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.

Spring is right around the corner and Horace Mann is preparing for an upgrade to our outdoor learning spaces.

Please save the date for our Spring Clean-Up event! On Saturday, April 12th, the Horace Mann Garden Committee and the PTA's Landscape Committee are joining forces to host a grounds cleanup AND raised garden beds building day!

We are looking for many volunteers and would love for your family to join us. Please click here to see if there's a task or two you can help us with.

Bring the whole family and let's work together to get Horace Mann ready for spring!

Watch the video above to get information on the 2025-2026 school year budget.

Important Links

• SPPS Achieves focus areas
• community priorities
• spps.org/fy26budget

• FY25 Adopted Budget

• FY25 Budget Engagement Summary

Please provide feedback to inform both this year and next year's budget:

Use the link to complete a short survey: https://tinyurl.com/budgetHMS

Thank you!

The return of Rollerskating in PE classes is quickly approaching. Students in grades 1-5 will participate in a 5-day Rollerskating unit, during their PE classes. Our PTA is covering the cost of renting the skates, for the 3-weeks of skating, so no charge to families. Big thanks to our PTA for that!

Everything the students need will be provided (skates, helmets, elbow and knee pads, and wrist guards). Students are strongly encouraged though, to bring their own helmets, as they will likely fit them better than what will be provided. They may be helmets used for biking, skateboarding, or hockey. Students are required to wear the rollerskates provided.

There is no permission slip to sign this year! The Disco skating playlist is currently being assembled!

Any questions can be directed to Mr. Castillo.

Here is the schedule of when classes will skate:

• April 28-May 2: Jacobsen, Hwang, Commers, Kath, and Pickart
• May 5-9: Kacky, Ryan, Witt, Tennyson, and Simmer
• May 12-16: Kortuem, Johnson, Vincent, Jalonack, and Reckard

We’re excited to announce an additional Discovery Club location opening next fall at the Community Education Hub in the JJ Hill building at 998 Selby Avenue! Discovery Club is a high-quality, fee-based school-age care program serving kindergarten through fifth-grade students. This new site will provide an after-school care alternative for families at Horace Mann and Randolph Heights in an attempt to address the waitlist.

Who can enroll? K-5 students from Horace Mann and Randolph Heights.

Is transportation provided? Yes, youth will be bused from their home school. Families are responsible for completing these arrangements with their home school.

How/when do we register?

• More information and a link to register can be found at www.spps.org/discoveryclub
• Open registration begins April 21st at 9:00 am
• Families will register for their attending school’s Discovery Club location (Horace Mann or Randolph Heights). A question will be asked during the registration process to indicate interest in the Community Education Hub option. The DC office will follow-up with those who have interest within 14 days.
• Enrollment is first-come, first-served

Please contact the Discovery Club office at 651-632-3793 or Discovery.Club@spps.org with any questions.

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

Monday, April 14

• 8:30am-1:00pm Hwang and Johnson Class Field Trip to Como Zoo
• 10:45, 11:25, 12:10 Lunch Concerts by 2nd Year Band
• 12:50pm MCA Parade
• 2:00-3:45pm Extended Day for Learning (EDL)
• 3:30-5:00pm Girls on the Run
• 6:00-8:00pm Special Education Advisory Council at 360 Colborne

Tuesday, April 15

• 7:15-7:35am School Store
• Grades 3-5 MCA Reading Test (Gr 3 & 5 8:15-9:45am, Gr 4 9:15-10:45am)
• 1:00pm K-Gr 1 Music Concert for the School in the Gym
• 2:00-3:00pm Language Sprouts Spanish
• 6:00pm K-Gr 1 Music Concert for Families in the Gym

Wednesday, April 16

• Grades 3-5 MCA Reading Test (Gr 3 & 5 8:15-9:45am, Gr 4 9:15-10:45am)
• 7:45-10:45am Author/Illustratror Rick Chrustowski Residency with First Grade
• 2:00-3:45pm Extended Day for Learning (EDL)
• 3:30-5:00pm Girls on the Run
• 5:00-8:00pm Somali Parent Advisory Council at 360 Colborne
• 5:30-8:00pm Hmong Parent Advisory Council at 360 Colborne

