What's Buzzing at the Heights
Week 8: Sept. 19 - 23, 2022
Message from the Principal
Dear Hornet Families,
.
Wow! 35 days of INSTRUCTION are in the books! Week 7 had us reviewing skills and concepts from our 6 weeks tests and practicing to proficiency. Please continue to work with your children on their sight words and basic math facts.
At arrival time, if your child can open the vehicle door, PLEASE have them START to UNLOAD from the BASKETBALL COURTS to the CROSSWALK. We will still guide our PK all the way to the cafeteria. We just need the support to help move the traffic quickly and get everyone to their destination.
On Thursday, we will have our 1st Family Night at Peter Piper Pizza. We encourage you to come join us and shre a good evening of family fun together. Our school will get a portion of proceeds from 11 AM till 9 PM. For all scholars that join us, they will receive a FREE DRESS pass for Friday, September 23. All proceeds will go to our student account so that we can provide incentives to our scholars.
This week, our teachers will hold data talks with the students to share the gains they have made. Be sure to keep them healthy as Week 9 will be a week of testing before we track out for Fall Intersession. Daily attendance will help your child stay on track with their 9 weeks skills.
Lost & Found. Please have your children go through the lost and found box and it is full of items. All items will be donated on Friday, Sept. 30, if they are not claimed. Please stop by and check to see if your lost item can be located.
***********************************************************************************************
Gifted & Talented.
We continue our PULL-OUT program with our GT scholars where they are served on Monday through Thursday by our amazing Kinder teachers. The scholars are working on project based learning and collaborating. We are trying something new and learning as we go. We will continue to tweak and see how we can serve our scholars best.
At this time, we do not have a GT Coordinator. If you have any GT questions, please contact me (email: jhanse@sisd.net) and I will get your the information. Thank you!
Arrival & Dismissal.
Arrival and Dismissal will be our greatest challenges. Please be patient and kind. We will have all staff on duty to assist and create a system that is safe and efficient.
Our parking lot is CLOSED during arrival and dismissal as we don't have enough parking spaces to support traffice in the parking lot. We do ask everyone to use the curbside service.
Help us with the scholars in 1st through 5th grade that can open the vehicle door and exit on their own. Our scholars are confident and ready to help. From the basketball courts to the cross walk, they can open the doors and exit on their own.
During Arrival and Dimissal, we ask that you not use your cell phone and help us move traffic efficiently through the parking lot. ALL traffic will have to EXIT to the RIGHT.
Birthday Snacks.
We ask parents to please refrain from bringing in cupcake trays. If you would like for your child to share a treat, it must be a treat individually packaged by the manufacturer. We can't accept any cupcake trays as someone would have to pass them out. Candy bags, individually wrapped snacks are allowed. We are here to answer questions. Call or email Ms. Hansen and we can help to clarify. We appreciate you!
Water Bottles.
Please continue to send your children with water bottles. This will help them stay safe. They can refill them in from the water fountains.
Attendance.
Attendance in vital to our scholars success. Every day gone from school, they lose 7 hours of skills, strategies and support for learning. Help us by keeping your children healthy.
If your child is ABSENT, we must have a doctor's note or a personal note explaining why they were absent upon their arrival. For doctor's appointments, take your child to appointment, but bring them back with a doctor's note the same day and it will be counted as present.
SEL Lessons.
Our counselors, Ms. Salazar and Ms. Valdez have prepared Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) lessons for our scholars and teachers. We will work daily to support their needs as we re-connect and help them adjust to life's daily challenges. Let's all practice patience, kindness and empathy as we all do our very best!
Breakfast in the Classroom.
Our district will continue to provide breakfast in the classroom for ALL scholars. Breakfast in the Classroom, BIC, will be served daily from 7:30 AM to 7:45 AM. Please be on time to take advantage of the most important meal of the day.
Change of Clothes.
Please send a change of clothing for scholars in PK, Kinder and 1st graders. In a ziplock bag, place a shirt, short, undergarmet and socks. We will use these when the children have an accident. You will be notified. Please check your child's backpack daily.
***********************************************************************************************
Online Meal Application.
This year, CNS will be charging for lunch. Therefore, we encourage all families to complete the online meal application. Even if you do not qualify, we ask you to complete the application. Be sure to include all your children that pertain to SISD. This is an URGENT matter that I need your support on! PLEASE complete the application.
We only have 60 families to go!
