NewsNotes 10/26/2018

NEWSNOTES October 26, 2018 In this issue: From Principal Nardelli Calendar From the PTO

From Principal Nardelli

International Night Photos                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Assembly - At our October Assembly, we shared a story called  All Are Welcome  by Alexandra Penfold and Suzanne Kaufman to kick of a community-wide project called “I A From”.  Each year,  5th grade students write a poem called “I Am From” which details things that are important to our students, their families and their communities.   At assembly, several of our students read lines from their own poems.  Here are some examples: “I am from writing stories and using my creative mind to make a masterpiece.” “I am from doing Israeli dance on a big stage in front of a supportive crowd.” “I am from mama’s Thai food with different varieties of delicious food that feels like it was from food heaven.” “I am from Mt. Washington and its pretty view of the White Mountains. It feels cold and windy at the  summit.” “I am from Ramadan to fasting without one drop of water to drink or eating one crumb of food.” “I am from the loud and busy city of Boston.” “I am from the island of roaring engines of motorcycles in Dominican Republic.” “I am from escaping Singapore heat to the cool water.” “I am from the sound of the piano notes floating out of the living room." For our school-wide version of the “I Am From” project, each classroom will talk about the different communities that we belong to (school, family, church, neighborhood, team) and share some of the things that are important about being part of a community. In addition, each child will get an autumn leaf and write a statement describing one or two things that are important to know about them.  We will then hang the leaves all around the school as a way to display the diverse experiences and traditions that makeup our school population. Carr School Update for October  This coming Monday, October 29th, the School Committee will take public comments on plans for keeping the Horace Mann name as we move to the Carr School building next year. The preliminary recommendation from the School Committee is to take the Horace Mann name with us to the new building. I will be in attendance, along with a few parents who have offered to come.  For more information, please click on the following link: https://www.newton.k12.ma.us/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=4&ModuleInstanceID=36&ViewID=6446EE88-D30C-497E-9316-3F8874B3E108&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=10788&PageID=1&Comments=true This month, I will be assigning classrooms to teachers and work spaces for non-classroom teachers.  We will visit the building in November for a staff tour and to meet with Cabot teachers who are now using the space. I have met with Steve Rattendi, the Interim Director of Technology for Newton, to discuss the technology plan for Carr.  He will be gathering information over the next few weeks, and will provide me with an update on the current inventory at both HM and Carr, as well as some thoughts about our move. An agency hired by the district is currently in the process of doing a comprehensive inventory of everything in our building (bookcases, tables, etc.) We have sited a likely location for the installation of a “Gaga Ball” structure at the Carr School property.  If you aren’t sure what Gaga Ball is, click this link:  https://www.gagacenter.com/nyc/about/what-is-gaga/ MCAS - If you are the parent of a current 4th or 5th grader, you should have received results from last spring’s MCAS test administration. If you have not yet received them, please let me know.  We have scores here at school and can provide you with a copy of the mailing that was supposed to go home last week.  A few comments regarding the exam, including some basic information: Students in grades 3-8 take the MCAS exam each year.  In all grades, students are tested in math and literacy (reading and writing).  In grades 5 and 8, students are also tested in science/technology. In high school, students must pass math, literacy, and one of the science content areas in order to be eligible for a diploma.   The tests are quite challenging, particularly prior to high school.  Your child's performance on the exam may or may not be a reflection of their performance in school.   They are a snapshot of your child's performance on that day.  Our teachers use a much broader sample of work, assessments, observations, and other criteria to create a picture of your child's strengths and areas for growth as a learner.  The MCAS test has been evolving over the past 5-6 years.  The state is still formulating and piloting questions, and trying to establish appropriate cutoff levels for what it means to MEET EXPECTATIONS. At Horace Mann, we do not teach to the test.  A few weeks ahead of time, we provide some sample questions and give students a chance to become familiar with the test using the online practice tests.    Last year’s test was the first time 3rd graders were asked to take the test on a computer. Keyboarding, making math calculations electronically, scrolling, etc. were new to most students.  We will spend more time on some of these skills in grade 3 this year. Thinking about all of the above, if you have concerns about your child’s scores, please reach out to me and/or your child’s classroom teacher.  I’m happy to have a conversation and look at other data points to build a more complete picture of your chid’s progress in school.   Creative Arts And Sciences - This past week, we had a CAS performance for the whole school called The Voci Angelica Trio.   The Voci Angelica Trio sang in eight languages and covered a lot of territory, performing songs from Haiti, Nigeria, Libya, Japan, Israel, New Zealand, Ukraine, Venezuela, and the Appalachian region of the United States. The children sang, danced, clapped and whistled along as invited.   Here are a few images of the performance:

