Summer 2010

Snelling Connection Newsletter of the Hancock/Hamline University Collaboration

A Short History of the H-H Collaboration: 1991: The Hancock-Hamline Collaboration is formed.

Scholarship Fund Benefit Concert a Success

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The Hancock-Hamline University Collaboration Scholarship Fund benefit concert and silent auction was declared a success! With the help of donated space, music, donated and purchased auction items, and the generosity of event attendees, we were able 1997: The Hancock-Hamline to raise $3,800 for the Scholarship Fund. This will allow the fund to start earning interest, Collaborative Advisory which will be used for scholarships for Hancock students who choose to attend Hamline. The Committee is formed.

Collaboration Coordinator, Staff Liaison and LEAD Tutor participated in the Mobile Buyback 1997:The Snelling Program with Hamline University’s Bookstore. Through this effort they raised $532 for the Connection is initiated Scholarship Fund.

by Hamline management student Jenna Thompson.

1998: The America Reads/ America Counts Program begins on the Hancock campus. Hamline work-study students are hired.

2000: The Wolfe family donates $50,000 to the collaboration.

2004: May 7, 2004 is proclaimed HancockHamline Day by St. Paul City Mayor Randy Kelly and Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty.

Ibaba, a band of Hamline professors and staff, performing at the Hancock-Hamline Scholarship Fund benefit concert and silent auction.

In This Issue: Fundraiser a Success

1

Achievements 2009-10

Farewells to Employees

2

New Faces in the Collab.

4

New Faces Cont.

5

How to Get Involved

6

Volume 13, Issue 3

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“Megan Anderson put ‘heart and soul’ into the Benefit, and this year we went ‘over the top’ to go beyond the total goal of $20,000. Now we can join forces with the Hamline Development staff to raise additional funds from alums, community and businesses to really offer Hancock grads significant scholarships for college. So many different contributions made this possible- from the creative donations for the silent auction, to the musical talents, students’ participation from both sides of Snelling, and the numbers of supporters who came to dance, cheer and celebrate. Thanks Megan, thanks everyone!” -Nancy Victorin-Vangerud, Wesley Center for Spirituality, Service and Social Justice.

Nancy Victorin-Vangerud

Summer 2010

Achievements and Changes from 2009-2010

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he relationship between Hancock Elementary School and Hamline University continues to be beneficial for both communities. Since 1991, Hancock and Hamline students have shared invaluable learning experiences together.

The history of the Hancock-Hamline Collaboration is a timeline of constant change and growth reflecting the pursuit of an improved and rewarding partnership. This past 2009-2010 academic year has been no exception to that timeline. This Snelling Connection issue highlights the collaboration’s achievements in the past year, found below, and pays tribute to departing staff members. We would also like to welcome those who will be acting as new leaders in the collaboration beginning this school year. To see how you can get involved with the Hancock-Hamline Collaboration, please see page six. We look forward to another vibrant and innovative year! -Tessa Mortenson, Snelling Connection Co-Editor

Acting to Make a Difference:

Susan McNamara’s sixth grade class partnered with Dr. Jean Strait’s Educational Psychology class from Hamline on three projects to help the homeless in St. Paul.

Together, they made fleece blankets for a local shelter, 100 sandwiches to be delivered to the homeless, and volunteered at The Listening House in St. Paul.

The fifth and sixth grade classes also continued their annual service-learning project on homelessness by educating themselves, raising awareness, and practicing advocacy. They wrote letters to their representatives and senators and visited the state capitol on Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless Lobby Day.

Joint Service-Learning Project on Water:

Last Fall, the fourth grade class paired up with Dr. Sarah Hick’s education class for their first annual Joint ServiceLearning Project on Water.

Hamline students from the Education Licensure program practiced teaching hands-on science as they, along with other Hamline students, ran water stations for Hancock’s fourth grade class. Hancock students learned about condensation, clouds, precipitation, percolation, ground water, run-off, evaporation, and water vapor.

