Horizon Elementary PTA’s
News From the Eagle’s Nest
Volume 2, Issue 6
Upcoming Events
• General PTA Meeting
Thursday March 12th at 5:30
(new date). Pizzas will be sold.
• Horizon’s International
Night, Thursday March 12th
from 6:00 – 8:00pm. Free
admission. Come travel the
worlds at Horizon!
• April 6-8 - ASPIRE testing
for grades 3-6. Grades 3, 4 & 6
have two days of testing, while
5th grade has three days.
Parents will receive specific info
soon.
• The 6th Grade Sports
Spectacular - April 10 at
Discovery Middle.
• Space Week–last week of Apr.
A World of Leaders at
Horizon’s International Night ~ March 12th
Thursday March 20th
Our school's biggest and best
Moldova,
event of the year is almost here
- the 4th Annual International
Night on March 12th! Bring the
whole family for a trip around
the world as you explore 31
countries. The event is free,
open to the community, and
lasts
from
6:00-8:00pm.
The World Showcase will be
fun, exciting, entertaining and
educational. There will be lots
of games, crafts, performances,
food, decorations, and displays.
Each class will also have a gift
basket to give away in a raffle.
Each
classroom
will
transform into a different
country, and will have on
display research reports and
art work made by students.
The
list
of
countries
represented this year is as
follows: Kindergarten -Scotland,
Ireland, Egypt, England &
Mexico; 1st Grade - Australia,
Fiji, Tanzania, Venezuela &
UAE/Abu Dhabi; 2nd Grade Bahamas,
USA,
Japan
&
Netherlands; 3rd Grade - Russia,
Bermuda, India, Italy & Costa
Rica; 4th Grade - Sweden,
Philippines, Brazil & Nicaragua;
5th Grade - Jamaica, Peru, China,
& Tuvalu; and 6th Grade -
March 2015
Germany, South
Korea & Dominican Republic.
To
prepare
for
International Night, teachers,
staff, PTA and parents have
spent
countless
hours
decorating the classrooms
and halls in beautiful scenes
from their chosen countries.
Many thanks to all volunteers!
This is a hugely popular
event, so plan to arrive early if
possible.
Our
overflow
parking lot will again be at the
shopping center on Old
Madison Pike, and shuttle
service will be provided. Once
you arrive at Horizon on
International Night, just grab
your passports and go explore
all the world has to offer!
Leadership in Action for International Night
By Mrs. Terrica Johnson, 5th grade teacher
One of the most prominent leaders in the history of our
country, Abraham Lincoln, famously said “Give me six hours to
chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the
axe.” This represents the spirit of Horizon as faculty and staff
members spend hours “sharpening their axes” for our upcoming
International Night. The amount of time and planning that goes
into making this night come to life is amazing!
If you haven’t visited the lower level hallways, you should
definitely make it a priority. You’ll see proactivity in action while
viewing the creative displays representing various countries.
Mrs. Coker’s class has easily integrated reading skills into their
curriculum by comparing and contrasting Egypt with the United
States; while also synergizing with Ms. Samuels’ class on a
collaborative display of flying birds from Egypt and Mexico. Mrs.
Besherse’s students seek to understand the culture of the Irish as
they research facts with their parents. What a win-win situation;
learning about different cultures and completing meaningful
“homework” with parents. And of course, while strolling
downstairs, you might discover some wonderful new places to
visit for a destination vacation. Mrs. Wright, Mrs. Stepko, and
Mrs. Weaver’s classes both began with the end in mind with a
vision for creating the rain forest of Venezuela, a Scottish castle
and the coral reefs of Fiji.
Upper level classroom teachers busy themselves by combining
leadership with their International Night displays as they find
creative ways to add rigor to the classrooms. Mrs. Smith’s 6th
graders sought understanding from a guest speaker native of
Moldova. One of her students, Eva, recalls the interesting fact of
the country being shaped “like a bunch of grapes.” This cool fact
will certainly help her remember how to locate Moldova on a
map. In true collaborative fashion, 5th & 6th graders from Mrs.
