Sunday, October 27, 2019

NewsNotes 10/27/2019

Hi all,

October has been a busy month for our family.  My parents celebrated their 50th anniversary, we've been busy with volleyball, gymnastics, and cheerleading, and we are gearing up for Halloween later this week.  The big news for us focused on our daughter Eliana.  We learned last week that she passed both the Math and ELA portions of the MCAS test . After passing Biology last year, she will now be able to concentrate on her high school course work so that she can earn her high school diploma.  For those of you who don't know, Eliana has Mosaic Down Syndrome and did not participate in the traditional MCAS all through middle school. Upon entering high school, there were few people on her school team who felt that she could pass these tests. However, with the right supports and lots of hard work, Eliana earned enough points on both tests to pass on her her first attempt.  She continues to surprise all of her doubters, and we are tremendously proud of her!

October Assembly - At last Friday's assembly we focused on a few items:

First, Happy Diwali for those of you celebrating today!  We shared some photos of this traditional Hindu celebration, which is celebrated primarily in India, but also in several other countries around the world.  Hema Rao, one of our Kindergarten aides, kindly shared a few important ideas about the origins and the traditions that are celebrated.  Here are a few photos of the light displays that are a big part of the festivals:

 


Second, we talked about our mascot...the Horace Mann Hawk.  We shared a little about how the mascot name came to be, and also shared some important  characteristics of the hawk, as told by several eastern and mid-western Native American tribes.  These characteristics include items in the list below.  Hawks are...
    • observant
    • guardians or protectors
    • courageous
    • wise
    • good at seeing the big picture
    • good problem solvers
    • magical
We then talked to all of the children that they can BE a Horace Mann Hawk by living out the ideals above, as well as some that we added (aligned with our school values).  A HM Hawk is...
    • helpful
    • compassionate
    • hard working
    • accepting of others
From now until Thanksgiving, we will be looking for daily examples of the students living like a Horace Mann Hawk...feel free to reinforce these ideas at home.
 
Creative Arts and Sciences - Below is a photo of a recent visit from Saadia Faruqi, author of the popular Yasmin series. Saadia talked to the students about the inspiration for her work - her daughter's desire to see characters like her in children's literature. Saadia was informative, funny, and inspirational. Thank you to the PTO and our Creative Arts and Sciences program.
 

Horace Mann FORJ Book Group - A group of parents have organized an adult book group as one of the activities for this year.  The first book being explored is called “Ghost Boys”.  You can find a link to the book here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34647324-ghost-boys

If you are interested in attending, I have two remaining free copies in my office.  Stop by and pick one up. You can also purchase one for a modest price ($6.99).  The book discussion is tentatively scheduled for December 1st in the afternoon at the Newton Free Library.  I will share specifics as we get closer to the date.

Early Release Wednesday - This Wednesday, October 30th is an early release for all students. Children will be dismissed at 12:30.  This is in addition to our normal Tuesday 12:30 dismissal. Classroom teachers will use this time for parent/teacher conferences.  Special education aides and BTs will be participating in a series of city-wide workshops on a variety of topics.

Staffing Update -  I wanted to share that last Thursday was officially Melanie Chan’s last day at Horace Mann.  She’ll be home resting as she and her family await their new arrival. Carolyn Hajte (OT coordinator) will be arranging for Melanie’s substitute.  I’m not sure for how long, but OT services will be interrupted until Melanie’s replacement arrives from another Newton assignment.

Facilities Update - 
  • Last week we had acoustic ceiling tiles installed in a classroom on the 2nd floor.  The good news is that this system seemed to work well to improve the sound quality in the room. On November 9th ( a Saturday), the city will conduct an acoustic assessment of all of the classrooms in the school.  The results of these tests will be used to determine how we will proceed with additional sound improvements.
  • Also, a reminder about the special meeting to discuss the issues related to our move to Nevada St.  The meeting will take place on Monday, October 28th at 6:00 p.m.  in the gym.  Parents will have an opportunity to hear details about the current facility concerns, ask questions, and learn more about potential solutions.  This is an adult only meeting. 
From the PTO
Community Meeting about our School
October 28, 6 p.m.
After meeting with the teachers and staff,
the PTO Board has put together some facts about
the state of our building. 
 
Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns and plan on attending the community meeting with Superintendent Fleishman at Horace Mann on October 28th at 6 PM.

You may also reach out to the following:

Please continue to share feedback (hmannpto@gmail.com) and get involved with the process.  We look forward to seeing you on October 28th.

Spirit Wear is on Sale Now
through October 31!
 
All items are only available in blue. Please note that there are NO refunds and that sweatshirts run very small. 
It is available in our on-line Membership Toolkit store.
 
 
Thanks for the flowers!
 
Be sure to thank Horace Mann gardeners Ashley Sullivan and Helen Jakubowski who planted hundreds of bulbs over the weekend. We will all enjoy the beautiful blooms this spring!
Thanks for a great 
Arctic Adventure
 
 
Thanks to everyone's support we raised almost $16,000 at this year's book fair and put thousands of dollars worth of books in our classrooms. Special thanks goes to Mr. Tynes for lending us his gym during the fair.
 
Pay your Dues! 
The PTO is looking for 100% participation. Please help us achieve our goal. While we offer suggested amounts ($50 per student, $150 per family) ANY amount is welcome. 
 
 
Calendar Highlights
 
 
   
Meeting with Superintendent David Fleishman
Monday, October 28th, 6 p.m.
 
Early Release
Wednesday, October 30, 12:30 p.m.
 
School Committee Mtg. 
Monday, November 4, 7 p.m., rm. 210, Ed. Center
 
No School-Veterans' Day
Monday, November 11

Friday, September 27, 2019

Back to School Night Recap and a few other items

Dear HM Families,

Thanks to everyone for coming out last night!  It was great to see so many supportive and engaged families!

BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT - For anyone who was unable to attend, I've attached the slide show from my presentation last night.  I attached the PTO presentation as well.

Principal Presentation 2019

PTO Presentation 2019


Also, a reminder about our flu clinic is below...with a corrected link for downloading the forms:
FLU CLINIC - Our annual flu clinic will be held on Friday, October 4th beginning at the opening of school until late morning. Parents may sign up children to receive the flu shot at no charge by returning consent and screening forms to our school nurse.  Forms are due October 2nd.  Forms are available online at www.newtonma.gov/flu.  We also have forms in the nurse’s office at school.

TYNES TIMES - Finally, David Tynes has asked me to share the first edition of the Tynes Times. Enjoy! 

Tynes Times

For those of you celebrating Rosh Hashanah, Happy New Year!  For anyone interested in learning more about this holiday, check out this link: https://www.aish.com/h/hh/rh/

Have a nice long weekend,

Mark Nardelli
Principal

Monday, September 23, 2019

NewsNotes 9/22/2019



Early Release Day - This Thursday is an EARLY RELEASE for ALL STUDENTS.  Children will be dismissed from school at 12:30 for staff professional development.  The plan for our staff for this afternoon will be the following:


  • We will provide a review/recap of our equity work from the last few years, including redefining the idea of equity, looking at brain research, recapping activities we’ve conducted, and looking at the importance of building connections with students.
  • We will re-engage with learning partners to talk about our efforts with students last year.  We will then do some planning for our work this year.
  • We will renew our commitment to our anti-bias curriculum, including providing time for grade levels to review and update lessons during the month of October.


Back to School/Curriculum Night - This Thursday, September 26th, we will host our annual Back To School/Curriculum Night sponsored by Title 1.  This provides parents and caregivers with an opportunity to learn about the curriculum and the daily schedule, as well as see the classrooms and the work that has been going on so far this fall.  Attendees will also be hear from the PTO and principal about our school-wide beliefs, programming and goals for the year.

Pizza will be available for all families beginning at 5:00pm  Childcare will also be available for families and will be staffed by Rose and DAD teachers.  We will have a movie and some smaller play areas available for the kids who stay.