Lunch prices for the 2022-2023 school year for grades Pre-K through fifth (PK-5) will be $2.10 and $2.45 for grades sixth through 12th. Students may qualify for free or reduced-price meals. The reduced price for lunch is 40 cents.
Website: https://www.myschoolapps.com/Application
Add Zip Code: 79928, Campus: Horizon Heights ES
******************************************************************************************
Paying for School Lunch
For families that are paying for school lunch, you will need to set up an account and manage it at the following website: https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/login/postlogin.action
Please make sure your child has money in their account.
Charges in the Cafeteria.
Parents, I really need your support to ensure your child has money in their account to purchase their lunch. Currently, we have a school balance of $1,200 and we are not an entity that can have charges. We will not deny scholars their lunch, but need your assistance to pay. You can pay online through the website listed above. If you are having issues, call the school and we can assist.
Safety.
The builing will be cleaned throughout the day in high traffic areas to ensure safety. We will have hand sanitizing stations at all classrooms, restrooms, cafeteria and playground. If you wish for your child to wear a mask, please send them with a mask that fits them comfortably. We will have masks on campus for scholars that are in need.
We appreciate your continued support as we work together to build capacity in our scholars. Thank you for your collaboration and communication.
Let's make our 8th week of school a great one! Together, we are better!
Respectfully,
Jenifer Hansen
Proud Principal of Horizon Heights ES
Office Number: 915-937-7402
Email: jhanse@sisd.net
Parking Near the Bus/Daycare Area
The area where the buses/daycare vans park is PRIVATE property. Our special needs children are also locarted in this area due to need for ramps. The landowner has allowed us to use the area for the buses and daycare vans. WE must WORK TOGETHER to ensure that we are NOT parking in the area designated for the buses. Citations are for trespassing on private property and run $600, if an officer is called by the landowner.
PLEASE do NOT park in the AREA designated with the barrels.
I know this presents problems with those families that wish to park. I will encourage your support to use the CURBSIDE service.
- We dismiss our PK & K scholars at 2:30 PM and are done in 15 minutes.
- We dismiss our 1st through 5th grade scholars at 3:15 PM and are done in 15 minutes.
Let's work together to KEEP our SCHOLARS safe! Together, we are BETTER!
New Arrival Time
Lexia SuperStars
I encourage our scholars to EARN 5 UNITS daily.
We ask that you assist scholars by having a quiet area for them to work in. We encourage the use of headphones to keep them focused.
They have to work on their own independently to make GROWTH. You can sit with them, but please allow them to do the LEARNING!
We thank you for your support for Lexia. We will honor the scholars that LEVEL UP with a certificate each Monday. Start your COLLECTION of certificates!
We have a POP IT for the first 20 scholars that complete ALL 21 LEVELS of LEXIA! We will also take a photo of you and your SuperSTAR cape! Let's have all scholars reach their best!
Read, read, read! Readers become LEADERS!
Week 7 Lexia SuperSTARS
Importance of Attendance
Be sure your child is present each day they are healthy.
The state of Texas holds administators and parents accountable for attending school daily. At 5 absences, I will ask that you hold a meeting with me to ensure we are working together to educate your child.
Please help support our teachers by brining in your children ready to learn. We thank you for making attendance a priority.
It is vital to submit a NOTE, from the doctor or a personal note, for EVERY absence to explain why the child missed school.
For PK and Kinder, once your child begins school, they are held accountable for Texas Attendance laws.
We have been in school for 25 days. If your child has missed school, here is their attendance percentage which is BELOW the 90% State expectation:
I will schedule meetings with parents for the children that have MISSED more than 8 days. We will discuss options to REGAIN credit.
Attendance, Week 7
This week's attendance percentages as as follows:
- PreKinder: 92.73% to 87.64%
- Kinder: 94.50% to 93.67%
- 1st Grade: 92.46% to 93.82%
- 2nd Grade: 95.03% to 95.28%
- 3rd Grade: 96.26% to 95.75%
- 4th Grade: 97.36% to 96.03% (Way to go 4th Grade!)
- 5th Grade: 95.83% to 96.15% (Super job 5th Grade!)
Total for Horizon Heights, Week 7: 94.45%; Year to Date (YTD): 95.41% (we are 2nd in the district). TeamSISD: 94.35%.
Stay healthy and make it count! Be at school daily! We will have a great year Hornets!