Johnson and Ms. Alexander’s class work on a project to contrast
the cultures of Korea and China with two students in each class
representing both countries. By listening to the differences
between the two students’ backgrounds, students will make
meaningful efforts to seek understanding about two Asian
countries. Adding a unique twist to a simple pen pal, Mrs. A.
Williams’ students are learning about others with plans of using
Skype to interact with Costa Rican missionaries. Even Mrs.
Malone is displaying a culminating project on her door
displaying all of her students’ countries!
If there is a Most Valuable Player award, it would go to, second
grade teacher, Mrs. Driggers. Her class exemplifies the habit
“beginning with the end in mind.” Integrating a study of the
United States into the curriculum, the students have been
learning about their country since October! They began with
Native Americans and moved on to each of the fifty states. Be
sure to check out their postcard project with each card
displaying one of the seven habits. Mrs. Driggers enthusiastically
looks forward to this year’s International Night. She states, “We
are also having a living Wax Museum the night of IN. Each child
proactively chose a famous American. I’ve had a great time
teaching this unit and watching the children take charge and
learn! They have amazed me with their connections, questions,
and research ability.”
And from one MVP to an All-Star, Mrs. Newby’s creative
touches are evident throughout the entire building. She has
integrated International Night into her art curriculum and
synergized to help teachers bring their ideas to life. What a way
to win-win!
So, be proactive and mark your calendars for International
Night 2015. This is the one thing to definitely put first!
In the Spotlight …. Mrs. Sarah Blankenship
~ Retiring after 21 years of inspiring students
When 2nd grade teacher Mrs. Sarah Blankenship
retires at the end of this school year after 21 years of
teaching, with 13 of them spent right here at
Horizon, she says what she will miss most about our
School is “the camaraderie of my peers and the
smiles, laughter and hugs the children bring me each day.” Her
peers and students will definitely miss the same things about her.
Mrs. B (the name her students affectionately call her) knew
from the time she was a child that she wanted to be a school
teacher. “You could say it was in my blood,” she says of the fact
that her mother was a teacher. “Plus I had many wonderful
teachers in school who took an interest in me and encouraged
me to follow my heart.”
She earned her B.S. degree in Education from Athens State
University in 1992, and all 21 years of her teaching career have
been spent in Madison. She spent five years at Discovery Middle
and three years at Liberty Middle before coming to Horizon.
Mrs. B. felt compelled to teach all of these years because she
saw firsthand how much good teachers can do for their students.
“It is so fulfilling to know you can have a positive influence in a
child’s life. I know I am still here after all these years because
God wants me to know and love the children that have been
placed in my care,” she says.
Mrs. B is well known for her love of science and animals and
enjoys sharing them with her students. It is through her work
with animals that some of her most touching teaching memories
occurred. She fondly recalls a student she once had who was on
the Autism Spectrum and was very withdrawn. Mrs. B. was able
to reach him through their shared interest in the iguana she kept
in her classroom. The boy began to take care of the
iguana and during this time came out of his shell
and started interacting with other students. When
he was in high school, his mother contacted her
to let her know how proud she was that her son
had a job working with animals at a local veterinarian’s office.
Mrs. B was proud of him, too! *** * * * * * * * * * *
Another student came to visit Mrs. B from college to tell her
that because of Mrs. B’s science class she chose marine biology
as her major. Today that student works for Sea World in Texas,
and Mrs. B couldn’t be more proud. .
. .. . . . .
Mrs. B lived through a catastrophic illness while teaching,
and that experience taught her “to love and enjoy each day God
has given me,” she says. She enjoys spending time with her
family - husband Michael, son Adam, daughter Amy,
stepchildren Leslie and Peyton, as well as four grandchildren:
Jay, Jenna Ruth, Tyde, and Joseph. In retirement Mrs. B (who is
an avid golfer) plans to enjoy golfing more with her husband
and friends. She would also like to find a part time job so she
can interact with people. .
. .. . . . .
