Welcome to Horizon Community Middle School! Our staff is comprised of dedicated teachers who are committed to your success in middle school. We work hard to support the whole-child, applying a growth mindset each day. We encourage students to come to school as their true authentic selves, and we strive to design relevant and meaningful learning experiences to meet the needs of all students. 

The three years of middle school are a time of opportunities, challenges, and adventures for students. We are honored to inspire students during this pivotal time in their lives. Our primary goal is to support the academic, emotional, and social growth of every student. We understand that students develop at different rates, and we honor each of our student’s individuality. We facilitate learning by challenging, motivating, and encouraging. We promote opportunities for independence and interdependence within our school community to ensure that our students reach their full academic and social potential. In doing this, we aim to maintain an environment that is both psychologically and physically safe.

As a school, our vision is Learning: Every Day for Every One.  We are an authentic, empowered community that believes in opportunity for all. This is our mission. We also model and teach our PACK Commitments:

Perseverance: Keep trying and work through challenges. 
Achievement: Set goals and always work to improve. 
Connectedness: Form positive relationships and value “we” over “me.”
Kindness: Welcome others’ perspectives and be nice.

This course guide is intended to help you understand what your academic experience will be for the 2024 – 2025 school year. The guide contains the most up-to-date information available at the time of registration. If warranted, we will make adjustments to our programming to meet the needs of our students.

Thank you for taking the time to read through our course guide and thank you for sending your student to Horizon Community Middle School. We are very excited about the upcoming school year and look forward to including you as part of our success.

Students attend four core content classes, two elective classes, lunch, and Advisory. Our schedule provides a balance of academic instruction, support, and fun!

The academic calendar is organized into four quarters, each lasting approximately nine weeks. All core classes and Advisory are year-long. Some electives classes are year-long, while others last a semester.

my.cherrycreekschools.org: This website is available to parents/guardians and students to access a multitude of tiles to enhance student learning such as Powerschool and Schoology.

PowerSchool: View class schedules, grades, and attendance. It is also where parents/guardians access parent forms which are required to be completed yearly before students begin school.

Schoology: Our online learning management system. Teachers post course information, as well as assignments, quizzes, and discussion boards.

At Horizon Community we recognize that students make mistakes. In fact, we encourage that students use their mistakes as an opportunity to learn. We know that in most areas of life, students are afforded more than one chance to achieve success. And while behaviors such as effort, organization, timeliness, and practice are important academic skills, we believe that grades should be directly related to learning.
Consistent grading practices used at Horizon Community are as follows:

• 50% is the lowest possible grade.
• We encourage retakes for full credit.
• Feedback, not a grade, is given on homework.
• Work is accepted for full credit when it is turned in.

Grades are finalized at the end of each quarter.

At the end of the school day, students may choose to stay and participate in athletics, activities, and a variety of clubs. We encourage students to take advantage of these enrichment opportunities. Students who complement their academic day with extracurricular experiences enjoy school more and make stronger connections with both peers and teachers.

Athletics: The athletic program at Horizon Community encourages participation and emphasizes teamwork and sportsmanship. No previous experience is needed, and skills are taught to athletes with varying ability levels. Physicals are not required. Transportation is provided to all away competitions. There is a registration fee to participate in athletics, and scholarships are available. Track, basketball, girl’s volleyball, and wrestling are offered at all grade levels.

Activities: Horizon Community offers a variety of extracurricular clubs and activities. These may include Asian American and Pacific Islander, Art Club, Black Student Alliance, Chess Club, D&D, Drama Club, GSA, Hispanic/Latinx Alliance, Math League, National Junior Honor Society, , Open Gym, Spelling Bee, Student Council, Technology Student Association, WEB, and Yearbook. Some activities do include an additional fee to cover the cost of materials. Scholarships are available.

Activity Bus: An activity bus is available for students Monday – Thursday each week. The activity bus departs at 4:45 p.m.

We have combined practices of Professional Learning Communities (PLC) with aspects of Culturally Relevant Education (CRE) to create our PLCRE Instructional Framework. Through this framework, we ensure that all students have access to relevant and meaningful learning experiences as they prepare for success in high school and beyond.

Our teachers work hard to design and lead students through rigorous, relevant, and meaningful learning experiences. Teachers in all classes differentiate instructional practices to meet the needs of individual students. This may include the use of scaffolding and/or extension activities. 

Advanced classes are currently offered in mathematics and Language Arts in 6th grade and in all four core areas in 7th and 8th grade. Advanced classes in mathematics are taught at an accelerated pace, as the curriculum includes content from one grade level above. Advanced classes in Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies include the same academic standards as grade-level classes and are consistently taught at deeper levels. All students are encouraged to enroll in at least one advanced class during their middle school career. Students do not need to be identified as gifted to access or succeed in advanced classes.

Each grade-level Advisory creates community every day. In Advisory, we support students with social, emotional, and academic success. We do this through restorative practices, social emotional development, goal setting, academic support, Second Step curriculum, and community development.

