Students explore and learn

Hamline Elementary is proud to invite prospective families and the community to join us at our annual Open House and Winter Warm-up! Current families and staff will be there to share with you why Hamline is a great place to learn. Location: Hamline Elementary,1599 Englewood Avenue, St. Paul. Date: Jan. 24, 2024, 5-7 p.m.

The Hamline Elementary community experienced an autumn filled with learning, community, and joy.

The Husky Pack, our family organization, hosted a “Huskies Read” Family Night in October focusing on literacy and reading at home. With the support of our staff, families, and Saint Paul Public Schools Office of Family Engagement and Partnerships, we came together to learn from each other about how to help our kids love reading. Saint Paul Public Schools is championing literacy for all students through their “SPPS Reads” initiative, helping students improve reading skills at home, and build excitement around reading through community events.

We have been focusing on our community-defined “Core Competencies” each month. Hamline Huskies are “Collaborators, Communicators, Creators, Critical Thinkers, and Self & Community Aware.” Each assembly is centered around the core competency of the month, with presentations co-led by students and staff about how we are acting upon each competency.

The University of Minnesota Raptor Center visited our after-school program, Extended Day Learning (EDL), and our students asked many great questions while learning about owls, hawks, kestrels, eagles, and raptors in general. Thanks to the staff at the Raptor Center and the wonderful birds they brought to share with our scholars.

In science, fourth graders learned about transferring energy by building and testing different kinds of cars. Students have built cars that are propelled by balloons. They tested their own car slingshots while learning about variables and fair testing. They also studied the science of collisions, and built safety devices to protect eggs in our crash test lab.

In science class in the other grades, kindergarten learned about plant and animal needs; first graders learned how plant structures help them disperse seeds; second graders learned about landforms and how to use maps and other models; third graders learned about forces and designing their own amusement parks; and fifth graders learned about material properties as well as physical and chemical reactions.

Kindergarteners are in their third round of Creator Space, which will end in mid-January. This unit we have been exploring different holidays and celebrations that are observed in our community. We learned some dances, made puppets, acted out origin stories, played games, and created decorations that connect to Christmas, Diwali, Eid, Hanukkah, and Hmong New Year! We also wrote and shared about the important holidays and traditions in our own families.

Pre-K is finishing their third unit on motion and ramps. We have been reading books and watching videos to learn about inclines and slopes, working together to experiment with rolling versus sliding, different levels of steepness, and comparing speeds within sizes and weight. Friends have used many materials to build their own ramps and obstacle courses, and have also been following their imaginations to create some of their own masterpieces! It’s so fun to see all the connections and learning each day!

Hamline’s Girls on the Run (GOTR) team wrapped up their fall 2023 season with a celebratory 5k at the State Fairgrounds on Sunday, Nov. 12. This event celebrated all that the GOTR participants learned and achieved over the nine-week program. GOTR will be back at Hamline for the spring season (running April 1-June 2). Registration will open Feb. 1. More info available at www.gotrmn.org. 

 

The longstanding collaboration between Hamline Elementary and Hamline University is a one-of-kind program in Saint Paul and the first of its kind in the nation. We are truly two campuses and one community in the heart of the Hamline Midway neighborhood, and our cross-campus collaboration team is hard at work creating opportunities to bring the Hamline Elementary and Hamline University communities together for learning and connection. 

As 2023 comes to a close, our H2H Collaboration team is thrilled with the growth of all of our programs this fall. With over 40 tutors working in classrooms and our mentorship programming growing every day, we are seeing the positive impact of having so many caring adults working and volunteering at Hamline Elementary. We are preparing some amazing grade-level and all-school experiences for the new year as well as looking forward to Hamline Elementary students exploring their interests through hands-on activities provided by Hamline University faculty at our Discovery Expo and planning a field day for Hamline Elementary students hosted by Hamline University student athletes at Klas Field. 

Learn more at https://www.hamline.edu/academics/college-schools/education-leadership/hamline-collaboration.