Perspectives

This newsletter provides updates, information and event details for Horace Mann School, the Horace Mann School Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), and Saint Paul Public Schools. It is published weekly and distributed through email. Past issues can be found at mann.spps.org.

Families with incoming students must enroll their child for next school year, EVEN IF they already have siblings in the school. The deadline to apply is Friday, February 14. Go to apply.spps.org. Call the school office with any questions.

We are excited to announce that we will be celebrating National African American Parent Involvement Day (NAAPID) on February 10th! Horace Mann wants to recognize that you make a difference in your student's success. Please join us to help celebrate Black History Month and let us thank you for all that you do.

Here’s what we have planned:

• Classroom Visits 8:00-9:15: You are welcome to join your child in their classroom for a visit! Don't be surprised if the teacher puts you to work or the class has a special activity!

• 1st Grade “Starbooks cafe” 7:45-9:15: 1st Grade families will meet in Holleran Hall for Black History Month crafts and treats!

• All School Assembly 9:30am: Each grade level will be doing a short performance.

• Lunch with your student: You are welcome to stay for lunch with your student and then say your goodbyes at the end of our programming.

Please reach out to volunteer for the day or with any questions- to the teacher for class activities or the principal for school info. We look forward to seeing you and celebrating this special occasion together!

Thank you for your ongoing support and involvement in our school community.

State and federal laws require that all English Learner (EL) students are assessed yearly to measure their English reading, writing, listening and speaking progress. This information is also available in Hmong, Karen, Somali, and Spanish. Call the school office for a copy.

Minnesota uses the WIDA ACCESS for ELLs test as its annual assessment. These tests are used to see if students meet the WIDA English Language Development Standards and if a student is ready to exit from SPPS’s EL program. EL students who receive special education services and who meet certain guidelines may take the WIDA Alternate ACCESS test instead.

All SPPS EL students in grades K-12 will be given the ACCESS for ELLs or WIDA Alternate ACCESS tests between January 27 - March 21, 2025.

For more information on English language proficiency assessments and the MDE Parent/Guardian Participation Guide and Refusal form, please go to:

• ACCESS Family Test Information website: spps.org/about/departments/research-evaluation-assessment/test-coordination/access-family-information

• MDE Family Testing Information website: education.mn.gov/MDE/fam/tests/

If you have questions , please reach out to Regina Scheuring, EL Teacher.

The Horace Mann Lego Robotics teams competed in the SPPS district First Lego League tournament on January 18th and both teams did very well.

The Tidal Titans received the Engineering Excellence Award. The team was able to communicate to the judges how they used Google Docs to organize their research. They shared how they used comment and wait blocks in programming to help make improvements. They explained the quick attachment features of the robot and their quest for a high number of missions (14). That team included Kai, Richard, Cooper, Javier, Archer, Avi, Hattie, Willa, Addy, and one other student.

The Non-Polluting Narwhals got the Robot Performance Award. It goes to the high score in each Judging Group in the robot competition. They received a Robot Design Award for understanding and communicating the features of their robot design and programming. They used the same quick change attachments and program comment blocks that helped the Titans. Their ability to communicate efficiently and effectively both the process they used over the season and what they learned is what sets the tournament teams apart. That team included Selby, Zadie, Andrew, Tommy, Frost, Emmett, Leo, and one other student.

The Narwhals won the right to compete at state! They will compete against 59 other teams from across Minnesota on Sunday, February 16 at Burnsville High School. Good luck Narwhals!

Girls on the Run (GOTR) is a fun, evidence-based program that inspires girls and non-binary individuals in 3rd through 5th grade to recognize their inner strength, increase their level of physical activity, imagine their possibilities, and confidently stand up for themselves and others.

Horace Mann will have at least one team and possibly two depending on the number of volunteer coaches we are able to secure. Teams will practice two times per week from 3:30-5pm starting the week of April 7 (days TBA depending on coach availability), and a final celebratory 5K will take place on the weekend of May 31/June 1.

There will be a lottery registration for Team 1 that is open from Feb 1-7 (does not matter when you submit registration within that week), with spots awarded on Feb 8. All remaining spots will be available for registration on a first-come, first-served basis from Feb 8 through the start of the season. Registration is $200, but GOTR also offers a pay-what-you-can model so every child is able to participate regardless of financial resources.

Contact christina.connelly@gmail.com with questions!

Girls on the Run is SO MUCH FUN!

Bookmark our school calendar. It can be found at the top of our website. Here are some highlights for the next two weeks.

Monday, February 3

• 2:00-3:45pm Extended Day for Learning (EDL)

Tuesday, February 4

• 8:45am Grade 2-3 Music Concert for the school in the gym
• 2:00-3:00pm Language Sprouts Spanish
• 6:00pm Grade 2-3 Music Concert for families in the gym

Wednesday, February 5

• 9:00am-1:00pm 5th Grade Field Trip to Biztown
• 2:00-3:45pm Extended Day for Learning (EDL)

Thursday, February 6

• 2:00-3:00pm Language Sprouts Spanish
• 2:00-3:15pm Winter Community Education Classes

Friday, February 7

• 9:30am Afoutayi Haitian Dance, Music, and Arts Performance in the Gym
• 12:00-1:30pm 3rd Grade Walking Field Trip to Highland Library

