Saturday, December 23, 2017

A Joy Filled Holiday Gesture at Horace Mann



As you can imagine, the atmosphere was brimming with excitement during our last week before winter break.  We had terrific fun with spirit week, made keepsake crafts for parents, enjoyed holiday themed work and culminated with a beautiful concert and art show. 

Amidst all the activity, I experienced a small gesture with the potential for big effects.  The clever parents of a sweet--but somewhat shy--childdeveloped a routine where they sent him to school each day with a $1 scratch off lottery ticket.  The boy approached different familiar adults at school, presenting them with the ticket and having short, fun conversational exchanges while the ticket was scratched. 

While I was lucky enough to have the interaction and see the boy's grin, I, alas, was not a monetary winner (our secretary Barb, on the other hand, claimed $10!).  I was, however, fortunate to contribute to the growth of this child's broader confidence and his joy in giving to others. 

Thank you to all parents for the creativity, generosity and love you give your children every day.  We here at Horace Mann benefit by extension, and you are making an immeasurable difference in our community and our world.

Have a safe and joyful holiday, and we'll see you in 2018!

Friday, December 15, 2017

Spotlighting Horace Mann 5th Grade and CHAMPS

Horace Mann 5th grade teachers Kelsey Robinson and Allison Martzolf got a jump-start from CaTT Julie Ferrone for their students' latest work.  As a culmination of the recent non-fiction reading unit of study, students learned how to create GoogleLinks.  Then, they used their GoogleLinks to give 3-minute class presentations, showing off their newfound expertise.  The graphics below show  two student GoogleLinks  (web links provided if you want to click and learn).  Thanks to Jane W for the Army/Police Dogs exemplar (Dogs), and  Isaac C. for the one on Pearl Harbor (Pearl Harbor).

Inline image 1  Inline image 2

The CHAMPS team at Horace Mann is a "school within a school."  The six teachers (Rita Axford, Maureen Crane, Caitlin Dukes, Erica O'Grady, Cristina Smith, and Cheryl Smolen) provide leadership and inspiration for the staff in their classrooms--and our entire school--on a daily basis.  Together and individually, the both spearhead and support innumerable initiatives for ALL Horace Mann students, always looking for new ideas.  There are too many accomplishments to list (and always something new on the horizon).  Two recent standouts are their use of yoga/mindfulness in their classrooms and starting a "helping hands" program.  Helping hands are 4th and 5th grade students from general education homerooms who volunteer in a CHAMPS classroom during recess 1x/week.  This engagement gives students authentic opportunities to practice kindness, compassion and playfulness, and is deepening relationships among students.  Who knows...maybe we are even growing some future special educators?!

Sunday, December 10, 2017

Lakewood History Comes to Horace Mann

The kindergarteners at Horace Mann experienced some history this week, as the Lakewood Historical Society brought a traveling trunk filled with items from an old school house (circa 1180s).  Kindergarten teacher Mrs. Cassey Rini wrote, "Students held books that were used 150 years ago, used slates with chalk and tried on clothing." 

Consequences for bad behavior were also shared, such as wearing a slate with the "crime" (as shown by Mrs. Rini) and standing in the corner in a dunce cap (Mrs. Mandi Sloan demonstrates below).



Students were highly engaged in this hands-on learning experience, and we are grateful for the Lakewood Historical Society for making it available to us. 

I'm sure many Horace Mann families are already aware of the Oldest Stone House and the other resources available, yet I've linked their website here in case it is time to take another look:  http://lakewoodhistory.org/OSH/OSH.htm

Saturday, December 2, 2017

The Light of Kindness at Horace Mann

During a recent classroom visit, I was lucky to hear our teacher of English Learners, Mrs. Noon Kim, reading aloud from a Newberry Award-winning picture book entitled, Last Stop on Market Street (LaPeƱa & Robinson, 2015).  Last Stop tells the story of a boy and his Nana on a Sunday afternoon.  The boy asks his Nana many questions about why they don’t have certain things and why they are doing nice things for other people (such as going to help others after church).    Although he pesters her, he also follows her lead, smiling and greeting others, and pitching in to assist people.  Of course, he learns that kindness to others is a win-win situation for everyone.  It is a touching book and is available in our school library.


This story illustrates a point I found recently in a more academic format.  An article in the journal Educational Leadership (Goodwin, 2017)  noted the differences between empathy (feeling what others feel) and compassion (becoming concerned for others’ well-being and wanting to help them, yet not necessarily mirroring their emotions).  So, while connecting with the feelings of others is a step in the right direction, it is often the action that can make a bigger difference.  

Acts of kindness abound in the Horace Mann community.  I see students and adults do special things to improve the lives of others every single day.  In this season of charity and gift-giving, this light of kindness at HMES burns even brighter.  Thank you for modeling and encouraging generosity with goods, talent and time throughout this holiday season.  As a result, our children are learning to be compassionate, which bring greater happiness to all!