Horace Mann - Spring 2017 - 26

News of the School

the biggest we've seen in terms of size and breadth of the age ranges
and the many people involved. It shows that Shakespeare is for everyone. We hope that Shakespeare is now a part of the students' lives."
"That's one of the goals of our RSC partnership," Dr. Kelly said.
While the curtain has come down on this first-ever all-school, HMRSC-inspired production Horace Mann School's work with England's
Royal Shakespeare Company continues. This spring sixth graders
will present scenes they are learning in their classroom study of A
Midsummer Night's Dream and fifth graders, working with HM-RSC
teaching core member, Fifth Grade Team Leader and Reading Specialist
Sandy Rubenstein, will present Romeo and Juliet. RSC at HM Program
Director Katherine (Kat) Fletcher, White and Rebecca Gould, who helped
launch the HM-RSC partnership, returned to the school on March
4, 2017. These teachers worked with students in the Summer on the
Hill program on Saturday, with the original HM-RSC teaching core on

Sunday, and with K-12 students in their classes for the rest of the week.
The RSC teachers also began working with a new cohort of 18 K-12
teachers who will train in the RSC techniques for the next 18 months.
"Our first cohort of RSC-trained teachers is now acting as advisers
and mentors to the new group. They'll continue to work with the RSC
educators as time permits," said Dr. Casdin. "We have established an
ongoing partnership with the RSC and are looking forward to working
with them for many years." $

Pictures documenting the rehearsal and performance process of A
Midsummer Night's Dream can be found at: https://www.flickr.com/
photos/141038450@N03/albums/72157679036425650, https://www.
flickr.com/photos/141038450@N03/albums/72157680356544036,
https://www.flickr.com/photos/141038450@N03/albums/
72157678620809581, and https://www.flickr.com/photos/
141038450@N03/albums/72157676739584464.

photo by Jasmin Ortiz

Dr. Robert P. (Bob) Moses,
Civil Rights Leader and Former HM Teacher, Inspires Students
and is Honored by the HM Class of 1964
Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). He earned
his BA at Hamilton College and his masters' in philosophy from Harvard University. From 1959 through 1961,
Dr. Moses taught math to middle school students at
Horace Mann School.
"How's everybody?" began Dr. Moses. The former
HM teacher then quickly outlined his thoughts about
today's political climate, and presented a charge to the
students before him. "So. There are people running
the country now who are thinking pretty deeply about
elemental things in our society, and that's a good thing,
for it opens for us a chance to do so also," Dr. Moses
said. "I want you to think deeply about the Preamble to
the Constitution. Co-opt it. Make it your own, and use it
as a tool," he continued, before asking the audience to
Upper Division history students and teachers experienced a series of stimulating classes with Dr. Robert (Bob) Moses.
repeat the Preamble's 52 words.
Dr. Moses then noted the difference between the
orace Mann School's Upper Division students, faculty and adminopening words of the Preamble-so deeply etched into U.S. consciousistrators shared a powerful moment on February 7, 2017 as guest
ness-and the way President Donald J. Trump paraphrased these
speaker Dr. Robert P. (Bob) Moses came to the Gross Theater stage and words in his inauguration 18 days earlier. "The President, when he
asked those gathered to repeat after him, line by line, the Preamble to
opened his inauguration speech, said 'We the citizens ...' So, he has
the Constitution of the United States.
something elemental in mind-a line in the sand that he wants to draw
"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect
between 'We the people' and 'We the citizens.' I want you to think about
Union, establish Justice ... " intoned nearly 734 students in grades nine
the men who gathered in 1787 to write those words," Dr. Moses said.
through 12, together with their teachers, at this assembly that was also
"They wanted to document themselves. They couldn't document thembroadcast into Fisher Hall's Sanders Recital Hall.
selves as citizens because the United States as a country had not yet
UD math teacher Benjamin Kafoglis introduced Dr. Moses to the
been formed. Basically, they presented themselves as undocumented
students, stating "We, as a school, are extremely lucky to be hearing
citizens. So, the Preamble is an opening. It's a tool. But you have to
from Dr. Moses, a true 20th century historical icon." The teacher went on decide to open it up, to make it your own, and use it to argue on behalf
to describe Dr. Moses' place in U.S. history as one of the founders and
of the people who live here. That's my main message to you," said Dr.
leaders of the Freedom Summer of 1964, a landmark of the Civil Rights
Moses before taking questions from a panel of students.
Movement, during which hundreds worked on registering African
Dr. Moses last visited Horace Mann School to address students at
Americans in the Deep South to vote. Before Dr. Moses led this effort,
an assembly 16 years earlier, on February 23, 2001. Prior to that visit,
he worked with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Southern Christian
the two years he spent teaching at HM impacted both students in his
Leadership Conference (SCLC), and as a field secretary for the Student
classes and the HM community, according to many alumni. His memo-

Horace Mann Magazine Spring 2017

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Horace Mann - Spring 2017