Horizon Community Middle School

Family Engagement Meeting Format

2022-2023

We are an authentic, empowered community that believes in opportunity for all.

Philosophy: We believe that student engagement and achievement increase as a result of increased family engagement. We will welcome and encourage all families to participate in all aspects of the schooling experience of their children. Family members are encouraged to volunteer at Horizon Community throughout the day, on committees, and at school events.

Meeting Format (6:00pm – 7:30pm)

Family Engagement meetings begin at 6:00pm in the Design Studio at Horizon Community Middle School. Topics of discussion will be related to current trends and will be based on family input. Families are encouraged to bring food for a potluck-style meal. A social and networking session will begin at 5:30pm with whole-group conversations starting at 6:00pm. At 7:00pm, committees will meet in breakout rooms. Existing family engagement committees include Parent Teacher Community Organization (PTCO), School Accountability, and Partnership for Academically Successful Students (PASS). Spanish-speaking interpreters and child-care will be provided.

Meeting Dates & Topics

Additional Events

• Back-to-School Night: All students and their families are invited to our Back to School Night on Thursday, August 11^th. Most activities will be organized in an open house format, with Principal’s Welcome Message presentations at scheduled times. 
• Multicultural Fair: Friday, September 30^th
• Parent-Teacher Conferences: September 22^nd (4:00pm – 8:00pm); November 10^th (4:00pm – 8:00pm); November 11^th (all day); February 9^th (4:00pm – 8:00pm); March 1^st (4:00pm – 8:00pm); March 2^nd (all day)
• Veteran’s Day Celebration: Monday, November 7^th
• Color Battle: Friday, March 17^th
• Athletics & Activities/Performing Arts Events
  • Look here for info and schedules for Athletics and Activities.

Additional Volunteer Opportunities & Contact Information

Below are some additional opportunities for families to volunteer. If interested, please contact the person listed. If there is an additional way you would like to volunteer at HCMS, please contact Dr. Brad Weinhold, Principal, at bweinhold@cherrycreekschools.org.

Event Support (Multicultural Fair, Parent-Teacher Conferences, Veterans Day, Color Battle, Athletic & Performing Arts Snack Sales, etc.): Assist with planning, advertising, and event volunteering. (Dr. Brad Weinhold, Principal, bweinhold@cherrycreekschools.org)

Campus Beautification (e.g., trash pick-up): Organize and participate in periodic campus clean-up activities. (Clare Dardis, Campus Administrator, cdardis@cherrycreekschools.org)

Hallway Supervision: Monitor the hallways and positively support students. (Robert Jefferson, Assistant Principal, rjefferson2@cherrycreekschools.org)

Cafeteria Supervision: Monitor the cafeteria and positively support students. (Robert Jefferson, Assistant Principal, rjefferson2@cherrycreekschools.org)

Parking Lot Supervision: Monitor the parking lots and positively support students and drivers. (Robert Jefferson, Assistant Principal, rjefferson2@cherrycreekschools.org)

Library Support: Assist the librarian with book inventory, shelf stocking, displays, etc. (Clare Dardis, Campus Administrator, cdardis@cherrycreekschools.org)

Field Trip Chaperone: Support teachers as a chaperone on various field trips. (Megan Zitek, Assistant Principal, mzitek@cherrycreekschools.org)

Academic Tutoring: Work with students to support them in specific content areas. (Megan Zitek, Assistant Principal, mzitek@cherrycreekschools.org)

Guest Speaker: Work alongside teachers to share personal experiences or areas of expertise that relate to our curriculum. (Megan Zitek, Assistant Principal, mzitek@cherrycreekschools.org)

Family Ambassador (serving as a resource for other HCMS families): Be available to answer school-specific questions that family members may have. (Dr. Brad Weinhold, Principal, bweinhold@cherrycreekschools.org)

Create a technology “how to” video for other families for using PowerSchool and/or Schoology: Design a tutorial video that helps families learn how to navigate these systems. (Shayna Price, Coordinator of Student Achievement, sprice@cherrycreekschools.org)

Share tips with other families about current trends with social media: Lead and/or participate in conversations with community members about latest trends with social media. (Robert Jefferson, Assistant Principal, rjefferson2@cherrycreekschools.org)