NEWS | CAMP ALLEN | PROFILES
Diolog
SEPT 2017
VOLUME 7
NUMBER 3
The Texas Episcopalian
PREPARING TODAY FOR TOMORROW: page 08
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Diolog: The Texas Episcopalian (since 1874) is an official publication of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas.
Our mission is to share the stories of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas and the broader Episcopal Church; to inform, to inspire. PUBLISHER:
The Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle
EDITOR: Carol E. Barnwell, cbarnwell@epicenter.org DESIGNER:
LaShane K. Eaglin, leaglin@epicenter.org
STAFF WRITER:
Paulette E. Martin, pmartin@epicenter.org
SOCIAL MEDIA:
Kevin Thompson, kthompson@epicenter.org
Diolog: The Texas Episcopalian (PE# USPS 10965, ISSN# 1074-441X) is published quarterly (March, June, September and December) for $25 a year by the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, 1225 Texas St., Houston, TX 77002-3504. Periodical postage paid at Houston, TX. Address changes may be emailed to: txepis@epicenter.org POSTMASTER: Address changes: Diolog: The Texas Episcopalian, 1225 Texas St.,
Houston, TX 77002-3504 © 2017 The Episcopal Diocese of Texas
Member of Episcopal Communicators and Associated Church Press Award of Excellence for Best Diocesan Periodical, 2016, 2017 (Episcopal Communicators)
The Episcopal Diocese of Texas
Contents:
SEPTEMBER 2017
In This Issue: 04 EDITOR’S LETTER
08 PREPARING TODAY Episcopalians make a difference in students’ lives. As we bless backpacks at the beginning of this new school year, please keep all teachers, chaplains, students and administrators in your prayers.
Carol E. Barnwell
PERPARING TODAY FOR TOMORROW 06 Bishop’s Column 08 One at a Time Is Enough 09 Reflecting the World Our Children Live In 10 All Day, Every Day, Practice Makes Perfect 12 A Growing Presence on Campus 14 A Campus for All Ages 16 Where Faith Meets Education 18 The Three R’s Get a Makeover at Calvary 19 Grace and Community Episcopal Education 20 Montessori Tenets Reflect Shared Values
PROFILES
26 ART OF THE POSSIBLE
Luminary, Ashley Gibson Hill, page 22 The Arts, Rachel Schlesinger, page 26 Advocacy, Archway Academy, page 28 Congregation, Saint Andrew’s, Bryan, page 32
Dedicated teachers inspire students and ignite the imagination. One story ended up at SXSW.
34 CALENDAR & PEOPLE
Cover and Inside Cover Photo: Kevin Thompson
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EDITOR’S LETTER I remember this time of year when I was growing up. We went shopping for new school clothes and a new lunchbox (dating myself here). When my kids were growing up, it was a new backpack. The Diocese of Texas welcomed thousands of students this August in preschools, elementary, and middle and high schools. Piles and piles of backpacks have been blessed and, during the year, Episcopalians will mentor students in hundreds of classrooms and teach them in even more. This issue of the Diolog started out to be a celebration of the unique character of an Episcopal education, but that quickly expanded to embrace public schools, too. Thousands of students will have a transformational and hands-on experience at Camp Allen’s Discovery Program, many children will receive school supplies because our churches filled a need, not to mention the influence of faith-filled lives Episcopalians bring to the teaching profession, whether in a public or private school. Our growing presence on college campuses offers a bridge to young Episcopalians who are on their own for the first time, and often provides a way to explore one’s faith for students with no church experience. In editing and writing articles for this edition of the Diolog, I was particularly interested to see the way in which some of Maria Montessori’s principles mirror our Baptismal promises. Lessons learned in chapel made lasting impressions on several students and, in another story, a former principal stepped up to help older students gain their GED. Read more stories online After School Program is Back in Session St. John’s, La Porte revamps its after school program to students in the community. And School Begins Watch for the September issue of the Diolog magazine with stories about the beginning of the school year and all the opportunities Episcopalians have to influence students in the best possible way. Kylene Beers, a teacher, writer and member of Trinity, Houston wrote a compelling reflection following the events in Charlottesville this last weekend.
Our profiles highlight a public school teacher, a congregation committed to keeping kids in school, a recovery high school and a student whose video was shown at SXSW. All are remarkable stories. As students return to class this fall, our Episcopal schools will offer a supportive environment that nurtures hearts, minds and souls, providing an example of respect for all and a grounding in the Gospel of Christ Jesus. Other students will be influenced by tutors, mentors and teachers whose faith informs their lives and work. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; Romans 12:6-7 Thank you for reading the Diolog. Please share it with a friend (or a teacher) and invite them to church. Blessings, Carol E. Barnwell
Editor
cbarnwell@epicenter.org
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LETTER TO THE
EDITOR
Dear Editor,
With regard to "SB 4 Sows Seeds of Fear for Austin Immigrants" (Dialog, June 2017), it's sad to see our Diocese advocate that cities break the law. While this country has always welcomed legal immigrants---more so than any other country on earth, illegal immigrants are a different matter. My wife and I were almost seriously injured in an automobile accident in 2013 on Highway 71 just outside of Austin when a woman from Honduras struck our vehicle at a high rate of speed while we were stopped at a light. The woman who hit us had no Texas driver's license, no insurance, could not speak English and had no proof she even owned the truck she was driving. She received three tickets but never appeared in court. No one gets to pick and choose which laws they want to follow. We should certainly deal with illegal immigrants in our community in a humane, Christian manner by helping them obtain a legal status, get family counseling, obtain counsel, temporary shelter, or even helping them return to their country of origin so that they can start the process of immigration legally. We should not let our compassion overcome critical thinking and the ramifications of people (or cities) not following the law. Wylie D. Cavin Good Shepherd, Austin
Dear Editor,
I am part of Friends for Civil Action, an informal group without dues or infra-structure. My group and I were appalled by the unfriendly SB 4 passed during the regular session that has created fear of deportation among the 1.4 million undocumented immigrants and their family members living in Texas. This bill, according to Police Chief Art Acevedo and other safety experts, puts people at risk, rather than enhancing public safety. As Episcopalians we strive to live by the example of Jesus Christ, welcoming the stranger and the outcast, helping our neighbors and offering love and forgiveness. Molly Sharpe St. David’s, Austin
EPISCOPAL WOMEN’S HISTORY PROJECT CONFERENCE FOCUSES ON WOMEN OF COLOR The conference, the first in the group’s history to focus on women of color, brought together lay and ordained women from across the country.
AS EYE17 CLOSES, ’PEACEMAKERS’ MAKE A PATH HOME More than 1,300 teenagers gathered as the sun was setting at the Oklahoma City National Memorial on July 12 for a candlelight vigil. Read about teens from San Mateo, Houston at EYE17: tinyurl.com/y7kp5v9u
PARISH ADMINISTRATORS MEET ON FACEBOOK A group of Houston area parish administrators has begun to meet monthly to share best practices. A closed Facebook page is available for all parish administrators to discuss ideas and ask questions. To be added to the group, please search "EDOT Administrators" on Facebook and click "Join." You will then be added to the membership by the page's administrator. A resource page is also available on the diocesan website at epicenter.org/parishadministrators-collaborative/.