5:00                  Pizza available for all families in the cafeteria
5:15pm             Kindergarten presentations
5:30-6:15pm    Grade 1-2 Presentations
6:15-6:45pm    PTO/Principal Presentations
6:45-7:30pm    Grade 3-5 Presentations
7:30                  Childcare Pickup

You can register by clicking here (this will help with estimating pizza and childcare): https://forms.gle/Wng5dgKpDpGnUyTh8

Flu Clinic - Our annual flu clinic will be held on Friday, October 4th beginning at the opening of school until late morning. Parents may sign up children to receive the flu shot at no charge by returning consent and screening forms to our school nurse.  Forms are due October 2nd.  Forms are available online at www.newtonma.gov/flu.  We also have forms in the nurse’s office at school.

FORJ: Families Organizing for Racial Justice - FORJ is a group of diverse Newton families helping our children learn about issues of power and inequality and how to stand up for racial justice. We seek to generate understanding and curiosity about differences in our society, and to work together towards racial equity.  We strive to achieve safe and welcoming environments that enhance the well-being of all people. We offer lectures on race and diversity, discussion groups, community events, and more. We follow the lead from our communities and help families foster inclusion in our city and schools.  At Horace Mann, we want to support and build on the work being done by our principal and teachers to recognize privilege and develop an approach to diversity and inclusion that enables all HM students, staff and families to feel that they belong.

The first FORJ event will focus on bringing families together.  Please see the flyer below for details.  We hope you can join us!






Facilities Update - I would like to briefly respond to the concerns that have been shared by in letters that have gone out about the condition of our new location, both from the Superintendent as well as from some parents in the Horace Mann community.  I will briefly address this at Back to School Night as well.  First, I want to thank all of our families for your support.  You’ve been amazing…encouraging, positive, and willing to support us in making our new location a great place for your children.  Thank you!

With regard to the concerns that are out there, we’ve been practice in working with the city to make some improvements.  Over the past few weeks, we’ve had School Committee members, the Mayor, and other city personnel tour the building to hear about things that can be done to support the best instructional environment for your children.  Here is a sample of the things we are looking at:

  • Classroom size
  • Access to sinks/plumbing on the 2nd floor
  • Increasing bathroom capacity
  • Improving our playground area
  • Looking at small breakout space capacity and related storage concerns
  • Improving furnishings


As we go through the process of making improvements, we will have a plan for incorporating input from families, staff, and city officials.  I will also provide regular updates on this topic.


LUNCH MONITORS - are needed at the Newton Elementary Schools listed below. These are great hours for a stay-at-home parent/grandparent or anyone who wants to work a couple of hours a day. The hours range from 2 ¼  – 2 ½ hours per day, 4 days a week, at $14.36 an hour.  Please call the school directly to set up an interview.

Lincoln-Eliot - 617-559-9540
Underwood - 617-559-9660
Williams - 617-559-6480
Bowen - 617-559-9330
Angier - 617-559-9300


Thanks and have a great week!

Mark Nardelli
Principal

NewsNotes 9/8/2019

Dear HM Families,

A big thank you to all of you for your support of our early release opening last week. I know it wasn’t easy for families to start school this way, but I can assure you that it was truly time well spent for our staff. 

I also want to thank our staff for the tireless work they’ve been doing to create a successful opening week.  In addition to the work of our classroom teachers to welcome the children, we also have had a lot of help from staff in other ways:

  • Organizing and setting up our shared spaces (eg. our literacy/book room/cafeteria)
  • Helping with arrival and dismissal (taking attendance, riding buses, helping with traffic flow)
  • Supporting students (and parents) during arrival/drop-off.
  • A big thanks to our staff, DAD staff, the YMCA, and the B&G club for supervising students after school from 12:30-3:00. 

I can’t say enough about our staff…they are selfless and dedicated to the children…they truly embrace being part of a team and understand that it takes a village to get a new school building up and running.

Facilities Update - I want to thank the families who have begun to advocate with the School Committee for our short and long term facility and instructional needs.  As we live in this building over the next few weeks, we will have a better sense of what those needs are.  Shortly thereafter, we will be looking to set priorities and timetables for how we can improve our collective experience in the new building.  I will share more about our needs in the upcoming weeks.

