School Newletter 2026-2027
Welcome back Newsletter!
November 2026 Newsletter
Dear Horner Families,
As we enter the month of November, a time traditionally dedicated to gratitude and appreciation, I want to take a moment to reflect on the many wonderful things happening at Horner Middle School. We have had an incredible start to the school year, and I could not be more proud of our students, staff, and families who make Horner such a special place to learn and grow.
We have so much to celebrate! Our recent California School Dashboard results are outstanding, with Horner earning Blue or Green ratings in five of our six performance areas! These results are a reflection of the dedication, hard work, and commitment of our entire school community. We continue to strive for excellence while focusing on opportunities for growth, including improving student attendance.
I am also excited to share that Horner Middle School will be featured in the FUSD Voice podcast during November! This special episode, which will be shared on Facebook, will highlight the theme of Gratitude and showcase the wonderful people, programs, and positive school culture that make Horner such an extraordinary place. I hope you will take a few moments to watch and celebrate our school community with us!
Most importantly, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to YOU, our Horner families! Thank you for your continued partnership, encouragement, and support throughout this school year. Time and time again, our parents step up when needed—not only to support their own children but also to support our school as a whole. Whether you are volunteering, participating in school activities, communicating with teachers, or simply reinforcing our schoolwide expectations at home, your involvement makes a tremendous difference.
As we celebrate this season of gratitude, I encourage everyone to take a moment to recognize the people who make a positive difference in our lives. At Horner, we are reminded daily that kindness, appreciation, and a sense of belonging are at the heart of a strong school community.
Thank you for trusting us with your children and for being such an important part of our Horner family. I am truly grateful to serve as your Principal!
Wishing you and your families a wonderful November filled with gratitude, kindness, and special moments together.
With gratitude and Hornet pride, 💙💛🐝
Cindy Hicks-Rodriguez
Principal, Horner Middle School
Welcome all Hornets!
Horner Vision Statement
Horner Mission Statement
Horner Hornets Ride with Respect: Bus Safety & Etiquette Reminder
We are asking for your partnership in reminding students about the importance of appropriate behavior while riding the bus. AC Transit is public transportation, and our students share the bus with other students and members of the community. Students are expected to represent Horner by demonstrating respectful, safe, and responsible behavior throughout their ride.
Please speak with your child and remind them to:
Follow the bus driver’s directions.
Use an appropriate voice level and respectful language.
Remain seated and keep aisles clear while the bus is moving.
Keep hands, feet, and belongings to themselves.
Respect other passengers and their personal space.
Avoid horseplay or other behavior that could distract the driver.
Enter and exit the bus safely and appropriately.
Please be aware that if the school receives reports of inappropriate or unsafe behavior involving Horner students, administration will follow up with the students involved. Depending on the circumstances, the school may assign consequences.
Thank you for partnering with us to help ensure our students are respectful members of the community and that everyone has a safe, positive ride.
Keep Personal Belongings Safe by Leaving Them at Home!
Please remind your child to leave personal belongings such as Pokémon cards, playing cards, electronic gaming devices, squishies, toys, and other non-school-related items at home.
Recently, we have had several incidents involving these items being lost, reported missing, or becoming distractions during the school day. While we understand that students enjoy bringing their favorite belongings to school, these items can interfere with learning and sometimes lead to disagreements among students.
Please remember that the school is not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged personal items.
We appreciate your support in helping students stay focused on learning and avoid unnecessary conflicts. The best way to keep these belongings safe is to leave them at home!
Hello Horner Families!
Time is really flying this year. Can you believe we are a quarter through the year?
A couple ASB announcements for you. It was awesome to see all the amazing costumes on Halloween! Thanks to everyone who dressed up and participated in the ASB costume contest.
The big event for ASB for the month of November/December is our annual charity drive usually in the canned food area.
We have a restaurant fundraiser taking place on Friday November 13th at Panera Bread. Again please head to hornerhornets.org or follow us on Instagram @hornermiddle.hornets for more updates on this incredible event to help families in need.
Finally our next social will be taking place on December 4th from 2:45-4:45. If you don’t have a gold card, to purchase a ticket, you must buy a ticket before hand This will be taking place on November 19th, 20th and December 2nd and 3rd. Located in the C downstairs hallway near room C102.
Hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving break and spending time with your families!
