Dear HM Families,
Happy New Year! I hope you all emerged from the break healthy as we embark on a new path to start 2021. The Nardelli family did very little during the break, although we did manage to see extended family by hosting outdoor campfires and enjoying some hot chocolate while exchanging gifts.
Thankfully, our first week of longer days for K-2 students has gone smoothly and we are glad to have the children in the building for more time. A lot of planning went into the changes and the hard work paid off. A huge thank you to all of the staff who have been so patient and flexible this week.
ESSENTIAL INFO: In the interest of making things more accessible, I’ve highlighted key info here:
SCHEDULE CHANGES FOR K-2 -
The morning Zoom time, which has been optional up to this point, will now be required for all students. We are now calling these Guided Learning Times.
Some teachers will be adding Zoom time on Wednesdays.
We will be adding a 2:00pm Zoom time (either a special or a guided learning time) for the REMOTE COHORT to take the place of the end of day meeting with the teacher.
SCHEDULE CHANGES for Grades 3-5 -
The morning Zoom time, which has been optional up to this point, will now be required for all students. We are now calling these Guided Learning Times.
Some teachers will be adding Zoom time on Wednesdays.
We will be adding a 2:30pm Zoom time starting the week of January 19th for the group that was IN-PERSON that day. I am talking to DAD about how to manage this for children who stay (see below).
DETAILED UPDATES: If you would like more detail about what’s been happening at school, feel free to read the rest of the updates below:
Student and Family Support: A number of families have reached out to me, both prior to the break and since our return, about concerns for their child. What I have heard from you is that we have children who are not sleeping well, are having meltdowns at home, are anxious, and are unmotivated and uninspired by the work. I share this with all of you because I want you to know that if you thought you were alone, you are not..we are all going through some version of this. My own daughter Alora has had a lot of trouble sleeping over the past three weeks and I have no doubt it is a product of the times. Please reach out to me if you have a question or concern; I’m happy to set up a time to talk.
Schedule Changes - Jeff Riley, the MA Commissioner of Education recently released new guidelines for learning that all Massachusetts schools are expected to adopt during the month of January. Below is a detailed explanation of the changes...
Key Points:
All schools must average 35 hours (over two week) of live access to adults (either remotely or in person). This equates to 2100 minutes. This mandate does NOT include Kindergarten...the state does not have a time mandate for K.
Live access includes classroom lessons, small group interventions, music lessons, morning meetings, facilitated work times, and more.
Steps and Findings:
As a district, we began an audit of our live time in both the hybrid and DLA models. At each of the 16 elementary schools , we looked at our in-person schedules, remote schedules, specialist time, grade level check-ins, Wednesdays, etc.
For HM, I looked at every schedule in our school and talked to teachers about what is happening throughout the week. Here’s what I found:
In all but 4 classrooms, we greatly exceeded the live access time requirements for Wednesdays. Many of our teachers are doing 180-210 minutes of live time, where the mandate is only 150 minutes.
Our optional check-ins do not count towards the state mandated requirement of 35 hours.
We need to add additional time in a few areas to meet the state requirements.
Solutions:
In Grades K-2
The additional in-school hours help us to meet the mandates.
We will be changing our optional morning check-in to a required guided learning time.
We will be adding a new afternoon special once for each remote cohort at 2:00pm.
We will be adding a new guided learning time for each remote cohort at 2:00pm (on the other day).
Most classrooms will continue their Wednesday schedules as currently planned. Two classrooms will need to add some time to their Wednesday schedule. The teachers will make more time available on Zoom to support students while they are working. This is similar to what happens in the classroom when children are working independently.
In Grades 3-5
We will be changing our optional morning check-in to a required guided learning time.
We will be adding a new guided learning time for each in-person cohort at 2:30pm. I will be talking to DAD about the idea of doing some “in-person” support during the afternoons instead of doing the Zooms.
Most classrooms will continue their Wednesday schedules as currently planned. Two classrooms will need to add some time to their Wednesday schedule. The teachers will make more time available on Zoom to support students while they are working. This is similar to what happens in the classroom when children are working independently.
Split Classrooms: Grade 2/3 and Grade 1 Hybrid/DLA - I worked with Ms. Thorne and Ms. Sandison to tally their current minutes and we needed to make only a few adjustments to their schedules to meet the time requirements. In our Grade 2/3- we had already added two math sessions during the week with our math coach.
Guided Learning Times - They will be led by a dedicated and thoughtful group of paraprofessionals, some of whom have teaching experience, and some who are learning on the job.
We have a list of ideas about what this time will look like:
Students may complete work while logged into Zoom. They can work independently and/or get help from an adult when needed.
An adult may work on common grade level skills like phonics or current events like Scholastic News.
An adult may read a story and talk about the book.
We may try to set up some peer reading buddies, where older children are reading to a younger child and vice versa.
We may review how the day went or offer kids a time to be social.
It may take us a couple of weeks to determine what is best for these time slots. If you have feedback or ideas, please email me at nardellimv@newton.k12.ma.us
Implications:
The new requirements that came from the state were not something that we asked for, nor were we consulted about the impact.