Thursday, April 17

• Grades 3-5 MCA Reading Make Up Testing (Gr 3 & 5 8:15-9:45am, Gr 4 9:15-10:45am)
• 10:00-12:00pm Doenges' & Glass' Field Trip to MIA
• 2:00-3:00pm Language Sprouts Spanish
• 2:00-3:10pm Spring Community Education Classes
  
• 6:00pm PTA Board Meeting in Library

Friday, April 18

• No School- Teacher Professional Development

Monday, April 21

• 2:00-3:45pm Extended Day for Learning (EDL)
• 3:30-5:00pm Girls on the Run

Tuesday, April 22

• 7:15-7:35am School Store
• Grades 3-5 MCA Math Test (Gr 3 & 5 8:15-9:45am, Gr 4 9:15-10:45am)
• 2:00-3:00pm Language Sprouts Spanish
• 5:30-7:00pm Parents of African American Students Advisory Council at 360 Colborne

Wednesday, April 23

• Grades 3-5 MCA Math Test (Gr 3 & 5 8:15-9:45am, Gr 4 9:15-10:45am)
• 8:30am-1:00pm Ryan Class Field Trip to Como Zoo
• 2:00-3:45pm Extended Day for Learning (EDL)
• 3:30-5:00pm Girls on the Run
  

Thursday, April 24

• Grades 3-5 Make Up MCA Math Test (Gr 3 & 5 8:15-9:45am, Gr 4 9:15-10:45am)
• 2:00-3:00pm Language Sprouts Spanish
• 2:00-3:10pm Spring Community Education Classes
• 6:00-7:15pm Johnson Academic Parent Teacher Team (APTT) in Room 1101

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/

Last week parent volunteers provided HMS teachers and staff with meals to help support them though evening conferences. Thank you to Mariah Tollgaard for organizing this important PTA sponsored event!

Thank you to all of the volunteers who provided meals and helped with setting up and cleaning up. Thank you to all of you who donated food or made a financial contribution to provide delicious food for our teachers. And a special shout out to Ms. Judy Browne for her assistance with all the logistics.

Get ready for the PTA Spring Carnival on Friday, May 30, 5:00-8:00 pm! We'll be partying with games, inflatables, prizes, and food trucks to celebrate another great school year!

Returning in 2025: our Excellent Condition Prize Drive! Thanks to last year's enthusiastic response, we will be collecting small, gently-used toys and prizes to be reused at our spring carnival. Please bring in pre-loved items other friends would love to play with. Clean out your shelves and help reduce our plastic footprint. As our limited volunteer staff will be sorting and storing donations, please ONLY bring in items that meet our needs.

YES items to donate:

• Excellent condition
• Trinkets, fidgets, figurines, etc.
• Clean items, with no stains or damage
• Must be smaller than a pop can

NO, please do not bring in:

• NO broken toys
• NO stuffed animals or cloth items
• NO games or books, or items with multiple pieces

Please bring your excellent condition prizes to Horace Mann's main entrance (red doors) through Friday, May 9. For questions or after-hours or weekend drop off, please contact Jennifer Duda Butwinick at (651) 983-5258 or jekduda@gmail.com. Thank you!

There are many Great Gathering events still available. They will remain open for registration until sold out so there is still time to sign up to enjoy one (or two or three) this year!

Great Gatherings Spotlight

Oula Exercise Dance Class on Thursday, April 24 at 5:30PM.

Join us in the HMS gym for an hour of high-intensity cardio with easy-to-follow choreography, mindfulness practices, and a culture of inclusivity — all to an energetic pop soundtrack. Our instructor, Debi, will lead us through the music and teach us everything we need to know to have a great time. No experience necessary, and all levels welcome! Join us for a chance to have some fun and try something new in a judgement free zone. We promise you will love it! Hosts: Ann Olsen-Samms and Karen Vander Sanden.

Check out some upcoming Great Gatherings that still have spots open:

• April 25- 5th Grade Parents Whirly Ball
• May 2- Pickleball, Pints & a Party with a Purpose!
• May 9- 5th Grade Moms Happy Hour

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.