CHAMPS Cafe Serving Acceptance, Dignity & Respect

Always looking for ways to help students build real-world skills, CHAMPS teachers Maureen Crane and Cristina Smith dreamed big.  They envisioned a coffee cart at Horace Mann where students with special needs work side-by-side with neuro-typical 5th graders to serve coffee and tea to staff and other invited adults.

This year, the Lakewood Ranger Education Foundation (http://www.lakewoodrangers.com/) helped bring this dream to life.  The LREF fully funded the teachers' grant request, enabling the purchase of a cart, Keurig machine, and other essentials.  The operation has been rounded out with donations,and spruced up by the handiwork of several CHAMPS staff members.  PTA has gotten into the act, too, providing help where needed.

Students practiced together, using the adapted materials developed by the teachers.  By the time the Grand Opening occurred on November 20th, the operation was a well-oiled machine!  Many thanks to the invited guests who visited for a hot beverage and a free cookie (courtesy of Blackbird Baking Co. (https://www.blackbirdbaking.com/).

Here are a few pictures of the students learning their trade.  For plenty of Grand Opening pictures, please check out The December/January edition of the Horace Mann Educator:  Link to Newsletter

We look forward to partnering with other local bakeries to offer treats at our bi-monthly cafe.  We hope to invite others to visit in 2019 - watch for announcements and drop by for a feel good way to start your day :)

Benefits of Kindness

While we have 3 "hard and fast" rules at Horace Mann (Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be Responsible), we have a 4th principle that crosses over everything we do:  Be Kind.






Our focus on mindfulness over the past couple of school years has helped us experience the benefits of being kind, for both givers and receivers!


This 2 minute video explains the benefits of kindness - watch it and pass it on!   We have a wonderfully kind community here in Lakewood, and I think it explains why we love it here so much 💜💛💜💛!

Kindness Video

Horace Mann's "Longest Serving" Veteran

We here at Horace Mann Elementary School believe it is important to teach our students about service to others and to the common good.  We do this in many ways, both formal and informal.  For many years, dating back to the days at McKinley Elementary, this school community has held a program to honor the men and women who served in our country's armed forces.

Our Veterans Day Assembly is a simple one, but it has plenty of heart.  Using patriotic music as a backdrop (thanks to our music teacher, Mr. Waryk), our 4th graders lead a program to recognize our students and their family members who have been in the military.

This year, our 4th grade leaders included Riley Robertson, Declan Ziegler and Colin Moss as readers and Grace Dawson, Nick Detmar, Riley Robertson, Lilly Nazario, Elijah Sok-Sepulveda and Annabelle McBride representing the Boy and Girl Scouts as our color guard.  They did a terrific job and seemed so comfortable in front of the 300 person audience :)

A sweet story shared by Mrs. Clare Rosser (mom of 5th grader Greydon Rosser) illustrated why this year was particularly special,

Ronald Rosser, a Navy veteran who served during the Vietnam years, has been honored at every Veterans Day program at Horace Mann Elementary School since the building converted from a middle school in 2008. He is the grandfather of Willow Rosser, a Horace Mann graduate and member of the first class to attend from kindergarten to fifth grade in the renovated Horace Mann building, and who is now a sophomore at Lakewood High. He is also the grandfather of Greydon Rosser, a current fifth grader at Horace Mann. Mr. Rosser has attended the program with a grandchild consecutively for 11 years.

                        Lakewood Schools has always done an excellent salute to Veterans, 

                        which I feel honored to have attended with my grandchildren. I thank 

                        the schools for hosting a terrific Veterans program,” says the proud 

                        grandfather and Navy Veteran.

As a new principal at Horace Mann, Mr. Rosser was instrumental in helping me understand how this assembly should go.  We are grateful he has driven almost 2 hours each way to be here with us for the program every November for so many years.  His smiling face and enthusiasm for our country will be missed!

Photo credit: Jenna Tabor

Cats vs. Dogs

As parents visited Horace Mann for parent-teacher conferences last week, I was full of gratitude.  I felt grateful for the children whose work adorns the hallways and classrooms.  I felt it for the families who are raising their "little Rangers" with all the love in the world and found time in busy schedules to come and meet.  I felt it for the teachers who pour their hearts and souls into guiding the development of our students in every way imaginable. 