The mandate does not take into account what is developmentally appropriate for children. The guidelines do not differ by age or grade level, and we all know it is much harder for younger children to have more screen time.
As a parent, you know your child best. You will need to ultimately be the one who decides when a particular activity, assignment, or Zoom is too much.
Thanks again for your support and encouragement. Take care and be safe.
Mark Nardelli
Principal
Friday, January 8, 2021
Friday, December 11, 2020
NewsNotes 12/11/2020
Dear HM Families,
I hope you are all well. It has been a bit of a crazy month in the Nardelli household. My wife Christine spent the month in Florida taking care of her mom. Sadly, her father became ill with Covid-19 in early November and passed away after a very short battle with the disease. I stayed home to juggle the demands of the kids and work and thankfully I had plenty of support from neighbors and family. My wife returned home shortly after Thanksgiving and we've just now started to return to a more normal schedule.
I've also been touching base with teachers during this conference period to see how families are doing. I know that there is a wide range of experience out there. Some are doing well, relatively speaking, while others are struggling with day to day needs, managing work and parenting, and trying to stay safe. If there is some way our school can support you, please feel free to reach out.
Also, I know the holidays are here and this week, many families will be celebrating Hanukkah. Happy Hanukkah to those of you celebrating this week and next. Here are some resources for those of you interested in learning more:
https://pjlibrary.org/beyond-books/pjblog/november-2020/hanukkah-2020-with-kids
ESSENTIAL INFO: In the interest of making things more accessible, I’ve highlighted key info here:
WINTER BREAK SCHEDULE - NO SCHOOL from Thursday, December 24th - Sunday, January 3rd
SCHEDULE CHANGES FOR K-2 - In person schedules for students in K-2 will be changing starting January 4th. Students in K-2 will attend school until 2:00 pm on their “In-Person Days”. See below for a more detailed explanation...
DETAILED UPDATES: If you would like more detail about what’s been happening at school, feel free to read the rest of the updates below:
K-2 Schedule Change - Below are some bullet points about the upcoming schedule change. I will communicate a more detailed update PRIOR to the December break for students in our High Needs category and our Educator Program.
COHORT/IN-PERSON DAYS
- K-2 students will stay until 2:00pm beginning January 4th. Grade 3-5 students will continue to be dismissed at 12:30pm.
- We will have buses that run at 12:30, 2:00pm, and 3:00pm. Crossing guards will also be present at those times.
- Students will have a 30-minute lunch and recess. Students will eat in classrooms. They can bring lunch from home. We will also have a hot and cold lunch option at no cost to families.
- In addition to lunch/recess, students will have one additional hour of instructional time in person with their classroom teacher.
- Students in a High Need category will also stay until 2:00pm (on Cohort days and Non-Cohort days).
- Students in the Metco Program and the Educator Program will be with their cohort until 2:00pm and then in the Metco/Educator Program spaces until 3:00pm.
- Students attending DAD will attend school on Cohort days until 2:00pm and then go to DAD.
NON COHORT/REMOTE DAYS
- The overall schedule/flow of the day will not change for remote days, although some details will change.
- The following changes will take place from 2-3:00pm (K-2 only)
- Most K-2 classroom teachers will no longer be available to connect with at home students during this hour. Teachers will be with children straight through the day from 8:20-2:00pm, with a 30-minute lunch break. 2:00-3:00pm will be prep time for teachers.
- We are working to find a time for the classroom teacher to have one check-in with at-home students for 15-20 minutes, either in the morning or a bit later in the day. We aren't yet sure that this will be doable.
- Students will have roughly 30 minutes of independent work time each afternoon. There will also be one live Zoom for all K-2 students during this hour (at either 2:00 or 2:30):
- An added specialist time (with Art, Library, or PE)
- OR
- An assigned check-in with another HM staff member.
- We also have a grade 2/3 split class and a grade 1 hybrid/DLA class. Both Ms. Sandison and Ms. Thorne WILL be available for the 2:00pm hour; 3rd graders and DLA students will not notice any change to their remote experience.
A comment from the Superintendent regarding the longer day: “We have also been asked about hybrid students in grades 3-5. Please know that we made the K-2 hybrid shift because our youngest students have been experiencing the most significant challenges with distance learning. However, we recognize that many 3-5 families would like more in-person time, which was indicated in our recent survey. While we are able to staff the additional in-person time for K-2 with available staff, and our schools have been able to identify spaces for students to eat and have small group instruction, we are challenged by staffing and space constraints to expand this extended in-person time for all our students.”
FORJ/Staff Partnership - A group of parents and staff have come together to discuss plans for expanding our offerings to families around issues related to diversity and inclusion. Through stories and activities, we hope to pilot at least one evening activity session for parents, staff and students to attend together via Zoom. We have a second planning meeting next week and we hope to have more information to share in the new year.
Hawk Hunt - Be on the lookout for hidden hawks in and around our school and community, starting in January. More details to follow!
FORJ SAVE the DATE!