Classess with Perfect Attendance
The following classes have FREE DRESS on Wednesday:
- Ms. E. Herrera's 3rd Grade Class
We will ask that our PK still wear their RED shirt as this is a safety protocol to know that an adult must be with them. Thank you!
Stay healthy! We can do this Hornets!
Top 10 Classes with Amazing Attendance
The goal is to work as a class to reach 98% attendance. We are super proud of our scholars for staying healthy and making school a priority!
3rd Grade: Ms. E. Herrera's Class, 100%
5th Grade: Ms. Hernandez's Class, 92.31%
4th Grade: Ms. Perez's Class, 85.71%
4th Grade: Ms. Ramirez's Class, 85.71%
3rd Grade: Ms. Gonzalez's Class, 95%
3rd Grade: Ms. Martinez's Class, 90%
3rd Grade: Ms. Hitter's Class, 85.71%
2nd Grade: Ms. Renteria/Ms. Castro, 94.12%
2nd Grade: Ms. Esparza's Class, 90.91%
2nd Grade: Ms. M. Garcia's Class, 90%
2nd Grade: Ms. B. Garcia's Class, 86.96%
Kinder: Ms. Gamez's Class, 86.96%
Congratulations to these classes as they are in the top 10 for amazing attedance! You make a difference EACH day you are in ATTENDANCE! Always, be the BEST version of YOU!
Reporting Absences
Reporting Absences
If you need to report an absence, our PEIMS Clerk will be able to assist you. Our team will be receiving the email to help assist you. I will forward all of your messages to the classroom teachers so they are aware of the absence.
Email: attendancehorizonheights@sisd.net
Please include as much detail as possible:
- Child's name
- Grade
- Teacher
- Student ID
- Reason for the absence
All notes will be collected via this email as well. Be sure to include details in the note as the child returns to class.
This year, the district will not quarantine scholars. We will treat COVID like the flu. Be sure to get a note from the doctor to return to school. With a doctor's note, these absences will be excused absences and still accumulate towards loss of credit.
If they have a doctor’s note, it must be included in the email as an attachment.
You can also go to this email address to get the attendance note to submit:
Scholastic Book Fair UPDATE
We made $20,000.77! It is an all time high! With about $250 to go, and one hour to go, Ms. Ortega challenged the scholars to reach the $20,000 mark! They did! To honor their efforts, we will have a Dye Your Hair on Friday, September 30, 2022.
We will hold a Reading Rally and our Administators will dye our hair GREEN! We want the scholars that have 100% Pefect Attendance to join us! They will be allowed to paint their hair green for the day! Together, we set a goal. Together, we reached the goal! Together, we will wear GREEN hair for the day!
Thank you for being such a supportive community! We dearly apprecite you!
Grandparents' Walk Day at the Hive
What to Do When Children are Ill?
SISD Schools are required to follow current isolation protocols which applies to individuals who have symptoms and/or test positive/negative for COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status. They should isolate for a minimum of 5 days and may end isolation if:
Individuals that test NEGATIVE for COVID-19 and may have another illness unrelated to COVID may return to school if.
- After 24 hours WITHOUT fever and or the use of fever reducing medication.
- Show improvement of symptoms.
- And this concern is not related to COVID-19
Individuals that test POSITIVE for COVID-19 and are symptomatic may return to school if.
- After a minimum of a 5-day isolation and meets the following criteria.
(a) After 24 hours WITHOUT fever and or the use of fever reducing medication.
(b) Show improvement of symptoms.
Students may return to campus if the above applies.
It is strongly recommended for the student or staff member to wear a mask for an additional 5-days after their release from isolation from COVID-19 Disease
Individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 but do not have symptoms
- Should isolate for a minimum of 5 days from the date of the first positive COVID-19 test.
- It is highly recommended that individuals wear a mask for an additional 5-days when returning from isolation.
Use ESWIPE only when you have had a positive COVID Exam (home or medical facility)
Volunteers Needed
School Uniforms
Pre-Kinder students:
- Red polo tops only
- Khaki or blue pants/shorts/skirts
Kinder -5th Grade Students:
- Hunter green, navy blue or white polos
- Khaki or blue pants/shorts/skirts
The school uniform does NOT have to have the school name or logo.