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All Saints Episcopal School Students 6 |
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A SHINY NEW LUNCHBOX by the Rt. Rev. Jeff W. Fisher Bishop Suffragan of Texas I wanted a new lunchbox, every single year. Each year in August, when school shopping for colored pencils, Toughskins jeans, and navy blue gym shorts, even though my mother thought that last year’s lunchbox was just fine, I always wanted a new one. Each year, my shiny new lunchbox reflected the latest fads and times: H.R. Pufnstuf, Hot Wheels, Land of the Lost. My desire for a new lunchbox at the beginning of each school year indicated my attraction for a renewal of life, for resurrection, for all things new. In 2016, the Tyler Diocesan Center moved into new office space. We are located on the campus of All Saints Episcopal School in Tyler. Last year, our offices moved into newly constructed space adjacent to the brand-new school chapel. The new Tyler Diocesan Center has clear windows. At all times of day, we can look out and see students of All Saints Episcopal School, coming and going on campus. Outside the windows of my office, I see students horsing around in the garden or bouncing basketballs or carting musical instruments into the chapel. It is a blessing to be a part of the fabric of an Episcopal school. It is refreshing to be planted among young people, active and growing. The continual presence of schoolkids outside my office window reminds me of the renewal of life, reminds me of all things being made new. In the Book of Revelation, the risen Jesus sits on his throne and proclaims: “See, I am making all things new.” Jesus is the resurrection and the life. Jesus takes dead people and he raises them to a new life of grace. Jesus is in the business of making all things new. Your old lunchbox might still work just fine. Yet maybe Jesus is doing a new thing in your life: renewing, reforming, re-creating. Maybe the Holy Spirit of Jesus is challenging you to do a new thing, to get outside of your circle of friends, and meet the people you see every day in your carpool line or grocery store or coffee shop. Maybe the Spirit of Jesus is challenging you to do a new thing, to say “yes” to the invitation in your church newsletter to teach Sunday school, or to clean up the church grounds, or to sing in the choir. Maybe the Spirit of Jesus is challenging you to do a new thing, to give more money away, to pray each morning, to finally accept the grace that you are truly and completely forgiven and loved as God’s daughter or son, forever. A shiny new lunchbox. A student goofing around outside my office window. A resurrected life. Each of these reminds me that every day Jesus is speaking into our hearts and proclaiming: See, I am making all things new. Diolog
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PREPARING TODAY
One at a Time Is Enough by Carol E. Barnwell
For some students, graduation from high school becomes a destination too far, whether the cause is money, family issues, language, perhaps maturity. One former high school principal in Marble Falls stepped up to help meet the need for GED training so people could improve their employment opportunities or attend college. A GED certificate is accepted by colleges as proof that the student has mastered the same academic abilities as a person who graduated. Penny Miller, a member of Trinity, Marble Falls, taught math in junior and senior high school, then served for 19 years as principal at McCallum High School in Austin before retiring with her husband, George, to Marble Falls. Four years ago, she tutored math with the Highland Lakes Literacy Council and helped to found a high school equivalency training program at Trinity.
Each weekly class begins with check-in time to allow each of the one to eight students to take ownership in each other, Miller explained. Trinity gives each student the official study guide and pays for their first test. “The biggest problem for some of them is just getting to the testing center in Round Rock,” Miller said, who has even provided transportation on occasion. Texas Tech may soon offer the test in Marble Falls, which will make it infinitely easier for her students, who can be 17 years old, 40 or 70. Sally May works with Highland Lakes Literacy Council and takes care of all the paperwork. Joan Hallam, a Trinity parishioner, speaks Spanish and works with those for whom English is not their first language. Several have successfully passed their citizenship test thanks to Trinity’s tutoring. “We sing that from the rooftops,” Miller said.
“We take people where they are and we help them where they need,” Miller said, describing the “typical” student as atypical. Some may have moved often with their family, dropped out because of bad behavior or became pregnant and were unable to finish school. Others may have had learning disabilities. “One couple who came had a Although she didn’t realize it at the time, handicapped child and the mom was pregnant. The father had been “teaching was my ministry,” Miller said. The mandated to attend by the courts,” Miller said. “Both of them finished!” University of Texas graduate “just loves” whoever Another student was a single mom with four kids who worked as comes into her classroom because, she said, “It’s an aide in a nursing home. After she earned her GED, Miller helped hard to walk in the door and admit you are there her connect with a law firm where she now works as a paralegal. because you failed.” And much like the beach Miller admits that not all her students are ultimately successful, but covered with starfish* she added: “I can’t change she doesn’t let that sully her enthusiasm. the world, but I can do one kid at a time who comes through the door.” “I just love it and it’s very needed,” she said, admitting that helping to build people’s confidence is a reward. “They have so many hurdles. All of them have jobs and families, it’s hard to do homework.” ⁕ A young boy would occasionally bend down and toss one of thousands of starfish that had washed up on the beach back into the water. When asked why he bothered, the boy said: “They can’t return to the sea by themselves and when the sun gets high they will die, unless I throw them back into the water.” The old man on the beach replied: “But there are so many, you won’t make much of a difference.” To which the boy, throwing another starfish into the sea, replied: “It makes a difference to that one.” Adapted from The Star Thrower, by Loren Eiseley (1907-1977) 8 |
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Reflecting the World Our Children Live In by David Madison When I discuss Episcopal education, someone generally brings up high academic standards early in the conversation. That’s true. From the youngest students to the older ones, Episcopal schools take seriously their call to develop the mind and to prepare the child academically. I dare say that some of the schools in the SAES family and in the Diocese of Texas are best described as “academic powerhouses.” Now, before we go further—I feel that a confession is in order. I admit it. When it comes to Episcopal schools, I have very strong opinions. I’m a product of an Episcopal school. I credit recognizing my call to the priesthood as a direct result of the spiritual formation that occurred on an Episcopal campus. The most fulfilling moments of ministry I’ve experienced occurred in the school context where I witnessed the faith of young people take root and grow—from the kindergarten student explaining the story of “The Good Shepherd” to her friends by saying that “we don’t need to be afraid because Jesus is always with us,” to the 12th grader coming to grips with the loss of a parent. Our schools are places where families come face to face with Christ. If you are looking for an unbiased opinion about Episcopal schools and the ministry that takes place there, stop reading now; you will just be disappointed. There are a lot of great schools. However, what truly sets Episcopal schools apart is that we are more than just academic powerhouses. We go way beyond preparing students for the next level of education. Preparing a student for the next competitive school or college is far from our highest calling. Any school can do that. We do so much more. In a recent interview, our Presiding Bishop Michael Curry (a former school chaplain just like your Diocesan Bishop Andy Doyle) noted the richness of school ministry. In a time with more and more options competing for our families on Sunday morning, our schools can be a vital way for The Episcopal Church to connect. The shared ministry between churches and schools has the possibility to change lives, even more so when churches and schools work together closely. Our schools are unique because they take seriously the call of spiritual formation alongside the call to expect academic excellence. Our schools, and the professionals working on our campuses, create environments where students of all ages can wrestle with the question of what it means to be a loved child of God. Our schools are communities where people from different perspectives can wrestle with big questions alike and learn from each other. To borrow words from Bishop Curry, our schools serve “all traditions, all faiths, all stripes and all types!” In setting out to be ecumenical communities, our schools better mirror the type of world our children will live in: environments where we can discuss faith and theology openly and share different ideas. You can’t get this in public education and finding it in faith-based education tends to be unique, as well. This is why Episcopal education is so special and this is why I serve these communities as a way to change the world for the better. Madison is executive director of the Southwestern Association of Episcopal Schools. Learn more at swaes.org.