Empty Bowls:

Daniel Campbell worked with Joel Engstrom’s fifth grade class on projects related to hunger awareness. Daniel demonstrated how to make wheel-thrown pottery and helped the class make pinch-pot bowls. All the pottery was donated to Hamline’s Empty Bowls program, a charity event that raised funds for Haiti and to fight hunger locally.

The Logic Model:

The collaboration continued their partnership with the St. Paul Public Schools Foundation Tutoring Partnership for Academic Excellence. Megan Anderson, former Collaboration Coordinator, created a full system logic model for which the collaboration received $4,000 from the Foundation. The Collaboration Coordinator also joined the St. Paul Public Schools Foundation Tutoring Partnership for Academic Excellence’s Advisory Board.

Hand in Hand Large Group Event:

Hand in Hand hosted a large group event at Hamline in early February. This event had not been done in the past.

Its goal was to decrease the drop out rate of Hamline volunteers in the second semester.

Above: This abbreviated record of achievements from the 2009-2010 year was taken from a list compiled by Megan Anderson, former Hancock-Hamline Collaboration Coordinator.

What to Look Forward to in 2010-2011 Year Every Hancock student has at least one experience with a Hamline department each year. The pairings are generally determined by the curriculum of each grade level and Hamline department needs.

Academic Pairings for 2010-2011: Kindergarten: Visit to the Hamline Library.

First Grade: Tour of the Hamline Theater.

Second Grade: Pairing with Kathy Thompson, a Hamline music professor.

Third Grade: Pairing with Presley Martin, a Hamline Page

biology professor.

Fourth Grade: Joint Service-Learning Project on Water.

Fifth Grade: Pairing with the Hamline Law School for a Mock Trial.

Sixth Grade: Hamline University Admissions Tour.

Priscilla Saari, fifth grade teacher, discussed her plans for this year, “We are in the planning stages along with Jean Strait (Hamline professor) and Kelly Gibson (Hancock science teacher) on a service-learning project involving environments.”

Snelling Connection

Farewell to Megan Anderson and Margot Howard

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he past 2009-2010 year was the last year for employees Megan Anderson as Collaboration Coordinator and Margot Howard as LEAD Tutor and Hand in Hand President. Both Megan Anderson and Margot Howard will be greatly missed. Their long-term work efforts towards the collaboration have been invaluable. Their relentless dedication and passion have indelibly enriched this program for years to come.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank you, all, for a wonderful two and a half years with the Collaboration. Reflecting back on my time as the coordinator of the Collaboration I am proud of the many things we have accomplished. We have moved toward making the Academic Pairings and joint service-learning projects truly reciprocal. We have also worked to carry out our motto that College Begins in Kindergarten and have successfully endowed the Scholarship Fund. I am eager for the first student to accept this scholarship! Another accomplishment over the last year is the Collaboration’s logic model. This document not only is a written account of all the things we have accomplished but also a teaching tool which can be used to educate others about the amazing things the Collaboration does. The Collaboration is truly a unique and wonderful partnership of which I am proud to say I was a part. Although I will miss both the students and staff at Hamline and Hancock, I am excited for what my future holds. As some of you may know, I am in the process of relocating to Michigan to pursue a master’s degree in sociology. I hope to keep in touch and continue to receive updates on how the Collaboration is progressing over time.” -Megan Anderson “Hi, I’m Margot and I have worked and volunteered at Hancock for the past four years. I was instantly drawn to Hancock as a first year at Hamline and have loved working with the students there ever since! I graduated from Hamline this year and that unfortunately means that I had to also leave Hancock. In my last year of Hancock I was both the Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) Tutor Coordinator and the Hand in Hand President. I loved doing both roles and especially enjoyed spending time with the students! Hancock students impressed me time and time again and I will miss them immensely! The Hancock Hamline collaboration was a huge part of my college life and the students and staff have inspired me to become a teacher myself! I recently started graduate school at Hamline and am on my way to becoming an ELL teacher! I also began at Seward Montessori Elementary as a literacy coach through the Reading Corps. I am very sad to have to leave Hancock and as I move onto the next stage in my life I will take with me the great memories of the wonderful students and staff.” -Margot Howard “Megan was an outstanding Coordinator for the HancockHamline Collaboration. She not only kept the many programs of the Collaboration organized and running smoothly, but undertook significant new projects that will have a long term impact on the Collaboration. These include the development of the Logic Model and the initiation of an annual fundraising event to raise money for the scholarship fund. It was a real pleasure to work with Megan, and I wish her continued success in the future.”