UPCOMING FORJ CITY-WIDE MEETING
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 16th, 7-8:30
December 2020 FORJ Meeting - Restoration and Reflection
Join us for our December city-wide FORJ meeting on Wednesday, December 16th from 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Amy Behrens will lead us through an uplifting meditation, guide us through reflection on our racial justice work of 2020, and provide time for us to connect with each other. Walk away restored and ready to take action in 2021.
Amy Behrens is a co-founder of FORJ who served as the FORJ coordinator from 2015 to 2018 and is now an advisor to the Board. She is a parent coach, educator and group facilitator. RSVP HERE
FORJ DISTRICT HIGHLIGHT
Horace Mann's Elementary School's Food and Culture Night
This month we wanted to highlight Horace Mann’s Food and Culture Night which ran digitally in November. Parents organized a compilation of videos from families that highlighted a particular dish and/or culture. Along with the video, the committee put together a recipe book with the event’s dishes.
Here is the evening's program:
Garba/Dandiya dance
Egg noodles and ricotta gnocchetti
Sushi rolls
Kashur kahwa (traditional saffron drink)
Alfajores de maicena
Kids’ strawberry shortcake
Pan fried dumplings
Sheero
Okonomiyaki
Italian sausages
Empanadas
Indian rice flakes with peas
Taino dance
How to use rice paper
Brigadeiro
Interested in running a food and culture night and have questions? Contact Kate Carpenter Bernier at katecarpenter1@yahoo.com
You can watch the video here:
HORACE MANN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL'S FOOD and CULTURE NIGHT 2020
and read the cookbook here:
HORACE MANN COOKBOOK
School District Attendance Policy - I am sharing the following document regarding Newton’s attendance policy. This includes attendance on Zooms during remote days, and more. Please review the information here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oqKIpqdALH6msPBTLdVALXXW7VSs5YSoEAfxA20_Ixc/edit
Travel Considerations and School Attendance - Again, with holidays coming up, please be aware of travel guidelines, particularly if you decide to leave the state of Massachusetts. You can find more information here regarding those guidelines:
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-travel-order
Embedded within you will find a link to a FORM that must be completed if you are traveling out of state and returning to school (see the site for exemptions).
Thank you and have a safe holiday season.
Mark Nardelli
Principal
Friday, November 13, 2020
NewsNotes 11/13/2020
Dear HM Families,
Happy Diwali to those of you celebrating this important holiday over the weekend and into next week! If you’d like to learn more about this traditional Hindu holiday, please click here:
https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/diwali/
ESSENTIAL INFO: In the interest of making things more accessible, I’ve highlighted key info here:
Thanksgiving Break Schedule
Wednesday, November 25th - NOON DISMISSAL for REMOTE and IN-PERSON Students
Thursday and Friday November 26th and 27th - NO SCHOOL
DETAILED UPDATES: If you would like more detail about what’s been happening at school, feel free to read the rest of the updates below:
Learning Model Change Requests - We have received a small number of requests to change learning models. I will be reaching out to families who made the requests next week to provide final decisions and details about the requests.
Election Follow Up - The following is the message I sent to our staff following the election results…
"This weekend brought some historic news with regard to our country and the election. In a few months we will welcome a new President. AND...I felt it was essential to recognize and acknowledge the fact that we have elected the first woman (and the first woman of color) to the office of Vice President in our country's history.
Speaking personally as we move forward, I am hoping we can tone down the animosity that has dominated our society over the past several years in favor of more civil discourse. At Horace Mann, we have always tried to foster a message of kindness, compassion, and open mindedness while celebrating the amazing diversity of our community. I hope that spirit can be renewed once again.
In addition, it is important to acknowledge that many staff and families have been under significant stress as we awaited the outcome of this election, and even now, there will be emotions in our school community. Please think about our values and use them to guide conversations with students and help them to also make space for everyone. I am again sharing the link that I shared last week, if you need some guidance on how to approach this with your class"
https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/teaching-the-2020-election-what-will-you-do-on-wednesday
School District Attendance Policy - I am sharing the following document regarding Newton’s attendance policy. This includes attendance on Zooms during remote days, and more. Please review the information here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oqKIpqdALH6msPBTLdVALXXW7VSs5YSoEAfxA20_Ixc/edit
Travel Considerations and School Attendance - Also, with holidays coming up, please be aware of travel guidelines, particularly if you decide to leave the state of Massachusetts. You can find more information here regarding those guidelines:
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-travel-order
Embedded within you will find a link to a FORM that must be completed if you are traveling out of state and returning to school (see the site for exemptions).
Parent/Teacher Conferences - The district has designated several times for conferences later this month. Your child’s teacher will reach out to you with more specifics, but these are the times that have been set aside contractually.
Wed, Dec 2: 1:15-3:15
Mon, Dec 7: 2:00-3:15
Wed, Dec 9: 1:15-3:15
Thurs, Dec. 10: 2:00-3:15
High School/Elementary Math Tutoring Partnership - A former HM student named Andrew Jensen asked me to share some information about a free math tutoring program.
