Thursday, August 1, 2019

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Windermere, Florida

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Horizon West Middle School
    

Welcome to the grand opening of OCPS' latest middle school, Horizon West!

Our Hornet team considers it a great privilege to work with your children and look forward to fostering a challenging, nurturing, and innovative learning environment. The staff at Horizon West places an emphasis on collaborating with each other so that our students are receiving top notch, rigorous instruction. We believe that all students have the ability to succeed both academically and personally; and look forward to working with our students to accomplish this goal.

As Horizon West Middle grows this year, we will be developing a strong culture where community involvement is essential to the success of our students. Our staff welcomes parent and community volunteers as key contributors to supporting the learning goals of our students. I would like to invite everyone: parents, grandparents, community leaders and friends of Horizon West to be a part of our school family. We welcome and encourage volunteerism and hope that you will take advantage of the many opportunities available through our PTSO and school events. You can find information on upcoming events, informative newsletters, and volunteer opportunities on the OCPS Horizon West website at: https://horizonwestms.ocps.net/. Also, FRIEND, LIKE and FOLLOW Horizon West on social media outlets to stay up to date on the latest Hornet's Buzz!!

I am honored to be your principal of Horizon West Middle School and look forward to working with our talented educators, supportive parents, and all of the amazing students this year. There is always something INCREDIBLE on the "Horizon" and we are looking forward to BRIGHT new school year! #NewSchoolOneFamily.

Sincerely,

Michelle Thomas
Principal

Upcoming Events

 
Aug. 9: Meet the Teacher, 10am to noon
 
Aug.12: First day of school! Welcome Hornets!

Aug. 13: Soccer tryouts, both boys and girls
 
 
 
 

*** For BACK TO SCHOOL SHOPPING many families will be participating in the BACK TO SCHOOL TAX-FREE DAYS. The tax-exempt period runs from Aug. 2 to midnight Aug. 6 and is part of a $121 million package that legislators approved in May. During this time, you may want to pick up items that are listed on our School Supply List below.


 

Horizon West Sneak Peek
Wednesday, July 24th


The moment we all have been waiting for has finally arrived!! On July 24th, Horizon West Middle School was able to open their doors to our community in our Sneak Peek event hosted by District 4 Board Member Pam Gould.

Hornet families and community members were able to walk around our campus for the first time and see some of the innovative spaces that have been built for students and teachers to enjoy.

All of us at Horizon West Middle School are very proud to showcase the school as we head in to our first year. #NewSchoolOneFamily








 
Meet the Teacher


 
All Horizon West Middle School students and parents are invited to "Meet Your Teacher" on Friday, August 9th from 10-noon. Be sure to bring a copy of your schedule to walk your classes and meet your Hornet teachers for this year. This is a great opportunity to see our new school and all that Horizon West Middle has to offer!

 
OCPS Calendar
 
Parents - Mark your calendars' now with the below important dates on the OCPS calendar. We will have information on testing dates and additional school events during the year at a later time.



 
School Bell Schedule
Students should not be dropped off earlier than 9:00 am.
 
Students, be sure to take a moment and review our bell schedule. Students should not be dropped off on campus earlier than 9:00 am. If your child needs to be dropped off earlier than 9:00 am, be sure to check out our offerings with the Boys & Girls Club at:



All students should be on time, in class, every day!

 
 
Laptop Distribution Days
Horizon West is GOING DIGITAL!!

 

Laptop distribution dates have been altered to align with the district's new timeline on getting laptops distributed to our new students here at Horizon West. Due to the changes in the OCPS Student Information System, schools are required to change their distribution dates. We plan to have more specific details during the first week of school.

 
OCPS is an "A" Rated School
The Florida Dept. of Education recognized OCPS as one of Florida's top school systems in July.
 
Congratulations to our students, parents, teachers and administrators of the OCPS family for being rated an "A" School District for 2019. This is a huge accomplish for OCPS, which currently is the ninth largest school district in the nation. Here are some of the OCPS' other accomplishments!

