April NJSOC Spotlight
Horace Mann Elementary School
"Be Your Best, Do Your Best"
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4th grade class with banner signed by all students in the school on Field Day. |
“Horace Mann School is a nurturing learning community which offers a challenging academic program, instills character, and fosters life-long learning in order to develop the whole child.”
These are the words that can be read on a large banner as you enter our school or in any classroom you walk into. These are the words that the faculty and support staff of Horace Mann School pledge yearly to the parents, families, students, fellow staff members, and ourselves. They are, in fact, the Mission Statement of Horace Mann Elementary School!
The Mann Plan: A Plan from the Staff and the Parents to the Students
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"The Mann Plan" book – Building a Better World Beginning with Me! |
The Mann Plan committee meets monthly and is made up of approximately 12 teachers, parents, support staff and administrators. The objective of this committee is to develop the “whole” child, as affirmed by our mission statement.
Through our Mann Plan, each month is assigned a trait. In 2001, “The Mann Plan” manual was created and distributed to our staff as a classroom resource. In September of 2006, we unveiled our latest edition of “The Mann Plan” book – Building a Better World Beginning with Me! This book explains each monthly focus, states related synonyms, gives practical applications, and highlights cross-curricular activities. In addition, related character quotes and phrases are provided. It is filled with many other ideas that correlate with the monthly character traits and activities. The goal of the latest edition is the creation of an ideal “Mann Kid”, one who embodies all the various traits.
A common thread throughout our book is the expectation that all of us will be and do our best. We see the particular monthly activities and foci as unique tolls for refocusing and redirecting our school community each month. Two specific months are outlined below to illustrate this.
The Character Traits for the Month: A detailed plan for being / doing our best
February: Respect
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This is Mr. Sweeney at the health fair. |
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2nd and 4th grade buddy pairs working on the Making Healthy Choices ABC book. |
At the class level, for example, 2nd and 4th grade students worked together to complete a Service Learning Project. Cross grade level buddies learned how to respect their body by researching healthy choices and creating an ABC book of healthy choices. 2nd and 4th grade students presented the ABC book created by the two classes to the Kindergarten class and taught the younger students about making healthy choices and respecting their body. The 2nd and 4th grade classes celebrated their accomplishments with a healthy class party.
In February, and every month, we want to be our best!
March: Effort
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This is a picture of a bulletin board in a 5th grade classroom. Students have listed their goals on each slice of pizza. |
Students in Grades 1 – 5 are motivated to read books and demonstrate their comprehension on computerized tests through our popular Accelerated Reader program. Students’ points are tallied and rewards are given accordingly. Students strive to have their picture displayed on the Accelerated Reader Wall of Fame.
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One student's reading goal for the month of March. These were displayed on a bulletin board. |
On another level, recess sports leagues also emphasize self-motivation and the importance of being a team player. Students are encouraged by their teammates, motivated to perform well for their team, and look for opportunities to show good sportsmanship during every game.
Students Stepping Forward: “Being our best, doing our best” in Action
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These are the Student Ambassadors helping out at the Pennies for Peace table at International Night |
This year students have responded enthusiastically to a call for help by joining our newly developed Student Ambassador group. This group is made up of one third of the fourth and fifth grade students at Horace Mann and meets monthly to discuss ways to support the monthly character focus and how they can assist the Mann Plan team. One example of Student Ambassador involvement was seen at International Night when ambassadors took turns publicizing and collecting for Pennies for People to build schools in Afghanistan.
Additionally, after viewing an assembly on recycling 4th and 5th grade students felt empowered and ready to take action. Several students made informative recycling signs that were hung in both the cafeteria and the Teacher’s Room. The Student Ambassadors will meet later this month to discuss further plans to educate and inform the Horace Mann community on several environmental issues.
While the Student Ambassador group was formed out of need identified by the Mann Plan committee, the Ambassadors are now approaching the Mann Plan committee with issues they would like to address. This group of respected student leaders are taking have risen to tasks asked of them by the Mann Plan committee and have began to come into their own, seeing the mission of our school and developing a deep understanding and identify of within themselves of character education. The Horace Mann staff is very proud of this new group and is looking forward to all that is to come from the Student Ambassadors. We can see them striving to be and do their best!
Quick Tips
- Involve the Entire Community
If character education efforts are to be a success at Horace Mann Elementary School, parents, families, teachers, support staff, custodians, bus drivers, and the extended community must recognize the need to work together in teaching and modeling good character. Include all, support all, expect all …
- Model Good Character
Students must be surrounded by good character. They must be able to see good choices being made all around them. Any adult that comes in contact with children whether it a teacher, administrator, custodian, support staff, or the bus drivers are helping shape the character of the children. The way one speaks to others, the behaviors modeled, the conduct tolerated, the expectations established, the standards set teaches students about character. We at Horace Mann believe that at, the core of all we do is the hope of developing the ‘whole child’ in all of us! Character education – it’s more than a program, it’s who we are.
- Develop a Plan and Integrate into All you Do
Character education is at the heart of Horace Mann’s curriculum. Short range and long range plans are made by the Mann Plan committee and individual classroom teachers. Character education instruction is systematic, comprehensive, proactive, and explicit, yet at the same time integrated into all that we do at Horace Mann. Character education is not one more thing on the plate, it is the plate.
Related Material and Tools
- Making Healthy Choices Unit Plan – ABC Book – 2nd and 4th Grade Buddies (click to download lesson plan)
This unit plan shows how a second and fourth grade class have joined together to implement one of our character education traits. It also shows how the goal of “being our best, doing our best” can be practically implemented on a lesson by lesson basis in the classroom setting.
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A to Z Making Healthy Choices for You & Me! Book made by the 2nd and 4th grade students for the Kindergarten students as part of a service learning project. |
Mr. Robert Sweeney is principal of Horace Mann Elementary School
Horace Mann Elementary School
150 Walt Whitman Blvd.
Cherry Hill, New Jersey 08003
Contact telephone number: (856) 428.1144
URL: http://mann.cherryhill.k12.nj.us/
Horace Mann Elementary School is a 2008 New Jersey School of Character
