At a Glance

Enrollment

About 100 children in grades K-5. Children must be 5 years of age on or before August 31 to be eligible for Kindergarten placement.

Faculty

New Horizons has a teaching faculty of 10 full and part-time members with a student/faculty ratio of 10:1.

Governance

Upon enrollment, each family becomes a voting member of New Horizons Elementary School, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. The governing body for the organization is a board of directors consisting of parents and full-time faculty members. Day-to-day operations, as well as instructional, curricular, and academic decisions are the responsibility and authority of the professional staff.

Facilities

New Horizons is located in the southern part of Wilmington between Wrightsville and Carolina Beaches. The school sits on about three acres of property and has three buildings: main building - office and grades 1, 2, & 4; annex - grades 3 & 5, kitchen, multi-purpose room; Lauren's place - kindergarten & gym. The campus has a large playground that includes two play structures, two playing fields, and a stage area.

Outdoor Learning Labs

Every class at New Horizons has an outdoor space used for a variety of learning opportunities. Children work collaboratively with parents, grandparents, and teachers to care for plants, observe wildlife, and gather weather data. New Horizons has received the National Wildlife Federation Habitat Certification. Our students are learning good stewardship of their natural environment though our outdoor learning labs.

Technology

Students and faculty have easy, high-speed access to the Internet from all classrooms. There are approximately 30 computers and 16 Alpha-smarts in curricular use school wide, and faculty members have school-subsidized laptops.

Community Service

Community service is an integral part of a New Horizons education and plays an important role in shaping the character of our students. Children at every level, from K to grade 5, give back to the community in a multitude of ways big and small. From collecting non-perishable goods for a local food bank, to making blankets for senior citizens, to annually hosting a Jump Rope for Heart event, our students fully understand that service is a part of citizenship.

School Service

New Horizons also offers students opportunities to serve their fellow students within the school on a regular basis. The third grade operates an in-school mail service with deliveries made through-out the school twice a week. Fourth graders lead a time of honoring our country at the flag pole each morning. The fifth grade acts as a school safety patrol walking kindergarten children to their classrooms and helping parents with drop-off each morning. They also act as assistants in one of the K-1 PE classes each week. Our annual yearbook is created by the fifth grade class under the direction of a parent volunteer.

Cross-Grade Level Learning Opportunities

Children learn that our community encompasses all age and ability levels through our many school-wide activities. An annual school-wide, out-of-town field trip is a highlight of the fall. Each older class is paired with a buddy younger class for reading, writing, and technology activities several times a month. For an hour on Fridays, each teacher works with a multi-aged group of students on a cooperative project where older children can coach younger children and develop cross-grade level friendships.

Physical Fitness and Health

Providing daily opportunities for physical fitness and health activities is a vital part of our program. Children at every grade level are provided an average of 50 minutes of organized and free play every day. New Horizons' students participate in the Presidents' Council of Physical Fitness program annually. We are teaching our students daily that a healthy body and a healthy mind go hand in hand.

Arts

Visual and dramatic arts are integrated into each classroom's program. All NHES students participate in weekly choral music classes and participate in two school-wide performances each year.

Foreign Language

As our world grows smaller the need for a second language grows greater. Children at all grade levels, K-5, receive weekly Spanish instruction with an emphasis on enrichment and cultural awareness.

Extended Day

A teacher is on campus each day as early as 7:30 for before-school drop-offs. An after-school program is offered for children in grades K-5 until 5:15 each day.

School Hours

Kindergarten & Grade 1 - 8:00 a.m.-2:20 p.m.
Grades 2-3 8:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Grades 4-5 8:00 a.m.-2:40 p.m.