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January 2018

Horizon Middle School

3981 S. Reservoir Rd

Aurora, CO 80013

720.886.6100 (phone)

720.886.6253 (fax)

www.horizon.cherrycreekschools.org

From the Assistant Principal’s Desk...

Dear Horizon Families,

I hope you all had a wonderful winter break. It is hard to believe that we are already in 2018—

wow is this school year flying by! Before we jump into 2018, I would like to send a huge shout

out to our Horizon students, families, and staff members for all the successes we’ve been so

fortunate to share during the first semester. Here is a recap of some highlights.

Horizon collaboration with the Aurora Fire Department and Station #10 for the art

contest that Isabella Falduto won

The Veterans Day Tribute Essay competition that Kory Schoder won

Our implementation of restorative practices

The intervention time all of our students have access to during the school day

The amazing performance of our students with disabilities who met the math

growth benchmark on our School Performance Framework on the PARCC

assessment

As a community we have definitely lived up to our PACK promise to persevere, achieve, connect,

and be kind. I am so excited to continue our work together as we tackle new challenges in the

second semester.

With the New Year, we are eager to expand our learning in the classroom while we further

our work with Second Step, restorative practices, and AVID strategies during Seminar class.

Please encourage your student to take advantage of our before school study hall, beginning at

8:00 a.m., after school tutorial sessions, and monthly Saturday School offerings. It is going to be

an amazing second semester!

Also at this time of year, we would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our wonderful

School Board members. The leadership and support they provide our Cherry Creek School

district is greatly appreciated. We are thankful for their unwavering commitment to ensuring

the best educational experience for every one of our students.

As a sneak peek into our “upcoming attractions”, look for communication from our counselors

in the coming weeks as we move into the 2018-2019 school year registration process.

Whether it’s at a basketball game, music concert, PTCO or PASS meeting, I look forward to

seeing you at Horizon soon! Let’s make this a fantastic year!

Sincerely,

Mónica M. García

Assistant Principal

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Attendance Office 720-886-6111

Your child should take a parent note to the attendance

office first thing in the morning after the 8:40 bell rings

if he/she will be dismissed early. A gold pass will be

given in order for your child to leave class quietly at

the designated time. This process allows parents to

meet up with their students in the lobby, present their

IDs, and sign them out quickly and efficiently –

especially when your time is running short!

Important Info

Important Phone Numbers

720-886-xxxx Attendance 6111

Bookkeeping 6203

Counseling 6107

Deans 6113

Main Office 6108

Security 6399

Transportation 7400

School Closure Line 720-554-4701

2017-2018 School Hours & Dates

Start Time 8:50 a.m.

Dismissal Time 3:45 p.m.

Fall Break October 23 - 27

Winter Break December 25 - January 8

Spring Break March 26 - 30

Last Day of School May 25

HMS Administration

Nickie Bell, Principal

Monica Garcia, Assistant Principal

Monica Zucker, Assistant Principal

Angie McConnell, Dean

Evan Henderson, Dean & Athletic Director

Rebecca Restad, 6th Grade Counselor

Patrick Blea, 7th Grade Counselor

Carolyn Redding, 8th Grade Counselor

HMS Mental Health

Lesley Hueman, Psychologist

Leah Salkin, Social Worker

Bookkeeping 720-886-6203

We have an option to pay fees using a credit card.

Fees cover athletics, field trips, and other classroom

activities. Find the online payment option on our

website at www.horizon.cherrycreekschools.org.

Click on the “Online Payments” button and follow the

directions to set up an account.

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Page 3 Month-at-a-Glance

January

Sign up for automatic updates to your iCal or Google Calendar at http://horizon.cherrycreekschools.org/pages/MainCalendar.aspx. Look for the icon:

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Athletics

Boys Basketball

8th Grade Boys Basketball Schedule For January 2018

Wednesday, January 10 @ West

Monday, January 29 @ Prairie

Coaches: Mr. Jason Harper (8th Grade) 720-886-6317

Mr. Rick Skurulsky (8th Grade) 720-886-6334

Ms. Kerri Benzel (7th & 6th Grade) 720-886-6359

Mr. Christopher Donovan (7th & 6th Grade) 720-886-6365

Games, Practices, Transportation, and Times

Practices are held from 3:55 - 4:40 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday. Late

buses are scheduled to depart at 4:52 p.m. Students eligible for transportation will finish

practice in time to take the late bus home. When students are finished with practice, they

must leave the school grounds. There are no late buses on Fridays.

