The electives in Adams 12 Five Star Schools exist to provide students with a K-12 comprehensive educational experience that seeks to expand their health, mindfulness, ingenuity and emotional well-being.
The electives are a creative outlet which help develop skills of deeper understanding and divergent thinking while also playing a vital role in cultivating collaboration, communication, language comprehension, physical health, emotional wellness, critical thinking, curiosity, innovation, creativity, artistry, and problem solving – qualities desired by ALL 21st century employers.
Electives also help develop emotional intelligence – the capacity to be aware of, control, and express one’s emotions, and to engage in interpersonal relationships with acceptance and understanding. Electives provide students with high-quality activities that further support the development of well-rounded citizens who embody teamwork, leadership, and strong character. Students’ comprehensive educational experience is enriched through their involvement in the intangible, invaluable world of electives.
The Adams12 Five Star Schools Elementary Visual Art Show is held annually to celebrate the incredible, creative abilities of students throughout the district. Featuring student work from every elementary school, this event showcases our students' abilities to create, problem-solve, persevere, and engage in multiple modalities of expression. Currently hosted at Front Range Community College, this exhibition provides an opportunity to engage with the community in order to promote the importance of artistic growth and expression as part of the development of the whole child.
The Elementary District Art Show will be on display from April 9th, 2025 through April 29th, 2025 at the Front Range Community College Library.
The Adams12 Five Star Schools District Visual Arts Show is held annually to celebrate the incredible, creative abilities of students throughout the district. Featuring student work from every Middle School, K-8 School (grades 6-8 only), and High School, this event showcases our students' abilities to create, problem-solve, persevere, and engage in multiple modalities of expression. Currently hosted at Front Range Community College, this exhibition provides an opportunity to engage with the community in order to promote the importance of artistic growth and expression as part of the development of the whole child.
The Secondary (Middle School, K-8, High School) District Art Show will be on display from Tuesday, March 11th, 2025 through Sunday, April 7th, 2025 at the Front Range Community College Library.
The Adams 12 High School Juried Art Show is a year-long exhibition, from February to February each year, which is on display to the public at "Main Street" (the main hallway after entering the main check-in area) in the Educational Support Center (ESC) at 1500 E. 128th Avenue, Thornton, CO 80241. In order to view the art show during normal business hours (7:30 AM - 5:00 PM), you will need to check-in at the main desk with an ID. Teachers nominate student artwork which is then judged and selected for inclusion in the show by an independent, professional artist. Each High School is represented in the show by a minimum of two amazing works of art.
This year's Art Show Opening and Awards Ceremony will be held at the ESC on Tuesday, March 4th, 2025 from 5:00 to 6:30 PM. 1st through 3rd Place Awards, as well as Honorable Mention Awards, will be presented to students beginning at 5:30 PM. Come see the exceptional skill, understanding, creativity and design in 2D and 3D media from Adams 12's most talented artists!!!
The Adams 12 Five Star Schools District Honor Band Festival Concert will be held in the Horizon High School Auditorium (5321 E 136th Ave, Thornton, CO 80602) on Saturday, January 11th, 2025 at 3:00.
The District Honor Band Festival showcases the highest musicianship and achievement from each participating school’s program. Participation is by invitation from each student’s individual school’s band director.
The Adams 12 5th Grade Honor Choir is an event that invites all elementary music teachers to bring their most dedicated 5th grade music students together to perform a collaborative concert. Each year a guest clinician from outside of the district is chosen to direct the choir. Students learn the music with their own teachers and then fine tune the music with the clinician.
This concert is traditionally held in May each year and anywhere from 150-200 students participate in this collective event. It is truly a celebration of music and the electives programming in Adams 12!
This year's concert will be held on Monday, May 5th, 2025 at 6:00 PM in the Horizon High School Auditorium (5321 E 136th Ave, Thornton, CO 80602).
The Adams 12 Five Star Schools Orchestra Festival Concert will be held in the Legacy High School Auditorium (2701 W 136th Ave, Broomfield, CO 80023) on Saturday, November 16th at 1:00 PM. Spectators should park in the West parking lot. Please enter through the West doors and there will be signs directing you to the Large Gym.
The District Orchestra Festival is a showcase of the incredible string orchestra programs of Adams 12 Five Star Schools. Participation is by invitation from each student’s individual school’s orchestra director.
