Perspectives
November 6, 2026
![Drawing of children doing garden clean up with rakes, wheelbarrows, and fall leaves]](https://cdn.smore.com/u/thumbs/e0f8/thumb-7093f887a4d73b16bc6d2343d65f16d7.png "Drawing of children doing garden clean up with rakes, wheelbarrows, and fall leaves]")
FALL GARDEN CLEAN UP TOMORROW!
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
Preparing for Conferences with a Teacher
Before Conferences
- Talk with your child about school. What are they excited about? What are they worried about? What are they working hard to improve? Use your child's answers to share with the teacher. Teachers are still learning about your children and want to use your help to create the best year for them.
- Bring copies of any work that might help the conversation.
During Conferences
- Be a few minutes early. Conferences are tightly scheduled.
- Have a strategy if you hear some difficult things about your child. One suggestion is to use a sentence starter like "Please tell me more about..." That will give you time to keep your cool and look for the constructive criticism from the teacher. Another suggestion is to ask 3 "Whys". The teacher shares and you ask "why does he or she say that." The teacher gives the answer. Consider it and ask why again for further clarification. The teacher answers and then you ask why one last time. By the 3rd why, you should have a good understanding and will be able to respond thoughtfully.
- Take notes.
After Conferences
- Talk with your child. Share the positives. Make a plan to address areas to grow.
- Follow up with the teacher in writing if there is anything unresolved or if you still have any questions.
- Follow through with the things you can do at home to support your learner. Stay in communication with the teacher.
Lost and Found Out at Conferences
The lost and found is full of sweatshirts, shirts, hats, water bottles, and more! All of it will be put on tables in the main hall during conferences. Please stop by and pick up your child's lost items!
Any new items lost during conferences will go into the original lost and found. It is found by Door 5, the door near Holleran Hall to the playground.
Winter Weather and Outdoor Student Activities
The safety and well-being of students and staff are top priorities. We also know that exercise and play are essential for students to concentrate and learn. So we take students out for recess during winter and we go outside for field trips, but we also pay attention to the weather.
When the wind chill chart indicates that students could get frostbite in less than 30 minutes, we will do indoor recess. If a teacher determines that the weather does not allow the students to play safely and comfortably, they will do indoor recess. The one reason we don't want to limit recess is because of clothing needs.
Please dress your child for outdoor activities/recess by:
- Giving your child layers to wear. A shirt and sweater/sweatshirt are a good start. Long pants and long underwear/PJ bottoms/leggings help. Warm socks are a must.
- Ensuring your child has a good winter coat, gloves or mittens, and a hat.
- Providing warm boots.
Help us keep your child clothed by labeling their winter gear with your child's last name. If you need help with clothing or boots, please email mann.sst@spps.org or call the office.
Our District has a weather plan. Scroll down the page for winter guidelines. If there are changes to the school day due to weather, you will be notified through phone, email, text, and district websites. Notification will be sent to media outlets (TV, newspaper, radio.) Saint Paul Public Schools will not delay start times, but may close early.
Thanks for the Boo Bash- Raises over $12,000 for 5th graders!
Even with a fire alarm to start the Boo Bash, our event was a huge success!
Thank you to Melissa Jensen, Patrick Barb, Brigitte Smith, Molly Mons and all the parent volunteers. We raised $12,067 for the 5th grade's weeklong field trip to Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center in May. That drops the cost from $402 per student to $161.
Next up is the school store which also raises funds for our 5th graders.
4th grade families, let Principal Litwin know if you are willing to coordinate or chair next year's event! We can get you information while it's fresh in everyone's minds.
Library Volunteer Opportunity
Our students are checking out books at a record pace! Ms. Lynda, the TAs, and others are doing everything they can to check in and reshelve books. They could use a hand.
We also have a stack of books that need repair before they can return to circulation. If you like to work with your hands and are willing to learn how to repair books, we need you.
If you are looking for a regular volunteer opportunity and enjoy the library, this job can be yours! Contact Ms. Lynda at lynda.imholte@spps.org for details and next steps.
The introduction
Here's a tulip bulb
Final prep to plant
Girls on the Run 5K at the MN State Fairgrounds- Sunday 11/8!
The Horace Mann GOTR teams are putting all of their “I Can! Power” into the GOTR 5K at the MN State Fairgrounds this Sunday! Come cheer them on! Horace Mann’s portion of the race starts at 9:20 am on Sunday 11/8 and you absolutely won’t want to miss these amazing vibes!
