Horizon Elementary News
On the Path to Possibilities - November Newsletter
Dear Families,
Welcome to November Horizon Families!
Thank you for making time to attend parent-teacher conferences last Thursday. This is such an important opportunity for families and teachers to connect, share progress, and discuss ways to support each child’s continued growth. I also want to express my appreciation for your involvement in our fall party day. Events like these are only possible because of your support and participation.
Our recent fundraiser was an outstanding success! We are sincerely grateful for your generous donations and continued commitment to our school community. The funds raised allow our PTO to provide valuable opportunities, and experiences that directly enhance learning and support our teachers, students and classrooms!
Warm regards,
Mrs. Mellon
Horizon Elementary Principal
Kindergarten Warrior Winners
First Grade Warrior Winners:
Second Grade Warrior Winners:
Third Grade Warrior Winners:
Fourth Grade Warrior Winners:
Fifth Grade Warrior Winners:
Sixth Grade Warrior Winners:
Encore Warrior Winners:
Horizon Spirit Wear:
Want to order some new Smithville or Horizon Gear!! Check out our Spirit Store through TW Printing:
Early Childhood:
As we head into November we will learn all about fall and explore nature all around us. We will spend some time learning about community helpers, and we will have our Pete the Cat unit. The end of November will be spent learning about Thanksgiving. In Second Steps we have been focusing on feelings. We are learning to name our feelings, and recognize how others are feeling.
The district offers free Early Childhood screenings once a month at the Central Office for children ages 3 and up that live in our district. If you have questions, concerns, or are just curious about your child’s development, please contact Laura Edwards at 532-0406 to set up a screening appointment.
Warrior Preschool:
We will be learning about gratitude. We will create a gratitude tree and make thank you cards. These activities will help young children identify and appreciate what they have and who they are grateful for.
The dramatic play center will be set up for a Thanksgiving dinner scenario. The children can take on different roles and engage in conversation related to Thanksgiving.
During morning circle time we discuss the weather outside. We review the days of the week, month and what season we are in. We have weekly lessons on fine motor skills, alphabet, numbers, shapes, colors, early reading, science, art and social and emotional skills. The majority of the lessons are based on the theory that children learn best through active, play-based learning.
Kindergarten:
ELA: We have finished up our second domain unit, learning all about the 5 senses! We started the week off by creating a poster, which included all of the details about our favorite sense! Each student then got to present those with the class! We ended the week with a domain assessment that we will be sharing with you at parent-teacher conferences! We have talked about the letters and corresponding sounds for o, g, c/k, and i! We have been learning the correct letter formation techniques for these letters! We also discussed what a vowel and what a consonant are! Vowels are the sounds we say with our mouth wide open, and we can stretch them out for long periods of time! Consonants we can sometimes stretch out, but our mouth is not wide open like vowels! We also talked about how there is a vowel in every single word!
Math: We have introduced, our pal, Gus the Plus, was introduced! We talked about how sometimes people say things like the sum, together, and, join, but they are still talking about Gus the Plus! We learned that the plus sign means to put things together. As well as different strategies for addition such as counting, and using their fingers!
Science/SS: We have been doing a pumpkin unit! We will begin doing many fall-related activities!
SEL: In our Second Step curriculum, we have been talking about mistakes and how they happen to us all! It is what we do when we have a mistake and how we can improve to learn from our mistakes! We can do this by practicing and getting better each and every day!
First Grade:
ELA: We have finished up our second domain unit, learning all about the 5 senses! We started the week off by creating a poster, which included all of the details about our favorite sense! Each student then got to present those with the class! We ended the week with a domain assessment that we will be sharing with you at parent-teacher conferences! We have talked about the letters and corresponding sounds for o, g, c/k, and i! We have been learning the correct letter formation techniques for these letters! We also discussed what a vowel and what a consonant are! Vowels are the sounds we say with our mouth wide open, and we can stretch them out for long periods of time! Consonants we can sometimes stretch out, but our mouth is not wide open like vowels! We also talked about how there is a vowel in every single word!
Math: We have introduced, our pal, Gus the Plus, was introduced! We talked about how sometimes people say things like the sum, together, and, join, but they are still talking about Gus the Plus! We learned that the plus sign means to put things together. As well as different strategies for addition such as counting, and using their fingers!
