Horner Parent/Family Newsletter
December 2024
Dear Horner Families,
We hope you had a restful and joyful Thanksgiving break! As we return to school, we are entering an exciting and important time—just three weeks remain in the first semester before winter break begins.
To help your child finish the semester strong, we encourage you to regularly check the Aeries grade book for updates on their academic performance. With the end of the semester quickly approaching, staying informed is key to ensuring your child is on track for success.
Additionally, as the weather grows colder, please remind your child to wear a coat or jacket to school, especially on days with rain or chilly temperatures. Dressing appropriately for the weather will help them stay comfortable and focused throughout the day.
As always, we value our partnership with you in supporting your child’s success at Horner. Together, we can ensure they continue to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Thank you for your ongoing collaboration, and let’s make these last weeks of the semester productive and positive for all.
Cindy Hicks-Rodriguez, Principal
Horner Vision and Mission Statement
Horner Vision Statement
We at Horner Middle School, envision a future in which every student receives an effective, equitable, and engaging education that allows them to reach their full and unique potential.
Horner Mission Statement
At Horner Middle School our mission is to provide students with the Knowledge, Tools, and Skills they need to master content standards, make effective decisions, and collaborate with others, which will enable them to be successful lifelong learners.
Knowledge, Tools, Skills = Master, Make, Collaborate!
The Horner teachers have voted and it was determined that our bell schedule for the 24-25 school year will be the exact same bell schedule as this year. Please note that our AC Transit bus will continue to provide pickup and drop off's on regular day Monday's, Tuesday's, Wednesday's, Thursday's and Friday's. The only days that after school bus service will not be provided is on minimum days that are NOT Wednesday's. Those dates will be as follows:
December 20 (Friday before Winter break)
April 17 (Thursday before Good Friday)
May 27 (Tuesday last week of school)
May 29 (Thursday last week of school)
May 30 (Friday the last day of school)
Bell Schedule 24-25
M/TU/TH/F
Start time: 815 AM. End time: 228 pm
WED
Start time: 815 AM End time: 120 pm
Other minimum days that are NOT Wednesday's
Start time: 815 AM. End time: 120 pm
Last day of School
Start time: 815 AM. End time: 1248 PM
If your child is interested in trying out for a Winter or Spring sport please print out the forms that are attached prior to the school year. At MAZE day you are able to turn the forms into the athletic table if you have the physical form from your doctor attached. All students trying out for a sport MUST have all paperwork and physicals completed and submitted on the due dates below in order to try out. If you have any questions you can email Mr. Sean Davis at Horner Middle School as he oversees the athletic programs.
Forms due for Girls Basketball: December 20
Forms due for Boys Volleyball: February 27
All deadlines are firm and we cannot accept forms past the due date listed above. Thank you.
There's so much that goes into the Horner yearbook this year and every year. With the holidays upon us, make it an annual tradition of celebrating the achievements and picture-perfect moments of the school year for your student. Reserve a copy today so you won't miss out. Plus, lock in the $50 price before it goes up on January 1st! Go to yearbookordercenter.com school code 7874 to order a copy today.
National Handwashing Month is December!
National Handwashing Awareness Month is celebrated in December, and National Handwashing Awareness Week is celebrated during the first week of December. The month is important because handwashing is a simple but essential way to prevent the spread of sickness and disease, including COVID-19:
Prevent the spread of disease: Washing your hands is the most effective way to prevent the spread of infectious diseases and stop the spread of respiratory and diarrheal infections.
Easy to do: Washing your hands is a simple and effective way to prevent sickness.
People often forget: People often forget to wash their hands or how to wash them correctly.
The CDC recommends washing your hands for at least 20 seconds. Here are some tips for washing your hands:
Wet your hands with water.
Apply enough soap to cover the front and back of your hands with suds.
Rub your hands together.
Scrub the front and back of your hands, in between your fingers, and under your fingernails.
Rinse your hands completely.
Dry with a clean paper towel, single-use towel, or air dry.
Hello Horner Families!
Happy Holidays Hornets! Wishing the best to you and yours during this month.
Couple ASB events to keep an eye out for. First is our December Social taking place on December 6th from 5:00-7:00 PM. Students will go home and come back to school for this social. Please ensure your child brings their ticket, ID Card or Gold card before they had back. We sold tickets this whole week before break. We had a a rising sale price so the first day on November 18 was $6 and went up to $10 by the end of the week. As of this writing (Thursday November 21st) we have sold 145 tickets.
We are in the process of planning spirit days and noon activities for the month of December.
The fundraiser for December is Winter Wishes. This is a card and some candy that students can send to their friend (or themselves!). Make sure to stay tuned on the announcements for more information.
Finally I wanted to thank everyone who volunteers to help out at the socials. We cannot run these events without parent support so big shoutout to those that help plan and volunteer parent involvement. Thanks!
Mr. Shaffer
Activities Director
Dear Horner Families,
As we embark on the holiday season, we want to take a moment to emphasize the vital role that attendance plays in your child’s education and overall success.
Regular attendance is essential for academic achievement. Students who attend school consistently tend to perform better in their studies, develop stronger relationships with peers and teachers, and cultivate essential social skills. Each day in the classroom presents unique opportunities for learning, collaboration, and growth that are difficult to replicate.
