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.

Know a friend, relative, or neighbor seeking a school for next year? Encourage them to visit Horace Mann School and see the students in action on Thursday, January 30.

Open House is 8:00am to 1:00pm. 5th Grade Ambassadors will guide visitors through the building. Kindergarten teachers will be available to chat in their rooms 9:40-10:20am.

Questions? Call the school office at 651-293-8965.

K/1 Students have been learning about faster and slower tempos in music, and showing the beat with our bodies. Sometimes that looks like 'dancing' but we start small! These musicians continue to build on their songs for the April 15 concert, and they're poised to amaze you with the tuneful melodies and lyrics knitted into their young memories. Sometimes they even surprise me by how quickly they are ready to learn the next verse!

2/3 This hardworking group of students has a concert to share in 3 weeks, on Tuesday February 4. Next week an email will go out to all 2nd and 3rd grade families with all the finer details about the concert. If you didn't already have it on your calendar, please plan to be at school by 5:45 that evening with your student... they have songs and instruments and even some impressive choreography to show you! There's no cost for the concert: in fact, I think you'll feel 'richer' when you leave that night.

4/5 Fourth and fifth graders shared a fantastic concert with the school and families in December: I hope you saw in a previous Perspectives that we had a visit from a beloved MN musician (thanks to Molly Mons for making that connection!). He had such a good time at the concert that he offered to come back next year: it's moving to see kids making music and sharing feelings together like that. Now we're moving towards our spring musical (students vote next week), and we also have a little space to have some fun with performance-free music theory, history, culture, and exploration.

Thank you for your kind support as always-

Ms. Bowron (Horace Mann's music teacher)

Stephanie.Bowron@spps.org

The GOTR program at Horace Mann will begin the week of April 7th and end with a 5K on the weekend of May 31/June 1 - but we can't do it without YOU! We are seeking a few more coaching volunteers for the season who can commit to 1-2 days/week from approximately 3:30-5pm. We will choose the days of the week we practice based on coach availability.

You do NOT need to be a runner to coach! In fact, our coaching is at its best when we have coaches with many different abilities, interests, etc. We welcome dads, uncles, grandparents, nonbinary adults, moms, aunts, and adult siblings!

If you'd like to learn more, check out this webpage or contact Christina.Connelly@gmail.com. If you're interested in signing your girl up for the season, stay tuned; registration will open in February.

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, January 20

• No School - Martin Luther King, Jr Holiday

Tuesday, January 21

• 7:15-7:35am School Store
• 2:00-3:00pm Language Sprouts Spanish

Wednesday, January 22

• 8:15am Tour for Prospective Families
• 2:00-3:45pm Extended Day for Learning (EDL)

Thursday, January 23

• 2:00-3:00pm Language Sprouts Spanish
• 2:15-3:30pm Leadership Team in Room 2104

Friday, January 24

• End of 2nd Quarter

Monday, January 27

• No School - Teacher Professional Development

Tuesday, January 28

• 7:15-7:35am School Store
• 2:00-3:00pm Language Sprouts Spanish

Wednesday, January 29

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

Thursday, January 30

• 8:00am-1:00pm Open House for Prospective Families
• 2:00-3:00pm Language Sprouts Spanish
• 2:00-3:15pm Winter Community Education Classes Start

Friday, January 31

• 12:45-1:45pm Grade 2-3 Concert Rehearsal in Holleran Hall

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/

Welcome back to the 2nd edition of Gnome Knows! Did you check out the new auction website last week? Be sure to bookmark the link to stay up to date! Now, let’s dive into this week’s topic: FAQs!

• I’d like to donate an item for the online auction. How do I do that?
  It’s simple! Head to our website and fill out the donation form — quick and easy — plus, donations are tax-deductible!
  

• I want to support the silent auction, but I don’t have an item to donate. Can I support financially?
  Absolutely! We rely on contributions from our school families and local businesses to fill both our silent and live auctions with exciting items. We also curate special themed bundles, and your financial donations help us bring these ideas to life. Want to contribute to our auction wishlist? Email us to get started!
  

• Can my business sponsor the event?
  Yes, we’d love your support! Local businesses can donate items or experiences (think: free lessons from School of Rock or a case of wine from Thomas Liquors) or sponsor our auction. Tiers start at $250.

Stay tuned for next week’s topic: all about Great Gatherings. 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.

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

The Yearbook needs your photos! The yearbook wants to see all those smiling faces and include them in the yearbook for all to enjoy. Don't wait until the spring to send in photos of your kids and their Horace Mann friends, send them as you take them! Email all photos to yearbook@hms-pta.org. Please include your child's grade and teacher in the subject line.

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.