Jon Kappes

Review of Horizon Community Learning Cen...

We highly value education. My wife has a PhD and ...

We highly value education. My wife has a PhD and I am an attorney. We spent a significant amount of time deciding on the elementary school to send our children, now 8 and 10 years old. Horizon Honors is the perfect fit.

Both kids started in Kindergarten, and one is now in fifth grade and the other is in second. What attracted us academically were two key features: (1) Horizon s student-to-teach ratio, and (2) the fact that students are assessed and taught at their level, meaning that it was not uncommon for an advanced Kindergartener to start the school year in first or second grade math or reading, etc. And, similarly, students needing more help in certain areas are not left behind, but instead are engaged and taught at the right level of challenge. Every student receives an individualized learning plan (ILP).

Kindergarten classrooms are typical size of 25-30 students, and each classroom has a fulltime teacher and adult assistant teacher/teacher aid, resulting in a teacher-to-student ratio of about 13-15 in Kindergarten. In grades 1-6, students are in mixed-aged classrooms (again, taking into account the challenge needed for each student), with a typical class size of 55-60. These classrooms are led by 3 adults two teachers and an adult assistant teacher/teacher aid, yielding a student/teacher ratio of about 18-20. These numbers are phenomenal. And, beyond the numbers, the teachers themselves have been excellent caring, committed, experienced. We ve become big fans.

Beyond the classroom, I appreciate the lunch options. Food is catered from places like Pei Wei, Chick-fil-A, Panda Express, Boston Market and Streets of NY Pizza, making it much better than cafeteria-level food. While the price can be more than a cafeteria, the providers donate a share of proceeds back to the school, which is a win-win.

We have also found that involvement opportunities are larger and more diverse than other schools numerous sports, clubs, and activities are available to K-6 students. Our kids have been involved in after school clubs including Melody Makers, Code Bots, Rising Stars, Save the Earth, Showbiz, Lego Club, Art Club, and our fifth grader was selected to one of the middle school sports teams that allows 5th graders to tryout.

We have also seen continued improvement. When issues or concerns have arisen, the school is agile enough to make changes because the entirety of the administration resides on premises. When parking was a problem, the school addressed it with partnerships to provide new and expanded parking. When athletics were criticized, the school improved and expanded its facilities. As the website started to feel outdated or confusing, new pages were written to streamline many of the online services and information. The school s leadership is responsive and engaged.

Finally, Horizon builds community. When I ask my kids who their friends or best friends are, they typically answer with a very long list, or a more simply everybody. They see classmates all over town, and because of the large amount of parent participation and involvement, the families also get to know each other and build community.