13 minute read
Schools
Mandarin-speaking St. Mark’s Student Ready for China Hilton Sampson overcomes leg injury, prepares for competition
Hilton Sampson showcases his Chinese language knowledge to a panel of judges and
Advertisement
earns first place at the DFW Bridge Competition. (PHOTO: COURTESY HILTON SAMPSON)
By Dillon Wyatt
People Newspapers
St. Mark’s School of Texas’ Hilton Sampson is headed to China this fall to show off his skills with a triple-bearing yo-yo and the Mandarin language.
Sampson first learned Mandarin in the fifth grade at St. Mark’s, and, now a sophomore, was inspired to start competing after learning about the competitions and began practicing with his teacher, Dr. CJ Chiang.
“I liked the Chinese language, so when I heard about the competitions, I decided to give them a try,” he said. “I practiced my speech by writing and memorizing it with the help of my teacher. She also helped me learn a skill called Chinese yo-yo.”
Last fall, Sampson broke his patella and had to undergo surgery to repair it. While recovering, he decided to learn more about Chinese culture. “When I got knee surgery in the fall, I lost time to practice, but I was able to explore more about China,” he said. “It led me to discovering each tournament.”
After persevering through his injury, Sampson believed he could compete in a few tournaments on his road to world competition.
“I decided to compete in the National Chinese Speech Competition,” he said. “I thought this would help prepare me for the DFW bridge competition.”
Sampson has been practicing as much as he can to perfect his skills.
“I started preparing in November,” he added. “Once I won the DFW tournament, I continued to practice as many times as I can each week.”
While Sampson has competed in speech and bridge tournaments, he knows the magnitude of the world bridge competition.
“The competition is televised all over China,” he said. “The competition was created to show how well the Chinese language is circulating throughout the world.”
Being only one of three Americans, Sampson hopes to calm his nerves before performing in front of millions.
“I got pretty nervous the last time I did a competition,” he said. “But this time, I think I just got to go for it and hope for the best because I have been working so hard for this, so I’m looking forward to seeing all of my hard work pay off.”
The competition is broken up into three sections and, with multiple elements totaling a contestant’s score, Sampson must impress the judges.
“The scoring is subjective,” he said. “The judges grade us on Jeopardy-like questions that they’ll ask. Then I’ll recite my speech for them. And finally, I show off my talent using the Chinese yo-yo.”
Through his hard work and dedication, Sampson is confident that he will perform well and represent his country.
“I’m really excited to compete,” he said. “I hope that all the new things I have been learning and all the stuff I’ve already learned will help me give a good impression to the judges.”
Wesley Prep marks the retirement of longtime campus leader Linda Altick with a sculpture commissioned by Brad Oldham of the “little yellow chair” she used as a reminder to evaluate decisions based
on how they would affect students. (PHOTOS: COURTESY WESLEY PREP)
By Josh Hickman
Special Contributor
When Linda Altick started teaching at Wesley Prep some 45 years ago, she could not have foreseen the story of educational success and expansion to come.
Lovers Lane United Methodist became her home church when she moved from Houston, joined in 1964, and eventually became a volunteer.
“My undergraduate degree was in education, and my master’s degree was in special ed,” Altick said. “In 1977, they said they needed a teacher, and I said, ‘I can do that.’”
In 1981, she agreed to become preschool director, as long as she could also be the Mother’s Day Out director and combine the programs.
Requests from families in the late 1990s prompted the school to expand into elementary grades.
“It was a controversial move for the church at that time,” she recalled. In 1998 came the initial firstgrade class, and in 2007, “Miss Linda” became executive director.
Today, the preparatory school has expanded to sixth grade, averaging 450 students. Students are primarily from Preston Hollow and the Park Cities, though some have come from as far away as Lakewood and Irving.
“I had always thought I would work until 70, and we had plans for that,” Altick, now 71, said.
COVID changed that.
