Volume 12, Issue 2 Winter 2009

In This Issue:

Making it to Minnesota 1

Kids Voting 2 Hand-in-Hand lunch 3

Kids’ Artwork and Poetry 3

From the desk of ... 4

On the Issues 5

Dear Hancock Husky 6

Snelling ConnectionNewsletter of the Hancock/Hamline University Collaboration

Anticipation filled the air in the Minneapo-lis-St. Paul International airport late one night last May. Something special was

coming. A large group of people occupied one end of baggage claim, some pacing in front of the sliding glass doors in excitement. Others sat calmly. A few warmed up their cameras.Finally, people began filtering into baggage claim

from the other side of the glass doors, looking tired from a long flight. By now, everyone was up on their feet, eagerly scanning the recent arrivals. Then, the cameras started clicking. They had arrived.

The Daw family, made up of Ba Eh Ler Htoo, Eh Tamwee, Eh Lertoo, Re Wah Lay, Pa Tha Soe and their mother, Tha Htoo Daw, had left Thai-land two days earlier. Five flights later, they were finally in Minnesota. Family and friends, some of whom had never been met, welcomed the new family with hugs, tears, smiles and the promise of warm food and additional family waiting for them at their new home.This is a familiar scene for several Hancock

students, as many students are first-generation immigrants; many more have gone to an airport or home to greet their newly arrived family member or friend. Many of these students make up the ESL (English as a Second Language) population at Hancock. The majority of Hancock’s ESL students come from Southeast Asia, Africa, and Central and South America, with the most common languages being Hmong, Karen, Somali and Spanish.The Daws, who are ethnic Karen, contribute to

the growing number of Karen refugees settling in Saint Paul. The Karen are an ethnic minority who live primarily in Burma and Thailand, and are currently the targets of a genocide being inflict-ed upon them by the Burmese military regime. As a result, the Karen are resettling. The city of St. Paul is estimated to have about 3,000 Karen, making St. Paul the hub of the Karen community within the United States. The reasons a family may leave their country

of origin vary. Some come to the United States to escape persecution or war. Others may be looking for better opportunities in education or work. Many Karen people, fleeing war and eth-nic cleansing, initially set their sights on refugee

Making it to MinnesotaThe Karen represent one of St. Paul’s fastest-growing immigrant groups. The Daw family arrived from Thailand last May, and are now learning what life is like half a world away in Minnesota.

“The Hancock-Hamline Collaboration has been an inspiration for me to go to college because when I visit Hamline or see Hamline students come here I get to see the wonders of college and can really believe that college truly does begin in kindergarten.”—Caitlin Hare, 6th grade

By Angela FroemmingEditor

KAREN continued on page 2

The Daw children stand outside their bamboo-built home in the refugee camp they lived in until last May when they moved to St. Paul.

Page � Winter 2009

camps across the Burmese border in Thai-land. According to Tha Htoo, once a per-son is in the refugee camp, they no longer need to be afraid of being killed. “Living in the Minnesota is a blessing

from God,” said Tha Htoo’s mother, Ka

Lu, through an interpreter. Ka Lu also echoed her daughter’s sentiments, saying that she no longer has to live in fear, nor does she have to be running away. Finally, she feels safe.All of the children in the Daw family

were born in a refugee camp in Thailand. Years earlier when Tha Htoo and her family had come to the camp, they were given bamboo shafts and permission to build a house. Com-ing from the camp to Minnesota was a three-year process, involving a lot of paper work, interviews and doctor visits. Claire Roberts, an ESL teacher at Han-

cock, believes that students who come here from different countries around

the world make Hancock a better place to teach and learn. “I think that the cultural diversity is such a richness; we all learn from each other,” she said.Roberts considers being an ESL teacher

and getting to work with the school’s most recent newcomers a very rewarding expe-rience. Despite having to face many ad-ditional challenges compared to students who have always lived in the United States speaking English, ESL students still tend to be hard workers with good attitudes. “We were excited to come to the United

States,” Eh Lertoo and Re Wah Lay, who are in first and third grade at Hancock, said through an interpreter. “We like school and the food here.” Eh Lertoo and Re Wah

Lay also said they like not feeling scared, and not being hit at school with a shaft of bamboo for not doing their homework, getting an answer wrong or talking out of turn. Tha Htoo appreciates the free schooling offered in the United States.The Daw family, while happy to be in

Minnesota, still misses their friends and other family members in Burma and Thai-land, and worries about their safety.