Monday, February 10

• National African American Parent Involvement Day- see above for details
• 2:00-3:45pm Extended Day for Learning (EDL)

Tuesday, February 11

• 7:15-7:35am School Store in 1st Floor Hall
• 2:00-3:00pm Language Sprouts Spanish

Wednesday, February 12

• 2:00-3:45pm Extended Day for Learning (EDL)

Thursday, February 13

• 2:00-3:00pm Language Sprouts Spanish
• 2:00-3:15pm Winter Community Education Classes
• 6:00-7:15pm Ms. Johnson's Class Academic Parent Teacher Team

Friday, February 14

• Valentine's Day- please follow teacher directions for the day

Perspectives Submission Deadline: Thursdays by 8:00am

Email: jim.litwin@spps.org
Website: https://mann.spps.org/
Location: 2001 Eleanor Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55116

Phone: 651-293-8965
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SPPSHoraceMannSchool/

Get ready for an exciting week of auction fun! It all begins with preview weekend, which leads us into the launch of the online silent auction. You can bid all week, right up until the highly anticipated live auction. This in-person, adults-only event features exclusive items and unforgettable experiences. Don’t miss out! Tickets for the live auction go on sale February 3.

• March 14-15 preview weekend – a sneak peek of all auction items!

• March 16-21 online bidding & Great Gatherings registration

• March 21 live auction – tickets on sale Feb 3

Gnome Tips:

• You don’t need to attend the live auction event to participate in the online silent auction, it’s open to all!

• Download the mobile app to bid anytime, anywhere! Browse items and receive countdown reminders, instant outbid notifications, and more! If you’re attending the in-person event, you can keep bidding from your phone until the very last second.

• There’s still time to donate an item or experience or become a business sponsor!

Stay tuned for next week’s topic: a first-timer’s guide to the live auction. In the meantime, contact us at auction@hms-pta.org with any questions.

Auction Committee Co-Chairs: Allison Deep, Sarah Haley, Virginia Ryan

Please save the date for a Horace Mann community family service night. Volunteer with other HMS families to help pack items for local nonprofits.

When: Feb 20th 6:00-7:00pm in Holleran Hall.

Activities will include:

• Packing snack bags for SPPS students served by Project Reach

• Making sandwiches for Simpson Housing Services

• Creating welcome bags for Women of Nations to provide to children leaving domestic violence

• Packing grab-and-go bags with notes of encouragement for Hope Lodge patients and families attending cancer treatment

Want to get involved?

We need volunteers to help run this event. Shifts are scheduled to run for half of the event, plus time for set up or clean up, so that you can also participate in the event. To volunteer, please sign up here. Thank you!

Questions? Contact Chandra Kilgriff at chandra.kilgriff@gmail.com or Abigail Mosher at abigailemosher@gmail.com.

Horace Mann Service Night will host a hygiene drive for Bridge to Basics– providing requested hygiene items to local nonprofits who distribute to our neighbors.

February 12 - 21, we will be collecting new, full size, non-expired hygiene items. Donations can be brought to the school office February 12 - 21, and to HMS Community Service night on February 20th.

See the Bridge to Basics flyer for more details.

The PTA is looking for volunteers to serve on the Board next school year. The Board provides overall leadership and decision making for the PTA budget and activities we host each school year.

Volunteering on the board is a great way to work with other parents to support the school community. All HMS caregivers are welcome and no PTA experience is necessary! We strive to rotate board members every year to bring in new voices and perspectives with a goal of reflecting and representing the entire school community.

Below are the specific roles needed for next year:

President

The president is responsible for the overall administration and organization of the PTA. The president leads the Board and helps to ensure that general operations of the group are running smoothly. Option to have a co-president role to ensure smooth transition.

Vice president or co-president

This role works in collaboration with the president and helps support the overall work and organization of the PTA and can fill in gaps where needed.

Volunteer coordinator

The volunteer coordinator works closely with the Board and Committees to assess the need for volunteers and performs outreach activities to inform about volunteer opportunities and recruit volunteers.

Communications lead

The communications lead assists with creating PTA communications for the school newsletter, emails, the PTA website and the parent facebook group.

Want to get involved but not sure what role? We’re happy to have a conversation to share more details about the work and time commitment.

Please reach out to Grace at president@hms-pta.org and Christine at volunteer.coordinator@hms-pta.org for more information.

President: Grace Hanson, president@hms-pta.org

Vice-President: Gina Corradi, president@hms.-pta.org

Treasurer: Alex Stuart & Sam Smith, treasurer@hms-pta.org

Teacher Reps: Amy Kortuem & Mark Lindskoog, teacher-rep@hms-pta.org

Communications: Lisa Ortmann, communications@hms-pta.org

Volunteer Coordinator: Christine Holloway, volunteer.coordinator@hms-pta.org

Recorders: Andrea Gleckner & Sarah Liuzzi, recorder@hms-pta.org

Check the HMS PTA website for the most up to date information about meetings, latest forms, announcements, contact information, volunteer opportunities and more. Click on the “Treasurer’s report and Budget” to see this year’s budget. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions please email web-admin@hms-pta.org.

Saint Paul Public Schools (SPPS) is not sponsoring, endorsing, or recommending the activities/events announced in the PTA Section and no SPPS student will be turned away due to inability to pay.