“The goal of the Infinity Squad is to build relationships with local high school students and help foster a love of math. They will work together on math games, puzzles and curriculum. Initially all programming will be held virtually. We will pair your student with a high school student and you can schedule the once/week 30 minute virtual meetings when they are most convenient for both of you.”
TO REGISTER FOR THIS FREE PROGRAM CLICK HERE:
https://forms.gle/SzhdPzr32VK81n3JA
Enjoy your weekend!
Mark Nardelli
Friday, October 30, 2020
NewsNotes 10/30/2020
Dear HM Families,
ESSENTIAL INFO: In the interest of making things more accessible, I’ve highlighted key info here:
- ONE TIME SCHEDULE CHANGE NEXT WEEK!!!
- Tuesday, November 3rd (Voting Day) - will be a WEDNESDAY REMOTE DAY SCHEDULE
- Wednesday, November 4th - COHORT A Day
- Curriculum Nights Next Week - 7:00pm - Your child’s teacher will send the links.
- Monday, November 2nd - Kindergarten
- Wednesday, November 4th - Grade 4
- Thursday, November 5th - Grade 1
- VIRTUAL FOOD AND CULTURE NIGHT - stay tuned for Zoom info.
- Friday, November 6th @ 6pm
DETAILED UPDATES: If you would like more detail about what’s been happening at school, feel free to read the rest of the updates below:
- COVID Safety Protocols - As you know, I’ve recently shared information about positive cases in the HM community. It appears that these cases are a result of activities outside of school. I can’t emphasize enough the importance of limiting gatherings, wearing masks, physical distancing and handwashing. This includes your interactions with friends and families you may have already been spending time with. With the Halloween holiday this weekend, please consider limiting your interactions and celebrating in a safe way. I know firsthand how hard this can be. My wife and I have been telling our high school aged daughters for two weeks that they will not be attending parties with friends this year. Despite their frustration and disagreement with our rules on this, we all agree that we want to stay in school for as long as possible and we need to work together to make that happen.
- Parent/Teacher Conferences - The district has designated several times for conferences later this month. Your child’s teacher will reach out to you with more specifics, but these are the times that have been set aside contractually.
Wed, Dec 2: 1:15-3:15 Mon, Dec 7: 2:00-3:15 Wed, Dec 9: 1:15-3:15 Thurs, Dec. 10: 2:00-3:15 |
- Grade Level Check-Ins-
- For grades 2 through 5, we are going to stop doing the optional grade level check-ins, beginning next week.
- Instead, we are going to prioritize reading group interventions (see below) as well as scheduled small group and individual check-ins.
- For the scheduled check-ins, we are compiling a list of students who we think need more support at home, either to engage socially with peers or to work on organization and academics. We will spend next week assembling the groups, assigning an adult mentor, and then creating a schedule. We will start the check-ins during the week of November 9th.
- Reading Groups -
- We spent this week entering literacy data and making reading groups for students in grades 1, 2 and 3.
- Data showed that a larger number of students in grades 1 and 2 were in need of additional support in comparison to prior years.
- We looked at the data and will start reading groups with our lowest scoring performers first. This will include students in DLA!
- Classroom teachers and intervention teachers will reach out to let you know that your child has been assigned to an intervention group.
- Groups will meet 3x30 per week mostly on REMOTE DAYS.
- Groups will be conducted by members of our amazing literacy team: Louise Martin, Sara McSwiggan, Toni Duncan Brown, Lisa Pagana, and Meredith Andrews.
Friday, October 16, 2020
NewsNotes 10/16/20
Dear HM Families,
ESSENTIAL INFO: In the interest of making things more accessible, I’ve highlighted key info here:
ONE TIME SCHEDULE CHANGE
DETAILED UPDATES: If you would like more detail about what’s been happening at school, feel free to read the rest of the updates below:
Family Update:
The Nardelli family is adjusting to life in the hybrid school format, along with all of the other tasks that come with the various stages of life that we are in.
School Updates:
Every day, I am thankful that we get to come to school and see both staff and students in person. I am hopeful that with our plan in place, we can continue on this path for as long as possible. I know there have been questions about possibly extending the school day to 3:00pm. You should expect to hear from Superintendent David Fleishman next week on this topic.
Back to School/Curriculum Nights - We are currently planning several evening sessions on Zoom to share curriculum expectations for the school year and to offer you some time to connect with your child’s teacher. We are scheduling dates for the week of October 26th and/or November 1st. I will update you with specific dates and Zoom links next week.
Parent/Teacher Conferences - Conferences will take place later in November as well. More details to follow.
Assessments - We are well underway with reading assessments in grades 1-3. We should be able to create small reading groups next week for those grade levels. We will then assess our K students as well.
For all grades, we are using the Investigations Math program assessments to gauge where students are at in math.
For 4th and 5th grade students, we are using an online platform called iReady for our reading assessments.
Feedback Loop -Now that we have a few weeks under our belt, I have received emails from families about how things are going so far. Please keep those coming. I am also meeting with individual teachers and with grade level teams to find out what’s working and what’s not working in a number of areas.
