Post Election Thoughts: I wanted to take an opportunity to offer some thoughts about our work at Horace Mann in the uncertainty of the post-election environment. I know that nationwide there are varying opinions about what is right for our country, yet regardless of policy changes that are created in Washington, the rhetoric that persists in the media, or the challenges we may face in our own community, the staff at Horace Mann remain committed to fostering a welcoming and supportive learning environment for all. We will continue to emphasize and focus on the things that are most important to us...compassion, equity, integrity, citizenship, empathy, kindness, respect, and a celebration of diversity...our collective commitment to acceptance and success for all has not changed, and if we can stay focused on these ideals, we will do right by the children. I look forward to working with all of you to make this a reality...
Staff Professional Development Update #3: In this third installment of our professional development plan for teachers, I wanted to share the work that our Family Engagement group has been doing. As the title suggests, this groups is committed to building new ways to bridge the work we are doing at school with families. Here is a brief description of their work:
- ELL Literacy Morning - This past Friday, our ELL staff (Ms. Baseggin, Ms. Spence, Ms.Tamaki), in conjunction with our literacy specialist (Ms. Martin) and our librarian (Ms. Karam), talked to families about how we teach literacy and how parents can foster good reading practices at home.
- Family Buddy Program - see below.
- Difficult Conversations Seminar for Parents(March date - TBD) - Preparing parents to talk to children about race, privilege, disabilities and other topics.
- Providing computer access and tutorials for parents at Progress Report time.
- Math workshops by grade span (Dates/Times TBD)
New Home/School Values Discussion Activities: As part of our efforts to be more transparent and communicative about our school values, members of the HM School Council met last week to create a series of home discussion activities. The activities will come out roughly once per month and will include a story, fable, or folktale based on one of our values. This month’s topic is Empathy/Kindness. At our all school assembly on Monday, I will share the story with the students. We will then send home hard copies (and e-copies) later in the week so families can read the stories together and discuss. Thanks to school council members for working to narrow the story options and for creating the discussion questions.
Horace Mann Buddy Families: Horace Mann is looking to start a Buddy Families program in which HM families help one another feel connected to and supported by the school community. As a first step, our staff are looking to identify families who would like to participate in the Buddy Families program as either:
- A family receiving mentorship from another HM family
or
- A family providing mentorship for another HM family
A family might choose to receive mentorship from another HM family if they are new to the HM community, if their child/children have unique needs, if they live outside of Newton, if they speak another language, or if they experience any difficulties otherwise connecting with the school.
A family might be in a position to provide mentorship through the Buddy Families program if they have been in the HM community for some time, tend to be actively involved in school-based activities, or otherwise feel connected to and knowledgeable about the school community.
Please contact one of our Buddy Families staff-members if interested in participating in either capacity:
Free reading resources available:
- This past spring, in support of President Obama’s ConnectED initiative, The New York Public Library, the Digital Public Library of America and First Book joined forces to launch Open eBooks, an app that provides FREE access to a library of thousands of eBooks for children from Title I schools and children served by special education teachers to use in school and at home. Follow these instructions to get started.
- ConnectED has additional free resources that have been committed by companies that include things like professional-grade software and mobile broadband.
News from the Newton Early Childhood Program:
NECP Open house for prospective parents 17-18 school year
December 6th 10-11 am
January 11th 5:30-6:30 pm
Parking/Entrance from 150 Jackson Road Newton, MA 02458
We still have openings for the 2016-2017 school year. Please call 617-559-6050 or visit the Newton Public Schools/Newton Early Childhood website for more information. Financial assistance is available.
