At New Horizons we recognize what a true gift it is to celebrate the uniqueness of every learner.  We have a learning environment for student growth where curiosity is encouraged, minds are appropriately challenged, individual talents and needs are recognized, and a collaborative spirit is fostered.  Our ultimate goal is to enable students to be engaged thinkers and ethical, global citizens.  To this end, we have developed a balanced curriculum where the essential understandings in the core subjects of language arts, math, social studies, and science are intentionally woven into interdisciplinary experiences that cultivate 21st century skills.

Learning at New Horizons is collaborative and student-centered.  Curriculum objectives are rooted in context and given appropriate rigor so that at each grade students have the opportunity to produce high-quality performances and products that mirror real-life disciplines.  Service projects give students a connection between their education and society, and specialist teachers provide instruction in art, music, physical education, and Spanish.

Students are also given opportunities to be leaders inside and outside the classroom. We strive to get to know each child and work to build their leadership talents along with their social-emotional well being.  Our students are challenged to think “outside the box” and be confident in their ability to question, examine, and learn within a challenging curriculum

Math

The overall philosophy of our math program at New Horizons is for our students to love math, build confidence, and see the relevance of math in everyday life. Our math curriculum fosters experiences to explore and practice mathematics in a range of settings, including whole class, differentiated small groups, with partners, and individually. The main function of the curriculum is to teach students that math can and should be used every day, not just in isolation.  We believe that students understand mathematics best when it is related to their own experiences, thus inspiring them to become lifelong mathematical thinkers.

Our teachers place an emphasis on basic fact mastery and knowledge of number sense. At every grade students experience multi-sensory methods of learning whole numbers and place value, decimals and fractions, measurement, geometry, data analysis, quantitative reasoning, and algebra.  Through small group instruction teachers mediate and enrich depending on the needs of students.

New Horizons Elementary School implements the research-based Bridges Mathematics.  Bridges is a comprehensive K–5 curriculum that equips teachers to fully address state standards in a rigorous, engaging, and accessible manner. Students gain a deep understanding of concepts, proficiency with key skills, and the ability to solve complex problems. The curriculum is composed of three distinct but integrated components: Problems & Investigations, Work Places and Number Corner.  Through interactive games, inquiries, and open-ended questions, students learn the strategies involved in mathematical problem solving.

Science

At New Horizons we believe that science education can offer a rich context for developing many 21st-century skills, such as critical thinking and problem solving. Our K-5 science curriculum is a balance of the physical, life, and earth sciences.  Dynamic content is taught through experimentation, exploration, and creation.

We begin in Kindergarten with an introduction to the scientific method and the engineering design process.  Each year students apply these processes to STEM problems and projects while demonstrating their growing understanding of their application.  Science units of study incorporate responsible research, hands-on experimentation, and design tests.  Reading, writing, research, technology, and math are integrated within the processes of organization, data collection, and reporting results.

As part of our STEM curriculum students have the ability to participate in several explorations of computer science, where students learn block based programming and use it in real life applications with Lego robotics.

Social Studies

New Horizons social studies curriculum is designed with the idea that we are preparing students to be global citizens.  Students begin at the primary level learning about the world and their place in it.  This idea expands and grows in the upper elementary years as students evolve to be able to think critically about their local communities and develop a greater sense of global awareness.  Ultimately we want students to feel empowered to make informed decisions and meaningfully participate in a culturally diverse, ever developing world.

Our social studies content is built upon the five pillars of history, geography, civics and government, financial literacy, and culture.  Our curriculum naturally lends itself to project-based learning.  Students actively participate in the content to the extent that they make it personal and part of their own schema.

Central to our mission in teaching social studies is the idea of empathy and community service. As students grow they also develop a better understanding of the interdependence of all parts of our world.   Each year New Horizons presents the ideas of giving and philanthropy in unique ways with real-life experiences so that students can feel a connection to how their unique efforts can help and support others in their own community.

Language Arts

New Horizons Elementary strives to create lifelong readers that comprehend and think critically about all forms of texts.  Students in grades K-5 participate in daily language art routines that involve reading, writing, listening, speaking and viewing.

Reading in the primary grades includes explicit instruction in phonological awareness and phonics with teachers trained in the research based Orton-Gillingham approach.   Teachers model decoding, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension strategies with interactive read alouds, shared reading and guided reading.

In the upper grades teachers utilize the reading program School Wide as they model critical thinking across genres. Teachers deepen student comprehension through strategy based academic discourse and higher level questioning.  Real authors and meaningful texts provide the basis for text discovery and the delivery of instruction in the fundamentals of reading, writing, grammar and conventions.

Students at all grade levels are immersed in print as they participate in whole-group mini lessons, partner work, independent work and small group, differentiated instruction.  Through assessment and small group instruction teachers provide the appropriate leveled text to meet student needs as they develop as readers. Teachers at all grades use anchor texts to model the skills and strategies used by real authors to make the application authentic and meaningful.

Written expression is a natural response to daily experiences, interactions with texts and personal discoveries.  Throughout the grades, and built within the integration of other subjects, students work through the writing process of brainstorming, creating a rough draft, revising, editing and publishing as they produce their own unique informational, narrative, persuasive, and creative pieces of writing.

Technology

In a digital world we want our students to experience technology in ways that will allow them to develop competency, confidence, and creativity, all while being safe.  Preparing students to be responsible, digital citizens is something that starts in Kindergarten and widens in scope as students take on higher level project challenges in the upper grades.

 As for technology we believe that integration is key.  As in life, students will use technology to solve problems, so using technology as one of the tools for academic problem solving is what makes it fit our curriculum in appropriate, important ways

Students at New Horizons begin with working on foundational operational skills and move into word processing, multimedia and presentation skills.  Throughout the grades we focus on using technology as a way to communicate ideas and collaborate with others on special projects.  Technology is relevantly integrated across all subjects.  Through content research students learn the importance of acceptable use of resources and how to appropriately cite material online.  With the use of applications students create documents, spreadsheets, tables, charts, graphs, videos, and so much more!

All classrooms are equipped with Apple TV’s and document cameras. Students in Kindergarten through third grade benefit from the use of i Pads and laptops or desktops in the classroom.  When students enter third grade they are part of our Chromebook 1:1 initiative where students can fully participate in class using Google Classroom as well as the Google apps suite.

Physical Education

Many people are impressed with our robust physical education program.  Built with the whole-child in mind we believe in nourishing the whole self.  Physical exercise nourishes the brain and gives our students the energy they need to be successful in the classroom.  In addition to having recess twice a day (one structured and one free-play) students are able to participate in a full physical education class three times a week. 

Our physical education program builds and develops cardiovascular strength, muscle, agility and athletic fundamentals through a wide variety of activities and sports. The curriculum covers an abundance of games and lessons, from golfing, basketball, volleyball, tennis, bowling, jump roping, and folk dancing to name just a few. Games and drills are hosted in our gymnasium, playground and outdoor fields.  Students in grades 3-5 also have a special health class twice a week.  Our physical education program continuously builds on a foundation for lifelong health and wellness.