Lunch/Cafeteria Update - Today was our first day serving lunch in the cafeteria and the first day carrying out the procedures we had been planning over the last couple of weeks.  For the most part, things went very well.  I wanted to share a few details about how we are doing lunch:

  • We stagger two grade levels in the cafeteria, with 10-15 minutes separating grade level groups.
  • Students sit in seats that have been assigned by the classroom teachers.  Our hope is to start the year in a way that minimizes anxiety that many kids feel when they are new to our school, or for those who have a hard time navigating a large social environment.  
  • We have made an effort to contact all families regarding student allergies to find out about seating preferences.  The goal is to make sure kids are safe, while also not isolating them because of dietary restrictions.
  • It is a community effort to clean tables, seats, and the floor between lunches.

One final note…after some discussion with staff today, we’ve decided to try having our Kindergarten students eat in the classroom in the hopes of providing a smaller scale meal experience.  We will try that on Wednesday and make a decision about what to do moving forward.

Starting the Year - Below is a bulleted list of activities and ideas give you a sense of how we start our year.

  • Getting to know one another and establishing a sense of community -  In all classrooms, there are daily morning meetings with greetings, sharing, and a song or activity.  In second grade classes, children made collage self-portraits. Children mixed paints to try to get close to their own skin color, cut out paper to design hair styles, and drew features to complete their facial profiles.  Also, teachers and staff spend time getting to know students through play, through interactions at recess, and during academic times.
  • Establishing routines - In grade 3, teachers model clean-up procedures and then have students practice.  1st grade students learn to use various tools in the classroom...markers, scissors, etc.  In music classes, children enter class to the beat of a rhythm before taking their seats to await the daily lesson. 4th and 5th grade teachers introduce organizational systems and homework routines.  By spending time on these important rituals early in the year, we can spend more time on learning as the year goes on.
  • Assessments - Starting next week, we being the process of gathering information about where we should begin instruction with students.   We will assess reading accuracy, fluency, and comprehension levels for all students.  We will also administer universal math assessments based on grade level expectations.  We will then use the results of the assessment to help target instruction.


Back to School Parenting Article - One common question about the return to school involves dealing with and managing meltdowns, particularly with our K, 1st and 2nd grade students.  If you have a child who has been coming home and crying or otherwise melting down, check out this article…https://parentingfromtheheartblog.com/after-school-meltdown-self-regulation/

At the very least, you will know that you are not alone…

Hope to see you all at our Picnic!

Mark Nardelli
Principal

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Welcome Back Letter to Families 2019-2020

August 19th, 2019


Dear Horace Mann Families,

I hope that this letter finds you well amidst the anxiety and excitement about starting school in a new space.  The Nardelli family recently returned from a two week trip through several southern states: South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky.  We spent the first part of the trip with the entire family (12 grandchildren in all) celebrating my parents’ 50th anniversary.  We then spent some time hiking and sightseeing on the Blue Ridge Parkway, in the Smoky Mountains, and in Nashville before landing in Kentucky, where we joined a group of 30 families who have children with Mosaic Down Syndrome.  The goal of this annual gathering is to connect with other families, share experiences, and participate in research for this relatively rare diagnosis.  We swam, talked about school advocacy, life skill acquisition, and much more. We were excited that Eliana met another 16 year old girl from rural Michigan with Mosaic Downs...they exchanged numbers and Instragam accounts and have been texting back and forth.   Overall, it was good to all be together for some extended time.

