one by one®: Horizon Montessori McAllen
Ysela Perez describes Horizon Montessori McAllen as “a public school with private school learning styles.” She’s the parent liaison at the McAllen, Texas, school—one of four charter schools in the Horizon Montessori system—known for small class sizes and high student-to-teacher ratios. Horizon Montessori McAllen is also a STEM academy and serves about 340 students in preschool through 8th grade.
The Montessori approach to education emphasizes self-motivated growth and independence and features hands-on activities and group work. Instruction focuses on many areas of life, including ethical, intellectual, aesthetic, physical and technological. “It’s a very positive way of learning,” said Perez. “Our mission is to deliver the highest quality education possible for all students.”
Making community connections
Among other duties, the family liaison handles community outreach. Perez and her colleagues attend many events throughout the year to promote the school and discuss opportunities with families. They explain the benefits of a charter school education and recruit families.
Often at these gatherings, Horizon Montessori McAllen is competing with other schools of attention. For that reason, Perez is strategic in her use of promotional items for schools.
“I always want to have items that are going to draw people in,” Perez said. “I like to stand out.” She used the one by one grant to purchase pens, cleaning cloths and compact mirrors. Pens, she said, are something adults are always excited about. The cloths and compact mirrors, meanwhile, are promotional items that differentiate Horizon Montessori McAllen from its competition.
Perez said she often uses promotional products in outreach efforts. Coloring books, for instance, are assets for younger groups. She’s been a guest at story-time events at local libraries and the books have been a hit. “I try to have the right items for the right events,” she said. “I think about the audience and what they’ll be most interested in.”
Turning heads with promotional items for schools
Perez said because the school budget is tight, the opportunity provided by the one by one grant is immensely helpful. “It is huge,” she said. “When I received the email, I literally jumped up. I started dancing.”
A note from Cheryl
It warms the heart to learn about Horizon Montessori McAllen and how its staff members set students up for success. We’re longtime supporters of education and are happy to have played a role by providing promotional items for schools to help outreach efforts. If you’re interested in a one by one grant, visit onebyone.4imprint.com.