When Horizon Elementary School opened in 1999, it took its mascot from the skies and incorporated the heavens into its motto: “Reach for the stars.” Principal William Raye couldn’t be more proud of his Horizon Comets.

“I think that we have a closeness as a school,” Raye said. The special bond between teachers and students inspires everyone to work hard, he said.

In 2005 and 2006, students from Horizon won the national student electronic music composition talent search competition sponsored by the National Association for Music Education and the National School Boards Association. There is one winner at the elementary school level in the country, he said.

Students at Horizon aren’t the only award-winners. The school’s Parent Teacher Association won an award in 2006, and they were the only winner at the elementary school level in Virginia, Raye said.

Through the PTA, students have access to a wide variety of after-school activities. In the past, classes have included cooking, chess and skateboarding. There is also an active Odyssey of the Mind team.

For the 2006-2007 school year, 90 percent of third-graders, 92 percent of fourth-graders and 91 percent of fifth-graders, passed the reading portion of the SOL exam. The district-wide goal for Loudoun County Public Schools is a 90 percent rate of passing. Data and test scores for Horizon Elementary from the Virginia Department of Education are available here.

Technology is an important part of classroom learning, and teachers try to integrate it where it is practical, Raye said. The computer lab has a SmartBoard that teachers can use to enhance their lessons.

“Technology with children today is just a part of their lives,” Raye said. “But they still need to learn the basics.”

Lessons frequently include taking a traditional book report and turning it into a PowerPoint presentation, or using a spreadsheet to convey a mathematical concept. The “Fifth Grade Farewell” ceremony is based on a multimedia slideshow presentation that includes a slide created by each student.

Students and teachers alike embrace Horizon’s motto and reach for the stars.

“One of the biggest things that I’ve tried to promote is just cohesiveness of the community, and I think we’ve done a great job with that,” Raye said.