Budget and Staffing for Next Year Our final budget and School Comprehensive Improvement Plan were discussed and approved at Site Council on April 22. Thank you to all of the parents, students, and staff who provided input. The input was very helpful in reflecting on and making these difficult decisions.

Next year from our building budget (areas our school chooses) we will have:

• 2 Kindergarten, 3 First Grade, 2 Second Gr., 2 Third Gr., 2 Fourth Gr., & 3 Fifth/Sixth Gr. homerooms
• Full-time P.E., Science/Technology, and Gifted teacher/coach
• Half-time Reading Support teacher, Visual Arts Specialists, and Library Teaching Assistant (TA)
• Part-time Technology Support
• 2 Kindergarten TAs and 4 Classroom TAs

From the district budget (areas District Administration chooses) we will have:

• The same amount of ELL Teacher & ELL Educational Assistant, Special Education Teacher, Social Worker, and Nursing time
• An increase of TA time from 1.0 to 1.3
• A minimum 1-day a week of band

There is no word yet on any changes to Nutrition Services, Custodial Services, and Speech/Language.

We cut our non-staff budget as much as possible. We cut 2 Teaching Assistants, the extra Gifted Teacher, a half-time Fifth/Sixth Grade homeroom, and Vocal Music to make room for Visual Arts.

One caveat, this budget is contingent upon either the House or Governor’s education budget proposal being approved. If the Senate version is passed, we will have to make additional cuts.

Remodeling Project Impacts End of School Year Starting on Wednesday, April 29 there will be several changes to our building. Our office will move to a temporary location just inside the main Eleanor entry. The work room will move next to Mrs. Long’s classroom. Our social worker will work from the Discovery Club Baseroom in the library. The nurse will work from the ELL classroom next door to Mrs. Aase’s classroom. Mrs. Greene will work within homeroom classrooms, the library, or Mrs. Granote’s room. I will work wherever there is space in the building. The staff parking lot will be closed on Wednesday, April 29 so that a dumpster and storage container can be placed.

Throughout May, the current office area will be demolished and rebuilt. It is scheduled for completion by June 5. The computer lab and library will close on May 29 to prepare for the second phase of construction. After June 10, the current entry, boy’s bathroom, and PTA storage closet will be demolished and the new office will begin construction. We are slated for substantial completion in the beginning of August.

The project is arranged to minimize the impact on our building operations and students. Thank you for your patience during this time.

Library Social Thank you to the many volunteers who helped reshelve and label AR books in February.  There will be another library social on Tuesday, May 12th from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. to continue this project.  Please join us!  If you have any questions, please contact Cindy Gipple (cynthia.gipple@spps.org), Eileen Moening (moeningfamily@gmail.com), or Martha Faust (martha_faust@unique-software.com).  See you on the 12th.

Horace Mann Family Service Committee Spring Service Event The Horace Mann Family Service Committee and several Horace Mann families (over 60 people!) assisted the City of St. Paul Parks and Recreation in a Clean-up event at Highland Park last Saturday April 11^th. Adults and kids picked up trash at Highland Park near the playground and were rewarded with treats. A special thanks should go out to Penny Norquist who coordinated this event. Please visit The Giving Tree near the main entrance of Horace Mann Elementary School where pictures of the event will be displayed. Keep checking in with the Family Service Committee for future events and volunteer opportunities! (Family Service Committee coordinators: Sarah Johnson and Chris Aerts)

RIF WEEK –April 27th- May 1st! We will have the last RIF (Reading Is Fundamental) book distribution of the school year the week of April 27th- May 1st. Students will be able to take home and keep the free RIF book they select during their class library time. 

Congratulations to 2009 Barnes & Noble Poetry Contest Winner Miranda W. won 3^rd place in the Roseville Barnes & Noble Poetry contest.

