About Us
Achievement Highlights
Mission Statement
Activities, Programs, and Recognitions
School History
Organizations
Magnet
Applications
Directions
Horace Mann’s Dual Language Magnet Program offers kindergarten through eighth
grade students an opportunity to get a quality education in a caring environment
while learning both Spanish and English.
Students start in kindergarten, first, and
second grade using a language immersion model where 50% of the classroom
instruction is in English and 50% is in Spanish. As teachers incorporate the
district and state reading and math standards into the English and Spanish
instruction, students are taught early on to think, talk, read, and write in
both English and Spanish. Students quickly learn how to switch between languages
and apply their learning in their academics and friendships.
Intermediate students in the third through
fifth grades expand their knowledge in Spanish and English as they rotate
between their English Language Arts, Spanish Language Arts (including social
studies), and Spanish Mathematics (including science). In addition, all
elementary students continue receiving enrichment through music, physical
education, art, library, technology, and Spanish classes that meet the
district’s standards.
Middle school students continue the academic
excellence tradition with English Language Arts, English Mathematics, Spanish
Science, and Spanish Social Studies. Electives include art, music, band,
strings, physical education, Spanish technology, and Spanish which are nine week
rotations for sixth graders and semester classes for seventh and eighth graders.
In addition, middle school students have the opportunity to participate in
district middle school activities including sports, National Academic League,
STUCO, After School Program (enrichment classes and intramurals), dances, and
other events.
In addition to the classroom academics and
support students receive, Horace Mann is known for the many extra programs it
provides for students to ensure a caring and connected community. Parents are
encouraged to get involved with students with school wide activities including:
Parent/Teacher Conferences, Fairs, Field Trips, Cinco de Mayo, the Parent
Involvement Room, Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), Site Council, and classroom
events. Horace Mann’s gifted program provides enrichment in the classroom for
academic enriched students. A warm and caring atmosphere in all classrooms is
evident as teachers interact with students and parents on a daily basis helping
to meet school wide needs.
To learn more about our Horace Mann program,
please visit our school web page at
http://horacemann.usd259.org/
or call us at 973-3100 to visit.
View a Summer 2006
Powerpoint presentation about Horace Mann (15MB). Read more about the
Dual Language curriculum.
Achievement Highlights
Horace Mann’s nationally acclaimed Dual
Language Immersion Program provides students the opportunity to become bilingual
and biliterate in Spanish and English. Horace Mann Dual Language Magnet's
program was recognized in Hispanic Magazine for this exemplary program. Many
visitors across the
United States
visit Horace Mann yearly to view the unique and successful K-8 program.
The Dual Language Program unites English
speakers and Spanish speakers in the bilingual classroom. Students receive
50% of their instruction in Spanish and 50% in English with the goal that all
students become bilingual and biliterate by the end of 8th grade. All
students learn to read and write in their first language before formal reading
instruction begins in their second language. Research has shown that students
who learn in a second language increase their cognitive skills, academic
abilities, and test scores in their first language. In 1997, the US
Department of Education named the Dual Language Program as an exemplary program
in the
United States
. Since the Fall of 2003, Horace Mann has offered Dual Language classrooms at
each of the Kindergarten through Grade 8 levels.
Academically, Horace Mann has made the
Kansas
State Department of Education’s Adequate Yearly Progress two years in a row!
71% of the Horace Mann students have successfully passed the state’s reading and
math assessments as required by the federal No Child Left Behind Act in the
2005-06 school year. Horace Mann has received the Blue Ribbon National School of
Excellence Award.
School
Mission
Statement
The mission of Horace Mann is to establish a strong, standards-based curriculum,
which promotes high academic achievement in both English and Spanish, in an
environment that embraces diversity and strives for excellence.
Student Activities, Special Programs, and Recognitions
In addition to the Dual Language Immersion
(English/Spanish) focus which guides and directs the overall focus of Horace
Mann, many classroom and school activities are available including:
- Classroom teachers have many grade level activities for students to help
students broaden their community awareness. Field trips are offered to
connect classroom learning while enriching student learning.
- All day kindergarten (half in English and half in Spanish) provides a solid
foundation for students to learn reading, writing, and math.
- YMCA Splash! and Swim are both offered. YMCA Splash! is a Tuesday after
school swim activity whereas YMCA Swim is a six week lunch swimming program
for second graders.
- Honor Roll Assemblies help provide recognition of student achievement and
honors.
- Latchkey is available before and after school for parents needing to drop
their children off early or pick them up after school hours.
- A school wide standardized dress (khaki pants and polor shirts) helps
students experience how everyone is working together to meet school
objectives and goals.
- The After School Program for sixth through eighth graders provides
enrichment activities in math, reading, social studies, and science for the
first 45 minutes followed by intramurals the support middle school
athletics.
- Middle school sports are available including: cross-country, girls’
volleyball, boys’ and girls’ basketball, and boys’ and girls’ track. Horace
Mann also offers a special soccer intramural program unique to just a couple
of the area middle schools.
- Horace Mann competed in the National Academic League for the first time in
2005-06 and finished with a winning 7-4 record.
-
Theresa Holderbach was
a semi-finalist for the Distinguished Classroom Teacher
Award (New teacher Category) in Feb 2006.
- Many Horace Mann fifth through eighth grade students play either a string or
band instrument. Horace Mann students competed at the 7th and 8th
grade Orchestra Festival and received high ratings.