Thinking about the upcoming year, Eliana will be heading into 11th grade.  I think I mentioned that she passed her Biology MCAS...we now await her English and Math scores from her 10th grade year (high stakes stuff in high school!).  For activities, Eliana will be cheerleading and participating in theater this fall.  Julia (14) will be in 9th grade and will have a full slate of challenging courses.  She has also made the decision not to continue with soccer.  She will instead try out for the high school volleyball team and hopefully join Eliana on the gymnastics team in the winter.  Alora will turn 9 in a few weeks and will be in third grade.  She has continued with gymnastics, has become our family safety officer (with sunscreen and bike helmets, for example), and has yet to show any signs of limits to her energy level.   Vincent, who will be four in October, has spent the summer avidly playing with Legos, riding his bike, swimming, and learning that you can’t take trinkets from gift shops without paying for them.   Christine will again work as a part-time integrated preschool teacher, returning home in time each day to be available for the kids and their activities.  As always, we are now dreading the return to the busy fall schedule of work, carpools, making lunches, daycare, and more!

This summer I spent a lot of time writing to staff, interviewing candidates for open positions, managing the move, reading, and trying to develop some healthier and more productive habits.  I’m hoping that some of it will actually carry over into the routines of the school year!

I look forward to hearing about your adventures as well...

Entering a New School - With the move, our energy will obviously be engaged a bit differently from years past.  There’s still a lot of work being done, and lots of moving parts as furniture gets moved around, DAD gets their materials set up, teachers unpack, etc. In addition, the first few days will be geared towards working through some logistics: arrival/dismissal, lunch/cafeteria, safety procedures, new technology, a new phone system, etc. 

Because of the timing, I DO NOT anticipate that we will have an opportunity to open the school to families prior to the first day of school.  If that should change, I will let you all know.  For now, I would appreciate families giving teachers the time and space required to get set up. It literally takes hours and hours of work to get settled in.  If you have concerns about your child’s transition for any reason, please send me an email and we can talk about options.

Programming News -
We WILL again be a Title 1 School and Sara McSwiggan will again be back at HM full time.  We will also have money for some before school math intervention and some community outreach efforts.
This year will be making the transition to full day Kindergarten.  For each K classroom, we’ve hired a Kindergarten aide to support the work that will come from this transition.  Details are provided below about K aides.


New Staff Roles/Summer Departures

Welcome back to Kristyn Stem as she returns from maternity leave.  Good to have you back!
Kayde Gower is due to have her baby within the next couple of weeks (amidst a move to a new home...congrats!).  She recently made the decision to take the year to be home with her children.  Sarah Thorne (see below) has been hired to teach first grade this year.
Keith Testa - Keith will be working as ISS this year during the school day.  He will continue to work at DAD during after school hours.
Anna Mignon - Will be shifting from an inclusion aide role into a Kindergarten aide position.  Anna will work in Lisa Seyferth’s classroom.
Hema Rao - Will move from the building aide role to a Kindergarten aide position.  She will work in Courney Bonzey’s class.
Alex Frail found a job teaching part time at NNHS.  He will be teaching a couple of history courses.  I can’t say enough about Alex and his efforts to support inclusion over the past several years.  He’s been an amazing team player, taken on just about every task under the sun, and has been a tremendous advocate for students.  There’s no doubt that Newton North will benefit from Alex’s talents and work ethic.  Best of luck!
Amira El Amri will be out on maternity leave for a few months.  When she returns, she will take on the building aide role. 

New Staff -

Sarah Thorne - A previous graduate of Boston University, Sarah has worked at the Newton South PreSchool for the past several years and will be coming to Horace Mann to teach first grade in place of Kayde Gower during her maternity leave.  Sarah impressed us with her experience managing a challenging preschool population, with her commitment to diversity and inclusion, and with her ability to work with other adults.  We welcome Sarah to the first grade team and to the HM community.
Laura Blushi - Laura brings her preschool teaching experience and apply it to her work as an inclusion aide in Kindergarten.
Kayla Aguilar  - Native of Waltham and graduate of Framingham State.  Currently works in a preschool and will be working as a paraprofessional first grade.
Sara Angelo  - Will be returning to HM after student teaching with Lisa Moore a few years back.  She will be an inclusion aide in 5th grade.
Danielle Phinney - 5th grade intern in Lisa Moore’s classroom. Danielle is currently a student at Simmons and will be working to earn her Master’s.
Meagan Hallaran - Will work as an early literacy aide until December break before heading to Spain to teach English in January.
Hayley Veiga - Recent graduate of Curry College.  Hayley will be an inclusion aide in grade 3.
Jessie Whalen - Previously worked and volunteered at Underwood in K-2 classrooms. Will now work as a Kindergarten aide in Julie Ferland’s class.
Alexis Triest - 5th grade co-taught intern.  Has worked as support staff in Medfield in the preschool and K-1 programs.
Jenny Mittleman - 4th grade co-taught intern.  Is in a graduate program at Simmons College.
Rita Rossi - Longtime Newton resident.  Will be working as a lunch monitor for the school year..