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PREPARING TODAY
ALL DAY, EVERY DAY, PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT by Fran Barrack Practice makes perfect, or so we are told. As a child I remember being given spelling words by my teacher and assigned to write each one 20 times. Of course, one misplaced letter would become imprinted in our heads for years and even now we wonder whether it’s “i-e” or “e-i” when we believe we are correct. Spelling was not the only thing imprinted in our brains. You remember a favorite teacher who connected with you and the best friend who chose you for kickball, but you may also remember someone who was always in trouble or an incident that happened to you on the playground. We learned by listening but, more so, by watching teachers with kids and kids with kids. Education has evolved over the years and started with the teaching of young men to read and write, become scholars of the Scriptures, and assist rulers of early countries. During the Reformation, the Anglican church suggested the wisdom of giving worshippers access to the Book of Common Prayer for those who could read, and eventually, school on Sundays became school all week long. In the United States, the first Episcopal school opened in 1709 as a boys’ charity school, which incorporated as a private college preparatory school when free public schools opened in the early 1800s. It built an adjacent school for
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girls in 1895, and finally evolved into a co-ed school in 1975. In 1978, the Episcopal Diocese of Texas approved its Canon on Schools, and the Rev. Dean Calcote became chair of the newly created Commission on Schools to define the expectations of exemplary schools and offer resources to them. Today, the Episcopal Diocese of Texas alone has 58 schools, more than 11,300 students and 2,500 educators and administrators to meet this challenge. There are 1,182 Episcopal schools across the country today. Several traditions differentiate Episcopal schools in their role as an uncommon ministry. • The curriculum is thorough, complex and rich in depth
and details. Starting with core academic subjects, add debate, decision-making, religion and politics, then include discussions about accountability, fairness, patience, civility, forgiveness, generosity and fellowship, and the result is an abundantly rich and comprehensive learning environment.
• The classrooms highlight intentional efforts to build an
inclusive enrollment of students from all backgrounds, family configurations, cultural experiences, religions and economic situations. Exceptional educators assimilate students into this pluralistic community, where differences are known and accepted, and everyone practices living together creatively and
respectfully. Together, our students learn about compassion and outreach toward others. • Episcopal clergy share the church’s
message with all students, no matter their ages. They add prayerful comfort when a grief-stricken child loses a grandparent or help children whose class pet died; they celebrate joyful events such as a new baby in one family and a teen’s mother now cancerfree in another. Chapel services for young learners acknowledge and respect those who bring different traditions from home but introduce them to Episcopal traditions of worship and reflection as well. The message is that God loves them, no matter their age, no matter their religion.
All day, every day, our students practice essential life lessons in grace-filled communities and learn more about their world. All day, every day, our students and educators practice what we actually preach to honor each other, recognize and understand our differences, and love one other. This imprint is a blessing. Practice makes perfect, or so we are told. I believe we are getting close. Barrack is chair of the Diocesan Commission on Schools. Click here for a full listing of Episcopal schools in the Diocese of Texas.
Wendy Washmon Thompson
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FAITH AND CULTURE
A Growing Presence on
CAMPUS by the Rev. Beth Magill
The Diocese of Texas has a robust network of college missions with a presence on 17 campuses. Eight additional campuses adjacent to congregations are in discernment this year. Another seven campuses have been identified for our next missions in 2018.
Austin Community College
Bishop Andy Doyle set an audacious goal to plant 20 new campus missions over the course of five years, and while you may be familiar with our flagship ministries on campuses like UT Austin and Texas A&M, College Station, we also have more than 100 graduate students from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston who gather on a weekly basis. Sixty students from the University of Houston, Houston Community College and San Jacinto Community College campuses come together in the Greater Houston area in a variety of locations, piloting a new model of networked campus ministries called Canterbury in the Community. We are well on our way toward surpassing the Bishop’s generous invitation.
Blinn College
One of our current priorities is to envision what an Episcopal presence might look like on community and vocational college campuses. These less residential campuses are notably different from a traditional model of campus ministry. Yet, we have important Good News to share in these mission fields. North of Houston, several Episcopal churches have embarked on an exciting partnership to meet the needs of Lone Star Community College students. Recognizing the complexity of the Lone Star network, the churches have committed to gathering to pray and study the context, and dream about a presence on these campuses. Today’s students pursue higher education in a changing context. We must be nimble enough to offer the best of our tradition to all students. In all this work, reconciliation is one of our primary values. The Diocese of Texas boasts four of the five Historihbcally Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) in the state of Texas, and yet we are only beginning to have a presence on one of those campuses. Our Presiding Bishop Michael Curry has invited The Episcopal Church into the work of Becoming Beloved Community. In his report to the Church, Bishop Curry said: “The Episcopal Church could also embody racial healing, justice and reconciliation through a renewed commitment to the two Episcopal historically Black institutions of higher learning” (Saint Augustine’s University, Raleigh, NC and Voorhees College, Denmark, SC). While we do not have an Episcopal HBCU, it is a critical time for us to become a partner in this work of racial healing, justice and reconciliation in our corner of the Kingdom. The work that happens on these campuses is critical, and it is only one piece of the puzzle. We have made a commitment to this campus ministry in a fashion that is unprecedented throughout The Episcopal Church. Yet, we have only scratched the surface. We gathered names and contact information of all of our graduating high school seniors. We are committed to connecting all of our students—children, grandchildren and friends—to the Episcopal community on their new campus home, both in our Diocese and beyond. It is our privilege to “recruit” and greet students as they transition to campus life, and to walk alongside them during this chapter of their journey. We invite you to do the same by calling our campus missioners and “recruit” students from your home parish upon graduation. The work of formation does not begin on college campuses, but there it is deepened in a transformative way. Cycling to Stations of the Cross in Houston’s Third Ward on Good Friday. The Fifth Station: Jesus encounters the women of Jerusalem. “What is the gaping wound in your own community, right now, that needs attention?” Participants were from St. Luke the Evangelist, Texas Southern University, University of Houston, St, James’, Christ Church Cathedral and St. Mark’s, Houston. Photo: Jeremy Bradley
Baylor University
Houston Community College Kilgore University Lamar University LeTourneau University Lone Star Community College McLennan Community College Rice University Sam Houston State University Stephen F. Austin University Texas A&M University, College Station Texas A&M University, Galveston Texas A&M University, Prairie View Texas State Technical College University of Texas, Austin St. Edward’s University University of Houston San Jacinto Community College University of Texas Medical Branch University of Texas, Tyler
You are invited to participate in our college ministry. Please contact any of the above groups to find information in your area or contact the Rev. Beth Magill at 512.695.3338.