Snakes

Snakes can slither

Snakes can slide

Some snakes can hang and glide

Snakes sneak upon their prey

Snakes do it every day

Snakes slither round and round

So join the snakes on their playground

Boxtops for Education Congratulations to the following classrooms for turning in the most Box Tops for the month of April.  1. Mrs. Ames --$26.50, 2. Mrs. Long--$14.20, and 3. Mrs. Spann--$7.70.  The last collection of Box Tops for this year will be on Wednesday, May 27th.  Thank you for supporting our school.

2009-2010 Site Council is Set Next year’s Site Council members have been decided. Thank you to everyone who expressed interest. Any parent is welcome to attend Site Council meetings. Formal membership is only required for voting purposes.

Our parent members will be Mike Linn, Sarah Ryan, Denise Seck, Martha Faust, Jeff Larson, Kelly Trewartha, and Eileen O’Connell Conzet. Our staff members will be Judy Browne, Judy Ronnei/Pat Meuwissen, Amy Kortuem, Mary Beth Muehlenbeck, Mary Simmons, Heather Long, and Mariana Tennyson.

Exposing Children to Career Choices “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Upon hearing this question, chances are that your children have no firm ideas about what they want to be or do—but it’s never too early to help them explore all the options out there. Now, more than ever, children are seeing that there’s nothing that they can’t achieve.

Have the “tools” on hand. Children can’t know if they’re good at something unless they try it. By having a wide variety of supplies available, your children can explore different skills, while having fun in the process. Calculators, math puzzles and games, and building sets are appealing to those who might end up in math or engineering careers. Toy medical kits and a supply of Band-Aids are always a hit, and can light a fire in future health professionals’ lives. Art supplies, craft kits, and musical instruments may spur an interest in the arts. Check for low-cost used items at thrift stores or garage sales.

Our 5^th and 6^th grade students are exploring careers in a unit called Biztown. They will be running an entire town by themselves in a few weeks. Each student applied and interviewed for positions within the town. Whether a student wanted to be mayor, CEO of the coffee shop, President of the bank, or police officer, they had to give their best effort. Students incorporated writing skills, speaking skills, and self-reflection to complete this first phase. The interviews were made possible through the volunteer help of our parents and community members.

Get them involved. From Scouts to Boys and Girls Clubs, there are wonderful after-school organizations that help children learn and grow. Many bring in guest speakers to talk about their careers and take field trips to “work sites” ranging from fire stations to hospitals.

Read all about it. School and public libraries are stocked with books for children that introduce them to interesting careers. Check out titles like When I Grow Up, See What You Can Be, Jobs People Do, Career Day, and don’t forget Dr. Seuss’ inspiring Oh the PlacesYou’ll Go. Online, visit www.khake.com/page64.html, which offers career exploration guides and resources for younger students.

Help them start their own businesses. While the days of newspaper routes and lemonade stands are fading fast, there are many ways kids can try out the world of work. With your supervision, your children could launch a pet-sitting or leaf-raking business, sell homemade crafts or baked goods, or earn cash working as

“mother’s helpers.” Help them track how much they’re spending to advertise their services, show them how to set a financial goal, mark their progress toward it, and celebrate their successes.

Talk about your job. Many parents have jobs that their kids can’t really comprehend. They might only know that you work in an office building or a store.Talk to them about the education and training you needed to get your job.

Keep them balanced. It’s tempting for parents to see a talent in their child and focus just on that. But the most successful people in life have a wide variety of interests and abilities. Be proud and encouraging of your young artist’s work, for example, but make sure he or she also does well in math, science, reading, and other areas. Enjoy your youngster’s computer wizardry, but make sure he or she also learns about art and music, books and science, and the fun and team-building of sports and activities.

Be realistic. Many children want to grow up to be professional athletes, rock stars, famous actors, or the president. While shooting for the stars is wonderful, and you should encourage all of their hard work to succeed, help them also realize that the competition for those superstar positions is fierce. Help them expand their dreams to include their ideal job as well as other related careers. If your child is aching to be a pro football player, for example, make sure he or she also knows about careers in physical therapy, sports medicine, physical education teaching, coaching, sports law, and other jobs related to sports.

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