Science/SS: We have been doing a pumpkin unit! We will begin doing many fall-related activities!
SEL: In our Second Step curriculum, we have been talking about mistakes and how they happen to us all! It is what we do when we have a mistake and how we can improve to learn from our mistakes! We can do this by practicing and getting better each and every day!
Second Grade:
ELA - This month in CKLA, students are building both their reading and writing skills and expanding their knowledge of the world. In Skills, they are exploring spelling alternatives for vowel sounds and “Tricky Spellings,” while practicing grammar concepts like capitalization, punctuation, reflexive pronouns, and parts of speech. They are applying these skills by planning and writing personal narratives. In Knowledge, students are learning about the natural cycles that sustain life on Earth—seasonal, plant, animal, and water cycles—and how they are connected. Through nature poems, research, and observations, students are building vocabulary, summarizing information, and writing informative paragraphs, such as describing the life cycle of a frog.
Math: In Math, we’ve spent the past few weeks building a strong foundation in place value to prepare for adding and subtracting two-digit numbers. Students have mastered writing two- and three-digit numbers in expanded, word, base-ten, and place value form. They’ve also explored how place value connects to addition using strategies like base-ten blocks, expanded form, number lines, and making a ten. In our upcoming unit, students will take their two-digit addition quiz before we move into subtraction, where they’ll use similar strategies and apply their understanding of regrouping to make numbers easier to add and subtract.
Science/SS: In Social Studies, we wrapped up our U.S. Government unit and are now beginning an exciting new study called People of the Past. Students are exploring Native American history—learning about their ways of life, traditions, and art—while comparing them to our lives today. Over the next few weeks, we’ll focus on the Plains, Eastern Woodlands, and Southwest regions through stories, activities, and hands-on projects like sand art and designing miniature teepees.
SEL: In Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), students are focusing on empathy and emotion management. They are learning to recognize and name their own feelings, understand how others might feel in the same situation, and use strategies to manage emotions in healthy ways. Through discussions and activities, students practice identifying emotions, explaining what causes them, and considering different perspectives. These lessons help build important skills for understanding others, making positive choices, and strengthening relationships both in and out of the classroom.
Third Grade:
Can you believe it is already November? We loved getting to see everyone at conferences and are so grateful for your support! Our third graders have started the second quarter strong. We are almost finished with our first science unit, where students learned about life cycles, inherited traits, and adaptations for survival. We will be switching back to social studies and our unit will focus on “Coming to Missouri,” and how Missouri has changed over time. In math we are continuing with multiplication and its properties. Up next, we will dive into division. In ELA, we are working our way through our poetry unit. Next, we will dive into a multifaceted unit over informational and literary text centering around Ancient Rome. In SEL, we are wrapping things up with our Second Steps units and getting ready to begin a community service project (food drive). We are so excited to see all the growth that the 2nd quarter brings!
Fourth Grade:
ELA: Our upcoming unit is “Meaning and Metaphor: Poetry.” This unit provides students with tools and strategies for approaching poetry, trains them in the methods and devices poets use, and equips them to read and interpret both formal and free verse poems. Students also have opportunities to apply what they have learned by creating their own poems. Additionally, students will review figurative language, identify and develop an understanding of poetic devices, including rhyme, repetition, alliteration, meter, and tone, and explore and identify extended metaphors in texts, and recite poems orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression.
Math: We have been hard at work on multi digit multiplication and division! Next, we will begin our lessons on area and perimeter by taking part in a room transformation! Students will become construction workers to determine area, perimeter, and missing side lengths of various figures. We will also begin our unit on geometry. Students will learn all kinds of new vocabulary as well as how to use a protractor to measure and draw angles!Science/SS: Get ready for some electrifying fun! We're diving into the world of electricity, where your kids will be building their very own flashlights and heat spinners. We absolutely love these hands-on learning activities, and we're excited to reward those who can handle the challenge. It's going to be an enlightening experience! That's not all! For social studies, we're diving into the Declaration of Independence, where we'll experience “No taxation without representation” through a simulation of classroom taxes! Get ready for some interesting (and maybe slightly mischievous) taxes on things like pencils, chairs, and even certain colors of paper. Sorry in advance, but we promise it's all in the name of fun and learning!
