Please find some frequently asked questions below. 

 

When will the school be open?

 

Horizon Elementary School launched in September 2017 and the waitlist has been open since February 19, 2017. Preschool will started on May 1, 2018, and Junior High School started on September 4th, 2018.

 

Is the school location determined? Will the current school be the permanent location?

 

The school address is “Building B4, 2452 Battleford Avenue SW, Calgary”.  Our building is a rental location that is zoned for a school. This location will serve as the bridge to Horizon’s future permanent school location.

 

How is the school funded? Is the school public or private?

 

Horizon Elementary School is an alternative faith-based program within Palliser Regional Schools.  Horizon Elementary School has been recognized by Alberta Education as a registered school which opened in September 2017. The school initiates its leadership-based full-time elementary school in partnership with the Horizon Academy Institute Society and Palliser Regional Schools.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What are Horizon's monthly and yearly tuition?

 

Horizon Elementary School is an alternative faith-based program within Palliser Regional Schools that charge a society fee, applicable Palliser Regional School fees and a busing fee.  The fees may vary depending on the level (Preschool, KG and Grades 1-9).  We also have a bursary program that is available to families and students on a first come first serve basis. For more details about the fee schedule, please consult our website at http://www.horizonelementar y.ca/admissions.

 

Will the school be fully compliant with the Alberta Education Curriculum?

 

Yes. Horizon Elementary School will follow Alberta Education Curriculum and will be based on a unique collaborative learning educational model emphasising academic performance, providing Franklin Covey’s The Leader In Me program across all its levels, while offering Objective (Maqasid) and ethics based-Islamic studies, and Arabic as a second language.

 

Which grade levels would the school accommodate? Will the school include Pre-KG?

 

Horizon will offer instruction for Pre-KG to Grade 9. 

 

Is the leadership component of the school reflected on management or curriculum?

 

The leadership component will be delivered through the Leader in Me program.  This program has multiple benefits for students, staff, and curriculum:

 

• It disproportionately benefits disadvantaged schools and students

• It benefits teachers by teaching them personal skills of productivity, planning, and prioritization, and thereby makes better use of their time.  Teachers adopt principles and tools to collaborate with their peers more effectively, have more meaningful relationships with students, and balance their lives to have optimum energy.

• It engages students by promoting attendance because of the culture of engagement that is established within a school. Students are expected to be active participants in their school community, to use their talents to better the school and to be responsible for their own learning.  This culture makes school a friendly, safe, and fun place for students, who want to attend each day.

• It personalizes learning through a tool called the “Leadership Notebook”, which becomes a central tool to personalize learning.

• It serves as a professional development that provides training and support to teachers from Franklin Covey's world-class consultants and coaches so that teachers can adopt new patterns of teaching and new behaviors.  The process provides high-quality learning resources for both teachers and students, including workbooks, electronic tools, activity guides, digital videos, etc.

• It is a customized process that is sustainable and scalable

• Its outcomes can be evaluated and researched by measuring indicators, such as student attendance, student discipline referrals, student academic performance, and climate surveys, including student, teacher and parent/caregiver satisfaction.

 

Which curriculum will the Arabic/Islamic subjects follow?

 

1. Arabic Program will be adopting an Arabic as a second language curriculum, representing a blend of Horizon Academy generated and Alberta Education approved curricula.

2. Islamic Social Studies will follow a Horizon Academy generated curriculum that aims at nurturing student Citizenship and Islamic identity (not ethnic background) based on the text of Al Qur’an and authentic tradition of the Prophet while considering the Western context that they live in. The curriculum will be based on the Sunni school of thought and will be anchored in Moderation, Objective (Maqasid), Ethics, and Critical Thinking that empowers the students to maneuver some trends of literalistic and/or extreme views adopted by some minority teaching.  The Islamic identity referred to above is meant to be a Muslim practising the teaching of Islam by conviction. This means you need to live under the shade of belief and spiritual values, to have a continuous Islamic education that makes you familiar with key Islamic teachings and life context, and to carry the mission of Tarbiyya (development) and Shahada (Witness), and to be active and effective in the society.  The Islamic identity that we describe here is an open and active identity with multiple characters that are dynamic and in permanent dialogue with its context and society.

 

How is my child going be to assessed for his/her Arabic/Islamic level?

 

We will use Horizon Academy’s current assessment tools that have been tested during the last 4 years at the weekend school.

 

How many sessions/week of Arabic/Islamic studies?

 

The number of hours of instructional hours will vary by levels and will average about 8 blocks per week of classroom instruction together with many opportunities for emphasizing these concepts during other subjects such as social studies, physical education, and Leader in Me.  Recognizing that the number of hours assigned for non-Alberta Education is limited, Horizon will be creating opportunities for more rigorous education in Arabic and Quran memorization as part of our after-school/weekend programs.

 

Are the Islamic studies mandatory for all kids?

 

Parents who choose to opt out of Islamic Studies can do so and their children will be assigned other learning opportunities of language or leadership training.

 

Will there be funding/bursaries available?

 

Horizon strives to raise funds for bursaries to help partially or fully deserving low-income families.  The number of these bursaries is limited and will vary from year to year.

 

Will the Arabic/Islamic teachers be certified?

 

Initially, they will be a blend of certified and non-certified teachers.  Horizon Academy’s goal is to help as many teachers as possible to become Alberta Certified.  For that Horizon Academy Institute initiated a teacher’s scholarship that aimed at increasing the number of certified teachers in Calgary.  So far two teachers have benefited from this scholarship.  The number of scholarship varies from year to year based on available funds.

 

Who is responsible for hiring teachers?

 

Members of the Palliser School Board and Horizon Academy will form a hiring committee that will be responsible for the hiring of all new teachers.

 

Will bussing be available? Which quadrants will have busing available? What are the transportation fees?

 

Bussing will be arranged through third party bussing company that covers SW, NW, NE, SE based on a number of students.  The fees can be found here http://www.horizonelementary.ca/admissions

 

Is the Pre-KG half day or full day? What are the fees?

 

We are in the process of finalizing the schedule and will be announcing details in the next newsletter, the information can also be found here http://www.horizonelementary.ca/admissions

 

Will the Pre-KG classes cover Arabic and Islamic topics?

 

Yes, we have been doing that in our Sunday school for over 5 years.

 

Is the KG half or full day?

 

It is a half day. Parents who are interested in having their KG children for a full day will be charged an extra fee.

 

Will the school accommodate special need kids in the regular class?

 

This will be assessed on a case by case basis depending on the needs of the child and our ability to accommodate.

 

How can I register my child?

 

First, add your child to the school waitlist at http://www.bit.ly/HorizonFullTimeReg. The school administration will contact you to book a meeting with the prospective students. Horizon Elementary school requires that parents agree on school policy and commit to their children's success. Students on the waitlist are assessed on a first come first serve basis and they are not guaranteed a spot until both the parent and student have been interviewed. 

 

When is the registration deadline?

 

Waitlist was opened in February 2017 and we will continue taking students as long as we have space up until the beginning of the school year.

 

How can I apply for work at the school?

 

Send your cover letter and resume to our career link at http://www.horizonelementary.ca/careers.

 

How can I register my child for next year?  My child will be KG in 2 years, can I register him/her this year?

 

Please add them to the wait list and they will be processed on first come first serve based on space availability.

 

How can I help with the school project?

 

Provide your name, contact, resume, and availability to our executive assistant at zineb.elkadiri@horizonacademy.ca.