Volume Eight Issue Three
Spring 2005
Snelling Connection A newsletter highlighting the Hancock/Hamline Collaboration
In This Issue: 1
Education Legislation
Education Legislation By Samantha Henningson
2
Homelessness Project Update
3
Kids’ Corner
4
Collaborative Mini-Grants
Snelling Connection
Hancock sent two busloads of staff, parents, mentors and students to join over 5,000 people in front of the State Capitol to call for accountability in the funding of education in the state of Minnesota. After losing $50 million over the past five years, St. Paul Schools alone face an additional potential $24.3 million cut. This is a statewide issue that calls for statewide action. Speaker Tom Keating, Teacher of the Year from Monticello, aimed his words at the children and students in the crowd, asking them to note all of the adults present. “We’re taking action because of your importance,” he said. Another speaker reminded those gathered of their obligation to invest in the promise in every child. The messages expressed by speakers at the rally reflected the thoughts of Hancock staff memberseducators who are invested in the well being of youth. Many Hancock staff have attended meetings to educate themselves about the funding process, potential losses, and how to
Joanne Shepard and Mary Hedenstrom at the state capitol
approach legislators with Hancock’s story. Proposed budge cuts put many of Hancock’s “extra” programs at risk. These programs include HOSTS (Helping One Student to Succeed), the gifted and talented program, English Language Learner Support, and others. Necessary positions like a school nurse and social worker are also at risk. “Hancock has a budget deficit because our funding is not adequate to maintain our current programs and services,” explained Hancock Principal Marjorie Warrington. “We need $250 per student each year to make up for the decreases in funding and increasing costs.” Warrington urges concerned citizens to contact their legislators to tell them that inadequate funding is eroding the quality of Minnesota’s schools. “If this continues,” warns Warrington, “opportunities for students will be lost.”
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Hancock and Hamline Hone in on Homelessness By Lindsey Anderson Students, staff and faculty from Hancock and Hamline have been busy focusing on homelessness for their first-ever service-learning project. Participants are well on their way to meeting their goal of teaching the Hancock / Hamline community about homelessness and service learning through classroom lessons, hands-on service, and advocacy. “Things have been running really smoothly,” said Coordinator Samantha Henningson. “Everyone is learning a lot, and [Hancock students] are learning that they can really influence change.” Hancock students attended a school-wide assembly to launch the homelessness project in February. They had the opportunity to hear from Senator Ellen Anderson and formerly homeless poet Pam Wynn, who spoke about current social and political issues surrounding homelessness. Since the launch, Hamline students and faculty have been working with those at Hancock on several exciting projects. Hamline students and Professor Jean Strait created weekly lessons on homelessness to prepare Hancock students for activities. Some of the lessons included “What is Homelessness?”, “Who is Homeless?”, “Civic Engagement”, and “Stereotypes”. Kim Proefrock, a parent on the Hancock/ Hamline Collaborative Advisory Committee, said that her fourth grade daughter has come home filled with information about homelessness and a strong desire to help the homeless. Her knowledge of and dedication to the homelessness cause has spread to her family, friends, and Snelling Connection
Picture by Sheng Lee, grade 6 neighbors, from whom she collects money to donate to shelters. Representatives from both Hancock and Hamline organized a Hygiene Product Drive to support homeless area youth. Toothpaste, soap and other products were collected at locations around the Hamline-Midway area and were donated to The Bridge, a local shelter for youth ages 10-21. The Hancock Student Council asked students to create posters of what they learned throughout the course of their service-learning experience. The posters are displayed in the halls of Hancock and in Hamline’s Learning Center lobby. “The posters really blew me away,” said Henningson. “It’s undeniable that the students have learned so much.” To learn more about homelessness and how you can help the homeless, visit The Bridge website at www.bridgeforyouth.com, or the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless website at www.mnhomelesscoalition.org. Spring 2005
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Kids’ Corner: Fund Our Schools! tries in the world, and our government chooses to cut our Education budget leaving teachers without jobs, children without proper education, and students without a teacher to help with their special needs. I feel sad and scared, because what if this happens to me at my school? What if one of the teachers that I like gets cut? This is no laughing matter at Hancock Elementary School, where most students speak other languages. If our language teachers get cut, how will we learn? This is from a concerned student who will fight for her rights. Okay Pawlenty!
A School Without By Javon Jackson By Chong Her Do you want this to happen to our schools? Without enough money for teachers and books, this school hallway is dirty, full of cobwebs, dust balls and broken exits signs. The school is so poor that it has to sell its lockers in order to pay for paper and pencils.
Fighting For My Rights By Emily Hare On Monday, February 28th there was a statewide rally at the St. Paul Capitol. People from all over the state came to yell at the governor for Education budget cuts and for not keeping his promises to fund our schools. Many speakers came to tell the governor what they think about his decisions. One speaker said that his school actually ran out of paper. This is America, one of the wealthiest counSnelling Connection
Imagine a school without any writing utensils like pens pencils and markers Imagine a school without supporting teachers to help you with your homework or your big troubles Imagine a school without books that you could look deeply into and go to another world That’s just half of what our schools could be like if we don’t shout out and get the funding we deserve
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Hancock and Hamline Spice Up the Spring By Lindsey Anderson If you walk onto the Hancock/Hamline campus this spring, chances are you’ll see students and staff playing and learning together in new ways. The Collaborative Advisory Committee invited the Hancock/Hamline community to propose projects (funded by a generous gift from the Wolfe family) that bring together creative minds from both sides of Snelling Avenue. The Advisory Committee approved and funded eight projects, which will take place throughout this spring. Students with special needs from Hancock and Hamline will play and learn together when they pair up and explore questions about education, college, and life with special needs. Another project will pair Hamline’s Dan Haertl with Hancock’s first grade to learn and perform a musical number with the help of some unique instruments! Hancock kindergarten students will learn that college really does begin in kindergarten when they tour the Hamline campus, visiting the library, cafeteria, a dorm room and more!
“Our mission is to build and strengthen the collaborative community through shared learning, relationships, and cultural diversity.” The Snelling Connection is published quarterly and distributed to H/ HUCMS families, the Hamline University community, and to others interested in the collaboration.
Snelling Connection
Hancock students will do their own CSI-like investigating when Hamline Forensic Science Society’s Alana Schommer teaches them how to dust for fingerprints and do other crime-scene work. Hancock’s Mary Hedenstrom and Peggy Knapp from the Center for Global Environmental Studies will continue to teach students just how much patience and care creating and maintaining an organic garden requires when they tend to Hancock’s garden together. Hancock students will have brain on the brain when Hamline’s Mackenzie Hilfers Bilunas brings in a real animal brain for them to work on. Don’t worry- gloves will be provided! Hancock’s Shannon McParland and Hamline student Laura Paulsen created a new training video for America Reads and America Counts mentors. This video includes updated curriculum and provides mentors with new teaching strategies. Look for updates on each of these projects in upcoming editions of the Snelling Connection!
Coordinator: Rita Johnson, Hamline University Management/Economics Dept. rbjohnson@gw.hamline.edu (651) 523-2431 Editorial Advisor: David Hudson, Hamline University English Dept. dhudson@gw.hamline.edu (651) 523-2893 Editor: Lindsey Anderson, Hamline Student landerson06@netmail.hamline.edu (651) 523-4438 Hancock Contact: Shannon McParland, Hancock/ Hamline University Collaborative Magnet School
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