Minutes from the PA Meeting on 10/24/03 - Horace Mann School

HORACE MANN <strong>PA</strong>RENTS ASSOCIATIONUPPER/ MIDDLE DIVISIONSOctober 24, 2003MINUTESA meeting of <strong>the</strong> Upper/Middle Divisions of <strong>the</strong> Horace Mann Parents Association was held on,Friday, October 24, 2003, in <strong>the</strong> Recital Hall in Fisher Hall. Janis Yoss got us all in <strong>the</strong>Homecoming spirit with <strong>the</strong> Horace Mann merchandise. Items are still available. Contact her forfur<strong>the</strong>r details.Parent Attendees: Judy Balsam, Chrystal Benjamin, Faye Warren Berger, Barbara WeinsteinBernstein, Lauren Bloom, Anne Marie Cushing, Judith Feder, Sharyl Bronsky Federman, LeslieHagg, Karen Hauser, Karen Kasner, Lynn Koch, Martha Kosyk, Gina Levine, Amy Lorowitz,Mena Maguire, Michelle Maroti, Diana Mulqueen, Lisa Noble, Liz Pimental, Kathy Rhee,Elizabeth Ryan, Pam Stuchin, Eva Marie Whitestone, Janis Yoss. There were many moreattendees who did not get an opportunity to sign in.Staff Attendees: Jeremy Leeds (Director of Guidance and Counseling), Peggy Hartman(Guidance), Marian Linden (Head of Middle School) Linda Mandel(Student Activity Director),Eileen Rothchild (Guidance), Daniel Rothstein (Psychologist), Larry Weiss(Head of UpperSchool).1. The meeting was called to order at 10:15 am by <strong>the</strong> Upper Division Parents AssociationChair Pam Stuchin. She welcomed <strong>the</strong> parents and opened <strong>the</strong> discussion regarding <strong>the</strong>Howard Gardner Lecture that took place at Horace Mann. The main point of <strong>the</strong> meetingwas to search for <strong>the</strong> relevance, of Gardner’s talk on “Good Works”, to <strong>the</strong> parents andstudents at Horace Mann, and how Gardner’s seminar can spark ideas at our school. Pamintroduced <strong>the</strong> new Parents Association Board and highlighted some of <strong>the</strong> events coming up.2. President of <strong>the</strong> Parent’s Association, Barbara Weinstein, spoke about <strong>the</strong> Online Benefitand previewed <strong>the</strong> items on sale. Barbara announced that this year funds <strong>from</strong> <strong>the</strong> ParentAssociation are being earmarked for <strong>the</strong> teachers through <strong>the</strong> Teacher AppreciationCommittee, and <strong>the</strong>re will be a special teacher feature on <strong>the</strong> Horace Mann website.3. Director of Counseling and Guidance, Jeremy Leeds introduced members of his guidancedepartment; Jennifer Mc Feely and Daniel Rothstein. Dr. Leeds informed <strong>the</strong> group that <strong>the</strong>following people will be speaking at our school.Phyllis Cohen co-author of <strong>the</strong> book, You Have to Say I'm Pretty, You're MyMo<strong>the</strong>r: How to Help Your daughter Learn to Love Her Body and Herself . She willspeak to <strong>the</strong> Psychology and <strong>the</strong> Women’s Issues Club about raising daughters.Deborah Roffman author of <strong>the</strong> book, Sex and Sensibility: The Thinking Parent'sGuide to Talking Sense About Sex. Visit her website at www.sexandsensibility.net.Jeremy Leeds thanked <strong>the</strong> faculty, and <strong>the</strong> parents for making <strong>the</strong> Howard Gardner talk areality. A few years ago this could not have happened because <strong>the</strong> idea of “multipleintelligences” was not a widely accepted philosophy at Horace Mann. Dr. Leeds spoke about1

<strong>the</strong> concept of “Alignment” in connecting <strong>the</strong> concepts of Intelligence and Morality <strong>from</strong> <strong>the</strong>Gardner lecture. Good work doesn’t come in a vacuum. We need an environment thatnurtures it. Gardner got us to reflect on <strong>the</strong> ideas associated with <strong>the</strong> alignment ofIntelligence and Morality. Parents need to push <strong>the</strong> school to be more concrete about <strong>the</strong>ideas Gardner presented. It is <strong>the</strong> job of both <strong>the</strong> parents and <strong>the</strong> school to workcooperatively to bring about this alignment. Dr Leeds mentioned <strong>the</strong> book The Students areWatching: Schools and <strong>the</strong> Moral Contract, by Ted Sizer, a book quoted by Gardner in hislecture.4. Head of <strong>the</strong> Upper Division, Larry Weiss, summarized his view of alignment as whatHorace Mann tried to present in <strong>the</strong> Family Handbook. The school and <strong>the</strong> parents are ina partnership. He summarized <strong>the</strong> five central values presented in <strong>the</strong> handbooka) Life of <strong>the</strong> Mindb) Mature Behaviorc) Mutual Respectd) Secure and Healthful Environmente) Balance Between Individual Achievement and a Caring Community5. Pam Stuchin wrapped up and thanked everyone for attending.2