Volume 10, Issue 4 Summer 2007

In This Issue:Bench Mosaics 1

Outstanding Awards 2

Wolfe Thank You 2

Collaboration Logo 3

Summer Word Find 3

From the Desk of... 4

Volunteer Feature 4

Speak Out! 5

Neighborhood News 6

Newsletter of the Hancock-Hamline University Collaboration

Snelling ConnectionCollege Begins in Kindergarten (CBiK)From: Preparing your Child For College: 2000 Editionhttp://www.ed.gov/pubs/Prepare/pt1.html

Why Attend College?Greater Knowledge: A college educa-tion will increase your child’s ability to think abstractly and critically, to express thoughts clearly in speech and in writing, and to make wise decisions. These skills are useful both on and off the job.More Money: A person who attends college generally earns more than a person who does not. For exam-ple, in 1997, a person with a col-lege degree from a four-year col-lege earned approximately $18,000 more in that year than a person who did not go to college. More Job Opportunities: Many jobs rely on new technology and al-ready require more brain power than muscle power. In your child’s working life, more and more jobs will require education beyond high school. With a college education, your child will have more jobs from which to choose.

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Students Piece Together Ideas

By Jason Allen, Issam Himmi, and Phoua ThaoHancock Student Editors

With the help of com-munity artist Laurie Watson, the 5th-graders

in Ms. Smith, Mrs. Saari, and Mr. Bergthold’s classes are working on mosaics for the benches in front of Hancock. Mosaics are designs on a surface, made by fitting and cementing together small pieces of hard material, such as colored glass or tile. The bench mosaics will have three themes: earth, wind, and water. Ms. Smith, one of the 5th grade

teachers working on the project, explained how they chose the themes: “We have three benches so we thought it was a good idea. It connects with the garden. The earth theme bench will include im-

ages like trees, grass, animals, etc. The wind bench will include sky, clouds, birds, sun, and moon. The water bench will have water, fish, and seaweed.”The bench mosaic project started

in the fall when Hancock students broke tiles donated by Tile by De-sign. The tiles are a variety of dif-ferent colors, from aqua blue to lemon yellow. Students worked in small groups to break the tiles into small pieces with hammers while wearing safety goggles and aprons. After they broke the tiles, the 5th-

graders went to work designing the mosaics. They looked through books and magazines to find pic-tures of things that fit the theme they were assigned to. Students compiled pictures of trees, clouds, fish, and other things that fit their theme of earth, wind, or water. From these ideas, they drew pic-

tures that Laurie compiled into the final drawings to be used for the mosaics. She drew the designs on pieces of special wide-spaced net-ting. Laurie and the students are now working in the rec center art room to fit and glue the broken tile pieces into the designs on the net-ting. The 5th-graders are hopefully go-

ing to cement the netting with the tile pieces on one or two of the benches this May or June. They also hope to have a ceremony to celebrate the completion of the benches. This has been a great experience

for all involved. The students re-ally enjoy it. Ms. Smith wanted to especially acknowledge the great number of hours the artist is giving to this project. “We want to give a big thank you to our artist, Laurie,” Smith said.

Fifth grade students work with artist Laurie Watson to piece together broken tiles into a mosaic design that will adorn three benches.

Whitney K

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Page 2 Summer 2007

Congratulations to Award Winners!

Whitney K

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Whitney K

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By Samantha HenningsonCollaboration Coordinator