Placement -  We made a few tweaks to placement over the summer.  We are also in the process of registering new students.  Information will go out to families on Friday, August 23rd.  I will send placements out electronically via email and also post class lists on the front of the school.

Facilities/Custodial Support -  I can’t say enough about the arrival and efforts of Kathy Hylander, our new senior custodian.  She has done an incredible job managing this monster move.  She’s taken the lead on interfacing with building contractors, central office people, vendors, etc.  She’s also moved literally hundreds of pieces of furniture and equipment, thinking about logistics in a sensible and practical way.  Most importantly, she has done all of this hard work with a smile, a gracious attitude, and limitless patience. You can welcome Kathy by sharing your appreciation for all of her work this summer…

Of course, Kathy didn’t do all of this alone.  We had a couple of guys here from Cabot for a good chunk of the summer...Matteo and Tim have been outstanding as well.  A big thanks to both of them for their work.  Finally, Al Zelmann has split his time between the old location and Nevada St.   A big thanks to Al for holding down the fort and guarding our stuff at the old location, as well as working with teachers here at the new HM to get setup.


School Supplies - If you participated in the school supply program last spring, kits are scheduled to arrive soon and will be distributed to classrooms prior to the first day of school.  If you chose not to participate, a copy of each grade’s supply list is posted on the Horace Mann website at http://www.newton.k12.ma.us/Page/2636.  You can take advantage of sales and buy the items on your own.  Please be sure to send your child into school with these supplies ready to start a great year of learning. The PTO can sponsor any student for whom the purchase of supplies would create a financial hardship. Please contact me for information.

The school calendar has been integrated into our website and will be updated regularly.  You can access the calendar at this link: http://www.newton.k12.ma.us/horacemann.  You can also follow us on Twitter @HoraceMann687.


Classroom Teacher Lineup Summary

Kindergarten Seyferth, Bonzey, Ferland
1st Grade Chatfield, Rose, Thorne
2nd Grade Bartley, Lewis, Sandison
3rd Grade Bard, Harris, Rosen
4th Grade Berardi/Fischer, Hoover, Oldmixon
5th Grade Adkag/Dias, Feldstein, Moore


Important Dates


August 27th at 5:30pm -  K Playdate* (please note that this is a PTO event, teachers will not be present)
September 3rd -  1st Day of School
September 10th - Back to School Picnic
September 17th - PTO Open House (specialists, special ed, literacy, ELL)
September 23rd - School Picture Day
September 26th - Early Release Day and Back to School/Curriculum Night
September 30th - No School - Rosh Hashanah

Friday, August 9, 2019

Summer Update 8/9/2019

Hi all,

I'm back from vacation and back with another summer update for those of you who are wondering how things are going. 

  • All of Cabot School was moved out last week. 

  • On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of this week, the moving company moved our supplies and furniture to Nevada St.  We are now officially moved in...
    

  • There's still lots of work to be done here...they are installing lockers on Saturday, patching holes and painting walls in some rooms, finishing renovation and A/C work, installing storage in classrooms, etc.   And we have TONS of unpacking to do!  Work will continue throughout the remainder of August.  You can see the work that has continued in a number of different areas in the photos below.

I'll be in touch soon with more details and my traditional summer letter.




Office Supply Room: old countertops and furniture have been dismantled/removed:


Officesupply.jpg


Staff Room/DAD Space - The wall partition has been completed and plumbing has been installed.   The wall intentionally only covers a portion of the space to allow for natural light to come in from the rear wall.  Cabinet installation is next for this space.

