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Horizon Happenings
March 6, 2024
Principals Message
Hornet Families,
March is Classified Staff Appreciation month and a great time for your student to say, “THANK YOU” to the staff who provide them with support in classes, hallways, at lunch, in activities/sports, in the library, and in our offices. Horizon Middle School Appreciates our Classified Staff! A great classified staff member can change a child’s life in all the best ways.
March is also a time when schools put an extra emphasis on literacy, kicked off by Read Across America. On March 6th, staff and students were encouraged to dress as their favorite character from a book and participate in literacy activities throughout the day.
This month our 8th graders begin their high school journey with a visit to Ferndale High School on March 5th, an 8th Grade Showcase at FHS on March 6th @ 6:30pm, and visits from FHS counselors on March 8th when they’ll select classes for the 2024-25 school year. Our PTO has reached out to 8th grade parents in hopes of bringing this group together to plan a celebration for the end of the year. If you’d like to be included in this group please reach out at FHSclassof2028@gmail.com. The final quarter of 8th grade is a very important time for our students to transition from being a middle school student to becoming a high school student. Expecting and practicing good behaviors, study skills and a resilient mindset are all essential in ensuring future success. Together we can provide our students with opportunities to learn these skills and others before we send them on to FHS where on-time graduation is the ultimate goal.
After Spring Break, we head into testing season. Students will participate in iReady diagnostic testing to measure how much they have grown in math and reading, a Panorama survey to measure their growth in self-efficacy, mindset towards school, and other social norms, and in the State directed achievement test, SBA/WCAS, to determine their level of achievement towards grade-level standards in reading, writing, math, and science. All Spring assessments will be used to determine placement in classes at FHS for 8th graders and at HMS for 6th and 7th graders, therefore it is VERY important for students to get enough rest and try their best.
Always be kind,
Christine McDaniel
Horizon Principal
Dates and Reminders
Early Release
- March 6 - @ 11:13 am
- March 27 - @ 11:13 am
PTO Meeting
- March 20th, PTO Mtg in library @ 6:00 pm
FHS 8th Grade Showcase
- March 6 - FHS Auditorium @ 6:30 pm
- March 8 - Register for HS classes during counselor visits
Band Concert
- March14, FHS Gym at 7:00 pm
Spring Break
- April 1-5
Ferndale Band Gala
Band Concert
You are invited to come see the band students at the Ferndale Band Gala next Thursday, March 14th. This is a special concert because we gather every single Ferndale band student together in one concert. The groups will take turns playing songs, and we end with a song played by all 6th - 12th graders together.
The concert starts at 7 pm, and is in the large gym at FHS.
Strengthening Families Program - April 23-May 28
Strengthening Families Program (English) - Apr 23-May 28
The Family Resource Center is pleased to sponsor the Strengthening Families Program (English session) for families with students ages 10-14.
--The 6-week program will be offered April 23-May 28, 5:30-8pm. Dinner provided.
--Scan the QR code to register.
--For more information, contact the Family Resource Center at 360.383.9970.
Spring Break Opportunity for Students -- Young Americans Workshop
STEM tour in the Summer of 2026
Big news, Horizon Middle School students! You have an exciting chance to travel to Japan and South Korea with Mrs. Ridings on a STEM tour in the Summer of 2026! Register for the information meeting to learn more about this inspiring opportunity here: https://bit.ly/3ObMPLk
Study Table
Study Table
Mondays and Thursdays; 2:30-4:30 pm in the library. This is a drop-in program this year. It is a time for students to complete class projects and assignments and will be fully supervised by no less than two adults.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Maura Davis our Study Table lead at Maura.Davis@ferndalesd.org or Melanie Helt Assistant Principal 360-383-9853 or Melanie.Helt@ferndalesd.org.
SWARM Awards
SUPER SWARMers!
Safety, Welcoming, Accountable, Respectful, Modeling Kindnes
Over the last five months, our students have been working hard to model our school wide SWARM expectations. Each month students who have consistently modeled the SWARM focus of the month have received a recognition award. This month we had 21 sixth graders, 8 seventh graders, and 10 eighth graders who had earned all five SWARM awards this year and were recognized with a special SUPER SWARM award.
6th Grade:
Navjot Sandhu, Colbie Locker, Devyn Owens, Adrian Ramirez, Otto Strachan, Daryella Tulowetzke, Hope Zollner, Kallie Krahn, Ryder Sobjack, Gianna D’Angelo, Emma Lange, Natasha Melnyk, Kayleena Zuniega, Kali Avelar, Evelyn Hightower, Iris Mills, Avery Varivoda, Jasper Charles, Lucy Foster, Shirena Jackson, Juniper Teich.
7th Grade
Lukas Adams, Malcolm Hancock, Teagan Green, Tanner Carpenter, Alexis Aguilera, Yorley Lozano-Hernandez, Levi Kimball, Satchel Wood.
8th Grade
Marin Hatch, Sarah Stoner, Kensley Beach, Mehveer Bhatta, Brenna Chambers, Dasha Grygorenko, Nathalia Refol-Moore, Anthony Ammerman, Anna Grygorenko, Karolina Jimenez-Billy.
Athletics
WRESTLING
3/7 - Boys Wrestling @ Mt Baker JH @ 4:00 pm
3/13 - Boys & Girls Wrestling @ Lynden HS @ 4:00 pm
VOLLEYBALL
3/7 - Volleyball vs Assumption @ Assumption; 4:00 pm
3/11 - Volleyball vs Nooksack Valley MS @ Nooksack Valley MS 4:00 pm
3/13 - Volleyball vs Vista @ Horizon MS @ 4:00 pm
Track
3/18 - 1st day of practice. Location TBD
Girls Soccer
4/8 - 1st day of practice. Sign-up is still open. Contact Kerri in the office for questions about sports.
Girls Soccer begins 4/8 at Horizon. Now is the time to sign up.