Any working organization has periods of change and growth, and the

Hancock-Hamline Collabora-tion is no different. Since its of-ficial start in 1991, the Collabo-ration has worked to strengthen relationships and the vision that College Begins in Kindergarten (CBiK). Many people at Hancock, Hamline, and in the community, have contributed their talents and energies to numerous daily shared successes. An important milestone in the

history of the Collaboration was the contribution of $25,000 over a period of ten years by John and Dorothy Wolfe. This contribu-tion, which is matched by John’s employer, IBM, is in its last year. The Wolfe’s generosity is particu-larly notable because they do not live in Minnesota. They knew that the work of the Hancock-Ham-

line Collaboration is unique and important for Hancock, Hamline, and the larger community. In their original letter of intent

to contribute, John and Dorothy Wolfe said, “It seems that provid-ing a rich educational experience for children can result in a lifelong impact that at a minimum will im-pact the child’s life but could even extend to their family, community and beyond.” They were correct in their thinking about the impact of our work, where learners of all ages come together to experience new things and reflect on the fu-ture.Many of the new experiences

had by Hamline and Hancock community members have been possible because of the Wolfe’s vision and generosity. The Col-laborative Mini-Grants, which are offered each year by the Ad-visory Committee, have allowed Hamline community members to explore their passions by teaching Hancock students and working

with the school’s amazing staff. Hancock students’ learning has been supplemented by having experiences each year that might involve collaboratively writing a book, creating public art, writing pen pals in South Africa, explor-ing crime scenes, or learning about plants in the garden right outside the science room door. The mini-grants have allowed fresh ideas and relationships to flourish.The Wolfe’s donation has also al-

lowed us to educate our commu-nity about the Collaboration via the Snelling Connection and to better document our success sto-ries – this year with the purchase of a high-quality digital camera. Recording our stories is a very important part of building on and sharing our successes.At Hancock-Hamline Univer-

sity Collaborative Magnet School, 94% of the students want to go to college. This community of learners has succeeded in work-ing together to instill the idea that

college truly does begin in kin-dergarten. Our work is not done, though. By expanding our work to include more parts of Ham-line University, as well as learning from and with Hancock families, CBiK can move from a dream to a reality for many students. As a first step in this important pro-cess, kindergarten and sixth grade families will be invited to join their students on tours of Ham-line University in May. The kindness of John and Doro-

thy Wolfe will support these family tours, representing an expansion of the vision of the Hancock-Hamline Collaboration. We know that no individual learner can do the work alone. We are all tied to families and communities who we depend on for support and guid-ance. We look forward to expand-ing the collaborative community to better include Hancock fami-lies, Hamline alumni, and others invested in the idea the College Begins in Kindergarten.

Thank You John and Dorothy Wolfe

By Whitney KleinEditor

Every year, the Hancock-Hamline Collaboration recognizes two deserving

Hamline students for the work they do at Hancock. The awards for Outstanding Volunteer and Outstanding Student Work-er were announced at the Hamline Leadership Gala on May 2. This year, the Collaboration would like to congratulate Ho Nguyen, winner of the Outstand-ing Volunteer Award, and Susan Koziolek, winner of Outstanding Student Worker Award. Ho Nguyen is a third year

political science and sociol-ogy double major at Ham-line. Her nominator said, “Ho has been volunteering with a kindergarten student

since January and with 4th grad-ers since October. She has been a very responsible volunteer, com-ing consistently, pleasantly work-ing with students and following directions from the teaching staff at Hancock. She is a great addi-tion to our school.” Congratula-tions Ho!

Susan Koziolek is a third year political science major at Ham-line. Her nominator said, “She is a highly dedicated worker who has been devoted to Hancock stu-dents and staff for three years. Susan is easygoing and has a positive attitude about being at Hancock. Additionally, she works

patiently with the students and teachers. She quickly picks up on whatever I need her to do and follows through without a hitch. I can always depend on Susan to finish a task and to finish it well. Furthermore, Susan is always on time and consistently at her job.” Congratulations Susan!

Susan Koziolek, Outstanding Student Worker, reads with Woessner’s 1st graders.

Nguyen is recognized as Outstanding Volunteer.