– Presley Martin, Hamline Liaison to the Collaboration.

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Margot Howard with her Hand in Hand buddy “Margot Howard was very dedicated to the collaboration and served Hamline exceptionally well in her roles as president of Hand in Hand and LEAD tutor. I was especially impressed with her advocacy of the program and her strong belief that the collaboration was making a difference in the lives of both Hancock and Hamline students.” – Letitia Basford, Assistant Professor, Teacher Education Department.

Snelling Connection

New Faces in the H-H Collaboration Hana Tesfaye Former Administrative Assistant for the Wesley Center for Spirituality, Service and Social Justice, Hana Tesfaye will be the new coordinator of the Hancock-Hamline Collaboration and Volunteer Service.

Background Info: I majored in English and minored in Education and Communication Studies. I am currently a student in the School of Education working on a Master of Arts in Education-I’ll be graduating in May 2011.

What does your new job entail?

My responsibilities are to schedule tours/visits to Hamline for Hancock students, work with Hamline tutors, connect Hamline professors with Hancock teachers to participate in Academic Pairing, organize the benefit concert/fundraiser along with several other programs and events that show the relationship between Hancock, Hamline, and the Hamline-Midway community. In the Volunteer Service part of the title, my responsibilities are to initiate and lead opportunities for service for Hamline students, and assist the Coordinator of Civic Engagement and Service Learning with organizing and planning programs/events.

“I’m looking forward to working with students at Hancock and learning new things about the collaboration. Overall, I’m excited about the new position and the responsibilities it entails.”

What do you think will be your favorite part of the job?

I think my favorite part of the job will be being around the students at Hancock. I have a background in education and am looking forward to being around young students again.

How does the new position as coordinator fit into your career goals?

My career goals are to continue working with young students. This new position will allow me to do just that. It also allows me to get connected to the community and pursue more community service opportunities, which are things I look forward to being more involved with.

Amanda Skeivik Amanda Skeivik will be sharing responsibilities with Tessa Mortenson as the new Co-Editor of the Snelling Connection.

Background Info: I am a junior at Hamline University. My major is Psychology, and I have two minors in Chinese and Education. After college, I plan on becoming an ESL teacher in an elementary school, and am very excited about it!

Why did you want to be a Co-Editor?

I wanted to be a Co-Editor because I think that the Snelling Connection is very interesting, and I wanted to be a part of it. I am looking forward to working with Tessa, and with the group of students I have met, and that she has told me about.

What are you planning on doing in your position?

I am hoping, once I get into the flow of things, to be a positive addition to the Snelling Connection. I will help with the stories, pictures, and pulling the publication together with the Snelling Connection staff.

How does this position fit with your career goals?

In preparing to become a teacher, I have enjoyed tutoring, and will now get to see a different aspect of a role in the elementary school.

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“I am so excited for this job. I am looking forward to working with the entire staff, and to get started in researching and writing the new articles for the coming year.”

Snelling Connection

New Faces in the H-H Collaboration Cont.

Cassy Popp Having worked as a tutor at Hancock Elementary, Cassy Popp will now serve as LEAD tutor this year.

Background Info: My major at Hamline is Social Justice and I have a double minor in Education and Linguistics. With my major/minors I plan to teach English as a second language (ESL).

What does the LEAD tutor do?

My job consists of helping the Hamline tutors find classrooms to work in throughout the school year. I am here to help with questions and concerns. I get to make sure they get paid on time and that everyone is having a fun time at Hancock.

