Horse Creek Academy

Reminder: There will be no school on Monday, January 19, in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. We look forward to seeing students back on campus Tuesday! 💙💛

❄️ Let it snow… it’s almost time for SnoCo! ❄️

🪩 Our High School Homecoming Dance is coming up on Saturday, January 24th from 7–10 PM in the Elementary Gym, and Student Council has planned a magical winter night for our Stallions!

🎟 Tickets:
• $15 Single
• $25 Couple
• $10 Seniors

🕺💃 Students are welcome to come with a date, with friends, or as a group. Planning to bring a guest from another school? Be sure to pick up a guest form from Mr. Mulkey and bring it with you the night of the dance.

Grab your tickets, at the link below and get ready for a snow-globe-worthy night at SnoCo! ✨💙

🎟️ Tickets: https://tinyurl.com/HCAsnoco26

🎉 HS Homecoming Week is almost here and the spirit is already building!

Our high school students have been hard at work planning a fun, high-energy Spirit Week, and here’s the final lineup for next week:

💥 Tuesday (1/20): Camo vs. Neon
🤍 Wednesday (1/21): White Lie T-Shirt Day
🧥 Thursday (1/22): Quarter Zip vs. Nike Tech
🎓 Friday (1/23): Class Colors Day
9th – Blue | 10th – Gray | 11th – Navy | 12th – White

Start pulling those outfits now and let’s make it a week full of school pride, friendly competition, and lots of Stallion spirit. We can’t wait to see it! 💙🐎

Hello HCA Village,

We want to take a moment to share that we, like other schools and organizations, are seeing an increase in flu cases in our area. As always, the health and well-being of our students, staff, and families is a top priority, and keeping our community healthy truly takes all of us working together as a village.

Horse Creek Academy follows the school exclusion guidelines outlined by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. Students should stay home if they have a fever of 100.4 degrees or higher, vomiting, diarrhea, a significant rash, or symptoms of contagious illnesses such as the flu, strep, COVID, or pink eye. Students may return to school once they have been symptom-free for at least 24 hours without the use of medication and are well enough to participate fully in the school day.

We also encourage families to continue reinforcing good hygiene habits at home, including covering coughs and sneezes, washing hands frequently, and avoiding the sharing of food or drinks.

We know it’s not always easy to keep students home, but doing so when they are sick helps protect everyone and allows our entire school community to continue learning and thriving.

If your child is out sick, please make sure to turn in your parent note or doctor's excuse to the appropriate staff member:

-Elementary: Becky Chandler, bchandler2@hcacs.net
-Middle: Bobbi Broome, bbroome@hcacs.net
-High: Jen Wright, jwright@hcacs.net

Thank you for your partnership in keeping our HCA Village healthy!

Howdy HCA Village and happy Monday!

Make sure you stay in the loop by reading this week's Weekly Update at https://aptg.co/PM8BL_

It really is the best way to stay on top of all things HCA; have a great night!

✨Student Spotlight ✨

🇺🇸 We are proud to share that Riley Gunter has been selected as Horse Creek Academy’s Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Good Citizen Award recipient for the 2025–26 school year—an especially meaningful honor during the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding.

💙 Nominated by teachers and chosen by her peers, this award recognizes high school seniors who exemplify the qualities of dependability, service, leadership, and patriotism in their homes, schools, and communities.

Riley will be formally recognized by the Trenton Chapter of the DAR at a luncheon in May. Congratulations, Riley! We are so proud of the way you represent our Village and the character you show every day. 💛

🛝 Last week, we officially opened our brand-new back playground, marking the completion of this phase of our construction/capital project! 🎉

💛 All of this is possible because of you—your generosity over the last three years, the incredible support of our Village Partners, and the unwavering love of our HCA Village. The students had an amazing first week of play, and we’re excited for many more memories to be made next week and beyond.

💙 Huge thanks to Carolina Parks and Play and Lanscape Structures for their support, guidance, and incredible installation of this project. From start to finish, the construction process moved quickly and smoothly, and we are so grateful for their efficiency in bringing this space to life for our students in such a short time.

And we’re not done yet… 👀 We’ll kick off our next school-wide fundraising campaign at the end of next month with our annual Read-a-thon, and we can’t wait to reveal our next big project and goal.

Thank you for being the Village that makes dreams (and playgrounds!) happen. We are so grateful. 🏇🏻✨

🙌 Special shoutout to Village Partners: SRP Federal Credit Union, Braithwaite McMillian Grimes, Injury Attorneys And Counselors At Law, LLC , and Aiken Pest Control, Inc.. If your company or organization is interested in making a lasting impact on students’ days (and lives!) through partnership, we’d love to connect. Reach out to Sarah Morris at smorris@hcacs.net
to learn more.

