Comet Courier
Horizon Elementary Monthly Newsletter October 2020 Edition
A Message from the Principal
Dear Parents,
Thank you for the tremendous effort and grace you have offered your students and our staff members at the start of this unique school year. We are fortunate to have the backing of our entire Horizon village to support our students. As many of you know, the School Board voted that Kindergarten, first and second grade families who chose HYBRID will return to Horizon the week of October 27th. We will be sending more information to you shortly regarding whether your child will attend Tuesday and Thursday or Wednesday and Friday. A Virtual Parent Information Night for Hybrid Families (KG-2nd grade) will also take place on Tuesday, October 20th at 5:30pm. More information will be sent with details regarding this event.
At this time, families cannot make changes to hybrid or distance learning. We will inform you when that option becomes available for 2nd semester.
Thank you once again for all that you are doing to support your student’s virtual learning. Have a wonderful week, families!
Warm Regards,
Jasmine Carpenter, Principal
It's Good to be a Comet! We hope to see you in person very soon!
The office is open every day from 7:30 - 3:30, and can be reached by phone at 571-434-3260. For everyone's safety, please do not visit the school unless absolutely necessary. If you need to pick up materials or sign documents for your child, call the office and someone will bring them outside to you. Thank you for your understanding.
Welcome to our new Principal, Mrs. Carpenter
Welcome New Staff!
Miss Paige Rickey, 1st Grade
Ms. Madison Kutkuhn, 1st Grade
Mrs. Lakin Williams, 3rd Grade
Ms. Abigail Huff, 4th Grade
Ms. Christina Bohl, 5th Grade
Miss Jennifer Staples, Instructional Facilitator, Technology
Mrs. Brandy Walker, Art
Ms. Allison Cabrey, Resource
Mrs. Angelic Yao, Resource
Ms. Brigitta Mate, Resource
Mrs. Elizabeth (Liz) Hall, ECSE
Mrs. Laura Epstein, Kindergarten Assistant
Mrs. Jennifer Blusiewicz, Library Assistant
UPCOMING EVENTS...Mark your calendars
Friday, October 2: 2nd Grade Materials Pickup Day 9:00-11:00 AM and 12:00-2:00 PM
Monday, October 5: 5th Grade DARE Book pickup 9:00-11:00 AM
Tuesday, October 20: Virtual Parent Info Night for Hybrid Families, 5:30 PM
Friday, October 23: Asynchronous Learning Day for all K-2 Students
Monday, October 26: No School for Students, County-Wide Professional Development Day
Tuesday, October 27: Kindergarten through 2nd Grade Hybrid Students and Some EL students return to school this week, either Tuesday/Thursday or Wednesday/Friday
Please see the email from your child's teacher for details!
Student of the Month
Kindergarten
Mrs. Dettmer's Class: Nithya Gunturu
Mrs. Toynbee's Class: Henry Siciliano
Mrs. Wright's class: Carter Russell
Mrs. Yang's Class: Abigail Ulrich
First Grade
Mrs. Abney's Class: Salma Youssef
Ms. Kutkuhn's Class: Brody Hoover
Miss Nichols' Class: Elise Whitlock
Miss Rickey's Class: Pushti Choksi
Mrs.Wallace's Class: Ethan Wood
Second Grade
Ms. Fornatora's Class: Riley Chin
Mrs. Gruehn's Class: Maya Spring
Mrs. Perka's Class: Audrey Neuman
Mrs. Rooker's Class: Param Mandalika
Mrs. Seufert's Class: Zaynab Sharieff
Third Grade:
Miss Strohl's Class: Elise Flatla
Ms. Wasser's Class: Landon Whitlock
Mrs. Williams's Class: Avery Russell
Ms. Zahid's Class: Brooklynn Harris
Fourth Grade
Mrs. Drury's Class: Kayenat Nabi Zada
Ms. Griffith's Class: Isaac McNeil
Ms. Huff's Class: Bella Chen
Mrs. Jeffers' Class: Yusuf Balti
Fifth Grade
Miss Bohl's Class: Ivan Londergan
Ms. Harrison's Class: Justin Keller
Ms. Mueller's Class: Abdul Kareem Hasan
Ms. Rohrbach's Class: Aria Khazai
Welcome Back to School from Horizon’s Parent Liaison
Welcome Back to School from Horizon’s Parent Liaison
A Parent Liaison is an LCPS staff member who works to bridge the communication between home and school by helping parents get the information, help and support they need to ensure their child’s academic and social success at school. We at Horizon Elementary strive to make sure that each and every student has the necessary resources to help them achieve their best. In this always changing economic climate, especially now during the pandemic, sometimes we find ourselves in need of outside resources and assistance.