If she could give Horizon students one piece of advice to
remember her by, it would be: “Appreciate each day, work
hard, keep moving forward and stay humble along the way.”
We will miss you Mrs. B! Thank you for all of your years of
service to the Horizon family! . . .
. .. . . . . .
Our Teachers and Staff have BRIGHT Ideas!
Dr. Gay Barnes uses QR Codes to connect families to lessons in her classroom
Parents of students in Dr. Gay Barnes’ 1st grade class get to see firsthand what their children are doing and learning in class … and
they don’t even have to set foot in the classroom to do it! This year Dr. Barnes has implemented an exciting program where she
makes movies of many of the lessons she teaches in class – lessons like solving math problems, researching animals for a writing
unit, or studying tadpoles – and then sends the movies to parents to view. Dr. Barnes uploads the movies to a private channel of the
video-sharing website Vimeo and then creates a QR code of that webpage’s link for parents to access using their smartphones or
iPads with a free QR code reader app. Parents can also access the videos using a computer without using the QR code.
Research shows that involving students' families in their everyday educational experiences helps students be more successful in
school, and the parents in Dr. Barnes’ class are really enjoying these glimpses into their children’s experiences at school. "My goal is
to connect with parents and families who may not have the chance to spend time with their child during the school day as well as to
make the work we are doing in our classroom more visible and understandable," she says. Now that’s a BRIGHT idea!
Horizon’s Spelling Bee champ wins 4th place in County Spelling Bee!
Horizon’s own Olive Jones placed 4th in the Madison County Spelling Bee, and we are all so proud of her hard work and success in
making it so far! After winning Horizon’s Spelling Bee, which Olive says was a “pleasant surprise,” the 6th grader moved on to compete
at the county level with students from other local schools. She had to study “A LOT,” she says to prepare for the County Bee. “Studying
takes time, plus I had to learn definitions.” But she enjoyed the whole experience. “I like that it is in fact very competitive despite it not
being a sport, and many people are vying for the same thing.” Being there also made her feel a part of something special. “I often think
about the fact that even though we're competitors at the school, county, state, and national level, in the end, we all represent
America's spellers.
Olive says that as she got closer to winning at the end of the County Bee, it got a lot harder, more stressful for the competitors, and
sometimes the pronouncer pronounced words incorrectly. “In the end, it comes down to vocabulary - how many words you know,
and how well you know them,” she says. She hopes to win Horizon’s Spelling Bee again next year so that she can return to the
Madison County Spelling Bee, where she thinks her experience there from this year will hopefully give her a better chance of winning.
The Horizon Elementary "Eagles" in Madison got a visit from a real "Eagle"
(Story and photo courtesy of Madison City Schools)
Jordan Matthews, a wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles professional football team, visited Horizon on Friday,
Feb.13. His talk centered on the importance of education, being a leader, and not giving up in the pursuit of personal
goals.
The NFL starter was a hit with students, mingling into their midst to answer questions, give high-fives and posing for pictures.
Matthews was born in Madison and attended Madison Academy only a couple of blocks away. He was an all SEC receiver for
Vanderbilt University and was picked up by the Eagles in the 2nd round draft of 2014. He is spending part of the off-season with
family not far from the school.
Horizon Principal Rodney Richardson knows Matthews’ father and invited the star receiver to address students as part of the
school’s Leader in Me series: “Education plus Leadership equals Success.”
Matthews emphasized the importance of getting a good education foundation no matter the ambition in life. Despite the
rigors of football at Vanderbilt, Matthews earned a degree in economics in just 3.5 years. "Even though I wanted to be an athlete,
academics was the most important thing to carry me through."
Horizon Students are accomplished leaders at school and in the community!
Destination Imagination Teams Compete this Month
Horizon’s DI Teams will compete at the North Alabama
Regional Destination Imagination Competition at Discovery
Middle on Saturday, March 14. Our teams are: Purple Pegasusus,
with members Tallulah Harlow, Emma Bordelon, Jenna Hwang,
Alivia Nguyen, Rebecca Meyer, and Julie Pimmel, coached by
Matt Harlow; and The Turquoise Zebras, with team members
Madison Few, Kaley Gilcrist, Brooke Heater, and Alia McGee,
coached by John Few. Teams have been practicing all year for
this competition. Come on out to show your support!