👏 Shoutout to our amazing staff who never stop learning so our students can keep growing!

💙 Huge thanks to Jacob Wooten, Susan Groseclose, and Ashle Cooper for representing Horse Creek Academy at the Association for Career and Technical Education conference in Nashville, TN last month. Their time spent learning, networking, and bringing back fresh ideas will directly impact the opportunities we’re able to provide our high school students—especially in career pathways, real-world skills, and future-ready learning.

Because when our educators grow, our students win. We’re so grateful for a team that invests in getting better, not just for themselves, but for the Village. 🌻

🎉What an incredible day spent with the South Carolina Public Charter School District! 💙 We are beyond excited to officially join the district on July 1, 2026, and today only reinforced that this is the right next chapter for our Village. 👋A huge thank-you to the district staff, the Board, and Superintendent Chris Neeley for such a welcoming, thoughtful, and energizing day. The collaboration, care, and shared commitment to #KidsFirst was felt from the moment we walked in. 🏇We were proud to have representation from our own Village, including HCA Board President Jared Chambliss, our fearless leader and Chief Vision Officer Dr. Ann Marie Taylor, and Chief Impact & Communications Officer Sarah Morris. 💛We can't express our excitement for the future, without also honoring and cherishing our current district, Limestone Charter Association. We are incredibly grateful the unwavering support they’ve provided our Village over the years. Their guidance, partnership, and belief in our mission have helped shape who we are today, and we will always be thankful for the role Limestone has played in our journey. Grateful. Energized. Ready for what’s ahead. The future is bright—and we can’t wait to build it together. ✨

🎉 NEW DESIGNS JUST DROPPED! 🎉

We’ve added a few fresh + fun designs to our online school store, and we’re so excited to share them with you! One of our goals for 2026 is to be a little more intentional about keeping new & updated spirit wear options available online — so consider this a great start! ✨

💌 Spoiler alert:
We’ve added some super cute Valentine’s Day designs ❤️
and some lucky St. Patty’s Day options too ☘️ — because those holidays will be here before we know it!

Plus — TONS of color options for each design so you can pick your perfect look!
🛍️ Check it all out here: https://hca-online-shop.printify.me/

And… get excited 👏
We’ll be launching a brand new LIMITED EDITION t-shirt in our on-campus school store in just a few weeks! We are so grateful for our partnership with Carolina Screenprint — they keep our school store looking AMAZING and we couldn’t do it without them. 💙💛

👑 HCA Middle School Cheerleading is proud to present Miss Horse Creek 2026 — and we’re hosting an Interest Meeting for anyone curious about participating!

📅 Tuesday, January 13
🕔 5:30–6:30 PM
📍 Commons C (Elementary)
👑 Open to students in 4K–12th grade

This pageant experience is open to every student who wants to shine, build confidence, and celebrate school spirit — from our tiniest Stallions all the way through high school!

Upcoming Pageant Dates:
⭐ Miss HCA – High School: March 13 at 6:30 PM
⭐ Miss Elementary HCA: March 14 at 12:00 PM
⭐ Junior Miss HCA – Middle School: March 14 at 5:30 PM

Have questions? We’re happy to help!
📧 miss.horsecreek@ghcacs.net

We can’t wait to see our students sparkle on stage! ✨

📣 Mark Your Calendars — It’s Almost National School Choice Week!

Get your spirit wear ready, Village! We’ll be celebrating National School Choice Week from January 26–30, and ALL grade levels are welcome to join in 🎉

We’ll have fun themed spirit days all week long, so your students can proudly show off their school pride while we celebrate the power of families being able to choose the learning environment that’s the best fit for their children. 💛

✨ Make sure to read the entire Weekly Update tonight so you don’t miss any of the details about this or any other upcoming events, it really will help you stay in the loop with all things HCA! ✨

We can’t wait to celebrate together — it’s GREAT to have a choice in education, and we’re so glad you chose OUR Village. 💙

🪩 Happy New Year, Village! 🪩

We hope you’ve had a wonderful break making memories with the people you love most. As we turn the page to 2026, our hearts are full — and we truly cannot wait to kick off a brand-new year of learning, laughter, and community tomorrow morning!

We feel so lucky to have your family as part of Horse Creek Academy. Thank you for sharing your children with us and helping make our Village such a special place 💛

⏰ Rest up, set those alarms, and we’ll see those smiling faces bright and early!
It’s going to be an AMAZING year! 🎉

🎁 Unwrapping HCA: Final Day 🎁

After 20 days of unwrapping what makes Horse Creek Academy special, we’re ending where it all begins — and where it always comes back to.