Page 3 Snelling Connection

P L A Y F O O T B A L L S H R ML L T B G O F I S H I N G A C LA S A E S K I I N G V I H V R WY S K Y C B R I D E B I K E J KT T E Y P L A Y B A S E B A L LE A A N L I R H S Y I H F P U LN R W I A L N I H V N D S A C AN T A K N P R G O F G P U R H BI A L R T C M L P G I L M T A TS G K A T N R W O O H A M Y V EK A S P R E I A B T N Y E I E KV R K R E A D T J O S G R E S ST D O E E V A C U L N A S T L AH E B T S D N N M I O M C D E BC N H A N M C A P B C E H I E YT H S W I M E M R R I S O C P AA C R O P I A O O A S I O N O LW R I T E C L R P R K S L I V PV P R O O G H L E Y C S S C E IP L E G A P L E C D R I L S R IW C G A G A R A G E S A L E S BV I S I T R E L A T I V E S G L

SUMMER WORD FIND

Created by Dominique ThompsonHancock Student Editor

1) Play ping pong2) Play football3) Go to library4) Watch a movie5) Read6) Take a walk7) Watch TV8) Write9) Swim10) Jump rope11) Ski12) Start a garden13) Go to water park14) Play basketball15) Ride a bike16) Play Tennis17) Plant a tree18) Sing19) Shop20) Play games21) Rap22) Have a party23) Dance24) Summer school25) Have a sleep over26) Picnic27) Visit relatives28) Go fishing29) Garage sales30) Play baseball

Collaboration Chooses New LogoBy Whitney KleinEditor

The Hancock-Hamline Collaboration has been without a logo since the Collaboration’s creation. This year, the Advisory Committee decided that it was time to change that. An artist, Susan Carr,

was hired to come up with some possible ideas, and the Committee voted on their favorites at the March meeting. The chosen logo (pictured on right) features many things that the

Collaboration stands for. The words “College Begins in Kindergarten” at the top left of the logo are not only the Collaboration’s slogan, but also their mission. The two H’s are connected by one line, a bridge between Hancock and Hamline. This logo will be used in Collaboration communications, in the Snelling Connection, and someday maybe even on t-shirts!

Page 4 Summer 2007

Hi my name is Adrianne Adams and I’m a 5th grader at Hancock Elementary and my teacher’s name is Mrs. Saari and she’s a great teacher and good at explaining things. Snelling Connection is fun but sometimes it can be hard. I have one best friend and her name is Courtney Clark. Fifth grade is kind of hard but math isn’t so hard to me. Our assistant principal, Mrs. Lehman, is really nice. Our principal, Ms. Abrams is really nice, too, and they’re both good problem solvers. Mary, the secretary, is really nice and helpful. All of the teachers and students at Hancock are nice.

Adrianne Adams

My name is Samantha Henningson, and I coordinate programs for the Hancock-Hamline Collaboration. This is my third year in this job and I love it! I get to work with many fabulous people at both Hancock and Hamline every day. My office is at Hamline in the Office of Service-Learning and Volunteerism, but on Tuesdays, Craig Anderson is kind enough to share his office with me. The end of the semester is always a busy time, because it is when most of the pairing activities between Hancock grade levels and Hamline University departments take place. It is exciting to have conversations about what to continue from past years and what new ideas people have. This year, for example, the families of kindergarten and 6th-grade students are invited to attend Hamline campus tours. I have also been meeting with other educators and organizations in the community who do work to help students get ready for college. We are trying to make sure that we do everything we can to make the idea that College Begins in Kindergarten a reality. I love talking with everyone about their ideas for the Hancock-Hamline Collaboration, so please let me know what works and what could be better about this fabulous community collaboration. Contact me at shenningson01@hamline.edu or 651-523-2483.

Hi my name is Dominique Thompson. I’m in 6th

grade. I am moving to Las Vegas at the end of

May. I like math, SEM (Student Enrichment

Model), student council, cheerleading, and

gym. I like cheerleading because you get to

move around and be active. Since I am in 6th

grade and am moving I will really miss SEM

and student council because I got a chance to

do what I love. I will miss all of the Hamline

students because I liked all the projects

we did, like in 5th grade when we did the

homelessness project or like in third grade

we did peace tiles.