CAMP ALLEN A Campus for All Ages
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Camp Allen is a center for retreat, a place of welcome and a place of learning for students of many ages. Throughout the year, students find a sense of wonder at the edge of the lake, learning the constellations of the night sky or building community on the challenge course. More than 6,000 students from more than 100 schools across Texas stretch their imaginations in outdoor classrooms at Camp Allen each year. They come for different reasons—some have planned their trip for years, some for a few months. Many teachers return annually to encourage young minds through the Discovery environmental program, digging up larvae in the muddy shore of a lake, studying snake skins and bird wings or learning how to make candles as the Texas pioneers did more than a century ago. Candy Moore leads the Discovery Program’s seven dedicated and specially trained instructors with a curriculum that keeps teachers coming back for more. The day that summer camp ends, public and private school students begin to arrive, and these educational forays continue through the year until summer camp starts again. Forty-one percent of these students are able to come because they receive some scholarship help. A wonderful example of the commitment is IDEA public schools. Their Rio Grande Valley students leave at 3 a.m. on a school bus to arrive at Camp Allen in time for a morning session at lake’s edge with one of the Discovery instructors. IDEA has a national top 10 ranking for sending students to colleges and universities. The DRAW Academy in Houston serves predominantly at-risk students for whom English is a second language. They come to Camp Allen for a student retreat as well as a faculty retreat. “It is difficult to secure school funding for off-campus trips,” Moore explained, “But when you try to provide faculty with a much needed retreat from the inner city pace, you double that difficulty, but what great outcomes it produces!” It’s not just elementary students and their teachers who benefit from Camp Allen’s offerings. The University of Texas McGovern Medical School has sent thousands of medical students to Camp Allen for their first year
orientation over the past 25 years. The University of Houston Honors College has held their leadership program at Camp Allen for two decades. This summer, the medical school at Texas A&M successfully launched its new program at Camp Allen with 150 medical students and has plans to expand their participation. Camp Allen’s atmosphere of hospitality, collaboration and team-building helps these students establish new relationships and a strong basis for their future studies. Episcopal High School also holds student class retreats at Camp Allen to help build community before the new school year begins. Faculty from the University of St. Thomas, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas A&M and M. D. Anderson gather at Camp Allen to plan their programs and often use the challenge courses, welcome guest speakers and meet the leadership of their institutions in the relaxed setting that Camp Allen offers. Camp Allen fosters education as a lifelong pursuit, welcoming state forest rangers for continuing education as well as adults who seek a deeper connection to their calling though religious studies at the IONA School for Ministry, founded at Camp Allen 10 years ago. There is the Advancing Pastoral Leadership Program for Methodists, a Seventh Day Adventist clergy program, and several other programs that allow busy professionals to enhance their religious education while they enjoy the beauty of Camp Allen. From elementary school through adulthood, Camp Allen offers 1,100 acres of campus to entice the imagination, encourage the heart and touch the soul of any student who this way comes.
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PREPARING TODAY
Where Faith Meets Education by the Rev. Keith Pozzuto Chapel services are a foundation of Episcopal identity at Episcopal schools, whether they be preschool or high school. During the school year, students gather regularly to hear from the school chaplain about life and God, struggle and grace, to hear words of encouragement and words of warning. Tuesday morning was my favorite part of the week at All Saints Episcopal School, Tyler, where I served as chaplain last year. I loved waking up and getting to school on Tuesday mornings because at 8:30 a.m. a little gaggle of 3k - 1st graders would stream into the Chapel. All of them wiggling and keeping quiet with fish faces (that is when you pucker your lips to make a fish face so you don’t say a word). We prayed and we sang. We said the children’s creed and we asked Jesus to be with us. We taught the Lord’s Prayer and I read out of the Jesus Story Book Bible. What a morning! When the children would kneel and pray, all you saw were their little hands above the pew. Episcopal schools are places where faith matters. Of course, the academics are great and the competitive sports are important, but you don’t have to be silent or resistant about your faith. We wrestled with tough questions in Chapel. What do we do when a student passes away unexpectedly? A parent? How are we to treat those who differ from us in lifestyle, faith or socio-economically? What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus? How do we live in grace and love? Sometimes, it’s as simple as being available to listen. When one student was going through a particularly painful stretch of time with his family, he stayed after class to just talk. In speaking of his pain, there was relief in a listening partner who could help him ponder what God was doing in the midst of his pain and confusion. I listened, lunchtime passed and the bell rang, and still he talked. Problems may persist or pass;
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however, when there is someone who takes time to listen, to care and to pray, part of the burden is lifted. At All Saints, students would sit in Chapel and reflect upon a question. Every week I would share the grace of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. I reminded them that there is nothing they are struggling with that is not common to all people. I shared my own struggles, my own joys. All Saints Episcopal School is a place where we try to build 21st century leaders who can be both entrepreneurs and responsible citizens. That takes faith. It takes character. It takes a moral compass and a knowledge of who you are and how you ought to conduct yourself. “Sometimes people just get stuck in the mud,” I told my congregation of students. “I did when I was growing up. I used to canoe across a river to see a friend of mine and one time the river was a little high and I was a little impatient. Instead of taking the long way, I decided to jump across a section of shoreline to get to my friend’s a bit quicker. Well, I failed ... Two feet stuck and clothes ruined. I worked harder and harder and harder and finally, ’plop’ came one foot out of the mud. But no shoe. Then the other foot with the shoe came.” The students and the faculty realize that, sometimes, you might feel stuck. Plans don’t go the way you want, but, as I reminded them, “Thanks be to God, He makes the crooked path straight.” In the end, I learned from my time as chaplain that it is a great gift to be able to influence and work with students from the youngest to the oldest. Episcopal schools are not only great places to be educated, they are great places to explore your faith. Pozzuto is college missioner in Waco. Pictured: The Rev. Todd Bryant at Ascension, Houston’s school chapel service teaches a student how to make the sign of the cross.
“Episcopal schools are places where faith matters. Of course, the academics are great and the competitive sports are important, but you don’t have to be silent or resistant about your faith...” Photo: Genie Mack
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PREPARING TODAY
THE THREE R’S
GET A MAKEOVER AT CALVARY by Grant Fortune
I came to Calvary from a home school setting. It was an easy transition because, like in my home, at Calvary the students are taught “The Three R’s,” reverence for God, respect for others and responsibility for self. Being reverent towards God is always a huge topic in Calvary students’ everyday classes and work. Teachers strive to help their students truly understand why being reverent to God is so important. Being respectful at Calvary means being respectful to everyone, whether that be fellow classmates, staff members, teachers or someone visiting the school. At Calvary, we are taught that being responsible doesn’t just mean turning your work in on time, or not waiting until the last minute to study for a test. Responsibility also means doing the little things like saying “thank you” when someone does something nice, and saying “yes, ma’am” and “yes, sir” to adults, or maybe it’s just smiling at someone who’s having a bad day. That is what Calvary is really about. Calvary also has an outstanding academic program. Smaller class size allows each student to receive personalized attention from teachers and, as a result, every student has the opportunity to know their teachers, which makes learning very enjoyable. Calvary has accelerated academics. Students complete work that is one year higher than their actual grade level. Most people would probably think that the schoolwork is too difficult for the students to complete, but I can tell you from my personal experience that the teachers are heavily involved and my classmates are extremely helpful so all that a student would need to succeed is a good work ethic and the willingness to learn. Also, Calvary has international students attending the school. Many of the students did not speak fluent English when they first arrived but it did not matter. The students and teachers alike welcomed them with open arms. Calvary is a very diverse school. Students of many different racial and cultural backgrounds attend the school. At Calvary, it does not matter where you are from or what you look like, you’re always welcomed. Fortune is an 8th grade student at Calvary.
In June, Calvary Episcopal Preparatory student Paul Lazarou, became the youngest Junior Thespian competitor for solo musical theatre to receive a national Superior medal. He had a unanimous superior score from all three judges on the panel for his performance of “Just to Get My Name In Lights” from the Broadway musical The Boy From Oz by Peter Allen. The International Thespian Society held its annual competition in Lincoln, Nebraska and was open to thespians from around the world. Students were offered opportunities to attend professional workshops, saw award-winning plays and interacted with fellow thespians. Eligible students had to receive a superior rating from a panel of judges at the state competition. Paul was proud to represent Calvary as one of the students from Texas. “One thing I brought back from a workshop was ‘Talent will get you through the door but character will keep you in the room.’ That’s going in my quote jar,” Paul said following his big win.