KAREN continued from page 1

The Daw family poses for pictures with family and friends minutes after arriving in Minnesota after their 2-day flight from Thailand.

“I think that the cultural diversity is such a richness; we

all learn from each other.”—Claire Roberts

ESL teacher

Nov. 4 was an important day for people across the United States. For Hancock students in grades 1-6, the day was special as they got to experience the voting process by

casting their votes in the Kids Voting election. Each classroom went to the designated voting area and used

their library cards as identification. An election clerk used this information to find each student’s name in the sign-in log and had the student write their signature on the sign-in log before they received a paper ballot.Students received a ballot and bubbled in their choices. The

election judges made sure the ballots were put into the ballot box correctly. Students were rewarded with a Kids Voting bookmark or tattoo and an “I Voted” sticker.This was “real life” learning: If

a student’s name wasn’t on the sign-in log they had to register at

a separate table. Students learned the importance of registering ahead of time, thanks to Hamline Professor David Hudson’s first-year seminar. Prior to the Kids Voting election, his class taught Hancock students the importance of studying the candidates, registering to vote and of remembering the right and responsibility we have to vote.Student Council members served as election judges, clerks

and inspectors. The votes were counted by hand, and later electronically. Hancock students’ votes didn’t count in the real election, but

they did count in the Kids Voting election. Thousands of St. Paul students voted at the polls along with thousands of students across the United States.

By Hue Houa Yang, Caitlin Hare, Kelsey Donnelly, and Glynis GrostephanEditors

Building better voters, one student at a time

Hancock election results:PresidentMcCain: 50 votesObama: 448 voteSenatorFranken: 217 votesColeman: 110 votes

As part of the nation-wide Kids Voting program, Hancock students participated in a mock election on November 4, getting a taste of the voting experience.

Page 3 Snelling Connection

Hand-in-Hand lunch offers more than just a meal

Every fall semester there is a special lunch held in the Sorin cafeteria. On Nov. 19, 85 pairs of Hand-

in-Hand buddies had a great time enjoy-ing a meal together on Hamline’s side of the street. The buddies could choose from foods like waffles, pizza, pasta, salad, hamburgers, ice cream and more! Most importantly though, the lunch gave the buddies an opportunity to spend some extra time together and get to know each other more.“It was a lot of fun. I enjoyed seeing all

the kids together,” said Nicole Campbell, a first-year student at Hamline and volunteer for the Hand-in-Hand program. Campbell, who wants to be a teacher, recognizes the benefits of giving children one-on-one attention. The Hancock

students appreciate and learn from this individual attention as well as the Hamline students. “This program just further confirms

my love of working with youth,” said Cat Polivoda, who has volunteered her time with Hand-in-Hand since last year, and plans to continue working with the organization until she graduates. “I love Hand-in-Hand,” Polivoda said. “In my opinion, it is one of the best organizations we have on campus because it makes it so easy for [Hamline] students to help out the kids at Hancock.”The Hand-in Hand program is a student-

run organization that involves Hamline students volunteering their time with a Hancock student once a week to play a game or do an art project together. For now, the Hand-in-Hand buddies are

looking forward to their spring picnic, which will also be held at Hamline.

“Everyone should join [Hand-in-Hand], I tell people that all the time,” Campbell said. “You’re actually affecting someone’s life.”

By Alexis Lynch, Quinn Nelson and Angela FroemmingEditors

Hamline student Cat Polivoda waits in line for food with her 5th-grade Hancock buddy at the Hand-in-Hand lunch at Sorin Dining Hall.

kids’ Winter Artwork and Poetry

Winter!Frosted snowflakes falling to the groundTwirling, swirling, all the way aroundPlanting a delicate kiss on your noseBeckoning you to a new seasonWinter!

