Monday, August 29, 2022

Welcome Back Families 2022-23

August 18th, 2022






English : If you need this document translated, please use https://translate.google.com/?hl=en


Spanish: Si necesita traducir este documento, utilice https://translate.google.com/?hl=en


Portuguese: Se você precisa deste documento traduzido, por favor use https://translate.google.com/?hl=en


Chinese: 如果您需要翻译此文档,请使用https://translate.google.com/?hl=en


Japanese: このドキュメントを翻訳する必要がある場合は、使用してください https://translate.google.com/?hl=en


Vietnamese: Nếu bạn cần dịch tài liệu này, vui lòng sử dụng https://translate.google.com/?hl=en


אם אתה זקוק לתרגום מסמך זה, אנא השתמ :https://translate.google.com/?hl=en Hebrew:



Dear Horace Mann Families,


I hope that this letter finds you well as we enter the middle of August and begin to turn our attention to the start of a new school year.  As always, summer goes by far too quickly, with the first part of July being tied up with transitions and adjustment to a more sane pace of life. When August arrives our attention as educators almost immediately turns to the upcoming school year.   The Nardelli family spent most of our time this summer traveling locally and getting things done around the house.  We spent time with extended family at our shared house in Bourne.  We also traveled to Vermont, visited Battleship Cove in New Bedford, went on some local hikes and worked on the house trim.  Eliana (19) enjoyed a weeklong intensive dance camp at Dean College in July and will be heading back to the high school 18-22 program where she will work on life skills like cooking and budgeting, as well as exploring job internships and trying out college courses.  Julia (17) attended a forensics science seminar in Washington, DC as a way of exploring what college might be like.  She had a roommate, a slate of courses, and got to eat in the dining hall for 9 days.  She is entering her senior year and will be playing volleyball while taking a full course load as she applies to colleges this fall.  Alora (almost 12) took part in a theater/singing camp along with gymnastics camp.  She is getting ready to enter middle school for the first time as a 6th grader.  She currently spends most of her time begging us for a phone!  Vincent will turn 7 in October and is headed to first grade.  He took swimming lessons, did a lot of digging at the beach, and spent time with dad reading and hiking.  He will start hockey next week!  Finally, my wife Christine and I celebrated our 21st anniversary, sneaking away to Portsmouth, NH for one night.  We are now collectively dreading the return to our busy fall schedule of work, hockey, soccer, gymnastics, making lunches, carpools, and more!


As always, the summer is a time to think about some initiatives for the upcoming school year.  I won’t go into great depth here, but I thought it would be helpful to outline some of the things we have been thinking about. This list includes feedback from our end of year staff meeting:


  • Re-energizing our efforts to promote positive school values and a sense of belonging through all-school assemblies, Hawk families, family gatherings, and other school events.
  • A return to more consistent school-wide practices that include singing during chorus, field trips, staff celebrations, and opportunities for families to see classrooms and the building.
  • Continued efforts to work on the design of our addition.  This includes educational programming, the design and use of the external space,  and the logistical concerns of how this project will be phased to minimize disruptions to learning.
  • Reviewing and assessing safety procedures.
  • A renewed emphasis on culturally responsive instruction that aims to broaden classroom practices for the purpose of creating engaging and equitable learning experiences for all students.  Thank you to LoriAnn Akdag, Anne Baseggio, Barbara Kwan, and Helen Guzzi for helping to lead this work with our staff.
  • Recommitting to our work around anti-racist reflection and growth among staff.
  • Continued efforts to look at programming and classroom approaches to inclusion. 




Staffing/Programming News


  • LoriAnn Akdag and Alex Salvatore will be moving from 5th grade to 4th grade this year, where they will again team up to run our co taught model.
  • Anna Cox will move to 5th grade as part of a new co-taught teaching team (Lauren Fischer has elected to take a second year off to be home with her child).  In Lauren’s place, we are excited to welcome Amanda Mann to the 5th grade co-taught teaching team.  Amanda previously spent time at HM as a Northeastern Coop student before moving on to teach for 6 years at the Mission Hill School in Boston.  Amanda comes to us with a wealth of experience differentiating instruction and fostering an inclusive learning experience for all students.
  • Sara McSwiggan will be shifting roles this year.   Sara has served for the last several years as a reading teacher, working with children in grades K-3.  Prior to that, she taught Kindergarten at Horace Mann.   In light of Lisa Seyferth’s retirement this past June, Sara will return to Kindergarten as a classroom teacher.  She will be a strong addition to an already strong K team.
  • Our library program/staffing will be split this year.  Helen Guzzi will now be teaching at two schools, and during her time at HM, she will work with our 2nd grade through 5th grade classes.  Monique Airasian, library teacher at Franklin, will come to HM on Thursdays to lead our K and 1 library classes.
  • Veronica Burke will work as a special educator in a 3rd grade classroom alongside Katie Deehan and Maureen Berardi to support connections between our online and in-person learning program.  Veronica is a licensed teacher and special educator and is also in school to earn a Masters Degree in Severe Special Needs. Veronica also works at the Cambridge Program led by our own Mr. Tynes, alongside several other HM staff. 
  • This year, Horace Mann again qualified as a Title 1 School, providing us with some additional staffing for the year.  Beth Langston will join our staff as a part time Title 1 teacher.   Beth is a licensed educator and previously served in the same role at the Underwood School. She also worked at HM in the Summer Success Program.  We are looking to use Beth’s time to support a more robust math intervention program.  
  • Two of our citywide curriculum coordinators will shift to a new role this year as part of last spring’s budget adjustments.  Joelle Pederson and Alan Ripp will work as literacy intervention teachers 4 mornings each week in addition to carrying out responsibilities of the coordinator role.  They will support intervention in grades K-3. In addition, Lisa McLellan will join our team as an additional reading interventionist.  She recently retired from a long career in grade 1 at the Zervas Elementary School. 
  • Mary Gartland will be returning to HM as our social worker 2.5 days per week.  
  • Michelle Reddick will see an increase in her time at Horace Mann as our Metco Social Worker.  She will now work two full days per week at HM.
  • Nicole Levasseur, our BCBA, will be splitting her time between two schools this year.  Nicole will work at HM for two days each week (instead of four).