Dominique ThompsonFr

om t

he D

esk

of..

. Samantha Henningson

Page 5 Snelling Connection

“There is little doubt in the science com-munity that human actions are helping cause global warming and other environmental dam-age. Even seemingly small choices by indi-vidual people make a difference and can help improve the health of our home. So REACT! Use compact fluorescent light bulbs instead of incandescent ones. Grow your own food. Compost. Recycle. Take the bus or light rail. If you pack your lunch, use reusable contain-ers. These actions reduce energy consumption and pollution and reuse precious resources. There are so many ways to make a difference right where you are.” - Ms. Gibson, Hancock Science Specialist

“I think we can help the earth by picking up pop cans in our yards and putting them in the recycling bin instead of the trash can and the other way is recycle papers and not throw them away.” - Emmanuel Gizaw, Hancock 6th-grader

“Plant trees and grass to help the earth grow. It cleans our air and produces oxygen.” - Evan Douville, Hancock 2nd-grader

“We can begin by refusing items that we don’t need; such as bring your own grocery bag from home and/or decline a bag for just a few products.” - Mrs. Lehmann, Hancock Assistant Principal

Program Connects Students with MentorsBy Vanessa TiemanHamline Student

Hancock’s Mentor Pro-gram has a brand new start this year under the

direction of Hancock’s librarian, Lynn Blumthal, with help from me, her student liaison. The program is different from

the HOSTS program that had been Hancock’s mentor program for almost ten years before the current program started. In past years, students met their mentors in the HOSTS room. This year is a little bit different;

mentors come directly into the

classrooms of the students with which they work. One advantage of the new program is that our terrific mentors are now able to engage students in a wider variety of learning opportunities, includ-ing math, small group vocabulary, story response, and one-on-one reading.Even though the program is in

transition this year, the impact that volunteers are making on the students is still strong. Eh Ya Tu, from Ms. Nguyen’s

3rd-grade class, has been working with her mentor, Jim O’Meara, reading one-on-one. “Jim helps me with words I don’t

know,” says Eh Ya about her men-tor. “At first, I didn’t know him, but now I know him better and I can read really hard words.” Eh Ya also says that having the

chance to read out loud to some-one helps her understand what she is reading better. Eh Ya Tu looks forward to working with Jim once a week.Jim, a retired attorney and Min-

neapolis resident, feels the same way about working with Eh Ya. “I’m always glad to be there and I always feel good afterwards. I very much enjoy working with kids, so that’s basically why I do it. It is, for me anyway, very rewarding

and a lot of fun,” Jim said.Hancock’s Mentor Program will

again be in transition next year. Ms. Blumthal will be passing her torch as Mentor Coordinator to Craig Anderson, Hancock-Ham-line’s current Curriculum Co-ordinator and Hamline Liaison. Watch for changes to the mentor program and more opportunities for the students of Hancock to learn from the wonderful mentors in their community.If you’d like to volunteer next

year as a mentor at Hancock, please contact Craig Anderson at craig.anderson@spps.org or call 651-292-3499.

“Don’t pollute or put chemicals in lakes because it will hurt fish and wildlife. Don’t destroy the environment.” - Mohamed Ismail, Hancock 2nd-grader

“By reusing materials, we have to make less stuff to use. It takes effort from everyone to make a difference. By reacting to the current situations and rejecting the ideas that we always need new things we can all

work together to conserve our resources for the benefit of all.” - Megan Lindstrom, Hamline 2nd-Year

“Recycle all that we can and try to use as little mate-rials and resources as possible.” - Stacie Calkins, Hamline 2nd-Year

“Use fuel-efficient cars that use less oil and gas.” - James Yin, Hamline 3rd-Year

Ms. Gibson

Emmanuel Gizaw Evan Douville Mohamed Ismail

Speak Out! By Eddie Henderson and Mai See Moua

Earth Day is celebrated every year on April 22 and one of this year’s focuses has been global warming. Using the Five R’s: Reduce, Reuse, React, Reject, and Recycle”, how can we help the earth?

