Horizon Elementary News
On the Path to Possibilities - January Newsletter
Dear Families,
Dear Horizon Families,
Welcome back and Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful, restful Christmas break and enjoyed the extra time with your loved ones. We are so happy to see our students back in the hallways, sharing stories and settling back into their school routines. As we look ahead, please keep in mind that January is a very busy month with plenty of new learning and activities planned, so we appreciate your help in keeping the momentum going.
With the colder weather upon us, please remember to send a winter coat with your child every day. We love to get the students outside for fresh air whenever possible, but we want to ensure everyone stays warm and safe. As a general rule, we will head outside for recess as long as the "feels like" temperature is above 20 degrees; anything at or below that mark is just too cold for outdoor play. Finally, please keep an eye on your email this coming Friday, January 9th, as that is when grade cards will be sent home.
We are looking forward to a fantastic second semester together!
Thank you for all you do!
Take Care,
Mrs. Kristi Mellon
Horizon Elementary Principal
Horizon Spirit Wear:
Want to order some new Smithville or Horizon Gear!! Check out our Spirit Store through TW Printing:
Early Childhood:
Warrior Preschool:
Kindergarten:
ELA: In our CKLA skills unit we will introduce more letters: w, j, y, x, k, s, and discuss consonant clusters and CVC, CCVC, CVCC words. We will learn the tricky words yellow, look, I, are, little.
Math: We are working on graphing and reviewing addition and subtraction. We will also be composing and decomposing teen numbers with tools and symbols.
Science/SS: We will learn about Martin Luther King Jr. and presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.
SEL: Our focus this month will be on Empathy and kindness.
First Grade:
ELA: This month in our CKLA skills unit we will introduce the spellings for the sounds /er/, /ir/, /ur/, /ar/ and /or/. We will talk about two syllable words and past, present and future tense verbs. We will also work on an information writing piece. In our knowledge unit, we will learn about plants and animals and their habitats.
Math: We will work on place value, numbers to 120 and spend some time comparing numbers.
Science/SS: We will learn about animals and their habitats. We will also focus on famous Americans that are celebrated with a special holiday.
SEL: Our focus for this month is learning about how we can be kind to others.
Second Grade:
ELA: In this upcoming skills unit, students are introduced to more spelling alternatives for vowel sounds and three Tricky Spellings. For grammar, students review singular and plural nouns, along with common and proper nouns. In addition, they learn about the formation of irregular plural nouns as well as how to use action verbs and to be verbs. In the upcoming knowledge unit, we will explore a critical period in American history—the Civil War—laying the foundation for more in-depth study in later grades.
Math: In the unit we are beginning this week, students will focus on three-digit addition and subtraction. They will build on the strategies they have already learned for two-digit addition and subtraction, which will help support a smooth transition to working with larger numbers. This gradual increase in difficulty allows students to deepen their understanding of place value and the process behind adding and subtracting multi-digit numbers.
Science/SS: We will begin our economics unit in social studies where we will discuss the basic concepts of economics and how they impact our lives daily as consumers. Students will be learning concepts such as needs/wants, consumers/producers, and goods/services.
SEL: Our focus for our upcoming second steps unit is empathy and kindness. We will define empathy and learn about ways to show empathy and kindness to others.
Third Grade:
Welcome back! We’re excited to dive back into learning this month.
ELA: We are beginning our new unit exploring our solar system and beyond. In this unit, we will use nonfiction comprehension skills to learn about astronomy. We will practice grammar and spelling skills, write a nonfiction piece about a day in the life of an astronaut, and identify text structures and main ideas. Please keep reading and spelling with your child at home!
Math: In math, we are diving into fractions! This will include understanding fractions, identifying fractions on a number line, and finding equivalent fractions. Keep practicing addition, subtraction, and multiplication facts with your kiddo at home!
Science/SS: We have started our unit over weather and climate! This will include exploring weather patterns and types. Ask your child to identify the weather and precipitation they experience each day! After science we will return to social studies.