How can Horizon’s Parent Liaison help me?
- By providing information and answering your questions about school activities to help you get involved in your child’s education
- By arranging for interpreters so that you can communicate in your own language
- By providing assistance with resources like:
- School supplies, books, food needs, clothing and other items depending on donations
- By providing information and referrals to community resources like:
- Health care, dental care, diapers, clothing, coats and other needs
- By helping with financial needs for in school items like: Field trip expenses, spirit wear, music instruments, after school PTA programs and others
If you have questions for Horizon’s Parent Liaison or would like assistance, please complete this form. You can email it to Amy.Sandridge@lcps.org or text the form to 540-579-2279.
Parent’s Name:____________________________________________________________________________
Student’s Name: __________________________________________________________________________
Student’s Teacher’s name: _______________________________________________________________
Contact Info:
Email: ________________________________________ Phone: _____________________________________
[ ] I would like information, I have questions:
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
[ ] I need an interpreter, please include language:
___________________________________________________________________________________________
[ ] I need resources (school supplies, internet hotspot or other items)
[ ] I need information and referral to community resources (food, health care, dental care, clothing, diapers)
[ ] Other needs (please describe):
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Amy Sandridge is Horizon’s Parent Liaison
Call or text 540-579-2279
Bienvenido de vuelta a la escuela ¿Qué es un “Enlace Familiar”? (“Parent Liaison” en inglés)
Es un miembro del personal escolar que trabaja para mantener la comunicación entre la escuela y el hogar. Representa a los padres ayudándolos a obtener la información, ayuda y apoyo que necesiten para asegurar el éxito académico y social de sus hijos en la escuela. La función principal del Enlace Familiar es la de capacitar a los padres para que participen activamente en la educación de sus hijos.
¿Como puede el “Enlace Familiar” ayudarme?
El Enlace Familiar pueden proporcionar varios tipos de ayuda.
- Proporcionando información y respondiendo a sus preguntas sobre las actividades escolares para ayudarlo a participar en la educación de su hijo
- Contratando intérpretes para que pueda comunicarse en su propio idioma
- Brindando asistencia con recursos como:
- Útiles escolares, libros, necesidades alimentarias, ropa y otros artículos según las donaciones
- Proporcionando información y referencias a recursos comunitarios como:
- Cuidado de la salud, cuidado dental, anteojos, pañales, ropa, abrigos y otras necesidades
- Ayudando con las necesidades financieras de artículos escolares como: camisetas de la escuela, instrumentos musicales, programas escolares, y otras
Si tiene una pregunta de como completer ese documento ó necesita alguna ayuda. Puede enviar un mensaje a Amy.Sandridge@lcps.org or 540-579-2279.
Nombre de los Padres:_____________________________________________________________________
Nombre del Estudiante: ____________________________________________________________________
Nombre del Profesor: ______________________________________________________________________
Información:
Email: _______________________________________ Teléfono: ___________________________________
[ ] Deseo información y tengo preguntas acerca de:
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
[ ] Necesito un intérprete, (qué lengua por favor):
___________________________________________________________________________________________
[ ] Necesito recursos (Artículos escolares y otras)
[ ] Deseo información/ayuda (comida, necesidades de salud médica o dental, ropas, panales)
[ ] Otras necesidades (por favor describa lo que necesite):
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Amy Sandridge is Horizon’s Parent Liaison
Call or text 540-579-2279
MAP TESTING - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TO SUPPORT YOUR CHILD
FROM THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT: Algonkian's Got Talent!
