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Parent information about parent conferences 23-24

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Parents, please read the criteria for parent conferences for the 23-24 school year.  Conferences will be in October this year rather than in November since the end of the quarter is in October.  By having conferences earlier, it will provide students additional time to get their grades up before the semester.  

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Parents, please read the criteria for parent conferences for the 23-24 school year.  Conferences will be in October this year rather than in November since the end of the quarter is in October.  By having conferences earlier, it will provide students additional time to get their grades up before the semester.  

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Horner counselors will begin visiting classrooms this week to talk to students about bullying of all forms.  There will be a rotational schedule for all students in grades 6-8.  

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Horner counselors will begin visiting classrooms this week to talk to students about bullying of all forms.  There will be a rotational schedule for all students in grades 6-8.  

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October 2, 2023 is World Day of Bullying Prevention®! On this first day of October and throughout the whole month, students, schools, and communities all over the world go BLUE together against bullying.

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October 2, 2023 is World Day of Bullying Prevention®! On this first day of October and throughout the whole month, students, schools, and communities all over the world go BLUE together against bullying.

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Please go to the website above and have some heart to heart conversations with your teen about bullying, how to report it, how to appropriately respond to it and how to not engage in bullying.
Thank you in advance for teaming up with the school to support your child so that all students can feel safe and productive when they come to school or attend events out in the world!

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About Bullying & Cyberbullying | STOMP Out Bullying™

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Learn about bullying and cyberbulling. Together we can learn how to prevent bullying in schools and communities.

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Thank you families for helping us have a fun and productive day on Halloween by having your child adhere to the Halloween costume dress code below.  

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Thank you families for helping us have a fun and productive day on Halloween by having your child adhere to the Halloween costume dress code below.  

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Please remember that Halloween is a minimum day with dismissal at 1:20 pm. Due to the fact it is not a Wednesday early release, there will be no AC transit right after school on Halloween.

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Halloween dress code -

Costumes should be age appropriate for middle school

Costumes should not have any gang related connotations or affilitations to them

Halloween masks may not be worn at school as students will still need to be identified for safety reasons by the staff

Students are not allowed to have props that represent weapons of any kind at school

Students costumes should be able to be worn without disruption to the classroom environment (such as costumes that won’t allow students to sit etc)

Costumes should not expose any part of the body that violates the regular dress code

Costumes should not contain any profanity nor be offensive to race, gender, nationality, social status, sexual orientation or religious affiliation

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From Left to right:  Mr. Davis; Ms. DeFrance; Mr. Pabley

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From Left to right:  Mr. Davis; Ms. DeFrance; Mr. Pabley

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Dear Parents,

Welcome to the 2023-24 school year!  We are excited to have students back on campus learning and enjoying their school day.

Following are some general reminders:   Cell phones must be turned off, and put away during the school day,  review your students academic progress with them using Infinite Campus grades, please monitor you students social media to ensure they are using it appropriately and tell your student to report information they may have about potential dilemmas between students and they will remain anonymous.

Horner Middle School Assistant Principals

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Now's your chance to secure your yearbook! We can't guarantee your student will get a book unless you preorder a book today. The Horner Publications staff is working hard to make sure all students appear in the book, in addition to their portraits. Buy the book your student will always cherish at: www.yearbookordercenter.com (school code 7874), for $50."

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Parents, we ask that you please do not call your child on their cell phone during the instructional day as it does disrupt the learning process.  Also, students are not allowed to be on their cell phones while at school.  

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Parents, we ask that you please do not call your child on their cell phone during the instructional day as it does disrupt the learning process.  Also, students are not allowed to be on their cell phones while at school.  