Page 6 Snelling Connection

Snelling Connection Contacts:

Editor: Whitney Klein, Collaboration Assistant, Hamline University studentwklein02@hamline.edu 651-523-4082

Hamline Liaison: David Hudson, Hamline University English Dept.dhudson@hamline.edu 651-523-2893

Hancock Liaison: Craig Anderson, Hancock-Hamline University Collaborative Magnet Schoolcraig.anderson@spps.org 651-292-3499

Hancock Student Advisor: Glynis Grostephan, Hancock-Hamline University Collaborative Magnet Schoolglynis.grostephan@spps.org 651-293-8715

Visit the Collaboration website at www.hamline.edu/hancock

Hancock-Hamline Collaboration

Our mission is to build and strengthen our collaborative community through shared learning, relationships and cultural diversity.

By Jun-Li WangCommunity OrganizerHamline Midway Coalition

Three cheers for the Ham-line Midway neighborhood! The neighborhood is creat-

ing a strong identity for itself as a caring and creative community. This spring, several neighborhood groups and residents won SIX awards for their work greening the neighborhood—gardens in public spaces, planting trees, the com-munity garden, and plants in the Snelling Avenue planters. Minnesota Parent magazine also selected this wonderful neighborhood as the winner of its first “Family Favorite Neighborhoods” contest, in part because of its unique intersection-painting project, “Paint the Pave-ment.”

As a community organizer for the neighborhood organization, Ham-line Midway Coalition, I work with residents, students, groups, and organizations to get organized to take care of issues that matter to them. These issues include traffic calming, problem properties, crime prevention, land use, transporta-tion, use of public spaces, beauti-fication, greening, and the creative arts. As a member of the Hancock-

Hamline Advisory Committee, I bring my perspectives about the neighborhood to the table as we discuss matters related to the collaboration between Hancock School and Hamline University. In recent years, much neighbor-

hood energy has been focused around activities related to the concept of “placemaking.” We

define placemaking as people com-ing together and actively working to turn generic public spaces into community places where people can create connections with one another. By using elements such as art, sculpture, benches and plants, and by “activating” spaces by plan-ning human activity, a bland space can be turned into a place where community gathers, interacts, and thrives. One example of this is the Arts

Alive event last spring, where Hancock and Hamline students and community members played together at the corner of Snelling and Englewood. For an afternoon, the usually “dead” corner was full of life, excitement, and noise. More permanent examples are

when people put benches on their boulevards or create beautiful gar-

dens to look at— neighbors gather, take a breather, and stop to smell the roses. Even the mural at the corner of

Hubbard and Snelling that Han-cock 3rd graders made last year creates “place”—instead of just seeing a parking lot behind a chain fence, people who walk or drive by on Snelling see a colorful mural that tells them there are young art-ists nearby who want to share their art work with everyone. There are so many examples of

placemaking, and so many ways to get involved in them. This can be as simple as talking to your neigh-bor when you are both out in your front yards or drawing a chalk hop-scotch game on the sidewalk. Or you can participate with other peo-ple in organized activities related to specific topics. Some examples are: the Hamline Midway Environ-ment Group that helps green the neighborhood; the Hamline Mid-way History Corps that researches neighborhood history and stories; the Mighty Midway 4-H group that focuses on whole-family learning and activities; and Paint the Pave-ment, an activity that promotes building community through neighborhood art. I encourage you to give us at the

Hamline Midway Coalition a call (651-646-1986) or see the website at www.hamlinemidwaycoalition.org to link up with these various groups. Take part in creating this great place!

Placemaking in Hamline Midway Neighborhood

Hancock students paint the sidewalk at last spring’s Arts Alive event, which was one of the placemaking activities in the area.

Ham

line Midw

ay Coalition