We plan to do a more formal survey of all families, but if you have feedback that you’d like to share with me at any time, please email me at nardellimv@newton.k12.ma.us
BOOK FAIR THIS SUNDAY!
Stop by the tents behind HM from 9am-4pm this Sunday, October 18, to check out an amazing selection of books. Do some early winter holiday shopping, buy the new book that has a long wait list at the library, or get a treat for the readers in your family.
You must wear your mask and sanitize your hands before entering the tent. We will limit the number of shoppers allowed in the tents at a time. Credit card or check only; no cash.
Or, shop on-line through October 24 at https://www.scholastic.com/bf/hmbookfair
FOOD AND CULTURE NIGHT
Every October, the Horace Mann community hosts International Night, which last year became Food & Culture Night.
As is the case for most school events, we will not be able to have it in-person this fall. But we invite you to take part in this annual event in other ways. We hope you can all join us virtually to celebrate this wonderful HM tradition!
When: Friday, November 6, 2020, 6PM onwards
Where: Horace Mann PTO's website (www.horacemannpto.com) and on Zoom!
Who: All of us! - kids, family members, teachers....
Food & Culture Night (formerly International Night) has grown to be a sizable, memorable and fun evening celebrating the diversity of Horace Mann. Most of us have roots in other countries and states far from Newton. Food & Culture Night is an opportunity to share our cultures in different ways.
To celebrate this day, Horace Mann families are invited to introduce food, photos, games, dance, music clothing and more from countries, states and cultures where they have roots, or are interested in. This year, we invite everyone to get involved by:
SIGN UP HERE:
Food & Culture Night Sign Ups
Please note that there are tabs for each area/type of sharing/volunteering.
Looking forward to seeing you all!
Kate Carpenter Bernier, Heena Bhatt, Leah Even Chorev, Shanu Mehta
Food & Culture Night Committee 2020
UNDERSTANDING OUR DIFFERENCES
Although in-school events are on hold, you can still access the Understanding Our Differences curriculum at home. This program is aimed at grades 3-5, and they offer many resources for having powerful discussions at home.
From their website:
"Understanding Our Differences (UOD) is a nationally recognized, award-winning program that uses a hands-on, participatory curriculum to foster respect, acceptance, and inclusion for people of all abilities in elementary schools and communities at large.
The UOD approach is grounded in the belief that children are naturally curious about differences, and that accurate information can be the difference between acceptance and discrimination. The UOD program teaches students to be more inclusive and friendly, and to become allies of people with disabilities."
You can find the at-home resources here.
UPCOMING FORJ MEETING
Thursday, October 22nd 7:30pm - 9pm
ESSENTIAL INFO: In the interest of making things more accessible, I’ve highlighted key info here:
- RAISING HM SPIRITS - Please encourage your child to participate in our Spirit Project this week. Here’s a video and a slide show explaining the project:
- BOOK FAIR - Sunday, October 18th 9:00am-4:00pm
ONE TIME SCHEDULE CHANGE
- Tuesday, November 3rd (Voting Day) - will be a WEDNESDAY SCHEDULE
- Wednesday, November 4th - COHORT A Day
DETAILED UPDATES: If you would like more detail about what’s been happening at school, feel free to read the rest of the updates below:
Family Update:
The Nardelli family is adjusting to life in the hybrid school format, along with all of the other tasks that come with the various stages of life that we are in.
- Eliana studied hard over the summer to take a history course so she can stay on track for graduation this spring. She also got her learner’s permit this fall (we still have a long way to go before she drives anywhere but a parking lot) and just got her first paying job, working a couple of hours a week at the local book store.
- Julia is a sophomore and has her hands full with physics, algebra and a full slate of courses. She’s hoping to join the gymnastics team at the high school in December, and is training for volleyball, which will now take place in February.
- Alora turned 10 this September and spends her remote mornings getting her work done as quickly as possible so she can go out and play. She spends her other time participating in soccer and gymnastics as well.
- Finally, Vincent turns five on October 20th. He’s still in preschool and enjoying time with his friends, both at preschool and in our neighborhood. He has no problem wearing his mask for a good chunk of the day; it seems to be a normal part of every day life. We start hockey together next Saturday.
School Updates:
Every day, I am thankful that we get to come to school and see both staff and students in person. I am hopeful that with our plan in place, we can continue on this path for as long as possible. I know there have been questions about possibly extending the school day to 3:00pm. You should expect to hear from Superintendent David Fleishman next week on this topic.
Back to School/Curriculum Nights - We are currently planning several evening sessions on Zoom to share curriculum expectations for the school year and to offer you some time to connect with your child’s teacher. We are scheduling dates for the week of October 26th and/or November 1st. I will update you with specific dates and Zoom links next week.
Parent/Teacher Conferences - Conferences will take place later in November as well. More details to follow.
Assessments - We are well underway with reading assessments in grades 1-3. We should be able to create small reading groups next week for those grade levels. We will then assess our K students as well.
For all grades, we are using the Investigations Math program assessments to gauge where students are at in math.