SEL: With the return from break, we will be reviewing PBIS expectations and practicing a growth mindset when taking our diagnostic tests.
Fourth Grade:
Happy New Year! We are excited to get back into the swing of things.
ELA: We are starting our new unit, Eureka! Student Inventor. During this unit, students will be introduced to various inventors and their inventions, as well as the creative process. Students will be immersed in close reading and will engage with complex literary and informational texts. Students will also learn to analyze objects and situations in the world around them, identify problems, develop evidence-based solutions, and, ultimately, become inventors themselves, as they research, build, and present inventions of their own. It’s sure to be an exciting unit!
Additionally, we plan to start iReady benchmark testing on January 13th.
Math: In math, we will be wrapping up our Geometry unit and moving onto measurement and fractions! Students will learn how to convert large measurements into smaller measurements using multiplication, then we will spend most of the rest of the year on all things fractions, starting with finding equivalent fractions and comparing fractions. We will also take our iReady benchmark assessment on January 15th.Science/SS: We are wrapping our Declaration of Independence unit and starting on Animal Adaptations! Cannot wait to see all of the excitement with animals!
Fifth Grade:
Happy 2026! We are ready to kick off the new year with high spirits and high energy. Third quarter is a busy time of learning and growing here in fifth grade. We love to see our students each and every day!
ELA: In this unit, students are reading an adapted version of the classic novel Don Quixote, focusing on characters, plot, and key literary elements such as characterization. They are tracing how the story and characters develop over time while exploring important themes and the relationship between Don Quixote and his loyal sidekick, Sancho Panza. Through this text, students are exposed to culturally significant ideas, including what it means to be “quixotic.” In grammar, students are practicing commas in a series, strengthening subject-verb agreement, and learning compare-and-contrast words, the suffix –ness, and the root word vac. For writing, students are composing a four-paragraph opinion essay that asks whether Don Quixote’s good intentions justify his actions, using evidence from the text and expanding sentences with when, where, and why details.
Math: Welcome back to a new year full of fun and mathematics! This month we will continue to hone our skills of adding and subtracting fractions and mixed numbers. Some focus areas will be subtracting fractions with regrouping involved and simplifying our answers. These are really tall orders, but we have been marching ahead strong here in Room 113!
Science/SS:
SEL: We will be working on emotional management and understanding our STRONG emotions. We have LOTS of those during this pivotal time of change:)
Sixth Grade:
ELA: We will begin our quarter by completing our midyear iReady Diagnostic for ELA. This will provide the opportunity for us to evaluate how we have grown as readers. Students will complete reflections and identify strengths along with areas of growth to continue to develop our progress toward achieving and improving upon our progress toward grade level ELA standards. Students will also engage in a unit about the Titanic where they will make a stance on who they believe (based on evidence from our readings) is responsible for the ship’s sinking. Looking forward to kicking off the second half of the year with our kids!
Math: January is an exciting time in 6th Grade Math!! Math iReady Diagnostic Testing will be on Tuesday, Jan 13th, Wednesday, Jan 14th and Thursday, Jan 15th. Please make sure to remind your child to charge their chromebooks every night, as we will be using them more during that week. We will be wrapping up our last Geometry lesson (Volume) and will quickly be diving into our unit on Algebraic Thinking! This is a unit full of foundational concepts that will build over the next few years for your students! We will work on creating expressions from real world situations, balancing equations, and analyzing variable and number relationships.
Science/SS: This month, students explore how the number of molecules in a system affects temperature change. They learn that objects with more molecules have greater total kinetic energy and require more energy transfer to change temperature. By the end of the chapter, students will be able to explain why a large amount of lukewarm groundwater can warm the school more than a small amount of very hot water. Later in January, we will begin our next social studies unit on Ancient China. Students will study major dynasties, the construction of the Great Wall of China, key philosophies, and the Silk Road.