Transportation is provided from Horizon to the school at which the game will take place and

then back to Horizon after the meet. Games start at approximately 4:30 PM depending on

arrival of the away team. A schedule will be given to each athlete at the first practice.

7th Grade Boys Basketball Schedule For January 2018

Wednesday, January 10 West

6th Grade Boys Basketball Schedule For January 2018

Monday, January 29 Prairie

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Congratulations!

Congratulations to the following Huskies who have achieved

recognition!

Rachel Europe—Rachael was a recipient of the 6th Biennial

“EspeciallyMe” Middle School Award

The following Horizon band students made the 2018 Cherry

Creek Middle School Honor Band!

Henry Cummings, 8th

Rachael Europe, 8th

Tayve'en James, 8th

Tuom Juoi, 8th

Gavin McKown, 7th

Samantha Newton, 8th

Yohann Nickerson, 8th

Joe Pruitt, 8th

Amanda Santiago, 8th

Gabe Schobinger, 8th

The following Horizon orchestra students made the 2018

Cherry Creek Honor Orchestra!

Mandi Sulan, 8th

Abikael Daniel, 8th

Jonas Cummings, 6th

Jesse Molina, 8th

Kenedy Sandoval, 8th

Anna Meberg, 8th

Alyssa Tate, 7th

Kory Schoder, Veterans Day Tribute Essay Winner

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Art Show Contest

This year Fire Station 10 asked Horizon Middle School to help create a new sign for the fire station that was needed after the station underwent a remodel. They were looking for a sign that would represent the tie between the community and the fire station. Students from all grade levels were invited to participate in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Over 150 students entered the contest and 30 were picked to represent the school for the final grand prize. Students naturally chose symbols of fire fighters and fire trucks to best show off their creativity. Some students created images of people coming together or the beauty of Colorado. In the end, a variety of images were chosen demonstrating the students’ support for the community in which they live. For this art contest, the participating students were allowed to choose the medium and artistic design for their project. The grand prize winner’s artwork will then be transformed into an 11 x 3 feet sign. This process will take some digital magic and special printing but in the end, the sign will be viewed for many years to come. The contest itself was held on December 6th in Horizon’s library. In attendance were the Station 10 fire fighters as well as their Chief, Battalion Chief and head of the Aurora Fire Department. Faculty and staff were also there to vote and participate in the event. Parents and students were also given the opportunity to vote for their preferred design. A first, second, and third place winner from each grade level was chosen. From those students, a grand prize winner was then selected. Those students who entered and made the list of art show contestants were: Faith Carter, Dominic Gonzalez, L J Hines, Tanner James, Kestrel Jones, Lily Kemp, Anna Kravitz, Zack Mascarenas, Audrey Langford, Bestaida Meraz, Michaela Murphy, Alexis Gonzalez, Maiya Palmore, Priyanka Pokharel, Grey Rooker, Michael Seymour, Tyler Manning, Annabelle Beebe, Dylan Butts, Sophia Savoy, Jesus Campos, Arion Cox, Jordan Ables, Isabella Falduto, Ellie Hull, Damaris Piscoya Pacheco and Sarah Speidel. 6th Grade Winners: Tanner James and Tyler Manning (Tie 1st), Betsaida Meraz (2nd) 7th Grade Winners: Arion Cox (1st), Sophia Savoy (2nd), Dylan Butts (3rd) 8th Grade Winners: Isabella Falduto (1st), Damaris Piscoya Pacheco (2nd), Sarah Speidel (3rd) Grand Prize Winner: Isabella Falduto!!!! Great job to all those students who entered and to all of those who took an award. Sincerely, Bryan Westman Visual Art Teacher

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Your Horizon PTCO Governing Board Members

Co-Presidents: Tina-Sherie Derricott Vice President: Rebecca Heath Secretary: Angie Monson Treasurer: Victoria Salsbury

Communications: Katie Gould Treasurer 2: Melissa Nelson

PTCO Meeting Schedule: January 9 February 8 March 8 April 10 May 10

All meetings are held at Horizon Middle School. Interpreters will be provided at any of our meetings, upon request. Please contact HorizoncmsPTCO@gmail.com with any questions.