“I wasn’t going to abandon the school during COVID,” she said. “We closed for the required three months, but we knew, as educators, that children learn best in the classroom. The last two years have been the most difficult I’ve had in 45 years.” Her passion for the needs of the students is as palpable as it is infectious. “The whole reason I’m here is to be an advocate for the children, to be a voice for them,” Altick said. “Our motto is the yellow chair. The yellow chair always sat in my office as a reminder of — Is this decision right for the children? — because we only get one shot with them.” But 12-hour days didn’t leave much time for relationships outside of the work environment, Altick admitted. She hopes that changes with retirement. Her last day at Wesley Prep was May 31. “I’ll be cleaning my house,” she said, chuckling, “reconnecting with friends, traveling, enjoying our granddaughter, and finding a way to give back. I’m not sure what that will be, but I’m certain it will be
The whole something advocating for children — to be a reason I’m voice for them still, just here is to be in a different place.” Her legacy at Wes an advocate ley Prep? She hopes for the children, to that’s defined as “making a difference in be a voice for them. people’s lives” and “just Linda Altick doing right by folks.” “I feel very honored and blessed to have been a part of this great school for 45 years — amazing teachers, friends, and the most wonderfully engaged parents,” she said. Indeed, some teachers have worked alongside her for more than 30 years. Pondering winsomely, she added, “I’ll miss the children — the hugs and the kisses.” NEW LEADERSHIP Meg Fahrenbrook, formerly assistant head of middle school at Episcopal School of Dallas, began serving as Wesley Prep executive director on June 1.
Pencil in Cistercian Preparatory for a Robotics Championship Students learn teamwork while navigating computer, mechanical mishaps
By Emilea McCutchan
People Newspapers
The robots may get more complicated, but the lessons remain classic.
Cistercian Preparatory School’s robotics students learned about the importance of teamwork and resilience as they overcame technical difficulties on their way to win the international 2022 FIRST Robotics Competition.
Created in 1992 by Dean Kamen and Woodie Flowers, the competition allows teams of students worldwide to design and build a working robot. Teams are presented with game and engineering specifications every January, consistent with the annual competition’s theme. This year’s theme, Rapid React by Boeing, centered around alliances of teams’ robots working together to accomplish tasks like shooting balls into a tower and climbing monkey bars that increased in height under automatic pilot or remote operator control.
“This year was by far the most complex robot we have ever built with a swerve drive, a passive climb, and an auto-aiming shooter,” said rising senior Andrew Oliver, programming captain. “We showed ourselves what can be done when you put your heart and mind into something you enjoy.”
After qualifying for the international competition, Cistercian’s team, named Fusion Corps, made its way through eight qualification matches before being partnered with Up-A-Creek Robotics from Colorado, The Cheesy Poofs from California, and Knight Vision from Michigan for an April match between the other divisions’ winning alliances. Through practicing good teamwork, Cistercian and its group members advanced through three championship matches, ultimately attaining victory for all by a score of 142 to 108.
“It was so incredible being able to work with and learn from such world class teams like the Cheesy Poofs and Up-A-Creek Robotics,” said rising junior James Novinski, the team’s driver. “As the main driver of Fusion Corps, it was such an exciting but really nerve-wracking experience being alongside those teams and helping them on and off the field.”
Cistercian’s win did not come
Cistercian Preparatory School students designed their robot to shoot balls into a tower and climb monkey bars so well they claimed a spot
on a championship team of schools from across the country. (PHOTOS:
NATHAN COMEAUX AND KRISTY NOVINSKI)
without a few glitches, however.
The robot, aptly named Resilience, endured a parts failure at the qualification match that was quickly remedied using some pencils.
“Those pencils probably were the reason that we got picked,” said rising senior Ryan Jackson, engineering co-captain.
Later at the world championship, one of the key computers used to navigate the robot ran out of battery power before a critical match.
“It was a pretty tough moment for us because the power cable wouldn’t charge the computer,” said rising senior Matthew Nguyen, a team member. “But we found the solution to that by using an alternative cable in a different port.”
Celebrations after the big win consisted of a good night’s rest for most members. But seniors Blake Harris and Nathan Comeaux hurried home to catch the end of their prom night.
“The team lived up to the robot’s name, Resilience, and persevered when it looked like our season might end,” said Rev. Mark Ripperger, robotics school liaison and science teacher. “We were honored to be selected for such a strong playoff alliance and enjoyed the relationships built in pursuit of the world championship.”