Mr. Shaffer
Activities Director
Below is the 26-27 bell schedule for Horner. Please make a note that on minimum days falling on Non Wednesday's the AC transit bus does not come to Horner right after school. Bus riders will need to walk down to the Blacow bus stop to catch the bus after school or you can make arrangements with them for other options. Thank you parents!
PBIS Character Trait Awards
Congratulations to the following students for being named the Hardworking students for the month of September and also congrats to students who were named Openminded students for the month of October. These students exemplified what it means to be a HORNET!
Welcome back for an exciting new year at Horner! Yearbooks are now on sale for $65. Buying a yearbook now ensures your student will have their own permanent collection of the most exciting moments and memorable events of the year. Go to yearbookordercenter.com (school code: 7874) to reserve a copy today.
🎄🎁 Spread Some Holiday Cheer with a Horner Holiday Treat Bag! 🎁🎄
A Special Holiday Surprise for Your Hornet! 💙💛🐝
Dear Horner Families,
The holiday season is just around the corner, and we have a fun and festive opportunity for you to make your child's holiday season extra special!
Horner Middle School is excited to offer Holiday Treat Bags which will include a personalized message on the marque for just $20! These special bags will be filled with holiday accessories, candy, and other fun goodies to bring a little extra joy and excitement to your student's day.
The best part? Each treat bag will include a personalized holiday message from YOU! Parents and guardians will have the opportunity to write a special note to their child, sharing words of encouragement, love, appreciation, or holiday cheer. Imagine the smile on your child's face when they receive a surprise treat bag along with a heartfelt message from home!
🎁 Holiday Treat Bag Details
Cost: $20 (CASH ONLY)
Purchase Dates: November 9 – December 4, 2026
What's Included: Holiday accessories, candy, festive goodies, and a personalized message from a parent or guardian. It will also include a slide on the school marque with your child's name on it.
Delivery: Treat bags will be delivered directly to students at school during the last week before Winter Break and the marque posting will also be displayed the last few days prior to winter break.
🎄 How to Purchase a Holiday Treat Bag/marque posting
It's easy! Simply stop by the Horner Middle School Main Office between November 9 and December 4 to complete your purchase.
Visit the Horner Main Office.
Complete a special holiday message card for your child & a marquee form
Pay $20 in cash for the purchase
We will take care of the rest and deliver your surprise to your student before Winter Break!
💙💛 Make Your Hornet Feel Extra Special!
The holidays are a wonderful time to remind our children just how much they are loved, appreciated, and celebrated. Whether your message says "I'm so proud of you," "Keep being amazing," or simply "I love you," your words can make a lasting impression.
We hope you will join us in spreading a little extra kindness, gratitude, and holiday cheer throughout our Horner community!
Let's make this holiday season memorable for our Hornets, one special treat bag at a time! 🎁🐝
Thank you for your continued support of Horner Middle School!
If your son or daughter is interested in trying out for any of the sports teams at Horner, it is critical that you get them a sports physical now or over the summer as the paperwork is due to the school office when school begins. The sports that we have are: Boys and Girls Vollebyall and Boys and Girls Basketball. The first season is Girl's Volleyball. Below are the forms that are required to be completed each school year along with a copy of your child's physical clearance from their doctor. Students who do not meet the deadline to submit all forms will be ineligible to try out for that specific sport. Students are only required to get one physical per year so if they want to try out for multiple sports, they still only need one physical and one packet per year as long as the parent information is still accurate and up to date. Any questions about athletics tryouts should go to: Sean Davis, Asst Prinicpal. Please be ahead of the game and get that physical done early! Here are the due dates for each sport at Horner:
Girls BB
Nov. 30 - Girls BB meeting at lunch
Dec. 18 - Girls BB forms due in office
Jan. 7 - Girls BB tryouts day 1
Jan. 8 - Girls BB call backs
Feb. 16 - Boys VB meeting at lunch
Mar. 5 - Boys VB forms due in office
Mar. 8 - Boys VB tryouts day 1
Mar. 9 - Boys VB call backs
We are excited to share some wonderful news about Horner Middle School's performance on the California School Dashboard! Our latest results reflect the hard work of our students, the dedication of our outstanding teachers and staff, and the continued support of our families. We have so much to celebrate as a school community!
What Is the California School Dashboard?
The California School Dashboard is a statewide accountability system that provides families and communities with important information about how public schools are performing. Think of it as a school report card that looks at much more than academic test scores. It measures several areas of student success, including academic achievement, attendance, suspension rates, and English Learner progress.