PTCO PTCO Greetings Huskies Parents, Happy New Year! We finished 2017 with a super fun “Winter Wonderland” skate party at Skate City. Thanks to all who

participated! Starting January the PAW store will be open on TUESDAYS. Volunteers are needed. Please contact Katie Sinning (ksinning@cherrycreekschools.org) or email horizoncmsptco@gmail.com Please remember you can donate with AMAZON SMILES by shopping! See the school website for more information.

Finally, please welcome Melissa Nelson as our PTCO “Treasurer 2”.

Nurse’s Corner Vision and hearing screening is coming!

Parents! it is that time of the year again when we conduct state mandated hearing and vision screenings and height and weight measurements. All 7th graders will be screened and any new students to the district will be screened. Hearing screenings will be done on January 23, 2018 and vision screening will be done on February 22, 2018. If your student wears contacts or glasses, please remind them to have them for the screening. Any parent desiring to opt-out their student from any of the screenings needs to contact the nurse by January 16, 2018 at ndoornik@cherrycreekschools.org or (720) 886-6210.

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PTCO Counseling & Guidance

This year the counseling department will be introducing our students to ICAP and Naviance through classroom guidance lessons.

What is ICAP (Individual Career & Academic Plan)

ICAP is a multi-year process that the Colorado Department of Education requires all districts complete with their students. ICAP will intentionally guide students and families in the exploration of career, academic, and postsecondary opportunities.

What is Naviance?

Naviance is the software program used by CCSD to explore and track College and Career Readiness through middle and high school.

The Process

With the support of adults, students develop the awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and skills to create their own meaningful and powerful pathways to career and college readiness. In meeting the state ICAP requirements, CCSD has established middle school requirements that we will complete and document through Naviance.

To begin creating an Individualized Career and Academic Plan (ICAP) in Naviance, each student will perform the following tasks throughout the year:

• Goal Setting: Set a S.M.A.R.T. goal (Specific, Measurable, Agreeable, Realistic and Time sensitive) for each year and/or for their future. (6th, 7th, and 8th) • Career Exploration: Take Career Key, an interest inventory, which explores student interests’ and matches them with potential career options. Students also explore Career Clusters, which allows students to explore career options identified in the interest inventory. (7th and 8th) • Academic Planning: Develop a class schedule based on strengths, needs, and interests. (6th, 7th, and 8th)

Parents and students can learn more about ICAP at the upcoming Accountability and Data Information Night held at Horizon Middle School on Thursday, February 22, 2018 at 6pm or visit: http://www.cde.state.co.us/postsecondary/icap-background

Parents and students can access Naviance via the tile in my.cherrycreekschools.org or via the link on the main page of the Horizon website. Please see your grade level counselor with any questions!

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High School Incoming Students Information

8th Graders, plan to attend Eaglecrest High School "Raptor" wel-

come night, January 30, 2018! Please call Eaglecrest High School for

additional details on the time and venue. Plan on attending this

event if you have a student that will be attending Eaglecrest next

year!

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SEAC Golden Heart Nominations

It is time to nominate for the 2017-2018 Golden Heart Awards! This prestigious award is for any individual who has "opened their heart" to touch the life of a Cherry Creek School District student with special needs. This includes, but is not limited to, bus drivers, teachers, cafeteria workers, paraprofessionals, specials teachers (media, art, P.E., music), those in support positions, students, and community employers. Each person who receives this award has gone "above and beyond" to support students with special needs who attend Cherry Creek Schools.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT NOMINATIONS:

