Dear HM Families,
It is always a challenge at this very busy time of year to take time to pause and consider all that is going on around us. As families, I know we are all juggling a lot: a rise in Covid cases, spring sports, milestone events, etc. I consider how fortunate I am to have a healthy family, to be able to go on a Kindergarten field trip to the Zoo with Vincent, to watch Alora compete in her weekend soccer games, to help Eliana reset and find a new passion after her college experience didn’t quite work out, or take photos with Julia as she heads off to Junior Prom. All of these are important moments…and I know that I don’t always take the time to truly appreciate them.
And then I lay my own fortune against the backdrop of the things that are going on in the world. It was so sad and discouraging to see the headlines in the news about the shooting in Buffalo, NY, where black and brown people were again targeted by a racist and hateful person under the banner of white supremacy. I think about this hateful rhetoric on the national stage and the impact in our own community. We are again reminded how important it is to provide support for each other here at Horace Mann, in particular for our students, families and educators of color, as we continue to build trust and foster a sense of belonging within our communities.
In times like these, I tend to focus on what we can control, and for me, that centers on reinforcing what kind of school community we want to have at Horace Mann. The ideas we’ve been trying to teach in our school community are pretty simple: BE KIND to one another, BE OPEN MINDED to the experiences of others, and ACCEPT OTHERS for who they are. These are not ideas that are hard to understand, nor do I think they are too much to ask. However, in light of the events in the news, there are days when I wonder if we are doing enough to support and live these ideas. While we all make a concerted effort to create a welcoming, inclusive and culturally responsive community, we do have instances where students make unkind comments or judgments about peers because of their gender expression, religious practices, socio-economic status, or any number of other topics. I don't know that I always handle things the right way, but I like to think that our goals are focused on the right things: to have our students talk to one another in a way that allows for an exchange of perspectives, to acknowledge the impact of our actions, to learn from our mistakes, and to learn compassion, kindness and grace. By doing this work, I sincerely hope that we are moving towards a time when the vast majority of our young people will demonstrate kindness, practice compassion and lift people up, both on a personal level and in the systems that provide structure to our society.
My commitment to all of you is that this work will continue. Thank you as always for your support as parents and caregivers in this effort.
Staffing Update:
Kindergarten Announcement - For those of you unaware of the news, I wanted to share that Lisa Seyferth has made the decision to retire at the end of this school year. Lisa began her career at Horace Mann in 1988 and notwithstanding a short stint in 2nd grade, she has been a kindergarten teacher for over 30 years. And not just ANY kindergarten teacher...but a legendary expert at her craft.
I’ve been lucky to know Lisa for the past twelve years; she is truly an exceptional educator. Lisa has always been able to prioritize the things she knows will help children to grow and learn, regardless of the elusive and cyclical trends in early childhood education. She is one of the best I’ve ever seen at helping students to grow their independence in every aspect of kindergarten life. This includes learning and following routines, learning letter sounds, identifying geometric shapes, drawing the life cycle of a chicken, or writing an opinion about some way to improve our school. She also is amazing at teaching students how to navigate social interactions, share materials, develop self advocacy skills, and be a good friend. All things that prove to be essential and lifelong skills.
Most of my favorite moments in her classroom focus on the opportunities she provides for students to be creative. This year’s group created a mouse mansion where each child designed and built one room in the mansion, complete with furniture, upholstery, appliances, and tiny little mice. "Amazing" doesn't even begin to capture the essence of this project. In the past, her kindergartners have also created instruments and spaceships out of recycled materials, populated a classroom haunted house, created paper floral bouquets, or made their own kites and flew them out on the field. Lisa has always fostered and encouraged her students to explore and be curious, to ask questions, to imagine, and to be kind and responsible citizens. I can’t imagine what else anyone could ask for in a kindergarten experience.
While we wish Lisa the best in her retirement, she will be greatly missed here at Horace Mann. Her practical and sensible philosophy on early childhood education, her in-depth understanding of child development, and her crafty/creative spirit, have been a gift to our school community and to the hundreds of children who she has been able to teach and influence in such a positive way. Best wishes to Lisa on her journey.
Literacy Intervention - An update regarding our literacy intervention team for next year. These changes come about as a result of the budget cuts this spring.
Facilities Updates
Next Public Meeting - The next meeting of the Horace Mann School Building Committee and Community is on Thursday, May 26th, at 6:00pm, and you can register in advance with the following link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_4DYD3xk5QvKQXBVZmxuIMw
Update from Josh Morse and the last Public Meeting, which took place on May 5th.
We had a great meeting last night. David Stephen from New Vista kicked things off with a review of the Horace Mann Staff Visioning Session which included the feedback provided by the staff, and a summary of the primary goals and objectives that were generated from that session. Then Gene and Christine went through the presentation in a way that started to tie in some of those goals, objectives, and visions.
We reviewed the opportunities and challenges associated with the "F" options and "D" options. Although no vote was taken, we did decide to give Gene and team the green light to focus their attention on the "D" options that place the primary addition in the bowl. In the end, the folks at NPS, Public Buildings, RDA, and the members of the HMSBC all saw for more opportunities and less challenges with the "D" options, and there were no measurable advantages from a school program standpoint with the "F" options.
We also provided RDA with some additional nuanced direction in that we want them to try and find a way to create the collaborative spaces that help create clustered grade level communities within the existing building if possible, but if not they may consider a small addition to the south east end of the academic bar if that's needed to achieve this goal. This will be something that RDA will continue to study and present options on.
The decision to focus on the "D" options also simplifies the impacts to the site, and it allows Jade from Terraink to focus her attention on how to optimize our site plan from a landscape design perspective.
Alex gave us an update on the recent Owner's Project Manager, OPM, submission of proposals. We received proposals from the following six OPM's:
Anser Advisory
Atlantic Construction & Management, Inc
CHA
Collier's
Hill International
NV5
These are all great OPM firms, so we're in a very good position. The Designer Selection Committee is tentatively scheduled to meet on May 17th to shortlist the firms, and on May 24th to conduct interviews. We will share the meeting invitations as soon as they are available.
I have included the presentation from last night which includes the materials from New Vista and RDA. I have also included the notes from the Staff Visioning Session from both New Vista and Terraink.
For anyone who couldn't make the meeting last night, the recording can be viewed by clicking the following link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/qTcn4nPbIRVi9HLDAelPJF1hKZb0OdP2QB_od3bmO8gPirpXhgdcsRs8Me2mMjru.v8POjgc6JViGzu8-
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 program, which provides a way to simultaneously recognize our faculty and support our schools while 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 on the NPS website
Deliver to all honored staff a Certificate of Honor and Honoree commemorative magnet
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 funds raised through Honor Thy Teacher fund new approaches in the classroom, teachers’ professional development, and programs addressing inequities, which collectively impact schoolchildren across all grade levels. Read about the programs NSF funds.
You can find out more information about Newton Schools Foundation, the Honor Thy Teacher program, and how you can make a donation today.
Thank you for considering this opportunity to support Newton’s teachers.