GRACE AND COMMUNITY
EPISCOPAL EDUCATION by Cameron Scott
You cannot measure the value of an Episcopal education unless you have heard a chorus of 400 high schoolers belting “Go Tell It on the Mountain” at the top of their lungs. I was lucky enough to hear this on numerous occasions during my four years at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Austin, Texas, and each time I heard it, I was struck by the infectious joy coming from every direction. In those moments, the stress of upcoming papers, or big games, or performances disappeared, and every faculty and staff member and student alike knew that they were one of several hundred members of a community, yet their voice was a unique and vital contribution to the group effort. Chapel is at the heart of the campus as a place where everyone could set aside their problems and gather together. It is a place where everyone feels equal and no one feels left out, and it provides several opportunities each week for a student or faculty member to serve the community or share their talents and struggles. “Senior Offerings” gave seniors the chance to share stories or lessons with the community every Friday. After listening to several dozen senior offerings this past year, I noticed a common theme: While none of the seniors glorified the high school experience or claimed to have the answers to all of life’s problems, almost every single homily ended with a simple message of gratitude. Many spoke about how friends and teachers had supported them in their darkest moments in a way that was unheard of at other schools. Strangers had reached out to them and become their closest friends, and
they thanked everyone who had helped them grow during their high school years. As the senior offerings continued near the end of the school year, many admitted that while they were anxious to get out into the world, they were not quite ready to leave this community. This astounding sense of community is what separates an Episcopal education from the rest. The spiritual foundation of the school and Episcopal identity encourage every student and faculty member to improve themselves by seeking to serve the community. At St. Andrew’s, this translated into strong student-teacher relationships and the warmest and most welcoming social atmosphere I have ever encountered. All students and faculty, regardless of their level of participation in the religious aspect of my high school, show genuine kindness, concern and respect for their peers and coworkers because everyone understands the importance of loving their neighbors as themselves. It is no coincidence that St. Andrew’s core value of spiritual foundation is second only to community. These values were so important to me throughout my high school experience that I have chosen to continue my education at a small Christian university that I hope will provide a similar type of environment. I am going to miss many things about my Episcopal education, especially Mother Whitney’s closing words at the end of every chapel service: “Good talk, team. Make good choices. Jesus loves you.” Scott is a recent graduate of St. Andrew’s Episcopal High School, Austin. Diolog
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PREPARING TODAY
Montessori
Tenets Reflect Shared Values by Nancy Simpson
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Photo: Debbie Masters
St. Andrew’s Episcopal School and Church in Houston share a “simpatico” relationship working together to support each other’s mission. Within the tenets of the American Montessori Society, of which we are a part, are reflections of our Baptismal promises to serve and respect others as well as to seek justice and peace. Accredited by the Southwestern Association of Episcopal Schools and a full member of the American Montessori Society, St. Andrew’s Episcopal School upholds high standards that support a learning environment for intellectual, spiritual, emotional and physical growth of our students. As a community, we engage in a study of religion that is academically substantive, age-appropriate and fosters dialogue with other faith traditions. We value and emphasize a life in which the physical, spiritual and emotional health of all are supported and nurtured. And we integrate the ideals and concepts of equity, justice and a just society throughout the life of the school. Both the Montessori philosophy and our Episcopal identity celebrate and build on mutually valued ideals. Similar to the Montessori philosophy, the Episcopal tradition encourages a culture that celebrates the natural curiosity in each child, while it responds to their emerging heart with patience and love as they explore and learn about their world. Regardless of a child’s faith background, we celebrate the sacred in each family while educating about the Episcopal faith. Through weekly worship in chapel and our common life, spiritual growth is nurtured both individually and in community. For some school families, St. Andrew’s School may be their only exposure to a faith experience. Another shared value of our Episcopal and Montessori identity is that of service to others. In our school community, we recognize the needs of others in everyday activities. Frequently you might hear even the youngest say, “Do you need some help with that?” As an Episcopal community, it is what we believe in and what we practice with each other, as well as with the world.
church building is the opportunity for the school to participate in shared service projects with the congregation, such as the sack lunch program, Seafarer Christmas boxes and other ministries. Maria Montessori believed children learn about community in their home and classroom first, before moving into the world at large. The Montessori classrooms are inviting and thoughtfully arranged, setting the stage for activity that is focused and calm. Learning materials are displayed on accessible shelves, fostering independence as students go about their work. Everything is where it is supposed to be, conveying a sense of harmony and order that both comforts and inspires. Children are able to find joy in learning in this safe and empowering environment. As they grow into their lives, they will be living on their own, working and traveling the world, interacting with a much larger community. It is our hope and belief that the experience they receive in our church and school will lay a foundation with a strong sense of respect for one another and the environment. At the root of Montessori philosophy is the idea that all are called to help create a space that is balanced by compassion and respect. Each member of the community plays a part by practicing active listening, thoughtful responses to different situations, and sharing different observations and opinions. An emphasis on language is imperative in order to communicate respect for differences. The teachers are able to gently encourage children to have a soft heart and mind while helping them describe the facts and emotions around situations that may have caused conflict, worry, fear, anger or anxiety. It is inspiring to see that both the Montessori philosophy and our Episcopal heritage support mutual values of inclusivity, respect, an inquiring mind and service to others. St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church and School holds a child’s heart and mind in a way that allows the gifts of each child to bloom. Simpson is head of St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, Houston, serving children ages one to five in a Montessori environment since 2001.
One of the many benefits of living within the
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PROFILE: LUMINARY
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LIFE’S LESSONS reflected in TEACHING CAREER Ashley Gibson
Ashley Gibson Hill grew up in Hartford, Connecticut, but family ties took her out of the very urban—and at the time, rough—rough area, to the countryside for a decade. The oldest of five, a child of divorce, Gibson didn’t grow up with two of her siblings, and describes her spiritually formative years as challenging, to say the least. What she experienced and learned now serves as a basis on how she relates to her students. She attended Post University in Waterbury, Connecticut, and graduated from the University of Connecticut with a BA in English. Gibson also has a master’s degree in religion from the Houston Graduate School of Theology. An educator for 11 years, she teaches AP English to high school juniors and has taught both lower and middle school students during her career. Diolog
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CEB: Can you share an early memory of church or something that was important in establishing your faith? AGH: Even though we did not have a close relationship, my father was very religious. So, when I was eight years old, on Easter Sunday, he shared the gospel message with me, and told me what it meant to be saved. After that, I [sometimes] attended a local evangelical church (Awana). My mom did not raise my siblings and me in a formal church setting, so I didn’t begin to attend Sunday services regularly until I was 21 years old, and had officially decided to follow Christ as an adult.
CEB: Can you share a story of why this was important to you?
AGH: After that initial childhood message, and my time at Awana’s Sunday school, I developed a deep curiosity for spirituality, without knowing what that meant for my life. I was always bookish throughout high school, but never had a thirst or desire to read the Bible or other spiritual/ devotional texts. When I began my undergraduate studies at Post University, a friend was living a more devout lifestyle than I had previously experienced. We were young, 18-19-year-old young women in college, and I realized she was making more mature decisions and wanted to focus on deeper truths. She went to her family’s non-denominational church regularly, and didn’t attend college parties with us. So, mostly wanting my friend’s company, I began to attend church with her. I fell in love with the worship, the idea of believing in something greater than oneself, and finally, that God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, was interested in me, and wanted a relationship with me. It felt as if I had found what was missing in my life. I didn’t have a full understanding of what any of it meant; I just felt good about being there, and decided to keep attending. Before I could fully commit to that body of believers, I transferred to the University of Connecticut. I met a strong group of Christian students with whom I began to fellowship regularly and who are now some of my closest friends. In these deepening relationships, I realized what the love of Christ looked like and I began to pursue a more robust spiritual life in Christ.