SEL: This month we will be focusing on Thoughts, Emotions & Decisions. Students learn how to recognize strong emotions and unhelpful thoughts, and they learn to apply strategies for managing their emotions and reducing stress. This unit’s content helps students understand that all emotions are valuable because they provide us with information about our environment. Students learn to respond to their emotions in ways that help meet their wants and needs.
The goals of this unit include students being able to:
Assess when and why they are feeling a strong emotion
Recognize that all emotions are okay, and that how they decide to respond can have positive or negative impacts on their lives
Apply a strategy for emotion management that is best for them, based on context
Technology & Innovation:
January: Digital Footprint Awareness - Our online trail is part of who we’re becoming.
Search your child’s name together — ask: “What do you want others to see about your learning?”
Talk about the difference between posting to impress vs. express.
When cleaning up old accounts, say: “Let’s clear space for who you’re growing into.”
Frame your digital footprint as a journal of progress, not perfection.
Gears, Gadgets & Great Ideas…we are looking for:
Fishing line / string
LEGO donations (incomplete sets welcome!)
Beads / buttons
Foam trays (washed)
We’re kicking off the new year in Technology & Innovation with fresh energy, a growth‑mindset reset, and a return to hands-on projects across all grade levels. January is all about reviewing expectations, rebuilding routines, and diving right back into creative problem solving.
Here’s what each grade is exploring this month:
Kindergarten — Fine‑motor STEM challenge centers to strengthen little hands and big thinking
1st Grade — Revisiting the classic boat‑building challenge to design a vessel that floats and holds at least 10 pennies
3rd Grade — Launching a collaborative project tied to their Famous Missourian research, creating a choice‑based product to showcase their learning
4th Grade — Jumping into Canva and the world of graphic design
5th Grade — Continuing their coding journey with more complex challenges
Library:
Happy 2026! It’s so good to see everyone back at school and it sounds like everyone had a good winter break. This month students will be enjoying stories that focus on the themes of making resolutions, Winter, Arctic animals, Martin Luther King, Jr., the Caldecott Award, and the Chinese New Year.
Kindergarten is working on finishing the last 3 books of their Building Block Nominees for the year and students will be voting for their favorite book. I’m so excited to see what their favorite is! The winner will be announced in April and everyone is excited to see if their favorite book is the winner.
1st - 6th grade have until March to finish reading their award nominees for the year. So keep reading!
6th grade this quarter is Books vs Movies. Our goal is to read at least one chapter book and one picture book and watch their movies so that we can compare the different types of media.
Art:
I’m so excited to be back in the art room and creating again.
During 3rd quarter, grades K-5th will work on the standards of “Observe” and “Express”. Each grade level will work on tackling these standards through different lessons and practices.
6th Grade 3D Art will begin with getting assigned seats, setting up their “toolboxes” and doing a table building challenge. 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 2 projects, the badge choices are: Cardboard Sculpture, Paper Sculpture, Origami, and Recyclable Sculpture.
Physical Education:
Welcome back! I hope everyone had a great break and is ready to kick off the Spring Semester. The first week back each group will play some games or do stations reflecting on what we have done in the first semester. After that, we will start our basketball unit for each grade. The basketball unit will focus on simple skills like dribbling, passing, and shooting. K-2nd grade will have an option to shoot with dodgeball type balls that are softer and easier to get to the hoops. We will also play different games that are grade level specific. 4th-6th grade will also have another Warrior Day Workout this month as they continue to work on their fitness goals.
Music:
Hello Horizon families and welcome back! Here’s a little bit about what will be happening in the music room as we kick off our Spring Semester:
Kindergarten: Kindergarten will begin learning about a new set of musical opposites, high and low. In this unit students will be learning and practicing to recognize high and low sounds and the sounds different instruments make. In this process students will also learn about moving from high to low sounds and singing these sounds.
1st Grade: 1st grade is finishing up their review of all the musical opposites we learned in kindergarten. This includes high and low, loud and soft, up and down, and more. We will then begin talking about rhythm!
2nd Grade: Students are finishing our review of rhythmic and pitch concepts that we have also learned. We will then move into our half note unit where students will learn a new syllable, ta-a.
