Future Panther Families --

We are excited to welcome current 5th graders to the Horizon Panther family. Middle School is a time of transition, growth, and exploration for students. Whether you are new to Horizon, or have had previous children attend, we are confident that Horizon has established a school environment focused on the growth and preparation of all students.

In order to begin preparing for middle school we are holding a virtual Q and A session for 5th grade parents on Thursday, April 15th from 6:00 - 7:30 pm.

Join the Zoom Meeting Here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85858920652

Missoula Children’s Theatre finished a week of residency at Remington Elementary School on February 5th, made possible by the district’s IGNITE grant. Students spent the week learning about theatre, acting, and other aspects of production. Kindergarten through fifth grade students performed “Johnny Appleseed.” Students in the building were able to watch the performance via live stream during the school day and parents were able to watch another performance via live stream that night!

Springs Ranch will be hosting the Missoula Theater for their students April 26th through May 1st, performing Sleeping Beauty. Look for more information on how to register!

The Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education (CLDE) department of D49 in conjunction with Mrs. Linda Hagedorn at Springs Ranch, coordinated a literacy project for students and families. Students were provided the book, "If You Give a Moose a Muffin" (either English or Spanish version) along with a muffin tin, oven mitt, and muffin mix. Families read the story and baked muffins together! Check out some of the great photos submitted. The goal of the project was to engage students and their families to read together and increase literacy at home. Thank you to all who made this engagement activity a success!

We are very honored that Horizon Middle School has made “Top 3” for Best Middle School for the Gazette's Best Of competition.

Congratulations on being a Best of the Springs Winner!

The Best of the Springs Virtual Celebration will be on Thursday, April 22nd. They will announce what place Horizon has made. Stay tuned for more to celebrate!

Evans Elementary staff and students celebrated Read Across America on March 2, with free books and an after-school drive-thru event.

Teachers gave away bundles of books for every family to take home, and popcorn and hot chocolate were also shared with families, for them to enjoy together during reading time at home. Local vendors were also invited to attend. Displays by community partner organizations like the Pikes Peak Library District, and the Children's Museum were on hand with free giveaways, and to share their resources with visitors.

Angelica Marquez, the family/community liaison, did a lot to bring in community partners from across the community to participate. The literacy coach for the school, Lori McCoy, was also credited by Marcia Case, school principal, for her efforts in organizing and putting much of the celebration together for the school. For more photos, check out D49's Facebook Post.

In celebration of Spring and of Read Across America Day, SRES teachers challenged their students to read every day in the month of March, Spring Break included! Students were encouraged to read in a variety of formats to find what appealed to them, whether physical books or online with programs such as MyON. The goal was to read at least 15 minutes every day. At the end of the month over 150 students turned in their challenge papers and will be awarded prizes based on the number of days they read. Students were polled to find out what prizes appealed to them most, and are getting smelly pencils and popsicles! Students who read every day during the month were entered into a drawing to win Principal for the Day - Congratulations to fourth grader Yusuf Muhammad! He will spend a day working closely with our principal, sharing school wide announcements, attending meetings and other duties as the Principal for the Day!

In collaboration with the Falcon Education Foundation, District 49 honored 12 outstanding staff, students and volunteers during the March 11 Fantastic 49 presentation at the Creekside Success Center. All honorees were described as exceptional people with unwavering character and a true passion for making District 49 “the best choice to learn, work and lead.” From the Sand Creek Zone, Liz Wagers from HMS and Ben Brown from SCHS were both chosen to be honored! Check out the full article and list of honorees here.

Many students and families had struggles around education during the pandemic, but teachers and families came together to make sure students are where they need to be. One of those teachers was recognized by KOAA news channel 5 when a few Remington parents wanted to give a special thanks to 2nd grade teacher, Stephanie Peterson. Parents praised Peterson for her ability to work with families to ensure student success. We are proud to have such a phenomenal educator and well loved staff member in the Sand Creek Zone! Check out the full story here.

Horizon Middle School welcomed U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet for a visit Thursday morning. Bennet sat down with education and support staff to hear their stories about working through the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr. Bennet talked with staff for about an hour Thursday, seeking the perspective of front-line workers who have experienced, and risen to meet the challenges created in this unprecedented season of learning. Horizon Middle School was the only school chosen in District 49 for his visit.

April is designated as the Month of the Military Child, underscoring the important role military children play in the armed forces community. Sponsored by the Department of Defense Military Community and Family Policy, the Month of the Military Child is a time to applaud military families and their children for the daily sacrifices they make and the challenges they overcome (www.dodea.com).

Wear purple on Purple Up Day - Wearing purple is a visible way for everyone to show support and thank military youth for their strength and sacrifices. This year, the Sand Creek Zone will celebrate Purple Up Day on April 16th! Be sure to wear your purple to support our military students and families.

Families of Evans partnered with Family Engagement Liaison, Angelica Marquez to hold a fundraiser to help other families with treats during the first weekend of April. Together, the offered a hiding service of candy filled eggs for a fee and delivery of the eggs to Evans families' front yards. The group was also able to get a sponsorship from Bargain Mart to donate all eggs and candy. Between the two women coordinating the event, they were also able to get some baskets donated and gave "Spring" baskets to 10 students in need. The fundraiser raised a little under $600! Thank you to all who supported this activity!

In case you missed it...

Throughout the year, the Sand Creek Zone provides Parent Academies to our families. For our virtual events, we are able to record the presentation, and gain resources from our events. Most of those resources can be found on the Sand Creek Zone Page! Check them out at d49.org/sandcreekzone

We are excited to celebrate with the Class of 2021! Check out the latest events we will be holding to honor our graduating seniors:

April 27th/29th: The Senior Banquet

May 4th: Senior Walk

May 14th: Prom

May 31st: Graduation at UC Health Park

If you would like to support the 2021 Prom, we would love to see you at some of our Prom Fundraising Events! Visit Raising Cane's on 4/12 from 3-9:30pm or Texas Roadhouse on 4/20 from 4-8pm and mention you are with Sand Creek! 10% of all sales come back to SCHS.

Each quarter, the Sand Creek Zone brings together all 5 of its schools to learn more about how our schools are celebrating and ensuring action within our Pillars: Service, People, Student Success and Innovation and Growth. We would like to invite ALL of our Sand Creek Zone Parents to attend this virtual event!

When: Wednesday, May 5th at 5:30pm

Where: via Zoom https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89104077019

Who: All Sand Creek Zone Schools

What: We will have a presentation from Care and Share to talk about the success of our Mobile Market. After the main presentation, we will break up into individual school groups for more specific conversations around your school!

Each of the pages below post important information about events, fundraisers and recognition for their school. Please follow us!

Evans FB Page

Sand Creek High FB Page

Remington PTA Facebook Page

Springs Ranch PTO FB Page

Horizon Middle FB Page

Sand Creek Zone FB Page