CEB: How has your faith changed/deepened since college? AGH: When I finished my undergraduate studies in 2007, I moved to Texas and began teaching. I was only 22 and recruited by Teach For America (TFA). TFA is a two-year AmeriCorps-style program that accepts talented young graduates to teach in low-income, at-risk schools. I left the six-week training program after four weeks because of their
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approach to learning. I almost gave up becoming a teacher because they told me I’d “never make a good teacher.” At the same time, because of my previous status with TFA, I was hired by a local HISD school and summarily fired when they learned I’d left the TFA program. This was a tough time for me, and I felt as if my faith was being tested. I didn’t want to return to Connecticut defeated. After a week of intense prayer and many tearful phone calls home, I decided to stay in Houston. I had a great support system, and I felt as if Jesus was walking with me every step of the way! He wanted me to teach, it was, and is still, my calling. Within two weeks, I had a teaching position at a brand new charter school known as The Rhodes School. At that interview, with the principal who would become one of the most integral mentors in my teaching career, I was honest about my status with TFA. I told her my story and advocated for my calling and desire to become a good teacher. On August 28, I welcomed my very first students to their second grade classroom.
CEB: What led you to want to teach? AG: I knew that I wanted to teach from the time I was six years old. I always played school with my siblings, and since I was the oldest, I always assumed the role of the teacher. I always wanted to help them learn new things and read books with me, even when they would rather have been playing outside. Education was always a deep part of my soul.
CEB: Is there a particular student or experience that stands out?
AGH: I don’t have one student who stands out more than another, but I would say that I am the student because I learn with and from my students each day. And if I’m going to make any connection between my teaching pedagogy and my Christian spirituality, it would be that God is the model teacher. Everything I try to impart to my students each day, I realize that somehow God wrestles with me, and celebrates me in the same way. So, in a way I am always a student, even as I educate children. That ethic of always being the student is what makes me a better educator every day.
CEB: How do you incorporate your faith teaching in a secular setting? Are there things you draw from it when challenged by a student or the institution? AG: During graduate school I developed a more inclusive spirituality, a more Christological ethic, and I became less tethered to conservative and patriarchal doctrines. Consequently, the way I teach today is a stark contrast
Ashley Gibson Hill held summer classes to help students improve their communication skills for the coming year.
to my first years of teaching. I consider it a privilege to infuse my Christian ethic into my pedagogy by being an empathetic and present educator. I try to model for my students, the kinds of people I hope they will become and would like to become. If anything, I try to mimic Jesus as he led his disciples, a motley crew of misfits who needed guidance. I teach 16-17-year-olds and there is no better comparison (wink wink). I sincerely love them and I honor the curriculum without imposing myself. I teach students of all faiths and backgrounds so I think it’s necessary to develop a younger generation that the world can be proud of and that embodies true love and care for humankind.
CEB: If you could talk to your students about faith, what would you tell them? AGH: There are so many mysteries in one’s life of faith. But if I were to tell them of the God of Isaac, Abraham and Jacob, and of the One who sent His only Begotten Son, I would simply say: Love God and love people. These are the
Photos: Kevin Thompson
two greatest commandments. These two things are vitally important for the kind of person you become and are becoming.
CEB: Anything else you would care to share? AGH: I decided to pursue seminary studies because as a young woman, and new believer, I was barred from participating fully at my very conservative and patriarchal church. I was told I could not ask questions and that because I was a woman, I must be silent. This prompted me to not only enter seminary so that I would have the ability to fully engage with what I was learning, but it also taught me something as an educator, that I must never stifle the minds of ones so eager to learn and grow, and never silence them, even if they do not yet have what are considered the “right answers.” As long as students are asking the “right questions,” I’ll do my best to help them reach their intended destinations.
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PROFILE: THE ARTS
USING THE POWER OF FILM TO MITIGATE HATE by Anna Marie Beckett “I have always liked to write, but making a film is more interesting because you get to make your stories visual,” said Rachel Schlesinger, a senior at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School, Austin. “There’s something about a film that is more universal and accessible than words on a page.”
months working on a documentary about flaws in the American education system. I spent months editing it, but it always felt like clips strung together.” The process taught her a valuable lesson. “Even a documentary needs to be written out, scripted,” Schlesinger said.
Schlesinger, who enrolled at St. Stephen’s in sixth grade and took her first film class as a freshman, previewed the documentary about her grandmother at the 2017 South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Conference & Festival. The international event celebrates the convergence of the interactive, film and music industries and is held annually in Austin.
“At St. Stephen's, there's always this sense that the education we're getting is meant to be used for something greater than just making money or achieving success,” Schesinger said. “I truly feel I am being prepared to go out into the world to try to make a difference. When the opportunity to go to Germany with my grandmother came up, I knew the story of her escape and her determination was an important story—I had to try and share it,” she said.
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“My grandmother lived a normal life until Hitler came to power,” Schlesinger explained. “On the ‘Night of Broken Glass’ [Nov. 9, 1938], Hitler sent soldiers across Germany to
destroy Jewish homes, businesses and synagogues. My greatgrandfather was a businessman; he was arrested and jailed. That night my grandmother, Inge, hid from the Nazis in the attic of her home. She was nine years old.” When Schlesinger’s great-grandfather was finally released, the family fled Germany and immigrated first to England and eventually to Queens, N.Y. Schlesinger decided to make a documentary about her grandmother’s return to her birthplace. “I wanted to know what it meant for her to go back, to visit the town where she grew up,” Schlesinger said. “I thought it would be a way to teach people about what happened to the Jews. “The coolest part of the whole trip was hearing my grandmother talk about feeling triumph and forgiveness,” Schlesinger said. “She told us, ‘Hitler tried to kill me and my family, yet here I am, surrounded by my offspring and their children.’” For Schlesinger, editing the footage into a compact five-minute film proved challenging. She spent five months honing the footage. Film instructor Mike Dolan helped her through the process, providing valuable feedback throughout the production. “My teachers never let [my own] doubt cloud my determination,” Schlesinger said, adding, “Mr. Dolan must have watched my five-minute cut at least 15 times, giving me pages of constructive feedback with every version I showed him—he was almost as excited about the project as I was and was an immense help every step of the way.” “Rachel persevered to make a powerful and beautiful
film,” said Dolan, film instructor and associate director of St. Stephen’s Theatre Focus. “At first she struggled to condense the footage; editing is extra challenging when the subject is so close to home,” he explained. With Dolan’s help, Schlesinger worked with a local sound engineer and collaborated with other industry professionals and learned just how complex the entire process can be. Dolan was committed to ensuring her success every step of the way. Their determination paid off, and the resulting documentary, Inge, was accepted into the 2017 SXSW film competition. Inge was one of only 20 short films produced by high school students shown at the prestigious film festival and also was recognized by Scholastic Art Awards. In addition to winning a Gold Award and being named an American Vision Award nominee in the regional competition, Schlesinger received the “Best in Grade” award in the national competition. That honor gained her entrance to the prestigious awards celebration in New York City. Her grandmother was enthralled by the entire process, but most happy to share her story with so many different people. “We always talk about the best ways we can preserve the memory and lessons of the Holocaust,” Schlesinger said. When her parents hosted a post-SXSW private screening, her grandmother flew to Austin for the festivities. “We showed Inge to a room full of family, friends, classmates and other people who'd been part of my life for as long as I can remember,” she said. “Seeing them all watch it with my grandma in the room gave me goosebumps.” Her grandmother later spent time fleshing out the details of her childhood experiences, answering questions from her very engaged audience. “Seeing my grandma speak so passionately to so many intently listening ears was a scene I will never forget,” Schlesinger remembered. “This was the main goal of the film after all— showing both this amazing woman and telling her amazing story so that everything she stands for will live on for generations to come. She told me later it made her feel incredibly hopeful … I want people to understand that you have the power to control the amount of hate in this world,” she said. Beckett is communication director at St. Stephen’s School.