Calendar

Early Release Thursday, November 1 12:30 p.m. Visit the entire Horace Mann Calendar at www.horacemannpto.com

From the PTO

Thank you to all who helped make  International Night 2018 such a huge success! This night never fails to exemplify the wonderful diversity we have at our school.  But a special thank you to our International Night Committee, Shanu Mehta, Ellen Farwell, Al Beevers, Kate Carpenter Bernier, Sree Rapolu, and Leah Even Chorev. Thanks for coming to the Book Fair! This year's book fair reached our goal of more than $18,000 and helped put thousands of dollars worth of books in our classrooms. Thanks to all of the volunteers for staffing, setting up, and cleaning up. Thanks to all of the parents who shopped the fair. And, thanks to Mr. Tynes and D.A.D. for sharing the gym with us. Finally, please don't forget to support our sponsors: My Grandma's of New England Coffee Cakes, Stop and Shop, Whole Foods, Belmont Springs, and UPS Newtonville. SPIRIT WEAR is on SALE! We are offering a few cold-weather items to be delivered just in time for the holidays. Order through the school store by November 7. Please let Mr. Nardelli know if you need financial support. Go Hawks!  [Store_Button] Horace Mann is moving to the Carr Building  Horace Mann is scheduled to move to the Carr Building in September 2019. We know there are many questions about what to expect with regards to the move, facility enhancement, technology and many other areas. In order to help us communicate accurate information, Mark Nardelli will answer your questions through regular updates via email and news notes. Please list any questions you have about the move below. Thank you! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScO9ATbIqARgbv_TTM3BFw6eF vHYvCmXZURLq-nNejSpnnEig/viewform?c=0&w=1

Quick Links

Don't forget to use our rewards programs when you shop! Money raised goes towards the PTO. Thanks! You can also pay your dues online if you haven't already.  [Store_Button]

4th and 5th Grade Evening Workshop

Title 1 Evening Workshop

Session 1: Math - Investigations Overview

Session 2: Screen Time

Thursday, October 25th - 4th and 5th grade families

6:00-7:30 pm

Workshop Details

• This evening is geared towards parents of 4th/5th grade students. 

• Each session will run approximately 40 minutes.  

• Parents will have a chance to attend both sessions on the same night.

• REGISTRATION link: https://goo.gl/forms/oVxlEUBGVBNSj4hF3

• Free childcare and pizza will be available.

• We will run a similar workshop for families in grades 1, 2 and 3.  Date is TBD.

Math - Introduction to Investigations

• Introduction and overview of the Investigations Math program and our expectations.

• Interactive introduction to multiplication and division concepts for Grades 4 and 5.

• Tips on how to help your child at home with some key concepts.

• Technical advice on how to access the Investigations program at home.

Screen Time - Advice for Parents and Caregivers

• Explore the latest trends in social media, online gaming, etc.

• Advice on how to set screen time limits.  

• There will also be an interactive tutorial on using the new IOS screen time controls. 

• For non IOS users, we will also talking other ways to limit screen time from a technical perspective.

• Sharing of resources and opportunity for discussion/Q & A.

FORJ Meeting - Tuesday 10/16

Come to Horace Mann at 7pm this Tuesday, 10/16, for a parent discussion group.  

Come join your fellow parents and caregivers as we discuss racial equity and bias in the classroom, on the playground, and in the conversations we have with our children. Building on the mission of FORJ, our school discussion group will meet 4 times this year at Horace Mann, and each time we will review a short video or podcast together and talk through our reactions and how our understanding of race impacts how we parent. This discussion group is adults only, no kids.

Tuesday, 10/16/18: Led by Lena Zuckerwise  (grade 1 parent)
Topic - Racial equity at school and in the classroom

Other meetings in the series:

Tuesday, 12/11/18: Led by Lucia Panichella (grade 1 parent)
Topic – Immigration 

Tuesday, 2/12/19: Led by Kate Carpenter Bernier (grade 3 parent)
Topic – TBD

Tuesday, 4/9/19: Led by TBD 

Topic – TBD

Questions, please email organizer Cedar Pruitt – cpruitt@gmail.com (Grade 1 and 4 parent)

NewsNotes 10/8/2018

HM School Values - Over the past several weeks I’ve been trying to capture some of our students doing things that reinforce our values.  Below is a sampling of photos of our students doing just that.  

