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Horizon West Middle School |
HWMS Community Member,
As we head into the next few months, it is very important to check our calendars and get important dates marked down so we do not schedule appointments on important school days. Please mark down those important dates and be sure to have your child in attendance on these days.
Progress Reports will be available in Skyward on February 15th. Please talk to your child about their progress and together make a plan to finish the quarter strong.
During the month of February, we will be honoring and celebrating Black History Month. We will be infusing elements of Black History into many of our subject areas over the month of February. Also, every Friday, during the month of February, we will have a Black History Month Spirit Day! Look for the Friday spirit day information in this edition!
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Mark your calendars for our multicultural event- “A Taste of Cultures” on Thursday, March 7th. Last year’s event was a huge success and we are very excited about having this again.
A reminder that we are offering Homework Help Sessions from 8:00-9:00 in the HWMS cafeteria:
- Mondays: Language Arts
- Tuesdays: Social Studies
- Wednesdays: Science & Spanish
- Thursdays: Math
Thank you again to all our parents, students, teachers and community, you all are what makes it great to be a HORNET.
Your Proud Principal,
Michelle Thomas
Pictured very top: We celebrated our Teacher of the Year and Support Person of the Year winners at the OCPS STELLAR AWARDS last Friday evening. Pictured flanking Principal Michelle Thomas are Teacher of the Year, Brad Boland (HWMS Resource Teacher), and Support Person of the Year, Danielle Gutierrez (HWMS School Clerk).
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8200 Tattant Drive
Orlando, FL 37486
(407) 554-1570
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*** SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS *** |
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This is National School Counselor Week: |
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Horizon West's awesome school counselors: 6th- Alexis Cosme, 7th- Emily Ferrand, and 8th- Morgan Stepp. |
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Thursday, February 15 is National School Resource Officer Appreciation Day: |
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Thank you Deputy Grange for all you do for HWMS! |
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Communication is KEY to the SUCCESS of our SCHOOL, STUDENTS and FAMILIES. Stay connected to our school by following and liking our OFFICIAL social media accounts. |
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Feb. 9: Last day of School Counselor Week |
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Feb. 12: Final HOME Basketball game of the regular season
Feb. 14: Happy Valentine's Day! / School Spirit Wednesday
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Feb. 15: Student Progress Reports posted to Skyward
Feb. 15: National School Resource Officer Appreciation Day
Feb. 16: BHM Spirit Day - 'Remembrance Day' (see below)
Feb. 19: Presidents Day - No School
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Feb. 23: BHM Spirit Day - 'Excellence Day' (see below)
Feb. 26: Track & Field tryouts
Mar. 7: 'A Taste of Cultures' 5:30-7:30pm
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Green Schools Expo (Feb. 10): |
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A Taste of Cultures (March 7): |
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OCPS – All County Band Concert |
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Congratulations to Cody Corneau, Giuliano Katz and Tristan Olofson for performing in the OCPS All-County Band Concert this Saturday. The audition only ensemble represents the highest levels of musicianship from across all of Orange County. Students learn 5 rigorous pieces of music, of the conductor’s selection, and perform as a group after less than 12 hours of combined rehearsal time. Great job and thank you for representing HWMS at this event!
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Congratulations to the following “Student of the Week” recipients! |
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7th Grade-
Preston Stanley
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Nominated by Mrs. Rodgers-
“I am nominating Candice for her positivity in class. She is always ready to participate with a smile on her face.”
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Nominated by Mrs. Rodgers-
“I nominate Preston for her positivity in class. She always wants to participate, has a great attitude and is willing to help others.”
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8th Grade-
Chasen Olson-Riveria
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Nominated by Mrs. Rodgers-
“I am nominating Chasen for his leadership and positivity in class. He is always willing to participate and be a good example for his peers.”
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Nominated by Ms. McCallister-
“I am giving the Hornet of the week to Mrs. Rodgers. She is here early in the mornings and stays after school. This week, one of her students was telling me how they just decided to stay for Drama practice on Tuesday and just let her know, and she stayed with them. She is always organizing the community to help out with productions and donations. She works so hard so we can have the best Drama department possible and her students love being with her. I am proud to give the Hornet of the Week to Mrs. Rodgers.”