WATCH INGE NOW
PROFILE: ADVOCACY
RECOVERY AND EDUCATION FIND HOME AT by Carol E. Barnwell Palmer Memorial Church has a long history of helping youth who suffer from addiction issues. More than 45 years ago, the Rev. Charlie Wyatt Brown helped to establish the Palmer Drug Abuse Center, which has helped more than one million people deal with addiction. Today, Palmer Church is home (since 2003) to the Archway Academy, a sober high school that supports the educational needs of teens in recovery. While PDAP grew and moved from its initial location at Palmer Church, Archway students study in classrooms constructed for the school and in former Sunday School rooms. The school’s offices look out through near centuryold windows onto the pink stucco archways of the Church’s central patio just north of the Texas Medical Center in Houston. Archway was established, with Palmer’s support, by parents and adolescent addiction recovery experts as a dedicated, fully accredited school to support teens in recovery from drug and alcohol abuse or dependency. According to Sasha McLean, Archway’s executive director, recovery principles are woven into the daily routine of
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Palmer academics as well as support for the family system of the students. Joe Downing used to work at Archway. Sober since 2003, Downing wanted to enhance his own recovery and “give back.” He saw miraculous stories of recovery as well as “heartbreaking stories because of the lack of family resources, affordable treatment options, and sometimes, a student’s willingness.” The number of high school-aged students with addiction issues is high, and often “a sober high school is the best solution for a new beginning for these young people,” Downing said. Old friends and familiar school systems may be one of the biggest hurdles for students in recovery. McLean agrees. “Assuming students in recovery can maintain their sobriety in the school setting where their drug use began is unrealistic,” she said. Brandon, who had missed one and a half years of school because of his addiction, was very behind. Not only did he catch up at Archway, the recent graduate said he experienced “an immense amount of personal growth … My family life has changed from yelling and fighting
to the point [where] we share real relationships.” An independent 501(c)(3), Archway is not affiliated with the church, although it is spiritual in nature, following the 12-step recovery model. An official recovery high school, Archway meets all criteria for the national Association of Recovery Schools, and it receives funding and has an academic partnership with Southwest Schools, which provides teaching staff and curriculum. Students may enter at anytime during the semester and the curriculum is set up to help those who need to catch up on coursework do so, even as they continue with current classes.
Of course, students have to be willing and parents must attend regular parent meetings, McLean explained. Recovery (and Archway) takes a holistic approach. “We require every family be in some type of aftercare program for recovery,” McLean explained. “We cannot be their primary education and their primary clinical support for family too. It’s too much for one organization so our goal is to focus on high quality education in an environment that is recovery centered. The staff understands recovery. I am a person in long-term recovery, everyone who works for Archway Academy is a person in long-term recovery. I got
sober 15 years ago.” Teachers have worked in alternative school settings and understand the Archway student’s challenges. They go through rigorous training and learn how to spot a student who is having an issue. Archway’s broader goal is for its students to seek a healthy life beyond graduation. They are encouraged to plan for college and have help with the college application process as well. Regular career day speakers, reflecting a diversity of professions, share their experiences and inspire their young audience to see themselves as successful adults. Madeleine, 17, said she had lost friends to alcohol and drug abuse. “I’ve Diolog
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We have a community where people feel inspired by the behavior of other people. experienced abuse, sexual assault and multiple overdoses. And the sad part is, compared to my friends at Archway, I had it easy,” she said. “Because of Archway, I can go to medical school, I can get a job, I can get married some day.” Thirteen months of sobriety in a supportive and understanding environment can change the course of a young person’s life. Madison was expelled from her middle school and finished that year in a juvenile detention program. “I was supposed to start high school in that awful place,” she said, before coming to Archway. “My life was so broken … [now] I have plans for the rest of my life.” Several years sober, Madison is now in college. But not everyone finds success. “No one is forced to come here,” McLean said. “This is a school of choice and we have a ‘grow or go’ philosophy. You come here because this place is a blessing, a place to be grateful for, a place of healing to get back on the path again. Recovery and education are priorities and we expect students to work at rebuilding family and relationships,” she added. “We have a community where people feel inspired by the behavior of other people. “We have some students who are ready to return to a traditional school setting after a semester or a year, then we have students who get here and fall in love with this community. They make the best friends they’ve ever had, they love the small class sizes, they begin to make good grades and they stay until they graduate,” McLean said. Carson’s start was rocky and at one point he was asked to leave. Today, he’s a student leader in the community. “It took me a minute to get it,” he grins. Sober for more than a year, McLean said he is a great example for other students, with plans to attend the University of Texas. “Business and law,” he said of his plans, “with a minor in accounting because a guy came here and gave this speech and said ’you need to be able to count your own money.’” The career day speaker made an impression.
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Sonny Sanborn has taught at Archway for eight years. He has adjusted his teaching style some for the particularities of recovering teens, but he expects as much from them as in any good school. “I don’t assign three hours of reading and then give them a pop quiz,” he said, and described a student relatively new to Archway, “He acted like he just didn’t care, but the enthusiasm of the other students in discussion was [eventually] contagious … this week, he’s been one of my most involved students when he had every intention not to be.” Sanborn isn’t particularly vested in students memorizing the minutia of the Vietnam War. “What I love to see, is them learning again,” he said, admitting that “some days are better than others.” Just showing up for school is a huge change for some of Archway’s students. Carson took a bus from Cypress each day to attend. “It’s exciting to see a kid who did everything they could possibly do to avoid being at school and now they actually feel joy about coming. They are excited,” McLean said. “Sometimes we overlook the little miracles.” McLean is a fully licensed clinician, and the school has three recovery coaches and an additional clinician who hold the emotional space for the community, McLean explained. They work with faculty and students to make sure students get individual support when they need it. “We help the kids strategize or create some action steps to overcome whatever,” she said. They provide references to other professionals when appropriate and keep in touch with parents. A portion of the cost for faculty is paid through public funding due to the school’s partnership with Southwest Schools. Additional costs are covered with the help of corporations, foundations and several special events. Archway runs on a $1.2 million budget and raises about half a million dollars of that annually to support scholarships and the recovery elements the school offers. Students pay a program fee that also covers some of the recovery resources. Need-based financial aid is available.