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Mobile Communication Devices
The Fremont Unified School Board recognizes the value of mobile communication devices in our society, but also understands if used inappropriately they can disrupt the learning environment. Use of a mobile communication device falls under the following guidelines:

Secondary Schools (6-12)
A. Mobile communication devices must be on silent while on campus and remain on silent throughout the school day.
B. Mobile communication devices are to be put away during class time unless authorized by a teacher. Teachers have the authority to allow or ban mobile communication device use during their respective class times. Students should never be disadvantaged or penalized in classroom settings for not having access to a cellular device.
C. Considerable leniency for mobile communication device use will be allowed in emergency situations. However mobile communication devices should not interfere with the students’ ability to follow directions or adhere to safety advisement from school personnel.
D. Wearable mobile communication devices may be worn as long as they do not create a distraction or a disruption during school hours.
E. Students who choose to bring mobile communication devices to school do so at their own risk. Fremont Unified School District assumes no liability for lost, stolen or damaged devices.

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School’s Duties Regarding Discipline
A safe, secure school, free of weapons, violence, and unlawful or disruptive behavior, is essential to maintaining an educational environment that promotes learning and protects the health, safety, and welfare of all students.

At the beginning of the school year or at the time of enrollment, each principal shall inform all students
and parents/guardians of the school and District discipline rules and procedures and of the availability of District policies and regulations relating to student discipline, suspension and expulsion.

The Board of Education expects teachers, counselors and school officials to contact the parent/guardian to remedy inappropriate school behavior at the earliest stage.

It is District policy to enforce standards of acceptable behavior among all students.
School staff:
● Will fairly and equitably enforce the written policies of the school and District.
● May search students if there is reasonable belief that the student has illegal, dangerous or inappropriate objects at school and will seize them.
● May search student property, including but not limited to vehicles.
● May search school property, including but not limited to lockers.
● May withhold grades, diplomas or transcripts of the student responsible for damage or loss of
property until such damages are paid or until completion of a voluntary work program in lieu of payment of monetary damages. (EC 48904)

Please know that all students engaging in any type of "play fighting" or real "fighting" will face severe disciplinary consequences. All investigations will be thorough and the school will act with due diligence when addressing those types of investigations. Please speak with your student to inform them that whenever they suspect trouble, they should immediately report it to the office for intervention. Students who suspect trouble and then find themselves involved in any type of physical altercation will also face disciplinary action. Our school's motto is "see something, say something"...hear something...report it!

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Building the Habit of Good Attendance
It is important that the parent/guardian(s) start building the habit of daily attendance for student(s) as early as kindergarten. Did you know that missing just two days of school a month can make it more difficult to learn to read and cause children to fall behind in school?
Below are some tips that can help in building consistent attendance.
● Establish routines for bedtime to ensure student is well rested and up in time,
● Have a back-up plan for getting your child to school in the case that you are unable to,
● Avoid planning vacations and non-urgent medical appointments while school is in session,
● If your child seems bored or anxious reach out to their teacher, counselor or school
administrator to, discuss ways on making them feel comfortable and keeping them engaged,
● Communicate with the school regarding attendance and any concerns you may have.

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Health & Sex Education
Fremont Unified School District has a comprehensive Health and Sexual Education Curriculum. Ed Code 51240 states: (a) If any part of a school’s instruction in health conflicts with the religious training and beliefs of a parent or guardian of a pupil, the pupil, upon written request of the parent or guardian, shall be excused from the part of the instruction that conflicts with the religious training and beliefs. In
some situations, this will mean a student will be excused from the entire series of lessons.

The parent/guardian of each student enrolled in such class shall first be notified in writing of the course and content. Opportunities shall be provided to each parent/guardian to inspect and review materials
(https://www.fremont.k12.ca.us/healthresources) in order to make an informed decision. (EC 51930, 51933, 51934, 51937 and 51938)

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Independent Study
A short-term Independent Study contract is a voluntary alternative to a regular classroom program of
instruction when a student is absent from school for not less than five (5) and not more than ten (10) consecutive school days. In Grades K-12, only one  Independent Study contract per school year is allowed.

Students may not be on short term Independent Study more than three (3) times while in Grades K-12. (BP/AR 6158)
No Independent Study contracts will be issued for the first 20 days, the last 20 days of the school year, or during state testing times.