All I Want for Christmas(Lyrics re-written by Kiley Bigger)All I want for Christmas is a Hershey’s bar, a kick-n-go scooter and a pink guitar.All I want for Christmas is a CD player, Guess Who Extra, and clothes size eight ... I can’t wait!

Winter BriskThere’s a powerful brisk this eveningWhile I was walking through the snow,I noticed if I just listened for a momentI would hear a lot of things I’ve never noticed before

Poem by Ramla Dhamuke

Artwork by Maya Winter

Poem by Kiley Bigger

Artwork by Ramla Dhamduke

Poem by Alanna Vennemann

Snow is cold, and so are youI see your nose turning redlike a red-nosed kangarooso grab your hat and glovesso when the snow hits the groundwe will go out and have some fun

Poem by Noel Young

Page 4 Winter 2009

Hi, my name is Caitlin Hare. I am in 6th

grade at Hancock. In addition to working

for the Snelling Connection, I am also the

president of student council. In school, I

enjoy math and science. One of my hobbies

is Irish dancing. My favorite sports are

tennis, volleyball and swimming. I hope to

be a successful lawyer when I grow up. My

favorite field trips have been Camp St.

Croix and rollerskating in 5th grade. This

is my second year writing for the Snelling

Connection.

Caitlin Hare

Hello! My name is Alexis Lynch. I am a 5th-grader at Hancock. This is my first year being in student council and the Snelling Connection. My favorite hobby is basketball. I am also in the National Spelling Bee. I like to save paper and the world. I do not litter or leave lights on in my house. When I grow up I would like to be a positive and productive person. My favorite subjects are reading, writing and spelling. My favorite author is Ronald Dahl. I am very thankful to be a student at Hancock/Hamline Elementary.

Alexis LynchFr

om t

he D

esk

of...

Hi! My name is Daliang Xiong and I am a 5th-grade student at Hancock Elementary. My favorite subjects in school are math and writing. On Mondays and Wednesdays I go dancing. Other hobbies of mine

outside of school are shopping, cleaning and

babysitting. My birthday and Christmas are my

favotite holidays. This is my first time working

for the Snelling Connection.

DaliangXiong

Greetings, Hancock-Hamline students, parents and staff! When I became Hamline University’s 19th president three years ago, I was delighted to learn about the exciting collaboration between Hamline University and Hancock-Hamline Collaborative Magnet School. Our faculty, staff and students gain so much from volunteering their time at Hancock. Sometimes students wonder how someone gets to be president. When I graduated from college, my first job was as a high school English teacher. All my life I have loved teaching and learning, and in each new job I found new ways to help students. Now, as Hamline’s president, I use all those skills to help make sure that Hamline fulfills its mission, to be “a diverse, learning-centered university that is rooted in a tradition of liberal education, dynamic and actively inclusive, locally engaged and globally connected, and invested in the personal and professional growth of persons.”

Have a good year!President Linda Hanson

Linda HansonPresident of Hamline University

Page 5 Snelling Connection

On the Issues: Quinn Nelson, Madison Hare, Daliang Xiong, and Sabrina Yang ask, “How do you celebrate a new year?”

“We listen to people talk abou the new year. Then people sing songs and do a Karen dance. Then people talk some more and we eat noodles, egg roles and chicken. People take pictures of the Karen flag.” —Hser Eh Htoo, 5th-grade student

“My family shares their favorite part of the past year and their hopes for the upcoming year. Then we run out the back door of the house saying goodbye to the old year and run inside the front of the house.”—Mrs. Hvidhyld, 4th-grade teacher

“I celebrate Eid by not going to school. Some Muslims wake up in the morning to a place called Masjad to pray to Allah (God). After we are done praying we go out to celebrate at places like restaurants or the Mall of America.”—Nasra Ali, 5th-grade student

“I celebrate by hanging out with my friends and family. We stay up until midnight and watch the ball drop. Sometimes we rip up newspaper and throw it at midnight while shouting, “Happy New Year!”—Megan Anderson, Hancock-Hamline Collaboration Coordinator

“We go to the RiverCenter, and anyone can come. When we get in we can go downstairs or upstairs. Upstairs there is a big stage. People with permission can dance on the stage, sing Hmong songs and do the pageant. Downstairs has stores.”—Kalina Vang, 5th-grade student

Fifth-grade students Yu Pheng Vang and Daliang Xiong dress up in their traditional Hmong clothes.