Of course, the setting of our school creates a well-cared for backdrop for the work we do and the fun we have.  This week, I want to spotlight our library media assistant, Mrs. Peggy Morris, for the efforts she puts into piquing kids' interest in books through regularly-refreshed bulletin boards and display cases.  She updated the case display near the office last week, and the kids will see it on Monday.  It is called Cats vs. Dogs, and while the foundation of the design is in place, an important feature is yet to come.  Soon, kids will be invited to bring pictures of themselves with their pet cat or dog to personalize the showcase to our own school.

Thank you, Mrs. Morris, for giving all of us one more reason to pay attention to books📖😊🐈🐶

What a "Spirited" Week!

I don't think we could have packed more into last week if we tried!  We had spirit week with daily themes (crazy hair day is always a favorite) and our October Star Students were announced.  Congratulations to Masimo Mellaraj, Noah Oster, Henry Whiting, Abby Dubecky, Izzy Johnson, Fischer Lueck, Peyton Diemert, Jaylen McCrae, Layla Pierce, Leonard Bonner, Noah Gibbons, Rian Fetting, Jack Milanich, and Charlotte Reed.

We also had some seasonal celebrating to do, and PTA did things right!  Kids enjoyed doing the Zombie Walk and/or coloring Halloween pictures during recess.  The week closed out with the Monster Mash Dance Friday night.  It was great to see so many people in costumes, having a good time in our spooky gym.  Thank you to all parents who volunteered for an attended the dance - we couldn't do any of this without YOU.

On a special note, Friday's fun wasn't limited to the dance.  As you may know, we celebrate our safe, respectful, responsible behavior each quarter with a special event.  To mark the end of the 1st grading period, PTA arranged for grade level yoga classes for our students.  Kids of all ages enjoyed the 30 minute yoga class taught by Horace Mann parent Jen McCarter.  I've taken many yoga classes over the years, but this was the first time the teacher narrated a story to connect the poses-really neat experience!  Thank you, Jen--and PTA--for this experience to reinforce our mindfulness practices.

PTA Programs Chair Kristy Gibbons and Yoga Teacher Jen McCarter

Horace Mann Kindergarteners Enjoy Playhouse Square

For many Horace Mann kindergarten students, last week's visit to Cleveland's world-class Playhouse Square was a first.  Do you remember YOUR first time in one of those gorgeous spaces?  Hopefully it sparks a lifetime of interest in - and appreciation for - live theater for them.

Our students saw The Ugly Duckling...but with an added feature:  so-called Light Wire special effects.  The theater was darkened and the actors had illumination on their costumes.  Teachers and students reported back that the play was really great and held everyone's interest.  Nice job, kids, for being safe on your first Lakewood City Schools bus ride, too!

Although I couldn't accompany Mrs. Rini and Mrs. Sloan's students to the play, I was lucky enough to have a connection to the experience.  On display in both rooms are several books, including The Ugly Duckling and some spin off stories with the same theme (such as The Ugly Duckling Dinosaur).  I recently had the opportunity to read aloud both books to Mrs. Sloan's class, which was super-fun for me (and I think they liked it, too) 😊

Several other grade levels at Horace Mann will visit Playhouse Square this year as part of similar reading extension activities.  Maybe this will inspire our families to take advantage of this wonderful resource, as well...right in our own backyard!

Horace Mann's Star Student for Board of Ed Meeting

Greydon Rosser

Horace Mann Star Student

K-5 at Horace Mann

Choir member, Safety Patrol, Boy Scout

Compassionate, curious, conversational

Chosen for enthusiasm about mindfulness

Our Superintendent, Dr. Michael Barnes, asks each building principal to select a Star Student for the Board meeting held at the building. Horace Mann hosted last week's meeting and we were proud to present Grey as our Star Student. He brought along a smiling entourage of family and friends! Grey rose to the occasion as he lead the Pledge of Allegiance and read his slide during our presentation:

“Don’t judge me by my fame, judge me by how many times I have fallen and gotten back up again.”  ~Greydon Rosser

Last year, Mrs. Woods came into our room after lunch and surprised us all.  She said, “I know you think you are a little young for this, but it really helps.”  Then she showed us some mindfulness videos. Everybody pretended to not like them, but really everyone had listened and they changed how they treated each other.  Each student began to help other students , and began to show perseverance in practicing kindness. Practicing mindfulness helped us be ‘in the moment’ and be aware of our surroundings, our actions, and how we interact with others.  That one video caused a change in our thinking from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset.

Thanks, Grey, for helping our Board understand the meaning and worth of Mindfulness at The Mann.