Congrats Winners of the 2nd Grade Academic Bowl
In this fun and educational celebration of the Super Bowl held
at Horizon in late January, student teams played four quarters of
a skills-review game where they were asked review questions in
areas of Reading, Math, Language Arts, Spelling and Social
Science. All 2nd grade classes participated, with classes placed on
one of the two teams - either the Seattle Seahawks or the New
England Patriots, and Mrs. Stewart and Mr. Richardson acted as
referees. Mrs. Stewart even wore a real referee jersey! The
winners were Mrs. Chance and Mrs. Driggers' Seahawks. “The
kids enjoy getting to spend time with the other classes and
competing in a fun environment!” says. Mrs. Chance. For photos
of this event, visit HorizonElementaryPTA.com.
Horizon’s Chess Team Places at Competition
Congratulations to Horizon "Dragon Mates" team of Cuong Vo,
Aidan Reyes, Colby Sheehan and Evan Highsmith for bringing
home the fourth place K-6 award in the North Alabama Team
Scholastic (NATS) tournament in February. Horizon had three
teams compete in this unique forum that allows students to
compete as teams of four.
Horizon’s Students to Compete in State Science Fair
All 24 winners of our school’s 5th and 6th grader Science Fair
will participate in the in the North Alabama Regional Science and
Engineering Fair at UAH on March 11. Good luck Eagles! Those
students are - 6th graders: Sydney Baumbach, Logan Brink, Jensen
Call, Ava Collum, Kristin Glenn, Grace Hannah, Miles Humes,
Abbigail Jackson, DJ Johnson, Olive Jones, Alivia Nguyen, Daniel
Philips, Ryan Reyes, Thomas Riley, Cuong Vo, and Michael
Nguyen; and 5th graders: Alastair Baker, Jacob Holland, Jacob
Johnston, Summer Kynard, Hunter Lamps, Alia McGee, Ryan
Revera, and Elsa Vidal.
African American Art Contest Winners
Last month three Horizon students and their families,
along with art teacher Mrs. Cathy Newby, had the honor of
attending an exciting celebration of Black History Month at
the Redstone Arsenal, as winners of an African American Art
contest. The first place winner was Alia McGee, 2nd place was
Emily Duong and 3rd place was Jonah Shaver. The winners
got to meet Four-Star General Dennis L. Via (the commanding
general of Army Materiel Command at the Arsenal) and his
wife Linda, as well as Lieutenant General Patricia E.
McQuistion, and award-winning author Wil Haygood, and
watched performances by local musicians.
Other Horizon students who had their art on display at the
event were: Kricket Johnston, Mackenzie Bradley, Devon
Cooper, Robyn Pope, Oz Cheek, and Zoe Glossup.
Congratulations to these Horizon Eagles who represented our
school so well!
Visit our facebook page at
facebook.com/HorizonPTA, or HorizonElementaryPTA.com to
see photos from this exciting event.
City PTA Reflections Winners Honored
Congratulations to Horizon students Grayson Bennett,
John Choung, Alia McGee, Ethan Johnson and Gibson Purser
who were presented with awards at a School Board Meeting
in February for being City-level Reflections winners. For
photos of this event, visit HorizonElementaryPTA.com
. .
Snowman Building Contest . . . .
Thank you to everyone who participated in Horizon’s
snowman building contest on February 27th! Over 30 families
sent in photos of the amazing snowmen our students and
their families made. It was a great way to spend a snow day.
The tallest snowman was 1st grader Theron Cornelius' at
10 feet 4 inches tall. The biggest circumference was 1st
grader Lauren Bell's at 22ft around. The most creative ones
were 5th grader Jon Tippie's chess playing snowman, and 2nd
grader
Seth
Hernandez'
sunbathing
snowman.
