February 2025

Dear Families,

I want to take a moment to celebrate the progress we are making toward opening our doors this fall! I am excited to share pictures of the construction progress and exciting next steps as we continue to plan for our opening.

This month's newsletter is filled with lots of great information such as:

Instructions for Enrollment
Kindergarten Round Up
Uniform Policy Input
Middle School Elective Course Selection

I hope you enjoy!

Your partner in education,

Andrea Nelson, Principal

Minneola Horizon Academy

2025-2026 School Locator

Please use the link below to determine which school your child will be zoned for next school year. Using the interactive map, type your address in the box to see your zoned school for next year.

What school am I zoned for?

MHA Enrollment Instructions

25-26 MHA Middle School Elective Course Selection

It is time to select your elective courses for the 25-26 school year at Minneola Horizon Academy! After reviewing the Elective Course Information Guide, please select your preferred electives for the upcoming year. While we will try to accommodate your requests, there may be some movement due to scheduling and overlapping of specific electives. This is why we are asking that you select several options in the order of your preference.

Academic Course Selection

Each student is required to take four academic core classes each year: Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies. Advanced ELA and Math courses are determined by FAST scores, final grades, and/or teacher recommendation.

Elective Course Selection

For more information on elective courses please visit the link below:

Minneola Horizon Academy Elective Course Information Guide

Selection of courses does not guarantee placement. Based on data, students may be scheduled for at least a semester of a yearlong literacy course, in place of one elective.

Due Date: February 28

25-25 MHA Middle School Elective Course Selection

25-26 MHA Elective Course Information Guide

Kindergarten Round Up RSVP

25-26 MHA Uniform Policy Input

As we prepare for the upcoming school year at Minneola Horizon Academy, we are seeking input from our families to help guide our uniform policy.

A school uniform policy is separate from the existing LCS Dress Code Policy and would require students to wear certain colors and types of clothing.

For example, tops could be the following colors, blue (navy, royal, light), green, gray, white, or pink shirt with collar or an MHA school club, or athletic shirt. The bottoms could be navy, khaki, or black. This would include shorts, pants, skirts, or dress.

While there are varying opinions on a uniform policy there are many benefits when it comes to a safe and successful learning environment:

Enhanced school identity and belonging: uniforms can create a sense of unity and belonging among students, helping them feel part of a community. This can strengthen school pride and create a more inclusive atmosphere.
Increased safety: with a standard dress code, it’s easier to identify students on campus, which can enhance school security.
Reduced peer pressure: uniforms eliminate the pressure to wear trendy or expensive clothes, leveling the playing field and reducing competition over appearances. This can help students focus more on academics and social interactions rather than fashion.
Improved student focus: some studies suggest that uniforms can help improve student focus in school, as students are dressed in a way that signals they’re in a learning environment.

In the end, our goal is to ensure the policy aligns with our values, supports our students' success, and reflects our school community's preferences and we value your input in this decision.

The information gathered is not a vote, but will be used to inform our committee prior to presenting to our School Advisory Council for a vote. Please see below if you are interested in signing up for the committee. The survey will close on February 17th and committee members will be notified on February 18th.

MHA Uniform Policy Input Survey

School Advisory Council (SAC) Interest Form

A School Advisory Council (SAC) is a peer elected, collaborative team that works to improve student achievement, effective teaching in the classroom, and parent and community engagement in the educational process. The SAC is intended to represent the broad school community and those persons closest to the students as they share responsibility for guiding our school toward continuous

improvement. Being a part of SAC and attending meetings is a great way to stay involved in your student's education. In addition to being a part of the school improvement process, the SAC provides insights and feedback on issues impacting our school.

One of the first decisions of SAC will be to determine if we will have school uniforms.

Our first SAC meeting is scheduled for March 4th at 6PM. We will meet in the media center at Grassy Lake Elementary. Please click on the link below and fill out the form if you're interested in becoming a member of SAC or if you would like to be added to the SAC mailing list.

SAC Interest Form

Questions???

Please continue so submit questions using the link below. I have also created an FAQ document with the most frequently requested information.

Frequently Asked Questions

Submit Questions Here

Construction and Campus Updates

Our campus is shaping up beautifully! Construction teams are hard at work making sure classrooms, learning spaces, and common areas are designed to foster curiosity and collaboration. We are on track for a state-of-the-art campus, where students can thrive and explore the world of aerospace engineering.