Changing the World, - Horace Mann School

Director of Development
letter from the director of development
Throughout the current academic year the Horace Mann School community came
together in unprecedented ways. We celebrated the events that always bring our community
close—Homecoming, class reunions, the Buzzell Game, and the concerts, plays, and
exhibitions that take place each trimester. Among new initiatives was a communal meal held
just before Thanksgiving that brought over 1,000 students, current and former faculty members,
administrators and staff from all areas of Horace Mann to the Cohen Dining Commons
in Fisher Hall. Familiar faces broke bread and engaged in conversation with people they had
rarely shared a moment with before.
An enjoyable event, the success of the meal and the spirit it fostered was also symbolic of
the way the Horace Mann community interacted this year. All are aware of the challenges we
face, as individuals, and collectively, and concern rests in preserving the power of the education
each of us experienced. For our volunteers whose work does so much to support our
School, this has been a year to go a step deeper in their dedicated service, by reaching out to
more of our supporters, attending an additional meeting, or making that extra phone call.
These acts in themselves have contributed greatly to strengthening our community, just as
did the gathering we shared last fall. The scope of the HM education that we sometimes take
for granted must be seen in a renewed light—one that cherishes the depth of commitment
with which it is nurtured by our faculty and administrators alike. For alumni who have visited
our campus or connected with our current students, it’s not only HM initiatives nor achievements
that reassure, but the character of the students and teachers who work together toward
a future of contribution through knowledge and service. And, for the volunteers whose efforts
we so value—they have found reward in connecting with others who share our mutual cares.
As we bring this school year to a close we are heartened by how the strength of our community
speaks to the strength of our School. As always, we invite your presence at Horace
Mann School events. Coming up this spring are a host of athletic games, Commencement, our
alumni theater production, and of course, the Horace Mann Alumni Council’s exciting Annual
Spring Benefit this year taking place in New York City on June 3 rd . Please join us, for you are a
valued part of Horace Mann, as Horace Mann School is a part of you.
Melissa Murphy Parento ’90
Director of Development
Horace Mann Magazine Spring 2009
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