• Horizons Elementary considers the development of an honorable, responsible and ethical character to be an important part of each student's education. Caldwell County Schools has adopted nine character traits, which will be emphasized throughout the school.Listed below is a brief description of each trait.

    RESPONSIBILITY : means doing what you are supposed to do without excuses or blaming someone else, or without being asked to do it. In school, this means doing your class work and homework the first time the teacher asks you and taking responsibility for your own behavior rather than trying to blame someone or something else when you do something wrong.
    RESPECT : means being polite and listening with a good attitude to persons in authority, such as your teachers and parents. Respect also means looking out for the rights of other people, liking and accepting yourself, and honoring your country.
    GOOD JUDGMENT : means choosing to make good choices such as thinking before you act to decide if what you want to do is the best choice, or if it will get you in trouble. Good judgment also means making sure what you say to others is not hurtful or mean. Using good common sense is another way of using good judgment.
    PERSEVERANCE : means not giving up and sticking to whatever you are trying to do, such as homework, or learning the multiplication tables, or staying calm when someone is trying every day to make you mad or get you in trouble. No matter how hard it seems, how often you forget or make a mistake or get discouraged, you have to have the perseverance to go back and try again. Patience is perseverance.
    KINDNESS : means being thoughtful of others, helpful, forgiving, being polite, and understanding. Kindness is showing gratitude (thankfulness), compassion, friendship, generosity, and treating others as you would like to be treated.
    TOLERANCE : means accepting others as they are even if they are very different from you in race, religion, disabilities, or the way they think.
    INTEGRITY : means standing strong to be truthful, trustworthy, and honest in all things. It includes acting justly and honorably.
    SELF-DISCIPLINE : means working hard and sticking to your work until it is done, staying in control of your behaviors, words, actions and attitude and doing your best at all times. You also use self discipline when you choose not to use drugs or alcohol.
    COURAGE : means doing the right thing even when others won't do what is right. Courage means trying to do something that is hard even when you don't think that you can do it. Sticking to it is another way of saying you have courage.