SEL: Second Steps Units will be taught with social studies. The next unit to look forward to is motion Management.
Fifth Grade:
Second quarter is a very busy time of the year here in fifth grade. We are growing and learning new concepts daily! It is crucial that students are in attendance as much as possible!! We understand that some absences are unavoidable, but we LOVE to see our students daily. Daily attendance also allows students to keep pace with their peers academically, which is something we all want our students to do. Thanks for your support!
ELA: In the new month we will start our next unit, Poetry. This unit teaches students tools and strategies for approaching poetry, trains them in the methods and devices that poets use, and equips them to read and interpret both formal and free verse poems. It also enables them to practice what they have learned by giving them regular opportunities to create their own poems. This unit will also include a review from last year and introduction of new types of figurative language! I can’t wait to get started and nerd out over some poetry.
Math: November in fifth grade mathematics will be ALL about decimals and fractions. We will start the month with decimals. We will be comparing them, rounding them, adding them and subtracting them. Many of these concepts will be new to our fifth graders...so that is always a challenge. Later in the month we will move into our exploration of fraction computation. We begin this journey with adding fractions with unlike denominators. We will build on our knowledge of equivalent fractions to assist us in our adding. Should be great fun!
Science/SS: In Science, our fifth graders have been exploring changes in matter as we finish up our Matter Unit by modeling with matter. Students will be investigating how materials can change physically and chemically through hands-on experiments and class discussions. We are so proud of their curiosity and growing scientific thinking! Next, we’ll begin our exciting Life Science Unit, where students will explore living things, ecosystems, and the connections between all forms of life. In Social Studies, students have started learning about the Revolutionary War and the causes that led to it. They are examining how the colonists’ experiences and challenges shaped their desire for independence. Soon, we’ll connect this learning to how our current government was formed by the Founding Fathers, helping students understand how the foundations of democracy were built. Our fifth graders continue to show enthusiasm and critical thinking as they make meaningful connections across science and social studies!
SEL: This month our focus is building healthy habits that help breed success!
Sixth Grade:
ELA: We have started our unit titled, Mysteries & Investigations. Students are learning to “read like an investigator” and have embarked on a multi-genre study into the world of scientific and investigative sleuthing. As we read, we are grappling with clues, evidence, and scientific data to make meaning as a team of scientific investigators seek the truth about yellow fever. Students will discover that not all evidence is created equally, and comes in varying degrees of factuality and credibility. We will evaluate the evidence that supports or refutes each theory that claims to explain the transmission of yellow fever. As new evidence is revealed, some theories’ claims will become stronger, while others may be proven false. Students also begin to consider not just the methods, but the ethics of scientific investigation as they reflect on the steps and decisions made by the team that pursued the cause of yellow fever.
Math: Students have been working through all things ratios! We have become experts on what ratios are, what types of ratios we have, and how we can write ratios. We’ve also been practicing solving real world problems with ratios. Alongside our work with ratios, we have begun working on our Student Learning Objective of Converting Fractions, Decimals, and Percents.
Science/SS: This month, students will wrap up our Metabolism unit in science, where they’ve learned how the body uses molecules from food and air to release energy. Next, we’ll begin our Social Studies unit on Ancient Egypt. Students will explore how the Nile River shaped Egyptian life, their religious beliefs and mummification practices, the power of the pharaohs, and Egypt’s social structure.
SEL: Students have learned all about goal setting and how to create plans to reach bigger, long term goals. We are moving onto learning about guiding principals that will help us understand more about and grow our own personal self-awareness, social awareness, and relationship skills.
Technology & Innovation:
Digital Citizenship & Responsibility - Being kind and ethical online takes practice.
Our kids’ online choices reflect their values — even when no one’s watching. Talk together about how comments, shares, and posts can show empathy and respect.
Celebrate effort, not popularity. Praise your child for thoughtful sharing or respectful commenting — it’s not about likes, it’s about character.
Mistakes online? Help them repair. If something goes wrong, guide your child to take responsibility and make it right. That’s how we grow.
Ask before posting. Encourage your child to check in before sharing photos or stories. It builds empathy and trust.
November: Managing Media & Tech Balance - Balance takes practice — and it starts with awareness.