The Dashboard uses five color-coded performance levels:
🔵 Blue – Very High Performance
🟢 Green – High Performance
🟡 Yellow – Medium Performance
🟠 Orange – Low Performance
🔴 Red – Very Low Performance
These ratings help schools recognize their successes, monitor progress over time, and identify areas where additional attention and support are needed.
Celebrating Horner's Success!
We are incredibly proud to report that Horner Middle School earned GREEN or BLUE ratings in five of the six applicable performance areas! This is a tremendous accomplishment that reflects our commitment to academic excellence, positive school culture, and student success.
Here is how Horner performed:
Performance AreaDashboard Rating
Mathematics🔵 Blue – Very High
Science🔵 Blue – Very High
English Language Arts🟢 Green – High
English Learner Progress🟢 Green – High
Suspension Rate🟢 Green – High
Chronic Absenteeism🟡 Yellow – Medium
Our Blue ratings in Mathematics and Science are especially exciting, demonstrating the outstanding academic achievement of our students. We are equally proud of our Green ratings in English Language Arts, English Learner Progress, and Suspension Rate.
These results highlight the strong teaching and learning happening in our classrooms, as well as our continued efforts to create a safe, welcoming, and supportive school environment through our Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program.
Our Focus for Improvement: Student Attendance
While we have much to celebrate, we also recognize that continuous improvement is essential. Our one Yellow performance area is Chronic Absenteeism, and improving student attendance will be an important schoolwide priority this year. While our school ADA is around 97% school wide, we still have some improvements to make in this area.
Chronic absenteeism means a student misses 10% or more of the school year, including both excused and unexcused absences. Even missing just two days of school per month can add up to chronic absenteeism over the course of a school year.
We need our families' partnership to help us move our attendance rating from Yellow to Green!
Every school day matters. When students attend school consistently, they build stronger academic skills, develop positive relationships with peers and teachers, and stay connected to their school community. We encourage families to prioritize daily attendance, schedule appointments outside school hours whenever possible, and communicate with us when attendance challenges arise.
Moving Forward Together!
Our California School Dashboard results give us many reasons to celebrate while also providing a clear direction for continued growth. We are proud of the progress our school community is making, and we remain committed to ensuring that every student has the opportunity to succeed.
At Horner, our schoolwide expectations of Show Respect, Make Good Decisions, and Solve Problems guide everything we do. These expectations, along with our HORNET character traits, help us build a school culture where students feel connected, supported, and motivated to achieve their personal best.
Thank you to our incredible teachers, classified staff, students, and families for your continued commitment to Horner Middle School. Our success is truly a TEAM effort!
Together, let's celebrate our accomplishments, continue striving for excellence, and make student attendance a priority this school year!
Dear Horner Families,
Looking for a fun way to make your student’s birthday extra special? Let Horner help you celebrate!
Parents, family members, and friends can purchase a personalized Happy Birthday message on the Horner Middle School marquee for just $10 cash!
🎈 How It Works
Simply stop by the Horner Main Office to:
- 💵 Pay the $10 cash fee
- 📝 Complete a Birthday Wish Form
- 🎂 Tell us the birthday message you would like displayed
On your student’s birthday, their special message will appear on our school marquee beginning at 5:00 AM and remain up until 11:00 PM that evening!
Our students LOVE seeing their names on the marquee, and it is such a fun way for family and friends to help make their birthday memorable.
🎉 Give Your Hornet a Birthday Shout-Out!
Whether it’s a simple “Happy Birthday!” or another fun birthday wish, we would love to help you celebrate your student’s special day.
Stop by the Horner Main Office to complete your form and submit your $10 cash payment.
Happy Birthday to all of our Hornets! 🐝🎂🎈
Growing Gratitude Together: The Horner Way! 💙💛
A November Message to Our Horner Families
As we enter the month of November, we are reminded of the importance of gratitude and the powerful impact it can have on our school, our families, and our community. At Horner Middle School, gratitude is more than simply saying “thank you.” It is about recognizing the kindness of others, appreciating the opportunities we have, and finding meaningful ways to give back.
At Horner, we work hard to create a school culture where every student feels valued, respected, and connected. Our schoolwide PBIS expectations—Show Respect, Make Good Decisions, and Solve Problems—are not just expectations for students while they are at school. They are life skills that can be practiced every day, including at home!
This November, we invite our Horner families to join us in making gratitude a part of everyday conversations and actions.
