Parents if you have an incoming kindergartner for the 2015-2016 school year click here for information on a parent meeting in February.

Please visit our blog at:  http://www.lakewoodhoracemann.blogspot.com/ for this week's post on What's Happening at Horace Mann?

What was your greatest summer adventure?  How many books did you read?  Who will you be so happy to see when you arrive at Horace Mann?

On Friday, May 23, 2014, Horace Mann students enjoyed the annual Field Day events.

In honor of Memorial Day and in anticipation of Summer Break, Horace Mann students performed in the gymnasium on May 22, 2014.

Duirng the week of May 12th, Horace Mann students, families and staff celebrated Right to Read Week.  At final count, students read at home a total of 484 hours during last week alone!

Horace Mann students in kindergarten and first grades took field trips that brought their learning to life!

Across the district, 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students participated in Ohio Achievement Assessments last week.  

     In sync with the other elementaries in Lakewood City Schools, Horace Mann students began the Ohio Achievement Assessments (OAAs) this week.

On the last day of school before the 4-day weekend, Horace Mann students were treated to a visit by the Spring Bunny during recess.  

The Lakewood Fire Department teamed up with Horace Mann Elementary for two exciting events on Tuesday, April 15, 2014.

After many weeks of practice, about 20 Horace Mann 5th graders took part in the DARE Basketball Tournament on Saturday, April 12th in the East Gym at LHS.    

Horace Mann students in grades 2-5 joined the rest of Lakewood's 2nd-5th graders for a 90-minute Cleveland Orchestra performance on April 2, 2014, at the Civic Auditorium.  Conductor Kelly Corcoran directed the Orchestra as they played works by Humperdinck, Prokofiev, Ravel, Nielsen and Tchaikovsky.

A warm 'thank you' to everyone who made this possible, from the Cleveland Orchestra to Beth Hankins at LHS to the lunch monitors who came in early to make sure kids had their mid-day meal before bussing over to the Civic.  For sure, a life-long memory was created for many, many children!

     Due to a generous, anonymous gift designated to enhance our students' cultural awareness, Horace Mann students had a special treat to celerate the end of the 3rd quarter.  Seven Mile Isle, a steel drum band out of the Akron, Ohio area, performed calypso and soca rhythms of the Carribean in two, 45-minute sessions.    Children in Preschool-5th grade gathered in the gym to listen to the lively music and educational comments made by band members.

     The Horace Mann PTA knows how to put the "fun" in fundraising!  This year's annual Scholastic Book Fair and Spring Party was held at Horace Mann on Friday, March 14, 2014.  There was a DJ playing everyone's favorite dance songs (YMCA, anyone?), pizza and snacks for sale, a cake walk (it's like musical chairs, but the winner gets cake!) and a huge raffle.  Business at the Book Fair was busy from 3:00 until 8:00 when the party ended.  It was great to see so many kids picking out books to read over Spring Break.

Horace Mann students and staff celebrated Dr. Seuss' birthday and National Read Across America Day on Monday, March 3, 2014.  In addition to spending some time reading just for fun in each clasroom, it was also a long-awaited Pajama Day!

     We love to count!  
     On Friday, February 28th, 73 parents joined their K-5 Horace Mann students in classrooms at our Family Math Celebration. Each classroom teacher planned a math activity designed not only to be fun, but also to show parents how to help their children at home with math.  As we know, math instruction has accelerated, and it is not always obvious how to do the homework - even with young children.  
     

 

     Horace Mann physical education teachers Brad Karabaic and Barb Hawkes just can't get enough of jumping rope--and neither can their students!  Following the district-wide Jump Rope for Heart event at Harding Middle School, Mr. Karabaic and Mrs. Hawkes teamed with Sonya Vezmar from the American Heart Association to offer a special encore event just for Horace Mann students and their families.
     On Thursday, February 27th, students jumped rope to fun (and loud!) music during their usual physical education class time.  Music teacher Aaron Waryk helped out too, since all students were jumping rope duirng specials that day.
     Thank you teachers, Ms. Vezmar, and students for raising funds for the American Heart Association and taking part in a healthy and wholesome activity. Click here to see more photos from the day.

     At Horace Mann, we are always looking for ways to include families in their children's education.  We are also very interested in having fun!  On Thursday, Februrary 20th, we accomplished both of those goals by having an English Language Learners Family Night Olympic celebration.  
     Mrs. Tiffany Hickey (ELL Teacher) and Mrs. Chris Bringman (Parent Resource Coordinator) hosted the event in the art room.  There was pizza, snacks and many desserts, and the best food was provided by the families who attended.  There were 13 ELL kids and their families represented.  Highlights included games, crafts, and a presentation shared by two of the fifth grade boys using a flip chart on the Promethean board about the history of the Olympics (co-created with Mrs. Hickey).  A fun time was had by all, and everyone agreed more events like this will occur in the future.
     Thank you, Mrs. Hickey, Mrs. Bringman and Horace Mann families for celebrating the Olympics together at Horace Mann!  Check out the pictures from the party:

     On February 12th, two presenters from the Western Reserve Historical Society visited Mrs. Finnegan's and Mrs. Lynch's 3rd grade classrooms here at Horace Mann.  They each brought with them five suitcases filled with artifacts--including personal letters, pictures, newspaper articles and items of clothing--detailing families' experiences of immigrating to our area in centuries past.  
     Students divided into small groups and, with the help of their teachers and some parent volunteers, explored the items in the suitcase at their table.  They answered questions about the family and thought about the circumstances of the immigrants as they moved to the Western Reserve.
     Many thanks to Horace Mann PTA for partially funding this enrichment experience for our 3rd graders.  Without question, this "in-house field trip" made a lasting impression on our students and helped them make real-world connections with the curriculum standards taught in class.

Lakewood City Schools has its eyes on the future for students using technology to enhance their learning. Students need basic technology skills to be able to effectively use digital resources. Knowing that, we are happy to announce that Mrs. Amy Miller, Digital Literacy Teacher, will work with students in the Horace Mann Computer Lab or in the classroom (using a laptop cart) to teach those skills. Here are some details about Mrs. Miller's valuable work at Horace Mann:

She is working with each class 30-60 minutes per week.  Classroom teachers will remain the classroom so they will 1) know what their students know and 2) be able to integrate new skills into students’ classroom work as time goes on.

The main goal of instruction is to help K-5 students learn basic technology skills that will enhance learning in core academic areas.

A second goal is to help prepare students in grades 3-5 for the new, computer-based tests of achievement that will replace the Ohio Achievement Assessments.  This link will allow you to view a tutorial on how students will navigate the PARCC test online as well as take sample tests in ELA and math.   http://practice.parcc.testnav.com/#

We look forward to watching our students improve their confidence and skills in the critical area of use of technology for learning.