Let kids help plan tech-free time. Whether it’s game night or a walk, giving them a voice builds ownership and creativity.
Reflect on screen time together. Ask how certain apps or shows make them feel — those feelings offer clues for healthy habits.
Celebrate small wins. Limiting distractions during homework or saying “I’m done for now” shows growing self-control.
Self-control is a muscle. The more we practice, the stronger it gets — and your support makes all the difference.
What’s Happening in Tech Class?
Here’s a peek at what each grade is exploring this month:
Kindergarten: Practicing media balance and learning keyboard letter recognition
1st Grade: Planning and building their final maze project
2nd Grade: Diving into coding and learning how to debug programs
3rd Grade: Wrapping up stop motion animation and starting email writing basics
4th Grade: Finishing custom keychains and launching into battle bots
5th Grade: Finalizing tiny homes and preparing for peer review presentations
Winter Wonders: Power Up Our Projects!
We’re collecting materials for hands-on STEM fun. If you have any of the following, we’d love your donations:
Old holiday lights or small LED string lights
Small batteries (AA/AAA — expired OK!)
Copper wire or foil strips
Clothespins, mini paper cups, cotton balls
Toothpicks, binder clips, wrapping paper tubes
Bubble wrap, marbles or small balls
Thank you for helping us spark creativity and curiosity this season!
Library:
Happy November Horizon Families! For the month of November we will be sharing stories that celebrate Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving, being thankful, and will continue to share books that have been nominated for our state awards. Students in 3-6th grade will be challenged to try books in our Historical Fiction section, biographies, and 900’s.
Kindergarten - Oge Mora author/illustrator study
1st Grade - Zachariah Ohora illustrator study
2nd Grade - Dan Santat author/illustrator study
3rd Grade - Introduce and practice Destiny library catalog - nonfiction research
4th Grade - Review Destiny and nonfiction research projects including the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier research and virtual field trips to historic locations.
5th Grade - Genre exploration and Dewey Decimal for non-fiction research.
6th Grade - Books vs. Movies: A Series of Unfortunate Events: A Bad Beginning by Lemony Snickett
Reading Incentive for November: Northland Rolladium in Liberty, MO
Students are being challenged to read 5 books for the months of November and December. They will receive a bookmark to log their finished books on. When they have read all 5 of their books they need to get their bookmark signed by myself or their classroom teacher. They can then turn in their bookmark to the roller skating rink for a free Icee, Dip-n-Dots, or $5 gift card to the concession stand! This will go great with the Free rollerskating pass they usually receive for Christmas Break.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the October Book Character Pumpkin contest! We had a ton of great entries and I am so impressed with the creativity and artistic talent of our Horizon families. Here is a link to a video with all of the entries. Pumpkins can be picked up in the library during Parent Teacher Conferences.
Art:
This is such a busy time of year in the art room! Here’s a bit about what we’re working on in art class:
Kindergarten: Kindergarten has learned about all of the drawing and collage supplies they’ll have available this year, and we’ve been working hard to learn our procedures with these materials. Next up - Color mixing and paint! Students will learn about primary colors, and how to create secondary colors. For a while, Kindergarten’s paint sets will only contain the primary colors, which will push them to continue mixing their own colors and solidify their learning.
1st Grade: 1st grade artists have begun opening up the painting studio. They have learned how to get out, use, and put away 4 different types of painting supplies. They have also been working on creating Thick and Thin lines in their artwork - a skill that will become valuable as we begin learning about printmaking soon.
2nd Grade: 2nd grade has begun opening up the painting studio. They have learned how to get out, use, and put away 4 different types of painting supplies. We will continue with more lessons that dive deeper into painting skills, and start to explore some printmaking techniques.
3rd Grade: After reviewing how to access and use the painting supplies that were available to them last year, 3rd grade has been working on learning how to use a new type of paint - liquid tempera. They are working to complete a color wheel with this new paint - practicing and reviewing the concepts of primary colors, secondary colors, warm and cool colors, rainbow order, and creating tints and shades. On top of this color knowledge, this type of paint requires students to learn a completely different painting technique than we’ve previously used in art class. 3rd grade is definitely up for the challenge, and will be able to use this paint on their projects moving forward.
