Perspectives

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The teachers look forward to conferences with the families. They work hard to prepare. We are excited to open conference sign up for the fall.

Here is the link to sign up: https://ptcfast.com/schools/Horace_Mann_School.

Conferences will be

• Tuesday, November 10, 3:00-7:00pm
• Thursday, November 12, 3:00-7:00pm
• Friday, November 13, 8:00am-12:00pm

We are able to offer one conference per family per child (due to our student numbers and the short time dedicated for conferences). If you need a virtual conference, please email your child's teacher directly. They will schedule with you and create the link.

If you need any assistance, please call the school office at 651-293-8965.

Principal Litwin will have a pot of coffee and time to chat on Thursday, November 5 from 7:00-8:00am in the library. He is able to chat about your questions and concerns. He also hopes to get input on two questions.

• How has the first quarter gone? Successes? Challenges?

• How could we improve the ways we highlight what makes our school special to keep strong enrollment?

• How well do we help families choose the best options for your child's unique needs?

If you have feedback on these three questions and can't make it, feel free to email jim.litwin@spps.org.

Free 40-Hour Professional Training & Community Leadership Practicum

Learn to lead differently. Help families navigate chronic conflict. Build solutions that last.
At The Katallasso Group, we're investing in people who want to become stronger differentiated leaders in their families, workplaces, and communities.This is more than mediation training. It's an opportunity to develop the personal leadership, systems thinking, and restorative skills needed to help people navigate difficult relationships and recurring conflict.

Our goal is to help people move from chronic conflict toward greater stability, healthier relationships, and sustainable agreements they have the skills and ownership to carry forward ultimately halting or stopping deeper system involvement.

Who Is This Opportunity For? We're looking for individuals who:

• Are committed to ongoing personal leadership development.
• Are willing to examine their own assumptions, reactions, and approaches to conflict.
• Can remain curious when others think, believe, or behave differently.
• Want to understand the patterns and systems that contribute to recurring conflict.
• Believe people should have meaningful ownership in decisions affecting their lives.
• Are interested in using restorative mediation skills to strengthen their family of origin, their workplace, and their communities.
• Are willing to practice, receive feedback, and grow through challenging experiences.

Go to https://www.thekatallassogroup.com/training to apply for free training.

We are looking for some great fall photos to update our website!

If you have any vibrant, candid photos that showcase your child’s personality, energy, and everyday adventures, please send them our way! We hope to feature genuine moments of joy on our official page.

What We’re Looking For

• Action & Emotion: Focus on joy, interest, and fun.

• Close-Up Shots: We want to see those bright smiles clearly!

• Candid Moments: Unposed, natural interactions capture the true spirit of our kids better than staged portraits.

• High Quality: Clear, well-lit digital images work best for website display.

We will not use names or grades. By sending in your photos, you grant Horace Mann School permission to feature them on our official website and promotional materials. Email the photo to jim.litwin@spps.org or share a Google link to jim.litwin@stpaul.k12.mn.us.

Help us show the world what makes our school family so special—dig through your camera rolls and send us your favorite fall snaps today!

We are looking for a dedicated individual to join our school family as a Reading Corps Tutor.

You will support Kindergarten-Third Grade students in building crucial literacy skills. You will work directly with students in a part-time capacity (15-20 hours per week). You will deliver proven, 20-minute daily reading interventions that help young learners make growth—sometimes gaining up to 50% more progress than a standard school year. No formal teaching license is required, as complete training and ongoing coaching are provided to help you guide students toward reading proficiency, boost their confidence, and set them up for lifelong academic success. You can learn more at https://readingandmath.org/programs/reading-corps/.

If you have a passion for making a lasting difference in children's lives and want to serve right here at Horace Mann, we would love to have you on our team—contact Principal Litwin at jim.litwin@spps.org for next steps.

The K/1 music concert is Tuesday, April 20 (not March 20 as it was initially printed). See you there!

Thanks to the 2nd grade family that kindly donated the electric keyboard. Lots of young friends stop in to play a few notes on the keyboard and piano on school mornings to improvise or practice. Now we have double the fun!

Thanks to the Horace Mann PTA for their support: the kazoos for the K/1 concert arrived. We will start practicing with them as soon as students have learned the whole song. Each student will get to take their kazoo home with them after the concert.

Ms. Stephanie Bowron, Music Teacher

Girls on the Run will be completing their Community Impact Project- and you can help out, too! But, the deadline is QUICK- please bring any non-perishable food donations and any extra paper bags to the Horace Mann office on Monday 11/2 or Tuesday 11/3.