For 4th and 5th grade students, we are using an online platform called iReady for our reading assessments.
Feedback Loop -Now that we have a few weeks under our belt, I have received emails from families about how things are going so far. Please keep those coming. I am also meeting with individual teachers and with grade level teams to find out what’s working and what’s not working in a number of areas.
- Remote schedule
- In-person schedule
- Technology
- Specials
- Assignments and workload
We plan to do a more formal survey of all families, but if you have feedback that you’d like to share with me at any time, please email me at nardellimv@newton.k12.ma.us
BOOK FAIR THIS SUNDAY!
Stop by the tents behind HM from 9am-4pm this Sunday, October 18, to check out an amazing selection of books. Do some early winter holiday shopping, buy the new book that has a long wait list at the library, or get a treat for the readers in your family.
You must wear your mask and sanitize your hands before entering the tent. We will limit the number of shoppers allowed in the tents at a time. Credit card or check only; no cash.
Or, shop on-line through October 24 at https://www.scholastic.com/bf/hmbookfair
FOOD AND CULTURE NIGHT
Every October, the Horace Mann community hosts International Night, which last year became Food & Culture Night.
As is the case for most school events, we will not be able to have it in-person this fall. But we invite you to take part in this annual event in other ways. We hope you can all join us virtually to celebrate this wonderful HM tradition!
When: Friday, November 6, 2020, 6PM onwards
Where: Horace Mann PTO's website (www.horacemannpto.com) and on Zoom!
Who: All of us! - kids, family members, teachers....
Food & Culture Night (formerly International Night) has grown to be a sizable, memorable and fun evening celebrating the diversity of Horace Mann. Most of us have roots in other countries and states far from Newton. Food & Culture Night is an opportunity to share our cultures in different ways.
To celebrate this day, Horace Mann families are invited to introduce food, photos, games, dance, music clothing and more from countries, states and cultures where they have roots, or are interested in. This year, we invite everyone to get involved by:
- Sending a recipe, recording a cooking video, or sending us local restaurant recommendations (with a recommended list of items to order).
- Hosting a country table in your home and have people Zoom in to visit you in your country home!
- Sending a video of your family participating in a dance, game, art/craft, song, dressing up in cultural attire, or another activity - teach us how.
- Sending a video of you and your child reading a children's picture book from your country, state or community.
- Sending us other ideas of things you can share digitally.
SIGN UP HERE:
Food & Culture Night Sign Ups
Please note that there are tabs for each area/type of sharing/volunteering.
Looking forward to seeing you all!
Kate Carpenter Bernier, Heena Bhatt, Leah Even Chorev, Shanu Mehta
Food & Culture Night Committee 2020
UNDERSTANDING OUR DIFFERENCES
Although in-school events are on hold, you can still access the Understanding Our Differences curriculum at home. This program is aimed at grades 3-5, and they offer many resources for having powerful discussions at home.
From their website:
"Understanding Our Differences (UOD) is a nationally recognized, award-winning program that uses a hands-on, participatory curriculum to foster respect, acceptance, and inclusion for people of all abilities in elementary schools and communities at large.
The UOD approach is grounded in the belief that children are naturally curious about differences, and that accurate information can be the difference between acceptance and discrimination. The UOD program teaches students to be more inclusive and friendly, and to become allies of people with disabilities."
You can find the at-home resources here.
UPCOMING FORJ MEETING
Thursday, October 22nd 7:30pm - 9pm
School Leaders Meeting
Please come join us for an evening of connection and restoration with School Leaders. (Here is our 2019-2020 School Leader's Report.) We miss you, and miss being able to connect before and after meetings. We will use the evening to hear from other school FORJ groups on what they are planning for the year and and how we can more easily replicate initiatives across the district. Also we'll have updates about city-wide initiatives and ways to become involved. It will be an interactive evening with both opportunities to connect and learn. RSVP Here
Thanks and Enjoy your weekend
Mark Nardelli
Principal
Thanks and Enjoy your weekend
Mark Nardelli
Principal
Friday, October 2, 2020
NewsNotes 10/3/2020
Dear HM Families,
I hope you are all doing well after our first two full weeks of school (and our first week of having grade 3-5 students in person). This update is intended for all HM families, including those enrolled in both the hybrid and DLA programs.
ESSENTIAL INFO: In the interest of making things more accessible, I’ve highlighted key info here:
- PTO INFORMATION MEETING - Monday evening at 7:00pm. The purpose of this meeting will be to share the role of the PTO, share some important events, and mention ways that families can get involved.
MEETING LINK - meet.google.com/kru-adfn-hqs
- DLA Materials Pickup - Thursday and Friday, OCTOBER 8th and 9th 1-3:00pm
Please just pull into the bus loop and we will bring the materials out to your vehicle.
