Witnessing Acts of Kindness

As many of you know, we have "Five Bs" at Horace Mann:

Be Safe

Be Respectful

Be Responsible

Be Kind

Be the Best You Can Be

We are always looking for opportunities to encourage and reinforce students when they behave in ways that show those qualities. It is clear that Horace Mann families also value these behaviors. We feel fortunate to partner with you, helping our kids learn to overcome the obstacles.

This week's post focuses on kindness. Now, it is just common sense that when someone is kind to you, you feel good. It logically follows that the person who acted kindly also gets a boost to their spirits. Did you know that even just witnessing an act of kindness raises the level of seratonin in the brain--thereby giving us that warm, fuzzy feeling?

So being kind is good on a physical level, not just for the giver and receiver, but all who notice.  If you’d like a dose of seratonin (and that nice feeling in your heart that goes with it), watch this 3:05 video:  Acts of Kindness

As we enjoy our Thanksgiving break, let's make special efforts to be kind, because, as we know...our kids are always watching!

Being safe, respectful and responsible with dogs...and having fun with them, too!

Many readers know that Horace Mann is lucky to have a canine staff member:  Stanley "Stan" Cramer.  Stan is a sweet, handsome Golden Retriever who comes to school on Thursdays with 1st grade teacher Patti Cramer.  Stan is a trained therapy dog and he enjoys being pet, read to and played with by kids and adults, alike!

Last week, we had an assembly featuring Cleveland animal photographer Greg Murray.  He is a born Lakewoodite (right on Norton Ave!), but has received national attention for his book, Peanut Butter Dogs. Not only did he share hilarious pictures of dogs eating peanut butter, he talked about following his career dreams and volunteering with the Animal Protective League (APL). He also provided helpful information and safety tips on interacting with dogs we may encounter.  

All students received a coloring/activity book about pet safety, and three students received their very own copy of Peanut Butter Dogs. Congratulations to Will McBride (kindergarten), Andrew Babson (1st grade) and Erin Gerity (4th grade)! The presentation was quite interactive and many students were able to ask questions about Mr. Murray's work.

Special thanks to Mrs. Cramer and her student teacher, Samantha Vidnovic, for bringing Mr. Murray to our school. Check out the picture below with Stan, Mr. Murray, Ms. Vidnovic and Mrs. Cramer's class.

We Celebrate Our Veterans!

Veterans Day (originally Armistice Day) provides an important opportunity for students to learn about and appreciate the men and women who have served in the United States military.  Did you know that there are about 22 million vets in the US?  They certainly do deserve this day of acknowledgement.

With many staff and students wearing red, white and blue and other patriotic themes, we were fortunate to have 20 veterans join us for our assembly on Friday, November 10, 2017.  It was a treat to see students walk in with their veteran family member(s)!  We were inspired by the theme music for each of the five branches of the military.  At Horace Mann, we have a few Army and Marine vets, just a couple from the Air Force and no one who served in the Coast Guard.  The overwhelming majority of our vets were in the Navy.

Special thanks go to Mr. Waryk for leading us in singing patriotic songs and to our PTA for the refreshments to welcome our guests.  I'd also like to thank several 4th graders who participated in the program:
Scouts of the Color Guard:   Nathan Bruwer, Michael Frend, Kelsey Karban, Greydon Rosser and Jacob Tannous
Readers:  Ava Brooks, Erin Gerity, Nate Lewis and Justin Lewis

Thank you, veterans!  We look forward to celebrating the 100th anniversary of this holiday in 2018.