Schools are not obligated to provide students with an Independent Study contract. The availability of
an Independent Study contract must be agreed upon by mutual consent of the principal, teacher, parent/guardian, and student. Students should only be placed on Independent Study if the student can
successfully accomplish their academics. (EC 51745 and 51747)

Requests for Independent Study contracts must be given to the teacher(s) and school office, at least 10 school days prior
to the first day of the absence (in the event of an emergency, contact the principal).

A written Independent Study contract must be completed, signed and dated for each participating
student prior to the starting date of the Independent Study.

The contract must contain all the components prescribed by law. Each student’s Independent Study contract shall be coordinated, evaluated and carried out under the
general supervision of a certificated teacher. All assigned work is due on the day upon which the student is scheduled to return to the classroom and shall be graded by appropriately credentialed teachers.

Students, who have previously been granted an Independent Study Agreement and have not
successfully completed a previous Independent Study agreement, are not eligible for any subsequent short-term Independent Study agreements. No individual with disabilities, as defined in Education Code 56026, may participate in Independent Study unless the student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) specifically provides for such participation. (EC 51745 (c))

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Girls volleyball at Thornton  Tuesday, October 3⋅2:45 – 4:45pm

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Girls volleyball at Thornton  Tuesday, October 3⋅2:45 – 4:45pm

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If your son is interested in trying out for the boy's basketball team, please make sure that you submit your completed sports packet by Oct. 19th at 3:30 pm.
All boy's will need the following completed and turned into the office in order to tryout:

sports physical paperwork from a doctor

parent consent and insurance paperwork

student rules and expectations sheet

These sheets were handed out at MAZE day and are also available on the school website under athletics/clubs.

There are many clinics in Fremont that take walk in appointments for sports physicals if you can't get into your doctor prior to the due date to submit the paperwork.

Please know that we do not accept late paperwork so it is important that you start this process now if you have not yet completed it.

Tryouts begin on Oct. 23 and continue through Oct. 24.  The team will be posted at school on Oct. 25th on the office window.

We will have an A and B team and those teams are based upon skill levels not grade levels.  All boy's in grades 6-8 may tryout.

Get on those forms now so that your son doesn't miss the tryouts. Girls basketball will follow the boy's season.

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Please don't park in the bus loading zone

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Please don't park in the bus loading zone

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The AC Transit has asked us to notify parents to ask them to not park in the bus loading zones near the gym on Chapel Avenue.
We have four double wide buses that pick students up after school and they are having a hard time getting into the loading zones when parents park their cars in that area when picking up students.
The bus loading zone is near the gym on Chapel and behind the portable classrooms. Please help us help AC Transit by not parking your car on Chapel in the bus loading zones. Thank you.

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Gift cards needed and student incentives!

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Gift cards needed and student incentives!

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Horner prides itself on implementing PBIS which stands for Positive Behavior Intervention Supports to all students throughout the school year.
Students have multiple opportunities to earn BUZZ bucks for a variety of things from academic achievements to behavioral achievements.
Horner has weekly draws for prizes and gift cards.  We are in need of multiple $5 gift cards to a variety of businesses throughout fremont.  If you would like to donate some gift cards for this program, we would love the donation.  Our students really enjoy being the recipient of the prizes throughout the school year.
We also handout candy regularly for BUZZ bucks.  If you would like to donate bags of jolly ranchers or suckers, we could use those donations as well.
Thank you for your donation to support this student initiative at Horner.

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Horner Vision Statement
We at Horner Middle School, envision a future in which every student receives an effective, equitable, and engaging education that allows them to reach their full and unique potential.

Horner Mission Statement
At Horner Middle School our mission is to provide students with the Knowledge, Tools, and Skills they need to master content standards, make effective decisions, and collaborate with others, which will enable them to be successful lifelong learners.

Knowledge, Tools, Skills = Master, Make, Collaborate!