- Flu Vaccine Clinics -
- Saturday, October 10, 9 a.m. to 12:00 noon, Newton North High School - (457 Walnut Street)
- Sunday, October 18, 9 a.m. to 12:00 noon, Newton South High School - (140 Brandeis Road)
- Registration is not yet open for these clinics. Online appointment registration will open by early next week at www.newtonma.gov/flu
DETAILED UPDATES: If you would like more detail about what’s been happening at school, feel free to read the rest of the updates below:
There have been a number of challenges in getting our school model off the ground this fall. One of the challenges has been navigating the fact that we have Horace Mann students and teachers operating in two different environments (Hybrid and DLA). At first, we thought that these models would operate as two completely separate schools each with its own staffing, culture, etc. However, as we’ve seen things play out and as we’ve heard from families, we realize the need to keep a close relationship between our two school communities, both for the sake of connection, as well as to make sure we are running two equitable programs. In the coming weeks, we will make a concerted effort to address several items:
- Community Building - We will make an effort to include all children with the chance to take part in community building efforts at our school. We will share school wide videos (the first will come out next Wednesday, October 7th), stories, community events, etc. We will also offer opportunities for students to participate in school wide projects.
- Communication - DLA families will hear from myself and Jen Shore on important events and developments. The HM PTO will also communicate to all families regarding school events (like Food and Culture Night or the Talent Show). On this note, we will host a PTO Information meeting this coming Monday evening at 7:00pm. The purpose of this meeting will be to share the role of the PTO, share some important events, and mention ways that families can get involved.
Meeting Link - meet.google.com/kru-adfn-hqs
- Interventions and Check-Ins - As I hire more staff (see below), we will make a concerted effort to provide students in both the hybrid and DLA models with access to adult support on days when the classroom teacher is not available.
- Some literacy interventions in both DLA and hybrid will begin over the next two weeks.
- Small group grade level check-ins (math and social)
- Success will be heavily dependent on staffing and I will prioritize younger grades first as I do hiring.
- DLA Materials - We will be scheduling monthly pickups for materials here at Horace Mann. Please make every effort to come during these pickup windows as the number of deliveries have become overwhelming for a small group of staff who are donating their time. The next window is scheduled for October 8th and 9th from 1-3pm each day. Please just pull into the bus loop and we will bring the materials out to your vehicle.
I also wanted to share some of what has been happening in the building over the first two weeks.
- Teacher Update - Teachers are truly excited for the opportunity to work with students in person after our long closure. They are also really committed to providing a solid and engaging home experience that allows students to be increasingly independent. I wanted to also share some bullet points about what the workload is like for many of them:
- Teachers are creating lessons for the REMOTE COHORT, for Wednesday (all REMOTE) and for the IN-PERSON COHORT. They worry greatly about being absent for any reason and worry about who could step into their shoes given the complexity of this model (I have the same worries).
- Special educators and ELL staff are managing schedules for multiple classrooms while also being responsible for their own lessons, for IEP services. The schedule for these teachers is really complex and we’ve been working to improve it on a daily basis.
- Most staff are working 14-16 hour days and throughout the weekend.
- All are spending a great deal of time learning technology, adapting curriculum, etc.
- Staffing Updates - We’ve been busy hiring staff to run our model more effectively. AS of next week, we will be fully hired for special education aides and behavior therapists. We’ve also hired a building aide and two grade level support staff to help with remote day check-ins and in-person programming. I am still looking to hire a number of grade level aides to help with check-ins for students on remote days.
- Assessment/Intervention/Check-Ins - This week, we will begin assessments in literacy for both hybrid and DLA students. This will include letter ID, sight word recognition, and reading comprehension for students in all grades. We will use the outcome of the assessments to determine who is in need of additional reading support. We will then create groups for our most needy students. These groups will take place mostly during remote days.
- SeeSaw and Google Classroom - Teachers comfort level for these platforms continues to grow. We met as grade levels this week to share different approaches to communicating and assigning work and to learn from one another. The formatting and use of the platforms will continue to evolve, and we will increasingly be using these platforms as the primary way to communicate and offer remote programming to students.
- Afternoon Schedules and DAD - I know several families have been asking about afternoon school activities for students who attend Day After Day.
- As of now, we are not including students in afternoon sessions due to space and technology constraints. Currently, every space in the school is in use from 2:00-3pm and in order to set students up to Zoom, we would need multiple available spaces, enough laptops, and enough headphones for each child. We simply can’t meet those expectations right now.
- Thankfully, the vast majority of students in DAD were in school that day, and don’t have a Zoom requirement in the afternoon. However, they will have an activity or assignment that may need to be completed at a later time.
- Crossing Guards and Walking Routes - I apologize for not sending this out sooner, but I wanted to share where our crossing guards are posted as well as some suggested walking routes. Click on this link to access those details:
- Cleaning Protocols - Rose and I spent some time this week reviewing responsibilities and best practices, and asked for feedback from teachers regarding cleaning protocols.
- Classroom teachers initially have taken on the bulk of responsibility for keeping student spaces and materials clean. They have done a great job managing materials and keeping student spaces clean, particularly during the changeover between cohorts (on Tuesday afternoons and Fridays).
- This week, we also reviewed expectations for our custodial staff on the additional disinfecting that must occur during the transition days in classrooms (beyond what teachers were being asked to do).