If you haven’t seen the photos yet, please visit
facebook.com/HorizonPTA and look for our post announcing
the contest, or visit HorizonElementaryPTA.com. Horizon
families – you Rock!
HES Calendar
March 2015
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
2
•Happy Birthday
Mrs. Bill (3/1)
3
4
5
6
9
10
11
•North Alabama
Regional Science &
Engineering Fair
12
•PTA Meeting @ 5:30pm
•International Night,
6:00-8:00pm
16
17
•Happy Birthday
Mrs. Hinger
18
•Happy Birthday
Mrs. Caudle and
Ms. Coombs
•Camp McDowell
19
13
•Happy Birthday
Mrs. Stutts (3/14)
•Book fair Opens
•Destination Imagination
Competition (3/14)
20
•Happy Birthday
Mrs. Besherse (3/22)
•Happy Birthday
Mrs. Newby (3/22)
March 13-19 - Scholastic Book Fair, Media Center
23
24
•Happy Birthday
Dr. Barnes
25
26
27
Spring Break – March 23-27
30
•Students return
to school
31
•A look ahead - Space Week will be the last week of April. Guest speakers wanted. Please contact Karen Purser: [email protected]
CAMP McDOWELL - 5th Grade’s Annual Tradition
The fifth grade is preparing for an exciting three days at
McDowell Environmental Center this month! While there, the
students will learn how to catch and identify creatures in the
streams and pond, hike through a canyon and learn about
Alabama’s history and development, learn about native
peoples who lived here first, learn how to navigate and learn
about creatures of the forest, explains Mrs. Beth Bero.
Did you know that Horizon has a school store that is run by
the 5th and 6th grade ACE Economics classes, and that money
earned at that store last fall is going towards funding four
scholarships to needy students attending Camp McDowell?
Well, it’s true! The school store carries pencils, pens, erasers,
notepads, folders and other items of interest to the students.
Each item is sold at a 5 to 10 cent markup from cost. That’s a
lot of pencils and pens! It’s pretty cool that such little items
could raise so much money.
This semester volunteers Scott Reid, Adam Troup and Julian
Cyree are running the store and showing real leadership!
“Thank you to everyone who has let their child(ren) shop our
store,” says Mrs. Bero.
Madison City Police Kids Camp
Speaking of fun 5th grade activities, this month parents
should be on the lookout for registration forms coming home
for the Madison City Police Kids Camp that will be held for 5th
graders this summer. Kids Camp is an opportunity for kids
to learn about the Police Department, to observe and receive
law enforcement training from police officers, and to work
on teams with classmates.
Congratulations to Mrs. Ashley Hodges and family!
Baby boy Peyton Louis Hodges was born February 4, 2015 and
weighed 6lb. 10oz. Big brother Parker is enjoying his new baby
very much! While Mrs. Hodges is away on maternity leave, her
class is in the great hands of substitute teacher Mrs. Caroline
Speer. Welcome Mrs. Speer!
Scholastic Book Fair is Coming!
March 13th-19th
It’s time for the Scholastic Book Fair, where you can buy great
books and other products, plus help our school earn money in
the process. Teachers will let you know when your child’s class
has its assigned day/time to visit the book fair. Volunteers are
needed, so please contact PTA Volunteer Coordinator Emily Free
to sign up - [email protected].
The G.I.V.E. Program
by 3rd grader Aiden Fidler, Mrs. Miller's class
The first week of February two ladies from the Madison County
District Attorney came to visit the 3rd grade classes. They told us
all about the G.I.V.E. Program, that stands for Gang Intervention
and Violence Education. They talked about state laws and what
would happen if someone broke the law. One thing would be you
might go to jail. They talked about a special court for kids. They
talked about gun safety, bullies, and gangs. Friday was questions
day. They took questions from last year and asked us. One of
them was, "Why do you think bullies bully?" The third graders
said, "to show off and look strong, and so they're not bored." Each
kid got a bag with crayons and a notebook. I enjoyed their visit
and learned a lot.