We understand that circumstances may occasionally arise that prevent students from attending school. However, we encourage you to prioritize attendance whenever possible and to communicate with us about any challenges your child may face. Together, we can develop strategies to ensure they remain engaged and on track.
Additionally, we want to remind you that our school has resources available to support both students and families. If you need assistance or have concerns regarding attendance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our staff.
Thank you for your continued support and partnership in fostering a positive learning environment. Let’s work together to ensure that our students make the most of their educational opportunities.
Sincerely,
Horner Middle School Assistant Principals
Websites:
Horner will be offering the AMC 8 Math test on January 23, 2025.
The fee for participating will be $40 per 8th grade student.
Payments will be made to Horner Middle School (cash only please) in order to purchase the testing materials and supplies.
Please note: Horner only provides this test to current 8th grade students.
If your 8th grade child is interested in participating in this math competition please complete the Google form below no later than December 6th.
Payment must be received in the office no later than December 17th.
Horner will be hosting its Annual College and Career week during March 31 - April 4th at lunch time.
We are looking for parents/guardians or community business connections to come set up a table at lunch time to meet and greet with students about their careers.
During this week long event we will have career booths so that students can receive handouts and flyers about different careers and we will have college booths with different colleges coming to provide students with college information.
If interested please sign up on the Google form no later than February 20th. Thank you.
We will also have first responders and some of our ROP groups from FUSD coming to provide information to students.
If you are interested in coming to Horner to talk with students about your career please be on the lookout for the Google form coming through parent square in the next few weeks.
Thank you in advance for helping us make career week an amazing experience for students.
Dear Parent/Guardian:
The Fremont Unified School District Board of Education and our school faculty believe it is important for students to assume responsibility for their own health and well-being. They benefit from instruction that fosters the development of positive health behaviors and the prevention of negative unhealthy behaviors. FUSD’s Comprehensive Health, Puberty, and Sexuality Education (CHPSE) curriculum focuses on information that is essential for students’ well-being. This course of study conforms strictly to the guidelines provided by the California State Education Code 51933 and the California Healthy Youth Act.
These lessons will be taught by your childs Science teacher in their Science class. The 7th and 8th grade Science teachers will be providing the CHPSE lessons between Jan. 6 - Jan. 17th.
A letter will be coming home in October regarding the lessons and an opt out form will be attached if you do not wish for your child to do the CHPSE lessons. The due date to return the opt out letter is Dec. 20th which is the Friday right before Winter break. The sixth grade CHPSE lesson date will be coming out soon.
Please be on the lookout for the information and opt out form. If you do not wish to opt out you do not need to return any information to the Science teacher.
Links to the curriculum, opt-out information, and parent resources, can be found at: https://fremontunified.org/about/instructional-services/curriculum-instruction/curriculum-instruction-health-resources/
We could use help with collecting school supplies for students in need. We are looking for school supplies to begin to build our resource center whereby students who need specific supplies can come to get what they need for free. We are looking for a variety of supplies such as:
- Highlighters
- Pens
- Rulers
- Glue sticks
- Pencils (both mechanical and #2)
- Erasers
- Portable pencil sharpeners
- Markers
- Binder paper
- Spiral notebooks
- Colored pencils
Pretty much any supply that students might need for classroom work. If you would like to donate to our portable resource center for students please drop items off in the front office during the month of November. We greatly appreicate your support.
What can parents do to support students academic success...
Ever wonder what you can do as a parent to support your child in school to ensure that they have what they need to be successful? Here are some ways that parents can promote academic success:
Actively engage with their child's education by getting to know their teachers, regularly checking in on their progress, supporting homework routines, fostering a positive learning environment at home, encouraging reading, setting clear expectations, and actively discussing their child's learning process while providing support and guidance.
Key strategies include:
Communication with teachers:
Regularly talk to your child's teacher to stay informed about their academic performance and any potential challenges they might be facing.
Positive learning environment:
Create a dedicated study space at home with minimal distractions to facilitate focused learning.
Promote reading:
Encourage reading habits by reading together, choosing books based on their interests, and discussing what they read.
Homework support:
Help your child set aside dedicated time for homework, provide guidance when needed, and ensure they understand the assignments.
Active learning:
Encourage critical thinking and engagement by asking open-ended questions and discussing concepts beyond just memorizing facts.
Goal setting:
Work with your child to set achievable academic goals and track their progress towards them.
Time management:
Teach your child effective time management skills to prioritize tasks and manage deadlines.
Positive reinforcement:
Offer praise and encouragement for their efforts and achievements, focusing on the learning process rather than just grades.
Stay involved in school activities:
Attend parent-teacher conferences, volunteer at school, and show interest in their extracurricular activities.
Model good habits:
Demonstrate the importance of learning by engaging in your own reading, learning new things, and discussing current events.
Anyone can submit a birthday wish to a student at Horner to be shown on the school marque on the students birthday for only $10 cash. Parents or students may submit a form or payment to the office for this wonderful birthday gesture! Everyone loves seeing their name in lights and on the marque with a birthday wish. Get your birthday wishes at anytime. Come into the office for information.