A LIBRARY SOCIAL Please join us in the Horace Mann library for A Library Social on Tuesday, April 17th from 7-830pm. This will be a fun evening of processing and de-processing books! Refreshments provided! Please RSVP with Cindy Gipple at 651-293-8965 in the library. THANKS!

Horace Mann Site Council The Site Council will have some openings. Click here if you would like more information about Site Council. If you are interested in nominating yourself or another person, please email your interest to mann.site.council@spps.org.

Great Penny Challenge Results The student cheering was loud and strong this Monday as we announced the success of the Great Penny Challenge. Mrs. Meuwissen's class won the challenge with 7302 points. Students raised a total of $2166.08 for the playground, bringing the total raised to $15,925.

Many thanks for Technology Movie Night Kudos to Rick Olson for a job well done. Students and families enjoyed the presentations. The Saint Paul Fire Department even joined in when the popcorn set off the alarm. Diane Farley, a parent commented, "Thanks to Rick for all your time and hard work in putting together the films and the screening last night. The premiere was fabulous! And the red carpet welcome for the well dressed fire fighters was fun too! (Joan Rivers might find the axe accessory a bit over the top, but otherwise they were tastefully dressed in their gala attire.)"

New Strategic Plan available May 14 Beginning Monday, May 14, Saint Paul Public Schools new Strategic Plan for Continued Excellence will be available to the public.  This plan will guide the work of our district through 2011.  Many public work sessions and community conversations were held last fall and public meetings were held again in January and February to help shape the plan. We invite you to view the Strategic Plan for Continued Excellence online at www.spps.org beginning May 14, or to request a copy by calling (651) 767-8110.  The plan is available in English, Hmong, Somali and Spanish.

Horace Mann Band Spring Concert Dates Set It's Springtime again and that means it is time for the Horace Mann Band Spring Concert. Once again this year the band will be performing 2 concerts. The performance for the school will be held on Monday, May 21st at 1:30 pm. The evening performance will be on Tuesday, May 22nd at 7:00 pm. Both performances will be held in the school Gymnasium and we look forward to seeing you all at the show.

CORRECTION: Last month's test preparation tips suggested a sleep "tip" better suited for middle-school or older students. School-aged children (5 - 12 years) need an average of 10-11 hours of sleep, particularly before a challenging task like state tests. Other sleeping tips include:

• Introduce healthy sleep habits, disease prevention and health promotion
• Continue to emphasize the need for a regular and consistent sleep schedule and bedtime routine
• The child's bedroom should be conducive to sleep: dark, cool and quiet. TV's and computers should be off and out of the bedroom
• Set limits
• Avoid caffeine
• Watch for signs of chronic difficulty sleeping, loud snoring, difficulty breathing, unusual nighttime awakenings and frequent daytime sleepiness.

Important Testing Reminders Please make sure your child is well-rested  and has a solid breakfast before the tests the next two weeks. Even though Thursday, April 26 is an early release day, 6th grade students will be taking the writing assessment that day. Encourage them to plan their testing time wisely. No students will be excused for absences on state testing days.