day—
probably more than they have in years past. Our
new wring curriculum is demanding each of us
(including teachers) to stretch our thinking and approach wring
in new ways.
Students in all grades are producing excellent wring, and we
could not be more pleased. Please check in with your child and
ask them what they are learning in writer’s workshop at school.
Page 2
December 2014 Newsletter
3rd Grade Presents “Scenes of the Season”
December 12, 2014 @ 7:00pm.
Please come and support the
fine arts at Horizon!
Front Doors Open at 6:30pm
Popcorn & Water will be on sale
in the lobby.
Holiday Shop Poster Contest
winners:
1st place—Mia Grauel
2nd place—Cailyn Freeman
3rd place—Andrea Marcella
Reminder for 22-Hour Delay Days...
Breakfast is NOT served. Please make sure your child eats breakfast at home if there is a 2-hour delay.
Student drop-off starts at 9:40 a.m. Please do not drop your
child off before 9:40 a.m. as there is no supervision. It is not safe for your
child to be dropped off and left at the front doors. Please keep your
child in the car until our traffic attendants are on duty. Thank you.
Medication will be given at the usual prescribed times unless a written
note is sent in by the parent indicating a change.
3rd Grade Frog Dissection!
Matthew & Tyrese—budding scientists!
Sofia probes while Carolyn takes notes.
Abby displays the frog’s liver.
Mrs. Neufelder’s science classes did a fabulous job dissecting frogs recently. They behaved like real scientists, used
real scalpels and tools, and learned amazing things about the anatomy of a frog. Special thanks to Dr. Marshall
(Solomon’s mom & local surgeon) and Miss Olivia Neufelder (IU nursing student) for leading the dissections. We
also want to thank the many parents who joined us for this special learning experience. Learning is FUN!
Horizon.phmschools.org
Page 3
Winter Break: December 20, 2014 —January 4, 2015
School Resumes on
January 5, 2015…
DECEMBER TESTING
Between Dec. 8 —Dec. 18, all students in
grades 3-5 will be taking the second round of
Acuity Readiness Tests. Language Arts Tests
and Math Tests will be given this testing window.
In accordance with the Indiana high ability law, we are
required to have an identification process in place to
identify students of high ability in the general intellectual and specific academic domains. We identify students who have high ability in language arts and/or
math.
Students in kindergarten, second and fifth grade who
have not been previously identified as high ability in a
subject area will be considered for high ability identification.
NWEA testing is part of the high ability identification
process. NWEA testing started in November and will wrap up in December.
Learn more about our identification
procedures by visiting the high ability
website at www.phmschools.org/
highability.
Page 4
December:
4—Miss Kline/Mrs. Lira trip to Planetarium @ 9:40am
5—Mrs. Roberts/Ms. Rehlander trip to Planetarium @
9:40am
5—P.T.O. Holiday Shop in the Gym @ 6pm
8—Mrs. MesserMrs. Neufelder trip to Planetarium @
9:40am
9—Mrs. Pressler/Mrs. Cussen trip to Planetarium @
10:50am
10—Grade 2 Art Smart
11—Student of the Month Celebrations
11—Grades K, 1, and 4 Art Smart
11—Adopt-a-Family Gift Wrapping @ 6pm
12—Grade 3 Art Smart
12—3rd Grade Musical “Scenes of the Season” @
1:00pm and 7:00pm
15—Ms. Nicolini visits Mrs. Langfeldt’s writing class
16—Hearing Screening for Grades 1 & 4
17—Science Fair Registrations are DUE
17—Mrs. Rehlander’s Writing Mentors visit @ 10:15
18—Kindergarten trip to Planetarium @ 11:45am
18—4th & 5th grade “Mini Mall” @ 12:30pm
19—Winter Parties @ 1:15pm (5th grade @
12:30pm)
19—8:15am All-School Sing-a-Long
REMINDER… for our older students
(grades 3-5). Please be sure to shower or bathe
regularly, brush your teeth, and use deodorant
daily. Stay clean! Stay healthy! Smell good! :)
December 2014 Newsletter
November
Students of the Month
December
Students of the Month
Kindergarten
Gavin Haut
Zachary Rausch
Wyatt Amm
Rose Horne
Kindergarten
Ava Ransberger
Jaxton Geisel
Monica Derby
K.J. Remington
1st Grade
Daniel Morton
Jake Stopczynski
Hunter Modlin
Owen Jacquess
Hamsini Sunkara
1st Grade
Owen DeMoss
Noah Pressler
Rachel Gross
Shubh Patel
Max Hover
2nd Grade
Emma Mead
Anna Remington
Brady Grounds
Ben Caviness
2nd Grade
Will Barnes
Fallon Murphy
Titus Devlin
Sophia Senne
3rd Grade
Alex Leung
Alex Finn
Eric Streitmatter
Catherine McLaughlin
3rd Grade
Peyton Rowe
Joey Kline
Krisha Patel
Henry Gillin
4th Grade
Michael Whedon
Tyler Seider
Caleb Marks
Joey Garwood
4th Grade
Grace Hover
Maddie Zavada
Sophia Waddell
Alexis Odierna
5th Grade
Lauren Trim
Rachael Yuan
Daljit Singh
5th Grade
Dani Riley
Lexi Chettleburgh
Cece Pooler