✨ Day 1: Connection

At HCA, connection isn’t a buzzword — it’s how we live.
It’s students who are known and supported.
It’s staff who feel valued professionally and personally.
It’s families who are welcomed, heard, and truly part of the Village.

🌟 When people feel connected, they grow — academically, socially, and beyond the classroom. And that connection is what turns a school into a community.

Open Enrollment for the 2026–27 school year opens tomorrow, January 1 and runs through January 31st, don't miss out on your chance to join the Village! 💙💛

🎁 Unwrapping HCA: 20 Days, 20 Highlights
With just 2 days to go until Open Enrollment opens for the 2026–27 school year, we’re continuing to unwrap what makes Horse Creek Academy so special.

✨ Day 2: Service
Service isn’t something we add on at HCA — it’s woven into who we are. From student-led initiatives to family service hours to partnerships that extend beyond our campus, we believe learning is strongest when it’s connected to giving back.

📸 Snapshot:
Check out this moment from our 3rd Annual HCA Mini Grant Program, where we were proud to support First Tee of Aiken. Through opportunities like these, our Village gets to invest directly in organizations that are shaping lives, building character, and strengthening our wider community.

Tomorrow, we unwrap a final highlight — and the heartbeat of our Village. 💙💛

🎉 Open Enrollment Countdown! 🎉
We’re officially 3 days away from kicking off Open Enrollment for the 2026–27 school year, and we’re continuing to unwrap what makes Horse Creek Academy special. 💙💛

🎁 Unwrapping HCA: 20 Days, 20 Highlights
✨ Day 3: Flexibility

At Horse Creek Academy, flexibility isn’t about lowering expectations — it’s about meeting students where they are and helping them soar. From innovative scheduling to responsive supports, flexible pathways allow us to serve the whole child while staying true to our mission.

📸 Snapshot: Check out this photo of ourHCA Board of Directors — the leaders who help make flexibility possible. We’re grateful for their vision, support, and commitment to a model that allows HCA to adapt, innovate, and always put students first.

Open Enrollment begins January 1. We can’t wait to welcome new families into the Village. 💙💛

🎉 Open Enrollment Countdown! 🎉
With just 4 days to go until Open Enrollment opens for the 2026–27 school year, we’re continuing our countdown series:
Unwrapping HCA: 20 Days, 20 Highlights 🎁

✨ Day 4: Partnership
At Horse Creek Academy, we believe schools don’t exist in isolation — they thrive through strong partnerships with the communities they serve. From local organizations to civic leaders, collaboration allows us to expand opportunities, amplify student voices, and make learning come alive beyond our campus.

📸 Snapshot: We’re excited to share that HCA is now an official Education Partner with the City of Aiken! In the new year, we’ll be creating educational and storytelling content for the City’s 4Aiken streaming service, highlighting student experiences, learning in action, and the power of public education done differently.

When schools and communities partner together, everyone wins — especially kids. 💙💛

🎁 Unwrapping HCA: 5 Days to Go 🎁
As we count down to Open Enrollment for the 2026–27 school year, we’re continuing to unwrap what makes Horse Creek Academy shine — one highlight at a time. 💙💛

✨ Day 5: Excellence
At HCA, excellence isn’t about perfection — it’s about purpose. It’s the daily commitment to doing our best in academics, athletics, fine arts, and beyond. We challenge students to grow, support teachers as professionals, and celebrate progress at every level. Excellence here is strived for, supported, and shared.

📸 At HCA we use our "Mindsets of HCA Leaders" document day in and day out; they guide everything we do. From classrooms to coaching to community, excellence at HCA is defined, modeled, and expected — always with kids at the heart of the work. To see the full document check it out at https://aptg.co/42zzqK

🎁 Unwrapping HCA: 20 Days, 20 Highlights
With 6 days to go until Open Enrollment opens for the 2026–27 school year, we’re continuing to unwrap what makes life in the Village so special. 💙💛

✨ Day 6: Courage
At Horse Creek Academy, courage shows up every day — in students raising their hands, trying something new, stepping onto a stage, onto a field, or into a challenge they’ve never faced before. We believe growth happens when students feel safe enough to be brave, and supported enough to take risks.

Courage isn’t about being fearless — it’s about showing up, even when something feels hard. And that’s something we’re proud to nurture in our Village.

📸 Check out the photo of some of our courageous elementary students stepping outside their comfort zones and trying something new through our Baseball Futures program! Whether it’s picking up a bat for the first time or learning a new skill, moments like these remind us that courage is built when students feel supported, encouraged, and safe to try. ⚾️