Monday: TeamSISD day (gray shirts, can be purchased from District) with jeans/slacks
Thursday: College Day (attire from your favorite college) with jeans/slacks
Friday: Spirit Day (spirit shirts from our school, will be on Wednesdays afterschool, till 4 PM) with jeans
Athletic Schedule for Eastlake Feeder Games
Team Members Ready to Assist
Here is a list of phone numbers, emails and the team members that will assist you with any questions you may have:
Horizon Heights Office 937-7400
- Any questions or concerns
Mrs. Hansen, Principal, email: jhanse@sisd.net, 937-7402
Mrs. Carrillo, Assistant Principal, email: ecarri@sisd.net, 937-7403
Ms. E. Gamez, Assistant Principal, egamez04@sisd.net, 937-7427
Mrs. Salazar, Counselor, email: asalaz12@sisd.net, 937-7421
Mrs. Valdez, Counselor, email: bvalde@sisd.net, 937-7420
Ms. Ortega, Librarian, email: sorteg@sisd.net, 937-7414
School Nurse
I have exciting news!
Our new school nurse started on Friday, September 9. We are all so happy to share that Diana L. Barrera, will serve as our School Nurse.
Stop by and get to know her. We will highlight her on announcements so our scholars begin to know her. Thank you for joining our team Nurse!
Time: 7:15 AM to 3:15 PM
Phone: 915-937-7407
Email: dbarre02@sisd.net
Learning at the Hive
Self-Care September 2022
Father Son Conference
Parent Training Sessions
Read & Hear Stories as a Family...
Administrators' Contact Information
Jenifer Hansen, Principal
Email: jhanse@sisd.net
Office Phone: 915-937-7402
Edith Carrillo, Assistant Principal
Email: ecarri@sisd.net
Office Phone: 915-937-7403
Elida Gamez, Assistant Principal
Email: egamez04@sisd.net
Office Phone: 915-937-7427
As always, we are honored to work with each of you! Do not hesitate to ask any question which you have about the new school year!
Calendar of Events
Calendar of Events
Here is a calendar of events that will take place at our school for our scholars. Mark your calendars at home and let's make it a great year!
Week 8, Monday, Sept. 19:
- 8th Week of School
- PreKinder BOY Circle Assessment Continues
- Kinder Reading Assessment Continues
- Bring your favorite book to read each day
- SISD School Board Meeting, 6 PM
- Bring your favorite book to read each day
- Bring your favorite book to read each day
- Wear your favorite college shirt & jeans
- Peter Piper Pizza Family Night, 11 AM to 9 PM, Free Dress Pass
- Bring your favorite book to read each day
- Wear a school spirit shirt & jeans
Week 9, Monday, Sept. 26:
- 9th Week of School
- 9 Week Checkpoint Tests for all
- September TeamSISD All-Star Cermony
- PreKinder BOY Circle Assessment Continues
- Kinder Reading Assessment Continues
- Bring your favorite book to read each day
- 9 Week Checkpoint Tests for all
- Bring your favorite book to read each day
- Career Day, Part I
- 9 Week Checkpoint Tests for all
- Bring your favorite book to read each day
- Career Day, Part II
- 9 Week Checkpoint Tests for all
- Wear your favorite college shirt & jeans
- Bring your favorite book to read each day
- 9 Week Checkpoint Tests for all
- Fall Picture Retake (in uniform)
- Wear a school spirit shirt & jeans
- Grades due for 9 Weeks, turn in all assignments
Fall Intersession Tutoring:
Monday, October 3 through Thursday, October 6, 2022
8:00 AM to 11:00 AM
- Permissions will be distributed this week
- All scholars with low attendance will be invited to regain credit
- All scholars struggling academically will be invited to practice to proficiency
Fall Intersession Break:
Monday, October 3 through Friday, October 14, 2022
Eastlake Feeder Schools
https://www.smore.com/1akh6-eastlake-high-school
Col. John O. Ensor MS, Mr. Stephen Fernandez:
https://www.smore.com/q5c7s-ensor-eagle-news
Desert Wind School, Ms. Leticia Terrazas:
Ben Narbuth ES: Mr. Fernando Miranda:
Dr. Sue Shook ES: Ms. Cristina Chavira:
Mission Ridge ES: Mr. Jesus Mendez:
Jenifer J. Hansen
Email: jhanse@sisd.net
Website: https://www.sisd.net/horizonheightses
Location: 13601 Ryderwood Avenue, Horizon City, TX, USA
Phone: (915) 308-6570
Twitter: @HHeights_ES