OCPS ACCOMPLISHMENTS
  • 2018-19 District Grade: A
  • District-wide Accreditation
  • Traditional High School Grad Rate 96.1%
  • Expanded 1:1 Initiative
  • Increased Students in AP Programs
  • "Super Scholars" - Top 20 Universities and Colleges

 


NEW! Skyward
OCPS is now transitioning over to Skyward from ProgressBook.
 
This school year, all OCPS campuses will be moving from what our parents, students and teachers know as "ProgressBook" to a new platform called " Skyward." The information below was provided by our district leads on what to expect in the coming months as we roll out this new program.

 
 
Dress Code
 
As our Hornets start to get ready for the new school year, we know many will be participating in buying new school clothes. While shopping, please take a moment to review the OCPS dress code guidelines and adhere to these guidelines as our students pick out their clothes each morning.
  • Clothes shall be worn as they are designed - suspenders over the shoulders, pants secured at the waist, belts buckled, no underwear as outerwear, no underwear exposed.
  • Clothes with holes, tears, or inappropriate patches will not be allowed.
  • Bare midriffs and bare sides should not show, even when arms are extended above the head.
  • Clothing that is too tight or revealing is unacceptable.
  • Garments and/or jewelry which display or suggest sexual, vulgar, drug, alcohol or tobacco-related working/graphics or may tend to provoke violence or disruption in school shall not be worn.
  • Gang paraphernalia, jewelry, tattoos, clothing or other insignias which display, suggest, provoke or may tend to provoke violence or disruptions are not allowed.
  • The following items have potential to cause disruption or threat to a safe and positive school environment and are prohibited: hats, caps, visors, sunglasses, bandanas, skull-caps, chains hanging from the neck, belt, pocket, or attached to wallet.
  • Hemlines for shorts, dresses, skirts and skorts shall be no shorter than mid thigh.
  • All shirts must have a sleeve.
  • Thong sandals, light-up shoes, slides, cleats, backless shoes and "heeleys - shoes with wheels" are not acceptable.
 
Hornet Athletics
Soccer team tryouts begin on Tuesday, August 13th.
 
Middle school sports season is right around the corner and we are very excited to present to you this year, OCPS' newest middle school team - the Horizon West Hornets! We will start with soccer season, and then will offer volleyball, basketball and track & field in that order during the 2019-2020 school year.



Be sure to check out our school website for upcoming dates of our tryouts, team meetings and home games.

Soccer begins on Tuesday, August 13th with tryouts for boys at 7:00 am and girls at 4:15 pm at Horizon West Middle School. Be sure to have your OCPS physical paperwork completed before this date. You can find copies of the physical packet at:

https://www.ocps.net/common/pages/DisplayFile.aspx?itemId=1207980

 
Horizon West Motivational Moment!

TALENT IS OVERRATED

Dr. Bloom of the University of Chicago conducted a five-year study of leading artists, athletes, and scholars. It consisted of anonymous interviews with the top twenty performers in various fields, including pianists, Olympic swimmers, tennis players, sculptors, mathematicians, and neurologists. That information was supplemented by additional interviews with those people's families and teachers. Bloom and his team of researchers sought to find clues as to how these high achievers developed. What they discovered was drive and determination - not talent - led to their success.

The lesson for our Hornets? Take advantage of all that Horizon West offers this year. And make every effort to be at school, on time, every day.


Horizon West Leadership Team

Michelle Thomas - Principal - michelle.thomas@ocps.net
Tamirra Hutchinson - Assistant Principal - tamirra.hutchinson@ocps.net
Kevin Flanagan - Assistant Principal - kevin.flanagan@ocps.net
Brian Evans - Admin Dean 6th Grade and 8th Grade (A-L) - brian.evans@ocps.net
Heather Rodriguez - Admin Dean 7th Grade and 8th Grade (M-Z) - heather.rodiguez@ocps.net
 

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Copyright Notice
Reproduction of this material, either written or electronically, including the general layout, graphics, analyses, and content topics without the express approval of Target Performance Systems, Inc., a Florida corporation, and OCPS-Horizon West Middle School is forbidden without written consent.  Thank you for your support of the Orange County Public Schools and especially Horizon West Middle School. Please contact Mrs. Heather Rodriguez (Administrative Dean) at heather.rodriguez@ocps.net with any questions.