Weekly Recycling and Picking up Trash (Respect for our School)

    
Engagement (Lifelong Learning)
                                                    
             

Blue Zone - This past week we nearly had a tragic incident take place during drop-off time.  A child exited the left side of a vehicle parked in the blue zone and almost got hit by a passing car.  I know we are all busy, but by taking a moment to slow down and following a few simple precautions, we can prevent potentially devastating outcomes.
A few tips to follow:

• Please don’t double park in the blue zone area
• Never let your child enter or exit a vehicle in a passing traffic lane.
• Please stay off the grassy side of Albemarle Rd.  It is very dangerous to have children crossing the street during arrival and dismissal time.

International Night Reminder - On Friday, October 12th we will be hosting our annual event in the gym.  Its a great chance to share something about your family and your traditions.  If you’d like to sign up to host a table, click the registration link here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1IQwEiIhj3onXrjLCGVBk4LVOb287dFycSzzyLe1D8F0/edit#gid=1670388080
If not, please consider attending with your family.  There’s lots of great food from around the world, as well as a chance to meet new people.  There will be a place to read stories, and even share a song. We’d love to see you there.

Parents and Technology -  For those of you who have iPhones/iPads in your home, there’s good news for parents who are struggling with managing screen time.  If you upgrade to the newest operating system (OS12), there is a new feature in SETTINGS titled SCREEN TIME.  This feature enables parents to set schedules for device use, set restrictions on content, limit specific APPS, etc.  Here’s a link to an article with more details:  https://www.theverge.com/2018/9/17/17870126/ios-12-screen-time-app-limits-downtime-features-how-to-use
Literacy Update - Now that assessments are complete, students in grades 1-3 will be provided with targeted small group learning opportunities depending on the level of need.  Here is an overview:

• All students will be in a small guided reading group (2x/week, 3x/week, or 4x/week). 
• Students requiring more support will be enrolled in LLI (Leveled Literacy Intervention). Students are grouped by level into groups of three students, which will meet 5 times per week for 30 minutes.
• In addition to the above two groups, some students will also receive additional phonics instruction (roughly 15 minutes per day 5x/week)
• Finally, for those students with more intensive learning needs, we have our Reading Recovery intervention, which involves 5x30 minutes per week in a 1-1 setting.

Feel free to reach out to your child’s teacher to find out more about your child’s reading services. All of this is available through regular education (not special education or an IEP).
Responsive Home Workshop for parents of Kindergartners 

Parent Info Session -  Massachusetts Anti-bullying Law:  IEP and School-wide Strategies to Prevent Bullying of Students with Disabilities

Thursday, October 18

Location :Education Center

100 Walnut Street; Room 210

7:15-9:00pm (networking at 7:15, presentation starts at 7:30)

Please RSVP to lisadepalma@mac.com 

This workshop will address the significant changes in special education practice that are a result of the state’s anti-bullying prevention law,  focusing on both school-wide efforts to create safe and supportive school environments for students with disabilities and statutory provisions that require IEP Teams to address bullying of students with disabilities.

About the speaker:
Johanne Pino is a full time project coordinator at Mass Advocates for Children (MAC) where she engages in outreach and provides information and technical assistance to parents and professionals. As a peer leader, she has worked for many years as an advocate for her children with disabilities.

Opening of School 2018-2019

Dear HM Families,

I want to welcome you all to the start of the 2018-2019 school year.  Below is some important information for the first week:

1) Tuesday, 9/4

• Group A Kindergartners and all students in grades 1-5.
• It is also Voting Day, which will be held in our gym.  Voters will use a separate entrance to vote and there will be a security presence throughout the day.
• 12:30 dismissal for ALL students

2) Wednesday 9/5

• Group B Kindergartners (12:30 dismissal) and all students in grades 1-5 (3:00 dismissal)

3) Thursday 9/6

• Group A and B Kindergartners (12:30 dismissal for all K's until late September)

Also, please read through the procedures below regarding Arrival/Drop-off and Dismissal procedures:

Horace Mann Drop-Off and Dismissal Procedures

Arrival

• We encourage families to ride and/or walk to school as much as possible.  It encourages healthy living and reduces congestion during mornings and afternoons.
• All school doors are locked throughout the day with the exception of morning arrival time.
• The front and rear school doors are set to automatically unlock at 8:20 am.   Prior to the opening of the doors at 8:20, students may play on the playground or in the front of the school grounds.  However, supervision is not maintained by the school at this time.
• For children who arrive consistently before 8:20, there is an early morning program that begins at 7:30 am.  Families can enroll online and breakfast can be purchased on a day-to-day basis.
• Students should plan to arrive each day at 8:20 and will be marked tardy by 8:30. Doors will automatically lock again at 8:35.  Specials and morning meeting will begin at 8:35.

