Horace Mann - Summer 2016 - 4

Greetings from Dr. Tom Kelly, Horace Mann Head of School Greetings T 4 he academic year just concluded was a transformative one for Horace Mann School, as we introduced new programs and welcomed new faces. The end of the year also meant bidding farewell to administrators, faculty and staff members whose dedicated teaching and service inspired so many students and alumni over the years. Academically, the 2015-2016 school year began just after the previous one closed, when Horace Mann School launched a new "Women in Science & Engineering (WISE)" initiative that brought fourth and fifth-grade girls to campus for a week of engineering and robotics exploration during our annual June Camp. WISE focuses on engaging HM girls with STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) subjects early, to support their pursuit of advanced science studies, and possibly, STEM careers. WISE continued throughout the year, with many of our K-fifth-grade girls coming to HM on Saturdays to learn science together. "June Camp" 2016 brought both boys and girls K-5 to HM for a STEM experience, followed by a girls' K-5 WISE program in natural science. The program will soon expand into the Middle and Upper Divisions. Another exciting initiative is HM's pedagogical partnership with England's Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC)- the first ever at a U.S. K-12 school. Launched in early 2015 in the Middle and Upper Divisions, this program now has RSC educators working with students K-12, and transmitting to HM teachers in all Divisions the Company's transformative way of teaching Shakespeare. The past school year also saw a Computer Science classroom and robotics space reconfigured into a Robotics and Engineering Lab to support our MD and UD robotics requirements and advanced robotics electives, as well as the innovative efforts of our MD and UD robotics teams, and independent STEM research by UD students. Introduced, as well, were Robotics in Kindergarten, and electives in the Middle and Upper Divisions, with courses exploring: Identity and Diversity, Leadership through Service, and the Graphic Novel, among others, in Middle; and Comparative Race and Ethnicity, East Asian History and Identity, Gender and Sexuality in Upper. Working with HM's science teachers, our John Dorr Nature Laboratory expanded its astronomy curriculum and helped revitalize the school's Astronomy Club. As we arrived at "moving up" ceremonies in each Division, and at graduation for the 189 remarkable members of the Horace Mann School Class of 2016, we also expressed our deep appreciation to those at our school Horace Mann Magazine Summer 2016 who chose the end of the 2015-2016 school to retire-to pursue dreams held in abeyance, and goals ahead. The end of the year also signaled transitions in leadership at HM's Upper and Lower Divisions. The Upper Division saw the retirement of Dr. David Schiller, an English teacher at HM since 1982, and a passionate champion of his students and subject as a former English Department Chair, who became HM's valued Head of the Upper Division in 2007. Dr. Jessica Levenstein, a UD English teacher since 2000, who became Dean of Faculty in 2008, is now Upper Division Head. Dr. Levenstein's untiring efforts on behalf of students and colleagues assure that she will ably fulfill the demands of this role. The Lower Division saw the culmination of Mrs. Wendy Steinthal's innovative career in education and administration. Mrs. Steinthal came to HM in 1979 as a first-grade assistant teacher, and over the next 37 years of devoted service, became a first-grade co-teacher, fifth-grade social studies teacher, Director of Lower Division Admissions, and, in 2007, Lower Division Head. Education specialist Mrs. Deena Neuwirth, a Lower Division teacher since 2002, has worked alongside Mrs. Steinthal as Assistant Lower Division Head since 2008. Together the two launched a curricular review, installed a Science Center, instituted robotics classes, incorporated a focus on social-emotional learning at the LD, and more. We look forward to Mrs. Neuwirth's continued pursuit of conscientiously-planned curricular innovations. As we review the academic year past, we look with excitement toward the year ahead, when we pursue additional initiatives focused on the diversity of our community, and on the health and wellness of our students, to encourage their continued pursuit of HM's tradition of enhanced education in the safe, secure, and caring environment of mutual respect our Mission prescribes. As always, I invite our alumni, and HM families, to join in this journey, and look forward to greeting you at your school. Dr. Thomas M. Kelly P '18 Head, Horace Mann School

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Horace Mann - Summer 2016