Spring 2023 was a busy and rewarding season for Horizon Middle School students and staff. Varied events—from renowned guests, to exciting field trips and many student accolades—filled the calendar. Here are a few highlights from a productive spring:
1. Multilingual Family Night at Horizon
In May, Horizon hosted a “Multilingual Family Night” community outreach event. Families who attended were treated to a pasta dinner and viewed a short program about summer learning opportunities. Every family in attendance went home with a brand new Lego set and a deck of Uno cards. The event provided a tremendous opportunity for Horizon staff to connect with some of its families.
2. Published Author Visits Sixth Graders
In late March, Minnesota-based novelist Dan Durbin spent a day with Horizon sixth graders. Durbin is a historical fiction writer, whose works include The Hidden Room, Wintering and The Blackwater Blade. Before his visit, sixth graders read Durbin’s book The Broken Blade. He spoke to the entire class about his life as an author, his storytelling process and tips on what it takes to write a novel. The rest of Durbin’s day at Horizon included interacting with smaller writing groups, where he fielded questions from students and led writing exercises.
Read more about Dan Durbin’s visit.
3. Haberman Selected to Minnesota State Honor Band
The Minnesota Band Directors Association picked Horizon eighth grader Claire Haberman to be a part of the 2023 6-8 grade All-State Honor Band. Claire was selected by audition to be a member of the band’s percussion section. The statewide ensemble played a six-song set on April 16 in Fergus Falls. Horizon’s Dan Christianson and Tim Pipinich were among the Honor Band Directors for the event.
Learn more about the State Honor Band and view the 2023 program.
4. Fifth Graders Visit MSUM Oceanarium and Planetarium
April saw the Horizon West fifth grade class take a field trip to MSU Moorhead, where they visited the Oceanarium and Planetarium. The fifth graders were among the first to see the newly expanded Oceanarium, which had its official ribbon-cutting in early June. This day of science gave hundreds of students up-close experience with the study of the ocean and space.
Watch a video from the fifth graders’ time at the MSUM Oceanarium.
5. Kim and Lee Named to Minnesota Honors Orchestra
Horizon Middle School Orchestra members Ubin Kim and Sienna Lee became just two of 50 students from across Minnesota named to the MNSOTA Middle Level Honors Orchestra. Both Ubin and Sienna completed a rigorous application and audition process to join this prestigious ensemble. The 2023 Middle Levels Honors Orchestra’s guest conductor was 2015 MHS graduate Tanner Otto.
Learn more about the MNSOTA Middle Level Honors Orchestra.
6. Eighth Graders Give RIDE Presentations
Horizon East eighth graders came to the District Operations Center to present their Reading for Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (RIDE) projects. These eighth graders collaborated with Concordia College students on the presentations. The Cobbers mentored their Spud counterparts on key literacy concepts over the course of the project. 2022-23 marked the third year that Horizon and Concordia have partnered on RIDE projects.
7. Fifth Graders Play in Dragon Honor Band
In April, eight fifth graders got the opportunity to play with the Dragon Honor Band at MSU Moorhead. These students joined with band members from other schools in the area and played a show on the MSUM campus. The Dragon Honor Band was able to come together and play the show despite only having a couple hours to rehearse that morning!