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Nominated by Mrs. Rodgers-
“This week I wanted to make sure the Hornet of the week went to a teacher that made a difference to the students. When I asked different students, the same name was shouted many times, very forcefully that Ms. Schram was “The BEST.” They spoke very strongly about how you care about them. You strive to make sure EVERYONE understands the lesson. The students talked about how you are a great teacher. One student even said, “I never thought I would like going to Math, but Ms. Schram makes sure we understand.” Thank you for taking care of the students. Your hard work is noticed!”
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HWMS Dance Ensemble group had their dance performance assessment in January. They did an amazing job. We are so proud of all of them! |
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Boys' basketball team entering the gym prior to 1st home game against Lakeview Middle. |
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Girls' basketball team warming up during half-time of their first home game! |
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Our boys’ and girls’ basketball teams have been playing great! Come out and cheer on our teams in their final home game against Sun Ridge! Boys play first and girls play immediately following the conclusion of the boys' game.
Monday, 2/12 vs. Sun Ridge Middle
Monday games start @ 5:30
Wednesday games start @ 5:00
Tickets are $5 for adults and $2 for students.
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Track team tryouts begin Feb. 26th after school. All interested students must have a completed Aktivate account, including Sports Physical, in order to participate. Middle school events include the 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1600m, 4x100m relay, 4x400m relay, long jump and shot put.
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Literacy Week Highlights: |
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Hornets participating in Literacy Week activities- Drop Everything and Read! (above) and our Bookmark Making Contest! (below) |
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Thank you to all of the teachers and students that participated in the Literacy Week Door Decorating Contest Dr. Pagan, Ms. Urbanovich, Ms. Kelly, Ms. Hanson, Mr. Fluke, Ms. Lawless, Ms. Ocampo, Ms. Cabrini, and Ms. Harrell. |
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Superintendent's Weekly Message for Monday, Feb. 5: |
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What is the "Science of Reading" and why should you know about it? In this episode of "Mondays with Maria," Dr. Vazquez and Nancy Alvarez explain what it means and reveal effective strategies to help little ones become confident readers! |
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Casting Call! Top Talent auditions are open until Feb. 23: |
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Applications are open now through February 23.
Tip sheet for recording:
Audition rules and regulations & waivers:
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8th Grade Hollywood Glam Night |
The Horizon West Middle School Student Government Association is proud to present A Hollywood Glam Night for our 8th Grade 2024 Dance. The event will be held on Friday, May 17th, 2024.
We will be collecting back (elementary) then and current photos (middle school) of your 8th grader to be shared at the event. If you would like to submit your past and present pictures of your student, please send them to Hwms8gradedance@gmail.com. Make sure to include your student's first and last name. Please stay tuned for ticket sales information. |
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Food for Thought ahead of Super Bowl Sunday . . . |
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Super Bowl appearances and wins by team: |
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Last year's Super Bowl was the most-watched ever, with an audience of 115.1 million: |
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Serena Williams (tennis superstar) has appeared in more Super Bowl ads since 2016 than any other celebrity: |
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*** During the inaugural Super Bowl, between the Green Bay Packers and the Chiefs in 1967, a 30-second TV ad cost $42,000; this year the price is $7,000,000 (that is after adjusting for inflation). ***
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Thank you for reading and enjoy your weekend!
Ms. Thomas, Principal
Horizon West Middle School
Friday, February 9, 2024
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Horizon West Leadership Team |
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This communication may contain information that is legally privileged, confidential or exempt from disclosure, and intended only for the use of the addressee(s) named above. If you are not the intended recipient, please note that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. Anyone who receives this message in error should notify the sender immediately by telephone or by return e-mail, and delete the message from their computer and any printout thereof. Please note that OCPS utilizes spam and junk e-mail filtration applications in its e-mail systems. That filtering process may prevent or delay delivery of certain e-mail communications. If you do not receive a timely response to an e-mail communication, please contact the intended recipient by phone. |
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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 OCPS-Horizon West Middle School. Please contact Ms. Tiffany Stanley at tiffany.stanley@ocps.net with any questions.
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