Drop-Off Procedures

• If you are driving your child to school, please plan to drop-off in the blue zone area and let them walk to class.  Do not leave your car unattended.
• As a reminder, families will be permitted to walk their children to class to start the school year. Over time, we will encourage increased independence and expect children to report to class on their own.

Dismissal Procedures

• School ends on Tuesday at 12:30 pm.  On all other days, school is dismissed at 3pm.  Please try to arrive a few minutes early. If you are going to be late for any reason, call the main office to let us know.  
• At the end of the day, students in grades 3-5 are dismissed at the front entrance. Students in K-2 are dismissed at the rear entrance.  For K-2 students, a teacher will look to make eye contact with the parent or guardian who is there for pickup before releasing any child.   
• K-2 classes will have a designated spot for dismissal each day.  Please wait along the grass, the fence, or road leading to the parking lot.  Do not wait under the school overhang as it creates congestion in the hallways upstairs as classes try to exit the building.
• Again, if you are leaving your car for any reason, please park in one of the designated areas on the map.  DO NOT park on the grassy side of Albemarle Rd. for any reason.

Parking Ideas (see the map below):

The Blue Zone on Albemarle Rd (alongside the school) can be a congested place to park and fills up early.  Parking further down towards the pool is an option but can make for a long walk, if you are in a hurry. However, there are several other options that are actually closer to the school entrance:

• Brookside Ave - accessible from Washington St.  
• Page Rd. - accessible from Lowell Ave.
• Albemarle Rd. - on the opposite side of Watertown St., and on the opposite side of Cheesecake Book.

Safety and civility are the goals of these guidelines...Thanks in advance for your cooperation!  

Mark Nardelli

Principal

Welcome Back - Opening of School Year 2018-2019

August 18th, 2018

Dear Horace Mann Families,


I hope that this letter finds you well during these hot and humid late summer days. We’ve done our best to keep busy and keep cool. Earlier in the summer we enjoyed a trip to Florida to visit Christine’s parents before returning and spending most of our time in and around New England. While the kids had their fair share of camps and day trips, it isn’t easy to entertain a group that has teens and toddlers and everything in between. Santa’s Village in Jefferson NH would be one exception, where everyone seems to have fun. A quick shout out to the Svartstrom family who we saw taking in the same attractions with their group of four! - it is always fun to see HM families in unexpected places.

A quick update on our household as we enter the new school year: Eliana (15) will be entering her sophomore year of high school as we now await her Biology MCAS scores. This year math will be her focus, while also taking a couple of dance classes and participating in the school theater program. Julia (13) will be in 8th grade and continues to make soccer her almost full time commitment (in addition to her phone - social media, Fortnight, etc.). Alora (7) will be in grade 2 (which means a new school in Medfield). She has also officially caught the gymnastics bug (which is a very good outlet for her seemingly limitless energy); she spent most of the summer climbing things and turning herself upside down. Vincent, who will be three in October, made several important and life changing leaps this summer...he is potty trained (mostly), no longer takes a nap, and learned how to hold his breath for a few seconds under water. He can also effectively intimidate each of his sisters, which he happily does throughout the day. Finally, my wife Christine will be continuing her work as a half-time integrated preschool teacher. As always, we are now dreading the return to the busy fall schedule of work, soccer, gymnastics, dance, making lunches, daycare, and more!


A few of us also spent time this summer trying to support the Mendez family. For those of you who are unaware of the story, Rigoberto Mendez, father to 4th grade student Max Felipe-Lopez, is set to be deported in mid-September. A number of staff and families have tried to offer their support in keeping the family together. At the time of this writing, we still have no change in status for Rigoberto. 

Here’s a link to a recent news story: https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/ICE-Decision-Undocumented-Massachusetts-Father-to-Be-Deported-in-Month-490958181.html


While we don’t know if other efforts could change the outcome of this situation, I do want to acknowledge the support from the HM staff, from many of our families, and from the broader community. The efforts have only served to reinforce my faith in the direction of our work at our school. It further strengthens my resolve as a school leader to ensure that we are doing all we can to teach each other and our students to listen, to be kind, to be compassionate, and to appreciate all that a diverse community has to offer.