4th Grade: 4th Grade has begun opening up the Painting Studio. They have learned how to get out, use, and put away 4 different types of painting supplies. Soon this group will be learning how to use a new type of paint - liquid tempera. They review and complete a color wheel with this new paint - practicing and reviewing the concepts of primary colors, secondary colors, warm and cool colors, rainbow order, and creating a range tints and shades. They will also learn about and practice using a monochromatic color scheme. As we work more on painting skills and knowledge, 4th grade will work on some new watercolor skills and be taught how to use some new painting tools.
5th Grade: 5th Grade has begun opening up the Painting Studio. They have reviewed how to get out, use, and put away 4 different types of painting supplies. Soon this group will be reviewing how to use a new type of paint - liquid tempera. They will complete a color wheel with this new paint - practicing and reviewing the concepts of primary colors, secondary colors, warm and cool colors, rainbow order, and creating a range tints and shades. They will also do a deep dive into color schemes (something we already touched on in a previous project this year) and how to use the color wheel as a tool to help us plan the colors we’ll use in an artwork. As we work more on painting skills and knowledge, 5th grade will work on some new watercolor skills and be taught how to use some new painting tools.
6th Grade 3D Art: 6th Grade 3D Art began with the start of 2nd quarter - and these kids are already rocking it! This class is gamified (incorporates elements of game design, such as points, badges, and challenges, into the learning process to increase student engagement and motivation.) and students will earn a digital badge for each project they complete. In Level 1 they need to complete 3 projects, the badge choices are:
Clay (Pinch Method)
Clay (Coil Method)
Clay (Slab Method)
Cardboard Sculpture
Paper Sculpture
Recyclable Sculpture
Yarn Weaving Pouch
And Functional Perler Bead Creation.
We used our first week to PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE our clay skills, and now they’re ready to start planning out their first project! I can’t wait to see what these kids create!
P.E. :
One quarter down! Here is what we’ve been doing and are going to be doing:
K-2nd grade have finished up their soccer unit, working on goal scoring, passing, and dribbling skills. That is not all they have done, as we have added some tumbling and opened up the rock wall. Students realize quickly the challenge that comes with trying to make it from one end of the wall to the other. “My hands hurt!” I hear that a lot! Yes, it takes good grip strength to make it that far! We will be doing some relay days with obstacles and different skills needing to be used, some volleyball activities that will include balloons and/or beach balls that will make it easier. We will also be getting out jump ropes as there will be a jump rope challenge later in the school year. It’s never too early to start practicing!
3rd-6th grade has just wrapped up fitness assessments for fall. We will be setting goals for our spring assessments and hopefully students will get to see their growth. We will discuss the steps needed to help meet those goals. We will start playing some team games this month that include teamwork, skill and sportsmanship. 4th-6th grade will have one more Warrior Workout this semester and test their vertical jumps along with box jumps, agility workouts, and logging how many jump ropes they can get in 1 minute. I look forward to seeing the scores they log go up!
Music:
Hello Horizon families! Here’s a little bit about what will be happening in the music room this month:
Kindergarten: Kindergarten is moving from steady beat to our musical opposites. We will begin learning about all of our musical opposites with fast and slow. Books such as “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt” and “Tiger Tempo” will incorporate literacy into our lessons.
1st & 2nd Grade: 1st & 2nd Grade have begun working on music for their upcoming music program! Their program will take place on December 4th at 6pm at the PAC. Please make sure to mark this date in your calendars and be on the lookout for more information. I’m so excited for you to see what we have been working on this year in music!
3rd Grade: Students are working on our Recorder unit! If you have not purchased a recorder for your child to use and practice at home, please besure to do that. We will be learning the notes B, A, and G on the recorder and participate in recorder karate!
4th & 5th Grade: Students in 4th and 5th grade will begin their ukulele unit, which will continue through December. After learning or reviewing all of the basics as a class, students will work to learn songs and earn prizes as they work for each ukulele karate belt.
6th Grade: In our 6th grade Intro to Music class, students are moving into our bucket drumming unit. We will practice rhythms as we play bucket drums and work on our music reading skills.
Choir: The Sunset Singers have begun preparing for our December concert while we are also getting to know all of the new members of our choir. We have 2 upcoming performances this semester! Glow Wild on November 20th at the Kansas City Zoo and our Winter Concert on December 4th at the PAC. If you have a student in the Sunset Singers, more information will be sent out about these performances in the coming weeks!