- Hispanic cultural events are encouraged including student participation in
the Folkloric Dancers who frequently perform at many school and
Wichita
events.
- Students are encouraged to consider going to college. To encourage college
prep thinking, middle school students visit local colleges where they have
opportunities to see classes in session, meet college counselors, learn
about college grant and loan programs, and find out that they can be
successful in a college setting upon high school graduation.
- Horace Mann’s Parent Involvement Worker (PIW) supports the
Parent
Resource
Center
where parents come together to help support classrooms. The Foster
Grandparent Program is also coordinated through the PIW to help mentor
students, work in classrooms, and support the school’s focus. The PIW also
helps provide parenting and Spanish/English classes for parents and
community members.
- Fun activities for students and families to get involved include the Cinco
de Mayo Celebration, Red Ribbon Week, and Family Activity Nights.
School History
Horace Mann opened for school in the fall of
1918 as
Horace
Mann
Intermediate
School
, one of the first junior high schools west of the
Mississippi River
. The school was named for Horace Mann, the outstanding
New England
educator and inventor who lived during the first half of the nineteenth
century.
The initial building was completed in 1917 and was added to in 1918. In 1950, an
addition was constructed consisting of a gymnasium-auditorium combination, two
art rooms and a small theater used for instrumental music. Portables were added
in 1960, 1961 and 1968. Remodeling of the library, offices and corridors was
completed in 1976.
The first room for the educable mentally handicapped was added in 1961. Later
three more rooms were provided to serve pupils in the area north of
Douglas
and west of Broadway.
Originally the school was located in the affluent section of town where some of
the finest large homes were situated. As families moved to suburbs and other
areas of the city, this inner city area changed, and many large homes were
converted to apartments. Consequently, the school population became one with a
high rate of mobility.
In the first 40 years school, enrollment fluctuated from 650 to a high of more
than 800 pupils. After 1970 the enrollment gradually decreased to less than 500.
The school was well integrated with just over 30 percent black, about 14 percent
Hispanic, and the remainder white in those days.
On May 16, 1977 the Board of Education voted to initiate a middle school program
during 1977-78 at Horace Mann school on an experimental basis and approved
changing the name of the school to
Horace
Mann
Middle School
. The school opened in September 1977 with an enrollment of 386 pupils,
including grades six, seven and eight. The ninth graders in the Horace Mann
attendance area attended Wichita High School North.
In 1989 Horace Mann was combined with
Irving
and
Park
Elementary Schools
to become a foreign language magnet elementary school with grades 3-5 housed at
Irving and Park. Enrollment remained around 450 students with 56 percent
Hispanic, 16 percent black and 23 percent white.
In 1997, the Irving/Horace Mann program
received a grant to begin a Two-Way Bilingual Program. Goals included: (1) to
promote high achievement of oral language proficiency, literacy and writing in
both English and Spanish, (2) to establish a strong academic based curriculum in
two languages, and (3) to embrace the diversity of our multicultural world.
In 2002-2003, as a result of the USD 259 Bond Issue, Horace Mann was expanded to
a K - 8 pure dual language magnet school, while
Irving
became a K - 5 neighborhood elementary school. As part of the bond
project, a new building was built adjacent to the old Horace Mann building and,
in the Fall of 2003, Horace Mann relocated to a brand new building located at
1243 N. Market St
in
Wichita
,
KS
.
The Horace Mann program offers a two-way dual
language program where all students learn a second language through
content-based instruction, while enhancing the first language. The dual language
program provides a unique opportunity for students to learn English and Spanish
simultaneously by providing standards-based instruction in both languages.
English and Spanish speakers are united in the dual language class, which is
ideally made up of 50% English speakers and 50% Spanish speakers. This allows
both groups to benefit from exposure to native speakers. Students are then
taught a highly academic curriculum in both languages, with a strong emphasis
placed on students learning to read in their native language first.
Site Council and Parent Teacher Organization
(PTO) Information
Horace Mann’s Site Council is made up of parents, community members, business
representatives, teachers and other school staff who want to help identify,
consider and discuss educational problems and issues at Horace Mann. The Site
Council provides advice and counsel for evaluating state, school district and
school site performance goals and objectives.
The Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) is a
parent and teacher organization that works on projects that support students in
the classroom and school. Projects have included: Landscaping Project, Room
Parents, Field Trip support, classroom sponsorships, fundraisers, and finding
ways to support students connecting to the school.
Horace Mann’s Site Council meets the third Monday of every other month at 5:30
in the library followed by the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) which meets
every month at 6:30 p.m.
Magnet Applications to Attend Horace Mann
As a magnet school, students interested in
attending Horace Mann should call Margo in the Magnet School Office at 973-4464
to fill out an application to attend by February. Kindergarten and first grade
students only need to know their home language of English or Spanish. Second
through eighth graders need to pass a proficiency exam before being admitted.
Magnet school students are drawn randomly from those who have applied for the
available openings.
Directions
Horace Mann is located at 1243 N. Market (one
block southeast of 13th and
Main Street
). To visit Horace Mann, exit Kellogg at Central Business District. Go north on
Market for twelve blocks. Horace Mann Campus is on the west side of the street.
If driving in from I-135, take the
13th Street
exit and go west to
Main Street
. Turn left and go one block.
HORACE MANN DUAL LANGUAGE MAGNET
1243 N. Market
Wichita
,
Kansas
67214
To report any problems with the
web site, please contact
Barbara
Chaparro.
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