LEARN MORE AT: WWW.ARCHWAYACADEMY.NET Diolog
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PROFILE: CONGREGATION SAINT ANDREW’S, BRYAN CELEBRATES 150 YEARS
Scholarship Program Honors Legacy of Founders by Alison Sawyer and Kate Thomas As Saint Andrew’s, Bryan, celebrates its 150th year, one wonders what the 17 men who gathered to organize an Episcopal Church so long ago would think of the lives this congregation has transformed in this first century and a half. They gathered in George D. Haswell’s Bryan office on Dec. 10, 1867, and would surely be pleased with their legacy of service and community. One of the ways that Saint Andrew’s has made a difference is through a special partnership with Neal Elementary in Bryan, located less than a mile from the church campus. Saint Andrew’s Scholars is one of several collaborations between the church and school over the last decade, awarding $1,000 to graduating Neal Elementary students selected by a team of Neal staff and faculty. “We want to support our neighborhood school, celebrate its excellence and encourage the development of talented students,” said Dr. Lewis Ford, a parish member who has served as liaison for the program. Scholarship awards are entrusted to the Bryan ISD Education Foundation in each St. Andrew’s scholar’s name and, with compound interest, are applied toward the cost 32 |
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of attendance when students attend college or vocational school. Since 2007, Saint Andrew’s has donated $107,000 in scholarships. “This is an opportunity to show that we are about building a beloved community,” said the Rev. Daryl T. Hay, rector of St. Andrew’s. “The beloved community is not just about the church. It’s the neighborhood and the community in which we find ourselves. We are all a beloved people.” Many recipients will be the first from their family to attend college. One of the 2017 graduating seniors, Myles Carter, who received the award in 2010, attended this year’s award presentation at Neal and told students how it will help them with college. “Saint Andrew’s helps put your foot in the door for you to have a future,” Carter said. He will attend Texas A&M Prairie View this fall. In addition to the Scholar program, Saint Andrew’s has started a Clothes Closet, a mentor/buddy program and has provided English as Second Language classes to Neal parents and family members. A team of parishioners dedicate hours of their time to Neal students and families,
making an impact that will be reflected for generations, much like the legacy of service begun by our founding members. Clifford Hunter, will celebrate his 96th birthday this November and is a HOST reading mentor at Neal Elementary. One of the scholarships awarded in 2014 was in Hunter’s honor. "The HOST Program introduced us to Neal Elementary School and the need for incentives to promote education,” Hunter said. The Neal partnership is one of many programs that Saint Andrew’s will celebrate this fall, as part of its Sesquicentennial events. The parish continues to support the Brazos Church Photo: Dale Barrack
Pantry, located across the street from the church. A fundraising campaign is also underway for a Habitat for Humanity home, a sign of Saint Andrew’s faith in the future and a deepening commitment to the well-being of its neighbors. Saint Andrew’s will host a birthday party October 6, in conjunction with the First Friday Downtown Bryan events; an Evensong service on All Souls Day; and two special events in December. Saint Andrew’s looks forward to welcoming the Very Rev. Barkley S. Thompson, dean of Christ Church Cathedral in Houston during a December luncheon.
be a Sunday service on December 10, when the Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle, Bishop of Texas, will be on hand to help commemorate the church’s anniversary. Saint Andrew’s has been a constant in Bryan for the past 15 decades, its bell ringing out to call the faithful to worship. The parish looks forward to the next 150 years of faith and service, continuing to Build the Beloved Community, reaching out to neighbors and making a difference in the lives of others. Sawyer is director of communications at St. Andrew’s. Thomas is a former senior warden, a volunteer at Neal and part of the Sesquicentennial planning committee.
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CALENDAR & PEOPLE Calendar of Events
People The Rev. Bert Baetz has accepted the call as rector at St. Peter’s, Kerrville, in the Diocese of West Texas. Baetz was most recently rector at St. Mark’s, Richmond. The Rev. Beccy Booth has moved outside of the Diocese. She was most recently Locum Tenens at Trinity, Baytown. The Rev. Debbie Daigle is now vicar at St. John’s, Tyler.
HOUSTON DYNAMO NIGHT SEPT 9
The Rt. Rev. Rayford High and the Rev. Ann Normand (both retired) were married at St. Paul’s, Waco, August 12. Bishop High served as the Bishop Suffragan and Normand served as Canon to the Ordinary for the Diocese of Texas.
Come join other Episcopalians at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston at 7:30 p.m. as the Houston Dynamo take on the Colorado Rapids. Visit epicenter.org/dynamo to get tickets today.
The Rev. Charles Holt has accepted the call as associate rector at St. John the Divine, Houston. Holt was most recently rector at St. Peter’s, Lake Mary, in the Diocese of Central Florida. The Rev. Ken Fields is now interim rector at St. Peter’s, Brenham. The Rev. Bill Fowler is now interim rector at St. Mark’s, Austin. The Rev. Ryan Mails is now part-time deacon-in-charge at St. Michael’s & All Angels, Longview, and part-time east Texas missioner. Mails was ordained transitional deacon in the Diocese of North Carolina on June 17.
BLANDY LECTURES SEPT 26-27
Seminary of the Southwest and the Southwest Alumni Association welcome the Rt. Rev. Rob C. Wright, Bishop of Atlanta, as the featured speaker at the 2017 Blandy Lectures and Alumni Convocation. Visit tinyurl.com/blandylectures for more info.
The Rev. Brandon Peete is now school chaplain at Berkeley Preparatory School, Tampa, Florida. Peete was most recently associate at St. Stephen’s, Houston. The Rev. Keith Pozzuto is now campus missioner at Baylor University, Waco. Pozzuto was most recently interim chaplain at All Saints’ School, Tyler. The Rev. Cliff Rucker has retired. Rucker was most recently rector at Holy Trinity, Port Neches. The Rev. Brian Tarver has accepted the call as rector at St. Philip’s, Beeville, in the Diocese of West Texas. Tarver was most recently curate at St. Dunstan’s, Houston.
ADULT CHORAL FESTIVAL OCT 21
The Rev. David Wantland was ordained transitional deacon on June 17 and now serves as curate at Palmer Memorial, Houston.
Guest conductor, Giles Brightwell, Ph.D., of St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church and School will lead the combined choirs at St. James’, Houston. Visit epicenter.org/musiccommission for more info.
Birth
Emily and the Rev. Canon John Newton welcomed the arrival of their daughter, Katherine King Newton, on June 15, 2017.
Deaths CLERGY CONFERENCE OCT 23-25 Diocesan Clergy gather at Camp Allen.
John Robert Brock, former CFO of the Diocese of Texas, died Friday, June 9, 2017.
Nancy Lennard, widow of the Rev. Clarke G. Lennard, died July 16, 2017. Nancy served the office of the treasurer of the Diocese of Texas for many years as assistant to Foundations.
Please keep these families in your prayers.
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BECOMING BELOVED COMMUNITY: THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH’S LONG-TERM
Commitment to Racial Healing, Reconciliation and Justice. “You’re looking at a path for how we, as the Episcopal branch of the Jesus Movement, can more fully and prayerfully embody the loving, liberating, life-giving way of Jesus in our relationships with each other.” – Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry FIND OUT MORE TINYURL.COM/YD5BKFS3
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ON CHURCHPUBLISHING.ORG AND AMAZON! #JESUSHEISTBOOK
In The Jesus Heist: Recovering the Gospel from the Church, Bishop Andy Doyle flips the script of familiar Bible stories. He invites readers to consider Jesus’ call to “create a new order out of God’s very nature of love: the challenge to enter the lives of our neighbor, to be neighbor, to venture into the wilderness where God is present, and to be converted into communion with God” and what that means in terms of our own behavior.