Academic Core Connection (ACC) classes are designed to respond to individual student needs and accelerate learning in essential skills related to math and reading. The different types of ACC courses include math intervention, reading intervention, and extension. Students are selected for these courses using a body of evidence, including universal screening tools, placement tests, standardized assessments, teacher recommendations, and prior course grades. All students take ACC during advisory time. 

Students who enter Horizon Community Middle School with a language other than English as their first language may qualify to receive services through the ELS program. The purpose of the program is to help students develop an understanding and use of the English language in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Language acquisition support is provided through the co-teaching model within students’ core classes. Additional language acquisition support is offered through Advisory for some students based upon English language proficiency. Support through the ELS program is determined by a records review, body of evidence, and WIDA screener assessment.

The Cherry Creek School District defines gifted and talented students as children possessing outstanding abilities, talents, and potential for accomplishment which are so exceptional or developmentally-advanced when compared with same-aged peers that they require special provisions to meet their educational programming needs. Gifted students include gifted students with disabilities i.e.,( twice-exceptional). Gifted students are capable of high performance, exceptional production, or exceptional learning behavior by virtue of one or any combination of the following areas of giftedness:

• General or specific intellectual ability
• Specific academic aptitude
• Creative or productive thinking
• Leadership abilities
• Visual Arts, performing arts, musical or psychomotor abilities

The GT Advisory class is student-driven, project-based class for students who are identified as gifted or are in the gifted talent pool (students who meet some, but not all criteria for gifted identification). In this class, students will learn about the importance of creative and innovative thinking while learning about the design process.

The Student Achievement Services (SAS) Department at Horizon Community Middle School provides special education services to students who qualify under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, Colorado Department of Education, and Cherry Creek School District guidelines.

Horizon Community Middle School provides a continuum of services for students with identified disabilities including, but not limited to, accommodations and modifications to the general education instruction and curriculum, consultative programming, co-teaching, and classes designed to target skills in the areas of reading, writing, math, and social/emotional skills. Instruction outside the classroom is offered based on student need. Student needs are addressed through implementation of an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). A collaborative team including parents, your student, general and special education teachers, counselors, mental health specialists, speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, and other related services providers develop this plan.

Specific services may also include:

• Mental Health Support—support and interventions with a school psychologist and/or school social worker.
• Speech-Language Services—support and interventions with a Speech-Language Pathologist in the areas of language development, literacy, social communication, articulation, voice and fluency through classroom, small group, or consultative programming.
• Occupational/Physical Therapist Support—support in motor skills is provided to students as outlined in the IEP.
• Integrated Learning Center (ILC)—providing services to students with significant developmental and/or cognitive delays.
• Social/Emotional Disabilities Programming—provides services to students with significant social-emotional needs.

SAS teachers and service providers work closely with teachers, counselors, para-educators, and parents to monitor programs and progress for each individual student. It is the goal for each student to work toward proficiency according to the Colorado State Standards and to be challenged to excel to their given potential.

6th Grade

The key components of language arts include reading, writing, speaking, listening, and researching. Students are exposed to a variety of texts both informational and literary. Literary studies provide opportunities for students to engage in active questioning, analysis, and discussion. Students work on reading strategies for increasing comprehension, constructing knowledge, and for deepening critical thinking and inquiry learning. In conjunction with reading, writing is a fundamental component of literacy. Writing is a means of critical inquiry; it promotes problem solving and mastering new concepts. Students at all grade levels are challenged to master the techniques of effective informational, literary, and argument writing as they work through the writing process: planning of ideas, organizing information, revising drafts, and editing for the final product.

7th Grade

The key components of language arts include reading, writing, speaking, listening, and researching. Students are exposed to a variety of texts both informational and literary. Literary studies provide opportunities for students to engage in active questioning, analysis, and discussion. Students work on reading strategies for increasing comprehension, constructing knowledge, and for deepening critical thinking and inquiry learning. In conjunction with reading, writing is a fundamental component of literacy. Writing is a means of critical inquiry; it promotes problem solving and mastering new concepts. Vocabulary enrichment is linked to text materials with an emphasis on academic vocabulary. Speaking and listening skills are also developed throughout the year both formally and informally. Students conduct short research projects to answer a question, to cite credible sources, and to recognize that information has a social or cultural context.

8th Grade

The key components of language arts include reading, writing, speaking, listening, and researching. Students are exposed to a variety of texts both informational and literary. Literary studies provide opportunities for students to engage in active questioning, analysis, and discussion. Students work on reading strategies for increasing comprehension, constructing knowledge, and for deepening critical thinking and inquiry learning. In conjunction with reading, writing is a fundamental component of literacy. Writing is a means of critical inquiry; it promotes problem solving and mastering new concepts. Students at all grade levels are challenged to master the techniques of effective informational, literary, and argument writing as they work through the writing process: planning of ideas, organizing information, revising drafts, and editing for the final product. Vocabulary enrichment is linked to text materials with an emphasis on academic vocabulary. Speaking and listening skills are also developed throughout the year both formally and informally. Students conduct short research projects to answer a question, to cite credible sources, and to recognize that information has a social or cultural context.