Screen Shot 2019-08-05 at 9.49.33 AM.pngScreen Shot 2019-08-05 at 9.47.32 AM.pngScreen Shot 2019-08-05 at 9.47.52 AM.png  


Seyferth:  Photos from inside the room and from the hallway:


Screen Shot 2019-08-05 at 9.52.30 AM.png     Screen Shot 2019-08-05 at 9.52.16 AM.png

     Literacy Space

Screen Shot 2019-08-05 at 9.54.33 AM.pngScreen Shot 2019-08-05 at 9.54.05 AM.png

Sandison


Screen Shot 2019-08-05 at 9.56.03 AM.png

A/C Units - Many of the AC units have been installed in classrooms.  Not all of them are connected yet.  This work is ongoing.

Screen Shot 2019-08-05 at 9.57.46 AM.png

Kiln Room Door Installation (Chatfield)

Screen Shot 2019-08-05 at 9.59.38 AM.png

Sink/Plumbing Installation (Gower):


Screen Shot 2019-08-05 at 9.59.52 AM.png

Bus Loop

Screen Shot 2019-08-05 at 10.02.52 AM.pngScreen Shot 2019-08-05 at 10.03.04 AM.png



Friday, July 19, 2019

Renovation Update 7/19/19

Dear HM Families,

I'm posting another update on renovations.  Just an FYI...we are headed to South Carolina and then Tennessee and Kentucky from 7/21 - 8/4.  This will be the last post on any building updates until I get back...

Stay cool!

Thanks,

Mark


Air Conditioning:

  • I didn't mention this in the last post or show any photos, but A/C installation has been underway since school got out...

Bus Loop:  

  • The sidewalks are done and they will be paving the actual bus loop within the next couple of days.  

Busloop.jpg



Sandison:


Sandison1.jpg        Sandison2.png



Literacy Space:

Literacy1.png



Staff Room/DAD:

View from the hallway:

Screen Shot 2019-07-19 at 10.33.16 AM.png       Screen Shot 2019-07-19 at 10.33.30 AM.png



Seyferth


View from the hallway:

Screen Shot 2019-07-19 at 10.34.55 AM.png

View from the inside:

Screen Shot 2019-07-19 at 10.34.42 AM.png


Monday, July 8, 2019

Nevada St. Summer Update 7/8/2019



Dear HM Families,

I hope summer is off to a good start for all of you! I've had a chance to get over to Nevada St. to see the work that's been going on, and wanted to post a few photos.  I'll keep you all posted as the work progresses.
The following are photos for the work on the first floor in the K room (Seyferth):







The Staff Room (front) and DAD Office (rear):

                                          

The Literacy space and new 2nd grade room (Sandison):

Sandison.jpg

                                      Literacy.jpg   

and the Bus Loop:
                                    Busloop.jpg
                                             Screen Shot 2019-07-01 at 9.10.48 PM.png

Monday, June 3, 2019

NewsNotes 6/3/2019

NEVADA ST. UPDATES -
  1. Transportation/Traffic - Here’s an update from our evening meeting last week:
    • We shared the most updated crossing guard locations:
      • Nevada/Linwood
      • California/Nevada
      • Nevada/Walnut
      • Walnut/Watertown
      • Albemarle/North
    • We shared walking routes:
      • We will be observing key locations in September to make sure that the walking routes we’ve selected are indeed safe and practical. Please send any concerns to me via email and I will forward them to the traffic department.
    • We shared bus routes:
      • We are moving forward with two buses (Green Alligators and Purple Penguins) with several stops for each bus.    We are also in the process of taking input on these stops in hopes of adding 1-2 more for each route.  Again, if you have input, please send suggestions into me.
      • To apply for a free bus pass, please click the bus application link.  You should return the application directly to the school.  We will be sending applications home in backpacks as well.
    • We shared parking/traffic guidelines for the area around the Nevada St. location.
  2. GaGa Ball Pit - Over the past two weeks, contractors have been installing a permanent new Gaga Ball on the playground area at the Nevada St. location. This will be ready to go this summer!  If you don’t know what Gaga Ball is, click on this link for a short video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sO73MVAkhzw