Dear Horizon 4th & 5th Grade Students and Parents,
I hope you are well. Attached is a flyer for the upcoming inaugural Algonkian’s Got Talent. Submissions can be made here http://bit.ly/algonkiantalent. Here is the direct email I received from the office of Algonkian District Supervisor Juli Briskman (former Horizon parent!) with all the details:
Algonkian’s Got Talent is a friendly competition to uplift our artistic youth and to offer them space to share their gifts and achieve recognition for their skills and hard work. Algonkian District Supervisor Juli Briskman launched this initiative because she believes the arts are an integral part of education, culture and society that help us develop empathy and to understand people, places, history and issues with which we may otherwise be unfamiliar. The arts ignite our imaginations and offer a creative outlet unlike any other. Briskman, who plays viola, believes that engaging in the arts at a young age builds brain power and confidence. As a student, Briskman played viola in her school orchestras, in the high school pit orchestra for productions and spent many a lunch hour practicing in the solitude of individual practice rooms when the outside world was a little too much. She also played for many years in the Loudoun Orchestra workshop, which often opened for the Loudoun Symphony. Briskman believes these opportunities and artistic outlets should be available for all of our youth and hopes this competition will give more purpose to some students’ artistic endeavors.
Submissions for the inaugural Algonkian’s Got Talent competition will be accepted from October 1st through October 15th. Submissions will be judged by a panel of music teachers and local musicians for technical and entertainment value. Submissions will be posted on the Algonkian Supervisor’s Facebook page and available for public viewing and voting. Winners will be announced at a virtual celebration on November 13th.
Have fun and good luck!
Mr. Grivetti
FROM THE LIBRARY: Horizon's Book Bus is Riding into Town on Mondays!
If your student would like to check out books from our school library, please join the Schoology group "Horizon Library Book Check Out Program" using the following access code:
8S3C-9X53-M532Q
Once you join, you will see a request form to fill out with your student. This form needs to be submitted BEFORE Friday morning for the following Monday's book bus. If your student wants a specific book, please check to see if it's available in Follett Destiny (accessed in LCPS Go - Library Resources folder. I will be reviewing Follett Destiny with students in an upcoming class, but I also put a tutorial in the resource section of the Schoology group.
If your student doesn't have a specific book in mind, they can choose to have us pick them a book based on their interest OR they can just show up at a stop with a mask to browse the books we brought on board.
You can select which stop you will be picking up the books.
Books will be returned at the same stops at any time or can be brought to school for a 3-day quarantine.
Here are the Monday stops:
Stop A at 9:08 AM (CARDINAL GLEN CIR & BARNSWALLOW CT)
Stop B at 9:37 (KENTWELL PL & CHERRYWOOD CT)
Stop C at 10:01 AM (RIVER BANK ST & POOL HOUSE)
Stop D at 10:24 AM (HARDWOOD FOREST DR & STERDLEY FALLS TE)
Stop E at 10:47 AM (MORNINGSIDE TE & LAWNES CREEK TE)
Stop F at 11:09 (PARKSIDE CIR & REDFOX CT)
A NOTE FROM PE...
It is hard to believe that October is upon us already! Our goal in Physical Education continues to be for ALL students to be physically active, engaged, and safe for the maximum amount of time. We realize the challenges of learning virtually and have started our school year with units that can be done without equipment. In grades K-2, we will continue with pathways as well as jumping and landing. This will address spatial awareness, body awareness, locomotor movements and nonlocomotor movements. In grades 3-5, students will continue understanding the components of fitness and will be able to give an example of each. This unit will address how the components of fitness relate to overall physical fitness and health. Lastly, Thank You for the unwavering support as you help navigate our Comets to our Schoology pages for them to find success on their own too. We appreciate you!
~ Mrs. Vazquez and Mrs. Ciccone
FROM THE ART ROOM
FROM OUR READING SPECIALISTS
FROM THE TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT
Thank you for your support at home with technology troubleshooting! Please refer to the many resources available on our Horizon ES Family Distance Learning Resources website that is updated frequently. The Technology Resources page on that site has the Tech Support Center’s contact info as well as how-to guides and family resources for digital citizenship and computer science.
Technical Difficulties?
Horizon Elementary School
46665 Broadmore Drive * Sterling, VA * 20165 * Telephone 571.434.3260 * Fax 703.444.7418
Absentee Line 571.434.3261
Absentee Email hrzabsentee@lcps.org
website: www.lcps.org/Horizon
Principal: Mrs. Jasmine Carpenter jasmine.carpenter@lcps.org
Assistant Principal: Mr. Max Merick maxwell.merick@lcps.org
Financial Technician: Mrs. Holly Buehler Laura.Buehler@lcps.org
Registrar: Mrs. Katie Wright katherine.wright@lcps.org
Follow us on Twitter: @HorizonElem or Facebook: www.facebook.com/HRZSterling