Hawk Nation

Main Office

Principal: Mr. Robert Blessington 262-970-3305

Principal's Secretary: Ms. Jodi Aylsworth 262-970-3305

Assistant Principal (6B, 7B, 8B, Dual Language 6, 7 and 8): Mr. Bryan Lyday 262-970-3311

Dean of Students (6A, 7A, 8A, FLIGHT) and Athletic/ Activities Director: Ms. Susan Inkmann 262-970-3450

Attendance/Associate Principal Secretary: Ms. Pamela Craig 262-970-3317

Attendance Line: 1-866-490-7371 or 262-970-3316

School Resource Officer

Officer James Wolbert, 262-970-3304

Student Services

Counselors

Mrs. Angie Jackson (6A, 7A, 8A, FLIGHT), 262-970-3327

Ms. Natalie Ramirez (6B, 7B, 8B, Dual Language 6, 7 and 8), 262-970-3326

Student Services Secretary: Ms. Sue Miller, 262-970-3303

Social Worker: Ms. Angie Krueger, 262-970-1699

School Psychologist: Ms. Lindsey Lemus 262-970-1093

Health Room: Ms. Olivia Trejo 262-970-3315

Email: rblessin@waukesha.k12.wi.us
Website: https://sdw.waukesha.k12.wi.us/horningms
Location: Horning Middle School, Wolf Road, Waukesha, WI, United States
Phone: 262-970-3305
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HorningMSHawks/
Twitter: @HorningMiddle

August 1st: Online Registration Begins

August 26th: Open House & Parent/Student Information Night 3:50 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

September 1st: First Day of School

September 10th: Picture Day (during school hours)

September 16th Listening Conferences 3:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.

November 18th: Family/ Learner Conferences, 3:30-6:30 PM

March 17th: Family/ Learner Conferences, 3:30-6:00 PM

May 19th: Showcase of Learning, 3:30-6:00 PM

Dear Horning Families,

As Principal, I am honored and excited to be part of the Horning Middle School community.

I would like to extend a special welcome to Horning Middle School, home of the Hawks, to all new and returning HMS students and their families.

We are excited to welcome students, families and staff back in the building as we finalize construction and facility upgrades at Horning Middle School. Please note that due to ongoing construction, the building will not be available to students and families until the Parent Information and Back to School Night that will take place on August 26, 2021.

The goal at Horning Middle School is to build upon the success of the House structure that was launched during the 2018-19 school year. At the heart of the house structure at Horning is a dedicated school wide daily advisory period that takes place from 7:30 a.m. to 7:50 a.m. We see the advisory period as critically important to ensuring student’s needs, both academically and socially/emotionally, are met.

Your child’s advisor will be your and your student’s point person within the house system. Your child’s advisor will be there to help you navigate through any questions and concerns that may arise. As you view your learner's schedule, the advisor’s name will appear in the “Advisory” section. Please note that this will be finalized later in August and may not appear on your learner’s schedule at this time. Please refer to our monthly newsletters for additional communication regarding the upcoming school year.

I look forward to a successful year for all of our learners. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the main office at 262-970-3305.

To stay informed, Horning uses a variety of ways to communicate with our school community throughout the school year:

• Bookmark our school website: https://sdw.waukesha.k12.wi.us/HorningMS

• Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/HorningMSHawks

• Follow us on Twitter @HorningMiddle

Yours in Learning,

Robert Blessington

Principal

Email: rblessin@waukesha.k12.wi.us
Website: https://sdw.waukesha.k12.wi.us/horningms
Location: Horning Middle School, Wolf Road, Waukesha, WI, United States
Phone: 262-970-3305
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HorningMSHawks/
Twitter: @HorningMiddle

Opens August 1, 2021

The School District of Waukesha's Annual Registration needs to be completed online in Infinite Campus.

Items that you will find online include:

• Verification of household information (please review carefully)
• Updating of health information
• Payment of Student Fees
• Students schedules

Please complete the online registration process as soon as possible as it is critically important that we have updated and accurate information.

Free and Reduced lunch forms can be found here.

School fees are due by the first day of school on September 1, 2021. Fees may be paid by credit/debit at the District Office or on Infinite Campus, or by cash/check made payable to the School District of Waukesha either by mail or, starting on the first day of school, in-person in the main office with Mrs. Aylsworth.

The Horning back to school open house and information night will take place Thursday, August 26th, 2021 from 3:50 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Three identical sessions will be available so that you may attend whichever session time works best for you. You do not need to attend more than one session. The session times will be as follows:

Doors Open: 3:50 p.m.

Session #1: 4:00 to 4:20 p.m.

Session #2: 4:30 to 4:50 p.m.

Session #3: 5:00 to 5:20 p.m.

During each session, students will meet with their advisory teacher and house teachers.