Counselor:
Hello, Wonderful Families!
Fall is in the air! In Ms. Pawlcyn’s counseling lessons, grades K-3, we will be exploring the Missouri Career Clusters through a book tasting.
Our goal is to open their eyes to the vast and amazing world of work. We want to help them answer the question: "How do the things I love to do connect to a job I might love one day?"
The state of Missouri organizes careers into 14 different "clusters," or groups, based on common skills and themes. For our young learners, we will be focusing on a few (6) broad, easy-to-understand Career Ready Practices. Here is a link to a visual of Missouri’s current Career Cluster map.
Our lessons will help students:
Discover their own strengths and interests.
See the connection between school and the real world.
Build vocabulary and awareness about different types of jobs.
Understand that all jobs are important and valuable.
Family Conversation Starters:
You are your child's first and best teacher when it comes to the world of work. Here are some simple ways to continue the conversation:
Talk about your job. Explain what you do in simple terms. Why did you choose your career? What do you enjoy about it?
Point out jobs in your community. When you're at the grocery store, the library, or a restaurant, casually mention the different people working there. "Look, the baker decorated that cake! That's a job where you get to be creative with food."
Ask open-ended questions:
"What is your favorite thing to do? What job could you have where you do that all day?"
"If you could solve one problem in the world, what would it be? What job would help you do that?"
"What are you really good at? How could you use that skill in a job?"
Grades 4-6 will continue their work on self-advocacy. This is about moving from relying on adults to solve problems for them, to becoming the lead problem-solvers in their own lives.
You might be wondering, what is self-advocacy? In simple terms, it’s the ability to:
Understand your own needs, strengths, and challenges.
Communicate those needs clearly and respectfully to others.
Take action to get the help or resources you need.
Self-Advocacy is a game-changer for this age group. The transition to upper elementary and the approaching middle school years brings new academic and social challenges. Self-advocacy is the key that helps students navigate these challenges with confidence. We want them to learn now, in a supportive environment, how to speak up for themselves so they are prepared for the increased independence that awaits them.
How to Foster Self-Advocacy at Home
Your role is crucial in reinforcing these skills! The goal is to shift from being the "fixer" to being the "coach."
Pause the "Rescue": When your child comes to you with a school-related problem (a missing assignment, a confusing grade), resist the urge to immediately email the teacher. Instead, ask: "What's your plan for addressing this? How can you talk to your teacher about it tomorrow?"
Role-Play at Home: Practice the conversations they might need to have. Be the teacher and let them practice asking for help clearly and respectfully
Use "I" Statements: Model and encourage your child to use "I" statements. For example, "I feel confused when the instructions are given only verbally. Could I please have a written copy?"
Encourage Ownership of Interests: If your child is passionate about a topic, encourage them to find more information, books, or clubs related to it. This teaches them to seek out resources to meet their own goals.
Praise the Effort, Not Just the Outcome: Acknowledge and celebrate when you see your child speaking up for themselves, even if the outcome isn't perfect. "I am so proud of you for asking that question in class today!"
During the month of November, Mrs. Newman’s school counseling lessons will focus on understanding and managing emotions. Students will learn to identify different feelings in themselves and others, recognize how emotions affect their actions, and explore healthy coping skills to manage big feelings like frustration, sadness, or worry. Through stories, class discussions, and hands-on activities, we’ll explore simple strategies such as deep breathing, positive self-talk, and problem-solving to help students handle challenges in positive ways.
How Parents Can Help at Home
You can keep the conversation going by talking with your child about feelings each day. Try asking questions like, “What made you feel proud today?” or “Was there anything that made you feel frustrated?” Encourage your child to use coping tools like taking deep breaths, drawing, or taking a short break when needed. When you share how you handle your own emotions, your child learns that everyone has big feelings sometimes—and that it’s okay to talk about them and find healthy ways to feel better.
Reading Resource:
Reading: We enjoyed visiting with you at Parent-Teacher conferences. Thank you for your continued support. The most frequently asked question was, “What can we do to help?” We appreciate your dedication to partner with us to help your children become strong readers! Sincerely,
Mrs. Hahn
Mrs. Roske
Mrs. Miller