As always, a good portion of summer involves my own commitment to learning, and reading is an essential part of that process. Below is a selection of books I was able to digest these past few weeks. I included links if you want to find out more about the titles...

• The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas 

• Waking Up White by Debbie Irving

• So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo 

• Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi 

In addition, several staff spent time working on a variety of continued initiatives for the upcoming school year. I will be writing in more detail about that in the coming weeks.



Moving on to more practical matters, I have several updates about the upcoming year:




Staffing/Programming News -

• A hearty welcome back to Courtney Bonzey as she returns from maternity leave. Good to have her back to lead the next group of HM Kindergartners!

• This year, we WILL again be a Title 1 School (we are 3rd on the list in terms of socioeconomic measures). This typically means we will have additional funding to hire staff who can provide intervention in both literacy and math. 

• Stephanie Parent (inclusion aide) - Stephanie will be working as a paraprofessional in 3rd this year, bringing along a background in speech and social pragmatics. She is a graduate of Bard and Boston College.

• Late this summer, Chris Green informed me that she will be re-retiring and won’t return to Horace Mann this fall. Chris spent many years as an early literacy aide before shifting into inclusion where we were able to utilize Chris’s sign language skills. I want to thank Chris for her caring and dedicated years of service.

• Congratulations to Morgan Harper, who will be working as a full time librarian at both Peirce and Franklin. A big thanks to Morgan for his efforts to work in all grade levels with all kinds of children at HM over the past four years. We wish him the best in his new role. 

• On a related note, Morgan’s departure has offered us the opportunity to keep Mohammed Adam at HM. Mohammed will work as a paraprofessional in a 4th grade classroom this year. 

Carr School - 

The big undertaking this year will be our impending move to Carr. Here are several things to think about in getting ready for the move. This list will be sure to grow:

• Meeting with Diana Beck (principal at Zervas) to talk to her about her experiences with doing a move. 

• Meeting with Eric Sprung (principal at Cabot), to talk about our staff can spend some time at Carr this year.

• Room and space assignments.

• Creating a plan for purging and packing.

• Think about closure at HM.

• Creating procedures at Carr - arrival and dismissal, lunch, etc.

Placement - Information will go out to families on Friday, August 24th. I will send placements out electronically via email and also post class lists on the front and rear doors of the school.


Facilities - As always, please take a few minutes to thank Bill Pepicelli and Al Zelmann. They worked a lot of hot and humid days on the second floor, making an already tough job even harder. The building is already looking great for the arrival of the children. Thanks again for all you do!!!



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.

Important Dates

August 30th at 5:30pm - K Playdate (please note that this is a PTO event, teachers will not be present)

September 4th - 1st Day of School - Grades 1- 5 and Group A Kindergartners

September 5th - 1st Day of School - Group B Kindergartners

September 10th - No School - Rosh Hashanah

September 11th - Back to School Picnic

September 17th - PTO Open House (specialists, special ed, literacy, ELL)

September 19th - No School - Yom Kippur

September 24th - School Picture Day

September 27th - Early Release Day and Back to School/Curriculum Night






Finally, the following article might be helpful as you think about transitioning from the end of summer into the more structured (and hectic) school schedule).


https://www.care.com/c/stories/3204/transitioning-from-summer-back-to-school/



Enjoy these last few days!




Mark Nardelli

Principal

NewsNotes 6/30/1028

A Tribute to the 5th Grade Class of 2018 - At last week’s graduation, we celebrated the culmination of a six year journey for a wonderful group of 5th grade students who will now be moving on to middle school.  At this year’s ceremony, the focus was on kindness, inclusion, and making mistakes in order to learn.   Below is a poem I shared that captures what I felt was the spirit of this group.  Best of luck to our graduates!

The Power of One

by Ashish Ram

One song can spark a moment

One flower can wake the dream

One tree can start a forest

One bird can herald spring

One smile begins a friendship

One handclasp lifts a soul

One star can guide a ship at sea

One word can frame the goal

One vote can change a nation

One sunbeam lights a room

One candle wipes out darkness

One laugh will conquer gloom

One step must start each journey

One word must start each prayer

One hope will raise our spirits

One touch can show you care

One voice can speak with wisdom

One heart can know what’s true

One life can make the difference

You see, it’s up to you!!

Art Show - Thank you to Mr. Dailey for working hard with the students over the course of the year to pull together this year's art show.  Students in 3rd through 5th grade displayed what they've learned in art through drawing, painting, clay sculpture, weaving, paper mache, and more.  We also had a selection of musical pieces (performed by our students).  Thanks to all who were able to attend.