This will be a time to learn more about their houses, meet their teachers, receive course information and get questions answered. Elective and Physical Education teachers will be also be available for drop-in visits in their respective spaces from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m.

Please be aware that lockers will not be assigned, and locks will not be passed out, until the first day of school. During the first week of school, teachers and staff members will take time to help students set up their lockers and find their classrooms, and will be on hand to generally guide students and help them adjust to the new school year. Students will not be setting up lockers during the "Back to School: Open House and Parent/Student Information Night."

On September 16th from 3:30-7:30 p.m., Horning Middle School teachers will host 10-minute listening conferences for all of our families. The purpose of these conferences is to gather information about what life is really like for those we teach. The best way to do that is by listening to the people who know our students best - our HMS families.

Instructions and links to sign-up will be sent to all Horning families at the beginning of the school year.

Parent drop off and pick up will be at the main entrance (Door 1) on Butler Drive, in front of the main office. The cafeteria entrance off of Wolf Road is for School Buses only.

Once they are dropped off, students will enter through the following doors as assigned by House:

• Door 2: Houses 6DL and 7B

• Door 5: FLIGHT

• Door 8: 6A,6B, 8A, 8DL, and any students interested in participating in school breakfast program

• Door 10: 7DL, 7A, 8B

Dropping off and picking up during school hours

For students being dropped off or picked up during the school day, this should take place at our main entrance. Students being dropped off will need to press the door buzzer and office staff will allow the student in. Students getting picked up will need a prior request made by their parents. Students will then be released when the parent/guardian arrives.

One of the biggest changes as we go into this new school year is that breakfast and lunch will no longer be offered free of charge for all students. Families can apply for free and reduced lunch for the 2021-2022 school year when you register your student in Infinite Campus.

If your family is experiencing housing instability, please indicate that on your Infinite Campus enrollment. If you have any questions on how to apply or need assistance with connecting to resources, please contact our School Social Worker: Angie Krueger at akrueger@waukesha.k12.wi.us or 262-970-1699. She will work with you in a confidential manner to ensure your student begins the school year fully prepared.

Please click HERE for the 2021-22 school supply list.

All students should have their school picture taken for the yearbook and for required Student ID cards. School pictures are available to purchase from School and Sport Pics.

A email link for ordering the photos will be sent to you closer to the date from School and Sports Pic. Please note that the photographer is no longer accepting paper order forms or cash. School photos will be taken during the school day on September 10th with a make-up date to be determined.

Bus information will be posted on Infinite Campus only. Postcards will not be mailed out this year.

If you have transportation questions please visit the SDW Transportation webpage for information regarding regular transportation, pay to ride transportation, transportation to an alternate location, and special education transportation. All necessary application forms are located on this webpage. For further questions, please contact Evonne Johnson at 262-970-1150 or at emjohnson@waukesha.k12.wi.us.

My name is Rose Lenz. I have been at Whittier Elementary for the last 5 years here in Waukesha. I just finished up being a summer school principal at Bethesda Elementary. I will be joining the Horning team as the English counterpart of 8th Grade Dual Language. I'll be teaching math and social studies.

I live in Franklin with my husband, Andy. My dad, Jerry, also lives with us. Andy and I had our first baby last November; his name is Clark. We also have a labrador retriever, named Jorah (yes, that is a Game of Thrones reference). My dad has a dog too, a pitbull named Grey. It's a full house! I am a homebody and love to sit and read, though I don't have much time to do that now. I will read pretty much anything but love fantasy. I like 60's & 70's music, Weird Al Yankovic, and watching movies.

I am looking forward to working with all of you and seeing some of my previous students!

Hello! My Name is Sierra Mariani, I am joining the Horning family as a Special Education Assistant; this is my second year with the Waukesha District. I grew up in Waukesha (Banting, Horning, and Waukesha North). I was an Aide at Waukesha North for the last school semester. I loved my experiences there but wanted to work with and enrich the lives of younger students. I am working towards my master’s degree in Special Education at Concordia University. I currently have a bachelor’s in business management also from Concordia. Before pursuing my teaching journey, I was a warehouse supervisor and logistics manager for 7 years.

When I am not at work or in class, my son Ayden and I love to take our puppy Lilo to the dog park and go to the pool, I love to go on walks, read books, do all kinds of art and crafts, and I do Zumba in my free time I am also on a fall volleyball league! Fun fact about myself is that I have been a Special Olympics coach for Volleyball and Bocce ball for the past 12 years.

Every day is an adventure and I look forward to every step I take on this journey. I cannot wait to have a great school year and meet you all!