3rd & 4th Grade: Both 3rd and 4th grade will begin listening to and learning their music for our upcoming music program! Our program this year is called “Wright” and is a fun musical about the Wright brothers and the beginning of flight! Our program will take place March 12th at 6pm in the Smithville Performing Arts Center. Be on the lookout for an email with more details about this show!
5th Grade: In 5th grade students will be moving into a brand new unit of bucket drumming! We will work to expand on our rhythm skills through playing the bucket drums!6th Grade: In our 6th grade Music Around the World Class, we are jumping right into projects as students work on their Favorite Musical Artist Projects. I’m so excited to learn about students' favorite music!
Counselor:
Hello Wonderful Families, and Happy New Year!
I hope your family had a restful and joyful winter break. It’s wonderful to see the students back, reconnecting with friends and settling into the fresh start that January brings. There’s something so powerful about a new year—it’s like turning the page to a blank chapter, full of possibilities!
This month, as we embrace this spirit of renewal, Ms. Pawlcyn’s counselor classroom lessons will focus on three interwoven themes that help us all build a stronger, kinder school and world: Self-Awareness, Personal Responsibility, and Citizenship.
Our January lessons are designed to help your child understand their role in our school community, starting from the inside out.
Self-Awareness (Knowing Myself): We’ll explore our unique strengths, our growing areas, and our feelings. Think of the metaphor of being the “captain of our own ship”—we need to know our own vessel (ourself!) before we can sail smoothly with others.
Personal Responsibility (Steering My Ship): This is about ownership. We’ll talk about what it means to be responsible for our actions, our words, our belongings, and our learning. This includes everything from keeping track of homework and winter gear to cleaning up after ourselves and following through on promises.
Citizenship (Sailing Together in Our School Fleet): Here, we zoom out to see the bigger picture. We’ll discuss what it means to be a caring and contributing member of our classroom and school community. How do our individual choices affect the group? We’ll connect responsibility to respect, kindness, and helping others.
The goal is for students to see the powerful connection: When I know myself, I can manage myself. When I manage myself, I can positively contribute to my community. How You Can Spark Conversations at Home Here are a few simple ways to extend these themes through conversation and action: "Strength Spotting" at Dinner: Go around the table and share one strength you saw in yourself today and one you saw in another family member. (e.g., "I was responsible because I remembered to feed the pet without being asked." "I saw you show citizenship by helping your sister pick up the toys.") Connect Choices to Consequences: Use natural moments to link actions with outcomes in a neutral way. Instead of "You forgot your hat, so now you're cold," try, "What could we do differently tomorrow to help you remember your hat so you stay warm?" This builds problem-solving skills. Define "Citizenship" at Home: What does it mean to be a good citizen of your household? Create a simple family job chart or have a meeting about how everyone can contribute to making your home run smoothly and feel happy for all. Model Responsibility with Your Words: Use "I" statements to model taking ownership. "I’m feeling frustrated because I misplaced my keys. My responsibility is to put them on the hook next time so I can find them." This shows it’s a lifelong skill! As always, I am here as a resource for you and your child. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions or wonders. “We are not only responsible for what we do, but also for what we could have prevented.” – A powerful thought to guide our month.
PBIS
Cafeteria Stars: Ms. Billings' third-grade students demonstrated respect, responsibility, and kindness during lunch. They consistently follow cafeteria expectations, making our shared spaces enjoyable for everyone.
Recess Role Models: Our recess winners know how to have fun while being safe and respectful. They encourage fair play, include others, and help create a welcoming environment during recess time. First grade and Early Childhood both win this quarterly award!
Early Childhood
Attendance Achievers: Consistent attendance is essential for learning, and these students show up every day, ready to learn. Their commitment to attending school regularly sets a great example! Second grade is the attendance winner for the second quarter!
Reading Resource:
Please keep reading each day! It's ideal to read for at least 20 minutes!
Mrs. Hahn
Mrs. Roske
Mrs. Miller