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.



Placement - Placement information will go out to families Friday, August 26th.  You will receive an email from the district with instructions on how to log in to Aspen to see your child’s placement.



Annual Student Information Update - Please Complete!


Every year, you are required to update student information in Aspen, our student information system. It is very important that families update addresses, emergency contacts, health records, and permissions so that schools have the most accurate and up to date information for students.  


This system is also used to determine what student information can be released. Please note that we do have new Opt Out Permissions for the 2022-2023 school year that need your review and preference selections.


Families must update their students’ records by Friday, September 30th. Please use these instructions to access the information and forms in Aspen: Student Information Update Instructions.



Food Services -  On 7/28, the State of Massachusetts confirmed dedicated funding to allow for universally-free meals again this upcoming school year.  


  • ONLY students' FIRST meals are free.  All second meals will need to be paid for by the student, regardless of free/reduced-price eligibility.
  • A la carte items will be offered this year.  All items must be paid for, regardless of free/reduced-price eligibility.
  • There are no provisions for grab-and-go meals.  All meals will be served in the pre-COVID, traditional line where students will be able to exercise greater choice.



Facilities -  We had no major changes to our building this summer.  A few items to note:


  • We hosted Summer Success for the month of July.
  • We continued with design meetings with RDA and members of the city.
  • We are still awaiting delivery of the new playground structure.  Installation will be scheduled once the equipment actually arrives. 
  • Kathy and Dave are going through the summer cleaning process now.  They’ve shampooed rugs, cleaned classrooms and hallway spaces, helped people get access to the building, etc.  Thanks to both for their ongoing work.




Classroom Teaching Assignments for the 2022-23 School Year



Kindergarten - Bonzey, Ferland, McSwiggan

Grade 1 - Chatfield, Gower, Rose

Grade 2 - Bartley, Sandison, Thorne

Grade 3 - Bard, Berardi/Deehan, Rosen

Grade 4 - Akdag/Salvatore, Harris, Lewis

Grade 5 - Cox/Mann, Oldmixon, Moore





Important Dates


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.



August 30th at 5:30-7:00 pm -  K Playdate (please note that this is a PTO event, teachers will not be present)



September 2022


6  - First Day for Students

12 - Back to School Picnic 5-7pm

20 - School Photos

26 -  Rosh Hashanah

29 - Early Release/Tentative Back to School Night






Complete Staff List


Rosemary Mariano - Executive Assistant

Lilah Byers - Nurse

Kathy Hylander - Head Custodian

David Tynes - PE

Mike Dailey - Art

Helen Guzzi/Monique Airasian - Library

Alex King - Music

Ann Baseggio - ELL

Barbara Kwan - ELL

Allison Hutchinson - Team Chair/Special Educator

Lauren Atkinson - Special Educator

Nicole Levasseur - BCBA

Daniela Gentile - Behavior Intervention

Mary Gartland - Social Worker

Michelle Reddick - Metco Social Worker

Jenna Goldstein - School Psychologist

Kristyn Stem - Speech

Melanie Chan - OT

Jesse Winch - Math Coach

Lauren Dietz - IT Specialist

Louise Martin - Literacy Specialist

Toni Duncan Brown - Literacy Intervention

Meredith Andrews - Literacy Intervention

Alan Ripp - Literacy Intervention

Joelle Pedersen - Literacy Intervention

Lisa McLellan - Literacy Intervention

Beth Langston - Title 1 teacher/aide

Mackenzie Beatrice - Paraprofessional

Alethia Matthews - Paraprofessional

Dina Tedford - Paraprofessional

Justin Walker - Paraprofessional

Amira Elamri - Paraprofessional

Michael McGonigle - Paraprofessional

Stacy Louissaint - Behavior Therapist

Eleanor Beatrice - Building Aide

Hema Rao - Kindergarten Aide

Vin Lahey - Kindergarten Aide

Jessica Whalen - Kindergarten Aide

Zhen Quan - 4th Grade Intern

Shimoya Johnson - Food Services

Darlene Atkins - ISS

Billy Young - ISS