Horner Parent/Family Newsletter
February 2025
Dear Parents and Guardians,
As we move into February, we are reminded of the importance of working together as a triad—students, school, and home—to make a positive difference in the lives of all our students. By supporting one another, we create an environment where our students can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. This month, we have several exciting updates and opportunities to share with you. Here are a few that are contained within this newsletter:
Registration Timelines
Please take a moment to review the registration timelines enclosed in this bulletin. It’s important to stay informed and ensure your child is properly registered for the upcoming school year.
Boys Volleyball Information
We are excited to announce the start of our Boys Volleyball season soon. Information regarding sign-ups and practices is included. We encourage all interested students to participate and showcase their athletic talents.
Multicultural Weeks Coming Up
We will soon be celebrating our Multicultural Weeks! This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to learn about and appreciate the diverse cultures within our school community. Be on the lookout for more details from our PTSA on how you can get involved and help celebrate these vibrant traditions.
Donations Needed for PBIS Program & Student Resource Cart
Our PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) program continues to thrive with your support. We are currently accepting donations to further enhance this program and our student resource cart. These donations go directly toward providing resources and incentives that encourage positive behavior and success in school. Any contribution is appreciated!
Sign-Ups for College & Career Week
During College and Career Week, we are inviting parents to sign up and share their career experiences with our students. This is an invaluable opportunity for students to learn about different professions and gain insight into the career pathways available to them. If you're interested in participating, please sign up!
Main Message of February: Together, We Can Make a Difference
The main message of February is one of collaboration. By coming together as a community of support—students, staff, and families—we can help each student reach their fullest potential. It’s through these strong partnerships that we truly make a difference in the lives of our young people.
Thank you for your continued support. We wish you all a wonderful February, filled with joy, learning, and growth.
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!
We are thrilled to announce that Horner will be celebrating Multicultural Week over a period of two consecutive weeks, starting on February 3! During this special time, we will be working closely with our PTSA to bring exciting activities and enriching experiences that highlight the many diverse cultures represented within our school community. A special shout out to Sharon Kwok who has spearheaded the committee to get things going.
Our goal is to foster appreciation and understanding of different cultures while providing students with a meaningful educational experience. Through engaging activities, performances, and presentations, we hope to celebrate the beauty of diversity and broaden students’ perspectives.
Please note that in the event of rain, we may need to postpone that day’s activities, but rest assured that we will resume with the agenda on different days once the weather clears. We appreciate your understanding and flexibility as we work to ensure a vibrant and successful celebration for all.
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:
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
Every day, Horner students are making new memories. There's no better way to capture their milestone moments than to buy a yearbook. Here's your chance! Go to http://YearbookOrderCenter.com and reserve their copy. But act now! Sales end on 4/30/25, or until we sell out. School Code: 7874
If your child is interested in trying out for a 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 Boys Volleyball: February 27
All deadlines are firm and we cannot accept forms past the due date listed above. Thank you.
Hello Horner Families!
February already? Here are some things ASB has going on in the month of February.
ASB is in the middle of their selection for next year’s class. This was for current 6th and 7th graders. We held an info meeting on January 15th and then applications were due on January 23rd. We then held interviews on January 30th and 31st. The application process is closed at this time.
Our 3rd social is taking place on February 28th. Ticket sales will be taking place on February 18th, February 19th, February 20th. Please note: This is the last social for 6th and 7th graders. The final social in April is for only 8th graders. We have 300 tickets available to sell. They cost 10 dollars and are sold at lunch. I suggest you pack your student a lunch for the day they want to buy tickets as we usually give up our whole lunch to sell.
Last thing is we will be selling this year’s sweatshirts for the last time. They cost $30. This will be the final time for the year.
Short and sweet this month, hope you and your family are healthy.
Please head to hornerhornets.org or follow us on Instagram @hornermiddle.hornets for more updates on things going on in the ASB classroom!
Mr. Shaffer
Activities Director
Dear Horner Families,
We’d like to take a moment to remind everyone about the importance of keeping our school community safe, especially when it comes to traffic safety with the rainy season. With the arrival and dismissal of students, traffic around the school can get busy, and we need everyone’s cooperation to ensure that children and drivers remain safe.
Key Traffic Safety Reminders:
Follow Posted Speed Limits: Please drive carefully and adhere to the posted speed limits around the school zone.
Drop-Off and Pick-Up Procedures:
Always use designated drop-off and pick-up zones. These areas are designed to keep the flow of traffic smooth and safe.
Please pull all the way forward and follow the directions of the school staff.
Please avoid parking in spaces designated for buses to ensure that buses can drop off and pick up students safely.