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PTSA meeting online  Wednesday, October 4⋅6:00 – 7:00pm

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PTSA meeting online  Wednesday, October 4⋅6:00 – 7:00pm

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Girls volleybal at Horner (Walters) Thursday, October 5⋅  2:45 – 4:45pm

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Girls volleybal at Horner (Walters) Thursday, October 5⋅  2:45 – 4:45pm

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Girls volleyball at HopkinsTuesday, October 10⋅2:45 – 4:45pm

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Girls volleyball at HopkinsTuesday, October 10⋅2:45 – 4:45pm

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Parent teacher conference day #1  Wednesday, October 11⋅  1:40 – 5:40pm

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Parent teacher conference day #1  Wednesday, October 11⋅  1:40 – 5:40pm

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Parent teacher conferences are for students not meeting standards. Teachers will be emailing invitations to those families.

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No school = PD for teachers Friday, October 13

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No school = PD for teachers Friday, October 13

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Girls volleyball at Horner (Centerville) last game Tuesday, October 17⋅  2:45 – 4:45pm

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Girls volleyball at Horner (Centerville) last game Tuesday, October 17⋅  2:45 – 4:45pm

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Parent Teacher Conference day #2  Wednesday, October 18⋅   1:40 – 5:40pm

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Parent Teacher Conference day #2  Wednesday, October 18⋅   1:40 – 5:40pm

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PTC's are by invitation based upon strugging students.

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Great shakeout drill  Thursday, October 19⋅   10:15 – 11:00am

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Great shakeout drill  Thursday, October 19⋅   10:15 – 11:00am

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Red Ribbon Week   Monday, October 23 - October 27

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Red Ribbon Week   Monday, October 23 - October 27

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SSC meeting in library  Monday, October 23⋅  3:00 – 4:00pm

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SSC meeting in library  Monday, October 23⋅  3:00 – 4:00pm

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Parent Teacher Conference Day #3  Wednesday, October 25⋅   1:40 – 5:40pm

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Parent Teacher Conference Day #3  Wednesday, October 25⋅   1:40 – 5:40pm

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Parent invitation for parent conferences.

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Minimum day early dismissal   Tuesday, October 31

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Minimum day early dismissal   Tuesday, October 31

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No AC transit but after school due to non Wednesday early day. Please make arrangements for other type of transporation home.

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PTSA meeting online  Wednesday, November 1⋅ 6:00 – 7:00pm 

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PTSA meeting online  Wednesday, November 1⋅ 6:00 – 7:00pm 

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Hello Horner Families!

Boo! Happy October! I’m here to give you a couple updates about activities we have planned so far for the month of October.

At the time of this reading, we will have hosted our first social of the year! This year we are trying out a new system to sell tickets for those students who did not purchase a gold card. We are calling it a social ticket lottery. Students had 4 days (9/18-9/21) to sign up for a chance to buy tickets. We are doing this to give students an equal opportunity to buy tickets regardless of where they are located when the lunch bell rings. This was announced multiple times. Only 60 students signed up for the lottery for this social. If your child missed the opportunity, encourage them to listen to the announcements or follow us on Instagram. We sold about 440 Gold Cards so we will have about 500 students here (at the time of this writing it hasn’t happened yet!)

All students should have received their Gold Card at this point (except about 6 students). The other big update is the school sweatshirts will be here on Friday 9/29.. If your child ordered one, please make sure they listen to announcements for how distribution will work. The announcements are a big way we share info so make sure your students are paying attention! They are also posted on the school website I believe.

The second thing I wanted to share is every year we have a Halloween costume contest at lunch. Students compete in different categories like scariest, funniest, best group costume and more. Students will also be getting spirit points if they dress up but don’t want to participate in the contest.

Last thing I wanted to talk about are the spirit days we have going on. Whenever your child dresses up, they need to see ASB at lunch to get scanned to get spirit points. These points can be used later in the semester for some awesome prizes. Make sure you get scanned

Can you believe the year is almost ¼ over?! Me either!

Mr. Shaffer

Activities Director

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Each month we will provide parents with some tips on how to support their child in a variety of topics.  Together we can make a difference in a child's life.

Middle school is challenging for many which is why it will take a village to ensure that we are providing each student with what they need to succeed.

From parents participation at home, establishing standards for behavior and establishing routines and at school by providing them structures, guidelines and supports....we will succeed.

Enjoy this month's newsletter on helping students learn.

- Mrs. Hicks-Rodriguez, Principal