The Adams 12 Five Star Schools Choir Festival Concert was held in the Horizon High School Auditorium (5321 E 136th Ave, Thornton, CO 80602) on Saturday, November 2nd, 2024 at 3:00 PM.
The District Choir Festival is a showcase of the incredible choral programs of Adams 12 Five Star Schools. Participation is by invitation for middle school choir students and the festival also features a choir from each of the high schools.
Adams 12 Five Star Schools sponsored Elementary Cross Country Race will be held at the Margaret W. Carpenter Park Fields located at 11151 Colorado Blvd, Thornton, CO 80233 on Friday, October 4th, 2024 from 12:00 PM to 2:30 PM.
Hour of Code activities and events are hosted at schools across Adams 12 Five Star Schools during Computer Science Education week in early December.
The Hour of Code started as a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify "code", to show that anybody can learn the basics, and to broaden participation in the field of computer science. It has since become a global learning, celebration, and awareness event with hundreds of 1-hour coding activities to choose from (available in over 48 languages). Computer science is changing every industry on the planet, and every 21st-century student should have the opportunity to learn how to create technology.
We encourage you to watch the video below to learn more and talk to your student’s teacher or principal to discover what activities are planned at your school. You can also visit the Hour of Code website for activities to do with your child at home!
Way back in the spring of 1984, the City of Thornton teamed up with the Thornton Lions Club to offer a series of relay races for boys and girls from local elementary schools. These races would include 4 x 100 meter relays and also a special Mayor’s Mile (4x 400) race at the end of the event. We also offered a new division in 2017, the “Star Strutters Unified Race” and had 17 athletes from five schools compete in two heats. The race order has changed over the years and the event has been cancelled some years due to weather and Covid, but the event has since grown to include as many as 22 Elementary and K8 schools in the Adams 12 Five Star Schools. Lions Club Relays are typically held the first Sunday in May at Five Star Stadium (9360 Washington Street). This event is also a fundraiser for the Thornton Lions Club Vision Programs which provide eyeglasses, exams, guide dogs and other vision services to those in the local community who are in need.
The following is a list of Theater/Musical Performance for the different high schools within Adams 12 Five Star Schools for the 2024-2025 school year. Independent theater or school websites are also listed for more information on these performances.
Horizon High School
Fall Musical:
Dates: October 10-12 @ 7pm
Lost Girl by Kimberly Belflower
“A coming-of-age exploration of first love and lasting loss, Lost Girl continues the story of J.M. Barrie’s beloved character–the girl who had to grow up.”
Rating: PG
Spring Musical:
Dates: March 6th and 7th @ 7pm; March 8th @ 2pm
The Addams Family by Brickman, Elice and Rippa
“..a comical feast that celebrates the wackiness in every family. Everything will change for the whole family on the fateful night they host a dinner for Wednesday’s “normal” boyfriend and his parents.”
Rating: PG/PG-13
Find Arts Gala:
TBD
Facebook: Horizon High School Drama Department
Instagram: @hhsthespians
Description: Based on the iconic 1985 Paramount movie which was inspired by the classic Hasbro board game, Clue is a hilarious farce-meets-murder mystery. The tale begins at a remote mansion, where six mysterious guests assemble for an unusual dinner party where murder and blackmail are on the menu. When their host turns up dead, they all become suspects. Led by Wadsworth – the butler, Miss Scarlet, Professor Plum, Mrs. White, Mr. Green, Mrs. Peacock and Colonel Mustard race to find the killer as the body count stacks up. Clue is the comedy whodunit that will leave both cult-fans and newcomers in stitches as they try to figure out…WHO did it, WHERE, and with WHAT! Join us at Northglenn High School for a completely immersive, theatre-in-the-round experience and help us solve the mystery!
Spring Musical:
Dates: March 6th-8th nightly at 6:30.
Chicago (Teen Edition)
In roaring twenties Chicago, chorine Roxie Hart murders a faithless lover and convinces her hapless husband, Amos, to take the rap... until he finds out he's been duped and turns on Roxie. Convicted and sent to death row, Roxie and another "Merry Murderess," Velma Kelly, vie for the spotlight and the headlines, ultimately joining forces in search of the "American Dream": fame, fortune, and acquittal