Hser Eh Htoo

Megan Anderson

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Mini-grant aims to sponsor a warmer winter

When you step outside into a Minnesota winter without a coat, you feel the chill right

away. For many students at Hancock-Hamline Elementary, this was a part of their everyday life. Hancock staff such as the school nurse and social worker, along with student worker Whitney Klein, want-ed to change this. A Hancock-Hamline Collaboration mini-

grant helped Klein lay out a plan and put it into action: a coat drive for Hancock students. Creating a grant proposal didn’t take long, and Klein found out soon after submitting the proposal that it had

been accepted by the Hancock-Hamline Collaboration Committee. Craig Anderson, Hancock-Hamline

liaison and Hancock assistant principal, explained that a mini-grant is an idea funded by the Hancock-Hamline Collaboration. The idea must benefit both Hamline and Hancock. Anderson also said that anyone from Hancock, Hamline or the surrounding community may apply for a mini-grant.Klein’s mini-grant proposal was

approved in November, along with four other proposals. Other mini-grants that were approved will pay for a social worker intern at Hancock, lifeguards to supervise swimming lessons for Hancock students during their gym time, a youth mentoring

project and supplies to replenish the Hand-in-Hand art cabinet.The goals of the coat drive were to collect

monitory donations along with as many coats, hats, snow pants, mittens and scarves as possible before Hancock’s winter break. Organizations such as STOVE (Students Together Organizing Volunteer Events) and the Hamline Apartments collected donations. The money collected was used to buy coats from Goodwill and Kohl’s. Overall, Klein says she is satisfied

with how the coat drive turned out, and encourages people to create and apply for their own mini-grant. To learn more about mini-grants or how you can apply for one, visit www.hamline.edu/hancock.

By Carolyn JohnsonHamline student

Page 6 Snelling Connection

Snelling Connection Contacts:

Editor: Angela Froemming, Collaboration Assistant, Hamline University studentafroemming02@hamline.edu

Hamline Liaison: David Hudson, Hamline University English Dept.dhudson@hamline.edu 651-5�3-�893

Hancock Liaison: Craig Anderson, Hancock/Hamline University Collaborative Magnet Schoolcraig.anderson@spps.org 651-�9�-3499

Hancock Student Advisor: Glynis Grostephan, Hancock/Hamline University Collaborative Magnet Schoolglynis.grostephan@spps.org 651-�93-8715

Dear Hancock Husky ...Sometimes I see kids in my class copying answers

from each other. To me, this looks like a quick and easy way to get the work done. I have heard that copying can get a kid in big trouble, though. I don’t want to get in trouble; I just want to get my work done!—Kenny Cawpy

Dear Kenny,

What you are seeing in your class is called cheating, and it is never a good idea to cheat. Cheating at school can get students of all ages in a lot of trouble. Cheating, and copying answers, is like lying. It is taking credit for work that you didn’t do. If you are concerned about getting your work done, set aside some time each night before the work is due to get it done. Taking the quick and easy route to finish something almost always fails. Instead, take the time to do the work right, and be proud of yourself! Homework and tests are not always easy. But

if you are tempted to cheat, remember that the person you are thinking of copying from might not even have the right answers. And if the teacher sees you copying, or letting someone copy from you, you will have to face the consequences and miss out on the opportunity to feel good about your hard work. Remember, honesty is always the best policy.

—Caitlin and Madison Hare

You’re invited!O’Gara’s Garage

Feb. 124 - 9 p.m.

The Hancock-Hamline Collaboration is hosting a benefit concert and silent auction to raise money for the Hancock-Hamline scholarship fund. The concert and silent auction will take place on Thursday, Feb. 12 from 4 to 9 p.m. at O’Gara’s Garage located on the corner of Snelling and Selby. Music will include the local modern and classic rock band Sugar Buzz. All ages are welcome, and sure to have a fun time! The event is open to the pubic, with a suggested donation of $5 per person. See you there!