Reflections on the Year - An essential part of what we do at Horace Mann is reflect on our goals, celebrate our accomplishments, and think about ways we can make improvements next year.   I've tried to capture a few snippets of what we tried to accomplish this year as a school…

• Family Outreach:
  • FORJ - Out of a citywide effort to promote conversations about race, a small group emerged at Horace Mann and met several times to react to and discuss readings and videos, and offer a way for families across our community a chance to connect.
  • October Workshop Scenarios/Discussion.
  • Science Night - Students who might not normally have a chance to participate in Science Night were partnered with a teacher to work after school to research and carry out a science experiment.
  • Our Friends/Our City - Boston students selected a friend to partner with for playtime on Thursday mornings before school.  We will also do an outing in Boston this fall.
• Buddy Bench - Created, decorated and modeled the use of a new bench for our playground that encourages students to be more aware of others who might need a friend. 
• Creative Arts and Sciences - We again made an effort to diversify our selection of guest performers and presenters, specifically bringing in people that defy stereotypes.  Our hope is to continue this work by bringing in more people of color from professions that are generally underrepresented.
• Staff Learning and Professional Development - 
  • Used the framework provided by James Banks to guide our work to create a more culturally responsive school.
  • Brought in high school students to share their experiences growing up in the Newton Public Schools as students of color.
  • Held numerous activities, discussions and reflective conversations about concepts, videos and texts related to identity.
• Small Group Staff PD Work - We had a number of teacher-led groups working this year to accelerate our goal of becoming more culturally proficient.  Some examples include:
  • Expanding our selection of read aloud and text talk books in grades K, 2 and 3 to include stories with more diverse characters and characters with circumstances that might be different from the stereotypical norm.
  • Broadening our selection of biographies in grade 4 to including less well known scientists, inventors, and other historical figures. 
  • Creating lessons to support student discourse of thought-provoking topics through the teaching of targeted listening and speaking skills. 
  • Publishing a series of lessons on anti-bias and prejudice reduction.
  • Creating a mural and poetry wall on the 2nd floor to act as windows and mirrors into the lives of our families and students.
  • Began the process of looking at student demographics in our IEP referral process, intervention, and behavior support.
  • Reading portions and discussed implications of Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain

• STEM pilots - In 1st and 4th grade, we’ve been testing out a variety of materials and activities aimed at broadening the student academic experience while also fostering adult/student connections.  We’ve offered Snap Circuits, Lego challenges, Boat/float challenges, and more, to small groups of students during lunch.  The goal is to expand academic offerings to include more hands-on, inquiry based activities that increase student engagement and acknowledge varied student learning styles. The pilot went well and we are planning to purchase additional equipment and materials to expand this effort.

• Flexible Seating pilot - Late this spring, Ms. Chatfield completely re-vamped her classroom to create more varied and flexible working and learning spots. Instead of traditional chairs and tables, we used PTO funds to purchase bands, ball seats, floor seats, net seats, and other alternative seating options to see how students would respond.  We also lowered tables and offered areas of the room where students could stand up to do their work.  Overall, the changes were well received by the children and seem more developmentally responsive to their needs. Our hope is to use what we learned to better inform our decisions about what we would like to see next year and at Carr School when we move.

Carr School - We will spend a good chunk of time next year thinking about and planning for our move to Carr in the fall of 2019.   I will continue to advocate for building modifications, and we will begin to think about a variety of things related to the move: room assignments, packing, arrival and dismissal procedures, traffic patterns, and more.  We will also think about how to bring closure to our time at the 687 Watertown St. location.  Stay tuned.

Moving Along - A few staff will be moving on from Horace Mann next year to pursue other challenges. Mohammed Adam, Janine Steinhauser, Sarah Morgethaler, and Sarah Pappo have all spent at least two years at Horace Mann as paraprofessionals, interns, and filling in for maternity leaves.  They are now looking to pursue the next phase in their careers.  We wish them the best.

Thank You - I'd like to share a word of thanks to the members of our PTO Board for their tireless efforts to support our school again this year.  Jon Mendecina, Adam Brown, Jess Schiefer, Sharon Russo, Jacqueline Freeman, Megan Anapolle, and Susannah Wardly.  I also want to thank all of the families who donated their time and money to the various programs we offer throughout the year.  Our school wouldn't function without the dedication and commitment of the families in our community.

Have a Great Summer!
Mark Nardelli
Principal