Educators Prepare for Upcoming Academic Year
Teach for America helps newcomers tackle COVID-19 effects, other present-day challenges
By Maria Lawson
maria.lawson@peoplenewspapers.com
Teach for America has welcomed nearly 100 first-year teachers to Dallas ISD for the fall to train through the organization’s new hybrid instructional model.
The program included virtual and in-person teaching components covering hot topics in education today following the pandemic’s effects: instruction, learning environments, leadership development, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The training has allowed us to really have a good understanding of different ways to help out different students in the classroom. Raquel Butner
This year was Teach for America’s first summer training with in-person components since
the pandemic hit. (PHOTO: COURTESY TEACH FOR AMERICA)
this training was designed to ease that transition.
“I think it’s just going to be a matter of doing the best that we can with our resources,” Butner said. “And just making sure we have a differentiated classroom so that all students’ needs are being met, whether they are behind or up to speed or if they’re needing to be challenged.”
Learning from Dallas ISD veteran teachers and TFA corps members, the rookie teachers had the opportunity this summer to better understand the North Texas community, schools, and students as they look toward the upcoming year.
“The training has allowed us to really
WHAT IS TEACH FOR AMERICA?
An organization founded in 1990 that works with 350 communities across the country to expand educational opportunities for children.
have a good understanding of different ways to help out different students in the classroom, so I think that’s what we’re going to be able to bring to Dallas ISD,” Butner said.
Dallas ISD’s partnership with TFA allows future classroom leaders to develop, gain inspiration, and prepare to empower the next generation, said Sharla Hudspeth, Dallas ISD’s executive director of extracurricular and extended learning opportunities.
This summer program is part of TFA’s nationwide, multipart pre-service experience that began in May and will extend through the first 90 days of school for all 2,000 new TFA educators.
“Teach for America really [places] an importance on making sure that we’re doing everything we can to help the community,” Butner said. “We’re not coming in with our own plans and saying what we want; we’re listening to the community and doing exactly what it is that they need.”
prestonhollowpeople.com | August 2022 27 High School Pair Raise Funds and Awareness for Period Poverty These Hockaday students donated $3,450 to the Dallas Life Homeless Recovery Center
By Maria Lawson
maria.lawson@peoplenewspapers.com
Two Hockaday School students — incoming junior Ashley Chemmalakuzhy and incoming senior Claire Zhu — joined forces to raise $3,450 and awareness to help those facing period poverty in Dallas.
“A problem that we’ve noticed is the stigma around talking about this issue in the first place, which contributes to the issue of not having these affordable products,” Zhu said.
The pair took the issue of period poverty and used the platforms of organizations they’re involved in to make a difference. Chemmalakuzhy is the executive director of the We R Love Foundation, a Dallas-based nonprofit focused on health, homelessness, and education. Zhu is the founder and president of Hockaday’s Health Occupations Students of America chapter, so the two collaborated to raise money, starting with two bake sales.
The bake sales raised $532. After that success, the team kept the momentum going by reaching out to companies (such as Poppy Flowers and the Dallas Garden School) and individual donors to
AT A GLANCE
Money raised: $3,450
Women served: 55
Months of period products supplied: 6
round up more funds, resulting in the remaining $2,918.
Before starting to fundraise, they reached out to the Dallas Life Homeless Recovery Center and found the nonprofit had 55
FROM LEFT: Ashley Chemmalakuzhy; Claire Zhu, Pamela Culbertson, director of volunteers for the Dallas Life Homeless Recovery Center, and
Ashley Chemmalakuzhy. (PHOTOS: COURTESY ASHLEY CHEMMALAKUZHY)
women in need of period products.
Chemmalakuzhy and Zhu decided that was the right nonprofit to support, and they were able to supply six months’ worth of pads and tampons for those women.
“I just think it’s really interesting because when we started, we really didn’t know where it was going to go,” Chemmalakuzhy said.
Coming from an all-girls school, Zhu said the partners are especially familiar with the necessity of affordable period products. She described it as a basic need like food, shelter, and water.
The pair has also been raising awareness about period poverty by creating bookmarks and infographics for social media and holding meetings with their organizations’ members to inform them of the issue. Although their fundraising efforts are concluded, they plan to continue raising awareness through social media.
“We did our part in helping and donating these products, but the best impact out of this would be if we could get other people our age and other teenagers interested in serving our community in this way,” Chemmalakuzhy said.