Why did you want this position?

I wanted to be LEAD tutor because I love working at Hancock. This position gave me the opportunity to meet more of the students and staff. I want to be a teacher when I graduate from Hamline, so this position helps me to see more of the school and to experience it in a new way. I am very happy to be a part of the the Hamline-Hancock Collaboration.

How does your new job fit with your career goals?

My new position as LEAD tutor fits really well into my career plans because I plan to teach. By being in the school as an authority figure is a good opportunity for me to see what being a teacher is like. I get to tutor and help in classrooms and meet lots of faculty.

Cassy Popp with her Hand in Hand buddy

“I really enjoy working at Hancock and meeting all of the teachers and students. As LEAD tutor, I get to see any classroom I want and I get to meet lots of cool kids. I hope you are just as excited as I am!”

Dan Johnson With a background as the former public relations chair on the Handin-Hand Executive Board, Dan Johnson will now step into the role of Hand in Hand president.

Background Info: I am a senior at Hamline University. I am majoring in Economics and Business Management and minoring in Political Science. I hope to work in the agricultural or renewable energy industry as an analyst.

What does the Hand in Hand President do?

Primarily I will be in charge of organizing and leading executive board meetings and acting as our liason for the collaboration meetings. The purpose of my position is to keep everything running smoothly.

What is the Hand in Hand Executive Board?

The Hand in Hand executive board makes all of the decisions regarding the functions of our group. We organize the buddy pairings, large group events, as well as restocking the buddy cabinet.

“I enjoy being a leader and enjoy being in Hand in Hand. I feel I can do a good job keeping up our successful tradition and keep the great experience of the work we do.”

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What are your plans for Hand in Hand this year?

So far, we plan to continue with the usual plans of getting buddies paired and then organizing either two or three large group events. My main goal is to streamline the buddy pairing process and use more marketing/ communication to get better participation across the organization.

Snelling Connection

Get Involved with the Hancock-Hamline Collaboration!

1. As a community member you can volunteer to work one-on-one or in small groups with Hancock students on a weekly basis.

2. As a Hamline student, you can volunteer by learning from and teaching a child about social skills. Hand in Hand can match you with a buddy!

3. Are you a Hamline student, faculty, or staff member who would like to combine your field of study or area of expertise with a project at Hancock? Consider exploring Grade Level Academic Pairings.

4. As a Hamline student you can tutor children and earn money through the America Reads/America Counts work-study program.

Do you have a project in mind that might not be mentioned here? If so, please let us know. As long as activities are mutually beneficial and reciprocal to Hamline and Hancock, there is often a way to make them happen!

If you’re interested in any of the above, visit the Hancock-Hamline Collaboration website at www.hamline.edu/wesleycenter or contact Hana Tesfaye, Collaboration Coordinator, at 651-523-2878 or htesfaye01@gw.hamline.edu.

Farewell to Our Sixth Grade S.C. Student Editors

Our former sixth grade student editors, Madison Hare, Hser Eh Htoo, Alexis Lynch and Lilly Yang will be going into the seventh grade this year. Along with their hard work and dedication to the Snelling Connection, they will be greatly missed.

We wish them good luck and are excited to see them succeed as seventh graders!

Madison Hare

Hser Eh Htoo

Alexis Lynch

Lilly Yang

Snelling Connection Contacts:

Editor: Tessa Mortenson, Collaboration Assistant, Hamline University student tmortenson01@hamlineuniversity.edu Hamline Liaison: Pres Martin, Professor and Chair of Biology pmartin@hamline.edu 651-523-2290 Hancock Liaison: Deborah Shipp, Hancock/Hamline University Collaborative Magnet School deborah.shipp@spps.org 651-293-8715 Hancock Student Advisor: Glynis Grostephan, Hancock/Hamline University Collaborative Magnet School glynis.grostephan@spps.org 651-293-8715 Page

Snelling Connection