Pedestrian Safety:
Encourage your children to always cross at designated crosswalks and wait for the signal from a crossing guard or traffic light before crossing.
Remind children to avoid running or jaywalking, even if they are in a hurry.
Driving Etiquette:
Be patient and courteous to other drivers. We understand that school drop-off and pick-up times can be stressful, but working together and maintaining calm traffic flow ensures safety for all.
Be especially aware of children and adults who may be walking, biking, or waiting to cross.
Safety around our school is a shared responsibility. We appreciate your attention to these guidelines and your continued cooperation in making the school environment as safe as possible for our students.
Thank you for your support!
Sincerely,
Horner Middle School Assistant Principals
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 complete the Google form below. Once received the Principal will review it and get in touch with you for next steps.
Thank you in advance for helping us make career week an amazing experience for students.
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
All of our supplies have been depleated. If you can donate to this worthy cause that would be fantastic.
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.
Please see the dates below regarding the timelines for the 25-26 registration at Horner.
Jan. 22
Registration townhall
Current 6th grade students will receive registration information about 7th grade in PE classes from counselors. Students will also receive their paper registration forms.
Jan. 24
IHS Registration
Presentations
Current 8th grade students will receive 9th grade registration information from IHS counselors during History classes. Students will also receive registration forms.
Jan. 29
Registration townhall
Current 7th grade students will receive registration information about 8th grade in PE classes from counselors. Students will also receive their paper registration forms.
Jan. 31
Registration forms due Current 6th grade registration forms due to office for processing.
Feb. 3
Residency verification
forms sent
An email will be sent out to families from informed k12. It will have a personalized link with a form for your student. Please complete this as soon as you receive it.
Feb. 4
Elective entries in Aeries Current 7th graders will enter their elective choices into Aeries during English classes.
Feb. 6
Elective entries in Aeries Current 6th graders will enter their elective choices into Aeries during English classes.
Feb. 7
Registration forms due Current 7th grade registration forms due to the office no later than 4 pm.
Feb. 28
Informed k12 verification forms due
Informed k12 verification forms due online. Please make sure you meet this deadline to have your student registered for the 25-26 school year.
Mar. 27
5th grade student
Orientation
On March 27, 2025 all Horner feeder elementary schools will receive a video orientation for 5th grade students to watch with their current elementary teacher. The video will be "all about Horner"
Apr. 8
5th grade Parent Orientation Night
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On Appril 8, 2025 at 5 pm, parents will attend the Horner Middle School orientation presentation in the MUR at Horner. This event will be one hour and will include a campus tour for parents.
We are excited to share some updates about English and Science classes at Horner for the 2025-2026 school year. These classes will now combine both Honors and College Prep levels, creating a more flexible and student-centered approach to learning and allowing student schedules to have more flexibility for all classes.
Here’s what this means for your child:
Honors or College Prep Selection: Students can choose to enroll in Honors English or Honors Science classes during the 2024-2025 school year. However, we recommend that students achieve an A, B, or C in their current classes to ensure success in an Honors-level course but no students will be denied honors if they choose to attempt this challenge. The A, B, or C criteria is recommended but not required.
Differentiated Learning: Students who select Honors classes will receive Honors-level academic work in their assigned classroom, while those who choose College Prep classes will receive College Prep-level academic work within their classroom setting. Teachers will provide differentiated instruction to meet each student's academic needs, ensuring growth for all learners in that one classroom setting.
Flexibility in Scheduling: By combining Honors and College Prep within the same classroom, we can offer greater flexibility in scheduling, allowing students to balance their overall workload across all subjects.
Same curriculum is used in both classes: For those who were unaware, Honors and CP classes use the exact same curriculum and textbooks. Infact, the difference between the two classes is really the depth and complexity of a content that students experience. Regardless of whether the student is in the Honors half of the class or the CP half of the class, they will get the depth and complexity needed to be successful and challenged. High levels of rigor will take place for all classes at Horner.
This new approach fosters equitable learning opportunities, ensuring that all students receive the level of instruction they need to thrive regardless of their room number or teacher. Students needing higher-level academic challenges will get them, and those requiring grade-level academic work will receive appropriate support.
Research also shows that students often learn better from other students at various learning levels through a method called "peer learning," where they actively teach each other concepts, and engage in academic dialogue with different levels of thought which allows all students in the classroom to deeply understand the material to explain it to others, leading to improved retention and conceptual understanding.
We are confident that this change will create a more balanced and personalized learning experience for every student in fact this has been put into place in a few period during the 24-25 school year and has been met with success. Also, several other middle school in FUSD are using this same approach with great success.
Thank you for your support as we continue to prioritize the academic success and well-being of all learners at Horner.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.