END OF YEAR EVENTS - We have a number of events scheduled for the last couple of weeks…just wanted to offer a few highlights:
  • Art Show - On Tuesday, June 4th, students in grades 3-5 will have their artwork on display in the gym and in other areas of the building.  There will also be a few musical performances.  The show will run from 12:30-5:00.  We hope you can join us.
  • Musical Performances - Last week, 4th graders in the orchestra, band and chorus performed for both students and parents at two separate performances.  3rd graders (recorders) and 5th graders will do the same this week.  In all cases, the children have prepared for several months, practicing both independently and together as a group.  We are proud of the students for their commitment and dedication to their respective instruments.
  • 5th Grade Graduation - On Tuesday, June 11th, we will honor this year’s 5th grade class as they move on to their middle school experience.  This group holds the special distinction of being the last class to graduate from the current Horace Mann building.
  • Market Day - Students in 2nd grade will participate in an afternoon of crafts and market strategy using information they've learned about Ghana. 
  • Other grade level celebrations - Students will be sharing portions of the work they've accomplished this year.
  • End of Year Picnic - On Monday, June 17th, we will host one final picnic at the Horace Mann School on Watertown St.  This will be a time to get together as a community to share some food, have fun, and say farewell to the current space.

BILLY PEPICELLI RETIREMENT - I wanted to share that Billy Pepicelli, longtime Newton Custodian, has decided to retire at the end of this school year. Billy has spent the last 38 years working in various buildings in the city, and has earned the reputation as one of the most respected members of his profession. In his time at Horace Mann, Billy has always taken great pride in having a clean facility.  At any given moment during the day, you will find Billy cleaning windows or restrooms, responding to a teacher need, taking care of a spill, or working with contractors to repair something.  Billy is tremendously dedicated, is a great team player, and has been a caring and thoughtful member of our team.  There’s no doubt that Billy will be missed.  We wish him the best in his retirement.


NEWTON METCO WELCOME EVENT - The Newton METCO Family Welcome Event will be held at Angier Elementary School on Friday, June 7th, 2019, 6:30pm - 8:30pm.  This event is an opportunity for families and/or staff at your schools to meet the incoming families for SY 19-20.  We are sending the invite to your current Newton METCO families in the incoming grades at your school and to FORJ.  Please share the event to Newton residents through your weekly newsletter/annoucement from your school.  Here is the link for staff/families to register:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2019-metco-new-family-welcome-event-tickets-61600731446
Password: newton


HONOR THY TEACHER PROGRAM - As the end of the school year approaches, you may be wondering how best to thank the special teachers and staff who have taught and nurtured your children since September. Please consider participating in Newton Schools Foundation’s (NSF) Honor Thy Teacher, which provides a way to simultaneously recognize our faculty and support our schools while also complying with the Newton Public Schools Gift Policy.
When you donate to Honor Thy Teacher, NSF will
  • Notify honored teachers and staff of your gift
  • Share honoree names with the Superintendent’s office and individual school principals
  • List all honored teachers and staff in a fall issue of the Newton TAB
  • STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math)
  • Environment and Sustainability
  • Leadership and Citizenship
  • Race and Achievement
  • Music and Arts
  • Literacy and Writing Instruction
  • Social/Emotional Learning; and
  • Global Travel and Learning.
The funds raised through Honor Thy Teacher focus onteachers’ professional development and new curricula and learning opportunities which collectively impact schoolchildren across all grade levels. This year NSF funding is supporting programs and initiatives which range the gamut of content areas, including:
Read about the programs NSF funds.
By donating to NSF, you are not only acknowledging teachers on a personal level but also providing rich professional development opportunities for them, and supplementing the existing enrichment opportunities that the district provides.
The suggested donation to Honor Thy Teacher is $25 per teacher/staff member. You can find out more information about the specific programs NSF supports online at www.newtonschoolsfoundation.org, where you can also donate electronically.
Thank you for considering this opportunity to support Newton’s teachers.