Horizon Charter School’s Spring Carnival welcomed the end of winter, featuring a talent show and games, and providing a chance for local vendors to showcase the services they provide to students and their families. 

“Vendors provide support for schools and families – schools may not have the flexibility to rebuild a student’s foundational gaps, but we do,” said Lyuba Kreshchuk, Center Director of Mathnasium of Granite Bay, a learning center for students who struggle with math. “Parents may not have the time or expertise needed to help their children, but we do.”

Participating vendors’ main purpose is to enrich student’s learning experience, whether through educational materials, lessons, classes, one-on-one learning or tutoring – in the majority, if not all school subjects. There are more than 300 approved vendors available at HCS for students to use for specialized curriculum. 

Students can use school funding designated for them to participate in approved, vendor-provided programs that supplement curriculum or school activities. 

About 45 vendors signed up for the carnival’s Vendor Fair, and almost all showed up to the event. 

“While at the Spring Carnival, we were able to connect with parents and answer many types of questions regarding homeschooling,” Kris Cordell, the owner and founder of The Write Journey, said. “Nearly all our instructors have been homeschool parents or students themselves, so we bring a unique and valuable perspective.”

The Write Journey provides creative writing, short story, and poetry classes. Cordell said the event allowed her to reconnect with her clientele.

“Since we are a relational business, we came to the Spring Carnival in hopes of connecting with some new families, catching up with current families and reacquainting with previous families,” Cordell said. “It is always encouraging to see each other again.”

Some vendors donated prize drawings (about 30 in total) for students that signed up for the event.

“Some of the cooler prizes were an electric guitar, discounted driving lesson coupons, a (Japanese) katana and a membership to a workout program,” said Leah Wong, a Spring Carnival face painter. 

Alicia DeVore, owner of Create My Garden, which teaches kids how to garden, donated a spring garden course as a prize. 

“I set up my booth and shared how to garden with kids by giving them a chance to plant pea seeds to take home,” DeVore said. “I then shared different aspects of my program with parents.”

Wong, a volunteer on the carnival’s set-up and face painting crew, said she appreciated the opportunity to work with the children who attended.

“Right when we were closing up the carnival games, a little girl came in crying because she wanted to get her face painted,” Wong said. “So my sister just painted some butterflies on her to satisfy her, and then she stopped crying.”

Vendors also enjoyed learning about other businesses’ services. 

“I loved seeing the many vendors and what they can provide to students,” said Jeremy West, the CEO and general manager of My Tutoring Partners, which offers tutoring to students in grades K-12, virtually and in-person. “The vendors were engaged, and it was great to see vendors that specialize in music, martial arts, history, academic support and lots of others.”