- Rose and I will continue to monitor disinfection of high touch areas and bathrooms to ensure cleanliness.
- Technology - We are getting closer to having technology available for all of our students. This means Chromebooks for students in grades 3-5 and iPads for students in grades K-2. A much more detailed email will come out with instructions...likely next week.
Flu Vaccine Clinics
Newton’s Health and Human Services Department has initially scheduled two drive-through/walk-up, appointment-based, weekend flu clinics open to Newton residents and Newton Public Schools students and their families.
Registration is not yet open for these clinics. Online appointment registration will open by early next week at www.newtonma.gov/flu.
Adults and children older than 6 months may be vaccinated at these clinics. Some high-dose flu vaccine will be available for adults who are at least 65 years old. These clinics are free and health insurance information is requested, but not required. If you do not have a vehicle, you may walk-up to receive a vaccine.
Saturday, October 10, 9 a.m. to 12:00 noon, Newton North High School
(457 Walnut Street)
Sunday, October 18, 9 a.m. to 12:00 noon, Newton South High School
(140 Brandeis Road)
Additional dates may be added depending upon demand.
Appointments are required and may fill quickly. Alternatively, consider getting a flu shot at another time and place; they are available in many locations, including primary healthcare provider offices, local pharmacies and urgent care clinics. A list of some additional options for flu shots can be found at newtonma.gov/flu.
Tuesday, September 8, 2020
Family Update 9/8/20
Dear HM Families,
I hope you are all well and enjoying the transition to cooler fall weather. We’ve been extremely busy over the past several weeks preparing for the opening of school. We continue to work on the master schedule, building procedures, visuals, safety protocols, student schedules, and more. In this update, you will find some brief information about parent info sessions next week, as well as our staffing for the school year.
Additional communications will come out later this week:
- ● Orientation Days - I will have more information about what the week of Sept 14th.
- ● High Needs - Individualized letters will go to families on Wednesday.
- ● Placement - Will also be shared on Wednesday (more info below).
- ● Letters/emails from individual classroom teachers.
Information Sessions : Based on the schedule below, we will offer important info sessions for families to go over basic procedures and to answer questions you may have. All sessions will be 1 hour long, and we will use the same Zoom link. The sessions will be recorded for later viewing.
September 8, 2020
Monday, September 14th | Tuesday, September 15th |
7:00-8:00 PM ALL K-2 Families | 7:00-8:00 PM ALL 3-5 Families |
Join Zoom Meeting https://newton-k12-ma-us.zoom.us/j/94314614233 Meeting ID: 943 1461 4233 Passcode: 660872 | |
Staffing : As the superintendent outlined in his letter on Friday, we have had changes to our staffing for this year. For Horace Mann, the changes are outlined below:
Kindergarten In-Person/Hybrid Teachers
| Note: Michelle Magno will join us as our new Kindergarten teacher. Michelle has worked at Burr for the past four years as a special education aide, K classroom aide, and first grade long term sub. |
Grade One In-Person/Hybrid Teachers
| Note:
|
Grade Two In-Person/Hybrid Teachers
| Note: ● Karen Sandison will be teaching one cohort of grade 2, and one cohort of grade 3. 2nd Grade students will attend in-person in Cohort A, while 3rd grade students will attend in-person on Cohort B. We will have additional details about what this looks like at our info sessions next week. |
Grade Three In-Person/Hybrid Teachers
DLA Teacher - Molly Norris (Franklin Elementary School) | Note: ● Karen Sandison will be teaching one cohort of grade 2, and one cohort of grade 3. 2nd Grade students willattend in-person in Cohort A, while 3rd grade students will attend in-person on Cohort B. We will have additional details about what this looks like at our info sessions next week. |
Grade Four In-Person/Hybrid Teachers
| ● Note: Sara Lozzi is the newest addition to our 4th grade team. Sara has worked as a behavior therapist and aide across grade levels and classrooms over the past several years at Horace Mann. Most recently, Sara completed her student teaching assignment in our 4th grade co-taught. |
Grade Five In-Person/Hybrid Teachers
| ● Note: Sara Angelo will come on board as our new 5th grade teacher. Sara did her student teaching a couple of years back with Lisa Moore, spent time as an interventionist and long term sub in another district, and returned to HM last year as a special education aide in 5th grade. |
Placements : Cohort placements and teacher assignments will come out in Aspen on Wednesday morning at 9:00am.
Please understand that this year’s placement process has been extremely complex. Just to give you a few examples:
- ● We had many requests from families for specific cohort assignments and family pairings.
- ● We have cohort constraints related to families who have children at multiple schools.
- ● We have limits on the number of desks we can actually fit into a given classroom space.
- ● We had to plan for students who will be attending school more than two days per week.
Given these constraints, please understand that we will not be able to honor cohort change or placement change requests. Having said that, please reach out to me directly with any concerns or questions. We understand how hard this is for families, and we are doing our best to be responsive and supportive.
I will be in touch later this week with more information! Thank you,
Mark Nardelli
Principal
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