PLEASE MAKE SURE TO TELL A STORY OR GIVE A DESCRIPTION OF HOW THE NOMINEE WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND. Nomination will not be considered without this information. ALL NOMINATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY FRIDAY FEBRUARY 2, 2018 at the close of the business day. Each person or family may nominate one individual for the award, however, you may not nominate a member of your own family. Nominations for an entire team cannot be accepted. THIS ELECTRONIC NOMINATION FORM SHOULD TAKE ABOUT 15 MINUTES TO COMPLETE AND MUST BE COMPLETED IN ONE SITTING. Incomplete nominations and nominations with name and school only will not be accepted. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/goldenheart1718 Golden Heart Award recipients will be honored at the Golden Heart Award dinner on May 16, 2017. Recipients will be notified by March 17th, 2018.

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Cherry Creek Community Legislative Network

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Amazon Wish List—Contribute to PBIS!

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Page 13 Important Info Dress Code Reminder

Please make sure your child does not come to school wearing short shorts, anything that exposes undergarments, or

bandanas. A guide to follow is having your child stand with arms at the sides. The bottoms of shorts should reach

the tip of the longest fingers. Spaghetti straps, (straps less than the width of a student ID) are also not permitted;

however, these shirts may be worn with a t-shirt underneath or a light sweater/jacket over the top. Pants or shorts

must cover students’ undergarments. It may appeal to some fashion icons but, not necessarily appealing to our

learning environment. Finally, we have lots of jackets in the lost and found—please have your student check the lost

and found if they have lost their jacket!

Students who are not dressed appropriately will be asked to call home for a change of clothes. More details about

the dress code can be found in the student’s handbook. Thank you for your support!

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CCSD Challenge School Application is now available on their website!

challenge.cherrycreekschools.org

Challenge School is a Kindergarten-8th grade magnet school in Cherry Creek School District charged with the mission of meeting the needs of

academically advanced and motivated students. Any student in the district may apply to Challenge. The purpose of the admissions process is to

select students who demonstrate advanced academic achievement in math and/or language arts and possess the attributes that reflect the

school mission and purpose to inspire, empower and challenge motivated students who are academically advanced and/or gifted.

Online applications can be found on their website under the “Prospective Students” tab or by following this link: http://

challenge.cherrycreekschools.org/Pages/Prospective-Students.aspx

The online applications will be available from Wednesday, November 1, 2017-Wednesday, January 17, 2018. Challenge School

also offers Prospective Parent Information Sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings throughout their application season. Please call the

Challenge Office at 720-747-2100 to RSVP for a Parent Information Session.

Have you recently moved???

Be sure to update your home address when you move so you will continue to receive the school and District

mail. If your new address is within the District, please bring your new proof of residency documentation to ei-

ther of the District Admissions offices. If you have moved out of the District, you simply need to submit the

online Continuing Non-Resident form.

Please visit the District Admissions website for additional information:

http://www.cherrycreekschools.org/Admissions/Pages/Student-Registration-Information.aspx

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Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC): Jan 11 Next Meeting

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PIN

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Page 16 Traffic Information

Traffic Flow Information

Please note that there are two

designated areas for student pick-up

and drop-off: the upper lot along

Yampa, and the smaller lot nearest the

fire station. In partnership with

transportation, the flag pole area along

Reservoir Road is reserved for school

buses and special permit parking only.

Please observe all signs and traffic cones

which are intended to direct traffic flow

and keep our students safe.

At Horizon Middle School we strive to be

good neighbors in the community and hope

we are leading that example. Along these

lines, you may not know that HMS has a

crossing guards at the corner of Tower and

Hampden, Mansfield and Yampa, and at

the lower parking lot entrance. Last year

we witnessed an increase in safety

concerns in these areas. Please do not

stop in the middle of any crosswalk, and

DO NOT drop off/pick up along

Reservoir Road.

As it can be hard to see if

you are over the crosswalk,

your best bet is to

stop well behind it. Please

understand that if your car

is impeding the crosswalk

in any way, it forces

pedestrians to walk closer

to oncoming traffic, which

can be dangerous.

Stopping along Reservoir

Road is extremely

dangerous; you may be

ticketed!

Thank you for your

partnership and support

in keeping children safe!

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