Connecting Gratitude to Our HORNET Character Traits
Our HORNET character traits provide wonderful opportunities for families to practice gratitude together:
H – Hardworking: Recognize the effort family members put into their responsibilities. Thank someone for working hard, whether it is preparing dinner, helping with homework, or taking care of the family.
O – Open-minded: Appreciate the different perspectives, experiences, and ideas that make each family member unique. Practice listening to understand others.
R – Respectful: Show appreciation through kind words, thoughtful actions, and treating others with dignity, even when you disagree.
N – Non-judgmental: Be grateful for the differences that make people special. Encourage acceptance, understanding, and kindness toward others.
E – Empathetic: Notice when someone needs encouragement or support. Sometimes the greatest expression of gratitude is simply being there for someone else.
T – Trustworthy: Show gratitude by keeping promises, being honest, and demonstrating that others can count on you.
💛 Bringing Our Schoolwide Expectations Home
Our three schoolwide expectations can also help families turn gratitude into action.
SHOW RESPECT: Encourage your child to express appreciation to family members, teachers, friends, and others who make a difference in their lives. A simple thank-you note, kind word, or thoughtful gesture can brighten someone's day.
MAKE GOOD DECISIONS: Challenge your child to make one intentional decision each day that demonstrates gratitude. This might include helping with household chores without being asked, including someone who feels left out, or choosing kindness when frustrated.
SOLVE PROBLEMS: Remind your child that gratitude can help us approach challenges with a positive mindset. When disagreements arise, encourage family members to listen, acknowledge each other's feelings, and work together toward solutions.
🐝 A November Gratitude Challenge for Horner Families
This month, consider starting a simple family gratitude tradition. During dinner, on the drive to school, or before bedtime, take a few minutes to ask:
What is one thing you are grateful for today, and why?
Who showed you kindness or respect this week?
How did you demonstrate one of our HORNET character traits today?
What is one good decision you made that helped someone else?
How can our family show gratitude to someone in our community?
You might even create a Family Gratitude Jar, where everyone writes down something they appreciate throughout November. At the end of the month, read the notes together and celebrate the people, experiences, and acts of kindness that make your family special.
💙 Grateful for Our Horner Community
As Principal of Horner Middle School, I am incredibly grateful for the students, staff, and families who make our school such a special place. Every day, I see examples of kindness, perseverance, compassion, and people supporting one another. These moments, both big and small, are what make our Horner community so extraordinary.
Our continued commitment to Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) reminds us that building a positive school culture is a shared responsibility. When the same values are reinforced at school and at home, our students develop the character, confidence, and compassion they need to thrive.
This November, let's challenge ourselves to not only feel gratitude but to SHOW gratitude through our words, choices, and actions.
Thank you, Horner families, for your continued partnership, encouragement, and support. Together, we are raising young people who understand that showing respect, making good decisions, and solving problems can make a positive difference in the world.
Happy November, Hornets! We are grateful for YOU! 💙💛🐝
Building a School Culture of Acceptance, Inclusion, and Belonging at Horner
At Horner Middle School, we believe that every student deserves to feel safe, respected, valued, and included, regardless of their background, culture, identity, abilities, or personal experiences. Eliminating bias and promoting acceptance are essential to creating a positive school environment where all students can thrive. Through our Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program, our HORNET character traits, and our schoolwide expectations of Show Respect, Make Good Decisions, and Solve Problems, we intentionally teach students the importance of kindness, empathy, understanding, and celebrating differences.
Throughout the school year, we reinforce these values through classroom discussions, PBIS lessons, restorative conversations, counseling support, student recognition programs, and opportunities for students to build positive relationships with one another. We also address hurtful language, stereotypes, and exclusionary behaviors as teachable moments, helping students understand how their words and actions impact others. Our goal is not simply to address bias when it occurs, but to proactively build a school culture where differences are respected, diversity is celebrated, and every student experiences a genuine sense of belonging.
At Horner, we recognize that creating an inclusive school community is an ongoing responsibility shared by students, staff, and families. Together, we can ensure that every Hornet feels seen, heard, respected, and valued! With our Stop, Drop and Roll slogan we are continuously reminding students that our words have impact for both positivity and negativity and we want to be positive with all members of our school community. The posters below have been placed in all of our hallways since the start of our school year and we use them as a reminder to everyone that inclusivity and acceptance and helping be a positive factor at school is important. 🐝