¡Hola! After living and teaching for 8 years in Costa Rica I recently moved back to Wisconsin to begin my 12th year teaching. (Oh, how time flies). Although I’m new to Horning I’ve worked at Heyer and Banting in the past. I also grew up in Waukesha County. I love traveling, being outdoors, running, and meeting new people. Since I enjoy speaking in Spanish and helping kids, you can imagine how pumped I am about this new chapter in my life. Even though I’ve taught every grade level under the sun (in two languages and two countries) I’m excited to take on a new role as a middle school bilingual interventionist. New hat, new location, but it’s the same passion with the same goal. I can’t wait to take part in this successful school year.

Hello,

My name is Nikki Kastenholz, I am excited to be working at Horning Middle School!

A little about myself, I received my B.S. in Therapeutic Recreation with a national certification as well as a Disability Certificate from The University of Iowa, Go Hawks! During my undergraduate studies I completed a Therapeutic Recreation Internship in a rehabilitation hospital in Schenectady New York.

I am currently in Graduate School at Edgewood College perusing my MA in Cross Categorical Special Education, Intellectual Disabilities, Emotional Disabilities and Learning Disabilities with Licensing. During graduate school I have acquired a diverse background working with children and adults of different developmental, emotional, physical, and psychological capabilities in a variety of settings.

I joined the School District of Waukesha in March 2021 as a Special Education Assistant at Whittier Elementary School. This summer I worked at Banting Elementary School as a 1:1 aide, and am excited to join the Horning Hawks team as a Special Education Assistant in the fall.

When I am not at work or doing classwork, I enjoy spending time with friends and family, swimming, going on walks, traveling to Marco Island Florida, and watching Netflix. I look forward to getting to know and working with all of you!

Hi everyone, my name is Paul Bowen and I will be a part time Computer Science teacher at Horning this year. I have taught Tech Ed at Butler Middle School for the last 9 years and started teaching their Computer Science program 4 years ago. I am passionate about creating new learning techniques within these classes and I hope to do the same at Horning. When I am not teaching, I will be hiking, camping, or most likely disc golfing. Let me know if you ever want to throw a round.

My name is Jacob DeBonis and I was recently hired as a PE Teacher at Horning Middle School.

I received a Bachelors degree from The University of Wisconsin Platteville in 2019, and I have been involved in education ever since. In my childhood I discovered a passion for physical activity and expressed this through track and field. I continued this passion through college as a 110m and 400m hurdler. I also love experiencing new cultures and have traveled overseas teaching PE at the International School of Como in Italy as well as a brief stint at The American School in Switzerland.

I am excited to join Horning Middle School and am looking forward to this upcoming year.

My name is Lindy Jones and this will be my tenth year as an educator. I completed my undergraduate studies at Carthage College in Education and English, and also hold a Master's degree in Psychology. I have previously worked in Kenosha, Whitefish Bay, and Milwaukee, mostly as a Middle School English teacher.

I love reading, traveling, trying new foods, and going on adventures with my family. I live in Greendale with my fiance, and together we have five children, which range in ages from nine to fifteen years old. Our household is always laughing, cooking, and playing games together. I was born in Green Bay, and I am a very serious Packer fan. My parents are "snow birds" and live part of the year in Arizona, and I love to sneak away to visit them in the winter months.

I am looking forward to working as a team at Horning Middle School, and helping our students reach their highest potential!

Know anyone who’d be interested in working with a great bunch of AVID scholars as a tutor school year? We are in need of college age/adult tutors to facilitate tutorials in AVID and AVID EXCEL electives. Please see the attached flyer for more details and refer anyone interested to Amanda Wagner.

Our website, https://sdw.waukesha.k12.wi.us/horningms will have a current calendar of our co-curricular activities for your planning purpose and a Guidebook that will help you learn more about our offerings.

Please contact Ms. Inkmann with questions at sinkmann@waukesha.k12.wi.us.

Email: sinkmann@waukesha.k12.wi.us
Phone: 262-970-3450

The 2nd Thursday of each month starting in September is reserved for our Horning Site Council meetings. The monthly meeting will be offered virtually via WebEx. Please look for an email invite that will be sent monthly to all families that will allow you to RSVP.

Horning Site Council's mission is to build community among families, learners, teachers and staff. We WANT people like you to get involved to help improve communication, support school needs, and plan activities to bring the Horning community together.

Site Council was formed in the 2016-17 school year, so we’re fairly new and trying to build our family involvement here at Horning.

Please join us at any meeting, or contact us any time for more information!

September 9, 2021

October 14, 2021

November 11, 2021

December 9, 2021

January 13, 2022

February 10, 2022

March 10, 2022

April 14, 2022

May 12, 2022

We look forward to seeing you!

Horning Middle School is on social media! You can like us on Facebook, and follow our Twitter feed.

Horning Website: https://sdw.waukesha.k12.wi.us/horningms

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HorningMSHawks/

Twitter: @HorningMiddle