Requested Items to donate: Peanut Butter, Jelly, Ramen, Mac and Cheese, Noodles and Pasta sauce, Broth, Cereal, Canned Fruits/Vegetables, Canned Tuna/Chicken, and more listed here: Horace Mann & The Heights School Resource Room Drive

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

Friday, October 30

• No School- Conference Prep Day

Sunday, November 1

• End of Daylight Savings Time- roll clocks back 1 hour

Monday, November 2

• 2:00-3:45pm Extended Day for Learning (EDL) for Grades 4-5
• 3:30-5:00pm Girls on the Run
• 6:00-7:45pm PTA Auction Committee Planning Meeting in Library

Tuesday, November 3

• 2:00-3:00pm Language Sprout Spanish in Rooms 1202 & 1204
• 2:10-3:10pm Community Education Classes

Wednesday, November 4

• 8:15am Tour for Prospective Families
• 1:00-1:30pm Marvella Book Buddies with Ms. Johnson's Class
• 2:00-3:45pm Extended Day for Learning (EDL) for Grades 4-5
• 3:30-5:00pm Girls on the Run
• 6:00-7:30pm PTA Meeting in the Library

Thursday, November 5

• 7:00-8:00am Coffee and Conversation with the Principal in the Library
• 2:00-3:00pm Language Sprout Spanish in Rooms 1202 & 1204

Saturday, November 7

• 9:00-11:00am Garden and Grounds Clean Up

Monday, November 9

• 2:00-3:45pm Extended Day for Learning (EDL) for Grades 4-5
• 3:30-5:00pm Last fall Girls On the Run

Tuesday, November 10

• No Language Sprout Spanish or Community Education Classes
• 3:00-7:00pm Fall Conferences

Wednesday, November 11

• Veterans Day
• 2:00-3:45pm Extended Day for Learning (EDL) for Grades 4-5

Thursday, November 12

• No Language Sprout Spanish
• 3:00-7:00pm Fall Conferences

Friday, November 13

• No School - 8:00am-12:00pm Fall Conferences

The next PTA meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 4th from 6-7pm in the Horace Mann Library. School-age childcare will be provided by 5th graders in the gym.

Our meeting will include a guest speaker, the Horace Mann band director, Bella Marek, along with discussions about future PTA events including some budget discussion, a Principal's discussion, and updates from our PTA committees. We want to hear from you! Join us to share your ideas, ask questions, and help shape the priorities of the PTA this year.

Join us on the school grounds of Horace Mann School the morning of Saturday, November 7 from 9 AM to 11 AM for a fall cleanup! Please bring rakes, weeding tools, gloves. Kids are absolutely welcome to help and encouraged to come. We will tidy up the in-ground garden beds as well as the raised beds, tucking them in for the winter. Coffee and hot chocolate will be provided. Questions? Email Koepke.brigitte@gmail.com.

The PTA's Family Volunteer committee is still collecting critically needed food, hygiene, and new/gently used fall or winter clothing or monetary donations to purchase those items. All donations will be provided to school support staff at Horace Mann and The Heights schools to distribute to elementary students and their families.

• What to donate: Please view this link for specific items needed.

• Other ways to support: Make a direct financial contribution here. Donations will be used to purchase needed food, hygiene, or clothing items.

• When to donate: drop off Items in the Horace Mann Main Door Entry between October 12 and November 3rd.

All donations can be dropped off in Horace Mann Main Door Entry through Tuesday, November 3rd. Thanks to all who have already donated, your support will help students have the resources they need to succeed throughout the school year!

The Horace Mann Read-A-Thon is designed to create and reinforce strong reading habits in our students while raising funds to support various school-wide activities such as field trips, the library, and Art Adventure. (Fundraising is an optional part of participating in the Read-A-Thon.)

We had a great kickoff to the Read-A-Thon on Monday with Ms. Witt and Detective Bookman (aka Ms Kortuem) getting the students excited for The Great Horace Mann Read-A-Thon Mystery: The Case of the Missing Celebration!

Students will help solve the mystery by tracking their reading minutes and unlocking clues. Aim for 15–30 minutes of reading at home each day! Students will spend and track additional reading time in class.

• Information packets went home with your student on 10/26 and the RAT officially starts Sunday, Nov 1.

• Donations can be made throughout the month by mailing a check to the school or online via GiveButter.

• The closing ceremony will take place on Friday, December 18 at 8am in Holleran Hall.

• Celebrations for top reading classes the week of December 21st!

Come visit the Scholastic Book Fair in the Horace Mann Library during fall conferences! We'll be there with books, journals, posters, and so much more every day of fall conferences (11/10, 11/12, and 11/13). Watch for a flyer with more information coming home with your student soon!

We look forward to seeing you at the Book Fair!

President: Katie Bliss, president@hms-pta.org

Vice-President: Molly Mons president@hms.-pta.org

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

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

Communications: Amanda Prutzman, communications@hms-pta.org

Volunteer Coordinator: Emily Phelps and Annie Mach, volunteer.coordinator@hms-pta.org

Recorders: Sarah Liuzzi and Bethany Hyde, recorder@hms-pta.org

Email: jim.litwin@spps.org
Website: https://mann.spps.org/
Location: Horace Mann School, 2001 Eleanor Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55116
Phone: 651-293-8965
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SPPSHoraceMannSchool/