Please reach out to Coach Jasmine with any questions! jasmineanderson417@gmail.com
Important Horace Mann School Dates
Bookmark our school calendar. It can be found at the top of our website. Here are some highlights for the next two weeks.
Monday, November 9
- 2:00-3:45pm Extended Day for Learning (EDL) for Grades 4-5
- 3:30-5:00pm Last day 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
Monday, November 16
- 2:00-3:45pm Extended Day for Learning (EDL) for Grades 4-5
Tuesday, November 17
- 2:00-3:00pm Language Sprout Spanish
- 2:00-310pm Community Education Classes
Wednesday, November 18
- 8:15am Tour for Prospective Families
- 1:00pm Marvella Book Buddies visit Johnson's class
- 2:00-3:45pm Extended Day for Learning (EDL) for Grades 4-5
Thursday, November 19
- 2:00-3:00pm Language Sprout Spanish
- 2:15-3:45pm Leadership Team in Room 2206
VOLUNTEERS AND DONATIONS NEEDED FOR TEACHERS DURING CONFERENCES!
Again this year Horace Mann parents will provide food for our teachers during school conferences. Conferences will be held:
- Tuesday, November 10, 3:00-7:00pm
- Thursday, November 12, 3:00-7:00pm
- Friday, November 13, 8:00am-12:00pm
There are several ways to help:
- Help with set up or clean up (generally this takes about 20 minutes)
- Donate food/beverage items. Note for any donated items -please bring to the school office before Tuesday, 11/10 at 2pm, Thursday 11/12 at 2pm or Friday, 11/13 at 7:30am.
Please review the available slots and sign up at this link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0B4DA8A72EA0F94-67224636-horace#/.
Contact Mariah Tollgaard at mftollgaard@gmail.com to volunteer or with any questions. Thank you for your support!
MAKE IT, TAKE IT CRAFT NIGHT: RSVP to save your spot!
Bring the entire family to this FREE night of crafting for kids, sponsored by the Horace Mann School PTA, on Thursday, December 3rd from 5:30pm-7:30pm. Stop by Holleran Hall (cafeteria) and visit each of the 5 craft stations to decorate your own school spirit trucker hat (with sticker patches), mold a clay trinket dish, make a "just my height" snowman keepsake, color your own slap bracelet, and get creative at our gift tag creation station!
Students must attend with an adult. Siblings welcome. Please RSVP so we can plan for supplies.
Volunteers & donations needed! Scroll down on the RSVP form to sign up.
Questions? Contact Sarah Haley at girard312@gmail.com or Allison Deep at alli.deep@gmail.com
READ-A-THON CONTINUES ALL MONTH!
Students will be reading to unlock clues to solve “The Great Horace Mann Mystery” all month long!
Remind your reading detective to keep track of all of the minutes they are spending reading outside of school. Being read to, reading to someone, audiobooks, and independent reading all count as reading minutes.
As shared in the packets sent home with your students last week, donations can be made throughout the month by mailing cash/checks to the school or online via GiveButter.
The closing ceremony will take place on Friday, December 18 at 8am in the gym.
Classroom Celebrations - A volunteer will organize a pizza party for the classroom with the highest total minutes read overall. Additionally, the top-reading class in each grade will receive a treat party. Both celebrations will take place during the week of December 21.
SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR DURING FALL CONFERENCES!
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!
Give to the Max Day on November 19!
November 19th is Give to the Max Day, our statewide giving event held every November. Although donations are accepted throughout the month, the spotlight is on Give to the Max Day, which falls on Thursday, November 19. This year, the Horace Mann PTA has two active matching campaigns generously sponsored by Horace Mann families.
Horace Mann PTA Matching Campaigns:
- Participation Challenge - 25 Donors Unlocks $250!
- Participation Challenge - 50 Total Donors Unlocks $500!
Please note, any donations made on Give to the Max Day will count toward the Read-A-Thon. So if you’re planning to donate to the Read-A-Thon, please consider giving on 11/19 to take advantage of one of the matching campaigns.
The Horace Mann PTA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit so your donation is tax-exempt and many employers will match your gift, doubling the impact of your support on Give to the Max Day.
Give at https://www.givemn.org/organization/Horace-Mann-Pta.
Please contact Molly Mons at mollymons@gmail.com if you have any questions.
Horace Mann School Contacts and Social Media
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/